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xirex · 11 months

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JULIA ✮ RELATIONSHIPS ?!

! CHAN . . . CHANLIA / 2LETTE

her contact name : juju 🩷

his contact name : channie 🤍

her father omg. the moment he saw 10-year-old julia in a training room was the moment he knew he had to protect her. julia had just come from australia at that time and having chan, someone who could understand exactly how she was struggling as a foreigner, really helped her in the long run. chan would always be with the girl, to the point where he was helping her get ready for school in the morning and even pick her up in the afternoon. julia relies on chan a lot for a variety of things; whether it be helping her create a song to taste-testing her food to make sure it's perfect. chan can basically read the girl like an open book. he can tell when she isn't feeling well or when she's really excited to do something, even before she can at times. don't get me wrong, julia does mess with chan a lot, but behind those teasing words and smirk, she knows she has someone who will always care for her, at her highest of highs and lowest of lows.

viral moments : julia feeling sick during a tour stop & chan giving her one GLANCE and immediately rushing over and asking if she's alright // chan moving over to let julia pick something out in a game first // chan sitting next to her while they were eating on a vlive & when she was talking, randomly patting her head

'2lette' came from fans. more of an inside joke; chan's shaving brand is gillette and julia says she'd use that brand if she ever had to

? LEE KNOW . . . JUHO / PABOZ

her contact name : child ☝

his contact name : lee knows nothing 🤓

she was so scared of him when they first met. like he just. looked scary. she got to know him a lot better over the time they spent preparing for debut and they became extremely close. julia looks up to him a lot, and similar to chan, she's like his daughter. they bond over their skill in dance— it was what brought them together in the first place. she also trusts his judgement; whenever julia feels like she needs guidance or another opinion on something she'll go to minho and ask for his perspective. he's the one who can talk her into doing things and it literally always works; usually whenever she's sick he and chan team up to get her to lay down. lee know is like julia's mother and chan's the father !!! he does spend a lot of time teasing her though. over her height, her saying something funnily, her tripping, etc. everything she does is funny to him ? but its okay, it's all in love ofc !!

viral moments : in skz code 08, julia holding onto minho the entire time they were on the mission (poor minho .. two scaredy cats at his side) // julia being frustrated over not wanting to do something, minho stopping her to try and persuade her & julia immediately agreeing after // minho saving a take-out box of food he didn't like knowing julia would probably eat it

'paboz' came from the members in an early skz code ep

! CHANGBIN . . . BINLIA / SYOTDARIZ

her contact name : lee money

his contact name : gym rat 🌵

MY SUNSHINE AND SUNSHINE PROTECTOR DUO I CANNOT. whenever she's running around playing with one of the boys or just by herself he'll be like standing in the back with the most proud smile ever. they enjoy teasing each other, and will take up any opportunity possible to; at restaurants, during filming, etc. when changbin's on "watch the maknaes" duty and sees julia about to do something he's run towards her, pull her away, smack her head, and then go back to what he was doing before.. it's happened on camera too many times. he also helps julia during song recording because she tends to mess up or misread certain korean bits. her #1 fanboy !! whenever she has an idea for a song he'll just sit and listen attentively and even help her tweak the lyrics. changbin tries his best to understand julia's struggle as the only girl and just wants the best for her in the long run

viral moments : julia on a vlive gushing over how much changbin's helped her improve her korean over the years // changbin being so patient with julia while trying to teach her how to do something // binlia seeing each other for the first time after months and hugging so tightly

syotdari / 숏다리 = short legs, they're the shortest two in the group

? HYUNJIN . . . JUJIN / BATTERIES

her contact name : llama?

his contact name : samsamsam 😯

two human batteries that never die out. julia highly influences hyunjin into doing silly shit, like pranking the members, teasing them, just causing chaos anywhere and everywhere.. it's a little crazy. they're both extroverts when together, minho and chan see them fooling around in their nightmares i swear. back to the calmer side; they love to draw and paint together. julia has a lot of the paintings they've made together hung up in her room. hyunjin was the one to talk her through panic attacks (and still is!!) when they were frequent and that was one of the only times they would actually be quiet together. whenever julia feels like she needs to take a break or just have time to breathe while on stage, hyunjin would immediately be at her side making sure she's alright. hyunjin's probably the one who talks her into doing things that she probably shouldn't be doing in newer places. they also go live together so often, and half of those lives are just filled with them dancing or teasing each other.

viral moments : on a tour stop, hyunjin running around with julia on his back // yet another tour video, julia stepping off to the side breathing heavily & hyunjin immediately going over and passing her a water bottle // on a v-live hyunjin & julia painting together, julia showing hyunjin her canvas and him cooing and saying it looks great

'batteries' comes from the two being known as human batteries when together.

! HAN . . . LIASUNG / NINIZ

her contact name : 땅콩 [ peanut ]

his contact name : my hannie 🤍

you thought jujin was bad? these two are worse. they'll take any possible opportunity to argue with each other. most times it's just to mess with the older members, but they do enjoy teasing each other. in fact, you can usually tell something's up with one or the other when they go more than an hour without saying some kind of belittling comment to eo. however, despite all of this, they're insanely close. whenever another one of the hyungs isn't there to help, they'll usually go to eo during panic attacks. they also share the same fear of heights; when skz has to do something that's relatively high up, liasung will be clinging to eo for dear life. they're like the twins of skz—both the fans and the boys themselves call the pair that. they're always together; on stage, at the dorms, even in variety shows or random vlogs. so many random 1 am bubble updates from them going on late-night walks or convenience store runs.

viral moments : them teasing eo and then 5 seconds later going "i love you~ every second // liasung absolutely dominating in a game of bowling on a show // during a fansign, julia stealing han's hat and after trying to get it back a bunch of times, he just lets her have it

'niniz' came out of nowhere. a member used it to refer to the pair and it just stuck.

? FELIX . . . LIXIA / SUNSHINEZ

her contact name : tiny lee 🌟

his contact name : bokkie 🌞

MY SUNSHINE BABIESSS !!!! the two that will make you smile the moment you see them together. they love eo so much it's just so fluffy and sweet. felix is another member you'll always see julia with because they love to be around each other. julia even admitted she spends more time in jeongin's / felix's rooms because they're so comfortable with eo. julia and felix always talk in english to each other out of habit; when they met, they immediately started to converse in english rather than korean. julia's the person who influences felix to take up his interests, like baking for example! julia also has a lot of matching items with felix, whether it be clothes, jewelry, even phone charms or cases. they both just have so much love to give and it's so evident in the way they treat each other and the members. these two have so many concert / fansign videos of them just hugging or playing with eo; felix likes to let julia play around as much as possible since she's been a trainee since she was a kid and didn't really have a childhood.

viral moments : felix and julia going into a haunted house together and not coming out for another 45 minutes // julia facetiming felix in the middle of his live // felix posting a video on bubble of julia just sitting on their counter eating leftover cookie dough mix

'sunshinez' comes from them being known as the sunshine duo.

! SEUNGMIN . . . JUMIN / STYLISTS

her contact name : tiger 🐯

his contact name : minnie mouse

julia see julia do with seungmin istg. so many clips of him randomly doing something and julia immediately copying him. he's like a little devil on her shoulder. seungmin's fooling around? oh, julia's probably with him. they're always teaming up to tease the members at any given chance, basically chan & minho's worst nightmare. seungmin knows how to get under her skin, and vice versa. they enjoy styling the members together and have been appointed at the two stylists of skz. two people who enjoy showing their affection through big small actions rather than words, which is why they're so close. seungmin's helped her perfect her vocal abilities over the years, and when she got moved to vocalracha, he was the most excited because they'd get to work together more often. when julia falls asleep backstage, she's usually laying on seungmin's shoulder or seungmin's going over and laying a blanket on her or fixing her hair / posture.

viral moments : in the xmas skz code, seungmin randomly flying a paper airplane and julia doing the same soon after // seungmin uploading pics of julia sleeping on him while he's just doing a peace sign // seungmin & julia being on a team tgt and not being able to finish their mission bcz they spent the entire time messing around

'stylists' comes from the two being known as skz's stylists

? I.N . . . INLIA / TWIN FLAMES

her contact name : nyangie 🐱

his contact name : INNIEEEEEEEEE 🩵

MY POOKIES HELLO. the twin flames of skz. julia's like jeongin's little sister please. they've been close ever since the survival show, like their friendship is natural. julia spends so much time with jeongin, more than any other member. they're extremely clingy with each other, like two little kids. they show their love for each other by being clingy & constantly playing around with eo. constant stealing from eo; jeongin could have a sweatshirt one day and the next, it'll be gone & vice versa. they're each other's hype person!! julia enjoys cheering him on in an annoying voice just to mess with him. no doubt the closest duo of stray kids, literally nothing could come between them. another member she has a lot of matching items with. the main reason julia spends a lot of time with him / in his room is because they're always assigned to be together anyway; hotel roommates, game partners, even being sent away by the members to go fetch something from the shops. if one's smiling and laughing, the other is too. jeongin always serves her first, and even hand feeds her food if she asks him. also!! they're so attentive to each other. never a moment were they aren't listening to eo so well and lovingly I CANT.

viral moments : mt skz code, they were in the pool and just started to try and drown eo ?? (affectionate) // in a fansign, jeongin received two animal headbands, so he reached over to put one on julia's head // julia and jeongin in the background of a member's vlog trying to fight ?? hug ?? they were doing something.

'twin flames' comes from them being known as the twin flames / platonic soulmates of skz.

xia's message . . . this took .. so long .. taglist . . . open!

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trustherkindheart · 2 years

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Say what you will about the US roster rotation but part of the reason teams like Canada and England keep getting caught out is their refusal to start young talent over former superstars like Sinclair and White

#uswnt #canwnt #lionesses #woso #euros #womens euros #concacaf #just saying if julia grosso can win the golden boot #and be in the best XI #without starting #maybe theres a problem there

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intellectures · 5 months

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Mehr oder weniger gespalten

Wo stehen wir nach all den Krisen der vergangenen Jahre als Gesellschaft? Gibt es noch einen gemeinschaftlichen Konsens? Was ist überhaupt diese so umkämpfte Mitte der Gesellschaft? Wer darf in dieser Platz nehmen und welche Themen werden dort verhandelt? Und was ist eigentlich mit dieser digitalen Welt, in die alles strebt? Einige aktuelle Bücher gehen diesen Fragen auf den Grund. Continue…

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vitaminseetarot · 9 months

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Perseid PAC Pick a Fruit: What Blessings Are About to Shower Upon Your Life? 🌠

Hey, hey, listen! [/navi]

Did you know we're gonna have an insanely wonderful Perseid meteor shower on August 13th?! It'll be somewhere in the ballpark of, I dunno, 200 meteors passing an hour?! And the moon will be dark so they will be perfectly visible! So time to grab your favorite lantern, unroll the sleeping bag, and pray for some clear skies cause the night will be sparkling like champagne ~

In the event that you don't see the showers (city light pollution go brrr), their blessings will still be felt by all as they pass over us like benevolent winged unicorns. So I'm gonna do for you a quick PAC to find out what kind of blessing you will receive around this time. The blessings may be small and sweet, but it might just make you smile and look up.

Some of these piles were heavier than anticipated, so please note that blessings come in all shapes and sizes like these fruits below.

🍌🍊🍎🍌🍊🍎🍌🍊🍎🍌🍊🍎🍌🍊🍎🍌🍊🍎

Pile 1: Banana 🍌

[XIII Death, XI Justice, 5 of Cups; Markab, Debilitated - Discomfort, 1. Vision- Contemplating the Future]

This pile reminded me of old crime shows I watched ages ago like "Cold Case Files" as well as "Medium". The shows were all about resolving difficult cases to the very end. Even when the solution was found, the perp was eventually taken in, and the ghost wandered off to the afterlife, there always was a lingering sadness around each episode. Because the entire show premise and episode would not exist if it weren't for these characters experiencing injustice well before the script's running and the camera's rolling.

Your blessing is that you will have the chance to close out something that was left unresolved for a very long time. It's not going to bother you anymore. Without that sense of revenge, you're getting even. Maybe there were fights, or maybe it was just lost information, but you will ultimately feel a sense of closure from this. I read that there's really nothing you need to do at this time to facilitate this blessing. It will come on its own time. Once it does, you may feel it in the form of healthy grieving, of having a good cry. This release may be uncomfortable but it's necessary for allowing the chapter to finally end for good, so let it flow. (Try listening to "Before the Dawn" by Magnetude & Julia Marks, I always play it during rough times.)

I'm getting that you already understand this to be the next step, but I can give you assurance that it's okay to feel bittersweet about it. This isn't a typical blessing, but there is a newfound freedom to be found here. Your Justice card features the Statue of Liberty, and your ethereal orb card Markab talks about liberty as well: "You have outgrown your old skin, now it's time to utilize your wings." It seems rocky right now but trust that you are on the right path. This closure will give you the chance to transform your life and move ahead.

You're being asked to spend more energy looking to what you want to do after this is over than worrying about the closure. There are new doors opening for you, and you have the choice to go down many different paths. You're being asked to specifically consider about where you want to be one year from now, and work from there. The banana you picked is shaped like the waning crescent moon in your card, but it's also a symbol of fertility. Banana reminds you that endings imply beginnings.

If you also feel drawn to pile 3, you can check it out for further guidance as it has a similar message.

Pile 2: Mandarin 🍊

[Queen of Wands, 10 of Cups, 3 of Wands; Sirius, Jupiter - Abundance, II Resources]

What a tasty pile we got here pile 2, cause it looks like with mandarin, you're getting a taste of the sweet life. Your blessing is gonna be a huge boost to your personal confidence. It could be that someone is coming to you with a work offer, one who is bright and charismatic. Or perhaps the fire is being lit from within you. This person could have what it takes to fund your project, for example, or may be enthusiastic to work with you. Your creative potential is being highlighted here. You're onto something good!

It's great seeing the 10 of cups smack in the middle of your reading, but look closely. 10 of cups is not behaving like its usual contented self. The real rainbow is at the end of the road and right now, you're being given some green light signals to move ahead towards your destination. Even though this surge of self-esteem is going to feel really really great in the beginning, ultimately it's to serve the higher purpose of guiding you to your next assignment. This energy is the start towards setting down the foundations for something amazing.

Your ethereal orb card Sirius reads: "Offer me direction and exhibit my intention, my head is full of dreams and my existence is a fantasy." Perhaps your mind is swimming in all the wonderful possibilities that could arise from this encounter or event. But you're not meant to stay in this energy forever. Savor it, praise it in gratitude, then pack your bags and be ready to march out at dawn. If you're able to keep up the momentum, it will likely result in further blessings. But you will need to stay on track and not let it all get to your head.

You will need to keep yourself from getting too emotionally overwhelmed from this blessing. Jupiter can mean "a lot" of anything, which can cause us to feel dizzy from the sudden luck. As if you're struggling to believe if it's true. And it's good to be wary of "too good to be true" scenarios, but once you look closely at the finer details, you can proceed. The key is to stick with what's true for you and to not compromise for somebody else's vision, as it's just too soon for anyone but yourself to get involved with what you're working on, but be open to support from the outside. You can move forward with both optimism and grounded judgment.

Pile 3: Apple 🍎

[8 of Cups, Queen of Coins, X Wheel of Fortune; Athaya, Capricorn - Achieve, 2. Dominance - Believe in Yourself]

Pile 3, when I was shuffling your tarot deck I got very tense before drawing 8 of cups. Like a wound rubber band waiting to snap. Please make sure to go out on walks or you're exercising to let off some steam. You seem currently stressed out about something that has long overstayed its welcome. It's something you may deeply cherish about in some way but is draining you rather than helping you grow. It may be the very apple of your eye, but it's really poisoning you at this point. There's a sore spot that keeps getting pushed. An event may have happened recently which caused you to say, "that's it!" and storm off only to feel bad about doing so.

Don't be! The blessing here is that as soon as you drop whatever is bugging you and weighing you down, you're going to feel so much lighter. Like being lifted from the gravity of the earth for a moment. You will be propelled into an eventful and fun new chapter in your life, and you're being given the inner drive to do this. The initial blessing is gonna be a feeling of a massive weight being lifted from your shoulders and a chance to breathe. Once this happens, and you've taken care of a few loose ends, you'll be in a better position to receive greater blessings down the road. I see 1010 in your cards so look for this number as a confirmation that you're on the way towards success.

You're being asked to take personal responsibility and control for your life, but the keyword is your life. Do not take responsibility for this weird old baggage unless you actually need to talk it out with a person or make amends, but that's not what I'm reading here. This is more like if a person joined a fitness group and made good new memories and connections only to be forced to leave it behind. Maybe the fitness group was a cult all along, maybe the teacher was spreading damned lies and statistics about nutritional health, maybe there were a lot of disagreements, and it got to where you had to leave it behind just to feel any relief.

Your ethereal orb card Athaya reads: "Duality teaches us that in order to love we must bind together what differentiates us." When I read this I heard the lyrics "if you love me let me go". Sometimes holding on to what we cherish too tightly can cause it to slip quickly from our grasp when we least expect it. They were great memories, but you have so many amazing new memories waiting for you. Once you're in a position to prioritize your life first, to get your needs met, and focus on practical matters, then opportunities will be flooding in for you. Moving on won't be as hard as you think when life moves you to a better place.

If you feel drawn to pile 1, you can check it out for further guidance as there are similar messages.

This reading has not been evaluated by the FDA to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or infection. Please ask your physician before going online.

2023, @VitaminseeTarot ™

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padfootagain · 10 months

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Something Good (XI)

Chapter 11 : The Banks of the Thames

Hello, lovelies! Here is a new chapter for my Ben Barnes series!

Still in London and OH BOY THIS CHAPTER IS AN IMPORTANT ONE!! AND AN EMOTIONAL ONE TOO!!

You will finally learn what happened between Ben and Julia…

Hope you like this chapter! Tell me what you think!

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Pairing: Ben Barnes x Reader

Warnings: none! Slow burn, professor AU.

Summary: Coming out of a divorce and trying to get used to being a single mom, while teaching your classes at University, you thought your life could not get more complicated than it already is. But when you are asked to take care of the theatre club with the colleague that you really can’t get along with, you realize that everything can still get ten times more complicated in your life. And when you start actually liking Professor Barnes, the troubles only grow exponentially…

Word Count: 3872

Masterlist for the series – Ben Barnes’ Masterlist – Main Masterlist

You had found a costume, actually.

Despite how crazy your week in London had been, you did get the time to find a costume to attend this party with Ben.

You were waiting for him in the hall of your hotel to go to the party. You would have lied had pretended not to be exhausted after working so much this week, but you actually loved it. You had spent a great time in London, and you reckoned that it was mostly due to Ben.

You had spent a lot of time together. Many lunches and dinners spent laughing and talking about silly things and important subjects, from your families to politics and your favourite books…

You had grown much closer during this trip, you reckoned. From colleagues, you now considered him a friend. How crazy was that? A few weeks ago, you could barely bear his presence at all, and now you craved for it… You wanted to spend time with him. If you were fully honest with yourself, it was the thought that pushed you out of bed during this trip.

Hurry up! If you’re up early, you can leave with Ben…

Ridiculous, right?

You weren’t sure where these thoughts were coming from, what had triggered them. Perhaps they had appeared that night at the pizzeria. Maybe they had bloomed during the trip to London, when Ben had listened to you talk about your daughter for so long and had been amazing calming you down…

You weren’t sure, it didn’t matter much, anyway.

You were exhausted after your intense week, still, you were happy to go to this party. You reckoned that you could use some fun time, and since your daughter was born, you had barely had any occasion to go to this kind of parties. You were quite excited, although you were nervous as well, at the idea of meeting some of Ben’s friends.

Speaking of the devil, Ben was stepping out of the elevator right then, but he didn’t join you right away. He slowed his pace as he spotted you, coming to a full stop.

A fond smile formed on his lips as he caught sight of you, dressed up in a Harry Potter uniform. He guessed you had chosen the colours of your own house. He didn’t know. He didn’t really care. His fond smile turned tender, dreamy.

You looked stunning.

He wasn’t even sure why, because… it was a silly costume, but still… there was something about you that was glowing. Something that made him see no one else but you in this busy hall. The second his eyes fell on you, his entire universe shrank to rest into your hands, into your eyes, into your frame...

Magic trick of yours.

He fell into your eyes as you turned to him, saw the crinkles form at the corner of your eyes as you smiled. Those infinite, beautiful eyes…

He didn’t notice the way your breathing stuttered, the way your heart skipped a beat as he approached, the way butterflies flew across your stomach… He was too busy staring at you for that.

He was handsome. You had always noticed, but this time, it was hitting you fully. Which was a little ridiculous, because he looked silly and goofy now. You had seen him in prettier outfits, in clothes that truly made him look unbearably handsome. And yet… you couldn’t find the strength to look away as Ben walked slowly over to you, dressed up as Marty McFly. Ridiculous. He looked silly. He looked stunning…

He wasn’t wearing his glasses for once, it was strange to see him without them.

“You found a costume, in the end,” he teased you, voice deep, warm, playful, you adored that sound…

“Yeah!” you looked down at your silly Hogwarts costume. “Went for the sexy student vibe, obviously,” you joked.

“Obviously,” he smiled, but you barely noticed the way he was out of breath. “Not sure it was the tag on that costume though.”

“Really?”

“No…”

“Ha, that’s because I’ve never been one of the sexy kinds,” you joked. “I should have taken the sexy nurse one, my bad.”

“You look beautiful.”

It was a little too earnest, Ben blushed fiercely as he spoke. You looked away, trying to hide your grin and the frantic beating of your heart.

“Thank you… although, you’re not wearing your glasses. So, you’re probably saying that when completely blind.

“Contact lenses,” he explained, chuckling. “I can see perfectly well.”

“I thought you hated those.”

“The glasses didn’t fit the costume.”

“Right…”

“My brother said no one would recognize who I was dressing up as…”

“Who wouldn’t know Back to the Future?”

“My answer, precisely,” Ben grinned.

“You…”

You cleared your throat, and he didn’t miss the way you were a little shier as you spoke again, voice a little hesitant, a little weaker too.

“You look great, by the way.”

His heart went still for a second.

“Thank you,” he grinned.

When the two of you walked out of the hall, you were both a little shier than usual. As you walked towards the Tube, you were both a little hesitant to start a conversation.

Your hearts were beating a little too fast for that…

Ben was with his brother now, but he was getting seriously annoyed. You had split at one point during the night, and even though Ben kept an eye on you, you were busy talking with one of his friends.

“She’s just a friend. A colleague, actually,” Ben repeated for the fifth time, annoyed now.

The party was getting too noisy for him, many were dancing, and it had never been his thing. And now that his brother kept on getting on his nerves, he just wanted to leave.

But then again, when he turned to you, you looked surprisingly pretty in your ridiculous Harry Potter costume. And you seemed to be having fun, talking and drinking and swaying to the music without noticing.

Maybe he could bear a few more minutes…

“I’m just saying that… she’s… very nice.”

“She is.”

“She’s also very beautiful. Seems to have a lot of things in common with you…”

“She’s also a colleague. And has a child.”

“You’re great with kids!”

“You’re missing the point.”

“I didn’t know it would be a deal-breaker for you.”

“It’s not! I’m just saying that it would be incredibly complicated. And that because she has a child, she would not simply… jump blindly in a relationship, I assume.”

“That’s what dates are for. To casually learn stuff about the other and decide whether or not you’re compatible for more.”

Ben looked at you again, and he slapped his brain for not pushing his brother’s words away immediately.

“This is ridiculous, Jack.”

“It’s not! It’s not ridiculous at all!”

“I don’t even like her.”

“Now, you’re blatantly lying.”

Ben fiercely blushed, and downed his entire glass of punch.

Because his heart was racing at the thought, and… it was all because of that night. Ever since that night at the pizzeria he just… couldn’t get you out of his head. Couldn’t stop himself from staring at you, and couldn’t control his stupid heart when it skipped beats every time you smiled and went crazy whenever you laughed and…

Jack rested a soothing hand on his brother’s shoulder.

“You should tell her about what happened with Julia.”

But Ben shook his head, fear now painted over his features.

“I’m not ready for that,” he croaked, grabbing some more alcohol.

“When will you be, Ben?”

The two brothers stared at each other for a moment. And Ben hated him for saying all those things, but Jack knew he needed to hear them all the same.

“You’re an idiot. You’re acting like a coward. She was a bitch, she broke your heart. Everybody gets their heart broken, eventually. Doesn’t mean every single person out there is going to act like her. It’s been two years, Ben…”

“I don’t need your advices when it comes to my love life,” Ben snapped. “I don’t need your advices in general, actually.”

“No? Then can you tell me what kind of stupid game you’re playing at?”

“I’m not…”

“Ben, you need to stop being terrified like that.”

“I’m not! What are you talking about?”

“She won’t judge you if you tell her.”

“I don’t want to tell her. It’s none of her business, Jack! She’s not even a friend, she’s a colleague.”

“You’re a moron.”

Before Ben could reply, his brother had walked away, leaving him alone by the table covered with wine, punch and empty cups.

And Ben was frustrated with his brother, angry at him even. What did he know about all this anyway…

He jumped when you rested your hand on his arm.

“Oh, sorry…” you gave him an apologetic smile.

“It’s okay I… I was lost in thought… You’re alright?”

“Yeah! I had a lot of fun tonight, thank you for bringing me here. But it’s quite late, so I think I’m gonna head out.”

Ben nodded.

“I’ll go too.”

“You can stay, I can call a cab.”

“No, I… I was waiting for a good excuse to leave, actually.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m knackered.”

You exchanged a smile, and headed out, waiting for Ben to bid a good night to his friends.

It was past midnight, but London was still busy, tonight more so than usual, as it was Halloween, and parties were still raging all over the town.

It was cold, despite your warm coat you shuddered as the frozen wind hit your cheeks. Ben tightened his hold on his own jacket too.

You seemed to be looking for a cab. But Ben didn’t want to go to the hotel. Not yet. Not when your hair shimmered under the golden light of lampposts, not when you looked so pretty with your colourful tie. Not when he felt so calm now that he was alone with you.

Just a few more minutes. He just wanted this to last for a few more minutes.

But why would you want that? With him? Jack was right. He was a coward. Had been for the last two years.

He thought about that stupid evening again, the one with the veranda, and the pizzas, and the confessions and…

He wanted to tell you. He wanted to tell you everything…

He simply hoped you wouldn’t think less of him after he was done.

“Y/N?”

You turned to him, humming to let him know you were listening.

He had a crush on you. A stupid, all-consuming crush on you.

His heart skipped a beat at the sight of your features bathed in the golden light…

“Can we take a walk? I know you’re tired but I… I wanted to tell you something.”

You frowned a little. Ben seemed nervous, worried even. Whatever it was he wanted to tell you, it seemed important.

“Okay, if you’d like.”

“It won’t take long, I know you’re tired. But we’re close to the Thames, maybe we can…”

He let his words suspended in mid-air, but you nodded, offering him an encouraging smile.

“Sure! Sounds good!”

You took his arm when he offered it to you. You let him guide you across a couple of streets before you indeed reached the Thames. You could see the London Eye shining further down the banks, city lights glimmering on the turbulent waters.

You heard him taking a couple of deep breaths, but gave him all the time he needed.

“I… I don’t know why I wanted to tell you all this, it’s ridiculous,” he backed away, shaking his head. “This is ridiculous…”

You looked up at him with a small frown, head tilted to the side in wonder.

“This… it’s ridiculous, I’m sorry, Y/N. I… My stupid, idiotic brother he… he almost convinced me to talk about all this, and… I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay,” you reassured him, a warm smile on your lips. “You can tell me if you want to, or not. It’s alright.”

“It’s… about… my ex…”

“Yeah, I had guessed that.”

You gave him the warmest smile, and he was almost unafraid again. Almost…

“I… never talk about it, to be honest.”

“I had guessed that as well,” your smile widened a little, but it was still soft, gentle, enough to calm his nerves and make him want to spill it all out all over again.

He let out a chuckle.

“There’s no use to bore you with this… it’s none of your business anyway…”

But you frowned, and when he tried to walk again, you held him back.

“You… You can tell me if you want, or not, you choose,” you explained, choosing your words carefully. “I understand that this is difficult for you. But… I do care, Ben. I care about you. And if you want to talk about it with me, I will listen. Just like you listened to me. Just like you helped me. I’ll try to help you, if I can.”

“I don’t need help…”

“Sometimes, having someone to talk to, it’s already of great help.”

He heaved a sigh, running his hand through his dark hair.

Damn you… damn you and your gentle voice and your comforting tone.

You spotted a couple of benches a little further down, facing the water.

“Let’s take a seat,” you offered, and he nodded.

It was quiet. There were people passing by from time to time, but less so than in the streets around. Maybe it was the cold, drawing people away from a stride by the banks.

You both remained silent for a long time, sitting side by side on a cold bench. You were still holding onto his arm, gesture gentle and comforting. He calmed down, losing his gaze upon the many lights alit on the opposite shore. And the feeling of your hand holding onto his arm…

When he spoke, he barely noticed the words coming out of his mouth.

“We were engaged.”

You looked up at him, waiting for him to continue. A sad smile tugged at his lips.

“Julia and I, we were engaged. We were to get married three weeks later. I was so certain about this. I was so certain that I would spend my life with her, that she was the one. And then… it all just… crumbled.”

He cleared his throat, and you waited for him to go on. He didn’t look at you. He couldn’t. It was too hard.

“She slept with my best friend.”

You let out a gasp, eyes growing round.

“A classic, really,” Ben went on with a bitter, breathy chuckle. “And I didn’t notice anything. I was the worst idiot on Earth. It went on for months. Even before we got engaged. And I didn’t notice anything. The two people I trusted the most in the world outside my family… were sleeping together behind my back, and I noticed nothing.”

He shook his head, let out a long exhale.

“Paul and I had been friends since we were seven. And I thought… I never doubted that we would remain friends till the end. He was like family to me. And Julia… I…”

But he fell silent again, and this time it seemed too hard to start again, so you spoke gently instead.

“How did you find out?”

“Another classic. I came home early from a conference.”

“Damn…”

“Yeah…”

He heaved a sigh.

“I took it hard. Really hard. I’m… it just chattered everything, really. I think it just… broke too many things I was certain about all at once. I trusted them both, so much. And I never questioned her when she said she was working late, when she said she was out with friends… whatever alibi she used, I never questioned anything because I… I loved her. And I thought she loved me. And I trusted her too blindly. And Paul, of all people… Same thing, I trusted him too much to imagine he could do something like that. All of a sudden, all my plans for the next twenty years were shattered. I lost the two people I trusted blindly. And I just… lost it. I completely lost it. And the worst part is that… if they had simply come clean at the beginning, if… if nothing had happened between them, and Julia had broken up with me and they had started dating afterwards, I… I would have forgiven them. It would have hurt, but I wouldn’t have felt betrayed. I loved her enough to let her go. I loved them both enough to end up being happy for them if they loved each other. But they didn’t do that. Instead, they lied to me for months, and they just…”

His voice broke, his jaw clenched, and there was as much anger as there was pain in Ben’s eyes when he lowered his gaze.

“I just… I just closed up a lot after that. Because it was too painful, too risky to let people in. And as every single thing that I relied on in my life just collapsed I… I started planning things out a lot more. Silly things. My shrink of a father calls it ‘unhealthy coping mechanism’, and I know he’s right, but I felt better when I did it so… I started to settle more into habits and…”

He heaved a sigh, running a hand across his face. He seemed tired now, more than anything else. Impossibly tired…

“It was two years ago, I feel better now. But it’s still hard to talk about all this. And I know that I’m a little… too… strict and organized sometimes. I’m sorry about that. I’m trying to get back to normal, to a more balanced life but it’s tough.”

He turned to you, eyes glimmering with withheld tears, but he was determined not to let them fall. He gave you a shy, apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry if I’m annoying with all my lists and my… struggles with change. I’m trying to get better. You can tell me if I’m bothering you, I’ll make more efforts to not be so… annoying and uptight. Because, to be honest I… I don’t want you to find me annoying. I care about you too much for that now. I’ll change, if you want me to.”

He was surprised to see tears gather at the corner of your eyes, shimmering under the lamplights. He frowned a little, but he was even more taken aback when you wrapped your arms around him without any warning, and held him close.

He froze, unable to react, eyes round in surprise. It felt nice though. His heart was beating so damn fast…

“I don’t want you to change, Ben,” you breathed against his ear, and the feeling of your warm breath against his cheek made him tremble. “I get it. I’m so sorry something like that happened to you. But I… I don’t want you to change, it’s alright. I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel bad before. You can tell me if I make you uncomfortable, okay? I’ll slow down. I’m sorry, Ben.”

You tightened your hold on him a little more, and at last, he reciprocated your gesture and wrapped his arms around you as well.

“You… You’re sure? You don’t find me annoying?” he asked, voice weak and unbearably fragile.

You let out a chuckle, looking up at the sky to hold back your tears, but you failed.

“I find you extremely annoying,” you answered. “But I like it. You keep me on my toes. Besides, I know I annoy you to no end too. I guess it’s just our dynamic.”

He laughed, earnest and bright this time. Almost tender…

“That’s quite true. You’re insufferable.”

“See? I knew it.”

“I like it though. I like it when you annoy me. It’s endearing.”

“Same.”

You pulled away, hands still holding onto his arms, and he did the same. You stared into his dark eyes, a warm smile on your lips.

“You’re a good man, Ben. We all cope and get over whatever life throws at us in different ways, and with different paces. You should take your time. It must have been a lot to go through, a lot to take in. I don’t… Liam and I, it was completely different, but… I get that feeling of being completely… lost. Like all your plans have shattered and all of a sudden, this road you were so clearly following just vanishes and you don’t know where to go from there. I get that. It’s… it’s the hardest part for me too. That and… the loneliness of it.”

Ben nodded, and you could read in his eyes that he got it, that he knew what you meant. It was the first time that someone looked at you like that when talking about your divorce, and you actually believed them. No empty words of comfort. He understood, you knew he did…

You felt so much less lonely now, holding onto Ben’s arms this way, staring right into his dark eyes, the little puffs of his warm breath drawing white patterns into the cold air. Your eyes fell to his lips, a little reddened by the frozen night, but they looked soft and welcoming. Like they were calling for you. Calling for your own mouth… and you wanted to… you wanted to…

When you looked up again, Ben’s eyes were tender, soft, almost loving…

Merely ‘almost’ though?

Your breathing had quickened, your hold on his arms tightened as you stared into his eyes, these eyes you found unbearably attractive, magnetic, that seemed to have trapped your very soul…

And you wanted to…

The loud noise of glass shattering made you jump, broke the spell, made you look away.

Two drunk guys dressed as vampires stumbled out of a nearby alley, one of them had dropped his beer…

“We should go,” Ben spoke, voice deep, barely more than a whisper. “It’s late.”

You nodded, following him as he stood up and headed for the Tube and guided you to the right station.

“I’ll go to the National Gallery on Saturday morning,” you told him as you settled into an empty seat, waiting for the doors of the train to close.

He nodded, sitting by your side.

“I know. You said you wanted to.”

“Would you like to come with me?”

His smile widened, bright and luminous and able to light up the darkest of nights.

“Sure! How could I say no to a museum? Especially with you.”

There was so much fondness in his tone, you wondered if he too…

You shied away a little, the grin on your lips uncontrollable, and you hated yourself for feeling as giddy as a teenage girl all over again.

It felt nice though. When his knuckles brushed against the back of your hand because of how close you were sitting, and that he didn’t pull his fingers away, it felt unbearably nice.

When you were finally alone, in your hotel room, by yourself, pressing your back against the wooden door, lights still off, you let out a shaky breath, your palm pressed to your lips.

Damn… you were falling for Ben Barnes.

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

Taglist : @reg-arcturus-black @sergeantbuckybarnes @wolfmoonmusic @kpicard @idek-what-to-put

#ben barnes #ben barnes x you #ben barnes x y/n #ben barnes x reader #ben barnes fanfiction #fanfiction #fanfic #writing #series #ben barnes series

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catsplain · 4 months

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THE GROUP

Very few coed groups can touch IDOLMAKER in fame, concept ambition and of course, number! Set under the managment of MBN Entertainment and japanese game developing studio FURTA since their conception in 2016, IDOLMAKER is a franchise like no other, setting their ever expanding roster of K-Pop Idols to voice act playable chracters in their sci-fi asymmetrical multiplayer survival game, Crewmaker Battle Universe. If that doesn't already make them unique enough, the group functions under a voting system, meaning comeback lineups and asthetics get voted on by their fans, MAXIs, via their official website.

IDOLMAKER, often shortned to IDMK, defies all odds and rumors of there being no such thing as healthy competition: united like a true dream team, with some people having ties going deeper then blood amongst them, they know that while stuck inside of a trancherous money empire like MBN, all they can really do is watch each other's backs and pray for the worse won't get them.

THE MEMBERS.

1st Gen - i. Yoo Eunhyuk. / ii. Jung Eunyoung. / iii. Hong Seunggi. / iv. Baek Yoojin; 2nd Gen - v. Yuthakon 'Ring' Chaiprasit. / vi. Lee Gayoung. / vii. Yang Taehyeon. / viii. Grace Elizabeth Lao; 3rd Gen - ix. Kim Hosung. / x. Kwon Dabin. / xi. Jeon Jeonghun. / xii. Cho Yejung. / 4th Gen - xiii. Im Daewon. / xiv. Yoneno Tomomi. / xv. Chuya Yuzuriha. / xvi. Nakashima Kina; 5th Gen - xvii. Kim Ilseong. / xviii. Julia Lee, Lee Haseon. / xix. Jang Wookjin. / xx. Tabitha Choi.

THE CONNECTIONS

LOOPiN - Colleges: While the bubblying romance between Seungsoo and Gayoung is what brings the two groups together, the friendship and music exchange between LOOPiN and IDMK is what keeps them all together. Seeing Dylan's growing necessity for friends outside of his band, Ring and Tabitha attempt to take him under their partying set of wings, not without it's fair share of complications. In order to get back on the good graces of his fleeting, long distance situationship with former Boy Of The Week member Kohei, Daewon attempts to reunite him with Haruki, his good pre-debut friend, as well as get to the bottom of who sabotaged him out of the project back on the day, and why.

NIGHT CHILD / NTCD - Rivals: With IDOLMAKER's company being a subsidiary of MBN, they've had one too many sour encounters with NTCD. Yongho has the nasty habit of never letting Seunggi, IDMK's main rapper and his once boyfriend, take a step without his consent now that they're reunited; Hyunbin's obsession on pursing Tomomi has tired her and every single one for her members beyond cooling down; Josh's rising influence over the innerworkings of the company reminds Hosung too much of his deceased and despised brother.

MBN'S GOLDEN AGE SENIORS (EXTENTH & SUNDATE) - Rivals: A misguided game of 'Senior Romance Speedrun' with the founding groups of MBN, EXTENTH and SUNDATE, has left the majority of the IDOLMAKER members heartbroken, embarrassed and more importantly, pissed off. Still, Julia ignores the years of historical battles between the two as she finds herself in the middle of an office affair with SUNDATE's golden girl, Park Suhyun - a desperate attempt to subside her intese feelings for her icon, Yoojin. Little does she knows, she's not the only IDMK member that she's secretly trailing along. Recently discharged from the military, Grace's never forgotten first love and ex-boyfriend, EXTENTH's Changmin, asks her once for her hand in marriage, as well as for Grace to retire from daunting Idol life with him.

[REDCATED] - ???: After [REDACTED], a private country club in center Seoul -- one that deems itself as a 'place for connection between former child stars' -- gets a grip hold of Taehyeon, suspicion of their members real intensions, motivations and face of leadership rises in Eunyoung and Yuzuriha. A spiralling Hosung takes dangerous inspiration in [REDACTED]'s 'detachment' and 'healing' methods, to Dabin and Jeonghun's utter horror.

#&& ⠀ [ . . . ] we bite and scratch and scream all night ⠀⸻ idolmaker .#fake kpop group #fictional idol community #kpop fanfic #kpop oc

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danmeigirl · 5 days

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Upcoming C-Drama's in 2024 :-

Fox Spirit Matchmaker : Love in Pavilion (Lead- Liu Shishi & Leon Zhang)

Fox Spirit Matchmaker : Red-Moon Pact (Lead- Yang Mi & Gong Jun)

Fox Spirit Matchmaker : Sword and Beloved (Lead- Li Yi Tong & Cheng Yi)

Legend of the Female General (Lead- Zhou Ye & Ryan Cheng)

The Princess Royal (Lead- Zhao Jin Mai & Zhang Ling He)

Love of the Divine Tree ( Lead- Deng Wei & Julia Xiang)

Guardians of the Dafeng (Lead- Dylan Wang & Tian Xi Wei)

Fangs of Fortune (Lead- Neo Hou & Chen Duling) 2024??

Love in the Desert (Lead- Fang Yulin & Hanikezi)

Snowy Night : Timeless Love (Lead- Joseph Zeng & Li Qin)

Reborn for Love (Lead- Jing Tian & Zhang Lingh He)

Shui Long Yin (Lead- Fang Yilun/Xiao Shunyao/Luo Yunxi)

Lady Revenger Returns from the Fire (Lead- Xu Lu & Wei Zheming)

#upcoming #2024 dramas #chinese drama #cdrama

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appears · 2 months

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25th Anniversary

Faye Wong: Eyes On Me (1999.02.24)

While I'm not much of a gamer now, I used to play video games a lot when I was in grade school, and my top two favorite game franchises of all time also reflect two of my favorite video game soundtracks of all time: the original Spyro the Dragon trilogy, composed by Stewart Copeland (and famously, tragically, never officially released in either physical or digital format until very recently), and Final Fantasy VIII, composed by the prolific Nobuo Uematsu, who wrote the music for the Final Fantasy franchise in whole or in part through Final Fantasy XI.

Besides the gorgeous orchestral arrangements that make up the bulk of the soundtrack's sprawling four discs, there was also a notable vocal version of the central love theme. The central romantic story line in FFVIII was a notable game-changer for many young people who might not have found any reason to play video games before, bringing in many new players who would grow up to help expand the demand for alternative gaming, so its importance cannot be understated. The love theme between the characters Squall and Rinoa (and Laguna and Julie/Raine) was sung by ultra-popular Hong Kong-native Faye Wong, one of the most well-known figures in Asian pop culture at the time. Besides a storied career in films, Wong also had a history in popular music, having recorded several of her most well-known albums throughout the 1990s. I'm not sure how Uematsu was able to snag her for this soundtrack, but it created that delightful moment when the perfect song meets the perfect singer. "Eyes on Me" was released in Japan in February 1999, about two weeks after the release of the video game, and is a sweeping love ballad expanding upon the themes heard throughout the game, notably with cues like "Waltz for the Moon" and "Julia" (in fact, Wong is singing as the character Julia in the game, who is confessing her feelings toward Laguna during a performance). Wong's voice is lithe enough to keep the song light and sweet, rather than moody, which is perfect for the tone of the game, which is exciting, occasionally dangerous, and sometimes sad, but never dark or grim. There are many beautiful instrumental iterations of this theme throughout the game, but the song plays in its full vocal glory only twice: once toward the back half of the game, and again with an expanded orchestral arrangement upon the game's completion. They're all fantastic.

The single's c/w track is "ACACIA no Mi," a ballad composed by Jim Lau, this time sung in Mandarin. It's a pretty, though somewhat anemic, slow number that fits the mood of the disc, but of course comes nowhere near the grace and beauty of the A-side. The single finishes with the instrumental version of "Eyes on Me."

The single came in standard 3" mini-disc packaging, with the lyrics and credits written on the back of the cover. Not surprisingly, this song ended up being one of the most popular video game songs of all time, second only to Hikaru Utada's "Hikari," written for Kingdom Hearts. It hit #9 on the Oricon chart, which was also pretty impressive at that time for a song from a video game. The entire soundtrack to Final Fantasy VIII is incredible and merits many more words of analysis and praise, but this post is just for the game's most well-known song -- the four-disc soundtrack proper was released one week later. Like the rest of the OST, "Eyes on Me" has aged incredibly well, and still sounds as beautiful as the day it was released, a testament to both Faye Wong's impeccable vocals and Uematsu's bottomless capacity for moving melodies.

Catalog Number: TODT-5271

#final fantasy 8 #faye wong #eyes on me #j-pop #nobuo uematsu #final fantasy viii #final fantasy #anniversaries

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just-late-roman-republic-things · 9 months

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Thurinus

A companion to Agrippa, in more ways than one.

I When you're four years old, your father dies. You don't recall his face. You are nearly crushed By the crowds, stricken with the stench Of burning flesh and flowers On the bonfire that is Rome.

Your mother remarries. Her new husband Has a son of his own. He needs no scion of moneychangers Polluting his dinner parties Or drawing whispers When you cannot stop wheezing.

II You go with Grandma Julia; Mother murmurs that she will write. Grandma soothes you with stories Of her little brother, who defied a dictator While the Senate's "best men" shivered, Owning nothing but his name.

Little brother isn't so little now And flatterers pay you false praise. You flout your stepfather by flouting them For common Marcus Agrippa. His name means nothing; yours, too much. But he sees you, and not a Caesar.

III You are eight, your sister eleven, Her husband thrice her age. Grandma's brother objects In a dispatch that demands what you can't. His legions cannot bring her back, but There is thunder rumbling in Gaul.

As you turn twelve, Grandma dies. You return to mother and her husband And speak first at the funeral. From Ravenna arrives a letter Complimenting your Latin. You reread it every week.

IV You are permitted at Philippus' dinners (For your stepfather is Philippus) If you stay silent as Scipio schemes, Cato conspires, Marcellus maneuvers To conquer the conqueror Who asks after your health.

You learn to smile at Cicero And pretend to Pompey And they smile back, for sickness Has fashioned you small, And you look younger than you are. You let them think that.

When you are thirteen, the man who denounced a dictator Becomes one.

V Caesar's hairline is receding And war has wrinkled his brow But he bursts in at a banquet With a laugh like lightning, Invades Philippus' villa Like he invaded Italy.

Caesar dissects you with his eyes, Drenches you in self-doubt, But you will not back away. Throat thick, you ask a favor For Agrippa's brother abroad, Who betrayed Caesar for Cato.

VI You're too fragile to follow Caesar. You are a man yet not a man Garbed in a grown-up toga, Confined to your mother's care. A steward stole your inheritance, Leaving nothing but your name.

Caesar brings back the brother Whole and healthy. The hug From your best friend makes you Want. You wonder, but dare not ask, What Caesar felt for Nicomedes.

VII You can tell you're being tested Supervising Caesar's triumph. You faint, sun-stricken, feverish Your thin form failing again. Caesar sails for Spain without you. You follow anyway.

At seventeen, you're seasick, Shipwrecked on the Spanish shore, Roused by Agrippa half-drowned. You cross enemy country, Are received in Roman camp. Caesar is speechless.

VIII You get no grace from your great-uncle. Caesar showers you with work And compels you to give commands. Half-panicked, you keep pace, A drizzle to his downpour, Refusing to be riven.

You bring Agrippa on the boat home, And steel yourself for a storm From Caesar--who smiles, Doesn't care if you share a bunk, Sends you both to the Balkans To assault Parthia at his side.

When you are eighteen, your idol and idealism Are stabbed to death.

IX The legions want you not to leave. Caesar's blessing is a blade In your back, a poisoned plum. They promise to protect you, But your mother begs you come And Agrippa is all the armor you need.

Evasion's impossible: Italy Embraces you, and grown men grieve As you've never seen. "Caesar"-- His name is a nation's hymn. They wonder about his will; You didn't think he could die.

X You weren't his closest kinsman: Pinarius has better blood; Pedius, years of service. Lucius has the lineage And Antony has it all. You're hardly one-half Roman.

Philippus sends strange letters Warning you, but for what, He won't put in writing. You meet him and your mother With visitors in their villa. Caesar's people procured his will.

A pittance to Pedius and Pinarius; A provision to the Roman poor; To Antony, nothing; to Lucius, less; All else, he left to you: his land, His books, his bank accounts, His network and his name.

A posthumous adoption: possible, But odd, and Caesar's perfect prose Is unusually unclear. He's left you one last exit To comfortable obscurity. But if you're brave--

XII "It's madness," says your mother, Who sees only your small bones. "A folly," says Philippus, Who cares only for his comforts. You push past them, grab Agrippa, And sit down with Caesar's men.

You are eighteen. Agrippa's lips Are the first to utter your true name, Which you hadn't known till now. You will murder the murderers Who felled your father, but tonight, As thunder rumbles in Rome,

You kill Gaius Octavius Thurinus, And rise as Caesar.

#i have a lot of thoughts about octavian and i'm making it everyone's problem #octavian #augustus caesar #julius caesar #poetry #jlrrt scribbles #ancient rome #octagrippa

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waechter · 1 month

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4 gegen Z re-watch (Part XI)

[super long post; use J on PC to skip it]

Hier ist Staffel 2, Episode 12-13 (Staffelfinale) und Der Film (aka Im Bann der Dunklen Macht):

Matreus ist WO eingebrochen? Ins British Museum? In London?? Und asdj warum macht er das immer so traditionell? Er ist ein fucking Magier, kann er sich nicht einfach reinzaubern? Wozu der mission impossible look? Aber die Motorradjacke (so sehr ich sie auch liebe) beraubt uns einfach mal Matreus in engen T-Shirts!

Sascha hat eine selbstgebaute (?) Freisprechanlage in seinem Auto

“Euer Vater” sagt Julia zu Karo und Pinkas :)))

Sascha sieht diesen “Spinner” vor seinem Tümpel kauern und… und…??? Er geht zurück ins Haus.

Leo ist krank :(

Moment, die VOGUE interessiert sich für Saschas Trendprognosen?

Und die beiden streiten sich. Vor den Kindern. Minus 1000 Elternpunkte.

Also der Bannkreis hindert sie wirklich körperlich daran, das Grundstück zu verlassen

Der Bannkreis kann auch nicht von außen durchdrungen werden

Der Bannkreis durchtrennt auch die Telefonleitung

SASCHA will Leo trösten!! DAD!

Warum will Otti Larissa anrufen, wenn es um Bannwerkzeuge geht??

;____;

“Ich will, dass du mich adoptierst” sagt Leo zu Sascha - der Mut, den sie da aufbringt???

"Ich will endlich wieder einen Vater”

SIE ERZÄHLEN IHNEN DIE GANZE WAHRHEIT

WAIT WHAT

SIe sagen ihren Eltern, dass es Zanrelot gibt??

was für eine Logik ist das denn??? Die hätten doch ganz einfach durch den Spiegel in die Unterwelt gekonnt? Warum ist die letzte Lösung, den Eltern die Wahrheit zu sagen, ihre Kräfte zu verlieren und damit auch die einzige Chance, den Bannkreis zu brechen?? LOGIK WO??

achso, das bewirkt, dass Sascha jetzt persönlich Zanrelot die Meinung geigt xD

“Sind Sie dieser Zaklott?” Und Matreus lacht sich darüber tot :) Ob über den falschen Namen oder darüber, dass Sascha denkt, Matreus wäre es, idk

asdfghjkl “Meine Tochter hat eine akute Blinddarmentzündung”

Sascha sagt "meine Tochter" :)))

“Sie haben keine Tochter”

“Doch. Leonie. Ich werde sie adoptieren”

Sascha ist einfach 100/10

Zanrelot. Hat den Vater. Und zwei magielose Wächter. In seiner Unterwelt.

Töte sie doch einfach?? Ich weiß, wir sind in einer Jugendserie ab 12 Jahren, aber… TÖTE SIE DOCH EINFACH??

ansonsten: 10/10 Szene

Diese Serie ey,

Matreus kriecht Zanrelot die letzten Folgen wieder so in den Arsch, als wäre die Magmarta-Folge gar nicht passiert und kriecht ihm wortwörtlich wieder zu Füßen, aber wenn er alleine ist, beschwert er sich über ihn?? Hat Matreus so etwas wie einen durchgehenden Charakter? Oder einen konsequenten Storyark? Bin ich nur zu sozial inkompetent, um das richtig zu deuten? Oder DARF ich, verdammt noch mal, immer noch an dem Glauben festhalten, dass Matreus Zanrelot NICHT zu 100% untergeben ist und SELBST etwas plant? DARF ICH DAS?!

“Ich mach doch die ganze Drecksarbeit hier”, Matreus, honey, du machst DIE GANZE ARBEIT - abgesehen von Zanrelots kurzem Ausflug zum Edna hat er seit zwei Staffeln kaum einen Finger gekrümmt

“Nie auch nur ein einziges Wort des Dankes” - Er will doch nur EIN MAL gelobt werden.

“Ohne mich wäre er doch völlig aufgeschmissen hier”; YES, Matreus. Du bist SO NAH dran.

asdfghjkl WAS? “Er kann sich ja nicht mal seinen Mantel alleine anziehen”

für einen Moment dachte ich, dass das Ding mit der Decke im Hintergrund ein Bett ist, aber es ist eine Truhe. Oder ein Sarg. I’m not sure. Aber so oder so bin alarmiert darüber, dass Türen scheinbar nicht in der Unterwelt zu existieren scheinen außer die zur Zentrale und die an der Schleuse

“Vade retro” - Spricht Zanrelot allen ernstes Latein mit Matreus, wenn sie alleine sind? Asterix hat mich übrigens gelehrt: es heißt: “(Weiche) zurück”

Matreus steht der Mantel sehr gut

wie er einfach Zanrelot nachmacht, it’s so cute :’) Halt, fuck, ich bin gerade emotional, aber Matreus hat manchmal so winzig kleine Bröckchen, die man beinahe einen Charakter(™) außer dummer Helfershelfer nennen könnte und… mensch, ich glaube, der Junge hatte früher wirklich mal ein gutes Herz :( Er ist so fröhlich und gutgelaunt, wenn er alleine ist?? In Magmarta ja auch schon. Was einfach… sdfghj wie viel Angst hat er vor Zanrelot? FUCK.

ich mag diese Zwickmühle, in der sie sich befinden. Es geht hier immerhin um LEOS LEBEN

case in point: während ich das schrieb, hat Pinkas den Bannkreiszauber gestohlen und aus Matreus weicht in einem Sekundenbruchteil seine Lebensfreude und verwandelt sich zu Panik. It’s fine. I’m fine. We’re all fine.

Das hat die Serie zwar nie explizit gesagt, aber hat Matreus Angst, dass Zanrelot ihm die Magie wieder nimmt?? Danach wäre er in seinen eigenen Augen vermutlich “ein Nichts”, oder?? Ich… ich muss das aufschreiben.

Zanrelot ist gut diese Folge. Er macht zwar NICHTS, aber manipulieren, diskutieren und reden kann er. Respekt. Ich habe gerade mal wieder ein klitzekleines bisschen Angst vor ihm.

OTTI WTF

Otti sagt: “Tante Hedda hat Leo zu einer Wächterin gemacht” - und meint damit, dass Leo eingewillgt hätte, jetzt mal schnell ihr Leben zu geben, damit Zanrelot nicht an die Oberwelt kommt und impliziert damit auch, dass ER bereit wäre, den Pakt mit Zanrelot nicht eingehen zu wollen, selbst, wenn Leo dann einer Blinddarmexplosion stirbt. Nice. Und ich dachte immer, Pinkas wäre der Wächter, den man am ehesten auf die dunkle Seite holen könnte

Und wenn ich mir jetzt vorstelle, dass Matreus über 400 Jahre bei diesem Typen festgesteckt hat… ist es da noch ein Wunder, dass er komplett umgedreht im Kopf ist?

Zanrelot hat auch einfach echt ÜBERALL eine Kameraschalte hin. Jetzt direkt zu Leo. Funktioniert das mit seiner Magie??

Also Moment. Die Wächter haben keine Magie mehr. Aber Pinkas kann den Bannkreis dennoch brechen mit dem Werkzeug?

halt stopp, WER hat den Vertrag mit der Hand geschrieben? Zanrelot persönlich? Oder Matreus? Denn diese Schrift… wäre für beide von ihnen witzig. Neee, es muss Matreus gewesen sein, er hat sich bei Pack verschrieben xDDD Und "Verpflichtungserklärung" wird auch zusammengeschrieben. I unironically love this.

ok, Matreus kann also zu jedem Punkt auf der Oberwelt teleportieren, habe ich das schon festgehalten? Wie macht er das überhaupt? Und das klappt ja auch nur aus der Unterwelt heraus, oder? Auf der Oberwelt haben wir ihn ja bisher nur rumlaufen, rumfahren und rumstolpern sehen

Matreus. Pinkas hat keine Magie mehr. Töte ihn einfach.

Pinkas macht den Detektiv Conan Move!! Und schaltet Matreus mit einem Kick mit dem Fußball aus!!

Pinkas hat heute mal mehrere gute Ideen hintereinander! Er zerstört das Bannkreiswerkzeug. Good job!

Was diese Folge zu einer 10000/10 gemacht hätte, wäre Julia, die versucht Matreus mit dem Auto über den Haufen zu fahren, jetzt, wo sie weiß, wer er ist xD

ASDFGHJK Zanrelot ohrfeigt Matreus AGAIN. HARD. This. Is. Unacceptable. (Again)

Just kill that old dude

und natürlich werden die Erinnerungen der Eltern wieder gelöscht :/

“Wenn ihr die Polizei und die Presse einschaltet, wird man euch für verrückt erklären. - Ist mir selbst schon mal passiert.” HEDDA erzähl mehr, bitte!!

“Wenn ihr so stur seid, bleibt mir keine andere Wahl” - moment, Hedda hätte ihnen die Erinnerung gelassen, wenn sich Julia und Sascha damit einverstanden erklärt hätte, dass die Kinder Wächter bleiben dürften?

IT’S TIME IT’S TIME

Let's get ready for me to lose my mind over the boat scene!! Nachdem ich vermutlich schon vorher bei jeder Szene die Fassung verlieren werde. FUCK, Jona stirbt diese Folge. I’m not ready.

Also wie hat das geklappt? Matreus fährt einfach in Lübeck mit einem Taxi (wo hat er das jetzt schon wieder her? Und natürlich ist es ein schwarzes Taxi) herum und wartet darauf, dass Jona ein Taxi braucht. Woher hat Jona überhaupt GELD für ein Taxi? Und warum kann Jona nicht zur Stadtbibliothek den Bus nehmen oder zu Fuß laufen?? Denn der gute Herr ist auf der Altstadtinsel, wo sich auch die Stadtbibliothek befindet - und auf der Altstadtinsel ist alles nicht weiter als zehn Minuten voneinander entfernt.

Matreus nennt Jona “Jona”. Hat er ihn nicht die ganze Serie über hinweg, Jonathan genannt? Warum habe ich darüber keine Strichliste geführt??

Das Auto verschwindet mit Matreus und Jona in die Unterwelt. Wo wird das geparkt?

Jona schlägt Zanrelots Hand wieder weg - i like it

Aber… wenn es die ganze Zeit so einfach war, Jona zu entführen, warum ist dieser Plan dann nicht schon viel früher durchgeführt worden? Zanrelot muss ihn ja scheinbar nur in das grüne Auge / die Uhr ziehen??

Und die Serie erklärt mal wieder gar nichts - Zanrelot muss Jona nur umarmen und dann wars das??

und kann mir einer erklären, wie Hedda jedem von ihnen 10.000€ vererbt und sie jetzt, etwa eineinhalb Jahre später pleite sind?? Wo Sascha erst letzte Episode noch gesagt hat, die Vogue würde seine Tipps verwenden?? Oder sind da wieder die Börsenkurse des Bösen im Spiel?

Julias Ersparnisse sind auch aufgebraucht - wie braucht man 10.000€ in eineinhalb Jahren auf??

Ok, gut, sie sind halt aber doch gute Eltern - an die Ersparnisse der Kinder wollen sie nämlich nicht rangehen

Matreus packt die Sachen in der Unterwelt ein xD In ganz normale Umzugskartons.

Ah, Zanrelot und Jona kämpfen seit sechs Stunden in der Uhr

Matreus Reaktion lässt mich darauf schließen, dass Zanrelot Matreus vorher NICHT eingeweiht hat, was er mit Jona(s Körper) vorhat

coffee-bisquits-murder hat das auch schon bemerkt: Lucas spielt Zanrelot / Udo Kier tatsächlich perfekt nach. Also ein riesiges Lob an ihn!

“Meister, Ihr seid in Jonas Körper” - dieses leichte / sehr deutliche Anwidern in Matreus’ Stimme bringt mich um. Zum einen zum Lachen, zum Anderen zum Heulen.

Ab jetzt werde ich jede kleine Mikroregung in Matreus’ Gesicht analysieren, wenn er Zanrejona gegenüber steht ANGEFANGEN JETZT

und das ist KEINE Mikroregung: Zanrejona erzählt, dass er ein Haus kaufen wird und Lübeck ihm gehört, geht weg und die Kamera verweilt SO LANGE auf Matreus, der TRAURIG schaut. Oder nachdenklich. Oder am Ende kurz wütend. Aber nicht glücklich. Oder aufgeregt. Oder verwirrt. Man kann sich echt nicht vorstellen, wie lange die Kamera teilweise auf Matreus' verweilt, und es zeigt nie die Reaktion, die man von ihm erwarten würde, wenn er einfach nur ein böser Helfershelfer wäre.

Ok, also Zanrelot kann seine eigene Stimme und die von Jona benutzen. Bei Matreus benutzt er bisher seine Stimme, bei den Wächtern (natürlich) Jonas.

Keinem der Wächter fällt auf, dass sich Jona 150% mehr gay verhält als vorher

uhhhhh Leos Handschuh reagiert auf Zanrejona!!

“Jona ist unser Freund, Ihr könnt ihm vertrauen.”

“Ok”

Keine Nachfrage der Eltern, wer dieser Jona ist oder woher er kommt oder wie er zu den Kindern steht.

aber Leo denkt, es wäre der andere Bankfutzi gewesen - i like this

Ach gucke mal!! Jonathan Levy - mit V und Y geschrieben, so steht es auf dem Vertrag, wissen wir also auch endlich mal, wie er sich schreibt

MIT ANSCHRIFT?!

puh~ jetzt kommt dieser ägyptische Obelisk

An der Trave 16, 22345 (?) Lübeck

ABER DIE ADRESSE GIBT ES NICHT

Ok, es gibt eine Menge Straßen in der Nähe von Lübeck, die An der Trave heißen und eine Hausnummer 16 haben - aber… ABER… was soll ich denn jetzt mit diesem Wissen anfangen? Jona hat eine richtige Adresse?? Eine Anschrift, die nicht sein Boot ist?? Hat sich Zanrelot das nur ausgedacht?

Die Postleitzahl gehört nämlich zu Hamburg

WAIT Sein Schiff heißt HAMBURG und es liegt AN / IN der Trave - das ist Witz!!

sorry, aber Matreus lächelt so halbherzig und traurig?? Ich weiß, dass ich da zu viel hineininterpretiere, weil ich das will, aber er sieht so traurig aus, dass Jona sich nicht wie Jona verhält??

HEIRATSANTRAG??

oh mein Gotttttt die beiden sind so süß miteinander!! Ich shippe Julia/Sascha

DIE BOOTSZENE , es ist so weit

EIN BAD???????? DA IST EIN BAD!!! Tatsächlich!! Gegenüber vom Bett ist so etwas wie ein Bad, oder??

why. Just why. Ich möchte EINE Erklärung haben, warum sich Zanrejona vor Matreus umzieht. Nur die eine. Weil mir… mir fällt keine ein. Aufgeknöpftes Hemd? Whyyyyyyyyy. Zanrelot, das ist für dich gesehen... idk, bei mir kräuselt sich alles, wenn ich daran denke, in welchem Machtgefälle die beiden zueinander stehen und dass das regelmäßig vorkommt, dass Matreus Zanrelot beim Ankleiden hilft.

AUF der ANDEREN Seite steckt er gerade in Jonas Körper und ihr könnt mich für verrückt erklären, aber wenn das nicht der gayste shit in dieser Serie ist, weiß ich auch nicht mehr.

Testet Zanrelot Matreus mit diesem move? Weil er weiß, dass Matreus - und das ist so furchtbar weit hergeholt - sich zu Jona hingezogen fühlt? Erwartet er, dass Matreus dadurch so wütend wird, dass er Zanrelot erneut angreift? Und wenn er es nicht tut, hält Zanrelot ihn dann für loyal genug? WARUM SONST passiert diese Szene gerade? Ja, es ist ein enges Boot. Aber Zanrelot hätte Matreus auch draußen warten lassen können - das wäre drehtechnisch auch eine lustige Szeen gewesen, wenn Matreus draußen warten muss und man Zanrelot nur von drinnen reden hört und plötzlich fliegt eine Hose aus dem Boot ins Wasser oder so. Aber nein.

Die beiden. Stehen. Direkt. Voreinander.

I don’t get it. Oder I get it and the answer is: they’re gay (but not for each other).

und nein, das ist NICHT zu viel hineininterpretiert - die ganze Zeit sieht Matreus “Jona” direkt an, scheut sich nicht, ihm in die Augen zu sehen und der Moment, in dem Zanrelot ihn erinnert, wer er ist, weicht Matreus seinem Blick aus, als könnte er den Anblick plötzlich nicht mehr ertragen

(Ich SCHREIE)

“Darf ich dich was fragen, Jona?”

MATREUS, WHAT THE FUCK

ER WILL MIT JONA ZUSAMMENSEIN (platonisch gesprochen) ER WILL, DASS DAS JONA IST - DER ECHTE JONA, SO SEHR, DASS ER VERGISST, DASS DAS ZANRELOT IST

Für einen Moment lebte Matreus in einer Zeit, in der (der vermeintliche) Jona ihn auf seinem Boot haben wollte und ihm wieder so weit vertraute, sich vor ihm umzuziehen und mit ihm zu sprechen und … und … Halt, sorry, aber was haben wir für eine andere CANON Erklärung, warum Matreus so schnell vergessen sollte, dass es Zanrelot - aka sein heiliger Meister ist - und nicht Jonathan außer, dass Matreus Jona wirklich sehr, sehr gern hat? Jetzt mal ganz drehbuchtechnisch gesprochen. Das ist ja nicht als Witz geschrieben. Diese ganze Szene ey… ich kann nicht mehr.

außerdem - schaut Matreus schon die ganze Zeit an Zanrejona herunter - und zwar nicht angewidert. Wenn man wirklich mal darauf achtet und die Szene immer wieder und wieder guckt, checkt Matreus die ganze Zeit Jona aus wtf xD

AUßERDEM nennt er ihn schon wieder “Jona” FuCK muss ich jetzt noch mal alle Szenen der Serie durchgehen und wirklich schauen, wie und wann Matreus Jona so genannt hat?

Ok - eine Kurzüberprüfung hat ergeben: in der Mond-Folge nennt er ihn Jonathan, in Magmarta Jona - jetzt will ich aber wissen, ob er ihn vor Zanrelot immer Jonathan nennt oder nicht. (Irgendwann werde ich das überprüfen, aber jetzt muss ich mich durch diese Bootszene arbeiten)

“Darf ich Euch etwas fragen (Minipause), Meister” - er ist so genervt davon? I love him. I love him so much.

Matreus spricht nun die ganze Zeit von “Jona” und nicht mehr “Jonathan”

“Der Körper eines nächsten blutsverwandten ist die einzige Möglichkeit so schnell wie möglich nach oben zu gelangen”

Also zählen Neffen wohl nicht als “nah blutsverwandt” (was es eigentlich sollte und ASDFGHJK Zanrelot in Matreus’ Körper, der Jona versucht zu beeinflussen?? Ich muss das irgendwann schreiben. Einfach, weil es so schön wehtun würde. Und ich lege meine Hand dafür ins Feuer, dass Jona genau so reagieren würde, wie Matreus gerade - erst froh, dass Matreus “normal” mit ihm interagiert und dann besorgt)

außerdem hasse ich Zanrelot gerade so sehr. Er benutzt Matreus wortwörtlich als Kleiderständer. Halt. Einfach. Matreus ist für ihn wirklich nichts weiter als ein Werkzeug, mit dem er hin und wieder reden kann, um mit ihm seine Pläne auszutauschen.

Der BLICK (™) Matreus schaut zuerst weg als Zanrejona seine Hose auszieht - aus Überraschung und aus Scham, wenn ich den Gesichtsausdruck richtig deute; das passiert in einer totalen Szeneneinstellung. WARUM, NDR, bekommen wir dann einen CUT und eine Großaufnahme von Matreus, wie er sehr interessiert DOCH NOCH an Zanrejona heruntersieht?? Und ich bleibe dabei: wenn das als Witz gespielt werden sollte, dann fehlt die Pointe. Das wird nicht kommentiert. Das wird einfach so dargestellt. Zanrejona spricht einfach weiter, folgt Matreus Blick kurz und dann neues Gesprächsthema.

Da bleibt mir nur zu sagen: ???

Im Übrigen steht Zanrejona 30 Sekunden ohne Hose vor Matreus. Total normal.

“Aber er ist euer Sohn.”

“Was meinst du, warum ich so lange gewartet habe?”

Also hat Zanrelot sich jetzt nur Jonas Körper ermächtigt, weil er die Liebe zu ihm vollständig am Ende vom “Klon” aufgegeben hat? Vorher hätte er das nicht gewagt, weil er ihn immer noch ein bisschen geliebt hat und nun benutzt er ihn einfach nur, um zu bekommen, was er will?

UND DAS glaube ich, denn Matreus freut sich ganz kurz darüber und fragt dann total aufgeregt, wann Zanrelot Jonas Körper wieder verlassen wird (denn Matreus kann es scheinbar gar nicht erwarten, dass Zanrelot wieder er selbst ist und Jona dann auch wieder da ist)

“Wenn ich es recht bedenke, wärst du der wahrhaft treuere Sohn gewesen, Matreus”

Setting up for season 3, I see. Aber es macht keinen Sinn!! Matreus hat ihn vor sechs Folgen offen herausgefordert und bis vor zwei Folgen hat Zanrelot ihn nie auch nur ansatzweise als sein “Ziehkind” gesehen oder vorgestellt. Und jetzt manipuliert er ihn wieder so knallhart - und ich rede mir jetzt ein, das tut er nur, weil er weiß, dass Jona nun dem Tode geweiht ist und er Matreus’ Loyalität behalten will.

“Und wann werdet Ihr Jonas Körper wieder verlassen?”, fragt Matreus aufgeregt.

“Und warum sollte ich das tun?”, fragt Zanrelot unwissend.

Matreus’ neu gefundene Freude weicht ihm aus dem Gesicht. Während Zanrelot weiterspricht, sieht Matreus einen Moment betreten zu Boden.

Das stand so im Drehbuch. Denn das passiert hier eins zu eins gerade in der Szene.

“Er ist in einem ausgezeichneten Zustand”

Are you sure about that, Zanrelot? Der Junge bekommt kaum Schlaf, ist dauerhaft gestresst, isst vermutlich nicht genug und hat Depressionen.

“Aber was wird mit seiner Seele?”, fragt Matreus alarmiert.

Abgesehen von der einfachen Erklärung, dass dem Publikum hier natürlich vermittelt werden soll, dass Jona gerade dabei ist zu sterben (was eine vollkommen valide Erklärung für mich ist), warum klingt Matreus so alarmiert? Jetzt wieder auf storytelling-Basis gefragt. Er hätte genauso gut neutral oder abwertend oder boshaft fragen können. Tut. Er. Aber. Nicht. Er klingt so besorgt!!

Als sich Zanrejona umdreht, sieht Matreus für einen Moment schon wieder aus, als sei er kurz davor, ihm den Hals umdrehen zu wollen (was er natürlich nicht kann, denn es ist Jonas Körper), aber asdfghjk er ist so wütend?

“Die verkümmert hier irgendwo drin. Vertrocknet wie eine Rosine.”

Also ein sehr langsamer Tod. Zanrelot geht nicht darauf ein, ob Jona alles noch mitbekommt, aber… wenn er es tut. Alter. Das wäre für eine Jugendserie eine krasse Andeutung.

und wie gesagt: es gäbe hundert andere Möglichkeiten diese Szene zu filmen, zu framen und anders emotional darzustellen, aber das ist, was letztendlich im Cut gelandet ist. Ich habe keine Erklärung dafür.

harter Themenwechsel: ich liebe es, dass die Kinder mit dem Fahrrad durch die Gegend fahren. Vielleicht, weil das für mich so peak Kindheitserinnerungen sind, aber das ist so super xD Aber natürlich hängen ihre Fahrradhelme nur am Lenker und sitzen nicht auf ihren Köpfen, denn das das wäre ja… uncool

warum… warum hängt da die französische Flagge? Die EU-Fahne kann ich ja verstehen, aber… das ist doch… Frankreich, oder? HALT ICH BIN DUMM FuCK xDDD

Es ist die Schleswig-Holstein-Flagge…

Dieser SUV im Hintergrund, wie kann man da nicht hinschauen und sehen, dass da “Clench my thirst with gasoline” draufsteht? Das ist so random

Ok, it’s kinda cool, wie sich Jonas Stimme zu Zanrelots verwandelt

I can’t hear without my subtitles.

“Jona als - ???? Mitzehn??? - davon hätte er uns doch erzählt.”

Es kann nur Mäzen sein, oder? Aber ich verstehe etwas vollkommen anderes. Und den Typen, der ihn vorstellt und das gleiche Wort benutzt, verstehe ich genau so wenig.

Aber wenn es Mäzen ist, dann wäre das doch gar nicht so weit hergeholt für Jona? Immerhin wissen die Kinder, dass er vorbestraft ist, Artefakte ins Land zu bringen

und character growth? Otti bezweifelt dieses Mal nämlich nicht einen Moment, dass das nicht der richtige Jona sein kann, sondern ein Klon sein muss. Die Dramatik ist leider, dass er sowohl Recht als auch Unrecht hat :/

so, was macht der Obelisk denn eigentlich? Habe ich die Erklärung verpennt, weil ich von Matreus zu viel eingenommen war? Zanrelot fasst ihn an, es wird eine magische Energiewelle freigesetzt und alle Menschen werden ohnmächtig

Während ALL DAS passiert ist, hat Sascha seinen Heiratsantrag immer noch nicht begonnen

ah ok, wenn die Leute wieder aufwachen, dann werden sie Zanrelot gehorchen, was ich nicht so ganz verstehe, weil… Leute kontrollieren ist ja nicht das gleiche als sie zu beherrschen, wenn man versteht, was ich meine, aber dann wiederum will Zanrelot Perfektion und die bekommt er wohl nur, wenn er die ultimative Kontrolle hat

“Dass ich dich liebe”

Oh no, I’m getting so soft here. Julia ist so glücklich und Sascha ist so aufgeregt und asdfghjkl they’re SO CUTE

was mich zu der Frage bringt: wo ist Matreus?

sitzt er irgendwo und weint, weil Jona gerade dabei ist zu sterben?

in welchem alternativen Universum wäre das die Stelle, in der Matreus zu den Wächtern geht, ihnen erklärt. was passiert ist und sie bittet, “das zu beenden” - und dann sterben alle drei am Ende, Serie ist zu Ende, Hamburg gibt es nie.

und die Wächter sind nicht von der Energiewelle betroffen, weil…?

ok, es wird auch endlich der Obelisk erklärt: er verstärkt negative Energien, versetzt Leute in den Schlaf und macht sie dann zu Sklaven. Tja, Zanrelot, da würde ich doch mal sagen: gut für dich, dass es so etwas gibt!

Karo und Pinkas KUSS NOPE NEXT SCENE PLEASE

und Zanrelots Bodyguards sind auch nicht von dem Obelisken betroffen, weil…??? Wo hat er die eigentlich schon wieder her?

Und im Hintergrund fahren und laufen so DEUTLICH Passanten hin- und her xDDD

Der Obelisk ist auch stabil wie ein Turm aus Duplosteinen

Zanrejona taucht bei den Kindern auf!

Ich… ich glaube ich bin nicht bereit dafür. (and this is where I took a two day break because I was not, in fact, ready for this)

Leo sagt, sie und Jona seien Freunde :///

Ein Funken von Jonas Seele ist noch in seinem Körper

HEDDA

Hedda kämpft einfach noch als Geist mit - ich bin ja manchmal etwas kritisch ihr gegenüber, aber hier ist sie echt badass

außerdem war sie ja mal eine Wächterin, aber jetzt als Geist kann sie Magie ganz einfach so wirken (auch ohne Zauberstab, so whyyy does Matreus need one??)

Es gibt Austreibungszauber in 4 gegen Z. Otti liest es zwar nicht vor, aber da steht auch, dass beide Seelen den Zauber nicht überleben werden.

Und die Kinder wissen das - sie wissen, dass sie Jona gleich töten werden

jetzt mal… ne ganz dumme Frage… ich habe Staffel 3 gar nicht mehr so wirklich im Kopf. Ist Hedda jetzt gerade “gestorben” oder kommt sie später noch mal vor?

Zanrelot ist auch… er könnte jetzt wieder so einfach auf Jonas Stimme umswitchen, um die Kinder zu verwirren, aber dafür war wohl keine Zeit mehr übrig

Zanrelot hat den Wächtern auch nicht zugetraut, dass sie Jonas Leben in Kauf nehmen (wenn auch widerwillig)

ist es irgendwie poetisch, dass die Kinder mit dem Austreibungspruch fordern, dass Zanrelot “Jona freigibt” - etwas, das Jona sein Leben lang wollte und das jetzt nur durch seinen Tod erreichen kann? oder… übertreibe ich maßlos?

Zanrelot bestätigt, dass er sterben wird, wenn sie den Spruch beenden

aber wenn man ihn dann so einfach wieder beleben kann wie Matreus das diese Staffel schonmal getan hat…??? Sollte man dann nicht erst mal Matreus töten?? Und dann Zanrelot?? Damit der nicht wiederkommen kann?

Und by the way: WO IST MATREUS?

Die Wächter zögern so lange - und Zanrelot schreit nicht mal nach Matreus. Matreus ist auch nirgendwo zu sehen.

Wir haben ihn seitdem sie vom Boot gegangen sind nicht mehr gesehen. Hat Zanrelot ihn off-screen getötet? Für den Fall, dass es Staffel 3 nicht gegeben hätte??

Jona kommt noch mal an die Oberfläche und kämpft gegen Zanrelot an ICH KANN NICHT MEHR weil die Wächter ihm Kraft gegeben haben :(

oh wait, die Kinder zweifeln wirklich, ob sie Jona umbringen können :((((

Zurück zu meiner: das wäre toll gewesen, wenn Matreus in dieser Folge am Anfang die Seiten gewechselt hätte-Idee. Denn er hätte JETZT auftauchen können, um die Wächter anzufeuern und ihnen zu sagen, dass Jona niemals gewollt hätte, so weiter zu leben und dann hätte Zanrelot seinen Verrat sehen können und das wäre das letzte, das er gesehen hätte, bevor die Wächter ihn vernichtet hätten. Jona wäre dann bei den Kindern und Matreus gestorben, die beiden hätten sich beieinander entschuldigt. Am Ende wäre Matreus wortlos gegangen, während die Kinder ihren Sieg feiern und es wird offen gelassen, was aus ihm wird. In welches schwarze Loch muss ich springen, um in diesem Universum zu landen?

“Lieber sterbe ich - und lasse nicht zu, dass du ihnen etwas tust” This. This is Jona. In a nutshell. Er ist wirklich einfach nur… der Beste? Gott, er hat so viel Besseres verdient als alles, was in Staffel 3 auf ihn wartet.

Und mit dem bisschen Kraft, dass die Wächter ihm gegeben haben + dem Funke, den er noch hat, schafft er es sich von Zanrelot ganz zu trennen? Wie stark ist Jona eigentlich??

i’m making literal pterodactyl noises here

Jona nennt ihn die ganze Zeit Vater; I can’t

Warum muss Jona jetzt sterben?? Der Austreibungszauber ist doch unterbrochen worden??? Oder stirbt man einfach generell, nachdem man besessen worden ist?

Und Zanrelot verschwindet einfach wie so ein Geist, aber er sieht die ganze Zeit ganz ruhig und gedankenverloren zurück. Er ist nicht panisch oder wütend… das ist alles so ruhig gerade.

Jona sagt, er konnte Zanrelot besiegen und seine Seele retten, weil die Kinder gezögert haben. Also verstehe ich das jetzt richtig, dass Jona es quasi ist, der Zanrelot durch seinen eigenen Tod töten wird? Er hat ihn selbst ausgetrieben?

“Und wer weiß, vielleicht sehen wir uns ja bald wieder” ;__;

so, Jona löst sich auf. Wie das wohl alle magischen Wesen tun (hat Zanrelot in Staffel 1 ja auch) - Er löst sich in BLAUE magische Energie auf. Ganz wie er gesagt hat: seine Seele hat er retten können und er war zwar kein Wächter (laut Hedda), aber er war ein durch und durch gutes magisches Wesen.

WIESO IST MATREUS AUF EINEM FLOß???????????????????????

WOHER kommt er gerade?? Er erscheint einfach so mit dem Floß (aus der Unterwelt? Aber was macht er da? Die sind doch da ausgezogen??)

Und was ist da überhaupt auf dem Floß? Das sieht aus wie ein Stück Sparnholzplatte mit ner Konstruktion drauf. Bin ich stupid? Was ist das? So etwas habe ich noch nie gesehen.

Zanrelot zerstäubt auch in magische Energie (grün natürlich), aber es bleibt Asche zurück. How convenient.

ok, jetzt kann man das Floß besser sehen. Nein, ich habe immer noch keine Ahnung, was das ist und wo Matreus es her hat. Ich habe es diese ganze Serie über noch nie gesehen.

Also kann Zanrelot jetzt zurückkehren, weil er die Wächter “auf ewig” verflucht hat?

Again…: WARUM will Matreus zu Zanrelot zurück? Nach all dem Scheiß in dieser Staffel - von seinem Auflehnen, der Bestrafung mit der Verwandlung in eine Schlange, dem Klon - und nur eine kleine Andeutung von Zanrelot reicht, dass er Matreus mal lieber als Sohn genommen HÄTTE, dass Matreus ihm jetzt hinterher rennt?

Matreus weiß in diesem Moment vermutlich nicht mal, dass Jona tot ist??

Man sollte übrigens Asche von Verstorbenen am Besten nicht einatmen. Matreus. Arbeitsschutz!!

SO WAIT

Jona stirbt, alle sind am Heulen und die nächste fucking Szene mit den Wächtern ist Eisessen und Karo/Pinkas sind jetzt ein Paar?? Pacing probleme, ey. Off-Screen Heiratsantrag von Julia und Sascha??? We were robbed!!

“Denn Zanrelot haben wir auf ewig besiegt” - Karo, ich will dir nicht zu nahe treten, aber… ihr habt eigentlich gar nichts diese Folge gemacht, außer im richtigen Moment gezögert und dann hat Jona (ein Mal!!) alles alleine gemacht. And now look at him. He’s dead.

Zanrelot existiert jetzt als grüne Energie

Und… das wars. Die Kinder gehen Eisessen, lachen… und das wars mit Lübeck :/

Was mir auch gerade auffällt… wenn Staffel 3 nicht gewesen wäre, dann wäre DAS hier das canon Ende gewesen? Das ist ja fast noch tragischer als das eigentliche Ende. Aber auch nur fast. Aber da sie Matreus hier am Leben gelassen haben und das mit der Sohn-Sache angeteast haben, denke ich mal, dass sie schon wussten, dass die Chancen gut für eine Hamburg-Staffel stehen

Final sollte gesagt sein: Jona ist fucking gestorben.

I’m not ok.

Der Film - Im Bann der dunklen Macht

Es gibt ja noch den Film-Cut der drei letzten Folgen der zweiten Staffel (und den drei ersten Folgen der dritten Staffel), in denen ein paar im Seriencut ungezeigte Szenen zu sehen sein sollen. Also… tja. Dann schaue ich mir dieses Drama jetzt nochmal an und halte fest, wenn es da etwas zu kommentieren gibt.

WHAT CANON DROPS ALMOST INSTANTLY

JONAS GESCHENK WIRD GEZEIGT THIS IS EVERYTHING

1543 wird Zanrelot in die Unterwelt verbannt - das passt aber doch zu keiner Zeitrechnung, die in der Serie vorgeschlagen wurde?

“Aufgrund eines fehlgeschlagenen Komplotts wird Zanrelot verflucht und in die Unterwelt verbannt”

VON WEM DENN????

Es ist ein uralter Kompass in einer alten Holzschachtel - NATÜRLICH würde er sich darüber freuen!!

Oh cool, bisher ungesehene Szenen, wie Karo und Pinkas sich anzicken; da haben wir aber was verpasst /s

Alle “guten” Erwachsenen (Hedda, Julia, Sascha und Jona) werden übrigens auf einer Titelcard schauspielerisch erwähnt und gruppiert

Außerdem: Es ist Tag, nicht Morgen - was die Sache mit halb vier am Nachmittag nur noch witziger macht, dass Jona schläft

Otti: Wie alt wird Jona eigentlich?

Leo: Keine Ahnung. Uralt. 25 oder 28 Jahre vielleicht.

xDDDDDDDD WHY WAS THIS CUT??

Die Kinder fragen sich, ob noch wer mit Jona feiert :/

Matreus und Zanrelot Szene!!

OttI I LOVE YOU:

“Wovon lebt dieser Mensch? Ich meine, er taucht auf, verschwindet, er spürt irgendwelche Dinge, schweißt sich Schlüssel in den Bauch”

Die Serie hat gerade +1000 Punkte gewonnen, für self-awareness, aber -1000 Punkte, weil das in der Serie rausgeschnitten wurde

Andreas und Udos Namen werden übrigens in wunderbar grün leuchtend vorgestellt

warum … stehen die beiden so nah beieinander? Matreus kommt sogar noch einen Schritt näher, dass sich ihre Schultern beinahe berühren. So nah stehe ich noch nicht mal mit meinen Eltern zusammen.

Matreus ist übrigens größer als Zanrelot - das kann man so zumindest sehen

Leider bekommen wir nicht wirklich viel Neues von den beiden mit, außer, dass Zanrelot Matreus mit der Mission losschickt, Jonathan seine speziellen Glückwünsche zu überreichen - das mit dem Messer und dem Fleisch müssen sie wohl vorher off-screen besprochen haben, denn jetzt geht die eigentliche Folge los

Ich sehe mir die Szene, in der Klonathans Macht gemessen wird, gerade noch mal genauer an und… ich verstehe immer noch nicht, warum sich Matreus wortwörtlich die Hand blutig reibt? Zum einen - hatte ich das da geschrieben? - sieht er aus als wäre er kurz vorm Heulen, was natürlich, vermutlich, die Serie ist, die uns sagen will, dass er neidisch auf die Aufmerksamkeit ist, die Klonathan bekommt, aber so als Charaktermerkmal interessant, dass er sich einfach selbst verletzt?! Ohne es zu merken. Es gibt nämlich keine andere Szene davor, die erklärt, dass er sich irgendwo die Hand angestoßen hätte. I’m confused. Oder wirklich nur, um zu zeigen, dass er rotes Blut hat (weil diese Folge grünes Blut explizit erwähnt wird) und unfassbar neidisch ist, um sein Handeln zu erklären?

Mir ist das in der Folge nicht aufgefallen, aber als Matreus bei Jona auf dem Bett sitzt, ist hinter ihm ein Kühlschrank (???) zu sehen?

Also kann man doch tatsächlich auf seinem Boot leben? Er hat ein winziges Bad und einen Kühlschrank - also muss da doch auch irgendwo eine Mikrowelle und ein Wasserkocher sein!

Wir haben eine etwas anderes Szene, in der Matreus aus dem British Museum zurückkehrt und ich muss das jetzt leider so schreiben, wie ich es gedacht habe: hot and gay.

Hochgekrempelte Ärmel? T-Shirt? So viel Brust? Dieses über die Schulter geworfene Seil? Die Art und Weise, wie er herumstolziert? This is peak.

Ich schreibs gern erneut. Matreus hat an seinem Gürtel zehntausend Taschen und Dietriche hängen, aber, honey: du bist ein Magier!! Du kannst dich überall hin teleportieren! (Außer in 4 gegen Z ist es canon, dass Museen magisch geschützt sind, weil sie wissen, das einige ihre Ausstellungsstücke magische Artefakte sind, was eigentlich ziemlich cool wäre)

Aber so oder so: Matreus ist da eingebrochen. In den Safe. Und hat das Bannkreiswerkzeug geklaut. Ist schon cool.

Ah, i see now: das T-Shirt ist ein wenig kaputt gegangen und nun hängt seine Schulter da raus, zusammen mit dem Rest Kragen um seinen Hals ist das das slutiest outfit, das er je anhatte, I love this

Und ich muss jetzt so lachen, wenn das die Szene gewesen wäre, wie er von Jonas Boot zurückkommt xDDD

OHHHH Wir bekommen eine post-Scene aus "Der Bannkreis", in der Zanrelot mit Matreus darüber spricht, dass er es nicht so heraus hätte schreien sollen, dass der Bannkreis vernichtet worden ist

asdfghjk

Matreus: (Erzählt, wie er es geschafft hat, ins fucking british museum einzubrechen)

Zanrelot: "Sei still, du langweilst mich."

just kill him already, please

Als Zanrelot Matreus sagt, er sei der wahrhaft treuere Sohn gewesen, muss ich jetzt irgendwie daran denken, dass Zanrelot damit auch (für sich) meinen könnte, er hätte sich Matreus’ Körper nehmen können, um so Jona zu behalten, aber Matreus das falsch auffasst

Zanrelot: "Du weißt doch nie etwas. Ich lasse mich von niemandem aufhalten. Nicht von den Wächtern, nicht von Jonathan, von niemandem. Sein Schicksal wird mein Schicksal. Aber, Matreus, du kannst deinen Fehler wieder gut machen. Bring mir Jonathan."

Matreus: "Jonathan?"

Zanrelot: "Ja. Jonathan. Aber bring ihn mir lebendig. Und an einem Stück."

(Matreus geht)

(Serienfinale startet)

ER WUSSTE ES NICHT!!!!

Matreus wusste wirklich nicht, warum und wozu er Jonathan holen sollte!! ;__; Er hatte keine Ahnung, dass er ihn zum Tode verurteilt - deshalb auch die Frage nach seiner Seele auf dem Boot!! Also das… das tut weh.

wir bekommen übrigens keine Erklärung, wo Matreus beim letzten Kampf war und warum er auf einem Floß aus der Unterwelt erscheint

Es gibt auch keine Extraszenen mit Hedda oder Julia und Sascha :/

Final thoughts:

Ich werde Lübeck vermissen. Die Kinder, die Eltern, die Stadt, einfach alles.

Staffel 2 ist um einiges besser als die erste Staffel - schauspielerisch haben sich alle Kinder verbessert, es gibt eine neue Storyline (Jonathan-Zanrelot-Beziehung) und auch das Teenager-Liebesdrama kommt zwar häufig vor, hält sich aber zum Glück in Grenzen (wenn ich an das Liebesdreieck in Staffel 3 denke, kotze ich jetzt schon).

Sascha und Julia sind noch immer die besten Charaktere (nach Matreus und Jona) und ich wünschte, wir hätten mehr von ihnen sehen können

Staffel 2 rühmt sich leider wie Staffel 1 nicht wirklich damit, viel zu erklären oder mehr Informationen als notwendig zu geben (Stichwort: Jonas Mutter)

Magie ist noch immer das, was der Plot gerade von der Magie braucht

Jetzt bleibt nur noch Staffel 3 - und die werde ich etwas vor mich herschieben. Staffel 2 hat aus Jona von einem relativ kleinen Charakter aus Staffel 1 einen wichtigen und tollen Charakter, der für die Story wichtig ist, gemacht. Er hat Staffel 3 nicht verdient. Oder, wenn überhaupt, hat er ein anderes Ende verdient.

Matreus.

Matreus ist verwirrend diese Staffel, aber das liest sich, glaube ich, schon aus meinen Notizen heraus. Seine Motive und sein Charakter sind eine wilde Achterbahnfahrt und wichtige Momente werden nie wieder erwähnt oder aufgegriffen (seine Herausforderung an Zanrelot in Magmarta oder zum Beispiel die Tatsache, dass er und Jona befreundet waren.)

Gerade letzteres ist einfach traurig, dass wir nie mehr erklärt bekommen. Das Gespräch zwischen Jona und Matreus in Magmarta lässt auf so viel character development und plot hoffen (Warum glaubt Jona immer noch an Matreus? Warum lässt sich Matreus tatsächlich von Jona beeinflussen?), aber wird einfach zur Seite geworfen, sobald Matreus von Klonathan eifersüchtig wird.

Wo war Matreus im finalen Kampf? Warum wirkt er so traurig und besorgt in der letzten Folge, nur um in der letzten Szene wieder vollkommen auf Zanrelots Seite zu stehen? So viele Fragen, auf die wir vermutlich nie eine Antwort bekommen werden.

#4 gegen Z #text post #staffel 2 rewatch #long post #episoden 12-14

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multianime · 5 months

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TAG NINE PEOPLE YOU’D LIKE TO KNOW BETTER!

I. favourite colours: Red has always been my favorite color. But I also like pastel colors together as well as blue and purple together too.

II. favourite flavours: Strawberry, Banana, Chocolate, Barbecue sauce, sweet & sour, Cherry, and pumpkin.

III. favourite genres: Romance, romantic comedy are always my go too.

IV. favourite music: Pop for sure, but I also love: Alternative and Pop rock.

V. favourite movies: Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Get Smart, and The Thirteenth Year.

VI. favourite series: My Hero Academia, Haikyuu, HunterxHunter, The Owl House, Avatar the Last Airbender, Fruits Basket, jjk, and so much more.

VII. last song: Happy by Julia Michaels

VIII. last series: Still in the process of watching jjk.

IX. last movie: Oh geeze, I'm not even sure I haven't sat down to watch a movie in a while. Um, I guess I technically rewatched The Hunger Games recently.

X. currently reading: To be honest, I don't really read much anymore. So do tumblr replies count? lol

XI. currently watching: Some reaction videos on youtube, but also new cozy games coming out as well.

XII. currently working on: Not much. I have a couple of ideas in my head of drawings that I want to work on though! Some for Coral Island, Miraculous, and possibly The Owl House. We'll see.

tagged by: @amischiefofmusesTagging: @detonationking, @ervaurem, @ofovertime, @whirling-fangs, @dalihua, @utallige, @thcsevoices, @phonokinetix, and @lightningstrickcn

#about the mun

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xirex · 11 months

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published : march 23 , 2023

warning : fainting because of exhaustion, hospital mention

Stray Kids' Julia Rushed To Hospital After Fainting Mid-Concert

Get better soon, Julia.

On March 23, audience members of Stray Kids' "Maniac" Tour in Atlanta, Georgia reported seeing Julia faint just a few songs into the concert.

Fans became concerned after seeing Julia looking exhausted and breathing extremely heavily during the group's introduction ment. In videos and photos taken by fans in the audience in between songs, Julia could be seen having trouble walking and bringing her head down multiple times. In others, you could see Bang Chan, Lee Know, and Seungmin presumably asking if she was okay and even helping her walk across the stage.

Worries only grew as the concert went on and Julia continued to perform despite her sickly condition. However, at the end of "Back Door", things took a turn for the worse. When the group finished their powerful performance, fans in the side wings saw Julia bring her head down before ultimately collapsing onto the ground. She was then escorted off the stage by staff and her members.

STAYs began to call out JYP Entertainment for overworking the idol; it was revealed that she was the main choreographer for the setlists being performed during the tour and was even choreographing songs for other groups in between concerts. Angry fans demanded the company to give the idol a break while others expressed their concerns for Julia on social medias.

"did jyp really think she would be able to choreograph for over 20 different stages & for other groups and not be tired?? get julie the rest she needs... no idol should have to work like that especially when she's supposed to be on tour having fun." — faye saw skz! (@juliesday) March 23, 2023

"looking back at previous tour vids, you can tell julia gets more tired as the days go on. you could see the boys were upset too, specifically during the intro ment. i really hope they all get rest, esp since they're having a comeback sometime soon." — libby (@skzcvnt) March 23, 2023

Here's JYP Entertainment's official statement.

"Hello, this is JYP Entertainment.

It is with utmost regret that we relay the news of Stray Kids' member Julia to STAY, who have shown such genuine love and care for Stray Kids.

Julia has recently been experiencing health issues during 'Stray Kids' 2nd World Tour MANIAC'. Despite this, Julia has been performing on stage with as much energy as possible to fulfill the promise made with STAY. Following the concert in Atlanta, Georgia, she has been taken to the hospital to receive treatment for her health.

After a long discussion with Julia and the rest of Stray Kids, we have decided to suspend Julia's activities so she can receive treatment accordingly. As a result, Julia will not participate in the remaining concerts for the 'MANIAC' tour. The tour will continue with Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, HAN, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N.

We apologize for the sudden news and ask for your understanding, as this decision has been made in consideration of Julia's health. We will do our absolute best to ensure a quick recovery for Julia as her health is our biggest priority.

Thank you."

— JYP Entertainment

We wish Julia a quick and safe recovery!

#xi ; julia #stray kids female member #9th member of stray kids #stray kids 9th member #skz 9th member #9th member of skz #kpop female oc #kpop added member #kpop addition #kpop oc #idol!oc #fake idol community #fake kpop idol #idol oc #idol!au #fictional idol oc #fictional idol addition #fictional kpop community #oc community

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dawnsumhrs · 3 months

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another dead girl / BETH GREENE mix

i. sun bleached flies ethel cain / ii. burn it down daughter / iii. dead hearts stars / iv. if you sit very still, you can hear the sun move honey gentry / v. zombie girl adrianne lenker / vi. go home angel olsen / vii. girl singing in the wreckage black box recorder / viii. my love florence + the machine / ix. luna the mountain goats / x. the parting glass boygenius, ye vagabonds / xi. trust lucy dacus / xii. lucie, too now, now / xiii. baby jesus is nobody’s baby now julia jacklin / xiv. drinking song haley heynderickx

#beth greene #the walking dead #twd #twd playlist #twd fanmix #spotify playlist #the walking dead fanmix #the walking dead playlist #fanmix #playlist

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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 5 months

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LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

November 16, 2023

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

NOV 17, 2023

The summit of the leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies continued today in San Francisco, California.

Formed in 1989, APEC is made up of the economies of 21 nations around the Pacific Rim: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Chile, Peru, Russia, Vietnam, and the United States. Together, these economies make up about 62% of global gross domestic product and almost half of global trade.

David Sanger of the New York Times today noted an apparent shift in the power dynamic between President Joe Biden and Chinese president Xi Jinping, who met yesterday for a four-hour conversation. Earlier in his presidency, Xi was riding on a strong economy that overshadowed that of the U.S. and looked as if it would continue to do so. Then, Xi favored what was known as “wolf warrior” diplomacy: the aggressive defense of China’s national interests against what Chinese envoys portrayed as foreign hostility, especially that of the U.S.

Under that diplomatic regime, Xi emphasized that liberal democracy was too weak to face the twenty-first century. The speed and momentous questions of the new era called for strong leaders, he said. In early February 2022, Russia and China held a summit after which they pledged that the “[f]riendship between the two States has no limits.”

Things have changed.

The U.S. has emerged from the coronavirus pandemic with a historically strong economy, while China’s economy is reeling from a real estate bubble and deflation at the same time that government crackdowns have made foreign capital flee. This summer, Xi quietly sidelined Qin Gang, the foreign minister associated with wolf warrior diplomacy, and in October, he replaced Defense Minister General Li Shangfu, who is under U.S. sanctions for overseeing weapon purchases from Russia.

Indeed, China has also been quietly pushing back from its close embrace of Russia. Just weeks after their February 2022 declaration, Russia invaded Ukraine in an operation that Russian president Vladimir Putin almost certainly expected would be quick and successful, permitting Russia to seize key Ukrainian ports and land. Such a victory would have strengthened both Russia and China at the same time it weakened Europe, the United States, and their allies and partners.

Instead, Ukraine stood firm, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and allies and partners have stood behind the embattled country. As the war has stretched on, sanctions have cut into the Russian economy and Putin has had to cede power to Xi, accepting the Chinese yuan in exchange for Russian commodities, for example. This week, Alberto Nardelli of Bloomberg reported that the European Union is considering another round of sanctions, including a ban on the export of machine tools and machinery parts that enable Russia to make ammunition.

In a piece at the Center for European Policy Analysis today, Julia Davis, who monitors Russian media, noted that Russia lost an extraordinary 997,000 people between October 2020 and September 2021, even before the war began. Now it is so desperate to increase its population that its leadership claims to have stolen as many as 700,000 Ukrainian children and is urging women to have as many children as possible.

Holly Ellyatt of CNBC noted that to the degree they even mentioned it, Russian media sniped at the Biden-Xi summit, but it was hard to miss that although Russian president Putin was not welcome to attend, Xi came and engaged in several high-level meetings, assuring potential investors that China wants to be friends with the U.S. Also hard to miss was Xi’s pointed comment that the China-U.S. relationship “is the most important bilateral relationship in the world.”

Going into this summit, then, the U.S. had the leverage to get agreements from China to crack down on the precursor chemicals that Chinese producers have been shipping to Latin America to make illegal fentanyl, restore military communications between the two countries now that Li has been replaced, and make promises about addressing climate change. Other large issues of trade and the independence of Taiwan will not be resolved so easily.

Still, it was a high point for President Biden, whose economic policies and careful investment in diplomatic alliances have helped to shift the power dynamic between the U.S. and two countries that were key geopolitical rivals when he took office. Now, both the U.S. and China appear to be making an effort to move forward on better terms. Indeed, Chinese media has shifted its tone about the U.S. and the APEC summit so quickly readers have expressed surprise.

Today, Biden emphasized “the unlimited potential of our partnerships…to realize a future that will benefit people not only in the Asia-Pacific region but the whole world,… [a] future where our prosperity is shared and is inclusive, where workers are empowered and their rights are respected, where our economies are sustainable and resilient.”

Biden and administration officials noted that companies from across the Asia-Pacific world have invested nearly $200 billion in the U.S. since Biden took office, creating tens of thousands of good jobs, while the U.S. has elevated its engagement with the region, holding bilateral talks, creating new initiatives and deepening economic partnerships.

Today, Biden and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo announced that the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, an economic forum established last year as a nonbinding replacement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership former president Trump abruptly pulled out of, had agreed on terms to set up an early warning system for disruptions to supply chains, cooperation on clean energy, and fighting corruption and tax evasion.

In a very different event in San Francisco today, a federal jury convicted David DePape, 43, of attempted kidnapping and assault on account of a federal official’s performance of official duties for his attack on former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband Paul with a hammer on October 28 of last year, fracturing his skull.

DePape’s lawyers did not contest the extensive evidence against him but tried to convince the jury that DePape did not commit a federal crime because he did not attack Pelosi on account of Representative Pelosi’s official position. Instead, they said, DePape had embraced the language of right-wing lawmakers and pundits and believed in a conspiracy theory that pedophile elites had taken over the country and were spreading lies about former president Donald Trump.

DePape told jurors he had come to conspiracy theories through Gamergate, a 2014–2015 misogynistic online campaign of harassment against women in the video game industry, which turned into attacks on feminism, diversity, and progressive ideas. Trump ally Steve Bannon talked of pulling together the Gamergate participants behind Trump and his politics.

Also today, a subcommittee of the House Ethics Committee set up to investigate allegations against Representative George Santos (R-NY) issued its report. The Republican-dominated committee found that Santos had lied about his background during his campaign and, furthermore, that he appears to be a serial liar. Those lies also “include numerous misrepresentations to the government and the public about his and his campaign’s financial activities.”

That is, the committee found, Santos defrauded his campaign donors, falsified his financial records, and used campaign money on beauty products, rent, luxury items from Hermes and Ferragamo, and purchases at the website Only Fans. The subcommittee recommended the Ethics Committee refer Santos to the Department of Justice, and “publicly condemn Representative Santos, whose conduct [is] beneath the dignity of the office” and who has “brought severe discredit upon the House.”

Santos says he will not run for reelection.

—

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

#Letters From An American #Heather Cox Richardson #Ethics #Santos #Xi #China US relations #Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)#gamergate #Pelosi

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