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maverick-werewolf · 4 years

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Modern Dragon Designs - Where they came from

Your regularly scheduled werewolf facts will return soon. For now, we provide this special, because you may not realize this, but I love dragons. There’s a reason one of my protagonists is basically obsessed with dragons.

Once upon a time, there was a movie - I don’t see anyone talk about it, I’m not even sure how many people are familiar with it...

It’s called Reign of Fire.

This movie shaped the modern Hollywoodian concept of dragons. Seriously, it did. Hear me out.

Released in 2002, Reign of Fire was a movie about - essentially - dragons as that age-old trope of “let’s take one monster and turn them into an overpopulated zombie plague so we can use them to tell a story about humans and make the monster just this brainless evil locust swarm backdrop.” This has happened to a lot of monsters by now.

But wait, these dragons aren’t like the dragons you might be used to: these dragons were completely redesigned from the ground up by the filmmaker(s) in order to make a more “realistic” and “animalistic” dragon that was acceptable by Hollywood, who generally views “dragon movies” (like so many other fantasy things...) as cheesy and silly. Market your movie as a film about dragons and you probably won’t get a deal. Well, turns out, coming up with your own gritty dragon designs worked!

Doesn’t this remind you of every other dragon you’ve seen in a movie for the last, you know, 18 years? Although it actually looks quite a bit cooler than those other ones that came after it

Please note that while I may sound sarcastic, jaded, and often maybe a bit scathing, I mean nothing against the creators of Reign of Fire or director Rob Bowman. I watched the movie in theaters when it released. I applaud Bowman for coming up with unique and interesting dragon designs, in order to have a different take on the creatures, so that they fit the story he wanted to tell, instead of doing what so many people do and completely co-opting concepts without trying to alter them to fit anything and... yeah... okay, I’m not going to talk about werewolf things in this post. Getting back on track:

What I don’t applaud is everyone ripping off Reign of Fire for their own dragons, doubly so because most of these people didn’t even take into account the reasons why it was designed that way. They should have left his dragons alone and come up with their own thing, but at least I guess Bowman can go down in history as the man who designed every Hollywood dragon for over a decade to come - with no signs of stopping - even down to the tail shape.

On Vice, you can find an article and interview with Rob Bowman, the director of Reign of Fire, discussing how he came up with this dragon design and how influential it has become. I highly recommend giving it a read.

Please note the Vice article is clearly written with the bias of someone who “can’t take dragons seriously,” so it’s also a good look at the Hollywood mindset about dragons and how much Hollywood treats fantasy in general like garbage (jerks).

It’s impossible to pretend this movie didn’t basically reshape modern dragons. Let’s get to the details...

Animalistic Design

Dragons in popular culture are generally - or at least they were generally - assumed to be powerful, intelligent creatures, often of a higher nature than humans and other mere mortals. They may be good or evil, but one can’t understate that traditional fantasy dragons are regal and majestic either way.

Reign of Fire wanted to usurp the majestic, intelligent dragon image, creating a smaller, hunched, knuckle-dragging sort of dragon that looks more like an animal - like a pteranodon. This is because the dragons in Reign of Fire are not exceptionally intelligent, noble beings that speak and hoard gold and have the wisdom of the ages. They are brutal hunters that set things on fire and eat everything smaller than them. So this design choice was a conscious one and a smart one.

The dragons in Reign of Fire are meant to be more scientific, more plausible, and also simpler, in a manner of speaking. They are not colorful, magical, ancient fantasy dragons...

Trouble is, everyone took cues from this design for their talking wise noble fantasy dragons, and it... doesn’t really work, at least if you ask me.

The dragon design in Reign of Fire looks like an ancestral throwback, an evolutionary ancestor to the intelligent, talking fantasy dragon, although they are smaller. They’re hunched, they haven’t evolved forelegs independent of their wings... you get the idea. Take a look at the “proto-drakes” in World of Warcraft versus the ordinary drakes, which have tiny dangly T-rex forelegs that haven’t fully developed yet, so they walk like the Reign of Fire dragons.

A proto-drake in World of Warcraft - also say hi to my worgen warrior

So many things taking this design for their intelligent, “higher being” dragons seems kind of... odd to me, to say the least. Unfortunately, Hollywood decided that’s the only way moviegoers can “take dragons seriously,” so here we are.

“Wyvern” - Two Legs vs Four

Municipal arms of Stjørdal, Norway

In medieval heraldry, there came to be a creature called a wyvern. Now, the etymology on the term “wyvern” is a little shaky. It originally didn’t specifically refer to a “two-legged dragon.” It is thought to mean/be derived from words meaning anything ranging from “asp” to “light javelin,” and essentially boils down to a flying serpent. It is noteworthy, of course, that the word “dragon” basically just means “serpent” too.

In heraldry, though, “wyvern” came to refer to a two-legged dragon - at least, if you ask the English, Scottish, and Irish; elsewhere in Europe, they may not be so picky. And now, in modern pop culture (such as Dungeons and Dragons), we often use it in the same sense.

Wyverns weren’t really a “thing” in folklore, just as dragons in folklore didn’t look like our modern idea of a dragon. It’s debatable whether the father of our modern concept of dragons, Fafnir (from whom Tolkien drew inspiration for Smaug), even had wings at all; he was essentially a serpent, perhaps with legs. Point is, wyverns come from heraldry, especially the specificity of two legs versus four.

So now you know why you might see a lot of people (myself included) referring to this design as a “wyvern design” for a dragon.

Dull Coloration - Grey and Brown over Red, Blue, Green...

There’s something else - something very important - that Hollywood took from Reign of Fire... the concept that dragons aren’t pretty colors and are, in fact, various hues of grey and brown, and any more contrasting colors are just vague indications instead of bright red scales.

Now, Reign of Fire obviously did this because - again - they were going for the more animalistic, natural look as opposed to the mysterious majestic magical being look. Okay, that’s fine. But then Hollywood decided that fantasy, too, has to be devoid of dragons with bright colors.

The green dragon in Game of Thrones

There are countless examples of this in modern media. Any dragon that was previously brightly colored has been dulled pretty much to an extreme. Sometimes you might catch a fleeting glimpse of them looking like a brighter shade, but it was probably just a trick of the light. Why? Because all dragons are desaturated to the point of being almost indistinguishable by color.

The golden dragon in The Witcher Netflix series

This is also why you see so many mods on the Skyrim Nexus called things like “true red dragon.”

There are plenty more examples of this - I’m sure you can see the difference when you look at those dragons and other modern film dragons over, say, something like this...

Red dragon in D&D

And now we move on to...

The Fire Breathing - Chemicals, not Magic

Bowman insisted on ditching traditional fire breathing (you don't want the audience wondering whether the dragon's mouth is being burnt up with every flame) and again looked to the animal kingdom for inspiration. The king cobra, once again, was a great starting point. It doesn't spray fire, but it can spit its venom. Even more useful was the bombardier beetle, which shoots two chemicals from its abdomen that, once mixed, create a hot, burning spray. Bowman used these real-world examples to inspire his own dragons. They don't breathe fire exactly, but rather spit chemicals from two different sacks in their mouths that, when combined, ignite. "That's anatomy. That's already been designed, so we're going to draw from there," he said.

(quoted from the Vice article linked to earlier in this post)

The Hungarian Horntail in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - fire is streaming from two separate organs in the mouth, but they aren’t chemicals mixing together like in Reign of Fire...

The director of Reign of Fire wanted his dragons to be more natural in that they breathe fire through organic means, based on chemical reactions, instead of the usual dragon magic. But lots of people loved this “mouth flap”/”mouth organ” design with “streams” of fire coming from the mouth instead of fire flowing directly from the dragon’s throat, so now you see it pretty dang often.

Horns? Brow Ridges!

Another thing that is basically out now in dragon designs is the real horns of many traditional dragons, like Spyro, and like the dragons in Dungeons & Dragons used to have.

These days, it’s all about brow ridges and big spiny scales that aren’t separate horns, they’re just big pointed scales or piles of scales or bone ridges - and they aren’t a different color than the dragon’s scales, either, pretty often. And, in general, dragon’s horns have become much smaller and far more numerous, and more like spines/ridges, as opposed to the great, sweeping horns of classical dragons.

Firkraag, the red dragon, in the D&D video game Baldur’s Gate II, from 2000

Firkraag is a very traditional dragon. Now, while Dungeons & Dragons has generally kept more traditional dragons (yay!), they did fall into the brow ridge horn thing - although they, thankfully, didn’t make the horns smaller and subtler and more numerous little spikes, like so many other modern dragon designs. They also went with the brow ridge horns for tieflings (once humans with demon blood, then some weird thing in 4E, and now I think they’re humans with demon blood again), as opposed to the ordinary horns of the tieflings in previous editions of D&D.

Skyrim dragon head concept art

The Desolation of Smaug(’s design)

Here is... a big one. Here, we’ll talk some about the production of The Hobbit films over time, so we’re going behind the scenes.

Alright, so we all know Smaug, probably, by pop culture osmosis if nothing else. He is the quintessential dragon. He’s basically the founder of all Western dragon concepts: he’s big, he’s red, he hoards gold, he’s extremely intelligent and talks, etc. You get the picture. Every dragon that we have borrowed at least something from Smaug. And, in turn, he was inspired by Fafnir, the father of all our dragon concepts, from Norse mythology - but Tolkien took it all a step further and created the concept of dragons that we have today. Or, well, the not Reign of Fire ones. The fantasy ones.

A map drawn by Tolkien: notice the winged, four-legged Smaug over his mountain

During the first Hobbit movie, An Unexpected Journey, we see Smaug attack the Lonely Mountain...

In this clip, you can plainly see that Smaug has four legs. This was actually edited slightly for later editions of the movie, or so I’ve heard (I haven’t watched any later editions).

I can tell you for certain that when I saw the theatrical release, it was like this, too. It is apparent throughout the scene that Smaug has four legs and wings, separately. I know because I was paying very, very close attention, because I was going to be very upset if Hollywood turned Smaug into a wyvern.

Well, they did - later.

Smaug the wyvern looking like just another slightly different take on the bog-standard Hollywood dragon

Apparently, some studio exec decided that having a traditional fantasy dragon, even if this dragon happens to be frelling Smaug himself, would not be okay in this modern Hollywood world. So we ended up with a dull reddish spiney hunching knuckle-dragging wyvern with an angler mouth (I’m sorry; I really am sorry if you like the design, that’s totally fine, it’s a fine design, I am glad you enjoyed it, but Smaug shouldn’t have looked that way IMO and forgive me but I am still in pain over it) in place of a more traditional dragon that held more to things like, I dunno, how Tolkien himself drew Smaug. Smaug’s movie design flies right in the face of that and destroyed our chance to finally see a proper traditional dragon done justice on the big screen.

Tolkien’s art of Smaug - note the position of the forelegs, separate from the wings, like in the earlier map

This is all just one big example why we should be thankful that The Lord of the Rings films were all shot in one go, so no one could alter important things like the design of the fantasy genre’s father of all dragons, in the middle of production. Of course, the production on The Hobbit movies was a nightmare at best, as you can read about in assorted other articles, and Peter Jackson was very unhappy with what the studio had him do to the series. All of that is just another story, I suppose.

Dragons Redesigned by Reign of Fire: Example List

Now that we’ve gone over just a few of the talking points about Reign of Fire’s dragon designs (although I didn’t even get into the flat, spaded tail look in detail), here’s an undoubtedly incomplete list of several examples that have either entirely taken the design and/or were massively influenced by it...

(please note that not everything in this list held entirely to Reign of Fire’s design, obviously; some have the fire, some don’t; some have horns, some have head/brow ridges; but all of them are wyverns and most are darkly-colored)

Skyrim - Obvious influence with the general design, skin/scales and ridges design, as well as coloration; however, it is noteworthy that the Elder Scrolls has had dragons with no forelegs since at least 1998, in the game Redguard - though that dragon was also very brightly-colored (also of note: Peryite, while technically a Daedric prince and not a dragon, had four legs at least as far back as Daggerfall in 1996)

The Hobbit films, specifically The Desolation of Smaug onward - as mentioned before

Harry Potter movies - Wholesale. Two streams of fire from mouth flaps in Goblet of Fire, generally dull greyish and/or brownish colorations, no forelegs, short/simple horns that are mostly ridges...

Gods of Egypt - The giant fire-breathing cobras have the mouth flaps

Game of Thrones - This one’s pretty obvious too.

Disney’s Maleficent - In the new live action Disney movie(s), the dragon falls right into this design (though the fire doesn’t come from mouth flaps)

Netflix Witcher series - Villentretenmerth is very much a wyvern design and a dull shade, and he in fact has no horns at all, even though dragons weren’t portrayed this way in any previous Witcher adaptations

Stargate SG1 (season 10) - In the episode series “The Quest,” a dragon appears and... well, it looks just like all those other dragons, though the fire does come from its throat.

Beowulf (2008) - I try not to ever talk about or think about this film, but I have to just throw out there that the dragon is very much Reign of Fire, especially with that wyvern design.

Seventh Son - If you can call Malkin a dragon - she was called one, I think - she definitely also has the same kind of dull-colored wyvern design.

Sucker Punch (movie)

Lots and lots of B-movies and direct to DVD/streaming films - Dawn of the Dragonslayer, Dragon (2006), Dragon Crusaders...

Something to note, also, is that cartoons, anime, and other non-film media is mostly - but not entirely - free from this influence. Cartoons especially are free from it, partially because they aren’t influenced by Hollywood producers who want “serious” and “realistic” dragons. Cartoons are allowed to have magical, colorful, four-legged dragons. Unfortunately, we are deprived of those in live action film and television, by and large.

There are still other exceptions - most notably things that were created before this influence, like Dragonheart and its spinoffs and sequels, which have thankfully kept their dragon designs consistent instead of erasing their forelegs.

Of course, why dragons are depicted as four-legged and winged in the first place - and when this depiction arose - is another topic entirely. I’m not going into that right now, seeing as how this post is already preposterously long.

Long story short, I was rewatching the movie Gods of Egypt and, when I saw the giant cobra monsters breathe fire, I was possessed to write this article. Because Reign of Fire’s influence is something I have always noticed ever since its release, and something my brother and I talk about a lot (and everyone who knows me has surely heard me talk about it, too) - because, frankly, it’s always bothered me. My favorite dragons are traditional dragons: four legs, bright colors, wings, horns, breathing fire, the works.

So, although the original creator of these design ideas did something cool and different because he wanted to do his own take on dragons, Hollywood decided that these design cues should be taken to dumb down all dragons forever, the same way that Hollywood has dumbed down so many monster designs so that the only acceptable ones just a bunch of near-replicas of each other, including werewolves.

I think it’s very sad that film producers think you can’t take something like dragons or werewolves seriously unless they are dull, nontraditional, and ugly. And I say ugly in the sense of these are not pretty, majestic fantasy designs - they are, many of them, intended to be ugly. Though I personally also hold the opinion that most of them are ugly regardless of if they are intended to be ugly.

So - now you know! If you haven’t seen Reign of Fire, go check it out to meet the father of modern dragon designs, from the color of their hides to the shape of their bodies, the smaller horns, and - sometimes - even their tails.

(Special thanks to everyone on my discord who helped me compile this list, as well as of course my brother and all our ranting at/with each other on this topic over many years)

If you like this post, maybe you’ll enjoy the rest of my blog, where I post a lot about folklore and all kinds of monsters (especially werewolves)!

Werewolf Facts --- Patreon

#dragons #pop culture #dragon #reign of fire #creature design #folklore #wyvern #wyverns #game of thrones #skyrim #harry potter #the desolation of smaug #the hobbit #movies #film #hollywood #long post #EXTREMELY LONG post

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letterboxd · 3 years

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The Other Bill and Ted.

As No Man of God hits theaters and VOD following its Tribeca premiere in June, director Amber Sealey talks to Dominic Corry about her Ted Bundy two-hander and answers our Life in Film questions.

Amber Sealey has been very acknowledging of the fact that her new film is one of many to center around the horrific crimes of serial rapist and murderer Ted Bundy. As she outlined in her Tribeca Q&A with Letterboxd, one way she intended No Man of God to stick out from the pack was through the use of consciously silent background characters who represent Bundy’s voiceless victims.

The structure and source of the film also help distinguish it from other Ted Bundy movies: No Man of God is based on the recordings of FBI agent Bill Hagmaier (played in the film by Elijah Wood), who was tasked with interviewing an incarcerated Bundy in the years leading up to his execution, in order to help determine whether or not he was criminally insane, which could’ve helped to remove Bundy from death row.

With many of Bundy’s victims never officially attributed to the killer, Hagmaier also sought to draw confessions, and something resembling remorse, out of Bundy, to help bring closure to those victims’ families. As detailed in the film, much of which was taken directly from transcripts of the interviews, Bundy and Hagmaier’s relationship was complicated, and the intimacy that develops between them informs No Man of God in often uncomfortable ways.

Luke Kirby and Elijah Wood in a scene from ‘No Man of God’.

Wood (also a producer on the film) and Luke Kirby turn in career-high work as Hagmaier and Bundy, respectively, while Sealey textures the film with some of the most emotive stock-footage montage sequences this side of The Parallax View. Among positive reactions to the film, Claira Curtis, in a four-star review, writes: “Perhaps one of the most successful elements lies in Amber Sealey’s uncentering of the ‘genius’ moniker that has followed Bundy through his years of infamy.” On the pairing of Wood and Kirby in the leading roles, Connor Ashdown-Ford notes that “the chemistry between them both is so authentic it’s darn right unsettling”.

Unsettling is right. Late in the film, Sealey depicts a real-life TV interview that took place between Bundy and evangelical preacher/author/psychologist James Dobson (played by stalwart character actor Christian Clemonson), who uses Bundy to forward his anti-pornography agenda. Throughout this scene, the camera lingers on a young female member of the TV crew (played by an uncredited Hannah Jessup) as she silently reacts to being in Bundy’s presence. Emblematic of Sealey’s aforementioned philosophy in constructing the film, it’s a moment that appears to be having an impact on audiences, as detailed in Nolan Barth’s review: “She might have one of my favorite performances of this year? She shows us fascination, guilt, disgust and fear in like only 30 seconds of screen time. Give her an Oscar. Please.”

In an awkward incident that represents a perhaps unanticipated effect of there being so many contemporaneous movies with the same subject matter, director Joe Berlinger (Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, the Paradise Lost trilogy), who recently directed both the Zac Efron-starring scripted Ted Bundy biopic Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile and the documentary Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, sent an email to Sealey ahead of No Man of God’s Tribeca premiere about remarks she had made while discussing how her film differentiated itself from the existing Ted Bundy movies. He felt she had accused him of glorifying Bundy. After Sealey took the exchange public, she explained to Variety that she had never singled out Berlinger’s films in any of her remarks.

In a conversation with Letterboxd, Sealey delves into her approach to No Man of God, and talks about some of her filmic inspirations.

‘No Man of God’ director Amber Sealey.

There is really effective and creepy use of stock-footage montages in this film. Sometimes you see that sort of thing at the beginning of a film, but it’s interesting that you keep going back to them after using them in the opening credits. What was the thinking in using those montages and how did you select the footage? Amber Sealey: The thinking for those was a couple things: One, we don’t leave the prison, and I wanted [the audience] to know a little bit what’s going on outside, in terms of the cultural zeitgeist, like what’s the tone of the time? What movies are popular? What books are popular? What are people wearing? I wanted to have there be a kind of cultural touchstone outside of the prison, but at the same time I wanted it to represent potentially a little bit of what was going on inside Bill’s mind. So the story of the montages as they go on, it gets a little bit more fucked up, for lack of a better word, for Bill, inside of his head.

We were originally going to shoot the crowd scenes [of protesters outside the prison] and recreate them and then because of Covid restrictions, we couldn’t do that anymore. So then I knew we were going to be using archival footage for the crowd, and I didn’t want the archival crowd footage to suddenly jump out as being so different from the rest of our film. We’re shooting on an ARRI camera, [so it’s] not going to look like a Hi-8 from the 1980s. I needed to incorporate this look, this ’80s grainy look into the rest of the movie so that it feels like it’s part and parcel of the film, part of the storytelling.

We got [the footage] in different ways. I have an old friend that I’ve known since I was like, two, he lived next door to me, and my cousin, they both had video cameras in the ’80s and would film everything. So some of that footage is old family footage of their family or friends. There’s a couple shots in there of my neighbors when I was growing up. Then some of it, we did a lot of research on [stock-imagery services] Getty and Pond5, just finding archival footage that we could use that really told the story that we wanted to tell with the montages. It was a lengthy process finding all of that footage for sure.

What was Bill Hagmaier’s involvement in the film? Bill is an executive producer on the film, so he was very involved. The transcripts of those conversations between Bill and Ted, we got from Bill. Bill gave us so much great stuff to work with—the newer FBI files that he was allowed to share with us and the recordings, and when the script was originally written it was written based off of those recordings, and the writer originally spoke to Bill and then when I came on board, I talked to him and then I changed the script, even more from conversations I had with him. He was just a resource.

Almost every [character] you see on screen, those are real people, and he hooked us up with a lot of those real people. I spoke with the prison guards and the wardens and all of that. Then he was just a resource in terms of like, I would ask him, “what color were your shoes?” “Did you carry this kind of briefcase or that kind of briefcase?” Because it was important to me that all that production-design stuff was really authentic. I liked to know, like, “what were your haircuts like then, Bill?” So he was available to talk about the emotional side of things, and then the real just humdrum kind of things. He’s just a lovely guy, he’s really supportive of me and of the film and he just wanted to be accessible as much as he could and he was. He’s a very humble, generous person.

Aleksa Palladino plays civil-rights attorney Carolyn Lieberman to Luke Kirby’s Ted Bundy.

What films did you watch, or cite as reference points in preparation for No Man of God? Literally hundreds and hundreds of movies. When I’m looking for my creative look, I just watched so many films, and a lot of old films. I’d have to go back and look at my look book to tell you all of them but I pull images from the weirdest places. But once I get past figuring out the creative look of the film, I don’t then like to watch the movies a lot because I try to really make it its own thing and I worry too much that I’ll be copycatting other artists and I want to try [to] avoid that.

What’s your favorite true-crime movie? Oh god, what was the one about the guy who like, went to the bathroom and confessed, accidentally? He forgot his mic was on? Do you remember that one?

The Jinx? Yeah. Even though it’s a documentary, I’m going to go with that.

What’s your favorite big-screen serial-killer performance? It has to be Luke Kirby. Luke Kirby as Bundy.

What was the first horror film you saw? My dad had me watch Cat People when I was nine. Does that count?

The Val Lewton one? The ’80s one.

Oh, the Paul Schrader one? Yes! The Paul Schrader one.

Nastassja Kinski in Paul Schrader’s ‘Cat People’ (1982).

When you were nine years old? Yeah. I also watched Blue Velvet when I was nine. Oh wow, thank you Dad.

What’s the most disturbing film you’ve ever seen? Most disturbing, hmm… Kids.

What film made you want to become a filmmaker? It was Michael Winterbottom’s Nine Songs. My first film was a reaction to that movie. I’m a huge Winterbottom fan. That’s a great movie, but also it advertises itself as being a real relationship and real sex and I watched it and I was like, well that’s not like any… it was like two models, you know? Their sex scenes were like a perfume ad and I was like, well that’s not what real sex looks like for real people. I made my first feature after that.

What’s your go-to comfort movie? Oh, so many, let’s think. The Proposal. I love Trainwreck. I really like rom-coms, like if I’m sick or something, I’ll watch rom-coms. Roman Holiday, stuff like that.

What’s a classic that you couldn’t get into or that you think is overrated? Umm. Star Wars. I’m trying to think, there’s something else that I just don’t like… everyone loves that singing movie. What’s that singing movie that when Moonlight won the Oscar, it got announced?

La La Land. Yeah. I was not into that.

What filmmaker living or dead do you envy/admire the most? Yorgos Lanthimos. Or Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

If you were forced to remake a classic movie, what would you remake? Grease.

Who would be in the cast of your Grease remake? Oh I don't even know but it would be much darker. It would still be a musical and still be funny, but much darker.

I would like to see that movie. I would too.

Related content

Diego’s list of films featuring the FBI

Boris1980’s list of films about serial killers

Follow Dominic on Letterboxd

‘No Man of God’ is in theaters and on VOD from August 27, 2021.

#amber sealey #luke kirby #elijah wood #ted bundy #bill hagmaier #fbi #serial killer #thriller #courtroom #fbi movies #letterboxd

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phantom-of-nrc · 3 years

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hi can i have a matchup?

im a 4'11 agender person who uses they/them pronouns! my head is shaved and im about to dye it green! I’m very pale and I have dark brown eyes. I have glasses because my eyesight is terrible. I like writing poetry about difficult times I went through, blankets and oversized clothing. I dislike photos being taken of me without consent, school and sleeping. I have 5 cats that I love with all my heart and a dog. My favorite colors are pink and blue, but I hate the color purple. I listen to music a lot, and the music artists I listen to the most are girl in red, Boy Pablo, Mitski and the Orion Experience. I’m an ambivert but lean more on the introverted side because of my anxiety. I have PTSD, BPD, ADHD, Severe depression, GAD, and tic disorder. My main tics are “Beetroot?”, “POG”, and “I’m a lawyer”. My current hyperfixation is food fantasy and if somebody offers i will rant about it for hours. I’m very affectionate and i can’t date somebody who hates affection. My BPD affects my relationships a lot, as because of it i get very jealous and insecure easily, and it just affects everything about me. I maladaptive daydream as a coping mechanism to escape reality when it becomes too much, which is very often. Also I’m an INTP-T and a sag sun, virgo rising and libra moon. My hogwarts house is hufflepuff and i’m an 9w1 - Ry

ℌ𝔬𝔴 ℭ𝔬𝔪𝔢?

📱 Before I continue one, I would like to apologize if I mistook some things.

📱 While it’s true that every single student in the NRC is unique in terms of appearance, from their hair to their skin to their features, you caught Idia’s attention from the view of his tablet’s camera lenses. It was rare for him to see anyone with shaved head. He had to admit, it intrigued him. His hair may be made of fire, but he doesn’t think he could ever shave his hair. Even if he does, he probably won’t pull it off.

📱 Since you mentioned that you dislike photos of you being taken, Idia could relate to that. He doesn’t exactly want the world to see his face.. Being seen by the public was nerve-wracking. Being seen by the whole world was on a whole another level. At least he has someone to relate to when it comes to distaste of being taken pictures of, even if you don’t like pictures of you being taken without consent and Idia not liking pictures of him being taken in general.

📱 You have 5 cats?? And a dog too. 👉👈.. Is it alright if Idia could cuddle with your cats..? He loves cats! There was evidence to back this up too! (Ahem.. I wouldn’t want to spoil anybody even if I like spoilers so..) Oh wait.. You like oversized clothes? Looking at our dear Ignihyde dorm leader, would you look at that!

📱 He’s not exactly the best at sleeping. He spent days and nights with no sleep, playing games, watching anime, keeping up with the updates of his interests, farming for gachas, especially limited gachas! Speaking of gachas.. YOU LIKE FOOD FANTASY TOO??? (Ahem.. Pardon me, but I may or may not have played it too but I couldn’t manage my restaurant so-) Is it possible to add friends there? I forgot.. But if it’s possible, no hesitation when it comes to sending friend requests to each other! Guaranteed to have one of the strongest support if you friend Idia in Food Fantasy! You rant about Food Fantasy? Then it’s time for a Ranting session with Gamer Idia!

📱 But while writing this matchup. If you decide to pull a Yuu from another world.. I imagine that you’d capture Idia’s attention not just with your unique style, but with all those juicy otherworldly games you know, he’d be ranting with you. You ranting about your current game hyperfixation, and him returning the gesture with his own ranting of his current game. The two of you could play each other’s game. Him playing Food Fantasy, you playing his game. That is if you consent.

📱 Idia does use internet slang too, so imagine when you’ve said ‘POG’! Of course, he’d be confused on the word, he’d ask you. Once he learns of the word ‘Pog’, expect him to be the second student to use ‘Pog’. Of course, he’d also ask you of what you mean by ‘Beetroot?’ and ‘I’m a lawyer’. He doesn’t mind your tics, honestly.

📱 I actually spent a lot of time and days wondering about the affection part. It was known that Idia doesn’t like skin-to-skin contact when Deuce tried to touch him. Relationships aren’t always perfect. His tendency to not like being touched and your naturally affectionate self.. However, as days and arguments go by, he’d slowly warm up to your affections. He’d still not like other people touching him. He’s only used to your touch. He’ll savor in your affection in general. This man is secretly affection-starved.

📱 Idia is also an insecure fellow. There’s bound to be days where one of you blurts out or just confess your insecurities to each other. Expect a compliment in the disguise of self-deprecation from Idia. Of course, this would lead into a.. Kind of angsty-sad moment that would lead to comfort cuddles of reassurances.

📱 Ortho serves as the… Mediator between the two of you at times. He’ll be glad to receive and return your affections, he’d never think twice to chase your insecurities away, reassure you whenever jealousy comes to you. He’ll cherish you just as much as he cherishes his big brother. Learning of your mental disorders, Ortho would research right away, searching for ways to help you.

📱 Speaking of.. Idia has blue fire for hair! Compliment his blue (color-wise) existence and he’d be blushing, flustered from your compliments.

📱 Idia Shroud shares the same rising zodiac sign as you! Meaning, the two of you are, without a doubt according to the zodiac signs, compatible!

𝔐𝔢𝔢𝔱𝔦𝔫𝔤:

Being transported in another universe was a beloved plot that has been used by so many. Whether by fanfics or shows or movies. Being transported in another universe was a rare occurrence, being transported to another universe was either considered a blessing or a curse, some consider it as their dream, some consider this phenomenon as their nightmare, while others simply don’t think much of it. It just so happens that you were the chosen person to be transported in another world.

No, you weren’t Yuu. You weren’t going to wake up to the sound of a pyromaniac cat wanting to take your clothes. But you did wake up to the voice of a young boy, or rather, a robot. “…. dition is healthy… no signs of.. ries..” A sigh of relief then escaped the robot’s hidden lips as you opened your eyes. Found and taken care of by a young robot boy with flaming blue hair, mind trying to comprehend what had just happened. Your heart began to pick up its pace, a detail that didn’t go unnoticed by the young robot.

It wasn’t really an easy journey, getting used to your new environment. Thank goodness the belongings you carried with you came with you in this new world. However, thanks to the aid of your savior, Ortho Shroud, and his big brother, Idia Shroud (whom you have yet to see his face.. Maybe..), you had managed to survive in this new world. Along the way, Ortho had grown fond of you and even considered you as a big sibling figure. Idia was a bit pouty about that..

He was sure that you and him wouldn’t ever grow closer with you, considering his social anxiety, and your anxiety. Even if he rack his brain for ways on how to befriend you, he was undoubtedly sure none of them would work.

However, it would all change under one night.

Sure that there would be no one awake, Idia went out of his room to catch some snacks for his gaming marathon. However, he paused just in front of the doorway to see a sleeping green hair, phone in hand. Must’ve fallen asleep, good. His original plan was to get some snacks and get out before you could wake up, but he went out of track as soon as he saw the screen of your phone. Levels over a map, a lady in a gown that shows her legs, hair styled up as a hat attached with a veil over her head, she was brandishing a gun. Idia immediately knew that this was a game, a game from another world.

Too busy examining the game with interest, he didn’t notice your fluttering eyelids which soon revealed your dark brown eyes framed by your glasses. The first sight that greeted you wasn’t an empty kitchen, but a young man with flaming blue hair, blue lips, and an oversized hoodie.

That hoodie looks cozy and big..

All it took was a shift of your movements for his amber yellow eyes to find you awake. “… Eh?”

It took a full minute until the two of you processed what was happening.

The man with the flaming blue hair ran back to his room, covering his flushed face as you sat there, frozen. Perhaps the bridge to your relationship is a game from your world and the interesting words you speak.

#twisted moon #twisted wonderland #twst wonderland #twisted wonderland matchups #twisted wonderland x reader #twisted wonderland matchup #twst matchup #twst matchups #twst wonderland x reader #I... I need to level my writing skills up.. ＞﹏＜#submission #Matchup #Matchups

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please-return-to-villanelle · 4 years

Text

This Is Not A Game, It’s My Life

S3E6 recap

The bitter pill of reality has been a hard one to swallow for Eve, Villanelle, Konstantin, and Carolyn over the course of this series. What this episode highlights well is that this spy-life and entanglement with the Twelve is no longer a game for anyone one, but rather a reality they are all living in whether they like it or not.

One of the ways this episode roots the characters in this newfound reality is through select color choices of the title cards and the character’s attire.

Light blue is associated with understanding and tranquility while darker blues represents knowledge, power, and seriousness. This title card is indicating that this episode will revolve around realization for the main characters while each of them uncover new information that allows them to come to terms with their realities.

Eve’s reality

The title cards in season 3 have transitioned from establishing where characters are located and are now giving insight into the psyche of the main characters.

Piss Off Forever

Forever flashes to signify that Eve is coming to terms with finally accepting the reality of her failed marriage with Niko.

It's interesting that this title card is yellow. The color yellow can symbolize optimism or cowardice. Maybe the yellow words are ironically representing the optimism with which they once viewed their relationship; but that is not the reality they find themselves in now.

This whole situation happened because neither Eve nor Niko were brave enough to express what they wanted and end their toxic relationship once and for all. The act of ending their marriage has played out like a game between the two of them. Both of them waiting for the other to make the final move to end it.

We learn that Niko is usually asleep every time Eve comes to visit. Is he avoiding her or actually unconscious? I’m thinking the former as Niko’s injuries wouldn’t equate to an unconscious state (see my other post for a medical break down if interested). Niko deliberately avoiding Eve would play homage to how the two of them are not being direct with each other. Neither of them has the courage to cut ties with each other. While it’s clear that Niko is over having Eve in his life, he doesn’t directly verbalize this to Eve until he is lying in this hospital bed after almost being murdered himself. It’s worth noting that Niko is still wearing his wedding ring in this scene, again showing that neither of them has fully let go of the other up until this point.

I told him, don’t marry her. She will make your life a great big ball ache.

This statement from Niko’s family member indicates that there was inequality in this relationship from the very start that was noticeable to people observing Niko and Eve’s relationship.

I’d also like to point out Eve’s outfit in this scene. She is wearing earth tones as she often does, which are muted and flat colors. This could signify Eve hiding her true nature, as she often does when she ties her hair back, and existing in the moment rather than living in it. I think it’s significant to this scene with Niko because she is taking this interaction and mulling it over internally while Niko makes his move to end the game.

This can’t be about the bus.

Still got it... this is the phrase used by someone playing a game, but Eve knows that this is a game Villanelle isn’t playing with her. They made that clear with the kiss.

Someone else is playing a game with Eve.

Sometimes you just need to let it win.

But Eve, ever the control freak and someone that needs to be right all the time, would not easily let someone else, let alone her own emotions as Bear alludes to, beat her at a game.

She teaches wee kinds to do roly-polies.

Eve puts two and two together that Dasha trains others to imitate and therefore was imitating Villanelle to mess with her.

Game on, Dasha.

Before confronting Dasha directly, Eve visits Carolyn to collect intel on her opponent. She is wearing the same outfit as before but with a purple scarf

Purple combines the calm stability of blue and the fierce energy of red.

Through her wardrobe, we see Eve slowly transitioning from plain MI5 Eve that was married to Niko to the Eve that is more in tune with her own desires and feelings. She does what she wants and answers to no one.

But if it’s the Twelve Eve, does it really matter who?

I could say the same about Kenny.

This scene shows that the Twelve murdering and harming loves ones is personal to both Eve and Carolyn. Eve is homeless and jobless (does the Bitter Pill even pay her?) while Carolyn is working off the clock to find out what happened to Kenny.

Up for a game?

The title card depicts the location Barcelona in red letters. Red is the color of fire and blood, passion and strength, desire and love. With a such a passionate color choice, we would expect to see a more state of mind title card rather than a simple location. I think this is because Eve is calm and collected when she comes to see Dasha rather than overtly emotional. She is wearing a purple turtleneck to show us this.

Purple combines the calm stability of blue and the fierce energy of red.

She has found a balance and is wearing her hair is down. The real Eve Polastri has arrived and is here to end this game with Dasha.

You think you are winning. You will never win at this game. You can’t beat us, you understand?

I think this is the crux of what is happening in the overall plot with the Twelve. We have 4 people who became inveigled with this organization and are all trying to escape their ties to it. But they are all slowly realizing that dealing with the Twelve and working for the Twelve is not a game.

I know you’re working for the Twelve. I know you’re working with her.

I just love how Eve and Villanelle don’t use each other’s name when taking to other people and everyone just understands they are referring to one another. It’s as if everyone on the planet is aware of their sapphic relationship. I just love it.

She will never be loyal to you.

Eve does not view her relationship with Villanelle as a game and knows there is some thread of understanding between them. It’s the only thing she can rely on anymore and I think we will see more of that in the final 2 episodes.

In the final moment of Eve’s storyline in this episode, she plays her last move and in her purple turtleneck with her hair down she finally lets go of Niko.

End of game.

Villanelle’s Reality

Villanelle is a visual contradiction of projecting power with her wardrobe (dark blue suit and gold shoes) contrasted with her unhinged emotional state in which she is powerless to her raging emotions.

Helene’s phone conversation sets the stage for the game Villanelle is trapped in.

This exposition gives Villanelle insight into how Helene and Dasha are managing her.

At first Helene is speaking directly to her daughter. She tells her daughter what she wants to hear to placate and calm her down. Afterwards, she has a conversation with grandma who has full knowledge of her daughter’s complaints and Helene’s tone and verbiage shifts to reveal her true intentions.

She’s doing all this to get our attention.

Villanelle acts out because she seeks attention.

Put some cream on it. That’ll calm her a bit.

Give Villanelle things to make her feel better temporarily: money, houses, the illusion of freedom and control.

Its official. To Villanelle the Keeper.

Villanelle smiles and downs the entire glass of champagne in triumph. She is temporarily basking in her freedom until... she receives the post card and the illusion of power is shattered.

This is the same stuff I was doing before. This is bullshit

You bargained for what you wanted, and we are giving it to you. You’ll get all the material perks you were expecting. What more do you want?

It becomes apparent that the Keeper position Villanelle was granted was nothing more than another tool her handlers were using manipulate her with.

This made me think of Villanelle’s Roman centurion and emperor metaphor. A centurion, or foot soldier, is someone who takes orders and carries them out similarly to how assassins are told who to kill by their handlers. While the title of emperor holds power and gives the perception of being in charge, this is not always true in reality. Sometimes a political title can be nothing more than a symbol of power for the figure head of the state while the minor politicians give the orders behind the scenes. This is Villanelle the Keeper’s reality.

Villanelle is over the Twelve and seeks the only family she has left: Konstantin.

They kill you the second they realize it.

I want this.

He reveals his plan to exit the Twelve for good likely with the 6 million euros he has stolen and his daughter Irina in tow. But exiting the Twelve is no simple task.

Do you know what this means? It means you have to leave everything: the clothes, apartment, and her.

I know.

This dialogue parallels with the end of season 2 when Konstantin encouraged Villanelle to run away after killing Aaron Peele. She wasn’t ready to let go of Eve then because keeping Eve was still part of her ultimate end game. But now the game is over, and she just wants to be free and at this point in time is prepared to give up everything including Eve to get the one thing she wants: her freedom.

This is bullshit.

At the end of the episode we see Villanelle completely botch a kill and get injured in the process. Killing and watching the life drain from people’s eyes used to be something that made Villanelle feel powerful and gave her a sense of ultimate control. This is no longer the case as Villanelle comes to terms with her complete lack of autonomy and her inability to escape her emotions.

I’m done with this shit. I’m done with it, I’m leaving.

Carolyn’s Reality

Carolyn finally gets Kenny’s phone records that were being withheld by her boss Paul (confirmed plant for the Twelve). She is over this game the Twelve is playing with her as well and she decides to go straight to the source of the several in going and outgoing calls Kenny received before his demise: Konstantin.

Carolyn is also done with the game Geraldine is playing with her. She confronts her directly about the secrets held between them with regards to her involvement with Konstantin. I suspect we will get more answers to whatever is going on here in the next episode. Regardless, Carolyn is over it.

The drought can be endured but rot is an instant killer.

Konstantin’s Reality

Carolyn’s “I’m over these games” energy leads he straight to Konstantin who, judging by the title card, wishes he was free in Cuba. The color pink could symbolize love and romance. In this context, I think it is alluding the romantic history between Carolyn and Konstantin and his love for his daughter Irina.

Are you in a rush?

No, impatient.

During their car ride, he reveals that he might be Kenny’s father and while that is interesting information it is likely not a conversation that requires several phones calls to clear up. Indicating once again that Konstantin is being deceitful with everyone around him as a way to survive this game.

Interestingly, the aria Carolyn was listing to when taking to Mo about Kenny is playing in the background during the car ride. The song, Dido’s Lament, is about an apocalyptic romance between Aeneas and Dido in which one of the lovers leaves out of duty and the other is left to die (foreshadowing?). I’m wondering if this song is signifying that this is the last time Carolyn and Konstantin see each other. Much like Aeneas and Dido, these lovers leave a lot unresolved between them as they part ways.

Later on, Paul, Konstantin’s boss this season, orders Konstantin to track down the person that ordered the hit on Kruger’s wife, which we all know is Konstantin.

Game over for Konstantin.

He immediately packs his bags and goes to collect Irina. But his desire to be free does not outweigh his love for Irina as he stays behind to watch over her in the next episode after she kills her mom’s new boyfriend. Really interesting that he made sure Villanelle was ready to leave Eve behind, the woman that has her heart, but Konstantin was not willing to leave behind his daughter, the girl that has his. Perhaps Konstantin can’t imagine a reality without his daughter or maybe he has more loose ends to tie up before heading to Cuba.

#killing eve #killing eve analysis #end of game #Eve Polastri #villanelle #Carolyn Martins #konstantin vasiliev #villaneve #dasha #killing eve season 3

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vanityloves · 3 years

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anyways im gonna listen to/read the fuckin...rise of the ogre shit bc ive been putting it off 🪓🥴 im gonna put stuff under the cut bc im gonna be TALKING n dont wanna make a new post everytime

piss

ok he performed for 2 pounds 50. which is basically $3 today i- well it was absolutely a power play on his father behalf that also had the promise of money so.

also lol he said Rejection fueled my ambitions which, yknow,, i already knew but it still hurts and i will continue to talk ab it xoxo

AH HELP. "...if ebay had been invented at the time he would've sold me online there and then,"

"man hands on misery to man, yknow"

THEN PROCEEDS TO CONNECT IT TO MUSIC/HIS CAREER. this man said :) the one thing i truly have a passion for. the one thing i fucking like.

oh yeah. bullied by students AND teachers.

oh god hes 42ish during this interview? ok.

the fuckin school bully saying he wouldve acted differently if he knew what hed become

getting called "faceache", then proceeds to call 2d that. jfc he really does just repeat what everyone says. really "treating others how i was treated/how they treat me"

maybe thats why? hes kinder to fans? bc :] you support me and like me so, ok ill return that energy

MURDOC GETTING HIS ASS BEAT N PARADING HOME LIKE WELL I WON BC 'I PISSED YOU OFF' SJDJD

a real rowdy boy. absolute nasty boy. fraud and arson... shooting ppls windows with his air pistols

black sabbath being a huge inspiration? fucking absolutely.

became a satanist n shit at age 16? "it fitted me like a glove" "heavy metal and devil worshipping became my favorite past times" ajsj funny that ppl in trying times often seek religion or following of some sort

heavy metal being his favorite, n loving the clash, while hannibals was more punk based

hannibal breaking murdocs nose for the 2nd and 3rd time for playing his music on hannibals turntable

he doesnt sound that bitter? ab hannibal? he doesnt sound incredibly fond but he talks ab how he got him into a lot of music. so, i imagine they we're a bit closer than i thought?

international baccalaureate in antisocial? anthropology?

MURDOC IS ACTUALLY SMART HE WAS JUST. NOT INTERESTED IN THE SUBJECTS? I GUESS? (also,,, he literally Built cyborg noodle and i think he had a PhD too lol. but its always nice to hear hes actually...yknow, interested or good at other things)

alright but murdoc having a fascination w/ other cultures - or at least some interests, that lead him to actually study the damn subject and "pass with flying colors"

'fuck college though. im gonna be a rockstar'

he sold his soul at 18ish? whenever the fuck he got kicked out but college was mentioned so my brain goes to 18ish idk

he lived with his father still and paid rent via low paying jobs one including 'part time dressing as santa'

help he was ab to take a Personal Job for quick cash and uhh well, "still made me call him sir though" he really said 20 dollars is 20 dollars, huh "that story was totally true"

alright, 1997,,,

2d stuff

loves zombie stuff? thats really cute, and is freaked out by the way they move. god he rambles

both he and murdoc are horses in the chinese zodiac

[[jfc ok if the official shit compares them a lot i understand why ppl ship them but Dont. its a narrative foil and that doesnt always mean Romance jfc.]]

SUMTHINK.

truly... a lil stinker. super cute bouncing baby and a "bit thick" which is stull so endearing to me. hes just a happy man!

excitable 10 year old and would dance around his room

jfc the fact he has normal/caring parents. i kinda forget how opposite hes supposed to be from murdoc but i think thats another thing jsjsysg (murdoc said why isnt my tragic story making me famous why does he get to be the Star. no wonder he acts like a loon)

i still dont get how gettin bonked by a tree branch made him go bald and also turn his hair blue

big tiddy nurse mommy,,,

went to the same school as The Cure and got decent grades despite hittin the noggin quite hard. WANTED TO BE A STORM CHASER... OMG??

oh thats really cute, hed bond with his dad by building keyboards toegther 🥺💕

messed around with paints and graffiti? artistic king

MURDOC AGAIN: QHDJ 'VILLANOUS' GANG HELP

oh yeah d day...new instruments, new band, new singer - and 'had to be the best or no dice' and absolutely CONFIDENT that his songs were bangers ajsjd

but on that same note, had absolute faith (or desperate) in 2d which i love

ransacked the fucking music shop jdjdj and 2d said he was Just Standing There behind the counter the whole shift hdhdh

"thats when your eye came out, yeah" "yeah!-" HELP WHY DOES HE SOUND SO HAPPY AB IT ?? yes he said ut hurt but he sounds...ok

jfc murdoc ragdolling this poor mf around. dunking him and slapping him around. actually? so incredibly terrible and abusive and i hate him for that 🔫 im sorry 2d stans. we dont condone that behavior here ong.

how and why the FUCK did 2d's parents allow that fucker near their child after that i??? help. wtf. his moms a nurse why didnt she just have murdoc sit in plain view of other people. god damn.

2d flying out the window n hitting the curb "whoops"

"just two black holes...[ah] it looked great...a blue hair, blacked eyed GOD- the girls would go wild-" "pretty boy looks" ???? HELP. HE DOESNT GO LIGHT ON THE COMPLIMENTS, HUH

RUSS TIME

oh yeah, he straight up kiddnapped this man help. idk how he managed that, russ is a Big Man??

AND MURDOCS MUSIC WAS SO FUCKING SEXY GOOD that russel said hm alright ill stay, :] out ifbhis owm free will im screaming.

"oh this is one of them febreeze commercials" "uh . yeah sure. *murdoc turning on his Sick Tunes*" but that either means? it was just his guitar playing the convinced russ? unless he and 2d recorded sumn?

"2d was the looks, murdoc the brains, then russel truly was the heart"

'while 2d and murdoc liked music, this man was a MUSICIAN' god fucking bless this book holy shit ny man russ getting some respect. he said back hurts from carrying this band.

murdoc basically heard this guy had big trauma that gave him So Many Skills n said "thats what i want" ok idk thats actually really? inch rest ting to me. seems that murdocs fine handing out compliments but i guess that where his charisma really helps out yeah?

"he was going to be in my band whether he liked it or not" ...murdoc-

HELP. 2D IS LIKE BRO GO ON IM LISTENING 🥺 despite hearing the story 50-60 times and murdoc said fuck off you lil shit.

ok irrelevant but i love his voice! its super comforting n nice to listen to 🥺

HELP MURDOCS SO BITTER. "NOTHING THAT HAPPENS TO US IS NORMAL" WELL YEAH. THIS IS TRAUMA CENTRAL.

idk how/why he sucked up all his friends souls though ... how are they all possessing the same person. they said "its my turn on The Russ"

DELL IS HIS ACTUAL, LITERAL SOULMATE...KING...😭

went to a private school,,, and was already possessed? and the thing where he gets bigger and smaller is a reoccurring thing?

was in a coma for 4 years?

hiphop machine...time and history...the ultimate set i guess.

his knowledge was infinite and hes a "Renaissance man" hes so fucking smart our king. jack of all trades but a master of drums. he said i know im good and what of it

PAULA.

HELP. HE RMBRS THE STALL: CUBICAL NUMBER 3 🥴 IF I DO RECALL 🤤

yes russel our king. fuck up his nose 5 more times. probably stunted his growth too. he shrunk after russ gave him a wallop im sure

why dies paula sound like tracer overwatch

also only dated 2d for 2 months before joining the band?

HELP SHE REALLY WAS THE FIRST MURDOC FUCKER: "but when i saw murdoc with his thick greasy hair, green teeth and yellow skin i thought 'oh this is the ine for me!'" "OH HES SUCH A DANDY-" HELP ME IM HQJDHD

sick in the head...like i want to hurt people help girl. shes fucking Crazy. but she rly said damn i didnt hear back from him again 😭 and my purse is gone JSHHD

MURDOC: SHE WAS DEPRESSINGLY UGLY *still fucked her*

NOODLE TIME

"small japanese person!"

2d: we werent gorillaz until noodle arrived!

im dying the reason he chose gorillaz. 'swinging through the jungle baring my ass'

noodle really said "im just happy to be here" and she balanced everyone out 😭 "she gave off pure love and the fact that she could laugh at murdoc REALLY helped too" RUSS... IS BABY

JFC MURDOCS SO FUCKING CONFIDENT IN THIS BAND IM LIVING FOR THAT. HE SAID YOU WANT US SO BAD IT MAKES YOU LOOK STUPID. THE CHARISMA

2d rambling ab some girl he met and "ssSs" "whats the s stand for hawhaw" "i dont know!".

THE RECORD LABEL GUY.

one song is all it took i ❤ good for them

just murdoc talking ab the party that they threw for thier deal and saying "you dont know how much of a dick i felt like [when carrying one of those huge checks]" like oh thats whatll make you a dick? alright.

A FOOD FIGHT THAT WENT SO HARD THAT IT KNOCKED 2DS TONSILS OUT? WHAT THE FUCK

ahshdj damon and murdoc not getting along bc of Rival Band One Uppery + damon calling murdocs cuban heels crap since ge wore steel ones with gold spurs.

MURDOC FEELIN EMBARRASSED BC HES 'QUITE PROUD OF HIS SHOES'

but the band and damon getting over music and their ambitions and became a "paternal figure"

HELP MURDOC SAID AWIOGA @ RACHEL WHICH MADE HER THROW HER DRINK IN HIS FACE AND SPLIT FROM 2D. kinda sad actually, she said i still like 2d but murdoc kinda ruined it by trying to get it in with me, it put a strain in our relationship :/ oh god murdocs That Dude

nov 31 1998: started recording :]

40 tracks that got cut down to 15 holy shit

KONG STUDIOS 🤲

hooking up cameras in every room ejdjsu

webby artist of the year in 2006? holy shit

noodle learning ab kong studios omfg

JFC. YES I KNEW KONG WAS BUILT ON/IN A CEMETERY BUT I DIDNT KNOW PPL FOR THE FUCKING PLAGUE WHERE THROWN THERE HDJD

built in 1739?

the ghost of the first owners ghost still roams around in the kitchen in the early hours and moans 'aaa glass of water'

theres some rotting bullshit near the studios and in the summer its fucking TERRIBLE

the former owners were a biker gang, and they all died in a fire

murdoc said this place has bad vibes. i want it.

grim weather

the building feels impossible to escape from huHgg

#rip lol i feel annoying but my blog my rights ig #brainworm ivy #gorillaz rambles

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aboutcaseyaffleck · 3 years

Text

BOSTON BY CASEY AFFLECK

October 25, 2020 For the record, what follows is nostalgia, false memories, and generalizations. But it’s all true. I grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, across the Charles River from Boston proper. Cambridge was one of the most diverse, multicultural cities in America. It was a beautiful, colorful, vibrant place. People from all over the world lived there, all mixed-up together. It is the place I was born and will return to, God willing. It is the city with the smells and sounds and tastes and people I love the most. Despite how much I loved it, when I look at old photos, I often look like this:

I’m in the front in the blue shirt. My best friend was Michael, the tall kid in the red shirt, whose family came from Barbados. Through the middle school years, anytime we weren’t in school we were roaming the streets like Dickensian urchins.

In the ‘90s, Cambridge got rid of rent control. Families who had lived there for four or five generations were squeezed out. Now the city is gentrified; but when I was growing up there, it was scrappy and beautiful. It was mostly working people, except for West Cambridge—where wealthy families lived, where professors lived. Where Cornel West, Yo-Yo Ma, and the Governor lived. East Cambridge was working-class Portuguese families, butcher shops, funeral parlors, and tow yards. Cambridgeport, where I lived, was mostly poor, Italian, Black, Greek, and Irish families. North Cambridge had some big housing projects and the school where my mom taught fifth grade—in a gigantic cement structure called The Tobin School that felt like it was far away because I would have to take a train AND a bus to get there. In reality, it’s like three miles from where we lived.

This is me hanging out in her classroom:

As people and places evolve, the past always reveals blemishes unseen at the time. However, Massachusetts manages, as time unfolds, to be a place that was so often on the right side. Not always, but often enough that I am proud to be from Cambridge, Massachusetts, no matter what.

From Massachusetts came the first national publication denouncing slavery, America’s “first feminist”, and The Cambridge Woman’s Suffrage League, which formed in 1886. My high school had the first girl to play tackle football in that division. Cambridge voted-in the first openly gay African-American mayor in our country. Right now our mayor is a very popular and forward-thinking Muslim woman who immigrated from Pakistan named Sumbul Siddiqui. We have marvels of architecture, science, and tech. It was in Cambridge that the very first email was ever sent (and received). And every year the Red Sox stand up to the wealthier bullies from the Bronx. These are all things we are immensely proud of, but nobody is resting on these laurels.

I am going to tell you about the places I remember fondly, whether they are still there or not.

Luckily, the city’s history isn’t going anywhere, and it hasn’t lost all of its charms. It is a place best seen by walking. So just walk. It’s also seasonal. Different activities for different seasons. But if you can hoof it for a few miles do this: start at the Old North Church and go by Paul Revere House, through Faneuil Hall, by The Old State House through Boston Common, through the Back Bay, go left and pass through Roxbury, another left, and go through South Boston till you hit the water and go left till you hit the Children’s Museum. Sit down and relax. If you just want a path, walk that. Map it or wander around. The city is full of little back streets with lots of character.

MY BOSTON FAVORITES

When looking for things to do and see in the area, you can ask ten people and get ten different answers. You will get a long list of historical buildings, or you will get names of some of the country’s prettiest parks, or you will get pointed toward the campuses of some of the very best schools in the world. But for every Bunker Hill, there are ten other places you haven’t heard of. So I am going to tell you about the places I remember fondly, whether they are still there or not. The thing about Boston is you can miss all the best stuff, and you will still leave thinking it is one of the best cities on Earth. Have fun.

Pinocchio Pizza, Harvard Square. I asked my son to describe it. He says, “the food is good but the vibe is fire, old school; whatever, just get a slice and sit on the ground. That’s why I like it.” I have no idea why he wants to sit on the ground, but I guess that’s part of the charm of the place. We’re both vegan so we both scrape the cheese off and eat bread and sauce. That should tell you something.

Oleana Restaurant on Hampshire Street in Cambridge. Chef Ana Sortun is a baller. The food is Turkish inspired, and it is delicious. Always. Friendly people, pretty inside, and it is in a nice residential neighborhood. My dad lived in an apartment a few blocks away behind a Store 24 until he was evicted back in 1989.

Maharaja, Harvard Square. Incredible Indian food. And it has one of the only third-story views of Harvard Square.

Veggie Galaxy is great diner food. It is vegan. It has breakfast, lunch, dinner, milkshakes and other deserts. All day and all night food that is filling and really good.

Life Alive Organic will serve you the healthiest and heartiest meal you can find anywhere. It’s across the street from City Hall, the post office, and the oldest YMCA in the country.

Cantab Lounge, where my dad was a bartender, and then a janitor when he was too drunk to be a bartender. I drank six thousand ginger ales, sitting in the corner at a sticky table while he worked. Forever it was a bar for postal workers that opened at 10 am, where alcoholics ate hard-boiled eggs from jars that had been sitting on the bar top for two weeks. A couple of days after initially writing this, I got an email from the owner. It is being sold after tens of thousands of years. I don’t know why I care because I don’t exactly have any fond memories from the place, but seeing the brick-and-mortar of your childhood torn down is a kind of mid-life, coming-of-age moment. Life is change.

Darwins Ltd coffee shop and attached mini-grocer and sandwich spot. If you get a coffee and then walk west two blocks on Mt. Auburn St. you will discover on your right a nice little park with a fountain to hang out. It is called Longfellow Park. Or you can look to your left and you will see the Charles River, and you can stroll there.

Fomu for dessert.

Zhu Pan Asian Cuisine and True Bistro for good vegan food.

Newbury Comics is famous and cool.

Million Year Picnic is for comic connoisseurs. They are both great. And they were both plagued by roving bands of middle school thieves in my day. The most notorious was named Mathew Maher. He is now a well-known theater actor on Broadway and appeared in the comic book movie Captain Marvel. But back then he stole shit.

Harvard Coop is the best place to browse for books. Especially the kids section. We spend hours there and nobody kicks us out.

After the game ended everyone would come out and buy sausages [from me] on their way home, then I would clean up and go into a bar outside the park, where my boss was drinking and I’d wait till he was done so I could get a ride home. I was 12 years old. A couple of years ago I threw out the first pitch. Life is change.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is my favorite museum in town, maybe anywhere. It was once her home and it features an indoor garden that is perfect. It also has a great collection of art from around the world. Back on March 18, 1990, two famous paintings were stolen from the museum. As I remember it, a couple of guys showed up in the morning in police uniforms and the guard let them in. They tied the guard up and took a dozen paintings—Vermeer, Rembrandt, Degas—and vanished. The FBI never found them and never found the art. There are two plaques below two empty spaces on the walls to this day. On some days, classical musicians perform in random rooms while you walk around. You won’t want to leave.

Fenway Park. Greatest professional sports arena of any kind. I used to sell sausages in front of the Cask ‘N Flagon, a bar behind The Green Monster.

It is the best baseball bar in the country. When everyone was in the park watching the game, and there was nobody buying food, I would go in and find a seat and watch the game with whoever I was working with; I have seen hundreds of games from every part of the park. After the game ended everyone would come out and buy sausages on their way home, then I would clean up and go into a bar outside the park, where my boss was drinking and I’d wait till he was done so I could get a ride home. I was 12 years old. A couple of years ago I threw out the first pitch. Life is change.

Plimoth Plantation is a living museum in Plymouth, which is 40 minutes from Boston. It is amazing. The actors working there are some of the best I have seen anywhere. If you are even mildly interested in history you have to go there.

Fresh Pond is where you can go running or biking. Two and a half-mile loop.

Or you could hit The Emerald Necklace which is a great run that hits many of the best green areas, Franklin Park included. When we were young we would hop the fence and swim in the water. That isn’t done anymore ever, and everyone has grown up and leading better, more responsible lives.

John Weeks Footbridge is a very pretty, very old, brick walking bridge that spans the Charles River. Watching the Charles Regatta from here is awesome. That is in the Fall. But it’s also great any night.

The King School is a grade school not too far from there. It has maybe the best playground in the city. If you are there in the summer you can just walk on. When I was a kid, the King School is where a girl went who I was head over heels in love with. I finally got a shot at winning her heart in my early twenties and blew it.

Mount Auburn Cemetery is beautiful if you like that kind of thing. Lots of cool people are buried there, and the trees and stones are really nice. It’s a maze but just walk uphill. You will reach a monument with a great view of the city.

The American Repertory Theater puts on good plays. I grew up going there cause a friend of my mother’s directed many of the shows and could sneak us in the back. I wasn’t the adult making that decision; had I known better I would have scraped together the ticket price and supported the arts.

Boston Common is beautiful but you have to avoid all the shopping around it. If you have to shop go to:

NOMAD on Mass Ave in Cambridge is a store that you shouldn’t miss. In a world lost to chain stores and general homogenization of everything, Nomad is the real deal. Deb Colburn has been curating this place since I was ten. It is her store, and she has been trying to wake people up to folk art from around the world since Reagan was in office.

Bodega is a hidden high-end sneaker and casual wear store that must be entered through an unmarked door inside a bodega on a nearby side street. It’s cool how they have done it. Great presentation. Kids will like it.

KIDS ACTIVITIES

There are lots of things you can force your kids to do—things they won’t like the sound of at first, but will ultimately enjoy.

IMAGE CAPTIONS, LEFT TO RIGHT

On a rainy day, hop on the T and ride around town all day reading comics. Then stand outside in the warm rain (kids from LA don’t get this much).

Looking at murals. Cambridge has great murals everywhere. They are old and, incredibly, not vandalized. This one has been on this wall near the river since I was a kid. The child is mine and he is sick of walking around Cambridge.

If you feel like a pilgrim hit the gift shop at Plimoth Plantation.

Playing chess at Leavitt & Pierce Tobacco. You can inhale the scent of pipe tobacco without smoking it, and rent a chess set, clock, and table for $2 an hour in a beautiful old, wood-paneled shop with great ambiance.

Going to the oldest YMCA in the country.

Kayaking on the Charles River. You can get your kayak on Soldiers Field Rd. Take it east under all the bridges until you get to the inlet at Kendell Sq. It will all be clear. It will take about an hour.

Climbing the stairs at Harvard Football Stadium.

Reading books at the Harvard Coop.

NEARBY BOSTON

If you wanna go a little farther, go out to Gloucester for the day. Swim, eat, walk around, go back.

Whale watching sounds like a lame tourist trap but seeing whales up close will change the way you think about life on Earth.

You can take the ferry from Downtown Boston to Provincetown. It is a great place to visit or stay a few days while in town. Ptown is the eastern-most point on the continent. I might be making that up, but it’s close. It’s an arm that sticks out into the Atlantic. It’s really lovely there with a great vibe all around. You can’t have a bad time and everyone is super happy to be there. The beaches are all beautiful. Sharks mostly only eat the seals and won’t come any closer to shore than two feet—but if you want to see a great white up close, we can make that happen.

Cape Cod has some great flea markets. If you plan on spending time on vacation with your family you can find some essentials, like a medieval battle helmet, at the flea market.

SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS

30 minutes on the local train line from downtown. Made famous by the Salem witch trials; a fun place to visit and walk around for about 128 minutes. Newburyport and Rockport lines, which depart from Boston’s North Station, stop at the Salem station. You can go into the homes of people who lived during the witch hunt.

The House of the Seven Gables, made famous by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne‘s novel The House of the Seven Gables, is a 1668 colonial mansion in Salem, Massachusetts named for its gables. The house is now a non-profit museum, with an admission fee charged for tours, as well as an active settlement house with programs for children. It was built for Captain John Turner and stayed with the family for three generations.

The Jonathan Corwin House in Salem, Massachusetts, known as The Witch House, was the home of Judge Jonathan Corwin. It is the only structure still standing in Salem with direct ties to the Salem witch trials of 1692, thought to be built between 1620 and 1642. Corwin bought it in 1675 when he was 35, and he lived there for more than 40 years. The house remained in the Corwin family until the mid-19th century and is located in the McIntire Historic District.

A MECCA FOR ARTISTS

Lastly, for centuries, Cambridge has been a mecca for artists, especially writers. Here are some spots to see if you like that kind of thing:

The corner of JFK Street and 1390 Massachusetts Avenue. This is a good spot. Here is why: America’s FIRST PUBLISHED POET was a woman named Anne Bradstreet who died in 1672 and lived on this spot! It went through lots of changes, and 300 years later, by the time I was walking around, it became a great burger place called THE TASTY. In 1996 or whatever, The Tasty appears in the movie Good Will Hunting in the scene when Matt Damon kisses Minnie Driver. It might have also appeared in the film Love Story back in the 70s. I mix them up. Now it is a CVS. God help us.

The Longfellow House. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow lived at 105 Brattle Street. The great poet taught at Harvard and lived in the Georgian mansion from 1837 until his death in 1882. Before the author, George Washington used the house as his headquarters during the Siege of Boston. The house is open to the public, and it is where I had my eighth-grade graduation ceremony. The mayor attended and forgot the name of our school in his address to the kids. I heard people mutter that he was drunk. I can’t blame him. I had my first drinks hours before that ceremony.

71 Cherry Street, Cambridge. The woman considered to be American’s FIRST feminist, Margaret Fuller, was born and lived here.

Henry and Alice James lived at 20 Quincy Street. The house was knocked down in 1930 and the Harvard Faculty Club was erected there.

W.E.B. DuBois lived at 20 Flagg Street. The writer and pioneer of civil rights rented a room in this Cambridgeport home from 1890 to 1893. This is blocks from my childhood home. He was the first African American to receive a degree from Harvard.

Robert Frost lived at 35 Brewster Street. Frost, who attended high school in Lawrence, Massachusetts, lived in the West Cambridge home from 1943 to 1963.

T.S. Eliot lived at 16 Ash Street.

E.E. Cummings lived at 104 Irving Street. He was an innovator. He also wrote a poem about “Cambridge Women”. He lived at the Irving Street home from 1892 until about 1917.

Also you can find homes of the genius Nabokov and the great and beloved Julia Childs if you look around.

Source

#casey affleck #quote #feature #boston

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chiaki-translation · 4 years

Text

Luminous Circus: Event Translation Ch3-4

For the sake of Kazu, I really wanted to read the event story for Luminous Circus, but I found out that there’s only 2 chapters available in the wiki. Sooooooo, what else to do but translate the story myself? I’m not sure that I will translate the entire play especially if it’s long, but I’m determined to translate the event story at least. Can I make it before Kazu’s birthday? Idk but I’ll try~ (Oh yeah, if this story has actually been translated, can someone tell me? Thank you~)

Ch3-4 / / Ch5-6 / / Ch7-8 / / Ch9-10 / / Epilogue

You can take a look at the first two chapters here in the wiki, and my translation will be below the cut, enjoy~

https://yaycupcake.com/a3/index.php?title=The_Luminous_Circus

Disclaimer:

A3! is owned by Liber Entertainment

Homare’s Grandfather:

You can do anything you want with this room.

You said you need a study right?

Homare’s Grandmother:

If it’s Haiku I can make it while I’m walking.

I don’t need such a big study for that.

For example, one that I made recently…

Homare’s Grandfather:

Fu, I thought it would make you happy, you don’t really like gathering for party or tea right?

I just thought that you need a place to be by yourself.

Homare’s Grandmother:

…It’s not my fault that I can’t make anything.

Let me use the place then.

Homare’s Grandfather:

What should we put here?

How about a Mahogany desk by the window.

We can get shelf from the store, and you can line up your favourite books there.

You can also place your favourite rose over there.

Homare’s Grandmother:

No. With that painting…

I’m good with a table set to have tea with you.

Homare’s Grandfather:

I see.

Then, let’s do as you wish.

Homare’s Grandmother:

…

Homare:

Grandmother, do you want some tea.

Homare’ Grandmother:

With pleasure.

Homare:

I always thought about it, but this place is very bleak and monotonous.

How about adding a bit more interior?

Homare’s Grandmother:

…. Fu.

Homare:

Grandmother?

Homare’s Grandmother:

We’re planning to have reinforcement work here soon.

It’s an old building, so I’ve been worried that it’s going to be blown away when typhoon came.

It seems that a big typhoon is approaching too…

I’ll leave the interior to you.

You can do anything you want.

Homare:

--Yes! I’ll make sure it has the calm and meaningful atmosphere that grandmother likes.

Homare’s Grandmother:

There’s only one thing… I want this painting to be put here as it is now.

Homare:

Ah, it’s always displayed over here.

Homare’s Grandmother:

It’s my treasure.

Homare:

Grandmother’s…

Homare’s Grandmother:

You looked surprised.

Homare:

Ah, nothing—

Who’s the name of the painter?

Homare’s Grandmother:

He’s not that famous.

That’s why, I can’t recall anything about him.

Homare:

Then, --

Homare’s Grandmother:

…

By the way, is that pocket watch still moving?

Homare:

Eh, yeah, of course.

I’ve gotten it taken care of in an excellent repair shop.

Tasuku:

Is Arisugawa inside?

Hisoka:

…He’s staying over at his family’s home today.

Tasuku:

Then, please pass this back to Arisugawa.

Hisoka:

…The pocket watch, is it fixed?

Tasuku:

For now, but the parts are getting worn out, I think it will break soon.

The parts are not available anymore, it’s really reaching the end of its lifespan.

Handle it carefully.

If it’s subjected to shock, you’ll shorten its lifespan even more.

Hisoka:

…Understood.

Tasuku:

About Arisugawa’s grandmother’s condition…

Hisoka:

Tasuku:

Nothing—There’s a message inside of that pocket watch right.

It said, “To the mechanical you, with love. Sakae.”

When I look at that earlier, I’m somehow reminded of Arisugawa’s grandfather and grandmother. I’m just a bit curious.

Hisoka:

…Why not try and LIME Alice.

Tasuku:

Me, out of the blue? That would be weird isn’t it.

Hisoka:

Whoever it is, anyone would be happy if someone else expresses concern for their family.

Tasuku:

…I see. I guess so.

Hisoka:

…Zzzzzzz

Tasuku:

Don’t sleep while you’re still holding the pocket watch!

You’ll drop it!

Sigh… And I thought you said something decent for once.

Director:

That was so interesting!

As Tenma-kun said, the circus scene was so powerful!

Kazunari:

The overall color was so psychedelic it’s interesting~!

Tsumugi:

The unique world view was pretty interesting too.

Sakuya:

I’ve never seen a circus before and I can’t imagine it by just reading the book, but…

After watching the movie, I thought it’s really great!

It’s like I’m sucked into the world of dream and imagination.

When I saw the audiences, who seemed to be having so much fun inside the dream world, I can’t help to think that circus is such a great thing!

Kazunari:

You know, Sumi had a part time job in a circus before.

Sakuya:

Eh!? Really!?

Tsumugi:

That part time job really fits Misumi-kun.

Sakuya:

That’s so nice~ I also want to try it.

But I don’t have athletic capabilities and reflexes like Misumi-san so it’s probably impossible for me.

Tsumugi:

Even if you’re not the performer, there might be jobs available behind the scene isn’t it.

Kazunari:

A clown for example, it doesn’t seem that they would ask for high athletic capabilities for that.

Let’s go ask Sumi about it!

Sakuya:

Right. Let’s go!

Director:

Eh, there’s a car parked in front of the dorm.

Kazunari:

Woah, isn’t that Rolls Royce!

Sakuya:

Eh! That is!?

It’s my first time seeing it.

Tsumugi:

It’s such a luxurious car.

Homare:

…

Director:

Homare-san!?

Homare:

Oh, is everyone going out.

Tsumugi:

We just came back from a movie.

Homare:

I see.

Oh yeah, Kazunari-kun.

I have something to consult to you about.

Kazunari:

Consult?

Homare:

Yeah. Actually, there’s a room that’s going to be refurbished in my family home and there’s a painting I want to decorate the room with.

For my grandmother’s sake, I want to decorate the room to her liking, so I wonder if you can draw just one piece for me.

Kazunari:

Me!?

Rather than me, isn’t is better to ask a more famous painter or something?

Homare:

My grandmother is not someone who cares about that kind of things.

In addition, even though you have no name right now, I’m certain that you are the one person I can count on to be a well-known painter one day.

Kazunari:

Aririn…

Homare:

So, let’s do a collaboration, that painting by you, who have such a promising future, and my poem!

Kazunari:

Collab!?

That sounds great! I’m looking forward to it!

Director:

A collab between Homare-san’s poem and traditional Japanese painting, what kind of wind is brewing over here I wonder…?

Tsumugi:

Umm… I can’t really imagine it, but if it’s Homare-san’s grandmother, maybe she’ll be happy about it.

Kazunari:

I kinda want to see the image of the room that you’re going to decorate, so is it okay for me to visit Aririn’s family home?

Homare:

Of course!

Tenma:

The wind is pretty strong tonight.

Tsumugi:

Looking at the path of the typhoon, it’s going to be a direct hit.

Banri:

It seems that we won’t be able to go out tomorrow.

Director:

Everyone, let’s begin the leader’s meeting.

Today, I was thinking that we should discuss our third Mixed Play performance.

Tsuzuru:

Ah, can I say something.

Director:

Yeah.

Tsuzuru:

I’ve drafted out a few plots that we can use this time, we can see if there’s anything we can use from these.

Tenma:

…There’re really a lot.

Tsumugi:

This story about animal’s banquet, sounds pretty novel.

Director:

It’s a play where everyone needs to dress up as kigurumi for the performance.

Tsumugi:

But it’s something that requires a different technique compared to the usual performance, it might be quite rewarding at the end.

Banri:

Wait, do you even need the technique to perform in a kigurumi!?

Sakuya:

This story of Tengu too, seems to have different atmosphere than usual, sounds interesting!

Tsumugi:

You’re right, we don’t have things like that before.

Tenma:

This, are we all going to wear mask?

Banri:

I would hate trying to sell this idea to Azami.

Tsumugi:

Isn’t it okay if we go for mask-like make up.

Tenma:

Why this problem?

Tsuzuru:

At this point, I haven’t thought whether all of these ideas can be realized, there’re quite a lot of problems huh~

Director:

Tsuzuru-kun, do you have anything you want to write among these ideas?

Tsuzuru:

Hmm, the one that I have most ideas for the plot will be this circus one over here.

Director:

(It’s a fairytale like story about a struggling circus group with a tinge of fantasy on the stage…)

Sakuya:

Woah, it’s a wonderful story!

I just watched a circus themed movie earlier, and I thought there’re really a lot of dreams presented in the circus--

Tsuzuru:

If that’s the case, do you want to do it, Sakuya?

Sakuya:

Is it alright!?

Tenma:

If you’re thinking about the characters, Sakuya might become the clown or the trapeze artist.

Director:

The lead, the circus troupe leader, George, I wonder who will be a good fit for him?

Tsuzuru:

Ah, actually, I have someone in mind—

*lights out*

Tenma:

Wh, wha wha wha wha wha wha what!?

Tsumugi:

A blackout?

Banri:

I’ll use the smartphone light for now.

Sakuya:

*accidentally bump into Tenma*

Ouch!

Tenma:

Wh, who who who who who’s there!

Sakuya:

So, sorry, it seems I accidentally bumped into you--

Banri:

Don’t move. I’ll turn on the lights now.

Ouch!

Tenma:

Wha, what is it this time!

Banri:

That’s, just my leg.

Tsumugi:

Tenma-kun, calm down.

*lights on*

Director:

Ah, the light’s back.

Tenma:

Fuh, don’t surprised me like that.

Tsumugi:

Tenma-kun, why are you against the wall?

Tenma:

I, It’s just a mistake!

Director:

I wonder if the other places are fine?

Anyway, let’s just conclude the meeting for now.

Sakuya:

I’ll go and see the breaker!

Tsumugi:

I’ll go with you.

Tenma:

In that case, me too--

Banri:

You better stop right there.

#a3!#a3! act! addict! actors!#a3! mixed play #a3! translation #homare arisugawa #kazunari miyoshi #sakuya sakuma #sakisaka muku

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anikkis-fantasirealities · 3 years

Text

“Misty Meets, the Valued Rocks and Seas”

② Travelogue ┊ ᵗʰᵒˢᵉ ʷʰᵒ ᵃʳᵉ ᵗʳᵉᵃᵗᵉᵈ ʷᶦᵗʰ ᵗʳᵃᵍᵉᵈʸ ᵃˢ ᵗᶦᵐᵉ ᵗʳᶦᶜᵏˡᵉˢ··· ᵗʳᶦᵖ ᵇᵘᵗ ᵇᵉᶜᵒᵐᵉ ᵗᵃᶜᵗᶠᵘˡ ᵗʳᵉᵃˢᵘʳᵉˢ ᵒᶠ ᵗᶦᵗˡᵉᵈ ᵗᵉˢᵗᶦᵐᵒⁿᶦᵉˢ·

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- - ——— ꒰ An article by Nicole “Nikki” Elaine S. Chua ꒱

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ㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ.

ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ.

“Wait, it’s about to rain?” I can vaguely remember saying something similar to those impulsive thoughts, as I look up into the gray skies and those monotoned clouds steadily sailing in mid-air. I felt the raindrops on my face—the mix of awe and worry from my father, mother, and sister who were about to trek on those rocky grounded fields of the wild Yehliu. The other visitors, whose language I could not understand, fiddled through their belongings. They opened umbrellas and covered themselves in pastel-like colored jackets, transparent in design, as I observed their casual clothing for a supposed sunny adventure. This was about to be one of the greatest family travels out of the thousand places I’ve visited—one that was like no other.

Welcome to 𝙔𝙚𝙝𝙡𝙞𝙪 𝙂𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙏𝙖𝙞𝙥𝙚𝙞, 𝙏𝙖𝙞𝙬𝙖𝙣! For this article, I’d like to tour you around one of the most memorable and breathtaking travel destinations that my family and I visited during our second vacation in Taiwan. To be honest, the Chuas loves to stroll around new locations together—whether we linger the Pearl of the East, or the rest in the Heart of Asia. Whenever there is time to escape from the world of academics, we break out from that comfortable 3D box to walk to the outskirts of recreations, entertainment, and sights to behold. Dad, who was always our captain on the steering wheel of our adventures, would schedule the perfect itineraries during our summers. Mom tends to take pictures and post mementos of our times together on Facebook—as my sister and I enjoy the blissful moments noted in our own book of life.

This geopark, however, gave a different kind of atmosphere to our typical visits. The humidity has been thickening and the cold crisp air swept through the open area. A geopark is molded by nature’s wonders. There are no futuristic buildings, leaning towers, nor brilliant inventions of men standing uproot, rather, jaggy rocks and murky land persists in this long-cape landscape. It has 1,700 meters of earth carved from top to bottom—shaded by bland hues of brown and green. However, such a scenery cannot be underestimated just because there is nothing but bumpy stones, flimsy pathways, and barren holes on the crust. This is the sole reason why it is visited, for Yehliu Geopark is not only a tourist attraction, but also a habitat for rich ecological resources and thriving fishing communities. The entirety of Yehliu’s cape runs through a sea—yes, you read it right, a 𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙚 of soothing waves that compliment the greenery of the mountains above.

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ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ❝dissolve into seafoam. ❞

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Do you know the story of how Yehliu Geopark became to be in its present form? Each rock and stone structure in this site has its own character, as if they are interacting with one another. The locals here in Yehliu witnessed how nature refined itself with its own miracles. Hence, they are also the ones who shared the geopark’s origins to tourists like us. The landscape was crafted by marine erosion, because it so happened that the seashore’s layer is made out of limestone. Because of the scientific method of weathering and movement by the Earth, the limestone crumbled over time—dissolving slowly by the seawater bashing itself into land. It resulted into those eerie, yet interesting sea-water eroded holes on the ground. What’s even more amazing is the fact that because of the flurry winds, blinding sunrays, salty water, harsh rains, and dreadful northeastern monsoon paths, the rocks gained identity and almost became celebrities due to their unique figures.

It is truly a work of God, that these elements who continuously burdened stones to rapidly change and adapt to the impact they cause, made them into what they are today. It is like humans, who also tolerate, endure, and persevere from pain to transform into better people—tested by time, yet surviving with resolve. The day my family and I visited the geopark, the rain drizzled from the heavens. There was the thought that I could slip over wet ground and plunge into the sea if I was not careful, but looking around, I figured that this peaceful nature will not allow anyone to be taken by its mystical works. It embraces you, like there’s nothing to be scared about. Instead, it greets you hello with open arms—wanting us to continue our plans despite the misty dewdrops.

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ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ❝ bridge to terabithia. ❞

╰──────────────────────────────────────⋞╯

The chilly atmosphere was actually quite relaxing, especially when nature desires its visitors to breathe for a while after an industrious environment in the urban society. My family and I walked with our umbrellas on our heads with smiles on our faces—the waves from the sea yearning to approach us, only being stopped by the sturdy ground that we walked on. If ever you visit Yehliu Geopark, you must get ready to meet some of the rocks in this travel destination! There are candles, mushrooms, a cute princess, that arch-shaped gorilla, some kind of marine bird, ice cream, tofu, and the main attraction: the Queen’s head. Just like the other tourists, we did not hesistate to take home souveniers of our adventures from the unwinding views we’ve seen. Even though more than 1,000 meters is a big horizon to explore, we walked around—hoping to spot more rock formations.

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ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ❝ uniting the cynosure’s roads. ❞

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Imagination is what created those rock formations’ attributes and parts in this still story of Yehliu. If you have tons of imagination of both the possible and impossible, then your sightseeing will be plenty of fun to commit to! The 𝙈𝙪𝙨𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢 𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙨 are like little children sitting on the seashore, except they were not just two but 180 of them all together in one area. After stepping with caution across the slippery rocks, you will notice a familiar figure that looks like a woman with a large headdress. She wears it with all honor and responsibility as the star of Yehliu. Oh! You guessed it, we found the 𝙌𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙣'𝙨 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙙! We captured a shot with her hazel beauty which you can see in my cover edit. Mission accomplished, now let’s look for the other rock characters, shall we?

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ㅤㅤ ❝ ephemeral angst, nefarious epiphany. ❞

╰──────────────────────────────────────⋞╯

After walking for a while over bridges and stairways that connect the geopark together, we discovered the 𝘾𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙡𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙨. They were soaked in sea-water, so its usual beige color like all the rocks we’ve seen so far has dimmed to pitch black. Though, you will be surprised that they are shaped like short candles—with their wicks sticking out in the middle, as if it has already melted deeper into its center. According to the brochure we held before entering the tourist spot, these rocks were originally ball-like concentrations with softer surfaces, before they were completely scoured off. So, that must be the magic of Yehliu, huh?

Then, we noticed an unique rock formation that was not documented on boards or printed material by the management. It was like an animal, laying down on a rock—resting with pride and confidence. I wanted to call this the 𝙇𝙮𝙣𝙭 𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙠, because it looks like a feline who is about to hunt, perhaps the marine bird from meters away. It’s not the official name of the rock formation, though, I felt closer to it when I made the connection. I felt chills all over my body when I heard the tiny pitter-patters hit my navy blue umbrella. It was definitely a fateful encounter—the calm rain, the rushing of the sea ridges, and a new found friend. When you come over to Yehliu, do say hello to Lynx for me! I terribly miss her, after all these years that I haven’t picked up my suitcase for another trip.

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ㅤㅤ ❝ the serendipity of tranquil encounters. ❞

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There is apparently an anecdote documented in Yehliu’s history about a certain fisherman, namely “𝙇𝙞𝙣 𝙏𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙯𝙝𝙚𝙣.” In 1964, a group of students were visiting the scenic charm of the rocks and sea, when one of them unintentionally fell into the sea. Without thinking twice, Lin Tianzhen showed his courage and jumped into the raging sea to save the helpless pupil. Sadly, none of them were able to come back to shore alive—devoured by the depths of the salt water, unaware of its crime. When the news came to the attention of President Chiang Kai-Shek, the first president of Taiwan, he quickly ordered for a monument of Lin Tianzhen to be built in Yehliu. That’s why if you would see a marble sculpture of a man in baggy pants, that is the heroic fisherman in the stories of the locals here.

Throughout the rest of the adventure we’ve challenged to carry on despite the moist surroundings, we faced the 𝘾𝙪𝙩𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 and her adorable figure, like she was posing her bent head to the camera. We found the arched-shape 𝙂𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙖 𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙠, who stood still, yet to our surprise, it was a literal arch! You can see the Gorilla in one angle if you do it correctly, though, you could also look at it in another angle to realize that it has a hole through its structure. We raised our peace signs in eagerness of the enticing discovery while the camera flashed. The 𝙄𝙘𝙚 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙠 and 𝙏𝙤𝙛𝙪 𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙨 made us hungry, because they looked like actual food enlarged and hardened in their positions—though, of course, they never expired! I could imagine that famous Taiwanese ice cream brand scoop on that jar-like rock, and the dream of tofu soup, for the Tofu rocks laid in two rows within the middle of the sea.

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ㅤㅤ ❝ a pluviophile soaked in hyperborean aqua. ❞

╰──────────────────────────────────────⋞╯

Since we were hungry, we looked for a place to fill our tummies to satisfaction. Thankfully, Yehliu Geopark still has facilities to accommodate tourists’ basic needs. A visitor’s center is established for dining, renting of wheel chairs & baby strollers, and inquiries of guests to the staff of the geopark. You can also ask for assistance from the friendly tour guides of the travel destination—if you are able to speak in Chinese, that is! Don’t worry—they are able to understand and speak basic English. Just make sure to pack your skills in speaking the foreign language if you’d like to talk more with the locals here, then! They also have a nursing station & lost and found section in the center in case of emergency or urgency, which is useful for scenarios such as the unexpected rain when we visited.

Because Yehliu Geopark takes care of the reefs and water ecosystems nurtured in their location, they also have a oceanpark in the geopark! It is called “𝙔𝙚𝙝𝙡𝙞𝙪 𝙊𝙘𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙,” though we were not able to spend time taking a peak into the realm of sea creatures and corals freely living in the pictures of exhibits. There are diving performers in the oceanpark, too, that make visitors astounded by their splendid act. Oh, and how can we not forget the souvenier shop for merchandise from Yenliu Geopark? It’s always great to show your loved ones how much you enjoyed Yenliu, its stories, and the sights you’ve seen! It also supports the geopark’s operation, so that it can continue its goal and mission to keep sharing the wonders of this valued scenic area by the Heart of Asia.

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ㅤㅤㅤ❝ iridescently frozen in an ethereal epoch. ❞

╰──────────────────────────────────────⋞╯

There are also many earthy figures here that were molded by weathering. They are known as “𝙃𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙮𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙙 𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙨,” that possess an artistic style like that of a solidified sponge. Through these rock structures, Chinese culture is shown—an example being the “𝟮𝟰 -𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙡-𝙥𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙡” that presents the importance of superiority and inferiority relationships to Chinese people. The hill of rocks have 24 men-like figures standing nearby each other, revealing a picture of hierarchy based on the positions of each men.

Additionally, the geopark has fossils scattered across its long cape. We only found this urchin fossil in the picture above, plaqued like a prized possession with the proud mark of Taiwanese tourism. The words, “Tai Power,” reminded me of the rest of the adventures that my family and I had in the warmth of this country. Even though the distress comes, it fades away with the power of bonds to go against the negativity to be refined everyday—that’s Tai Power, the ability to touch hearts wherever you are right now!

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ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ❝ petrichor at selcouth midday. ❞

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Before I forget, if you’re looking for extreme activities, you can try tracking down the caves of Yenliu that were also crafted by nature’s power. They are placed in spots that are hard to reach by visitors—including me and my family who did want to risk getting harmed. Do try it out, however, if you’re looking for the thrill! There are other rock formations to uncover in Yenliu Geopark aside from the ones we were able to locate. You can trace down the footprints of a fairy in the 𝙂𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙨 and notice the 𝙁𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙮'𝙨 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙚 was left behind before it has taken flight again. The locals here believe in a legend that this fairy sent by the Jade Emperor, from Taoist beliefs, cursed a turtle elf who troubled the seas and caused many shipwrecks back in the day. So, if you see white smoke coming from the mountains, locals will exclaim that the turtle elf is taking its last breath. It’s a motivating tale to conclude this article, and our visit to the geopark.

Most importantly, I’d like to remind everyone who plans to visit Yehliu Geopark to obey and respect the guidelines given by the management of the landscape, as well as the North coast and Guanyinshan National Scenic Area Administration! If you observe red warning lines on the ground, do not pass that zone—always stay on the path, because it is for our own safety. Let’s 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩 these astonishing wonders offered to us by the beloved nature we owe daily. We need nature, but nature does not need us. We should not touch nor damage these creations of Mother Earth. Climbing & tagging on the rock formations, smoking, biking, wading, swimming, fishing, littering, or disturbing the plants in the location is strictly prohibited! Otherwise, you might need to pay for a fine when caught.

Our duty to look after Yehliu Geopark, while saving the environment in our own way, is for the sake of the next generations whose imagination will also be aroused by these treasured beings and narratives of this place. The staff would like more people to enjoy the unique scenery it offers to the world. The rock structures in this geopark are still actively developing and dynamically changing with the tides of our times today. So, it is only rightful if we give them the same amount of growth they need, as much as we do.

At the end of the day, the trip I had in Yehliu wasn’t too bad at all! It was beautiful, stunning scenery to keep in my memories as I move forward to the present. Through my travel to Yehliu Geopark, we were able to unveil the mist and take a glimpse of the true colors of ordinary rocks and common seas. We got to know many stories of still stones, and the amazing people who make the geopark the apple of the eye for more tourists. A part of nature—to witness its ability and wonders through an alleviating journey to find peace—Yehliu Geopark can surely be described that way. If you’re interested in travelling to Taiwan, Yehliu Geopark is a tourist spot that you absolutely must consider in your own bucket lists! Maybe not now while the pandemic is still ongoing, but someday, hopefully! I’d love to hear your own experiences in visiting the geopark in the comments!

╔ ———————————————————————————— ╗

Yehliu Geopark is open from 8 AM to 5 PM. One entry ticket costs 80 NTD or New Taiwan dollars for one adult tourist. On the other hand, kids aged 6 to 12 can avail an entry ticket half its price. In the Philippines, 80 NTD is 139.54 pesos, while 40 NTD is 69.77 pesos, as of June 15, 2021. However, you can get a 20% discounted group ticket if you are a group of 30 or more people. The geopark is located in the Heart of Asia—Taiwan! Its exact address is No. 167-1, Kantung Rd., Yehliu, Wanli, New Taipei City, Taiwan.

If you are already in Taiwan, you can get to Yehliu Geopark either through bus or car. There are four routes that you can choose from if you will ride on a bus. Meanwhile, if you choose to arrive at the geopark by car, there are five dispatch options that are possible to use, depending on your starting point. You can check this link for more information regarding a planned trip. Safe travels, and thank you for reading! Let’s meet again in another blog where my fantasies become realities! A Nikki reminder: find passion in your work, and you’ll never tire from it! See you!

╚ ———————————————————————————— ╝

· * ✫ * ⊹ * ˚ . . 　　· ⋆ * . * . . · . · . * · . · · + . ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ· ** ˚ . . + 　　· ⋆ * . * . . · . · . *

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ. . + 　· ⋆ * . * . . · . · .˚ ⊹ · * ✧ ⋆ · * . · . · · .. . .

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ· + ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ· * ✫ * ⊹ * ˚

ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ · ** ˚ . . + ㅤㅤ　· ⋆ * . * . . · . · .˚ ⊹ · * ✧

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ⋆ · * . · ㅤㅤ . · · .. . . · + .

ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ. · + . *

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ ⋆ * . * . .

ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤ . · ·

ㅤㅤ﹙dedication. ﹚ ୨˚୧ ˚ ༘♡.↳ ₊˚‧

This blog is dedicated to heroes who stay to be ordinary, because they glisten the most when their humbleness is that of the rocks and seas. You are truly the ones who give Rising Hope to all of us.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ﹋﹋﹌﹌﹌「 🌄 」﹌﹌﹌﹋﹋

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ ┊彡 Credits

➥ Cover Edit

➫ Pictures captured by my mom, Helen Sy

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

➥ Blog Dividers

➫ Pictures captured by my mom, Helen Sy

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

➥ Source of Information

➫ Yehliu Geopark Bruisure

➫ Yehliu Geopark’s website

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ﹋﹋﹌﹌﹌「 end. 」﹌﹌﹌﹋﹋

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unholyplumpprincess · 3 years

Text

Woof For Me

A drabble for my baby @kiwi--bot of our OCs bc he asked me and I love him and our ocs and- listen. I’m a slut for big boys, especially robots, getting railed.

!!!Minors and ageless blogs dni or you will be blocked!!!

Fandom: Destiny 2

Relationship: Trojan-13 /Lilith (Destiny ocs)

Warnings: R18+/NSFT, pet play, puppy play, big robots with big clits, OCs, collars

Words: 800

_____________

It’s not like Lilith didn’t notice.

Watchful as ever, she’d caught how Trojan had watched her from afar with his hands twisting over themselves as she’d crouched down to the creature on IO. She had been fascinated over the friendly thing, about as big as herself with a drooling muzzle of a mouth and far too many eyes. It looked like a morphed over reptilian canine in a way with how it had flared up at the collar as if to display for her. She’d managed to sketch it, it patiently waiting for her to finish with the help of her offering treats from her bag in exchange. And then she’d collected her specimen of one of its fallen scales and happily been on her way.

But she’d watched out of the corner of her eye how Trojan’s glowing eyes flickered over her lips as she formed the words, “Aw, who is a good boy?” to the massive creature before her. Or how she’d interacted, certain words seeming to make her exo companion a little more anxious to move where she had demanded he ‘sit and stay’ as to not agitate the creature.

With determination in her mind, she motioned for him to follow by patting her hip. Watching Trojan’s much taller, broader form eagerly perk up as he trotted over to join her.

Interesting.

~Rest under the cut~

It takes all of a week for her to find a leatherworker who could make her a specific collar. The leather is golden brown, thick in her hand and the D-ring cold against her stomach where she holds it. Trojan was practically shaking by the time she’d brought it up and explained what she planned on doing- methodical as always.

He’s stripped of his armor. Eager as the dog she’s about to make him with his pretty attachment practically dripping on the floor. The enlarged clit stands engorged and rounded, a perfect mouthful. Lilith’s mouth waters at the sight of it, but not as much as it does when he reclines his head back and lets her tighten the collar around his wired throat.

“Sit, stay,” She repeats the words she had before on the planet. At the memory, Trojan’s eyes light up and he goes to open his mouth, only to think better as he shuts it with a metallic click.

Lilith’s lips quirk up, satisfied. “Good boy.”

He’s obedient the entire time. Playing any game she wants. Whether it’s to make him roll over, sit, fetch, he’s obedient in his role. It’s cute, sweet, really. Even when Trojan starts to get impatient, nosing at her clothed thigh and huffing against the front of her leather pants with need. Poor thing.

By the time Lilith is stripped as well, she’s got him sitting on the floor leaning back on his hands. It puts Trojan on display, every coil, every delicate wire, and not to mention a clear view of the beautiful dark blue lower lips. How they spread apart, drooling translucent color onto the towel on the floor placed just for him.

“Good boy,” She says again for good measure, a coo to her tone as she straddles his hips. There’s a gentle hand to his chest, pushing Trojan to lie back until his legs are pulled up, feet planted to the floor, legs spread with enough room for her to get comfortable atop him. It doesn’t hit what she’s about to do until she’s reaching down, a bit flustered with her lavender cheeks flushed violet.

His clit like this is a good size, maybe two inches when engorged and erect- with the attachment in place and his own huge size, it made sense to accommodate. And it seems to come in handy when Lilith adjusts her hips, splaying her legs across his waist and grinding her hips across the sensitive bud. His hips press up shakily, seeking without even realizing until his most sensitive area is wrapped in the heat of her body.

Massive hands grasp her hips but instead of being smacked away like she usually would, Lilith rests her hands atop his own. Trojan is far too sensitive, feeling his cunt drooling and his own clit twitching harshly inside the tight confines. It’s too much, making his head roll to the side and a whimper escaping. “Lili--”

“Ah, dogs do not speak.” Lilith chides him, rolling her hips and making his grip tighten around her waist.

It also gives her a pretty good view of his head falling back, mouth hanging open and eyes rolling back.

“Let me hear you woof instead, puppy.”

And, oh, would he obey. Anything she wanted, anything she said. He woofs, voice shaking and vibrating his voice box the second the devilish woman begins rocking on top of him.

Trojan would howl if she so pleased. Anything for her.

#Lilith x Trojan-13 #Trojan-13 (Oc)#Lilith (Oc)#Destiny ocs #Destiny #Destiny 2 #nsft #lemon #princess writing

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jerkbitchidjitassbutt · 5 years

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Hope To See You (2 - Fin)

Characters: Jensen x Reader

A/n: Ask and ye shall receive! Here is the second (and final) part to “Hope To See You”. So many wanted a part two, so here it is! Thank you @our-jensen-ackles-love for this little bit of inspiration that now turned into a two part mini series. I needed it. Single!Jensen (kind of set around season 4 in my mind, idk why). Also, I left the reader’s job open, so you can interpret it however you want! Warnings: Embarrassment? Cussing? Jensen being adorable and sexy? Completely un-beta’d, all mistakes are mine. Hooray hurricanes (not!).

Opening your door to the warm Vancouver wind, you took a deep breath before retreating down the stairs to meet the man who had managed to fluster you further in your most fluster-able moment. The incident from yesterday still fresh in your mind, you couldn’t help the flush of your cheeks as you passed the spots where most of your delicates had been scattered the day before. Hell, you spent most of the day pacing in your new apartment from nerves of anticipation.

The flow of your above-the-knee sundress swirled as you bounded down the steps, the heels of your wedges clanking with each footstep. Rounding the bottom platform, where you had first been collided with the green-eyed actor, your heart pounded in your chest, partially wondering if he’d still be meeting you here as he said in his message or if he had changed his mind. It was still a little surprising that he would even hope to get to know you, especially after the compromising situation you had found yourself in.

The man had seen more of the contents of your underwear drawer than even your last serious boyfriend, and not in a good way.

You twirled around the last railing and strolled into the entryway of your building where Jensen was pacing near the revolving door, checking his watch and wringing his hands as you walked towards him. Despite the gentle click of your heels, he had yet to notice you. Taking a chance to ogle from a distance, you took another moment to appreciate how handsome he truly was—in person. You had plenty of chances to view him on screen as you binged half of the first season of Supernatural last night, but it honestly didn’t do him justice to be in front of a camera. In dark wash jeans, boots, and a crisp blue and white plaid shirt, the colors made his skin look generously tanned and his freckles danced in the dim sunlight. His long, bowed legs looked powerful even hidden behind denim and his hair was effortlessly tousled in the most gorgeous way, like he had been recently running his hands through it.

Finally, he took notice of you walking towards him and beamed a dazzling smile that made you go weak in the knees. Literally. You tried to recover quickly as your wedge slipped out from under you on the shiny marble floor, causing your ankle to roll slightly.

Can I be anymore elegant? You thought sarcastically.

Jensen gave a slight chuckle as he hurried towards you, “Are you okay?” he asked, still giggling as you brushed the hair from your face.

“Oh yeah, I’m good. Just being graceful, you know… My mother always said I was grace incarnate, even as a child.”

“Well, its very charming, I must say.” Jensen winked.

You couldn’t help the shaky breath that left you in a huffed laugh, “Okay. Just stop doing that and I may be able to stay upright.”

He flashed a flirtatious smirk and raised his eyebrow, “That’s not much incentive for me to stop, now is it?”

In ever more sophistication, the only response you could manage was a strangled giggle and some fidgeting, mentally reprimanding yourself for being both a bumbling idiot and so ready to just let him to make good on his suggestion.

“I’m just kidding.” Of course you are. Dammit. you thought as he slipped his arm around your waist. “Are you hungry?” he asked, leading you out of the revolving door.

You nodded eagerly, “Starving.”

“Good. I’ve got a great place in mind.”

Jensen ushered you to his sleek, black SUV and opened the door with an exaggerated bow, “My lady.”

Again, all you could do was grin like a fool and mumble a ‘thank you’.

After a short drive of small talk and music in the background, you arrived outside of a small restaurant on the outskirts of the city.

“Do you like Thai?”

Huffing, you replied, “Are you kidding? Its my favorite!”

“Awesome. This place is the best, I promise. The owner just moved here from Thailand two years ago.”

You had faith in his choice. Granted, it was a mom-and-pop restaurant, but in your experience the “hole-in-the-wall” places were always the best.

You hopped out of the car with excitement, “I hope you’re ready to see a girl eat. I don’t hold back when it comes to Thai food.”

He extended his hand towards you as you rounded the front of the car and laced his fingers with yours as you accepted. The simple gesture felt surprisingly familiar but still made your stomach tumble in a fantastic way.

“Oh-ho-ho… are we going to have a contest?” he mused.

“We just might, Ackles.”

Dinner was filled with too much food, enough laughter to make your stomach sore, and more lingering touches than what would be considered just a friendly dinner. He filled you in on the happenings on the set of the show and you both exchanged your histories, everything from childhood to your latest endeavors. It was only your second night in this new life, and it couldn’t have been a better night.

You sat in the passenger’s seat with your hand entwined with Jensen’s as he drove back to your shared apartment building. You loved that he made every excuse to touch you in some way, whether it was holding the door and placing his hand on the small of your back, or grazing your fingers with his as you both reached for the appetizers. You’d always heard of this feeling—the giddy, dizzying type of first date that your friends had bragged about—but you’d never experienced it before.

As Jensen walked you to your door, he slipped his arm from your waist to take your hand in his, “Well, Y/n, thank you for coming out with me tonight.”

“I had a wonderful time. Thank you for asking me.”

“I’d invite you to my place, but I have to get up pretty early. I have to go to work and see this stunning woman with the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen.”

You feigned shock, “Oh, really? And who might this girl be? Do I need to kick some ass?”

He laughed. Gosh, you could definitely get used to that sound.

“I don’t know if you’d win, she’s pretty badass.” He stepped closer. “I only just met her yesterday, but…” as he gently tucked a loose strand of curls behind your ear, his fingers grazed the curve of your jaw sensuously, igniting every nerve of your body, “she’s amazing.”

Any witty retort was lost on your lips as he leaned in, softly molding his mouth to yours. Your eyes fluttered shut as you carefully kissed him in return, allowing the warmth of his tongue to seep into you as he licked at your lower lip. His arms snaked tightly around your waist as he tenderly explored you. You couldn’t resist reaching your arms around his broad shoulders and graze your fingers into his hair, conceding to the want and need you felt in that moment.

Slowly, and torturously, he slipped you out of his grasp, tracing the curves of your hips with his hands as he retreated. Your kiss-swollen lips made him want to dive back in the second he laid eyes on them, but he simply raised your hand and planted a lingering kiss to your palm.

“I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”

“I can’t wait either. Wish me luck on my first day.” You breathed.

“You’ll do amazing. I know it.” He lingered a moment longer before he withdrew and turned towards his own apartment door across from yours, “Sweet dreams, Y/n.”

“Goodnight, Jensen.”

............

One Year Later

“Y/n?” Jensen called from your bedroom. “What this box?”

“Which one?” You questioned from the kitchen.

“Uh, the one with about a pound of tape wrapped around it? Marked, ‘do not drop’ in big bolded letters?”

“Oh.” You replied nonchalantly, waltzing into the doorway. “That’s my lingerie.”

He paused and looked at the box once more before doubling over in laughter. “What?” he asked, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes, “You don’t want to meet another charming, awesome guy by throwing your bras all over the stairs?”

“No, honey.” You giggled, “You’re the only one that gets to see my knocker lockers from now on.”

He stopped mid-bend as he was about to pick up the box, “You’re—you’re what?!”

“My knocker lockers. You know, tit mits? Flopper stoppers. Over-the-shoulder-boulder-holders… My bras, Jensen.”

He stared at you from his squatted position for a moment before breaking out in a grin, “Oh my God, you are so weird.” He chuckled, standing and walking towards you as you leaned against the doorframe.

You shrugged, “Yeah. I know. Are you sure you still want to move in with me?”

He slipped his arms around your waist and pulled you to him, lifting you to wrap your legs around his hips, “Of course, baby. I love every bit of you, even your weirdness.”

With your arms around his shoulders, you pecked his lips and gazed into the greenest eyes you’d ever seen, “Good. Because I love you too.”

“Good.” He replied, laying a swift and playful but gentle smack to your bottom. “Now come on, we’ve got boxes to move. Jared should be here soon to help take another load to the new house.”

You uncrossed your ankles and bounced back to the ground, “Okay. I’m almost done with the last kitchen box. Remember, be careful with that one.” You warned, pointing to the incriminating box in his hands.

“Don't worry. I will.” He smirked.

No sooner did he breeze through your front door did you hear what sounded like a cardboard box tumbling down the stairs, followed by a string of elaborate curse words.

“I told you!” you yelled through the door, seeing Jensen chasing the box onto the second flight.

“Its okay! I got it. I got it!” he triumphantly yelled as he grabbed it, smiling and holding the box above his head for proof.

He continued down the steps, both arms securely wrapped around the package.

You giggled and headed back into your kitchen.

“See?” you said aloud. “That’s why I taped it.”

A/n 2: I consider this an AU, as Jensen is single in this fic. This is completely a work of fiction, and I wouldn’t want his reality to be any different, this is purely for entertainment.

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spiftynifty · 4 years

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VLD Rewatch: Season 3

For a half-of-a-half season, season 3 packs quite a bit in and sets up a lot of plot. This shouldn't be surprising; Voltron was laid out as three 26-ep seasons, with each season bringing a new big bad and new theme. Season 3 is our beginning of the Lotor arc and there's a lot of setup and... a lot to unpack here.

For those who are still in "can't do it" mode about rewatching the series (which is fair), here's a quick summary to catch you up:

Shiro has been missing for (it's kind of implied) months. Without Shiro, Voltron and the group are fractured, especially with Keith's deep grief over losing Shiro preventing the recruitment a new Paladin.

Ultimately, Keith takes up the mantle of the Black Lion, Lance moves to Red, and Allura gets Blue. The group is clumsy and outmatched by Lotor and his generals who are definitely Up to Something. Keith tries to play leader and it's a bad look when he's making decisions via grief escapism. The team gets briefly trapped on a foggy wifi-less planet, discovers a bizarro alt-reality where Alteans rule the universe and Shiro is Swedish and doesn't mind Slav, and trails after Lotor and Co who have made off with the reality-breaking comet from Svavland.

Meanwhile Shiro escapes the Galra again, catches up with Voltron, shares a couple lowlit intimate moments with Keith while also awkwardly undermining his authority and jeopardizing the safety of the team, but no one suspects a thing.

Oh and there's a flashback episode about the OG paladins that I'll be honest I skipped since it turns out literally nothing that happened in the past is relevant to the present day and our only major revelations are that we (and Haggar) learn that she was once Honerva, Zarkon her husband was once kinda adorable, and turning evil swaps out your voice actor. Oh and Honerva had a cat who may or may not be as old as Haggar and potentially still kicking around.

Let's talk about season 3.

There's good and bad to be had with this season. Originally when I began my rewatch of the show I wanted to do it as though I were watching the season for the first time. Season 1 and 2 made that astonishingly easy; of all the seasons they seem the most confident about what the show is and what it's going for. Season 1 is for the mild setup and world building, season 2 is for the character building, relationship building, lion building, and problem resolving. Season 2 is arguably the show's strongest season overall so it's a tough act to follow. Season 3... makes an effort.

The good of this season is really good. Keith's grief over losing Shiro surprised and moved me the first time I saw the season and I was impressed with how long they held onto it given the show's habit of moving on pretty quick. Keith's grief holds the team back and endangers it; his early insistence on going after Lotor felt like a way to channel his anguish and maybe get a little revenge for his loss. Keith got one of his most significant character boosts in season 2, and following it through in this season sets up a complicated Keith that we will see for seasons to come.

The other good is Lotor. Lotor is handsome and charismatic and devastatingly cunning and is a polar opposite to his Saturday-morning-cartoon-villain dad. Zarkon was threatening, but Lotor is INTERESTING and his "wait and see" approach makes us the audience want to wait and see what he's up to. His band of generals are intriguing and colorful and I love the variation of their designs and personalities.

And of course, we can't talk about the good stuff in season 3 without discussing Shiro and Keith's relationship. Season 2 gave us some really fantastic growth and moments and entire episodes between them, but Season 3 brought a new level of intimacy that definitely bumped it up a notch. From the slow-moving reunion and closeups of only Shiro and Keith's faces, to their quiet moments alone in dimly lit rooms. This season gave us "as many times as it takes", which remains one of the most beautiful little exchanges between the pair in the whole series. The jury is still out on whether or not Sheith was a hopeful intention by the creatives on this show or just an incredibly happy accident, but looking at some of the decisions made in 3x05 and 3x06 especially lean more to the former. These scenes are more bittersweet now knowing how it all ends up.

There is a lot of setup for future things in general, and this is where it becomes difficult to separate what is in s3 with what will be by the end of s6 (and beyond) because some things we just can't unknow. It was really interesting to see how things that made me very hyped after this season now take on a bit of a disappointing and even bitter flavor because some roads really don't go anywhere. Lotor's mysterious plans for instance, only seem to get more mysterious, as do his allegiances. He spends most of this season clearly toying with the Paladins, clearly prepared to destroy them or let them destroy themselves, but later he sides with them and the Paladins seem pretty quick to forgive this and assume he's a good guy now. Lotor's "side" is never clearly established since his goals never are. The Lotor in s3 is interesting by virtue of the assumption that we will eventually learn all his secrets. But we never do, and that definitely for me taints him as a character.

Speaking of some mixed character motivations, s4 reveals that Narti was either a spy for Haggar the whole time or that Kova was, or both, and yet in season 3 Haggar sends a goon off to spy on Lotor. Even in Haggar's private moments she seems unsure of what Lotor is up to so this later reveal that she was aware the whole time is an odd one and still left very vague.

Similarly, major problems arise with Shiro in s3 but only via the hindsight of s4-6. Everything about the way Shiro is brought back into the fold in season 3 is highly suspicious. From a narrative standpoint I want to say it begins with Sven as foreshadowing, an alternate-reality Shiro who looks JUST LIKE SHIRO but is NOT SHIRO. Unfortunately I think this was less of an audience wink and more of an excuse to nod to the original Sven. But Shiro's Journey opens with scientists doing tests on him, Shiro's pupils dilating to the sound of camera lens adjustments, and Shiro literally seeing a dead-eyed copy of himself on a slab. The words "Operation Kuron" are repeated at least three times as the Galra let him escape. When Shiro meets the two aliens on the ice planet and they accuse him of being a traitor, Shiro protests, "I'm not a--" and never finishes. He does pilot logs into a Galra Cruiser as he tails Voltron. And that's just in one episode.

The next episode has him repeatedly undermining Keith's newfound leadership position (a position Shiro repeatedly encouraged Keith into in s1/2 to Keith's great reluctance), to the point of talking over him and shouting at him. He dismisses the safety of the team for the sake of the mission; something that goes expressly against the team Voltron way of doing things (Kolivan details this in s4) and is completely against Shiro's nature. It felt manipulative to me the first time and it still feels off when at the end of this he privately tells Keith "I'm sorry I had to step in back there", referring to Keith's failure (which was not a failure) and then in the next breath "you're good at this." This was the topic of many a heated debate when the episode came out but from my end there is just no way to see that the man presented here is Shiro and not an insidious clone.

There's a term for this that I forget where the storyteller essentially gaslights the audience for no real reason. Ultimately we will come to know that this is Shiro. A little more short-tempered but ultimately a good boy and not the potentially fully aware evil clone that season 3 hints at. It's bad writing; and the reason that it's bad writing is that the audience is privy to very little more than the characters are when it comes to Kuron and yet the characters are not in the slightest bit suspicious about the behaviour that we the audience sees as suspect. We end up gaslighting ourselves because of bad writing, only to learn that we were right the whole time. And genuinely, speaking as someone who loves all Shiros dearly, Kuron is a whole walking writing disaster. But more on that as we get further into the season.

I don't love the episode, but the Comet episode is a surprisingly adult-oriented one and presents an interesting flip to things and an intriguing hypothesis that I wish had been explored better, or longer, or something. As I've said 100x before, Galra aren't an inherently evil race; they're the result of a 10,000 yr universe takeover. This episode suggests that Alteans are no better, and the broader implications of this are massive and should have offered a much bigger fundamental shift in the characters and the way they viewed this war. In particular Allura, who previously immediately turned against Keith the moment his heritage was revealed, despite having become good friends with him. Her learning that her own people aren't immune to "absolute power corrupts absolutely" is a moment that is not given any real weight or consequence . This is a letdown especially since this potentially weightier-themed episode was self-aware enough of that weight to be the only episode outside of the Voldemort season to show imagery maybe a little too old for its younger audience (the repeated shot of the mummified Altean scientist).

From a production standpoint I noticed a lot of little things. There were a number of hookup issues; some hilariously drawn bg characters, some compositing that worked and some that decidedly didn't. Some of the editing was a little rough in places and some of the timing of things felt very off. There were some jokes that ran long and didn't land and threw the pacing off or stole time from other things. The editing on the Comet episode was particularly off and the characters were visually difficult to track at times. Also, there is definitely a different/longer version of the "As many times as it takes" scene even if it only exists in script or maybe board form. All of the Shiros in that scene were drawn by Ryu, who was often tapped for revisions (particularly for Shiro and Lotor). But the Keith in that scene is not a Ryu Keith; and Keith's "Well--" in "If you're feeling up to it" sounds like two lines spliced together. Ryu's fingerprints are all over 3x06 in interesting places; I definitely spotted his artwork in at least one shot of the Galra post leader and I think a Zethrid. He drew a few of the short haired Shiros as well. I think this episode underwent a number of changes; I remember too that Lance exclaiming "you're looking better" was originally Keith's line. At the same time we get little nice superfluous animations like the foreground gecko. Just a lot of inconsistencies.

Overall it's still an alright season but knowing what's coming means I just don't love this season the way I used to. The little moments that rock still rock but a lot of plot pawns were pushed forward that were ultimately just discarded. I can't wait to see if finishing the next 3 seasons will retroactively bump this season back up to where it once was in my heart.

#voltron #vld #vld rewatch

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donovanfmcj908 · 4 years

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The Ugly Truth About Contemporary Industrial Landscaping

Just Why is Condominium Complex Landscaping Changing The World?

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#SQLA #Inc.

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likes-words-and-shrimp · 4 years

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Our Gifts in all Their (Tacky) Splendor

The holidays are already over, but Yuan still has half a mind to finish up his present for the Yggdrasills. Whether they would be good presents were another matter entirely.

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters/Pairing: Yuan Ka Fai/Martel Yggdrasill, Mithos Yggdrasill Rating: G Mirror Link: AO3 Notes: @talessecretsanta2019 gift for @prettysailormimi ! I'm sorry for the lateness, but here's a short holiday story! I really wanted to include 'ugly sweater contest' into the story in some way, and for some reason, my brain could only do it within a modern AU. I hope okay, but I'd be happy to rewrite something else if it's not to your liking! But I sincerely hope you enjoy, and Happy Holidays!

Mithos peered over Yuan’s shoulder with a curious stare. “What are you doing?”

“Gah!” Yuan jumped, which was more than embarrassing for him. "Oh, Mithos. You just…startled me."

"I seem to do that quite a bit to you, don't I?" The young boy smirked, blue eyes glinting at what Yuan held in his hands. "Are those knitting needles?"

Yuan looked to his lap, as if he had never seen the objects before in all his life. "Suppose they are…"

Despite knowing Mithos for a few months now, Yuan still had trouble gauging the boy's behavior at times...but if Martel had trusted him enough to watch over her brother as she went out on errands, perhaps he was overreacting over nothing. The two siblings had a small place on the outskirts of the city, one that Yuan needed to take two-hour long train ride to. But even with the tiring commute, just arriving at their home was enough to revitalize him. He had truly begun looking forward to visiting each week.

Yet he had wondered for a while if Mithos actually liked him. The boy kept staring at Yuan, expecting more explanations out of him, more answers. Few adults would stare him down such as this.

So Yuan held up the knitting needles, where streams of green yarn streamed from their tips. "I'm making a sweater. For the holidays."

Mithos tilted his head. "That was last week, Yuan."

"W-well, a belated holiday accessory then!" Yuan sputtered. "Knitting helps pass the time, you see.”

“Hm, well, I guess belated is better than nothing.” At this, Mithos grinned. “Sis is still waiting for you to give her that present!”

Yuan once again lost his sense of composure, nearly dropping the needles onto the carpet and only having enough sense to catch them at the very last second (and nearly pricking his fingers as he fumbled for them).

Mithos, seeing the reaction, could only laugh. “What? You didn’t think I’d notice? You’re using green yarn! Like I wouldn’t know her favorite color?”

“I can also like green myself, you know!”

“Sure.” Mithos then walked off, apparently bored. “Anyway, she called earlier and said she’ll be home about an hour earlier than she thought. So you might want to hurry up on that.”

Faster than the human eye could follow, Yuan gathered his needles, his yarn, and his sense of urgency as he frantically tried to will his hands to go at mach speed. He would have to just make sure he got every stitch right the first time!

Why did he always have to be so late with presents?

When Martel came home, she expected Yuan to greet her at the door like he usually did, always so happy to take her bags full of food, clothes, hardware tools, (the house roof had been leaky lately and it needed fixing!), first-aid kits (for when Yuan would try to help her with said roof work), and even a few extra treats she’d get from a local shop to give to her little brother.

But instead, she went inside to see an empty living room. There were still remnants of a few holiday decorations - such as small pine tree, decorated in a multitude of angel figurines that Mithos had been mostly in charge of while Martel had placed the star topper. Wrapping paper still littered the ground, for when she and Mithos had exchanged presents with one another. Nothing too expensive or fancy, but the holidays had always been a special time for them both to spend the days with each other when there was no work or school. She had wanted Yuan to be a part of it too, considering how much he had visited them lately…

Taking a closer look, she saw the living room wasn’t exactly empty - for Mithos was there, laid out on the couch that was also half-covered in old wrapping paper, so engrossed with a video game that he pressed the screen a bit close to his face. “Mithos? Is Yuan still here?” Maybe she had taken too long and he had gone back home?

“Ah, he’s around,” he said absently. Then he swiveled his gaze to his sister with a smile. “My guess is that he’s hiding.”

“Hiding? Oh! Are you two playing a game? It’s so nice to see you both get along.” Martel was beaming as she carried her bags with ease as she began to set them down at a nearby table. (She had never needed help with carrying her things as Yuan would assume, but it always seemed to cheer him up when she would let him). “Are you having trouble looking for him?”

“No, he’s upstairs hiding in a corner of the hallway.” Mithos laughed then. “That’s why the lights up there are off!”

“Mithos! How could you- agh!” The voice that floated from upstairs hiccuped in mid-sentence.

“Ohh, I was wondering about that,” Martel mused with a giggle. She clasped her hands, looking expectantly up the stairs where darkness spilled over the steps. It would almost be rather ominous if she hadn’t heard Yuan’s voice just a moment ago. “Have you gotten lost up there, Yuan?”

Mithos was still laughing, his voice as light as his sister’s own laughter. “He probably hasn’t even finished it yet.”

“Mithos, please!”

“Finished what? I want to see!” Martel was now looking up the stairs expectantly. “Please, Yuan?”

Even so, Yuan couldn’t hide forever. After a brief silence, there followed the slow plodding of steps as he finally descended. “I haven’t even finished casting the sleeves yet…”

With a sigh, facing Martel, Yuan held up his late present in defeat. Martel gasped, while Mithos put on a scrutinizing gaze to the proffered item.

“I sincerely hope you do actually like the color green,” Yuan muttered.

“You still have your knitting needles there, you know,” said Mithos, being as helpful as ever.

“I-I wasn’t done! And now these darn things are stuck…”

Martel paid no attention to the argument, reaching out to take her present - a lovingly woven sweater, as green as the tree in her living room, as green as her hair, her eyes, and even her dress - and honestly, holding the sweater only emphasized all that green so much. Yet it looked like Yuan had even designed something on the front. As she looked over it, Yuan held up his hands.

“It’s… it’s a bit of work in progress! I know it seems a little-”

"‘Feeling just pine’," Martel read aloud, seeing the words stitched into the front, alongside a depiction of said pine tree. She laughed, the sound as soft as jingling bells. "Yuan! You are so clever!"

Yuan couldn't get any redder if he tried. Mithos was grinning. Somehow, in some way, he felt he was the butt of a joke that he had foolishly started.

“And I love trees! How did you even know?”

“Probably due to all of the trees you’ve planted in our backyard…” Mithos answered, but he knew it would go unheard. His sister was falling head over heels for Yuan again. A brief roll of his eyes, but he was smiling.

“This is so lovely! I’m going to wear it right now.”

“Martel! The knitting needles are still there…”

And even though it was quite clear that the sweater was very much not finished - the sleeves were mostly unravelled and the hem of the sweater looked quite a bit frayed, stitches not exactly tightened as best as they could be - Martel could barely wait to put it on. The knitting needles were carefully placed to the side while she showed off her new present to her brother. “Mithos! Did you see? Ask me how I’m feeling? Come on!”

Mithos sighed. “How are you feeling, sis?”

“I’m feeling pine! ” Martel placed a hand against her mouth, laughing at the word play. Yuan looked like he was about to faint with all that blood rushing to his head.

“Maybe I should have picked a different pun…”

“Don’t see why. Looks like you’ve gotten my sister the perfect present,” Mithos conceded. Maybe he had slightly doubted Yuan would have gotten something done in time, but he should have also known that Martel wouldn’t have cared. Yuan could have gotten her a sweater from Martel’s own closet and she’d still be so thrilled.

“Ah, that reminds me,” Martel said and strolled towards one of the bags she had brought back home, already rummaging through its contents. “I got something for you too, Yuan!”

“What?” Yuan said dumbly before smiling even more dumbly… somehow. At least that was how Mithos viewed it.

“Yes! And it makes me happy that you would have a similar idea… but I don’t have any knitting skills.” With that she handed him off something soft-looking, a deep azure color, and with… little lights attached to it. “I’m late with your present, but I finally had time to shop for one. I hope you like it!”

“You also got him a sweater?” Mithos said, barely able to contain his laughter.

Yuan was staring before then taking the gift in shaking hands. “Are those...string lights?”

“Yes! And they form a picture of a snowman! Isn’t it adorable?” Martel was stunning in her radiance, while Yuan was just stunned.

“Looks like a fire hazard,” Mithos said in a low voice while standing next to Yuan, low enough that he was sure his sister couldn’t hear him. Louder, he crossed his arms and goaded on the man. “Well, put it on!”

“I think this might be too big…”

And, well, it was. The sweater practically draped across his shoulders as he put it over his head, and the hem nearly dropped to his knees. But one good thing! The lights sewn into the sweater worked perfectly, and they blinked out a festive design of a snowman, happily smiling to match with Yuan’s own nervous smile. But even then, Martel didn’t seem to notice. She took Yuan’s hands, entwining them within her fingers. “We match very well, Yuan! This has been the best holiday for me in so long.”

Yuan, in his own embarrassing attire, could only sigh. He didn’t let go of her hands. “Martel...I just wanted to tell you that-”

“Hey, I just realized,” Mithos knowingly interrupted. “You never got me a present, Yuan.” At this, Mithos pouted. “I guess I’m just not as important.”

Mithos expected another sputter, another deflection of words - but this time, Yuan only smirked. “You shouldn’t underestimate me so easily, Mithos.”

“...What?”

Even Martel was surprised, blinking at Yuan. “Oh? Did you get him a present as well?”

Yuan unlinked their hands so he could head back upstairs. “Be right back!”

“Wait, hold on.” Mithos narrowed his eyes, not trusting Yuan’s sudden mood shift in the slightest. “Why would you be done with my present before Martel’s anyway?”

“Because you’re smaller!” he called back from above.

Mithos did not like that answer, but Martel nodded in understanding. “Makes sense!”

“No, it doesn’t…”

But when Yuan came back from the top of the stairs, he already had in his hands another sweater, this one looking much more complete than Martel’s. “Go ahead. I figured you would like this.”

“...I don’t-”

“Oh, it looks adorable! Go on, Mithos…”

Now Mithos was having an idea of what it was like to be in Yuan’s place just moments before.

There were no electric lights on this one that continually blinked like Yuan’s did, nor were there dreaded holiday puns - but it did have something on its front. A design on it, one that on first glance, didn’t really look too bad until -

“Is this me in an angel costume?” Mithos asked blankly.

Martel was smiling so wide. “Oh, that suits you perfectly, Mithos!”

“What? That’s not true!”

“I just observed and made some artistic liberties,” Yuan explained, sounding really smug for someone in a lit-up piece of wool.

Mithos then realized that this sweater was only partly for him anyway - it was still mostly for his sister, who looked like she was in heaven right now.

“Aren’t you going to wear it, Mithos?” she asked curiously. “We should all take a picture for the holidays!”

“But the holidays were a week ago!” Mithis once again argued, but then turned to the side. Still, he had rarely seen Martel this happy before. She was typically content, or calm, but Yuan’s stupid presents were having quite an effect on her…

Swallowing his own pride, he slipped on the sweater, sporting an angelic version of himself in the front. “There,” he said, hoping that would be it. “Why are you smirking now?” he then asked Yuan.

“I wasn’t doing anything of the sort,” Yuan said, all while he was definitely smirking.

“Come on, you two! I already have the camera ready. We can mail this out to everyone!”

“Wh-” Yuan turned to Martel in lightning-fast speed. Clear enough, she had her phone camera, ready to publicly broadcast the three of them to the world. “Are you sure about that?”

But Martel would not answer, already selecting the right portrait size and filters. Still, at least Mithos would give one final protest. “Everyone’s gonna think we’re having some kind of ugly sweater contest or something…”

“Oh, that’s perfect! We can send a picture of us and ask people who to vote for! I really hope mine will win!” Martel was quickly gathering the two near her as she held up her phone overhead.

“Ha! She called your sweater ugly, Yuan.”

“No! That’s not-!”

“Alright, everyone get close!”

“Martel, I don’t think you can even see our sweaters from this angle…”

“Good idea. I’m gonna hide a bit more in the back then-”

“Mithos! Since you’re shorter, I think it would be prudent for you to be in the front.”

“That’s a great idea, Yuan! Mithos, come stand by me.”

“Thanks a lot…”

But even with some grumbling, some flushed and embarrassed faces, and maybe a few hairs getting caught onto the lights from Yuan’s sweater, Mithos couldn’t help but find himself smiling as the camera’s light went bright, definitely blinding a few eyes here and there.

The holidays were last week, and he and Martel had already given their presents to each other, but somehow, with Yuan’s help, things felt extra special now. Maybe keeping this ugly sweater wouldn’t be so bad. He’d only wear it during the holidays after all.

#talessecretsanta2019 #tales of symphonia #yuan ka fai #martel yggdrasill #mithos yggdrasill #fanfiction #happy holidays!

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tangled satin bedsheets

title: tangled satin bedsheets pairing: oh sehun/reader genre: hotel!au/valet!au/maid!au/coworkers to lovers!au summary: upon meeting the famous actor, do kyungsoo, while he was staying at the hotel she works at, her mind is set on getting his attention. that is when she asks the valet of the hotel for help, whose name was oh sehun. what a particular change of events, when she so happens to end up tangled in satin bedsheets with him. type: fluff/suggestive note: this gorgeous moodboard was made by @/byunfirstlady. thank you so much for fulfilling my request and also, to anyone who wants to see a good fic recs blog with excellent moodboards, go check her out!

Wash. Fold. Deliver. Those are the steps she needs to follow—or not completely, before delivering she has to walk through the hallways of the hotel she works for. Some call her a maid, though she doesn’t like the name, for cleaning and organizing shouldn’t be depictive, considering not a lot of people liked to do it. In her case, she remembers the dark gray carpets of the hallways and the elegantly decorated white walls with minimalistic and monochromatic decorations that can only be highlighted by the blue color of the glass that surrounds the hotel. Its most outstanding decoration, some call it, a House of Glass, like its name indicates it, but that is far from the point.

People of wealth, stuck up or not, happy or not really, all of them stay in the hotel she works at for one reason—resting, eating, enjoying of the facilities that come with tourism. However, she can’t say that she has enjoyed a trip anywhere for the latest years. All she has done is work, opening the door to rooms only to deliver their clothes and organize the mess they make. There are a lot of stains, some coming from wines and champagnes, others that messily paint the bed in a way that has her scrunching up her nose out of distaste. There are definitely a few rules that she needs to follow just so their costumers don’t end up making her seem like a thief of sorts. It is a difficult job, to say the least, but she dares to say that the only way she can ever get to enjoy cleaning a room is when she has to clean one of the penthouses.

The view is really magnificent.

So when she is asked to wash the clothes of the man that is staying in the penthouse number five hundred and sixty-six, she almost jumps out of her spot to beat Kim Minseok to the job—really, he is an excellent cleaner. She thinks that clothes, sometimes, show a part of what people are, or at least a stereotype of what they could be. All she sees is khakis and dark boxers, nothing too interesting, some suits here and there, and a nice cologne that has her closing her eyes at the wonder of what type of Dior that should be. When she enters the penthouse, hours later, she realizes that the cleanness of his smell surely does fit his room—it’s not messy, it’s spotless and it looks as if another maid had passed through.

The walls are dark, there is a huge window that shows through clear glass the view of Seoul late at night, and all she wants to do is sit down, have a nice filling meal and watch old movies in the comfort of a room that is bigger than her own apartment. However, the moment she steps further into the room, she realizes there is someone laying on the bed. Long legs are the only thing she details about this person, a male to be exact, before she spurts out a set of apologies.

“Good night, Mister. I was told there was no one in the room. I’m deeply sorry. I’m only here to deliver your washed clothes, towels and sheets. I’ll be out in a sec.”

It is only when she hears a voice, deep and definitely not sophisticated, that she finally realizes that the owner of the room is really not present. “Dude, okay, so this dude does not only drive a Range Rover, he also is using the penthouse with the satin, red bedsheets.” She knows that voice and when she finally looks up from her folded hands, she sees Sehun sitting up on the bed. His blue valet uniform, one that matches her uniform but with gold decorations and a lot more buttons, fits his wide shoulders nicely and his black hair that is normally sleeked back now falls over his forehead in a messy manner. It wouldn’t surprise her if he said he took a nap there. “Actors. All they do is have to look pretty and cry in front of a camera and you’re set to be rich.”

“How exactly did you enter?”

Sehun reaches for something on the bedside table. “Had to bring him his keys back, but then I remembered he went out to some red carpet in a limousine and I decided to take a look around.”

She scoffs, knowing fully well how Sehun is. Sehun is the valet of the restaurant, a nice driver with handsome features and the most stern-looking eyebrows, but his personality is a little bit of a child’s—one that did not know manners. She is friends with him, having shared two or three years of working together, and she always has to hear the new workers gush about his wide shoulders and his apparent nice ass. “Decided to do something illegal, let me remind you.” She whispers, putting the client’s clothes down before sighing. “Why were you so curious anyways? You know every client is rich.”

The valet smiles at her words, leaning back on the bed once again and sprawling his arms to touch the satin of the sheets. They do really look comfortable. “Because he’s an actor that my mom really likes. He appears in dramas…and dramas…and…I think that’s it.” Sehun takes one moment to think before snapping his fingers. “Oh, and that movie…the one with the blind guy.”

“Haven’t watched it.” She says with her arms crossed across her chest before pointing to the door with her thumb. “But I have watched Law and Order and I know it’s illegal to invade people’s privacy. So, let’s go.”

“His name is Do Kyungsoo.”

“And?” She asks, moving closer to Sehun to tug at his arms to get him to stand up, but he moves and fiddles to get her away from him. “I don’t care about his name; I care about you leaving so we don’t get in trouble.”

“He won’t be here yet—”

“How do you know?” She pulls at him once again and Sehun collides against her chest, his hands placing themselves over her waist to keep his balance.

“I just do!” Sehun says, trying to pull her away from him when they hear the sound of a card opening the door. The two employees stop their movements, looking at one another before Sehun straightens his back, fixing his hair and she does the same, pulling down her shirt.

“Good night, Mister!” They say in unison, in cue to the rules that they have been trained to follow from the moment they started working at the House of Glass. She looks at Sehun from the corner of her eyes, his small plush lips are puckered up with his eyebrows tensed out of nervousness.

The patter of steps indicates the entrance of the person staying at the penthouse. What she notices first is that he is not particularly tall, but he is indeed as handsome as an actor could be. His black hair is pushed away from his face by gel, smelling thickly around the air to give him a scent of manliness, suit so fitted that she could make out his tight biceps, nice shoulders, equally as enticing set of legs, shorter than Sehun’s but fit. What stirs her stomach, makes her interested, brings her posture forward to indicate her interest is the sight of his face—serious, with his plump lips taking a big part of his face and his round eyes squinting to look at the two before setting on a softer stare.

“Ah, yes,” Politeness exudes from him the moment he bows slightly, showing gratitude with efficiency. “Thank you for your hard work. Have a good night, too.”

Charming, that’s how she would describe his smile and when she feels Sehun nudging her side slightly, she knows she has been caught staring at the perfection that is the actor Do Kyungsoo. “Thank you for picking our hotel over others. We’ll leave you alone now.”

“Thank you.”

“We should leave now.” Sehun whispers to her, placing his hand on the small of her back and leading her forward. She catches one glance over her shoulder to see Kyungsoo taking off his tie and placing it neatly over the bed, satin red sheets matching the darkness of his tie. “Let’s go.” Another mumble is thrown her way and she sighs, allowing Sehun to push her slightly out the door to get her to the hallway. “Be careful. Don’t slip.” The valet says as he walks by her side, fingers resting inside his pockets as they go towards the employee’s elevator.

“Slipping?” She looks downwards, only to be met by the same carpet as always.

“Yeah, drool is a liquid and if you continue drooling over our client, you’ll end up slipping.”

She stands by his side in the elevator as the doors close, chuckling as she hits his shoulder with the palm of her hand, only ever so softly. “I wasn’t drooling.” But just in case, she passes her middle finger over the corner of her mouth. “What did you say was his name again?”

Sehun hums, taking his phone out of his pocket and responding to some of the messages. “Do Kyungsoo.”

“And he was in a movie?”

“Yeah.”

“Cool.” She smiles to herself, biting her bottom lip before resting her back against the doors of the elevator. “How long is he staying here?”

The valet thinks about it for a moment, unaware of her intentions, or at least pretending he doesn’t realize her paramount attraction for the actor staying at the hotel. “…Don’t know. It’s award season, probably a week. I heard he’s going to Tokyo in a week, so four days from now.”

Once the doors of the elevator open, she pushes her body forward with her arms crossed over her chest, turning around to walk backwards while talking to Sehun, whom was only getting out of the elevator. “Enough time to make him fall in love for me, right?”

Sehun snorts out a laugh. “Are you serious?”

“I don’t ask for much.” Shrugging, she says. “A date…some food…and a kiss, because I’d be damned to not want to kiss that man.”

Whether Sehun cares or not, it is not perceivable, instead opting to roll his eyes and give a brief pat to her shoulder. “Good luck with that.” He tells her before breaking out into a smile, as if he was mocking her, and she can only roll her eyes.

“Get back to work.”

“Oh, you too.”

“No sleeping in the beds.”

“No sleeping with the guests.”

“Touché.”

But, instead of being tangled in the satin bedsheets with Do Kyungsoo, she ends up tangled in a predicament thanks to her ambition.

Mr. Cho is one hell of a scary man.

You know, the man bent at the waist that owns the hotel, with four children as hypocritical as they can get when they have a father so strict, so honest, and so non-understandable. He’s old, with a wide face and a lot of wrinkles, but he is sharp and always making sure that his employees are following the rules that were shown to them when they start working at the hotel. He has a lot of preference for his clients, which is to be expected, but his strict personality gets the best of him.

Which is why everyone tended to be so uptight at work. Those puffy, old eyes surely do catch wrongdoings, like that one time a maid was caught sleeping on the laundry room and she was fired after being yelled at. So, she wants to keep herself absent from Mr. Cho’s bad list, something that Sehun seems incapable of doing. Not that Sehun was even noticeable, for Mr. Cho was not only a rotten man with a hoarse voice, he was also pretty much against women unless they were submissive and annoyingly cute.

The air touches her body as she takes out the trash, one of the many tasks that she hates about her job, from the horrid smell to the fear of whatever was inside that bag, it isn’t and will never be a pleasant experience. The fabric of her skirt is rigid enough not to ride up thanks to the wind, so she thanks the uncomfortable material for that—not leading her to public embarrassment, but as she puts the black plastic and huge bag down onto the place where it should go, she hears the sound of a car passing by her. The horn is what catches her attention, though, rapid and a bit loud, but it definitely is not usual to have clients honking at her.

“Get in, loser!” When the windows roll down, she is met by a sight she should have expected…but did she expect it? Not at all. Sehun’s arm is placed by the edge of the window, his other hand holding the steering wheel as he gives her a one-sided smirk. His hair is sleeked back, uniform perfectly put even when he is breaking the rules. Or not really, he does drive the cars to the parking lot, but he takes his precious time doing it. Each car gives Sehun a story, one that he doesn’t really live, because as expensive looking as he can be, he still loses every penny he gets on buying the most useless of stuff. “Get the reference?”

“That was a reference?” She asks, placing her hands over her waist before cringing internally. Right, she thinks, her hands are unwashed. Once she dusts her hands off in her skirt, Sehun answers.

“Mean Girls? I think every person has watched that shithole of a movie at least once.” Sehun comments and his eyebrows raise when he does. Still, the name doesn’t stir anything inside her.

“Sorry. I don’t think I’ve watched it—”

Sehun gasps at that, dramatics on in his every word. “Your life is sad.”

“Geez, thanks.” She whispers and soon after, she looks around to see that no one is looking at them—not even the security guard, for they are too far away from the entrance. “I don’t know if I should get inside.”

“I’ll only drive you to the parking lot.” Sehun says before switching a button to unlock the doors. “And it’s not like Mr. Cho will even notice. Come on, get in.” What could be so bad about getting in that car? It was a nice looking car and Sehun is even better at hiding his rendezvous of little drives around the hotel. She shrugs her shoulders, because it really does have been a long time since she has broken any rules at the hotel and that car does look really pretty. Once she is inside, she notices that Sehun has a big smile on his face, one that can barely be erased. “Good girl.”

She groans at that. “That sounds so dirty.”

“If I was Kyungsoo, you’d like it.” The thought makes her think, because it really sounds great to have a compliment thrown her way, much more if it’s by Do Kyungsoo. It has only been a whole day since she saw him and all she can think about are ways of getting his attention, but it is not her time yet to go clean his room. If she will even be the maid cleaning his room, that is. “Which reminds me, he told me to tell a maid to go there because he needs someone to help him arrange something. And I did not tell any maid, but you.”

In another time, she would have whined at him because of the name maid, so downgrading in a way she, obviously, dislikes. Nonetheless, it is Kyungsoo they are talking about and Sehun is backing her up. Oh Sehun, out of all people, that one person that feigns being disinterested in anything occurring at the hotel. “Oh? So you’ll drop me off and I’ll go?” Sehun nods his head and then, she bites her bottom lip. “What do you think it is?”

Sehun squints his eyes. “Maybe a stain he doesn’t know how to get off the sheets?”

“I don’t think so. He doesn’t seem like the type.”

“To jerk off so hard to the point of staining the sheets?” Sehun scoffs and she widens her eyes at his words, slapping him on the shoulder with a loud smack. “The silent ones, dude, the silent ones are the worst. I can reassure you he has his secrets.”

“I don’t think it’s that, though…” She whispers before sighing. “He could not know how to use something. He doesn’t look technological, really.”

“What is so technological in a hotel room?” Sehun asks in a whisper, basically sarcasm dripping like honey. “Oh,” The deep tone Sehun is trying to reach does sound a bit like Kyungsoo, just a much more annoying version of him. “The fridge is so complicated.”

“You’re right.” After folding her arms over her chest, she responds. Once she sees the sight of the cars in the parking lot, she feels her heart racing with delight. Not only does she get to see Do Kyungsoo, but she also has to do it alone—no Sehun to bother her, just Kyungsoo in the comfort of his room, probably not in a suit but in his most casual attire. “Right, so, thank you for the ride.” She says after getting out of the car, Sehun turning off the engine when she speaks rapidly. “Any tips for when I get to the hotel room?”

Sehun tilts his head to the sight, as if deep in thought, his shining skin and nice eyes going unnoticed by a woman who was interested in someone else. “Do that thing you do. The feigned innocence thing you do sometimes when you want to get out of trouble.”

Sporting a cheesy smile, she nods her head. “Right.”

And then, she runs over to Kyungsoo’s room.

There are plenty of things that happen in that hotel. Nights filled with heavy moans and the soft movement of the bed are up there, and she has to live through it without earplugs sometimes. Other things like her ridiculous boss and his sons, the small competitiveness that she goes through with Kim Minseok, a better cleaner than she’ll ever be, and of course, a list of stuck-up and annoying guests…or clients, however she wants to call them. One of them is not Do Kyungsoo blushing profusely as he leads her inside his bathroom, eager to help in whatever mess he had made.

Kyungsoo does look casual, like she had imagined him, a novel of Chuck Palahniuk by his right hand—Nana, she remembers its title—with his thick glasses framing his adorable face, gray t-shirt and equally as boringly gray sweatpants. Strangely enough, or not so strangely, she feels her heart beating rapidly at the sight of Kyungsoo, smelling so thickly like his cologne mixed with soap as he rubs his neck, showing her the mess that he had made in his room.

“I…uh…the floor was very slippery in the shower and when I got out, I just slipped and I made everything fall from the counter and I, on God, don’t know how it’s arranged.” There are not a lot of things on the floor, hotel soaps and bottles and a lot of promotional stuff that Mr. Cho asks to be put in there because of advertisers. Around twenty things, at most, but Kyungsoo sees of it like a pile of fishes that had gotten out of the sea. He puckers up his lips, putting his book down over the toilet before sighing. “I could help.”

“No, no, no. It’s my job.” She replies and Kyungsoo shakes his head at her words.

“But I made this mess.”

“You’re staying here, Mister. You don’t have to take care of it.” Before he could help her, she starts rearranging everything. It would probably only take her a few minutes, sadly enough, considering she wanted—or wants—to spend as much time as possible with the actor in the room. “Are you okay, though?” She remembers Sehun and she does what he wanted her to do. Wide eyes, innocent face, jutted out bottom lip and while Kyungsoo doesn’t look like he is checking her out, she thinks there is a possibility she might look cute…in that stupid uniform with tangled hair.

Kyungsoo smiles at her words, sitting down on the toilet seat with his book in his hands. “Yes. Not my first time falling in the shower.”

“You fall often?” And she fights every urge to say ‘then, fall for me’.

“Not really, no.” Kyungsoo whispers, his fingers tapping against the cover of the book. “…Do you really not want me to help you?”

“You’re too nice,” His rich smile appears on his face, glistening so badly that she feels like she is about to fall down at the mere sight of it. “But no, I’ve got it. I’m about to finish.” She continues rearranging the bottles, filled with liquid, when she hears his voice once again.

“Is there only one maid in this hotel?”

“Pardon?” She asks, straightening her back and fixing her clothes after finishing with her clean-up.

Kyungsoo chuckles. “You’re the only one that comes here.”

Cursing silently inside her head, she responds. “Uh…not really. There are plenty, it just so happens I end up here…because of work.”

“That’s alright.”

“Yes.” After an awkward pause, she continues. “Is there anything else you need, Mister?”

Kyungsoo stands up from the toilet, opening the door to the bathroom for her to pass by when he sees her moving and as he walks behind her, he responds. “Your name.” A smile appears on her face, hands linking in front of her body when she mumbles her name. When she turns around, in front of his hotel room’s door, he gives a curt nod at the action. “I am Do Kyungsoo.”

“Right. Mister Do, do you need anything else?”

“No.” He says, opening the door for her before leaning against it. “Have a nice night, thank you.”

“You, too.”

The sound of the door closing behind her brings a smile to her face. At least, he had noticed her enough to know she had been there twice. She only had a few days, but she’ll make that man be interested in her.

There is nothing that she wanted more than to wear fuzzy socks, lay down on her bed and watch one of those boring, but stupidly entertaining talk-shows. The feeling comes to her when she stands in the laundry room, two of the maids that had the night-shift moving over to another place to tend their guests, but that is far from the point. Only a few minutes ago, the couple upstairs had decided to forget the walls are not soundproof, or the floor really, and she is getting tired of the same drawn out sighs and moans and groans that just merge into complete cringe-worthy material that makes her wish the laundry could get done faster.

It is then that she wonders if she really does need her job, or if she should just do something else with her life. She wishes to have her own hotel, she has planned it for the majority of her life, with tall ceilings and aristocratic decorations. Although, that is only a dream, for all she knows, and as she basks on sighs of her own, filled with frustration and impotence, she feels someone placing two earbuds inside her ears, hands resting on her shoulders soon after.

“Take mine.” Sehun says and she squints her eyes, frowning deeply to look at his lips only to catch what he is saying. The man notices that she can’t understand what he said, thanks to the very trusty earbuds. “You can take mine!” He screams loudly, making her flinch temporarily before laughing.

“Thanks!”

“I can hear you!” He screams back and she widens her eyes, raising her two thumbs up in the air. The valet chuckles at the mannerisms of the woman, knowing her fully well since the moment she started working there. Sehun has always thought that her position at the hotel isn’t what she deserves, but what can a valet say in a situation like that? Either way, Sehun helps her fold the clothes that she takes out of the drier, earning a smile from her. “Is that the bald guy that registered tonight?!”

“Yeah, he’s fucking loud.” She replies, careful to maintain her volume before sighing. “Do you have any cars to drive?”

“A Silverado. But it can wait!” Sehun says and when he hears another loud moan, he throws one of the towels over the basket before sighing deeply. She looks at him, chuckling at his annoyed expression before she saw him part his lips, letting out a loud—and clearly fake—moan that obviously reached her ears and probably, the people on top of them had heard, as well.

“Sehun—” She calls his name as she tries to control her laughter but she chuckles, resting her forehead against his shoulder. Times with Sehun come with hilarity, indeed, and she thanks him for making that job a bit more bearable. “That was…unnecessary.”

“If they are loud, I can be louder!” Sehun points out, all confidence as he finishes up her work. There is not a lot to complete, after all, she had done most of it. There is a brief moment of silence and Sehun chuckles as he takes out one of her earbuds. “I think they heard me…because they shut up.”

“Anyone in this hotel probably heard that moan.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah, Mr. Cho will probably think we are…doing things in the laundry room.”

Sehun rolls his eyes at her words. “Knowing him, if that was the case, he’d fire you and pat me in the back.”

“He is an ass.” She replies before tacking the stacks of clothes, towels and fabrics and putting them on top of her cart to deliver them. “Thank you for the earbuds.” As she takes them off, she says this and places them on top of Sehun’s extended hand, watching his soft smile and sleepy gaze. “I’m going to deliver these things. When does your shift end?”

“At twelve.” Sehun replies, looking down at the clock he wears on his left wrist. “What about you?”

Sighing deeply, she responds. “At four. I took the longest shift today.”

“Because of Kyungsoo?”

She stops at the sound of his name, looking over her shoulder to see Sehun smirking at his words. “Listen, no man, and hear me out—no man is worth my precious night of sleep. Not even actor boy over there.”

With a whistle, Sehun goes over to her and pinches her cheek. “That’s how you should talk!”

She leaves the laundry room with a few things: folded clothes, cleaning equipment and a smile that no amount of detergent can erase from her face.

Or maybe, she is going crazy and using cleaning metaphors.

“You’re here.”

The sound of her voice is strained, surprised, it escapes her lungs with the ghost of a breath. She holds the door open, but contrary to her shoebox of an apartment, the place is spacious, with a delicately painted door and excellently placed furniture with matching colors, gold in its majority with hints of white. Whom she sees at the other side of the door, in the hallway, is no other than Do Kyungsoo, the actor that she has been dreaming about when she gets to her bed in the mornings. He is sporting a lop-sided smile, a vest and a suit that fit nicely, gray and cladded to his waist, pants so tight she could see the expanse of his legs. Deliciously covered in perfume and the smile he gives her is covered by tight cherry-coated lips.

How in the world was she even expecting Kyungsoo? She doesn’t know, but if she had learned something in life: it was to never miss an opportunity. The black haired male passes by her, the door closing behind him as she gets a good look of his shoulders, nice and snug, his tiny waist and then, a smile appears on her way when he turns around to look at her. “Yes, I decided to come visit.” Kyungsoo indicates and then, he checks his phone, putting it down on the coffee table. “You know, you’ve been really trying it with me…and since I’m leaving soon, I thought I had to tell you something.”

With her hip propped against the couch, she responds with her arms folded across her chest. “And what would that be?”

Little did she know that Kyungsoo was holding a bag, one that looked a lot like it belonged to a clothing boutique, but what got outside of it was a bottle of the oldest looking, yet most delicious red wine. “I bought one of these…since I haven’t been in Seoul in a while.”

“Oh,” She whispers and then, she stands up, looking as Kyungsoo searches for something else inside the bag and sooner than later, the bottle was opened. “I don’t have any glasses here, though. This is not exactly my home.”

His deep voice moved grounds as he speaks, and she still ponders on why she is not surprised when he flirtingly adds: “Do you mind sharing the bottle?”

One look at his body up and down is enough to have her smiling, leaning forward to shake her head as she says. “Why would I?”

“I don’t know.” Kyungsoo replies and sooner than later, he points with his short fingers towards the terrace that is in the penthouse. There is a hammock there, as well as a nice table to eat and chat and look at Seoul’s skyline. “Let’s go there.”

There is an imaginary line that separates two people, call it shame, but it seems that the moment Kyungsoo gets on that hammock, she needs to follow soon after. The set of bones that unite in said hammock consist of Kyungsoo’s heavy arm placed over her shoulders, pulling her so close that she already knows whom he is. Kyungsoo is not city lights and red carpets, he is the epitome of old books, sweet silences and glasses falling on someone’s nose bridge. Kyungsoo brings peacefulness to her as they speak and talk, about life or about what isn’t so good about it, his deep voice is enough to create a lightweight feeling in her heart. He is so contrasting to what he gives out, but his lips are as enticing as she thought they would be. Red thanks to the wine, plump and thick, and enough to cause a mid-life crisis in her because she is certain, oh so fucking sure, that she will never get to kiss a man in the way he could kiss her.

He closes the gap in between the two, so soft and delicious as he parts his lips and takes her upper lip in between his plush ones. There is a soft breath that passes through her mouth, exhaling so deeply that Kyungsoo takes her kiss in with even more fervor.

It’s when she wakes up to a drool-y pillow and absolutely no tingling sensation on her lips that she realizes it is the last day of Kyungsoo staying at the hotel, and definitely a dream.

God, how could she not have known it was a dream? She wonders, at exactly five in the afternoon as she gets up to prepare herself some…lunch? And just get ready to work.

Her bad sleeping schedule could be the culprit of her dream. And not even a good dream to start with, since she only got to kiss Kyungsoo once, in a moving hammock, in a balcony, with the possibilities of falling onto the deep abyss. Well, maybe that was an exaggeration, but she knows two things: Her plan of getting Kyungsoo’s attention has failed, terribly. The other thing is that she is really creative, given that there were no balconies in the penthouses…or so she thinks.

Very commonly, the hotel gets a guest that doesn’t want to leave, or just does anything in their willpower to leave without spending a single penny, creating fake problems or simply showing their attitude. Thankfully for her, she is not one of the receptionist and very rarely does she have to deal with such thing, but it is not rare for her to pass by it whenever she has to go to the elevator—or the stairs, if Mr. Cho is nearby because ‘elevators are strictly for guests’—, or when she has to take the trash out, or when she leaves.

It is expected that she gets to see Kyungsoo preparing to leave, one of the receptionists—Olivia, in this case—filling whatever was left in the papers so he could get to his plane. The green pants, the black t-shirt that fits his body nicely, the black cap that matches the outfit, everything is a reminder of what she could not reach. She sighs deeply, audibly, because she knows he won’t even notice her when she does so, mainly because she is just a maid.

The broom becomes her leverage as she looks at Kyungsoo, one last time, and she makes a mental note to never watch a drama ever again. What if he’s in it? Should she stop watching movies, too?

Only that her sigh is heard and Kyungsoo turns around to look at the source of noise, his eyes behind his thick framed glasses widening momentarily before a smile appeared across his face. She has seen him a few times ever since she rearranged his bathroom, sometimes passing by, sometimes taking a nap on the couch as she cleans, but a conversation never ensued. It is, then, that she notices that he has a bouquet of tulips on his hands, violet and green and looking at her, bringing her envy because whoever gets those flowers is very lucky.

Kyungsoo makes a motion with his hand and the man goes to her with fast steps, standing just in front to speak. “So, I’m not one to pick flowers a lot…but since you were so nice to me these past few days, I decided to leave with a little gift.” Those words make her blink rapidly, trying to understand the situation at hand. Kyungsoo. Flowers. Smelly—the flowers, not him—. Plump lips that take a lot more of his face because he just woke up. The flowers are for her? “You were nicer than most. It’s not always that I make such a mess at a hotel room, but I’ll make sure to leave a nice review for you.”

As if Mr. Cho will even take it into consideration. “T-Thank you…Mister.”

“Do.”

“Mister Do.”

Kyungsoo slaps his hand across his forehead before chuckling. “No, I meant to say Do Kyungsoo. You can call me Kyungsoo. I thought you’d call me that since the last time I told you my name.”

“Well, Kyungsoo,” The name rolls off her tongue easily. She could say it a hundred times, repeat it a million more. “You shouldn’t have worried. You were top-notch as a guest here, in The House of Glass, and we sure hope that you continue coming here whenever you arrive to Seoul.”

Kyungsoo chuckles at that. “Yeah…I probably will. I have been planning on buying a house for the past year but with how busy I am, hotels are what I intend on staying at.” She smiles, because she thinks hearing Kyungsoo speak is nice and she would not mind talking to him until dawn appeared. He seems like the type of man that would only talk the necessary amount, interesting yet mysterious, and she would love to be given a chance. However, a nod comes soon after from his part and he looks at his phone, just like he had done in her dream. “So, I think I need to leave right now. I hope you have an excellent day.”

“I should be the one saying that, Mis—Kyungsoo.”

He chuckles at that. “Beat you to it, then.” And then, his hands wave at her and she can’t help but gush internally at his cuteness. Surely, she thinks that Sehun is at least a bit right—the silent ones are always the freakiest. Sooner than later, he is leaving with someone carrying his luggage and Sehun probably delivering his rented car so he could leave to the airport.

Which, in retrospect, she should have maybe waited a bit until Kyungsoo was fully gone when she went running towards Sehun, practically bumping into his chest with the bouquet of tulips in between their bodies as she grins so hard, her cheeks her hurt. Sehun is looking at her, stoic faced and a bit surprised as he parts his lips to question what she was doing, or what exactly had gotten into her, when she speaks as quickly as possible.

“Guess who gave me these flowers.” She tuts. Playful, with her eyes glistening and her hands fidgeting with the ribbon of the bouquet. Still, their chests are pressed together as they speak.

“Uh…” Sehun lets his voice trail momentarily before frowning, taking the bouquet of flowers from her hands to inspect it. “Some guest that wants to get into your pants?”

She scoffs. “No. Kyungsoo!” She replies and Sehun looks over his shoulder, as if to see the car is still there, which it wasn’t, and much to her surprise, Sehun seems impressed. “He told me I was a really great employee, so he gave me this.”

“That’s humble.” Sehun adds and then, he pokes her shoulder with his finger. “Good job. You almost got the man.”

“…Yeah, I probably won’t get him.” With certainty, she thinks it is a high possibility that she will never see Kyungsoo again, but it is not like it hurts her. She got a pretty bouquet of flowers and a nice sight to look at when working. She pulls one tulip out of the bouquet and places it in between Sehun’s ear and his head. “A flower for a flower boy.”

“I’m not a flower boy.”

“Sure, flower boy.”

With the wind blowing on their skins, they stare ahead to look at the city when Sehun catches her attention once again. There is something about Sehun that she enjoys, which makes her prefer him over a lot of her coworkers, and that is his way of speaking. The man looks scary, surely, but he is insanely nice. “Which reminds me…” Sehun trails his voice before pinching her arm softly. “There is this new place just a few streets from here that sells bomb bubble tea. Want to go after work?”

“Can’t. Have some things to do.” Although, she really does need to go out sometime soon… “But next Friday at ten in the morning sounds great to you?”

“Yeah, sounds fantastic.” Sehun says and she takes one last glance at the tulip by his ear. Violet does look great on him, but the smile on his face is even more enchanting.

Rustic, that is how the place Sehun likes to have bubble tea in could be described. The tables are made out of wood, everything is big from the seats to the cups in which they serve their coffee, but the bubble tea is excellent, indeed. Her straw ends up in between her teeth, surrounded by a halo of red lipstick that she had opted to wear out of style. What’s so wrong about wanting to look good once in a while? Nothing—much less when all she ever wears nowadays is that uniform the hotel gave her on her first day of work.

Sehun, on the other hand, looks like the epitome of fashion, as if Louis Vuitton had a child and Sehun came out of the womb. His gray sweater looks cozy, comfortable, fluffy enough to want to cuddle to his side, rest her head on his shoulder and take one of those naps she desperately needs. Even so, he matches the tapioca of his drink, which is even stranger, with his hair still neatly pulled back and a smile on his face that never leaves him. Sehun slurs and talks, slurs and talks and she should really feel like the man is borderline annoying her at this point, but he isn’t, because for the first time in a while she feels like she can open up to someone.

Talk about life.

About that one pimple she got last week and that looked just…pop-able.

About that YouTube channel she found just a few nights ago.

Sehun is the type of person made to talk to, to joke with, to feel and touch and crave only by words. Magically, he holds a key with golden rimming and little slots perfectly carved that can and will open anyone’s heart, and that includes hers. Sooner than later, she finds herself playing with her straw and looking at the TV ahead of hers. The news, always a source of endless worry, how life is so difficult inside our brains but it is even worse when you unite all the problems in the world. She reads the headlines, gives a big sigh with wings that flies out of her lungs with difficulty and then, she decides to continue the conversation they were stablishing. Hotels. Mr. Cho. Mr. Cho’s children. Goals.

Turns out, Sehun did enjoy being a valet—he thinks that if he can’t be rich, then he might as well get inside the cars of rich people, without stealing them or doing anything remotely illegal, just simply driving them from Point A to Point B. It’s a simple task, made for him whom only wanted to be part of the hotel staff, but Sehun still has the hopes of becoming rich someday. He sits on his couch every Sunday night, scraping the surface of a lotto ticket to see if he can finally—finally, become what he always wanted.

“It’s going to sound so dumb, but I always wanted to be the owner of my own hotel.” She replies, eyes still studying the wholesome face of the news reporter and then, she settles her gaze on Sehun once again, mouth filled with a big sandwich—Monte Carlo Sandwich, maybe? “I had the hotel planned out ever since high school. I just…I dreamed of it. Big, expensive-looking yet homely hotel. Not that it will ever happen.” After, her lips wrap around the edge of the straw and she gives a long suck. Goals are truthfully the hardest thing to achieve.

“That doesn’t sound dumb.” He rolls his eyes as he says that. “I’m sure you’d be a way better owner than Mr. Cho is.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Huh, of course!” Sehun makes his mind clear with a wide grin. “You actually know how things work. You’re always so…aware of how things are going in the hotel. You’re one of the best employees.”

Scoffing, she says: “You’re just saying that, just to say it.”

“I’m not!” He battles back. “Did you figure out the name of your hotel, already?”

In retrospect, she has but at the same time she hasn’t. It is the kind of pessimism that crawls to her when she is dreaming, that tells her to shut any source of hope because her dreams are unreachable. It means, in the most annoying of ways, that she will always be a miniscule being when compared to whom she wants to be. “Kind of…I guess…But not really?” She is not making sense. Definitely, because Sehun looks confused and then, just then, he releases a laugh.

“Let’s make a deal, right here, right now.” The words catch her attention, enough to make her nod, enough to trail her gaze to his lips to see his short yet slight puckered up lips let out the deal he is gushing about. “If, and only if, I win the lotto anytime in my life…be it tomorrow or twenty years from now, we’ll start our own hotel. You as the owner. Me as your pretty companion that earns money but doesn’t really deal with a lot.”

It sounds fair, and most importantly it sounds great. She can imagine Sehun in a suit, right beside her going on an elevator of their own hotel, herself not looking as elegant as he might but enjoying her business nonetheless. She pictures the tall walls, the spotless flooring, the beautiful but yet immaculate reminder that she once believed it was impossible, only for it to be the most possible thing in the world. Palpable. Lived. Touched. Beneath her hands when it was part of her imagination once. “You’d do that for me?”

An affirmation is given in the matter of seconds. “Yeah!” He says. “A hotel would only duplicate the money that I would have earned…so I would be richer. I don’t see the problem there.”

“So you’d use me as a way of getting rich?”

Sehun leans forward, quirking an eyebrow at her words. “Of course, why not?” He questions and that makes her gasp, her hand colliding against his shoulder (he has taut muscles, she discovers then.) “I’m kidding. I’m kidding!”

“What’s going on in here?”

To see the receptionist, Grace, almost pulling at her hair because of the blonde haired male in front of her was, is and will always be very…surprising. Grace is a woman of confidence, patience, and any kind of ‘-ce’ that makes her the epitome of perfection. To see her at the verge of anger is unusual, which is what catches her attention as he holds a broom in her hand, ready to continue her work into cleaning the bathroom in one of the penthouses.

Luckily for Grace, whom looks at her as if she was God, she had arrived at the perfect moment. “This costumer keeps complaining about a hard bed just not to pay.” And by the way she speaks, she supposes that the man doesn’t understand the language they are speaking in. Just to make sure, she steals a glance at the man in his mid-twenties, definitely trying his hardest to look cool. Those sunglasses are a nightmare to look at, purple and big and definitely not matching his yellow shirt. “So I need you to check the room. Take a video of the bed bouncing, I don’t know, just make it look soft…and you’re set.”

She hisses. “But I kind of have a dusty bathroom to take care of—”

“Please.” Grace begs. “I’m just asking for one favor here.”

“Why not get another one of the maids to do it? David, Minseok, Jinah—?”

“David’s shift is over. Minseok is out washing the parking lot and Jinah…you know, I hadn’t thought about Jinah.” The thought of not having to take part of Grace’s little plan is enough to have a smile painting her makeup-washed face, but her hope dies down the moment she whistles at a passing Sehun. “Go with Sehun, since I don’t have the time to call Jinah.”

Sehun gets closer at the sound of his name, wide and big hands resting on the counter with a surprised expression. “Go where?” He seems less than intimidated about it, just a bit out of place. It’s not that she could not do it, but how in the fucking world is she going to make a bed bounce?

“This room,” Grace points at her computer’s screen before sighing. “Our guest here says the bed was hard. I need you to…press a hand to the bed, show it’s soft, take the video to me and I’ll show it to him.”

The maid scoffs from her spot. “He already knows the bed is not hard.”

“But if I have proof, he’ll be embarrassed.” The receptionist points at her clock, expensive and glistening, before tutting with her tongue. “Time’s running, so should you two.”

“I’m busy, though—” Before she could continue with her complaint, she feels Sehun’s arm wrapping around hers to bring her with him, giving a smile to her as they get away from the reception. “Sehun, I really don’t want to deal with a complaining guest. You know how they get, and the least I want is a damned police officer knocking on my door late at night telling me I have to go to court for…a hard bed, I don’t know.”

“Grace needs us.” Sehun reassures and then, when he presses his long fingers to the elevator, he continues. “And it is not always we find an excuse to disappear from work for ten minutes, so we better give it a chance.”

“What are we going to do in ten minutes in a simple hotel room?”

“Take a nap? Duh.”

“You can nap in less than ten minutes?”

Once they are inside the elevator, Sehun responds. “If I have company, yes.”

“You can’t sleep alone?”

“I can. That doesn’t mean I like it.”

She smiles at him, his face shining because of the heat outside, his lips pulled in a smile as well, one of those that makes his eyes turn into crescent moons. Sehun is enchanting in his own way, his own bratty, simply illogical way. “Big baby.”

“Yeah, yeah. Guh, guh, gah, gah.” Sehun feigns baby noises and that leads her to laugh loudly, throwing her head back at the sound of his deep voice saying such things. “So, napping?”

“We’ll see.”

Borderline disorganized—no, like living hell! That is exactly how the hotel room looked like. Plastic plates are scattered on the floor like flowers in a garden, with the satin bedsheets of the bed tangled in such a way that it creates eminences, little volcanos made by the twisting of a man in his sleep. The room smells heavily like spray deodorant, the typical scent of a man that knows nothing about colognes, and one sniff is enough to want her to get out of there as soon as possible. She grabs her phone from her uniform’s pocket, body leaning forward as she says.

“Lay on the bed. Press your palms to it—”

“…Wait, what?” Sehun asks in between laughter, his neck growing red out of embarrassment before giggles changed his boisterous tone of chuckles. She rolls her eyes, watching as the man does as she says, her camera recording the way his palms dug onto the soft mattress. “Never say that to anyone out of context.”

“You’re such a child.” She answers, saving the short video of a mere five seconds before placing her phone inside her pocket once again. She lays down beside Sehun, opting to take a small breather because it is never too late or too early to take a short nap, the mere closure of her eyes. Once she sees the ever-lasting darkness of her eyelids, she releases a sigh. “I feel dirty laying on these sheets.”

“Mr. Cho thinks satin sheets are fancy…and sure, they are, but they are kind of…dirty.” Sehun says the obvious, really, and she nods her head before she feels his head resting on her shoulder, one of his heavy arms draped over her middle, his right leg stuck in between her knees. “Do you mind me cuddling you?”

“Nah.” Her hand comes to rest over his black hair, soft and silky, just like the sheets…but no, even better, she’d say if she is ever asked about it. Sehun is a daily routine, already, he is the type of person she never gets tired of, that one screaming fan in a concert of a woman that doesn’t really know how to sing. Surely, there are a hundred problems in her life, a million things she doesn’t know, but he is always there, pushing her to do better, to be better, but most importantly to be whoever she wants to be. Those are the type of people that are worth it. “You should put an alarm.”

Sehun groans against her collarbone. “Why?”

“If Grace or anyone, any staff, finds us like this…we’ll get fired.”

“We’re not doing anything bad.”

“Napping is against the rules.”

“Sleeping is against the rules. Napping? Napping’s not sleeping.”

“You’re such a bad influence.”

“…No.” Sehun sits up, his face hovering on top of hers before smiling deeply. “We are bad influences, you mean.” He replies and she chuckles, though the sound grows short on her lungs when she realizes Sehun’s hands are on either side of her body, his leg is still very much in between her knees. It’s comfortable, too comfortable, and maybe the pretty ribbon that the situation needs is a kiss on his short, plump, really desired lips.

When did Sehun turn this…attractive? “Get off me.”

“But I wanna nap.” Sehun replies and when he pushes his hair away from his face, and she bites her bottom lip out of control. Breathe in. Breathe out. Do not think about your coworker that way. He takes one glance at her face, smiles gleefully before she breaks. All she can seem to think is one big ‘fuck it’ as she leans in, lips capturing his in a kiss that is not meant to take his breath away, it doesn’t even have much meaning, it is the start of something she did not know about—the end, could it be?

If Sehun is surprised, he doesn’t show it. He rests his forehead against hers after a quick meeting of lips, to teeth, to tongue, to soul. Sehun is quite the opposite of a romanticist, so with a brief kiss placed to her lips, he finally speaks up. “I would gladly make out with you in this bed if only I knew if these sheets are…clean.”

Happiness is what she feels when Sehun takes her by the waist, making the two of them sit up as she holds onto his shoulders. “You owe me that, then.” She adds, all bashful and smiley because…Sehun, out of all people, was her last choice of kissing, but damn was she missing out on a good kisser.

“I can promise a date.”

“Only a date?” She scoffs, standing up from the bed and making sure that her phone was inside her pocket. Rich people could also be thieves, too. “I expect one hell of a date.”

Though, she knows he is going to live up to his promise, considering the smile on his face as Grace gives them an earful is the most beautiful, proudest sight she has ever seen.

“Apparently, Shakira is going to stay in our hotel.”

“That’s nonsense. I really don’t think so.”

“You’re just jealous because your hips do lie.”

Looking over her shoulder, she gets a good glimpse of Sehun, who is taking the time he has left of his night shift to bother her instead of driving cars and receiving people by the entrance. After making a deal with Jinah, she finds herself washing around the swimming pool—a little girl had decided to slip and fall and create a bloody mess on the floor, one that she had to clean up, and Jinah being Jinah was scared of it. “I don’t want to date you anymore.”

And that is right. She is dating Sehun, as secretly as possible only to not break the rules that Mr. Cho had set up, with sneaky glances and a lot of elevator kisses that have Sehun covering the cameras with one hand—god bless his height—so they would not get caught. It has been a few months of the two of them dating, five to be exact, and she has learned that Sehun is a jokester. Annoying as well, but most of the time he is joking.

Which brings them to the situation they are in, a mop in her hands, Sehun leaning his face towards the pool as he says: “I’m going to drink the water in this pool if you stop dating me.” She knows Sehun is joking around, but she kneels down either way just to wrap one hand around his bicep and bring him back towards her chest.

“Don’t.” She tells him sternly but when Sehun looks at her, she ends up laughing joyfully. He brings happiness to her life and sometimes, she thinks she was stupid enough of not noticing that she had such a good man right in front of her, under his nose, looking like that and speaking like that and most importantly, being what she always wanted. “So my hips lie?”

“Mine don’t, I can tell you that much.” Sehun’s barked remark makes her hand collide against his chest in a smack and the man chuckles before standing up, holding her in his arms to keep her with him. She tries to move away, but Sehun is holding her tightly by the shoulders and she is pretty much pressed to his wide, toned chest. “I’m kidding,” The smile on his face is teasing as he leans down to kiss her. He does use a bit too much of tongue, but he is getting better at that—he surely knows how to equilibrate his preferences with hers. “Do you want me to pick you up tomorrow?”

She shakes her head, fixing his outfit before sighing. “No. I got it. Besides, your shift ends before mine and you have to sleep.”

“Okay.”

“No fighting?”

“Nah. I do like sleeping.” His response is annoying, enough to make her move around only to have him pulling her back against his chest. “But I like you more!”

She giggles at that, girlish in some way, and then she bites her bottom lip. “If someone sees us here, we’re ruined. Let go of me.”

Sehun does such thing, indeed, but as he leaves he does not forget to place a short kiss to her lips. As a promise that maybe, surprisingly, he is going to meet with her early in the morning to pick her up from work.

To sit by the sidewalk is not the most romantic of spots, that much she can admit. Her butt is sore, the fabric of her jeans scratches against the skin and most importantly, there are people passing by every so often that absentmindedly pat their feet against her back or her boyfriend’s, but as time passes by, she gets used to it. As long as she has Sehun’s shoulder to lay her head on, she doesn’t really care, all she needs is one big Venti filled with coffee, some pastries to share with him and a lot of will and hope as they scratch yet another lotto ticket.

It’s their Sunday schedule every two weeks and Sehun is not one to get excited often, he says that being overexcited about things leads to frustration and impotence, but she always get hit by the reality of not being a millionaire. And spending money on lotto tickets that don’t make her a millionaire. As she munches on her breakfast, she sees Sehun’s long fingers comparing the results in the newspapers with the one in his lotto ticket and she groans at the sight of only one number away from becoming millionaires.

“At this rate, our dream of owning a hotel will come true when we’re like eighty and all wrinkly.”

Sehun rubs her back, because even when he doesn’t show it, he’s hopeful—something about a hunch, he says, that he feels like one of those days something was going to go their way. Either that happens, or they use all their lives worth of savings to make a tiny hotel. “We’ll come around someday, don’t worry.” The man whispers, taking a sip from her cup of coffee because he can’t ever seem to get one of his own. Something about preferring tea, or perhaps just because he likes sharing things. Some find it annoying, she doesn’t strangely enough. “But this one was one number away. I think we’re getting pretty close.”

“Aren’t you the one that tells me to never get excited about these things?” She asks, knees touching Sehun’s in the not-so-crowded spot. He places his hand on her thigh, gripping it like he always does, before smiling.

“Don’t get excited, but don’t lose hope.” That sounds incredibly deep for someone as dry as Sehun could get, but it makes her feel better. “That’s how I got you—I was fucking clueless that I even liked you, but I saw my chance and I got it. I didn’t get excited, but I took my chance.”

“I was the one who kissed you.”

Sehun scoffs. “Of course. I have my pride.” That makes her roll her eyes and the man pats her thigh one last time before standing up. “I’m buying another lotto ticket.”

“Good luck with that.”

“Give me a good luck kiss.”

And with a smooch against his lips, she silently wishes that their dreams can come true. As a duo, a couple, a pair, some people trying to create something better with their careers. All she knows is that she wants to grow, but she only wants to grow with him.

One thing she does know, if they ever get a hotel of their own: they are not having satin bedsheets.

#sehun scenarios #sehun #exo scenarios #exo #kpop scenarios #writing #sehun au #sehun fluff #exo au #exo fluff #hotel!au #valet!sehun #maid!reader #thanks for the moodboard sweetheart!!!

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