#and i'm. getting homesick just thinking about moving to a different part of the city. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

elvenbeard · 10 months

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2071

"Had to drive a thousand miles just to realize that this is where I belong... This is my home. I'm so fuckin' stupid."

"Some mistakes you gotta make, hermano. How else're you s'pposed to learn from them?"

Vince left Night City for a little less than a year in 2070. He'd burned too many bridges, in Charter Hill, in Kabuki... There seemed nothing left for him to gain, nowhere deeper to sink. Also, his mother had tracked him down two years into his hiding from her. Even though they parted ways somewhat amicably and Vince did not expect to see her again, a certain level of unrest had accompanied him ever since.

Together with someone he thought he was in love with at the time, he joined the backstage crew of a Korean lazrpop duo touring the NUSA. His actually quite extensive technical knowledge... did not land him the gig. It was mostly the good word put in by his acquaintance that was supposed to get him out of the city. But so, instead of working with the crew's techies, setting up the lights and sound for the impressive shows ahead, he ended up having to haul equipment cases most days.

Needless to say, the experience was underwhelming. Combined with his relationship turning sour halfway into the trip, Vince suffered from the worst homesickness ever - for Night City, of all places, the city and the people that had continued to wrong him so many times over, with their games and intrigues.

One thing though Night City had done very right: Jackie Welles. The first person who sincerely liked Vince for who he was, no ulterior motives. The first true friend whose intentions he no longer doubted, that would have his back no questions asked, and vice versa.

Bonding with him over their shared experiences with abusive parents, Jackie was to Vince the older brother he had never had. Naturally, Jackie was there to pick him up when Vince returned to Night City in 2071, disillusioned, alone, and uncertain about his future more than ever. But Jackie always seemed to know someone or something that could be done to get Vince back on his feet.

Night City had changed as much as Vince had during his short-lived, self-inflicted exile. The Unification War was over, Night City a free city. Most importantly though - unbeknownst to both Vince and Jackie still - the old, powerful corporation that had returned to the city's heart with its new, rebuilt headquarters, would forever change their lives just a few years down the line...

Vince through the years (3/9)

For today's behind the scenes ramblings: a few thoughts on something I've been noticing on my VP journey lately...

No matter where you go... I think in any scenic location near Night City, you can see the Arasaka logo somehwere in the background, and I think it's done very purposefully by the environment designers XD It's either the clover, or the whole word "arasaka" spelled out, glowing somewhere on the side of a building or an ad display. It is often there in important story scenes somewhere, too, subtle in the background, a constant, subconscious reminder to V (you know... apart from the constant, subconscious bickering at the hands of Johnny XD).

Arasaka Tower itself is also extremely prominent, unmistakeable with its shape, whenever I'm taking pics lately that are in slightly elevated locaions I look around to see if I can spot it XD And I chose this spot specifically because it's so nicely visible from there, too...

This was one of my very first shoots with AMM - don't think I ever shared these (and wanna recreate them badly now). Just Vince and Johnny pondering the next move, what they're gonna do and say during the meeting with Hanako, Arasaka Tower in clear view in the distance, almost as if it's taunting them.

This particular spot is very important to Vince... as mentioned, it's where Jackie picked him up after he returned to Night City in 2071, but it's more than that. Jackie showed him the place shortly after they became friends, to give Vince a "different perspective" on Night City he wasn't really aware of then, with his sheltered upbrining and the circles he moved in. It's by the dam, overlooking Rancho Coronado, and in few other places the extreme difference between poverty and wealth appears quite as jarring.

In the years to come after this first visit here, it develops into a favourite meeting spot of Vince and Jackie to discuss all manners of things in quiet and relative private... here is where, just a year later, Vince tells him that he's gonna take on a job at Arasaka 👀 And Vince is drawn back there over and over again, even when Jackie can no longer meet him there.

It's simply where he still feels closest to Jackie, due to so many important conversations they had here...

... and he takes Kerry here, later, too, to get away from the city for a little while, talk about the past and the future.

Sometimes he comes over on his own when he needs some quiet time to think, too. What would Jackie do now? What would he suggest? Does it all even matter in the grand scheme of things? What is really important right now, and what can wait for later?

It's the perfect spot to clear your mind, and gorgeous at every time of day <3

Also, I wrote above that Vince was homesick for Night City... but it was less Night City that he missed, but Jackie's presence.

#cyberpunk 2077 #male v cyberpunk #cyberpunk v #corpo v #jackie welles #cp2077 #cyberpunk vp #cp2077 vp #vincent ezaki #my vp #cyberpunk 2077 spoilers #vince through the years #I'm so soft for their friendship hhhhhh ;____;#still working out some details for them for my personal canon re: vince's time at arasaka #I wanna include all the known canon stuff as best as I can #also... in case you couldn't tell XD Vince definitely had a big old crush on Jackie #well... maybe not big old but if Jackie had ever said anything Vince wouldn't have turned him down #by 2077 it had faded to background noise - and also there was Misty now and Vince was really happy about how happy she made Jackie #so it's all good xD #but around the time these pics are set... he's not homesick for Night City #he's homesick for Jackie #even more so after his relationship then - his first serious relationship with another guy mind you - went to shit

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cherryspikes · 5 months

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You know you love me

‧₊˚ 📸 ✩ ₊˚ Multiple ships - EAH Gossip Girl AU

⭒ desc: After a rat infestation shuts down the school, students from Nottingham High get transferred to different schools all over New York. Sparrow and his friends ended up being part of the unlucky few who were sent to Ever After Prep. Being thrust into the world of the disgustingly rich felt like diving in head first into a pile of rocks. Tensions between the students were high enough, but after an anonymous blog starts spreading gossip it all rises to another level. Secret relationships, millions of dollars, and nosey teenagers were already a recipe for disaster. But it seems someone is trying to make every student's life a living hell.

⭒ content: this is a story with a full plotline!! please read the first chapter before reading this. you do not have to have seen Gossip Girl to understand but there are some references that are funnier if you have. mentions of drugs and alcohol. - THIS IS NOT A FULL RECREATION OF GOSSIP GIRL - its eah characters in a gg inspired universe with reimaginings of iconic gg plotlines.

⭒ wordcount: 3,645

cross-posted on ao3 !!

⭒ note: sorry this took so long to update school is kicking my ass 😭

Chapter 1

Chapter 2: Lost in Some Tension

The loud pop music was starting to make his head hurt. It’s not that Sparrow didn’t like it. All of his closest friends knew about his secret love for Nelly Furtado. But you can only listen to so many electronic beats until your brain turns to mush.

He was starting to get a headache, and that, with the feeling of being out of place, was not a good pairing. He awkwardly stood in the corner, drink in hand. Parties like this weren’t his scene. Social gatherings in general, weren’t his scene. Faybelle had dragged him out to an Upper East Side party because she said he needed to talk to people more. He agreed to it, thinking it would be fun to explore other sides of the city, but now that he's actually there... He kind of regretted it.

It's not like he didn’t want to talk to others; he just didn’t know how. He was a fish out of water flopping around the ground. Faybelle tried her best to include him in conversations, but whatever he did, it seemed like they just weren’t interested. So he let her go and hang out with her friends. He didn’t want to drag her down with him.

His moping was depressing. If he wasn’t going to do anything, he needed to leave. Once he mustered up the courage to leave, he immediately felt himself bump into something. Of course, he would knock into someone the second he decides to move; just his luck. He frantically apologized, but the white-haired girl he talked to shook her head. “Ah, don’t worry about it! I didn’t like this dress anyway.” She assured, looking at the stain his drink left on her white iridescent dress. Once she fully turned to face him, her hair's black and lavender strands distracted him.

She kept on talking, but it wasn’t really a conversation. He wasn’t saying anything. She seemed to notice this and stopped talking about the fashion designers her dad had invested in or something like that.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you before... Where are you from?” He took a second to respond, not realizing he was even asked a question.

"Oh, – Uh, I’m from Nashville, but I, uh, just moved into my dad’s last week.”

“Well, welcome to the city! Feeling homesick?” She asked, turning her head to the side.

“Eh, I’ve been visiting for years, so it’s like a second home.”

She hummed in response and looked for something else to ask. Usually, this is where whoever he’s talking to would say: ‘Well, it was great talking to you! See you around!’ But it seemed like this conversation was actually going to last. He didn’t really want it to end, either. Judging by her outfit, she had money. A lot of it. He was intrigued. He needed to know more.

“I'm guessing you’re a student, right?” He nodded. “Do you know what school you’re going to?”

“I'm not 100% sure. My dad keeps flip-flopping between his options. But I think Nottingham is starting to win him over.”

She flinched jokingly at the mention of the school. “My mortal enemy…” He looked confused. “I go to Ever After, Nottingham’s like our biggest rival.”

“Rivals as in ‘we compete against each other, but it’s whatever’ or rivals as in ‘we literally hate each other’.”

“We literally hate each other. Seniors tp’d their court right before their last game last year, and the bleachers were drenched in eggs.”

“Wow, I never imagined that actually happened in real life.”

“New York doesn't feel like real life most of the time.”

He let out a small laugh. They stood in silence for a little bit.

“I’m Sparrow, by the way.” He held out his hand. She shook it, but before she could reply, a blonde girl came and interrupted them.

“Duchess!” She screamed loudly. “I didn’t know you came back!” The white-haired girl looked startled. “Uh – Yeah! It’s nice to see you too! Listen, um, let me finish this up, and I’ll go catch up with you and Daring.” The blonde replied with a loud Okay. You could tell she could barely hear herself over the music.

Duchess sighed. “Well, I’m Duchess, as you heard.” Sparrow nodded. “You can go with your friends if you want. It was really nice talking with you.”

“Same! Hope to see you around.” After she walked away, another figure replaced her spot immediately. Faybelle stood behind her, mouth agape.

Sparrow's face contorted in confusion.

“You talked with Duchess Swan… And you gave her a handshake ?”

________________________________________

Detention was anything but new to Ramona. Even back in Nottingham, she’d get into trouble. It has improved over the years, but her temper management still needs work. She gets passionate about little things quickly, and those strong emotions can take over. She sticks to her values and never surrenders. If you upset her about something, it’ll probably take a year for her to not be angry about it anymore. This even included teachers sometimes. If it weren’t for her above-average grades, athletic prowess, and her willingness to go through any punishment the faculty chose, she would be expelled by now.

However, her fighter spirit was starting to die down once she started high school. She was getting ready for college. She needed to be ‘more serious,’ whatever that meant. After everyone was surprised by all her honors awards at her middle school graduation, she realized she needed to change her ways. She needed to focus on school, and getting into a good college. Plus, being stuck in a classroom after school hours turned into the most tedious part of her everyday routine.

Detention was a very new concept to Justine. Getting into trouble was very unfamiliar to her. Having a huge family of 12 siblings made it hard to hide anything. This wasn’t a problem when she was younger. What big secret are you hiding when you're 7 years old? But now that she’s 17, there were many things she didn’t want her family to know. She didn’t want them to know she had failed her chemistry test. She didn’t want them to know she didn’t get a callback for any of the Broadway shows she had auditioned for during the summer. And she especially didn’t want them to know that keeping these secrets led her to smoke weed as a coping mechanism.

"I hope you two understand why you're here. This school takes its policy very seriously. I’m especially surprised at your behavior Justine. I expected better from you," Madame Yaga lectured while she sat behind her desk.

The words hit her like a truck. She bowed her head down and spoke so only she could hear. “I’m sorry, Miss, it will never happen again.”

The older woman returned to the paperwork on her desk after mumbling, ‘Good.’ “Now, normally, this situation would’ve led both of you to the Headmaster’s office.” She looked back up to both of them. Ramona was calm, while Justine looked terrified. “However, you’re both great students, and I would hate for this to damage your relationship with this Academy. Can I trust that this won’t happen again?” They both nodded.

“Well, I have some paperwork to deliver. While I do that, you will write an apology and an explanation of your actions. Both must be done by the time I return.”

As the teacher left the room, an uneasy silence settled. Justine tried her hardest to write her apology. But the words didn’t come to her. She didn’t know what to say. She wanted it to be simple yet genuine. Despite her reluctance to apologize, she wasn't ignorant that she was in the wrong. She just wanted to write the stupid note so this would all be over.

Justine turned around to find Ramona engrossed in her writing. With her head tilted to the side, she seemed intensely focused, piquing Justine’s curiosity.

Regrettably, Ramona glanced up, catching Justine’s lingering gaze.

"Do you have a staring problem?" Ramona frowned.

"You're the last person I want to be looking at, let alone be stuck in detention with," Justine swiftly retorted.

"Same here. If you hadn't been such a bitch, maybe we wouldn't be in this situation," Ramona reclined in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest.

“You were the one that started it!”

“I’d say you got yourself into trouble the second you decided to smoke weed at school,” Ramona replied.

Justine didn’t reply. She turned back to her paper. Deciding that was more important than arguing with her. Yet Ramona wanted it to keep going.

“I don’t get why you’re so worried over all this. Madame Yaga said you're off the hook even though you were doing drugs at school. If I were you, I would be ecstatic.”

Ramona finished writing her apology and dropped it off at the desk. She sat on the roller chair and propped her feet on the wooded surface.

“Well, I’m not someone like you, so I’d never do that.” Justine scoffed, slowly losing her patience. She was starting to sound a lot more conceited.

“Someone like me?” Ramona prodded while playing with a Rubik's cube she found in between Madame Yaga's things.

“A troublemaker, a punk, maybe even a nuisance.” The dancer listed.

“Is that what your daddy told you poor people are? Maybe you should focus all that brain power on writing your paper.”

“Whatever, you don’t know me,” Justine argued.

“People talk, princess. I think I know enough.” Ramona challenged.

“Okay, then you should know things are rough for me right now, so I don’t want to deal with your bullshit.” Justine quickly replied. Ramona stayed quiet for a second. Looking her up and down.

“Don’t you think it’s a little hypocritical for you to be angry that I’m making assumptions about you when you did that same thing to me earlier?” Ramona retorted.

Justine didn’t respond.

“Yeah, I don’t know you, and I’m glad I don’t. If it were up to me, I wouldn’t even fucking be at this shit hole right now.”

After saying that, a lightbulb went off in Ramona’s head. She walked toward her desk, grabbed her things, and left.

“Madame Yaga isn’t here yet!” Justine yelled.

“Who cares!” Ramona responded halfway down the hall.

Justine was left alone and confused. Looking down at her blank piece of paper.

________________________________________

“Who the hell is this ‘Gossip Girl’?” Briar asked. Whoever they were, had contact with nearly everyone in the Upper East Side, so word of Duchess’ return spread like wildfire. Briar was supposed to be helping Apple get ready for her mom's monthly friends & family dinner, yet the sudden ringing of their phones interrupted them.

Briar’s messages were flooded with thousands of people asking her if she had any idea who it could be. So she had to type out ‘No’ a thousand times. On the other hand, Apple was trying her hardest to keep calm. Sure, her so-called BFF disappeared for a year without letting her know. She then returned without letting her know again. But the more she thought about it, she realized that wasn’t why she was worried.

Gossip had always been a massive thing among EAP students. Rumors about students dating and parents getting divorced had all been discussed before. Gossip Girl just made it more accessible. One of the biggest rumors that floated around the school was that Daring had cheated on Apple with Duchess. No one knows exactly how it started, but someone had started saying they went on dates together at his dad’s hotel, and it all escalated from there. It wasn’t true, of course. When she first heard it, Apple questioned them both for hours. But Daring was too confused, and Duchess was too disgusted for it to be true. That’s what she told herself, at least. She told Daring the situation didn’t bother her. She trusted that he told her the truth. But deep down, she had her doubts. The day she realized Duchess had left, a huge weight lifted off her shoulders.

The days were those rumors were the main topic of conversation at school were the most anxiety-induced days of her life. She couldn’t help but analyze everything Duchess said. Her paranoia made her want to be with Daring at all times to ensure her nightmares weren’t becoming a reality. Apple believed the rumors, disregarding everything Daring had done to reassure her it wasn’t true. She managed to find the tinniest of holes in every story he told her. She made up reasons as to why Daring didn’t love her anymore, and that Duchess actually hated her. The elaborate stories she told herself were eating her alive, but no one could know about it. Especially her parents.

The idea of Apple and Daring being a couple existed since before they were even born. Ever since Apple understood the concept of romance, she’s known Daring was the one . Ever since she understood how marriage worked, she made moodboards of what her marriage with Daring would look like. Ever since she saw pictures of her parents dancing at the Cotillion ball, she knew she would dance with Daring when it was her turn. It was what she wanted the most and Duchess was trying to ruin it.

What did Duchess have that she didn’t? They were both beautiful. They’ve both known Daring since they were kids but Apple knew him since birth. They’ve practically been dating since kindergarten, them getting married is like a prophecy for both of their families. Why did Duchess try to rewrite it? She could (and has) have any man in the world. Rockstars, monarchs, and even unknown, average, regular people. What made Daring so enticing? Or, what made Apple so easily replaceable?

‘Is it my style?’ She could change it. She could wear more makeup and dye her hair. With all the comments made about her not looking like her mother, she has definitely considered it before.

‘My humor or hobbies?’ She could be more reckless and be more impulsive sometimes.

Then it clicked. That was what Duchess had that Apple didn’t. Bravery, courage, the ability to be bold and take the next step. Duchess was never afraid of ‘what ifs’. The consequences of her actions never seemed to matter to her. That’s what made being in a relationship with her so fun. Dating Duchess was like going on a roadtrip without a map, while dating Apple was like following every little detail of a recipe down to the exact utensils they use. Apple had always been more traditional. No rough partying, very focused on school, and absolutely no sex before marrige. Duchess was more “modern” in her ideals, which meant the exact opposite. That was what made Daring want her. At least according to the story Apple kept telling herself over and over again.

It died down after Duchess left. Their relationship sailed smoothly. But now that she’s back and with the ball being 4 months away, she needed to lock in their relationship before it drowned. Even if that meant disregarding her ideals.

Frantically, she left her room. At the top of the staircase, she looked through the guests in her home. She managed to pick out her boyfriend in the crowd and ignored Briar’s warnings. She smiled brightly as she got closer to him and the other men he was talking to. They were discussing college football or something. Whatever it was, it needed to wait.

“Sorry to interrupt, but can I borrow Daring for a second?”

“Ah, of course! Oh, Apple, we need to talk about your next charity gala. I think I have some amazing people you’ll want to invite.” Daring’s father chimed in.

“Oh, perfect! Can’t wait to hear all about it!” She dragged Daring upstairs.

The second they got away from everyone, she kissed him hard. He followed along even though he was confused. It wasn’t until she locked her bedroom door he realized what was going on.

“Whoah, okay! What’s up with you right now?”

She sat close to him on the bed. Still with a brightly fake smile on her face. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know, this is so not you. You said you wanted to wait.”

“Well,” She sat on top of him. “Not anymore.” Daring was shocked.

“Now?” Clocks ticking.

“Yes, Daring! I'm 100% sure.” The second her lips touched his again, there was a loud knock at the door. It startled her, and she immediately backed away. Was it a sign? Was this an omnipotent being telling her to think before she acts? To think before doing something she knows she’ll regret afterward?

She ran up to the door on nervous, shaky legs and opened the door. It was her mom and her message was far worse than anything any deity could’ve told her.

“Apple, Duchess is here!”

________________________________________

When the elevator doors opened to reveal Apple’s penthouse, a wave of discomfort drowned Duchess. The marble floor, glass chandelier, and roses decorating the entryway felt way too familiar. 3 years ago she probably would’ve been excited to enter the house unannounced. A pleasant surprise for her best friend. But now, all she feels is fear.

Apple isn’t one to confront people. If she didn’t like you, you wouldn’t know. She tries to be open with everyone and ever since she became a freshman she was set on changing how students interacted with each other. She didn’t like the name-calling and the gossiping. She tried her best to make everyone get along but some things are just impossible to change. The straight-up bullying did end, at least. But gossip was still a rampant issue. It made Apple feel like her hard work was never enough, (typical since she puts way too much pressure on herself) but she can’t be that angry about it. Sure, Apple didn’t outright hate anyone. But she also went out of her way to separate herself from those she doesn’t like. Duchess didn’t blame her though. No one’s perfect. Especially not if you can afford going to Ever After.

But this is different. Apple didn’t confront those who called her a spoiled brat. But she might confront her “best friend” who disappeared for a year when she suddenly decides to walk right into her house like it's nothing. Duchess felt fear while walking down the hall. Not because of what people were mumbling to each other.

“Boarding school my ass! She went to rehab or something.”

“She definitely had work done. I mean, look at her!”

“I heard she’s pregnant…”

That last one did give her goosebumps. But the main source of her terror was not knowing how Apple was going to react to her arrival. She knew what she did was shitty. She deserved to be the first person Apple publicly yelled at and that’s what scared her the most.

Her legs felt like jelly as she walked up the stairs. At the top, she took a second to breathe and think. ‘What do you say to your best friend after abandoning them when they needed you most?’ She didn’t have time to answer the question because of the piercing gaze she felt on her. She turned around to find Daring staring at her. Instinctively, he fixed his messy hair and shirt. The implication made Duchess wonder what changes had happened since she left. But their eye contact was broken by the door to Apple’s room opening.

“Duchess! So good to see you!” She knew Apple could see the goosebumps on her arms. She knew she was lying to herself about not feeling the tension between her best friend and her boyfriend. Apple could swear her fake smile fooled everyone, but Duchess has known her long enough to know what her genuine smile is like. On top of that, the hug she gave her felt a little too tight. It felt less like a ‘Welcome home!’ and more like an ‘I’m watching you’.

“Yeah, we really missed you,” Daring added. “Want to join us for dinner?”

Duchess’s face contorted in a way Apple couldn’t decipher. Shame? Embarrassment?

“Yeah, about that. Um - I have to get home and talk to Dad. He doesn’t even know I’m here really! So uh, yeah..”

“You’re leaving?” Apple could hear the disappointment in Daring’s voice.

“Sorry, I just wanted to drop by for a second to let you know I’m here. But I’ll see you guys at school tomorrow!”

“Oh great! We have so much catching up to do.” Duchess agreed and quickly walked down the stairs. Just like that, she's gone.

Daring kissed Apple’s forehead and mumbled something about continuing what they were doing later. She nodded even though she wasn’t fully paying attention to his words. She looked around the room while walking down the stairs, spotting Briar and Ashlynn.

“Well, she’s back for good. She’s coming to school tomorrow.” Slightly gritting her teeth.

Briar was busy answering the thousands of messages she had received inquiring about Gossip Girl. Ashlynn on the other hand was shocked by Apple’s words. “Did she not tell you she was coming back?” Her fake smile reappeared immediately.

“Oh, of course, she did. I just… wanted it to be a surprise.”

________________________________________

e-blast #2: Best friends for never?

2/8/07 - 7:45PM

Poor Apple White, always trying so hard but it never seems to be enough. Wipe that fake smile off your face, boo. It’s okay to yell at people sometimes. Especially if they mess with your man. Queen D’s arrival seems to have shocked everyone. Even her so-called BFF... Wake up Apple! Broken friendships fail. Drop her before ‘MVP’ Charming drops you.

[ click to view foto ]

Who’s going to be Apple’s prince charming if Daring runs off to another maiden? Maybe his brother will finally have a date to the ball afterall…

- XOXO, Gossip Girl

#☆ fiafics #eah #ever after high #briar beauty #cerise hood #duchess swan #apple white #eah fanfic #gossip girl

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insomniac-jay · 2 years

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Like Silk [Momosuya]

Description: Ever since he's grown his hair into a mullet, Mitsuya has always wanted Momoka to run her fingers through it. Even if he has to travel halfway across the city for her to do so.

Relationship(s): Momosuya (Takashi Mitsuya x Momoka Takagi)

Warning(s): Swearing, Baji being a menace

Additional tags: Normal AU, Momoka and her family moved to a different part of Tokyo btw, Mimu is an icon and I love him, Mitsuya is a simp

Taglist: @peachyblkdemonslayer

Mitsuya was a man on a mission. He sat on the train as he traveled almost halfway across Tokyo for one thing: Momoka. Since the end of his middle school years, he's grown out his hair. He'd get compliments from others including the gang and sewing club, but the ones he liked the most were from Momoka.

At this point it was a mullet and Momoka had long left her old home, but that didn't stop him.

Sometimes he'd daydream about her braiding and running her fingers through his hair. The feeling of her warm skin and the smell of shea butter filling his senses put him on cloud nine.

"Whatcha thinking about, Mitsuya?"

He's snapped out of his thoughts to see Baji standing in front of him. His trademark sinister grin was on his face, meaning there was bound to be trouble. "Why you on a train right now?"

"None of your business, Baji." Mitsuya replied. But deep down he probably knew that Baji knew. Momoka was the love of his life and he could never resist her. Baji and some of the others would tease him by playing that one Britney Spears song whenever he was around Momoka.

"Oh really? You sure you're not travelling almost halfway across the city to get some kitty?" Baji's smirk got wide as he watched Mitsuya's expression become a horrified and disgusted one.

"Keisuke Baji, how dare you!" Mitsuya wanted to fight him. What went on between him and Momoka during those times was private and not for Baji or anyone else's knowledge. "Why the fuck would you say that?! In public nonetheless!"

"I mean, you're the type to do it. Not to mention how she's got you wrapped around her finger." Baji snickered. "But if not to get some, why are you going to visit her?"

"Again, none of your business."

Momoka hummed as she walked alongside Mimu. As much as she liked her new home, she still felt homesick. She missed the days where she would meet up with the girls and do some shopping or go rollerskating with her friends. She missed the spot where her and Mitsuya had their first kiss on that summer night.

"Oh Mimu," she sighed. "I dunno what I'm gonna do."

Mimu sniffed around and then began barking excitedly. He hopped up and down as he continued barking. Momoka was confused, all until she saw a familiar face walk around the bend.

Mitsuya bend down and petted Mimu. "Hey, little guy. I see you're still keeping my girl company."

"Takashi!" Momoka ran up to Mitsuya and embraced him. She could feel the warmth of his body mix with hers when he hugged back. It felt like forever since they got to really hug each other. "Oh, I missed you!"

"I missed you, too, baby." Mitsuya held Momoka's cupped hand to his face. She had changed since he last saw her. She was still the same chubby girl he loved, but this time her hair was styled in a large puff than its usual loose.

Momoka ran her fingers through her boyfriend's hair. She had never seen such beautiful locks before. Every touch felt silky and smooth, just like how he was. "You...you've changed so much."

"You too."

The two lovers held hands and walked together, Mimu finding a space in between them. "Did you come here just so I could touch your hair?"

"Yeah, but that's our secret."

#jay's writings #jay's tokrev ocs #ship: momosuya🌁

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dallonm-archive · 3 years

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[image description: a cropped image of a pink sky. on the right hand side is a bunch of darker pink clouds. Just left of the centre is a full moon. In the centre, in a white serif font reads "writing update" /end id]

july writing update

Hi friends! This writing update is me pretending I did Camp Nano and didn't kinda give up a week in! I had a proper goal and everything, but a lot of things got in the way that I'm not gonna talk about here because I already ranted about it in another update I'm drafting rn. Lets just say it's Disability Pride Month and being not neurotypical or able bodied in writing communities and their inherent focus on productivity is Hard.

But I did get some writing done and wanted to do a little Camp wrap up post regardless. And I'm doing it now because I'm cancelling the last week of July for some rest/self care and I do not want to think about writing for that time and if I write a tumblr post about July Nano being over my brain will think it's actually over <3 I will probably do updates like these for most months tho! Depends on how much I write lol! This one is not too long (by my standards) and has some Revelations, Revelations, Life Cycle of Massive Stars, Nocturne for the Holy and a new wip idea 👁️

excerpts under the cut!

general taglist ; ask to be + or - ; i only have one! ; @childhoodlovers @svpphicwrites @abiandwriting @kowlazovdi @avi-why @ryns-ramblings @kitblogsthings @bijouxs @bookphobe @moonhungers @alicewestwater @bookpacking @shaelinwrites @onlyganymede @theelectricfactory @write-like-babs @oceancold @sidhewrites @wolf-oak @oasis-of-you @coffeeandcalligraphy @cecilsstorycorner @howdywrites @keira-is-writing @flip-phones @piyawrites @avakrahn @goose-books @finch-goes-write @ziyin @aphaimaniis @isherwoodj @laughtracksonata

I'm also editing this in to say I only just realised that July is my writeblr birthday month and that is very weird to me! A year and a couple days ago I impulsively turned an old blog into a place to document writing for me and ended up meeting people who now mean the world to me and my writing blossoming in a way I never thought it would. And the funny part is it doesn't feel like it's been a year, ever since I joined it's just felt like life has Always been this way and I cannot fathom that it hasn't. I'm sappy bc it's 4am lol but ultimately the friends I made (you know who you are) and the community I found is what retaught me the value of writing and helped me unlearn toxic ideas and whilst the last year was tough I wish I could tell July 2020 Dallon (who did not realise he was Dallon yet </3) what July 2021 would look like.

revelations, revelations ;

Oh the absolute state of affairs with this book rn. Nothing bad but I don't know when I'm gonna update y'all because sometimes I do not know where to start when talking about this wip lol! Currently on a break with it (but also my thesis work is on late 20th century queer lit/history rn so am ever really free of RR? <3) but had a lot of fun with it at the end of June/start of July. Anyway here's Dorothy finally revealing more of herself to me after a year. Dorothy as a character is like, I truly believe she is capable of killing a man but the story she is in just does not allow that so I am trying to grow her unhinged side a little bit in other ways bc I know she has it in her but I also really cannot deal with the plot repercussions of her actually killing a man! I'm sorry Dotty but this'll have to do!

(cw for groping/a man being creepy as hell, death/funeral mention, drug mention, drowning imagery kinda)

There’s too much to tell Felix. That his sister lives on the fringe of Castro and has attended three funerals since September; that it’s January 11th and she’s already attended one this year. That his sister drives through sunsets and imagines parties: the amber dusk, warm mosaic tiles, platters of Greek salad skewers and shrimp tostadas, and sometimes Jolie joins her and they share a blunt on the hill. That his sister bought an aquamarine body-length dress for six bucks in a thrift store sale bin, so when her and Jolie broke up for the second time, she waltzed into a sunset party, locked arms with a CEO’s son and gave him a fake number and plucked strawberries out of champagne and blended so well nobody noticed when she left. That during the summer of ’83, his sister walked a neighbour’s Golden Retriever on Wednesdays, and on the sixth Wednesday he gave her a wad of tens with one hand and palmed the back of her neck with the other, so she walked his dog to the beach and stole another hundred from his wallet. That his sister bombed an interview for a Nursing school and didn’t get home until night and missed their monthly call, and Jolie heard the phone ring and didn’t take a message, so his sister snuck into the CEO’s son’s villa and floated in the centre of their heated pool like a cloud. A pause, a breath, an Opheliean threat.

life cycle of massive stars ;

Switched to LCOMS this month because I was burnt out with RR and it made such the difference! I really love working on two novels at once because it keeps me consistently creative but also both of these books are so different so its always refreshing to bounce back into one from another. I have a whole update in the drafts rn for this so keeping this part brief but still love this book, still the best thing that has ever happened to me, me and this book will have a glorious summer wedding etc etc. These excerpts are from chapters that summarise the first semester of each character's first year and have to say it. has been Very Fun to get into the mindset of Freshers Melodrama. Here's Junie having a crisis and an unhealthy relationship with her hetero flatmate :( (alcohol cw for both excerpts)

In October you are drinking double espresso and trying to breathe normally in lectures and you are trying to figure out your favourite colour because Fleur asked and you stumbled out an answer (Purple, I think. Violet? Lavender? Indigo?) and it didn’t match hers (I like yellow. I like sunlight). You buy mugs from IKEA to paint you paint cats and fireworks and constellations and moon phases and daisies. You try to scratch paint stains off your desk. You do laundry at 2am. In October you colour code your notes with pastel highlighters. You go to the library at 3am. You paint your nails sunlight and hate it. You finish an essay that’s due in December. You knock on Fleur’s door at 8am so she makes her 9am. You wear off the shoulder tops and you let a girl dab glitter on your collarbones and you are watching Fleur kiss a boy from the neighbouring hall. You bite your sunlight nails. You break the handle off your IKEA constellation mug. You leave your keys in a lecture hall and stand at the reception for forty minutes waiting for them to realise that the keys on the desk have the moon chain you mentioned - or, you are waiting to say it yourself. You are watching the rain trail down your window. In October you get a halo headband tangled in your hair you are sipping a vampire themed cocktail that tastes like acetone you rip your heels off and you go home early and do laundry at 2am and you are waiting for the courage to tell Fleur you don’t like clubbing - or, you are waiting for her to ask where you are. In October you are many things / a good student a dancer a painter an angel a big sister an alarm clock you are nocturnal and a lucid dreamer and confused about your sexuality / and it’s still October but it’s not because it’s November now and you are still Junie but not because you don’t know who Junie is. It’s November, it’s September October November December. It’s 2016 2017 2018 2019. You are fragments and you don’t know if you are a kaleidoscope or shattered glass.

And here's first year Tomas being like I Moved Countries For University And All I Got Was Homesickness And A Crush On My Flatmate And Resurging Autistic Symptoms And This Lousy T Shirt (cw: vomit mention, injection mention, parental death mention)

Kristen is seven months younger and five inches taller than you. He’s the last flatmate you met and the only one you talk to beyond kitchen greetings and passive aggressive texts about dirty dishes. He is too quiet and too loud and not the type of person you befriend. The first night, he lost Ring of Fire and downed the concoction of Echo Falls, Dark Fruits, Jack Daniels and coke, vodka and lemonade alongside a cigarette and said he’d let God figure out the rest. He held your hair back when you threw up amaretto and held onto your knee when you first self-injected testosterone. He taught you Yorkshire dialect and you pretended to understand the Yorkshire dialect. He told you he got diagnosed at four and you told him you didn’t get past the first assessment but sometimes you flick the bathroom light on and it’s fire: the orange on the orange towel is louder, the white on the white tiles are louder, the colours and light and sink and showerhead are prickly and all you can do is blink and breathe until it fizzles out. You reminded him to take his meds and asked if you were weak for wanting to drop out and hop on the first Eurostar to Rotterdam. He reminded you to take off your binder and asked if he was robotic for not grieving his mother. You spent inky nights on the kitchen floor, counting the dead flies in the lights and scooping crumbly coconut ice cream out of a maker you got for half price in TK Maxx. You spent dusk-dusted afternoons at the global street food markets, at the vegan markets. Spent student loans on raspberry lemonade in recycled cups, veggie burgers in beetroot buns, got him hooked on poffertjes and advocaat and could’ve cried when the vendor spoke to you in Dutch. Sometimes you didn’t buy anything. Just liked hovering at stalls ambered with fairy lights, writing down Etsy stores on your notes app; just liked Kristen’s impulse to trek forty minutes into the city for a market he didn’t know existed until five minutes before; just liked how he always invited only you, cancelling your other plans last minute, the feeling of being ambushed; just liked how he stopped to take photos of dogs and the sunset; just liked how he looked haloed under lampposts waiting for Ubers, golden on golden.

This is also nearing creative nonfiction because Sheffield truly is a haven for just. vegan markets and cafes lol! I experimented with veganism there and never struggled to find something and at this point I call myself a fake vegan because it's too easy to be vegan in Sheffield and too difficult to be vegan in my actual hometown. And the global street food markets!!! SO GOOD! I miss pre pandemic days

nocturne for the holy ;

Giving her a little shout out because she does exist actually! I've figured out a really good system for working on two novels at a time, so my plan is maybe to start properly on this after I finish either RR or LCOMS. Idk I got 3 novels to pick from haha oops! I did do some free drafting back in April though and found it recently and I Like It! And I edited it so it counts as Something I Did This Month :) Also have decided that I loathe this working title <3 Okay see you with an update for this novel in like a year, sorry for the absolute zero context for this excerpt hehe

The morning I was due back, I hadn’t yet decided that this would be my last visit. I wandered between rooms like an overstayed guest, like I didn’t know which crockery lived in which cabinet and which bedroom had the best view of the overlapped hills. Dad would wake for his run in an hour, plastered to his twenty-year-old routine. Mum would pretend to be asleep until breakfast. Until then, it was myself and the house, hazed by sleepy sunrise. Downstairs. The peeling paisley wallpaper in the lounge, the lilies in the middle of the kitchen table, the vases of candy floss pink peonies wilting on every windowsill, the desolate double swing-set in the garden. The mist-clogged mornings. I stood outside in my dressing-gown until my fingertips felt numb. Upstairs. The sage coloured bathroom. The bathtub I’d laze in with my clothes on and no water because it was the quietest room in the house. The dusty dance trophies on the top of my wardrobe. Wine-flushed Jeanette in my teenage bedroom. The stale grey mum painted my teenage bedroom after I moved out. Minus their room, I stalked the layout of the house three times before settling back into bed - teenage Nora’s bed. Nora who cared for peonies and pushed her brother on the swing set and flung her ceramic ballerina at the wall and jogged with her father and collected wine bottles and acorns and kisses from girls who were supposed to visit for dance practice. Before I left, I’d have cycled each room another three times. And in every room he was there, hovered in the corner like black mould.

love this update bc it's like i've got my third person, my second person, my first person! collecting all the POVs like chaos emeralds :)

eulogy for our burnings ;

-looks away-

girl help I did it AGAIN!!!! Apparently Camp Nano is just the perfect time for me to get novel ideas. I made this post specifically to talk a bit about this because I have no idea when I'll draft it but it's certainly not soon. This is not me trying to doubt my own skill but I feel like I am not in the place I'd like to be as a writer to tackle this project with the zest it needs, however I am v excited by the prospect of it! Don't know how I feel about the working title bc I'm like "that doesn't sound right but I don't know enough about this wip to dispute it" but the only purpose my working titles serve is to sound pretty lol! But here's the tea:

1991, UK.

2nd person present + past. Very flexible form. I can't decipher how yet but I'm feeling interviews, newspaper articles, receipts, grocery store lists weaved with actual narrative, that kinda vibe.

Best summary is we follow our nameless narrator, a stealth trans man, as he becomes unhealthily obsessed with a man who "hires" him to photograph the buildings he burns

Very,,, isolated? Minimal settings, minimal characters, minimal prose etc. Almost claustrophobic

There's basically only two characters and they are probably the most morally deplorable, indefensible characters I've created which just means most of you are gonna LOVE this /lh I do too I do too

Only comp title I can give is it has the vibes/tone of Boy Parts by Eliza Clark (just with none of the nsfw content lol if you've read the book you know what I'm talking about) (also that book is great for morally deplorable women protagonists but omg look up the content warnings because it caught me off guard! enjoyed it tho gave it 4 stars)

The pinterest board is the best visualisation of the Vibes also follow me on pinterest lol

And that's all I've got today! A bigger Life Cycle of Massive Stars update coming in the next few weeks. Might do a proper intro post for Eulogy For Our Burnings but idk!!! It's a surprise :) Thank you for reading this far!

#also i have LOTS to catch up on so if u tagged me in anything im gonna do a big queue of rb's soon!#promise im not ignoring anybody!#just barely functioning <3 #atlastracking #writing update #revelations revelations #life cycle of massive stars #nocturne for the holy #eulogy for our burnings

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thefact0rygirl · 2 years

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hello vee its deedee 🥂 surprise i’m not being a whore this time i’m saying a thing abt homesickness that helped me ,,,,, finding an alternate thing i did at home that i can still enjoy in the new place? i bake lots of things and tried to do that whenever i felt homesick (esp family recipes) even tho it was bittersweet not having the people i know to share them with it was still a piece of home? and i go for lots of walks. bc becoming more familiar w where u are now can help feeling like u wld rather be somewhere else. this is sort of unsolicited advice but yeah idk. painting sewing all the things i love just trying to bring as much of home with me but also being open to changes n stuff. like where i moved it was a city and very flat,, very different to where i was which i really don’t like. but the sunsets were the same bc it’s still the sky. and still rains sometimes so i can walk in the rain. and grocery stores r still probably gonna have the good kind of ice cream. etc. all that stuff. but it does suck and is difficult (so visiting home can be nice). i definitely felt like i wanted to give up and go home sometimes but i think (unless it’s actually a terrible situation) a change of pace and getting out of the old comfort zone can be really good. id say meeting people as well but god knows that’s so difficult..,,,, but . it gets there and then suddenly you’ll miss ur home and/or the people there but you won’t feel sick abt it. anyway. yes. i hope u feel better i’m sending many hugs if ur cool with that

ahhhh deedee! i'm sending you hugs back 💕thank you so much for this, this really helped! you are so right - the sky is still the same, it still rains, and the grocery stores still have my favorite things. it's about bringing parts of home with you. i went thrifting today which is something i used to do all the time back home and it definitely calm me down a bit. thank you so much, my friend! you have no idea how much i needed this 💛💖

#vee answers #okdeedee #🥂 anon #idk which one to use now so im gonna keep on using both ok

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aemoonie · 3 years

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Renjun anon here! I think I need to claim some emoji for my asks to make it easier to identify myself, so uhhhm can I be ☕ anon? Anyways onto the podcasts bc I have some thoughts as well.

I also felt that haechan was quite shy at first, and he mentioned he's a shy person to people he doesn't know, and that he's always been too nervous to talk to red velvet bc he views them as more established in the industry. What also stuck out to me is when Haechan mentioned his mom and how supportive she is but that she's worried about certain things his work involves that he has to be careful about.

NoMinHyuck were definitely more quiet than I thought they would be but their interviews were really nice. It was nice to see jaemin be so included bc he seems to zone out or be in his had (I feel like we saw another introverted jaemin moment), but i'm glad that boy drinks regular coffee now, he's down to my daily caffeine level of 2-3 cups. I sideeye Eric for drinking 3-4 cups though 👀. I loved how comfortable they felt, especially jisung bc it's hard to make him truly relax and open up like that. It was nice to see him tease mark a bit by saying mark talks a lot lol.

I was also glad they asked mark about Canada and whether he's homesick, i'm glad he mainly isn't and tbh I didn't even know his fam moved to Korea for him, that's so sweet!! There was this fancall where the fan was from vancouver and mark kept on asking her where exactly she's from and to tell him things when the girl was just trying to ask her question lol so he probably still thinks of Canada from time to time. Or when Eric asked him about this speech he did where he thanked god and how having strong beliefs like that was unique and how surprised Mark was bc noone really brought his religious beliefs and values up before.

Btw regarding renjun I watched the third part of the hello future past, present, future vids where he mentions that to him freedom is basically like drinking coffee in a forest and how he'd want to do that and just relax in nature. I find it so fascinating that he speaks in metaphors like that. I read a comment that he probably overthinks a lot or is in his head and would just want to live a quiet, comfortable life, and I mean who wouldn't want that? I also noticed in the podcast that for some reason Eric didn't really know that renjun is ethnically korean and asked him how he speaks it so well lol. Finally I think Jeno was the one who mentioned to Eric that Eric is known for his manners (which shocked Eric lol) and that they all felt very comfortable which was really lovely to see!

I also feel like they know how to navigate the industry by now, multiple members said that when they were younger they thought they had to do everything like how others wanted (and I think this goes for both the fact that they're so handled in their job and were literally groomed as minors and the pressure they probably felt from the public) but they feel like they can do things their way, which is good, and I think they're all having some realizations as they get older and experience the same or similar things we do. I think it's partly why renjun feels like he just wants to relax and have time for himself, and is being more open to sharing his thoughts and being genuine. And also who wouldn't get overwhelmed in that career? But in general it is very rare to see someone be so open despite being famous. I read this post once about some actor, that I just can't seem to find, who described that to lessen the feeling of being in a very controlled environment he takes time for himself to do things like work out by himself or small things like that and I hope the dreamies can have little moments like that for themselves too.

yes that's a great idea lmao i'll use that tag from now on! <3

yeah, the haechan thing i didn't really know before so it was kinda nice to see this side of him! it makes sense that he feels comfortable with nct and the staff, so you wouldn't notice in their regular content. i feel it's kinda refreshing to see a different, more quieter side of all of them, actually! <3

i also think you could really see jeno taking on this kind of "leader" role between the three of them, he clearly felt responsible for giving answers and i kinda loved the way he gave little sounds inbetween what eric was saying. idk why but i like when people do that lmao. and the compliment thing was also super sweet and funny!

and YES oh god this boy and his coffee! 8 shots is really insane no wonder he had to cut it little by little. maybe it had something to do with his distaste of milk, but like get oat milk or smth dude o.O. i'm so glad he drinks regular coffee now T-T his mix sounded so wild, i would've made him sign some insurance if i was the barista T-T

oh, yes, the mark canada section was really heart-warming <3 i thought it was super nice to hear that his family moved for him, in earlier content i noticed when he talked about them he sort of had a hard time. but now i feel like there is more nostalgia when talking about canada for him, and less this emotional strain of missing his family, which i think is great!! i'm really happy for him <3 and his strong religious beliefs also add so much to his complexity as a person, i think in korea religion can be a touchy subject (esp. as an idol), and is considered smth really private. but i kinda like that he let's it shine through here and there and while i am not religious myself, i can respect that so much!

and renjun is just so <//3 he's so dreamy fr. he always finds such interesting ways to tell stories and describe things and you can tell that he thinks in a more abstract way. it's really intriguing to listen to him, i don't think i would ever get tired of it! and the way he looked at mark and jisung when they said they lost their rings <//3 mans was feeling betrayed lmao. and as a note, i think eric just didn't really look up his birth city all that much for which i can't really blame him. you'd kind of have to know that this area has korean influence and since he is also a foreigner, i don't really think it was a big deal and it wasn't to renjun i think (at least he didn't look irritated at all).

and your last point is sooo true, i know when everyone went crazy after go, talking about how much they grew up - but back then it was more physical and musically. but by now i think you can really feel how they matured and feel way more comfortable about who they are and what they do. as adults, i can imagine that the company is backing off of them at least a little bit, so i think they just enjoy they newfound "freedom" and a more mature character development. i have to say i noticed the biggest changes in renjun and jaemin, both kinda stopped portraying a certain image and feel super genuine now. and lastly, i think our boy jisung finally had some time to shine! for more quieter (or: calmer) idols, i think this podcast format is sooo much better than all those bigger variety shows! but i guess that's only natural, coming from an introvert myself lol.

i also hope they have these moments, it sounds like a great tip <3 i think you can kinda guess that they find these moments themselves, like jeno with his cycling or mark with his writing, or even haechan and his gaming. i just think it so nice to see the maturing mentally atm, it's kinda rare to see it so clearly in the industry (from an outsider's perspective)!

#☕ anon #replies 💌‧₊˚#mndchldsung

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transdimensional-void · 5 years

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Hey there! Sorry in advance if you've answered similar asks, i searched your blog and couldn't find any. I'm thinking about doing a year abroad in Japan (in part inspired because of So Many Stars, which ive read a bunch of times and is quite important to me), what do you think I should know/take into account in order to make that decision? Thanks!

hello, anon! i have answered questions like this before, but i don’t mind doing so again. :D it always makes me so happy to know that SMS inspired someone to look further into japan.

1. figure out how you’ll go - a very common pathway is to go as an english teacher, but there are different options for that as well. if you have your bachelor’s degree, you can get hired to work in public schools, either through JET, a direct hire from a local Board of Education, or a dispatch company that has a contract with a BOE to provide teachers to their schools. you could also choose to work in a private english school, of which there are many to choose from.

if you aren’t planning to go as an english teacher, there are other options, such as exchange programs or working holiday visas (depending on what country you are from). but if you’re wanting to stay for a full year, you’ll need something more than the typical tourist visa.

2. moving to another country isn’t cheap - i think i had something like US$4,000 saved up before i went, and i’d spent every penny of it by the end of my first two months there (which was when my paychecks finally started coming in). save up ahead of time!

3. learn some japanese - if you’re in a big city like tokyo or osaka, you will probably find many people who can assist you in english. elsewhere, though, people will mostly only speak japanese. plan to learn basic conversation, hiragana, katakana, and at least 10-20 basic kanji before you go. that’ll make the transition much smoother.

4. 2020 olympics - if you’re thinking of going next year, be aware that the olympics will be going on. you might want to snag some tickets!

5. natural disasters - japan is suffering from climate change just like everywhere else, and it’s causing increased flooding and landslides. japan also has to deal with typhoons, earthquakes, and tsunamis. be prepared to experience at least one or two of these things while you’re there.

6. it’s hard but worth it - moving to another country is never easy, even one like japan where people are generally very friendly and welcoming, and it has most of the conveniences you’re probably used to back home. you’ll get homesick. you’ll run into differences that frustrate or even anger you. you’ll feel lost and confused sometimes (or a lot of the time). but all the bad stuff is really worth it for the experience of mastering new cultural competencies.

let me know if there’s anything there you’d like me to elaborate on. i hope you’ve found this helpful!

#so many stars #anon #answered

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datingadviceonreddit · 4 years

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Before i start, i wanna apologize for my writing mistakes, i'm no english speaker native. AND SORRY FOR THE ENORMOUS TEXT.It all started in 2009, when I met this guy "Josh" (fake name) on a gaming forum in Orkut (a social media) . We started talking because an idiot said shit about a game that we both enjoyed and after days of arguing, he sent me a friend invitation. I was excited, he looked like a nice guy who has the same preferences as me and thought "why not?". When we started talking, it was like a fairy tale, we connected so well and instantly that I thought "this must be the destiny". We talked for hours and it seemed that the conversations were endless. He was my first and last thought of the day and the first thing I did after waking up was running to the computer and see if he was online. To my surprise, I ended up discovering that Josh lived in the same city as me and i was so euphoric with that we set out to meet that same week. I don't even have words to describe the magical sensation it was when I touched him for the first time and could hear his voice live, i can perfectly remember every detail of that day. We went to the movies and while we're waiting for the session to start he kissed me, in the end we didn't even pay attention to the film, it seemed that the world around us didn't even exist.Of course we started dating right away and each day was like a gift. At the time, i was in the middle of my university degree, but since he is younger than me, he just entered the same university as mine right after graduating high school. Despite the difference in schedule, we both found time to see each other frequently between classes and spent the weekends together. This fairy tale lasted for two years until things changed dramatically. I have problems with my period, so it was very common not to come for two months and then follow the cycle, it was like that since I was a teenager and that's why I didn't worry too much, we also used condoms in our relationships and both believed that everything was fine . But in April 2011 my body started to change and i was strangely more tired than usual, more irritated and certain foods made me feel sick. When i went to the hospital i found out i was three months pregnant and was going to be a mother. I don't want to go into detail about how things went during my pregnancy, but it was very complicated. Josh was unable to digest the news very well and panicked, after all, we were extremely young and we had just started life, he was still at the University and i had just graduated with a job that did not pay enough, how would we raise a child? His family didn't look very happy either, and I feel that deep down they accused me of destroying his future.As abortion is illegal in my country, we considered adoption, neither of us had structures to continue with that pregnancy and it was the most correct thing to do. See, I'm not saying I don't love my daughter, she ended up being the most precious and important thing in my life, but at the time my mother forced me to raise a child that i didn't wanted, at no time did she considered my feelings and threatened to expel me from home if I did not obey it. I was very young and financially dependent, so ended up needing to accept that reality in order not to end up on the street. I was also naive and very afraid of who that woman was and what she could do to me, she was able to manipulate me easily. In the end our daughter was born healthy and beautiful, the angel who came to cheer my life up. However, on the other hand, my relationship collapsed, we were not ready to be parents and that ended up reflecting on our relationship. We parted on good terms and remained friends for the sake of our daughter, no drama or unnecessary fights that could reflect on our child.After a year of working to support us, the situation with my parents became unbearable, especially with my mother. She wanted to meddle all the time in raising my daughter and criticized all the education i was trying to give, judged the mother i was and did everything she could to weaken my authority. After several episodes i decided it was time to leave my parents' house and start a new life with my daughter, but just with my salary it wouldn't be enough and I didn't want her to be in difficulties, so I ended up contacting a old college friend who decided to help me.Kate (fake name) works for a cruise line and offered me an eight-month offshore contract that paid enough for things to get better. I was relutant, spent eight months away from my daughter? How could I? But i ended up analyzing the situation more calmly and decided accepting the offer and sacrifice eight months to improve our lifes. So i called Josh and invited him for a meeting and explained the whole situation, said he shouldn't leave our daughter with my parents and asked not just as a mother, but as a dear friend, that he needed to take care of her while i was away. Josh had already graduated and had a good job in the city, his family was also able to take care our daughter's matters and had no reason to use someone else's care. He immediately accepted without thinking twice, congratulated me on the attitude of looking for a better future and promised his best in those eight months. I confess that at that moment i remembered what an incredible man he was and how we had separated, my heart broken into pieces again.Then, after waking up with Josh, about the eight-month period, i came home and told my parents. My mom freaked out, of course. She cursed all the names and said that i was ungrateful and that i wanted to take my daughter away from her. She made a real drama to make me change my mind and feel guilty, even threatened to file a lawsuit and ask for my daughter's custody, but i kept going until the end.To shorten the situation, i made a lot of money on the cruise, met several countries and several people, i worked hard and gathered all the money possible for when he return. Meanwhile, Josh always called me on skype to show me our daughter and talk. He even told me that my mother went to his house to pick up her granddaughter and they even had to call the police.After eight months of hard work, i returned to my country to continue the plan, it was incredible to see my little girl again and end the homesickness. The hardest part was having to face my mother and her selfish behavior, until one night we had a really bad fight and i decided it was time to leave the house, no time for taking a break to looking for apartments, just time to leave.While working on the cruise i ended up impressing some people who asked me to work on land when my contract ended, the only thing was that it would be in another state, completely away from my family and friends. I was nervous once again because of Josh, i didn't want to separate our daughter from him, but to my surprise he ended up understanding the situation and encouraged me to move on, we would make sure that he was always in touch with her and never lost the bond, also it would be good for everyone to cut ties with my troubled mother. In the end, we moved away and settled in a new healthy life where i could give her all the best.But three months ago Josh called to say that his company had moved him to the city where i'm living and he asked to stay at my house while looking for an apartment for himself. Of course i accepted the request and welcome him, it would also be good for him to spend time with our daughter, but it turned out that a few weeks turned into months and now we both live under the same roof like a real family. Sometimes we talk about our past and he acts the same way he did when we were two young lovrbirds and even after all this time i still think there are chances for both of us, but i'm afraid it is all just in my head and i am interpreting everything wrong. Sometimes he speaks and does things that lead me to believe that there is still feeling and our sexual tension can be cut with scissors. My daughter once said during our dinner "its so good to see mommy and daddy together, i have a real family now" and i was like ?????? (Children....) Josh just laughed and i was ????? Do you agree too???Should I open up to him and tell him that I'm in love again? via /r/dating_advice

#dating #dating advice #reddit

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tortuga-aak · 7 years

Text

Refinery29's Facebook series 'Strangers' is as compelling as anything you'll find on traditional TV

Facebook Watch/Refinery29

One of the best shows for Facebook's new Watch platform is Refinery29's "Strangers."

Business Insider spoke to the creator of "Strangers" Mia Lidofsky about her new series.

Lidofsky got the idea for the series after having an interesting Airbnb experience, and has a lot of hope for the Watch platform.

So far, Facebook's new video platform Watch is full of mostly forgettable, mediocre content, but the platform is also home to one of best scripted series out now: Refinery29's "Strangers."

"Strangers" follows a freshly single Isobel (Zoe Chao) as she explores her newly discovered sexuality, while Airbnbing her spare room in order to make ends meet. As new people enter Isobel's home and life, she's forced to confront and explore new aspects of herself.

The scripted series produced by Refinery29 is a poignant, heartbreaking, and tenderly told coming-of-age tale, sure to resonate with anyone who has ever felt uncertain about what they want in life.

The series also has some impressive guest stars like Jemima Kirke ("Girls"), Shiri Appleby ("UnREAL"), and Jemaine Clement ("Flight of the Concords").

Business Insider spoke to the creator of "Strangers," Mia Lidofsky, to learn what inspired her to make the series, and what her hopes for the Watch platform are.

This is what Lidofsky had to say about her new series "Strangers":

Lidofsky's idea for strangers blossomed from her own experience renting her apartment on Airbnb.

Facebook Watch/Refinery29

Amanda Henning Santiago: I know "Strangers" is based on some of your own experiences. How did you turn your own stories into a series?

Mia Lidofsky: I decided to put my apartment up on AirBnb and move out west. It was Thanksgiving and we [Lidofsky and Richard Shepard] had just finished shooting "Salem."

I was so homesick, and I really missed the East Coast, I missed New York, I missed my family, and I missed my New York community. I was like, "I have to get back to New York at least for a visit." My apartment was already rented. So I decided, "Okay I'll become a renter." And I rented this beautiful loft in Williamsburg with a friend who was coming home with me for Thanksgiving. It was this kind of extraordinary re-entry back into New York because I got to try on a different life than the life that I had left.

I really fell in love with this apartment, and was super sad to leave. When I was exchanging the keys with the host JP, he called me up and he was like, "Mia I've got a funny story for you," and I was like, "Alright JP what you got?"

He said, "Well, I'm dating this girl," and I was like great, I'm already interested.

He said, "She lives in LA."

And I was like well that's complicated, but he said, "No, she's been living in the West Village for the last three months."

I said, "Oh cool, I used to live there. I have an apartment there."

He said, "I know," and I was like, "Okay?"

Then he said, "You know I stayed with my girlfriend this weekend, so you could stay in my place?"

I was kind of confused, I was like is he trying to make me feel guilty? Like, I paid him. Then he said, "Mia, my girlfriend is your subletter. I stayed in your apartment this weekend."

JP and I had never met each other, we had only met through Airbnb, and in the course of one weekend we had traded beds in order for each of us to actually survive — JP's an artist as well — being artists in the city. That was just a really memorable moment for me.

I thought about sharing communities such as AirBnB, and Uber, and Lyft, and Citi Bike, and all of these ways in which the world is shifting toward this sharing economy. And how it just brings this ability to bring different people into your life. It became this really powerful idea for a storytelling vehicle to bring all different kinds of people in and out of a protagonist's life.

I knew I wanted to tell a story about a bisexual woman. I knew I wanted her to be going through a life crisis about her sexual identity, and where she was in her career, and just sort of explore this life on the cusp of 30.

There's this perception that we're supposed to have it all figured out, and be on this certain path, and be really confident in that. But I wanted to look at what happens when you have this quarter-life crisis, and realize that there's incredible newness and truth in you that you're just discovering.

Lidofsky's connections with actors on past projects resulted in some amazing guest stars on "Strangers."

Facebook Watch/Refinery 29

Henning Santiago: There are a lot of really amazing actors on "Strangers." Jemaine Clement is in the first episode, which I was super excited about.

Lidofsky: Jemaine is one of the funniest people I have ever met, and when I was helping produce "People, Places, Things," — he was the star of the film — we became close. He really wanted to champion my voice, and he was excited for me about "Strangers."

You know early days when it was just a seed in my mind he was like, "I'll be in it, you just call me."

I actually had a lot of actors say that, like Shiri Appleby. When I was working with Jesse [a former colleague] and [Appleby] came in to guest star on "Girls," she was like, "When you make something, you call me."

In many ways ["Strangers" is] a testament to people showing up, and following up on their word.

Lidofsky believes that Facebook Watch is "going to be a really good thing."

Facebook Watch/Refinery29

Henning Santiago: "Strangers" is currently on Facebook Watch, which is where I initially found it. I'm just curious to hear how you feel about Watch?

Lidofsky: Listen, it's extraordinarily exciting to be a part of the first generation of any kind of new platform. You know I think that Facebook in many ways is a home that I never would have anticipated, or thought about, but in many ways it feels totally perfect, and the right home for "Strangers."

In the sense that in the best ways this platform is another sort of sharing economy. It's a place where there are 2 billion viewers, and if this show has the potential to reach a fraction of that 2 billion people ... My hope in filmmaking is to help change the narrative of normal; create crazy positive portrayals of women, of female friendships, of lesbians, of bi, of trans, of sexually curious, questioning, real people. And if I can do that with an endless capability of an audience, that's super exciting for me as a creator.

I mean that's a really powerful tool that I don't take lightly. I think that there's a plethora of content out on Facebook right now — on the Watch platform — and perhaps it's complicated or confusing to find shows that feel good and right. My real hope is that eventually "Strangers" will stand out as a quality show that people love, that people connect with, that they laugh at, that they cry to, and that it finds its audience.

I am truly optimistic about what Watch can and will do, and you know it's early stages. At one point Amazon had just started, and people were like, "But I order bulk toilet paper and DVDs, what do you mean they're gonna make 'Transparent,' and 'Mozart in the Jungle?'"

And I think people were confused when Netflix and Hulu came on the scene. I have to trust in what Facebook is trying to achieve, and what they're capable of, and you know I believe this is going to be a really good thing.

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ramialkarmi · 7 years

Text

Refinery29's Facebook series 'Strangers' is as compelling as anything you'll find on traditional TV

Facebook Watch's best new show is Refinery29's "Strangers."

Business Insider spoke to the creator of "Strangers" Mia Lidofsky about her new series.

Lidofsky got the idea for the series after having an interesting Airbnb experience, and has a lot of hope for Facebook's new Watch platform.

So far, Facebook's new video platform Watch is full of mostly forgettable, mediocre content, but the platform is also home to one of best scripted series out now: Refinery29's "Strangers."

The scripted series produced by Refinery29 is a poignant, heartbreaking, and tenderly told coming-of-age tale, sure to resonate with anyone who has ever felt uncertain about what they want in life.

The series also has some impressive guest stars like Jemima Kirke ("Girls"), Shiri Appleby ("UnREAL"), and Jemaine Clement ("Flight of the Concords").

Business Insider spoke to the creator of "Strangers," Mia Lidofsky, to learn what inspired her to make the series, and what her hopes for the Watch platform are.

This is what Lidofsky had to say about her new series "Strangers":

SEE ALSO: Most of Facebook's new 'Watch' shows are stuck in a boring purgatory between premium TV and the charm of YouTube