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simply-zhouye · 3 years

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Zhou Ye: The Wonderful Ideas of Lotte Girls // Esquire Fine photoshoot & interview ~ a really wonderful interview with Yezi!

Read rough translation of interview below: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/lY3oBM51ytlua7S8ZRdmlw

The lively character is like jumping candy, and the crisp voice is like summer honeydew. It can be a cute angel or a rebellious girl. Who wouldn't like a beautiful and free girl? We met Zhou Ye at a claw machine shop, and she caught the one she wanted five times!

Zhou Ye didn't laugh when shooting the magazine blockbuster, but she liked to laugh privately.

In the eyes of the people around, she is a simple and lively little girl, born optimistic, loves to joke, and loves to share all the fun and delicious. After catching up with the good-looking drama, she will also be ambitious to everyone, even if she encounters any troubles, she It will be resolved soon. She denied the title of "Girl's Heart"-when she was not working, she liked to lie at home and chase dramas, and science fiction and fantasy were her dishes. She enthusiastically gave an example. There is an American drama called "Stranger Things". It is about a little boy who disappeared in a small town in the United States. Everyone went to find him and found that there was an entrance to another world, exactly the same as this world. , But there is no one in that world. Such a story attracts her even more.

A few days ago, she took a four-day holiday, "very satisfied!" During the holiday, she made appointments with a few good friends for dinner, went to the playground, and watched dramas. If the vacation is longer, she would prefer to go home and stay with her family. Playing with mom and dad, playing with grandpa and grandmother, the family finds a beautiful place to go camping, and if you don’t go out, you can play mahjong with the whole family. She can stay away from looking at her mobile phone for a day.

Asked this girl who is not so girly what she wants, she said, "Now I want to accomplish everything in the moment, and every day will be better than the day before!"

Therefore, Zhou Ye, who hopes to be more progressive, raised his face and chatted with us about serious matters.

Before, people often said to me, "I like your performance of "Youth", but now everyone talks more about "Shanhe Ling". Let’s start the conversation with "The Order of Mountains and Rivers".

Gu Xiang in the play is a girl who is cold on the outside and warm on the inside. She helped Cao Weining, Zhang Chengling, and the singing sisters, but it didn't mean that she trusted them. She just felt that these people were very pitiful. Because Gu Xiang was picked up by her master when she was a child, she felt sorry for them and wanted to protect them.

She is defensive to everyone, and she will not trust anyone easily. In terms of character, Gu Xiang and I are a bit like. Both are more lively. What we don't quite resemble is our life experience and living environment.

When I first finished reading the script of "The Order of Mountains and Rivers", I loved Gu Xiang from the bottom of my heart. Gu Xiang grew up in Guigu where she was killed and beaten everywhere. Although she was lucky enough to meet Wen Kexing, the master who protected her, the rivers and lakes were sinister and Gu Xiang never really relaxed. Therefore, she can only protect herself by fierce methods. She looks acrimonious, slurs and curses, and she has to fight or kill at every turn. She looks very fierce and cruel, but her heart is really innocent and special. Kindness. When encountering people like Cao Weining, Zhang Chengling, and the singing sister Hua, Gu Xiang will rescue them and help them beat the gangsters.

Many audience friends felt that the ending of Gu Xiang and Cao Weining was too miserable when they watched "The Order of Mountains and Rivers". Gu Xiang originally didn't know what the outside world was like. After she came to the world, she met Big Brother Cao, and the two people who loved each other were about to be happy. Unexpectedly, on the day of the wedding, Gu Xiang lost her lover so much that she would fight herself Life. I am also uncomfortable with this ending. It is not easy for them to get to this day. Why can't they live well? If I were to write an ending, it would definitely be two people living together happily forever.

For me, playing Gu Xiang should be more difficult than playing. This is my first time shooting a costume drama, and also my first time shooting a martial arts drama. "Shanhe Ling" really has a lot of martial arts, because it tells the story of the rivers and lakes, so I joined the group some time before I started, and learned some moves from the martial arts masters.

In retrospect, the scene of the wedding was the most memorable. I had been shooting for three days in a row. I had been beating, killing, and hanging off Wia, and I would beat off some hair accessories from my hair. I didn't dare to hang on Wia at first, and the costume was so thick that I could easily trip on my feet. But I can’t take care of this when I shoot. This is Gu Xiang’s most emotional scene. I feel the same for Gu Xiang and can’t help crying. Until the end of my cry, I can’t tell whether my face is tears or saliva. , I hope that through this scene, everyone can feel Gu Xiang’s pain.

For me at this stage, whether it is a role that is more similar to myself or a completely different role, I am willing to give it a try. If the character of a character is very pleasing, I will have a sense of substitution when I read the script, I will like it, and I will really want to play it.

In fact, my interest in acting began after I was in college. When I was a child, I learned piano, and I was not very sensible at that time. I thought it would be fine to play the piano every day after growing up and collect tickets. After being admitted to the Beijing Film Academy, we often watch movies. When the directors see their favorite movies, they will think "I can make such a great movie in the future". I am in the acting department, so I hope I can do it in the future. Acting in a particularly powerful movie may be the influence of the school atmosphere. I still remember that I watched some old movies when I was in school. I really liked "Scent of a Woman" and Marlon Brando. He played "The Godfather" very well.

In the film school, we had a lot of opportunities to meet the director and the crew. We tried again and again, and slowly met scenes that were willing to use our young actors, and started the road to filming. I will definitely read the script several times before filming. In addition to my own role, I have to read the whole story, write a short biography of the character, and talk to everyone at the script reading meeting. For example, when shooting "Ah Cradle", I often consulted sister Haiqing and the director. In the filming of "Youth in Youth", I would also ask the director: The girl I played has such a good family, why does she bully her classmates? The director told me that because her parents had very strict education for her, she was required to be particularly good since she was a child. She was under tremendous pressure and kept suppressing it, so she vented the pressure by bullying her classmates.

When taking the play, I don't worry about people comparing my previous works or achievements, as long as my requirements for myself will not change. My request is to do my best to shape each role. Every time I finish filming a film, I will have a certain evaluation of myself, and I will also look at other people's evaluations of me, as well as the opinions given to me by my predecessors, to integrate these. Every time, I hope I can do better next time.

Up to now, I have been shooting for a few years, and I feel that I am not a talented actor, and I have to be a model worker. However, the sisters who brought me to the management team said that my biggest change and improvement is that I am more independent than before. When I first started filming, I would hide in the room and cry by myself every time I joined the group, especially wanting to go home.

Now I am more comfortable with the life of the crew than before. When I first joined the group, I still felt a little homesick. I hope to finish the filming soon, and become familiar with everyone. After work, I will play with the actors in the same group. When I was resting, I was playing with werewolf killing or something, so happy, I didn't want to kill it. I didn't want to be successful when I was filming "Shanhe Ling", and the same was true when filming "Ah Cradle". As actors, it seems that we can go to different places every time we film. In fact, there is not much time to spend in the local area, but we can eat a lot of local delicacies.

As I said just now, I want to do everything right now, and the current week is the best week.

Do you often dream? Please share a dream that is more imaginative.

Zhou Ye:

I sometimes dream. Once, I dreamed that I received an acceptance letter from an owl, took the Hogwarts Express train to the magic school to learn magical magic, visited Hogsmeade Village, and met so many new friends. .

What is your dream day like? How to spend it?

Zhou Ye:

At this stage, my dream day is to sleep in late, and after waking up, I will lie in bed and watch a drama or hang out with my friends or watch a drama.

How to arrange the dream holiday? Stay at home or go out to play?

Zhou Ye:

Of course, it is best to have two days, so you can stay at home one day and go out to play one day!

What about the journey of your dreams? With whom, where to go, and how to play?

Zhou Ye:

With your family, you can go to the beach or play paragliding.

What is your dream job announcement?

Zhou Ye:

Go to Universal Studios to shoot hahahaha, I really want to go!

What kind of "dream skills" do you want to have?

Zhou Ye:

Teleport!

Which era is the dream era? why?

Zhou Ye:

Now, now is the best time. Grasp the moment.

#zhou ye #hqs:zhouye #photoshoot #esquire fine #magazine photoshoot #gu xiang #word of honor #shan he ling cast #hogwarts

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darksaiyangoku · 4 years

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RWBY: Rewrite the Stars

A little gift for @laserdog10, @razorblade180 and @tanakaclinkbeard

The ballroom of Schnee Manor was absolutely breathtaking, An extravagant crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, and the deep blue marble floors were practically gleaming. Teams RWBY, JNPR and SSSN all took the floor, dancing the night away while the string quartet played. All except for two.

Oscar Pine looked across the room to see his ex-girlfriend, Penny Polendina, sifting with her father. A solemn look appeared on his face and he slumped in a chair.

Oscar: Maybe I really was kidding myself. There was no way it could’ve happened between us.

???: Why the long face?

Oscar: Gah!!! Oh, *breathes* it’s just you, Whitley.

Whitley: That it is. *points to chair* You mind?

Oscar: *shakes head* Go for it.

Whitley: *sits down* So what’s the matter?

Oscar: Well... *sigh* it’s Penny. Last month, she broke up with me and it’s been pretty hard for both of us. She’s incredible, so much fun, quirky and just all around the best girl imaginable and... now it’s over.

Whitley: I’m sorry, buddy.

Oscar: Thanks.

Whitley: Did she ever tell you reason why she wanted to end it?

Oscar: She... said it was because she didn’t think it was possible for us to be together properly, given that I’m human and she’s... well not.

Whitley: I see.

Oscar: *deep sigh* Maybe it’s for the best. I mean, I guess it was silly of me to think something like that could work.

Whitley: *stands up* Okay, I’ve heard enough. You’re coming with me!

Oscar: Wait wh- aaaaagh!!!! *dragged by Whitley*

Meanwhile on the other side of the room, Ruby and Jaune were talking with Penny after her father had left.

Ruby: Are you sure you’re okay?

Penny: *smiling widely* Of course, Ruby. *hic* Why wouldn’t I be? *hic*

Jaune: Um, because you’re hiccuping a lot. We know what that means.

Penny: *nervous laughter* Guess like I’m not as subtle as I think.

Ruby: *places hand on Penny’s shoulder* What’s wrong?

Penny: ....Oscar. I-I want to talk to Oscar, but... I don’t know what to say.

Jaune: Well what’s on your mind?

Penny: I... *sighs* I don’t know. I just... *fidgets* miss him. But... maybe us not being togther is for the best. *hic*

Ruby: Penny... you want to get back together with Oscar, don’t you?

Penny: No ma’am. *hic*

Ruby: Penny.

Penny: I’m serious. *hic*

At the podium where the string quartet were playing, Whitley and Oscar were having a scuffle, until the farm boy was finally pushed in front of the microphone. The resulting screech caused all the guests to turn to him. Oscar’s body froze with terror, while Whitley stood to the side, giving him a big thumbs up.

Oscar: Uh..... hello everyone. Oscar the farm boy here. Um, I was convinced by a friend of mine to... come up here and... *gulp* sing. Um, this song is d-dedicated to a very special person in my life and... I hope she likes it.

Ruby: *whispers* What is he doing?

Jaune: *whispers* Looks like he’s gonna sing to Penny.

Penny: ...

Oscar: *closes eyes* You know I want you. It's not a secret I try to hide. I know you want me, so don't keep saying our hands are tied. You claim it's not in the cards. Fate is pulling you miles away and out of reach from me. But you're here in my heart. so who can stop me if I decide that you're my destiny?

Penny: Oscar?

Oscar: What if we rewrite the stars? Say you were made to be mine. Nothing could keep us apart. You'd be the one I was meant to find *leaves podium* It's up to you, and it's up to me. No one can say what we get to be, so why don't we rewrite the stars? Maybe the world could be ours. Tonight *walks to Penny*

Penny was starstruck. She heard Oscar sing before, but this was something else. His voice was like that of angel, filling the room with such beauty. She glances over to Ruby and Jaune, who both gestured her to go to Oscar. Slowly, Penny approached the farm boy, who clasped his hands into hers. They stared into each others’ eyes and Oscar smiled at her. Penny’s heart began to flutter, but she couldn’t bring herself to smile and slowly broke the grip between them.

Ruby: What? No!

Jaune: What is she doing?!

Oscar: P-Penny?

Penny: You think it's easy, you think I don't want to run to you. But there are mountains and there are doors that we can't walk through. I know you're wondering why, because we're able to be just you and me within these walls. But when we go outside, you're going to wake up and see that it was hopeless after all.

Oscar: ...

Penny: No one can rewrite the stars. How can you say you'll be mine? Everything keeps us apart and I'm not the one you were meant to find. It's not up to you. It's not up to me. When everyone tells us what we can be. How can we rewrite the stars? Say that the world can be ours. Tonight.

Ruby: *teary eyed* Oh no.

Jaune: *hugs Ruby* It’s okay. *teary eyed* We’ll make it through together.

Whitley: Fuck!

Penny: I-I’m sorry, Oscar. *slowly walks away*

Oscar: ...

The atmosphere was so cold that the string quartet stopped playing. All the attendees gazed at the scene in awe and tension. Penny took two steps before stopping in her tracks. She tried to take another step but couldn’t. Clenching her fists in frustration, she turned back to Oscar. He looked at her, confused, until he was suddenly tackled to the ground in a fierce, but loving, hug.

Oscar: Agh!!!

Oscar looked up at Penny, who had the brightest smile he had ever seen. His cheeks began to turn red.

Oscar: P-Penny?

Penny: *smiling* All I want is to fly with you.

Oscar: *blushing* ....Huh?

Penny: *laughing* Well, aren’t you gonna finish the song?

Oscar: Oh! Uh, yeah! *chuckles nervously* Right.

The two got back up and the string quartet continued where they left off. Refusing to take the eyes off each other, Oscar and Penny circled each other, hand in hand, as they carried on singing.

Oscar: All I want is to fly with you.

Penny: All I want is to fall with you.

Oscar/Penny: So just give me all of you!

Penny: It feels impossible.

Oscar: it's not impossible.

Penny: Is it impossible?

Oscar/Penny: Say that it's possible!

Bringing each other close, the two began to dance together.

Oscar/Penny: How do we rewrite the stars? Say you were made to be mine? Nothing can keep us apart! 'Cause you are the one I was meant to find! It's up to you and it's up to me! No one can say what we get to be! And why don't we rewrite the stars? Changing the world to be ours! Tonight!

The two stopped and faced each other, neither of them daring to look anywhere else.

Penny: Oscar, I’m so sorry. I’ve... I’ve ignored my feelings for so long just because of what I think is ideal. But screw ideal! I want to be with you... if that’s what you want.

Oscar: *strokes her cheek* Of course it is, Penny. You’re one of the most amazing girls I’ve ever met in my life. You’re cute, quirky, curious, a badass with those swords!

Penny: *giggles*

Oscar: But most importantly, you’re a real girl just like any other. You have a heart and soul, just like Ruby said. She felt it... and I feel it too.

Penny: Are you sure this is what you want?

Oscar: Absolutely. Penny, I love you.

Penny: *teary eyed* I love you too, Oscar.

Without a second to waste, Oscar and Penny held each other close into a loving kiss. The ballroom erupted into an applause, none more louder than Ruby, Jaune and Whitley.

Ruby: YES!!!!!!!

Jaune: NICE ONE!!!!!!!!

Whitley: FUCKING FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!

Oscar and Penny broke away from the kiss, awkwardly staring at the crowds of people clapping and cheering for them.

Oscar: *nervous laughter* Do you wanna go outside? Maybe, get some ice cream?

Penny: *nods vigorously* That sounds wonderful.

Oscar: *smiling* My adorable android.

Penny: *smiling* and my squishy farm boy.

#rwby #oscar pine #penny polendina #whitley schnee #ruby rose #jaune arc #data farms #rwby data farms #data farms rwby #oscar x penny #penny x oscar #oscar pine x penny polendina #penny polendina x oscar pine #song: rewrite the stars #songfic

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fallingin-like · 4 years

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november 21

push to talk by @alexjosten [requested by @nikothespoonklepto]

see which other fics i’m reviewing this month! / my review request post!

this is a delightfully engaging fic based on the game firewatch that follows neil as he spends a summer as a fire lookout, isolated except for radio communication with andrew, a fire lookout in the adjacent sector of the park. this is such an intense, fun, beautiful, and humorous fic.

i remember enjoying this so much as it came out, eagerly awaiting each new chapter. you drew me in so easily and deeply that i watched a whole playthrough of this game. i can fully appreciate how well you were able to translate the plot, gameplay, interactions between characters, and the stunning visuals so so seamlessly and have it aftg so well.

some parts that stood out to me:

”dusk settles on the trees like clay powder, dusting the evergreens with a red tint” woah this is such a gorgeous way of starting off this fic.

”the moon extends her helping hand to guide him out into a clearing. here, neil can see. but also, he can be seen” i love these descriptions, and our introduction to neil.

”he ignores his sleeping bag and the strict instructions to camp at nightfall and continue during the day” ah yes, Neil I Do What I Want Josten strikes again, with little regard for what people tell him to do

”if he’s not careful, the black dirt beneath his feet could bleed crimson. the exact combination of colours he came out here to avoid” this is stunning. i am immediately drawn into this fic, wanting to know what or who exactly neil is running from, and where he’s going

”buttermilk rays whisk the shadows of leaves into a dance on the forest floor beneath his feet” !! buttermilk?? somehow that works so so well

”the irony of calling it that in his head isn’t lost on him, and he vows to avoid that comparison again” what a subtle detail, but so telling! i am pretty bad with reading tags a lot of the time, so this was a great introduction to raven!neil

”it’s as exposing as it is freeing. he can’t feel trapped when he can see for miles every way he turns” wow it’s still so early in the fic, but you’ve already done an exceptional job at justifying neil choosing to come here, to escape.

foxtrot tower is such a cute name! i love that it’s not something directly taken from the books, this name seems to fit this au so well. i know that you likely had the game as reference for the tower, but i really liked the way you describe it, you were able to establish the same tone that exists in the game, but you did it through words instead of visuals and audio, something that really impresses me

”glad to hear you’re literate enough to have read the dossier” ohmygoodness ANDREW

”andrew’s tone is playful. neil thinks it might even be flirtatious, but he doesn’t care enough right now to find out” as much as i enjoy oblivious!neil, i appreciate that this version of neil is more aware, he seems more in tune with things around him. it fits better with this story, with the isolation and only communication being through the radio

”the sky slips into a more comfortable pink, the sun laying down to rest amongst the mountains” am i ever going to get over your descriptions of the environment? i don’t think so

of course neil goes for a run, basically right after doing a super intense two day hike in one day

”andrew sounds agitated” I LOVE THIS

oh dang, neil’s panic is so sudden, i’m so immersed that i immediately felt nervous too

”it’s our job to watch the horizon, neil. it’s not my fault you’re on mine” oh this is so good

”neil doesn’t believe in coincidences. he believes in traps and ill intentions, because that’s all his life has been until now” it’s honestly amazing how quickly the atmosphere of this fic has turned to something a little bit darker, kind of scary. we know neil as a runner, but the idea of someone finding him so soon and trying to lure him out? gives me chills

“he doesn’t realise his hands are shaking until he struggles to press the push-to-talk button” PUSH TO TALK I AM SO FOND OF FICS THAT INCLUDE THE TITLE OF THE FIC IN THEIR FIC. also shaky hands are my kryptonite

”he also takes the cleaver from the kitchen counter” NEIL I- I AM SPEECHLESS

”a small sensible part of his brain tries to convince him that there are much easier ways to kill him than leading him out in the middle of nowhere, in a forest that he told nobody from his past life that he would be living in, where he uses a new name that nobody knows” !! good to hear that neil has a sensible part of his brain LOL

”but underestimating his enemies and their taste for dramatics would be a mistake” neil of all people does have a good reason for being paranoid. i love that you have this separated as a different paragraph, i read it differently because of it and i think that it adds more gravity to the sentence

”there, he finds a lipstick-red tent, zipper teeth yawning open to reveal two pink sleeping bag tongues” the imagery!!! incredible

”he feels like a walking timebomb” yeah i am definitely nervous for neil

”’girls don’t do it for you?’ andrew’s curiosity has a hopeful slant” OHMYGOODNESS ANDREW

”andrew’s voice is a firm, solid reassurance” bless andrew

”neil never thought he’d be relieved to meet someone who didn’t like exy” i also never thought that. neil you are a changed man

ooh the backstory to the fireworks is so good! i was also thinking it was a little out of character, but this is the perfect reason that renee would let it slide!

”the stars are withering in the purpling sky” i could cry because i love your writing so much

A MAN I AM FREAKING OUT. WHO IS HE

the easygoing banter between andrew and neil is so great, their conversation is interesting and flows really well

”he’s almost home” it amazes me and really shows something about this version of neil that he’s so quick to call this tower his home

”i know i needed to do this, but i am not sure i am ready to be so alone” woah break my heart why don’t you? this hits really close to home,, how dare you make me feel emotions

”i usually take a more straightforward approach” andrew never lies, but this is the truest thing he has ever said

”they’ll probably never meet, because neil intends on spending the rest of his summer without meeting another soul, andrew included” hmmm why do i have the sneaking suspicion that this will not be the case?

”neil’s not sure what grindr is but his face heats up all the same” this sentence is a MOOD (except i do know what grindr is)

”andrew’s response is sharp like a blade. ‘why? because one of the girls called you scarface?’ neil feels himself flinch” hhh i am secretly a very big fan of scenes that include neil’s scars, so you got me here

”andrew keeps neil company on the hour hike up to the north of his sector, but his usual commentary seems a bit strained today” uhH what’s going on, i’m getting scared

DID ANDREW BRING NEIL OVER JUST SO HE CAN SEE WHAT HE LOOKS LIKE?

ohmygoodness, neil leaving andrew pictures and a sweatshirt? so so so cute

”he imagines the fear they felt when they saw him holding it wasn’t too unlike the fear that used to paralyse him when his father, or lola, would threaten him back home” woah this is good

i would bet that allison was the one to write that letter haha i can imagine that renee is likely kind of shaken by the incident, otherwise she might not have let allison leave it behind

andrew is such a good companion for neil, calming him both by his presence and by logically explaining what could have happened to the tent. he’s an anchor

”he feels like the cleaver he had attempted to defend himself with on his first day now carries a foreboding aura” YEAH I’M GETTING PRETTY NERVOUS TOO

WAIT NATHAN IS DEAD? THANK GOODNESS

woah so interesting to learn about neil’s backstory and his reason for not going pro “his offers to join pro teams curled up like dead leaves in a fire” dang, referencing both his burns and his new job? so good

ANDREW MINYARD IMITATING A VALLEY GIRL I NEED THIS IN MY LIFE PLEASE

oo that subtle way of mentioning andrew’s memory

i am so emotional, andrew is just so so good. makes me feel all the feelings ;-;

”andrew sounds like a bristled up cat tail” CUTE!!

i am dying to know what is going on in andrew’s head, during this conversation, when he left his tower to see neil, and really, just throughout this whole fic

woah i really like the way that you had neil describe his asexuality. it’s something that i recognize in myself and i like the way that you handled it.

>:C

them drawing each other?? peak cute. i want that to happen to me (have someone who doesn’t know what i look like try and draw me)

”neil waits for him to say more. he doesn’t. oh. that’s why. ‘heh’” LOLOL

you know what, i actually,,, only recognized the name draco malfoy LOL

ANDREW PRETENDING THAT HE DOESN’T ACTUALLY KNOW AARON OH MY GOODNESS. I CANNOT BELIEVE HE PRETENDED TO GET HIS NAME WRONG. “i look like him. but hotter and better dressed” ANDREW HOW GOOD TO YOU DRESS YOU LIVE IN THE MIDDLE OF A FOREST. this whole section is hilarious and really helps lighten the tone and keep things playful

”’why would i wear that?’ andrew’s response is too quick and defensive” *unintelligible screaming*

ANDREW DRAWING NEIL IN TINY RUNNING SHORTS. THIS! MAN! I CAN’T HANDLE HIM

”neil gets into the routine of falling asleep next to his radio, talking to andrew deep into the night, far past his ability to keep his eyes open. they take turns drifting off mid conversation…” this is the softest thing ever

”considering neil’s job is to prevent forest fires, there’s a certain irony in how beautiful the park is when painted the colours of flames” oh (like a good oh)

ANDREW REJECTING NEIL REALLY JUST BROKE MY HEART WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO ME

”his heart tumbles from his chest and falls to the bottom of the ravine. he doesn’t understand why it was so close to the railings of his ribcage in the first place” this is so so beautiful even though it’s describing something so sad. makes me feel achy

drunk andrew. how is it that you, alexjosten, seem to know everything that i love in a fic?

”neil’s cabin floods with light. how real is neil josten without nathaniel wesninski filling his shell? with a snap, it’s gone.” uh this is so incredible, i love how you split everything up into its own paragraph, their conversation so similar to the storm. ugh i can’t get enough

”still, neil feels the change: the undeniable part of him where his branches have been torn asunder and his bark has been scorched away to expose his core” every time i think that this sentence is the best, and every time you blow me away again. i can’t describe how this sentence makes me feel

the scene of neil rescuing allison and renee fills me with adrenaline, it’s so intense

having the girls recognize neil was like being trapped in a nightmare, there was nothing i could do but read on and see how it ends. dajsflks. but also i really hope that neil got back his jacket and sweater lol

WHAT IN THE WORLD NEIL HAVING TO PLAY A GAME ON CODEINE, RIKO TRYING TO KILL NEIL ON TV, THIS IS SO INTENSE. also, i love what you’ve done with this

dang, how does andrew know kevin?

andrew’s gifts for neil are so cute. i am here just freaking out!!!!

A PUFFBALL DANDELION

“you sweet, sheltered city child” oh my goodness adorable

”you’re going to go nuts when i tell you what a caterpillar turns into” ANDREW

THE BEAR. THE JUMP

honestly, i’m a little surprised that neil wasn’t supplied with bear spray

”’andrew, i don’t think they’re coming for me.’ ‘of course they’re not.’ neil’s heart sinks. ‘they’re not?’ ‘i am’” KFAJSDFJPOJAFD THIS GLORIOUS INTERACTION WILL FOREVER BE WITH ME

THEM TRAVELLING AND EVERYTHING WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE BECAUSE OF THE DARK. ALSO ANDREW BEING SUPER BUFF AND PICKING NEIL UP NO BIG DEAL

”we had your face on a dart board in the break room” AHHHH

”the only consolation is it smells of the andrew who just walked two hours to rescue him from the side of a cliff, and then spent another two hours carrying him here” i don’t even know what to say

wait andrew knew who neil was the whole time oh my goodness

THE GAME IS ANIMAL CROSSING. this is now and forevermore considered canon!

ANDREW DROPPING THE GAME HE’S SO TIRED. ANDREW MY BABY

ANDREW’S DRAWING OF NEIL

”half of andrew’s sandwich is in his mouth, and he kind of looks like a hamster” adorable!

okay okay jean and jeremy being the two trading letters? so so good.

THE ENDING WITH ANDREW TELLING STORIES ABOUT NEIL BEING DEAD

the last chapter was amazing, i loved the way that you wrote the interactions between andrew and neil, they fit so well together. i also appreciate that you deviated from the game and had them meet! it is infinitely more satisfying. this was such an easy fic to read, everything felt right. i love your characterization of both of them. to have andrew treat neil the way that he did, knowing who neil was? amazing

also, can i just say that the moodboards that you include at the beginning of each chapter are amazing? they really helped with establishing the tone of the fic.

this fic is so intense, i was constantly amazed by how i was so fully immersed in it. everything that neil felt, i felt. your descriptions were gorgeous and i could not get enough of them. there were so many small details, sentences that were pure gems, that rereading this was just as, if not more, enjoyable than the first time. i really cannot put to words how much i loved reading this. thank you so so much for writing it!

#push to talk #aftg fic review #raelle writes

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pieceofbiscuit · 4 years

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Ten and t(h)en again

Tagged by @mygeekcorner <3

1. What was the gateway anime that got you hooked into this anime life? Inuyasha for sure, nothing could compare to starting an episode with the first intro song! Then Naruto and Bleach? I remember reading Love Hina, Rurouni Kenshin and other manga in a Swedish Manga magazine, good times. But what awoke me to Japanese storytelling first was actually a video game, Final Fantasy X, it made me realize was something special about japanese stories. Sailor moon and Silverfang and some more old ones when I was young as well I suppose..Please save my earth hooked me on for life later on though <3

2. If today is the day of the purge, what law would you break first?

Uuh, maybe go over the speedlimit just a bit on certain roads and then be an internet pirate? ^^;

3. Are you a coffee drinker, if yes, how do you like your coffee in the morning?

Not really, I’d rather have some apple juice in the morning, but sometimes I don’t mind a coffee with milk (maybe sugar?) and something sweet to eat with it.

4. What is the latest tv show/anime you’re obsessed with?

Well in manga, something that was pleasantly surprising this year was one called Mahoutsukai no musume, about an adoptive daughter to a magician who has to unwillingly deal with her father’s work taking care of ghosts and Japanese demons and the like. It’s so different in its fun yet sometimes serious tone, I want an anime!

5. Have you ever cried over a fictional character death? I Oh yes, but I’m good at spoiling myself at times so sometimes it doesn’t hit me as much. Still, yes, fictional deaths and later the mourning process in stories can make me cry for sure!

6. What is your new favourite thing you’ve attempted during lockdown? Ie baking, painting, sewing,etc. Do you plan to keep doing it? Essential worker not much of a lockdown for me, but I’m practicing Spanish more cause a relative who comes from a Spanish speaking country mentioned last year she wished that I who studied it before would keep it up, so I’ve tried to get back to it lately.

7. If someone were to cut queue in front of you, would you let it slide and resent quietly or would you blast them in their face for cutting line? Well, sometimes I quietly make a scene by making a gesture that I’m bothered by it, but I might let it slide depending on the mood.

8. How did you discover tumblr? Not sure, might have been someone on internet or a friend, I can’t remember at the moment...

9. Are you a beach person or a mountain person? Well, if I had to choose…Beach? Though mountains are as nice when it isn’t hot outside.

10. Are you the type that listen to a whole playlist without skipping or the type that listen to that ONE song for 10000 hours until you got sick of it and never listen to it again? I like to listen to whole playlist at times, but sometimes I skip to my favorites depending on my mood.

11. Did you grow up around animals? How about your life now? My family owns a tortoise since long ago, one bunny when I was really small and then later another one who was my sweetiepie. My grandparents in the countryside had cats sometimes. Then I had my lovely budgie when older, my sister had a wonderful dog that passed away. Now my mum has a dog, my dad in the countryside has cats and chickens and I have the sweetest cat! and my sister has a new dog I still haven’t met T___T

12. What arbitrary personality thing do you identify with? Astrology, hogwarts houses, mbti etc I think I kind of identify with astrology, Hogwarts and mbti. I feel Cancer, Hufflepuff and INFP seems to fit my personality, not completely but I still feel I can identify to them.

13. Do you take compliments well? Not sure, I mostly don’t take too much notice when I hear them, I appreciate them though just not sure how to react when I get them?

14. Favourite mythological creature from your culture? Troll maybe? I find the big ears and tail cool, but tomtenissar, (gnomes?) who help around the farms are cute and sweet too!

15. Do you think your internet-personality is a good representation of how you are IRL? I suppose so, I have more time to think about things when I write on internet but it’s still more or less me in IRL

16. Are you the person who sings along to intros or skip them completely? I love singing along, skipping feels like I miss a part of the show’s atmosphere.

17. What’s an assumption people seem to have about you? Are they right? I don’t know, I suppose people assume I’m quiet sometimes? My inner mind is not quiet though, and my voice can be very loud in certain situations

18. Are you able to keep plants alive? Not at all, sorry plants- I just forget about you…

19. What old fandom thing do you miss? AMVs, I loved watching them and I made one or two, maybe people still are making them but it’s been a while since I watched some…

20. Tell me something good that’s happened to you in 2020. I was taking a walk one evening when two children I didn’t know gave me handpicked flowers, it was sweet of them and it warmed my heart, still have the bouqets <3

#mygeekcorner

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zukalations · 5 years

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Dream Stars’ Salon - Fuji’s Bar w. Ranju Tomu (Flower Troupe)

This Kageki feature from the mid-2000s had directors Fujii Daisuke and Ueda Keiko trading off hosting a ‘bar’ where they would conduct talk features with young otokoyaku stars. The interview between Fujii and Ranju Tomu was published in the February 2006 issue.

Dream Stars’ Salon - Fuji’s Bar w. Ranju Tomu (Flower Troupe)

Fujii: Welcome to ‘Fujii’s Bar’.

Ranju: Thank you for inviting me.

Fujii, Ranju: (laugh)

Fujii: I think the first time I met Tomu (Ranju) was your debut in CAN-CAN, when I was attached to the production as an assistant… You’ve grown up a lot since then.

Ranju: No, I haven’t grown up a bit~ (laughs)

Fujii: Is that so. I think the really cute thing about Tomu is that you’re really bright and friendly, and while you’re mature you can still be a little bit spacey. You’re someone who’s very easy to talk to. You had the ‘otokoyaku’ atmosphere even as a ken-1, didn’t you. I think I remember in Nao-chan’s (Iori Naoka’s) dinner show, you were ken-5, but they introduced you as ken-15… (laughs).

Ranju: I was constantly being used for that punchline in dinner shows and such as a junior actress (laughs).

Fujii: And then recently it feels as if you’re getting younger by the year (laughs).

Ranju: Yes, people say that to me all the time! (laughs) It really makes me think about how hard I was working as a junior actress…

Fujii: Really… Yesterday, I went to see the Flower Troupe performance, and felt like the kindness and big-heartedness I felt from Tomu is something nobody else could express.

Ranju: That makes me so happy~. For my character of Nicola in Palermo in the Setting Sun, that ‘big-heartedness’ was what I most wanted to express, so I’m really happy to hear that.

Fujii: And then in the revue show you had a really natural sexiness. Recently, you’ve come to the point where you can do things without having to push yourself past your limit, right?

Ranju: I’ve had people telling me ‘You’re more relaxed’ or ‘you seem so natural onstage’, so I do feel like I’ve begun pushing myself less onstage, but in a good way…

Fujii: That might be why you’re really standing out recently. By the way, Tomu, did you like Takarazuka ever since you were little?

Tomu: I started watching Takarazuka when I was in middle school.

Fujii: And did you decide ‘I want to join!’ from the start?

Ranju: No, it was when I was thinking of my future path during high school that it started to get to me. I thought ‘I at least want to try out for it’. So then for a year, I took entrance exam prep lessons in secret from my school…

Fujii: But weren’t you taking dance since you were little?

Ranju: When I was in elementary school I took classical ballet for 3 years, and then in middle and high school I was put in the ‘Creative Dance’ department. We had ballet lessons and danced to our own choreography…

Fujii: So, you can do choreography too!

Ranju: That would be a huge challenge, but I would like to try it once, I think.

Fujii: Oh, that would be great! If you hadn’t passed the exam, what path do you think you would have taken?

Ranju: I like English, so I had the vague idea of studying English in college and doing some kind of work related to that.

Fujii: You’re a really flexible person, so I can definitely picture that. Your grades have been excellent ever since you entered Takarazuka, and then you kept getting roles in shinjin kouens and Bow Hall performances, and lots of appearances in dinner shows. Are there any shows for you that were turning points, Tomu?

Ranju: Maybe the 2001 Bow Hall, Manon. That’s when I really started to aim for being an ‘otokoyaku’.

Fujii: Slightly wicked roles, like your character of Lescaut in Manon, really suit you, don’t they. And then that same year you had your first shinjin kouen lead, Michelangelo. What do you think about that?

Ranju: I was so desperate. It was like I was pushing to the limits of my energy, so I don’t really remember the particulars.

Fujii: But I think it’s exactly that which helped you suit the role so well, perhaps. And then the next year was Drenched in the Amber Hued Rain and Cocktail!

Ranju: In the show Director Fujii created and directed, Cocktail, I was able to sing with Haruno-san, Sena-san, and Ayabuki-san in the opening sequence, and then in the basketball scene I was playing the part of Haruno’s opponent, so I was thinking “is it really okay for me to be doing all this…?” It was a revolutionary show for me, internally.

Fujii: Is that so; it seemed perfectly ordinary to me, though (laughs). When all the current Flower Troupe otokoyaku are gathered, they’re so interesting, no matter what you look at.

Ranju: There were so many stellar otokoyaku when I was a junior actress. Maya Miki-san, Kaikyou Hiroki-san, Aika Mire-san, Yabuki Shou-san, Takumi Hibiki-san, Hatsukaze Midori-san, Kizuki Ayumu-san, Ranka Rea-san...And then at the time, Sena-san, Mizu-zan, and Kiriya-san were in Flower Troupe too, and everyone was so cool… I was like ‘what even is this troupe!’ (laughs)

Fujii: (laughs) And was it good training?

Ranju: For example, they would give very clear advice about the best way to wear a tailcoat, and precisely how many centimeters and millimeters until it started to look ‘just a bit off’. Even now, when it comes to how we’re holding a tailcoat, the senior actresses will still suggest ‘so, let’s do it this way this time’ and keep an eye on that. I think they all have a great aesthetic sense of ‘how an otokoyaku should be’.

Fujii: It’s something that’s passed down from senior actresses to the junior actresses. You were ken-7 in Cocktail.

Ranju: Yes. I had a lot of different experiences that year, with Gone with the Wind, Shadow of the Moon, and Elisabeth.

Fujii: How do you feel about singing, Tomu?

Ranju: I’ve studied it for a much shorter time, compared to dance. When I entered the Takarazuka Music School, if I had to use my voice in singing or acting, I never knew what I ought to be doing… In Director Shibata’s acting class he would always call on me as ‘that girl over there, with the strained voice’. I had a complex for a while that made it hard for me to get my voice to come out. Right now it’s not as bad as it was before, but unlike dance, where I can just go with my feelings, I have to think about using my voice more and tell myself ‘I just need to do it how I did in the rehearsals.’ When I hear Osa-san singing, I think that it feels really good, and I want to be able to use my singing to express what’s inside myself that way too…

Fujii: In the shinjin kouen of Elisabeth, it definitely seemed that while your gestures and such were very striking, you were nervous about the singing.

Ranju: Especially in the Takarazuka shinjin kouen I never got over the nervousness… I was in a battle with myself every day until the Tokyo performance. I remember that even right before the performance, I had shut myself in the dressing room baths and was singing. Finally, at the very end, it felt like I had made it over a huge mountain during that performance.

Fujii: That was a good experience for you, wasn’t it. You seemed to be enjoying yourself singing in the recent production of Ernest in Love, so I thought ‘she seems like she’s grown a bit…’

Ranju: Thank you very much.

Fujii: You were playing all sorts of roles in 2005, weren’t you. Hachigorou in Kurawanka was such a skillfully done role that it almost made me think you were ken-30 (laughs).

Ranju: (laughs) Although it was a hard time with the switch roles and things, the junior actresses put so much energy into it, and I think that show really helped everyone in the cast grow.

Fujii: After that you played Gunther in Marakesh: The Crimson Tombstone, and the outside performance R-HATTER*. You were so cool!

Ranju: Although at first I couldn’t even picture how things might end up, but Hattori Yuukichi-san was very understanding of what a ‘Takarazuka otokoyaku’ is, and put together choreography that showed off how the otokoyaku looked.

Fujii: But it was the kind of choreography that you wouldn’t see very often in Takarazuka, right. It needed a very high technical level, didn’t it?

Ranju: Yes. At first I was struggling just to keep up. Performing with foreign male dancers was a very valuable experience for me that really made me rethink ‘the appeal of an otokoyaku.’

Fujii: Although you’ve developed quickly and have the image of a ‘star student’, have you ever had times where you’ve come up against a barrier or that you can’t relax?

Fujii: I’ve never relaxed… Since I haven’t been practicing since I was a child, I feel like if I don’t practice more than everyone else I won’t be able to do it. When I was in the music school, I would dance at home until late at night, and I had my family buy a tap mat so I’d be tapping away at that...I was desperate (laughs).When I was a junior actress I hated being called ‘star student’ and I would break down sometimes. “Even though I’m always at my limit trying to deal with things, why do they still say those things about me…” I would think.

Fujii: I’ve never seen Tomu in a panic like that.

Ranju: I don’t let people see that (laughs). I hate failure, you see. Starting when I was around ken-3, I was able to act in the plays together with the senior actresses, and in the revues even though I was one of the youngest I would be able to join them, but I still couldn’t do things at the level the senior actresses were at… A lot of the time I would end up in the dark, deserted rehearsal room just crying, ‘Wah~’ (laughs)

Fujii: Oh… But you don’t do that any more now?

Ranju: No, if I can’t do things how I think I should be doing them, I’ll have a cry at home (laughs).

Fujii: You don’t want other people to see, yes. So, how are you going to progress from here? Can you tell me roles you want to play, or dances you want to do?

Ranju: In terms of plays, I want to do a really passionate grand romantic story. In terms of dancing, I’d like to do something in latin style, or some really vigorous dancing that they don’t do a lot in Takarazuka. Also, a really Takarazuka-style duet dance… When I was in the music school, in Shime-san’s (Shion Yuu’s) class, she told us “in your loudest voice, shout out your dream of what you want to do onstage”, you know. So, I said “I want to do a duet dance wearing pure white, surrounded by white smoke!” (laughs). I do want to do a charmingly romantic duet dance.

Fujii: So, finally, what do you think is the appeal of ‘Ranju Tomu’?

Ranju: Eh~, do I have to say it myself? I’m blushing… (laughs) Let’s see, first would be ‘Passion’. That’s been my theme ever since I was ken-1.

Fujii: Oh~ that’s great.

Ranju: From now on, I want to develop ‘big-heartedness’ and ‘sweetness’.

Fujii: Wonderful! I think Ranju has the ‘Takarazuka atmosphere’ in the best way, and you’re really irreplaceable. I’m looking forward to seeing how you flourish from now on.

Ranju: Yes. Thank you very much!

* This was a co-ed modern ballet production featuring Japanese and foreign ballet dancers as well as a few Takarazuka actresses.

#takarazuka #article translation #sienne: ranju tomu #troupe: hana #staff: fujii daisuke

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theolivechickken · 5 years

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CAN I PET YOUR DOG

Pt. 2 of week 1

I know I already write a lot, but actually I HAVE TOO MANY GOOD THOUGHTS AND MEMORIES AND IT’S HARD TO GET THEM ALL DOWN BEFORE THEY PASS.

Jan 18

Let’s get this bread. Woke up bright and early, threw some toast in the toaster, and dressed it with some butter and honey. We left at 7:55 to head down the mountain and meet Katharina (who would walk us to the school where we were volunteering for the morning). On the walk down the mountain, a cat hopped down and followed us around on the trail.

We followed the river down crossed through a park to get to the school. I really loved the interior! Walls were painted with pastel and primary colors, and student art was displayed on bulletin boards. We sat in a neat little library that had walls lined with organized books, desks and colorful chairs, computers by the windows, and a little reading pit in one corner. It kinda reminds me of a Montessori Classroom. Very warm, open and cozy.

Our first session was with the 4-6th graders (probably my favorite group that we worked with today!). They were so enthusiastic and excited to be here with us, and I had a lot of fun talking to them. This was the group that was starting out in English and I was so impressed by how much they already knew and how much they engaged in conversation! They had a bunch of questions prepared for our little speed date “get-to-know-you” rotations and would often ask us if we had any pets or siblings, if we had a boyfriend or girlfriend, if we drove a car or played computer games, and asked us what our favorite colors, hobbies, subjects, and foods were.

Our second group was with the dreaded middle schoolers and high schoolers. We had to actually prepare little lessons to teach this more advanced group. Nadia, Raine, and Aubree prepared a time lesson to help them convert their 24 hour clock to a 12 hour clock with AM and PM. SaVanna and Regina passed out a past-tense worksheet to practice using verbs ending in -ed. Michaela and Patrick hosted a USA geography trivia activity and Bryn, Ayetzy, and I ended the session with a round of Bingo (centered around articles of clothing). Our game went pretty well actually! I think it was a good note to end on.

The third group had some experience with English but was overall the quietest group. We sat at different tables around the classroom and talked about American food, Austrian food, and random subjects. So many of the students were from different countries and had very different backgrounds from their classmates. I thought it was interesting how they all found themselves studying in Salzburg even if they came from countries that were much further away.

Alright boys, let’s attempt this laundry. Also in German but thankfully nothing set on fire and my clothes got washed.

For dinner we munched on some of the leftovers that Marcus left in the student kitchen (so many caaaaarbs yikes). Later, I went out to Murphy’s Law and O’Malleys with Kaya, Regina, Nadia, Aubree, Raine, and Patrick. Murphy’s had a quieter, older scene, but it was chill in its own way. O’malleys had just what we were looking for. They were playing some bangers and we were all singing aloud and dancing with our new British friends who joined our table. It was such a fun night! Afterwards, we stopped at a food stand and got sausages before climbing into a taxi (one of the very few that would take us up the mountain - and it was pretty large since it managed to fit all 7 of us in it) and heading back home.

Jan 19

Woke up deaaaad inside. The flu hit me like a train. Or I guess I never recovered from my mild cold which evolved quickly to the black plague. Also probably didn’t fully recover since everyone else is sick too so we’re just passing it all around. Had a heartwarming cup of much needed minestrone soup at Spaghetti & Co (yay soups and vegetables and vegetable soup :) ) Patrick, Aubree and Nadia had pizza, Raine had gnocchi, and Regina had chicken strips and fries. We have not mastered the art of flagging down waiters yet. Kinda just throw our hands up and then awkwardly put them behind our heads to play it off when the waiter doesn’t see them.

We strolled through the city, passed by H&M, got distracted by the coats hanging in the windows, and then found ourselves inside looking at the clothes. We discovered that there were multiple floors to this store and hopped inside an elevator. We somehow managed to push all the buttons in the elevator, went up to the second floor, and then set off an alarm since Raine was holding a coat with a tag on it. Luckily, no one went to jail! We also stopped by DM and Spar to pick up some groceries and I found myself a little orange juice smoothie (stock up on this vitamin C). Took the lift back up the Mönchsberg and had a chill night in to rest.

Jan 20

On the road to recovery (lets beat this cold/flu/sickness??) Sweated out my fever but now I’m congested?

Yes, resting is important, but let’s also take it slow in this slow city.

Went out to Mr Le’s Healthy Asia one-man restaurant shop. What a nice man :) Food was cheap and decent, and his shop was located at the very bottom of the Mönchsberg so it was pretty quick and easy to walk to. He asked if we were on holiday or staying, and we told him we were here for 4 months. Then he gave us a stamp card for his restaurant! You can bet I’ll be back. He told us he was excited to be visiting San Francisco and New York next week.

Strolled through New Town to find a bank for Patrick to stop at but turns out Google lied to us and they were all closed. Ended up stopping at Coffee Haus to sit down and do homework with Bryn. I had a chai tea latte in mind when ordering, but our waiter brought out a decently large cup of chai tea. It was still pretty tasty and honestly hot tea is probably better for my sore throat. I really love the atmosphere of this coffee house. It’s very modern and hipstery, and has a really relaxed overall vibe. It’s also lively compared to many of the restaurants in town (that are usually dead silent or volume is kept to a minimum). It reminds me of Lux cafe back at home, where you can just sit down and order something, then take your time hanging out and not be disturbed by waiters or waitresses.

Have I mentioned how well trained dogs are here?! I have seen so many cute dogs just roaming freely but not too far from their owners. One little guy stopped by our table to sniff our hands and I think this is the first dog I have pet here. I didn’t ask the owner “Kann Ich?” but to be fair the dog came to me so I think that question is pretty much answered.

Also, dogs aren’t as cuddly or friendly as those in the US? They might come nearby to sniff you but they don’t really like to be pet by strangers or like to greet others. They don’t get excited by other dogs or by other people. It’s weird man.

#Salzburg #Salzburg Semester #Studying Abroad

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queenbvadva · 6 years

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Day 7: Free Day

It was a cold winter’s day in South Park a soft snow falling from the sky. I let out a soft sigh and nuzzles into my warm scarf. Despite my warm jacket and blue jeans that were a bit too tight on me I was willing to admit, I was still cold. I had to get to work the bus running a little late. It wasn’t anything strange to see people walk by but someone caught my eye. He was a strong rather large man who had his hands full of groceries. He was busy talking on the phone and before I could warn him he slips on the ice falling on his ass. I let out a soft laugh feeling bad for doing so as the male glares at me. I go over and gently lift his pack of cigarettes from the curb. I brush the small box free of snow before offering it to him with a kind smiling and a hand to help him up.

“Are you alright?” He looked at me for a while before taking my hand placing the box of cigarettes back into his bag with a soft huff.

“I’m fine thank you…” he dust himself off of any snow left on him my attention being drawn to my bus as it pulls up the people quickly filling it up. I take a step into the bus before a voice stops me.

“Hey, whatcha’ doing tomorrow?” I pause looking at the male confused as he rubs the back of his neck with a nervous smile.

“because I’ll be here tomorrow at 7. In case you’d like to meet up. Just in case there’s more than one person my name is Eric.” I go to talk but the bus driver closed the door on me and I smile making way through the bus taking my seat and looking out the window watching as Eric faded into the distance.

“Eric…” I whisper dreamily as I stare out the window a soft smile forming on my face. He’d be waiting there for me tomorrow. My bus ride seemed to take shorter than normal as we pull up to the theater that was recently built. There were so many amazing things built in just the last year. I just had my twenty second birthday last week. While it was nothing fancy, I got myself a cupcake with a candle on it. I got up as we pulled up to the stop making my way through the crowd and looking up at the beautiful theater. I take a hopeful breath making my way through the crowd to get my makeup done. I close the door with a happy sigh.

“Kyle you’re late! Stan is already on stage.” Bebe says crossing her arms a powder brush in her hands.

“Sorry, sorry. I got… Distracted.” I whisper and sit in the chair. Bebe only hums grinning starting to do my makeup.

“So who is it Kyle?~” She teases and grins. I blush but hold my face still so she could work.

“I-It’s nothing Bebe! I just helped this guy up! Not to mention he’s a smoker and you know how much I hate cigarettes.” I huff softly and she laughs happily.

“Ok ok! No need to get defensive.” She hums applying some eye shadow.

“Though if you ever do need to get your makeup done for a date holla’ at your girl.” I let out a laugh as she turns me to the mirror so I could see.

“Bebe you charge far too much.” Bebe whines unhappily leaning against the back of the chair.

“aw come on! I’ll give you a discount~” I laugh and get up pretending to think.

“Maybe we’ll see how much the discount is.” I quickly get my costume on hearing my entering line heading to the stage.

“Break a leg!” Bebe calls as I get rigged up with a mic. Stan saying his line so I walk out, the play went extremely well. The crowd throws roses onto the stage and the entire cast takes a bow. With that we walk off laughing and chatting. I sat down at Bebe’s desk and she hums happily grinning ear to ear.

“You wouldn't believe who decided to come give you a rose!~” She spun the rose dramatically posing making me laugh.

“With posing like that you might be dragged onto the stage~ who?” Bebe grins and hums happily.

“One, Eric Cartman. From elementary school!” She hands me the rose making me go wide eyed as I see the small tag that had messing writing, he must of desperately tried to write it on an uneven surface ‘I’ll see you tomorrow Kahl~ - Eric Cartman’ I laugh softly as Bebe leans over the chair reading it with me.

“Oooh~ is there a new romance in South Park!” I shake my head not being able to help the smile on my face as I set the rose gently on the counter.

“Yeah right! The last romance in south park was a full year ago when Tweek and Craig got married.” Bebe sighs fondly at the memory getting a makeup wipe cleaning my face.

“They’re still the cutest couple in South Park! I mean they run a coffee shop together!” Bebe giggles happily rubbing the eye shadow from my eyelids.

“Though, an actor and a writer might be pretty darn cute~” I laugh and shake my head.

“You’d do anything to get another relationship in South Park again wouldn’t you?” Bebe laughs and puts her hands up in a playful surrender.

“I’ve been caught red handed! There’s just no makeup quite as fun as wedding makeup though~” She hums happily and spins me again.

“My work here is done~ See you for tomorrow’s show!” She gets her bag on and I nod heading to change out of my clothes. It was probably still snowing outside. I make sure my scarf was snug under my chin waving a goodbye to the others before I head out. The wind was now tossing the snow every which way almost making it seem like a blizzard was starting. I whimper unhappily securing my scarf as I head out. I had given up trying to hide my curly hair under a hat instead deciding to go through the effort of flattening it to the point it wasn’t too bad. I get on the bus sighing happily now that I was free from the harsh cold. I take my seat and glance out the window wondering what Eric could be up too. The bus pulls up to the stop and I sigh getting ready to face the winds once more. I make my way out heading to my apartment that was only a block away luckily. Though it felt like I was walking up a mountain. I unlock my door going in closing it and locking it once more setting my bag down, hanging my coat and scarf up. I knock the snow from my boots before I take them off by the door heading inside. I hum tiredly heading to my bed and laying on my bed being far too tired to change into pjs. The next morning rolls around and I get up, take a shower, straighten my hair, pull my hair into a small ponytail, make breakfast and do some vocal warm ups before I head out for my lunch. I had my entire day planned out and I would always buy lunch at a wonderful restaurant. They always had a wide option of food but nothing compared to their grilled cheese and tomato soup. My mouth started to water at the thought. I glance out the window to check the weather. The sun was shining but there was a good foot or two of snow out there. I get my scarf, coat and boots on once more walking off to the restaurant. It was a short walk, no need to take the bus. I hum happily as I enter the warm atmosphere everyone chatting happily. I hum and Wendy comes over with a happy smile hugging me and I hug back with a small laugh.

“Your show was amazing!” she gushed happily leading me to my normal seat.

“Thanks Wendy, it was a full house!” Wendy goes to put the menu on the table but stops.

“One order of grilled cheese and tomato soup right?” She hums and I sigh dramatically.

“You got me Wendy.” Wendy laughs happily and folds the menu back under her arm.y

“Well you order the same thing every lunch hour. It’s not that hard to figure out.” She laughs before making her way to the back writing down my order. I hum softly and glance out the window watching as the people walked by. It’s true this used to be a small town but it had gotten a lot larger, I don’t know every single person that walked by like I used to as a kid.

“Dude your show was totally awesome!” I glance over at Clyde who came over with my plate of grilled cheese and bowl of tomato soup.

“Why did your character have to die though? I cried for like thirty minutes into Token’s shoulder.” I laugh slightly and rub the back of my neck.

“I’m not sure! I’m not the person who wrote it!” Clyde nods and hums happily.

“I know that much! Eric Cartman did!” Clyde says matter of factually. I look at him stunned and he reads me like a book.

“Oh you didn’t know? It was on the pamphlet!” I frown confused and look down in thought.

“No I didn’t know.” I whisper softly and glance down at my food starting to eat dipping my grilled cheese into the tomato soup.

“Clyde I need you back here!” I hear Token call from the kitchen making me chuckle at Clyde’s panicked face.

“I need to get back to work.” Clyde says rushing off to help Token out with work. Though I was sworn to secrecy Clyde had a huge crush on Token. I had no doubt Token felt the same way, with how many plates Clyde dropped over the years that was the only reason I could think of why he wasn’t fired. I hum happily eating my grilled cheese looking through my script to make sure I had it set to memory. Closing my eyes and playing the scene out through my head. I stayed there until about 5:30 before I decided I should head back to my apartment calling for my check.

“Heading out so early? Getting ready for a date?~” Wendy teases rubbing in the fact that I haven’t had a single date in all my life. I snort and playfully roll my eyes.

“Better watch it Wendy I have your tip hostage.” I laugh and give her a tip anyway leaving one for Clyde as well.

“Tell Token the food is amazing as normal.” Wendy nods happily taking the tip back to Clyde. I secure my scarf before heading back, most of the snow had melted leaving only a thin layer of powder. I head back to my house getting changed into something a little more, impressive. I look at myself in the mirror humming and scanning my peanut colored sweater. I sigh and rub the back of my neck. It was disappointing that this was my best ‘formal’ clothes other than my tux. I glance over at the clock frowning in defeat wrapping my scarf around my neck once more slipping into my boots and sliding into my jacket before I head out. Was I actually excited to go see Eric? I mean sure it had been years but it’s not like they were going on a date. Right? Once I get there I see Eric already waiting there, Well this was new.

“Sorry did I make you wait long Eric?” I say making Eric turn his attention to me his lips turning upwards into a smile. I’d never admit it out loud but man did he look attractive when he smiled.

“No of course not, I just got here a few minutes ago myself.” He says went over to me standing in front of me. I never noticed before but Eric and I were now the same height.

“Man you got tall!” I lift my hand measuring the difference between us with my hand. He snorts and laughs making a small smile form on my face. What a contagious laugh.

“What’s so funny! This is serious business you know! I used to pride myself greatly on being taller than you!” He goes wide eyed at the mention of our past blinking confused.

“Y-You remember me?” I snort and cross my arms glancing over at the direction of school.

“How could I forget? You’d always call me jew and find some way to piss me off.” He laughs at the memory and I playfully glare at him a grin on my own face.

“Better watch it fat ass!” That makes him laugh harder and I couldn’t help but laugh myself. Eric ruffles my hair making all the effort I put into straightening my hair go to waste.

“Hey! My hair! I spent like a full hour on that!” I try to flatten it down but Eric just shrugs.

“I always liked you better without your hat anyway.” I snort at the mere idea of kid Cartman saying anything of the sort.

“Yeah right! You used to call it a jewfro all the time.” It was Eric’s turn to snort this time and I laugh rolling my eyes. I hadn’t laughed this hard in quite a while. Sure I had the cast but there was something calming about Eric’s presence.

“Hey Kyle I was thinking…” I hum turning to Eric surprised by how serious he just got.

“after your show would you like to go on a date?” I stood there stunned staring at Eric’s determined expression a soft smile forming on my face.

“Sure! I don’t see why not.” Eric grins happily as the bus pulls up stepping onto it as well and we both take a seat.

“You do know you don’t have to come see your own play right?” Eric must have read the script twenty times more than I had.

“I don’t mind you pull of my character well anyway. Besides what’s better than the creator of the play offering you a rose?~” I snort and roll my eyes playfully.

“I hope you aren’t thinking of getting me a rose for each night. There’s six more shows left including this one.” I cross my arms when he gasps pretending to be offended putting his hand on chest acting shocked.

“Mwah? No of course not Kyle! I would never do such a thing!” I laugh at his dramatic performance making a small golf clap to which he gladly bows too. Sure people on the bus were staring at us like we were mad men but it was fun to just, relax and goof around a little. Once the bus pulls up we go out.

“Well I need to go get ready.” Eric hums softly gently taking my hand and leaving a soft kiss on it.

“Until next time my dear.~” I roll my eyes but couldn’t help the blush that formed on my face. God was Eric attractive. I pretend to curtsy making Eric smirk at the fact I played along before I head to the changing room. This time I change into my costume having a bit more time and not needing to rush. I hum and sit down in Bebe’s chair who raised a brow.

“Wow, I don’t need to rush to get makeup on you? What’s the special occasion?” She gets her brushes ready and I grin watching her expression in the mirror.

“Oh nothing, I just have a date.” Her jaw drops, and she stops everything she’s doing to stare at me.

“For real!?” I laugh and shrug leaning back in the chair cockily.

“Eric Cartman nonetheless.” Bebe laughs and gets her brushes ready once more getting to work.

“I remember you two used to hate each other! Always finding some hot subject to fight about.” I shrug and hum playfully.

“What can I say I like bad boys.” Bebe laughs before getting an eye shadow brush.

“Now hush don’t make me laugh or I’ll poke your eye out by accident.” This was one quick way to get me to shut up. Bebe went to work making sure that it was perfect before pulling back.

“I hope you know I’m doing your makeup for your date.” I nod and get up now that Bebe was finished.

“Oh trust me I know.” Before I could go Bebe grabs my shoulders making me stop in my tracks.

“And I’m saving you from that sweater you wore in here alright? Trust me when you walk out of here you are going to be hot!” I snort but nod giving in so I would be released.

“fine fine! But nothing too crazy.” I head off to find Stan so we could work on our lines rolling my eyes when I hear Bebe shout behind me.

“No promises!” I make my way through the set finding Stan relatively easily due to the fact we were rather early.

“Stan want to practice before the show?” Stan hums turning to me in a tux and nods happily.

“of course!” I’ll never be able to get over the sight of Stan in a tux because oh boy. Then again any boy in a tux made me have the same reaction. Guys in tuxes were just hot in general. We both practiced until the show started Stan going to start the show. The show went by better than yesterdays everyone working hard. I smile and bow with the crew seeing Eric in the front row standing and clapping looking at me with a smile that could melt even the coldest heart. I could feel my heart flutter and smile lovingly to him before heading off stage with everyone else sighing happily and sitting down in Bebe’s chair.

“He was sitting in the front row Bebe, his stupid grin and ugh!” I groan running my fingers through my hair not being able to help the blush that was flooding my face. Bebe laughs at my misery.

“Someone’s love struck~” She coos cleaning the makeup from my face and I laugh rolling my eyes.

“What gave me away?” She chuckles and cleans the eye shadow off of my eyes.

“Don’t you worry, you’re in good hands! I’ll make you look so pretty he’ll be knocked off of his feet!” She says proudly getting some lipstick and I raise a brow at her.

“Nothing too extreme Bebe.” She pretends to be offended gasping as she places the lipstick to my lips.

“Me? Extreme? Never~” I would have said something sarcastic but Bebe would kill me if I ruined her perfect lipstick so I decide to keep my mouth shut. She hums softly getting focused as she went to work with blush and eyeshadow. She grins proudly turning me to the mirror.

“Tada!~” I look in the mirror shocked at the light pink lipstick and watermelon eye shadow. I was completely stunned, while I did look amazing I looked like a girl. I didn’t even notice Bebe went to the changing room. She hums happily and shoves a pink dress into my hands and starts to shove me into the changing room.

“H-Hey, wait Bebe this is just too extreme! I said n-nothing too extreme!” She hums and laughs a little at my stuttering mess of words.

“Just try it on at the very least!” She calls through the curtains. I sigh and look down at the dress in my arms. It was a beautiful flamingo pink, long, sleeveless with flowers on the waist. The bottom turns into a beautiful frill and I sigh giving in. I might as well try it on right? There’s no harm in that. I take my clothes off and snort as Bebe slides under the curtain a matching pair of high heels.

“You’re really pushing your luck you know that!” I hiss but slip into the dress anyway. There was some strange lace tie in the back and I attempting to tie it to no avail.

“Hey Bebe? Can you come tie the back?” I open the curtain going wide eyed seeing Eric standing at the door staring me dead in the eyes holding a full bouquet of roses. We both just stare at each other for a second and I could feel my cheeks rising in heat. Oh god what if he hated me now? What if I ruined everything? Eric sets the flowers on the desk storming over to me. Oh god was he pissed? I watch as he drops to his knees in front of me holding his hands together leaving the entire room stunned. W-Was he praying!? My jaw drops as he had a fake tear in his eye.

“Oh god I don’t know what I did to deserve such a blessed sight but thank you.” Eric says dramatically. I have never, ever in my entire life been more embarrassed than at this moment.

“I-Idiot!” I hiss hitting the back of his head making him laugh and get up taking my hand and spinning me so he could see the full dress. He noticed right away that the back was undone so he turned me around and started to tie it like it was nothing.

“H-Hey what are you doing?!” I yell still completely and utterly embarrassed. I feel the air leave my gut and I instantly felt bad for any person who had to wear a corset. This was hell.

“Well you’re going to be wearing this to our date right? You should you look beautiful!” My cheeks heat up again and I huff softly crossing my arms. It’s not that I didn’t want too… It was surprisingly comfortable despite the fact that I was suffocating due to the corset. I look down in thought and when he finishes tying I slip into the heels turning to him.

“You wouldn’t mind if I wore this?” At this point I was sure Bebe didn’t even need to put blush on me. I was handling that perfectly fine on my own. I glance over and see her heading out giving me two thumbs up before leaving.

“Mind? Of course not! I would be thrilled if you wore that! You look stunning!” He says happily going over and gently wrapping his arms around my waist pulling me to him. I go wide eyed being only a breath away from his lips. I feel my entire face turn red and I quickly pull away.

“Buy me dinner first would you?” He blinks looking surprised but laughs and offers me his arm.

“Well that is the plan. Ready?” I quickly pack my clothes into a bag taking his arm with a nod. He hums happily leading me out through the crowd. Most of the people looked over shocked and confused. I couldn’t help but feel self conscious and embarrassed but when I look up at Eric that all faded. He had the biggest grin on his face, as if he had all the money in the world on his arm. When we get outside the valet pulls up to meet us. Eric kindly opens the passenger side door for me and I smile happily sliding into the seat. I make sure my dress was safely inside before Eric closes the door. I watch him tip the valet before getting into the driver side. We both get buckled as Eric got ready to drive.

“Alright! We’re off!” with that Eric started to drive off. I hum softly and glance out the window watching the people walk by. Where we even heading? I glance over at Eric who had his eyes focused on the street. It had been forever since I saw him. His mom forced him to move out to New York when we hit middle school. I tried to get him to come back for a good month but everytime I did he said he was much happier here. I knew he was lying even then. I sigh softly and glance back out the window.

“Why the heavy sigh?” Eric questions raising a brow. I turn back to him and let out a soft hum.

“I was just thinking back when we were kids.” Eric nods keeping his eyes on the road.

“Well a lot of interesting stuff did happen, like the time aliens came!” I snort and laugh at the memory.

“And they put a satellite in your ass!” Eric laughs as well glancing at me for a second before returning his eyes back to the road.

“I didn’t believe you guys! I thought for sure it was a dream! Nothing crazy like that ever happened when I moved to New York.” I frown slightly seeing a look of melancholy cross Eric’s face. It must have been worse than I thought.

“I… I tried to get you to come back… You just neve-” before I could finish we pull into a parking lot and Eric parks the car stretching.

“Well it doesn’t matter now, let’s just enjoy or date.” He offers me a kind smile as he unbuckles himself. I nod moving my dress so I could unbuckle myself.

“Sure, that sounds nice.” Once I get unbuckled the door opens for me and I see Eric smiling kindly at me. I snort softly getting out and gently pressing a kiss to his cheek. Eric turns bright red and held his cheek in shock as if I just slapped him full force making me laugh.

“It’s just a kiss on the cheek.” I close the door for Eric due to the fact he was stunned and offer my arm to him this time. Once Eric comes back around he takes my arm leading me to the restaurant. I was to busy watching Eric’s blush start to fade to realize what restaurant we were going too. The second Eric opens the door a shocked voice makes me stop in my tracks.

“Kyle!?” I look at the voice seeing none other than my friend Token, who was helping sort tables. I go bright red and rub the back of my neck nervously.

“Hey Token…” We hadn’t seen each other in almost a full month due to the fact he was normally in the back cooking. I open my mouth to say something but nothing comes out. Unknowingly I squeeze Eric's arm in embarrassment. With that Eric went to the counter with a grin.

“Hey Token! It’s been forever hasn’t it!” I watch as he leans on the counter and Token smiles happily.

“Eric Cartman! My oh my you’ve changed! Table for two I’m guessing?” I make my way over to Eric now that I chance to compose myself and what I was going to say.

“Yes please.” Eric gives me a glance as if to check if I was ok. I nod my head that I was in deed alright, for the time being. He nods and smiles wrapping his arm around me gently rubbing my shoulder with his thumb. It was surprisingly comforting and I lean into his warmth.

“Kyle?” I hear someone ask behind me. I turn curiously seeing Clyde and rub the back of my neck with a nervous chuckle.

“Hey Clyde.” Clyde hums happily and goes over hugging me. Surprised I hug back and laugh a little.

“You look good!” Clyde hums and takes a step back studying me for a few seconds.

“Pink isn’t a bad color on you at all!” I laugh softly and blush embarrassed as I feel Eric’s arm wrap around my waist. Was he jealous?

“Well anyway your table is over here.” He makes his way through the dinner passing by normal spot and going to a table with two chairs. I hum going to sit down but Eric pulls the chair out for me. I laugh softly but sit down smiling softly at him.

“Thank you.” He nods and went over to his seat studying the menu. I already knew what I was going to get so I just browse the drinks. Though my attention was drawn to a small T.V that was playing news. There was another fire, though I’m not surprised with how old some of the gas pipes in South Park were. Thankfully there were no injuries, someone had smelt the gas and warned everyone.

“Kyle.” I turn to Eric seeing he was staring right at me. He seemed dead serious.

“Yes Eric?” I question and he took a breath of courage before going on.

“You and Clyde. What’s your relationship?” I snort softly not being able to help the laugh that leaves my mouth. He was jealous!

“We’re just friends Eric, I promise. Besides Clyde has the biggest crush on Token.” I hear a plate shatter behind me making chills run down my spine and I turn to see if the person who dropped the plate was alright. I feel my face pale seeing Token staring me dead in the eyes his mouth open as he tries to form words.

“Y-You’re serious?” He asks staring me dead in the eyes. Now it was my turn to lose words. I try and stammer something out.

“I-I mean…” My heart was pounding in my ears as I watch Token take a breath. I watch helplessly as he marches over to Clyde who was busy taking an order. My thoughts start racing in worry but I feel everything stop in a second as Token grabs clyde, dips him and then plants a kiss onto clyde’s lips. I watch awe stuck as Eric laughing loudly across from me. Clyde turns as red as a tomato and I watch the two start to talk. Did I just get two people together without even knowing it? The restaurant slowly starts to clap in confusion.

“Well it seems our food has been mixed with shards and they’re closing soon.” Eric says nodding to the food. I glance at the broken plate and laugh rubbing the back of my neck.

“It was my fault anyway.” I go over to Token paying for the plate and food apologizing to the person who ordered it. Though they didn’t seem to mind at all. I turn back to Eric who was getting up and I make my way over to him. As much as I hated to admit it my feet were aching in pain from the heels.

“Wanna visit my place? Order some take in?” Eric grins happily and nods laughing a little.

“That sounds like my kind of a date.” I snort playfully and push our chairs back in waving goodbye to the new couple. Bebe is going to have a heart attack when I tell her. Eric opens the door for me and we both get into the car. After explaining where my apartment was Eric started to drive off. I could feel my heart beating nervously. I look down at my hands and fiddle with my broken nail, debating hard in my mind. We pull up to the apartment and Eric parks getting out and opens the door for me. I smile and slip out closing the door behind me. Eric was quick to follow as I lead us to my apartment unlocking it.

“It might not be much but it’s home.” I smile and swing open the door placing the heels at the door, I’d have to return those to Bebe later. Eric hums softly glancing around before placing his own shoes at the door.

“It’s not bad! Though as an actor I don’t see why you can’t afford something a bit… more extravagant?” I laugh a little and lead him inside going to the phone to call some take out.

“Well I’ve had this place ever since I got kicked out in high school…” a wave of sadness passes over me at the memory.

“I’m sorry… What happened if you don’t mind me asking?” I rub the back of my neck hesitating to call.

“Well Stan went to a party and got wasted. He called me at like 1am in the morning to come and get him. So I snuck out of the house and got him.” I laugh slightly at the memory.

“He was wasted, like about to throw up wasted and he still had a bottle in his hand. So when I got home and parked I helped Stan out of the car and tried to get the bottle from him. That’s when my mom walked out and saw me holding my drunk friend with a bottle in my hand right next to my car.” A sad smile of melancholy crosses my face.

“And that was that. I haven’t heard from them sense.” I hum softly and look down calling the take out.

“Ike should be a junior by now. I wonder how he’s been doing?” Without a word Eric wraps his arms around my waist pulling me into a hug as the phone rings. I was shocked at first at such a kind action but turn to him and hug him back. The moment was ruined when I hear a voice over the line.

“This is City Wok what can I get for you?” I clear my throat and look at Eric realizing I didn’t ask what he wanted.

“I-I uh, one order of city shrimp and…” Eric laughs slightly and I roll my eyes at him. He still finds that funny huh?

“Shitty beef for me!” I shake my head trying to hold back a laugh.

“and one..” A small chuckle leaves my mouth before I could finish but I quickly try and stifle down anymore laughter.

“One CITY beef.” Eric was trying his best to hold back his laughter as well slapping his hand on the table as if it was the funniest things he’s heard.

“Alright be right over!” With that they hang up and Eric and I burst into laughter. We stand there laughing for a good five minutes before it starts to calm down. I huff in relief finally able to catch my breath and wipe a tear from my eye.

“Kyle…?” I look at Eric seeing he was serious once more making me frown in return.

“What is it?” He seemed to hesitate which was never a good sign. Eric clears his throat before going on.

“I’m sorry. About what happened with your parents. That’s wrong.” Was he actually feeling bad? 10 year old me would instantly assume Eric was possessed by a demon.

“It’s ok Eric, it was like years ago.” before I could go on Eric growls angrily making me go wide eyed.

“It’s not ok! If I was there I could have helped you and then you wouldn’t have…” I frown and go over gently placing my hand on his cheek. Sure it was surprising to see him suddenly burst out like that but it meant he cared…

“You weren’t there at the time Eric… There’s nothing you could have done…” He seemed heartbroken over that fact but leans into my hand anyway.

“But… There is something you can do for me now…” He looks up at me curiously and a soft smile crosses my face.

“We can watch horrible horror films and cuddle on the sofa while eating dinner?” This made Eric snort softy showing his kind smile once more.

“Yeah… Yeah that sounds great.” He made his way over to the sofa and I was more than happy to follow after. Eric sits down on the sofa with a content sigh and I sit right next to him cuddling into his side. He had a calming warmth something I didn’t know I needed in my life until this moment. It was safe, calming… Time seemed to have no place in this moment and I blink hearing the doorbell ring breaking my haven of safety.

“One second!” I call standing up and stretching. Was I about to fall asleep? I hum softly and head to my bedroom looking for my wallet. I can hear Eric talking outside and I frown softly, he’s not is he? I look around panickedly grabbing my wallet and running out as Eric closes the door holding the bag of our food lifting it with a soft hum.

“Eric I could have payed you know!” I huff unhappily but sit down on the sofa anyway setting my wallet down to my right.

“Oh trust me I know you could.” Eric laughs and takes the seat to my left moving his arm so I could cuddle into him. Eric opens the bag with his free hand handing me my box of city shrimp. I hum softly turning the T.V on and putting a cheesy horror movie. I snuggle into Eric who had his arm wrapped around me happily opening his own box of city beef. About half way through the movie I feel myself nodding off into Eric chest falling into a safe, calming sleep.

By the time I woke up Eric was gone from the sofa. I let out a soft sigh getting up and stretching. I make my way to my bathroom to begin my normal ritual of getting ready. I took a shower, attempted to tame my hair, got changed and went to the kitchen to make breakfast. Though to my surprise someone was already one step ahead of me. Eric glances over and smiles happily sliding the last egg onto a plate.

“Good morning sleeping beauty.” He says with a soft grin and slides the plate to me.

“I couldn’t find the forks so we’ll have to eat with spoons.” I laugh a little but couldn’t help the smile on my face. He stayed, and made breakfast nonetheless.

“I could have gotten forks for us you know.” I gladly take the plate and spoon anyway looking at the beautiful eggs in front of me. The yolk was perfectly centered and it had just the right amount of salt and pepper sprinkled on top that it made it look like a crown. I hum amazed taking my spoon and cutting into the yolk watching as the golden liquid creates a river down the egg. I lift a spoonful to my lips gently blowing a breeze to insure I wouldn’t burn myself. Once it was cooled enough I place it into my mouth. Bursts of flavor went off in my mouth with a comforting homely warmth.

“Wow this is amazing, you could be a professional chef!” I say quickly before digging in once more. Eric grins proudly eating his own egg.

“Really? I don’t think it’s that impressive.” I snort softly and shake my head laughing.

“Remind me to never cook for you then.” We both laugh enjoying this calming morning. I ate my eggs surprisingly fast, though it was delicious.

“I could eat that every morning and never get tired of it.” I wash my plate off slipping into the dishwasher going to make my normal coffee.

“Oh would you like some coffee?” I turn to Eric seeing he was deep in thought.

“So why don’t you?” I frown confused clearly missing a part in the conversation. I place the coffee pod into the Keurig (type of coffee maker) and turn back to him as I wait for the water to boil.

“Why don’t I what?” Eric scrapes up the last bites of his eggs eating them before looking at me with a determined expression.

“Why don’t you have them every morning? I mean, apartments are normally shared right?” I blink confused as the information slowly started to process into my mind. He wanted to live together. I feel my cheeks flush bright red.

“I mean, I’m normally at work… And not to mention I practice a lot!” Eric looked at me as if saying to go on so I blush rubbing the back of my neck.

“I-I mean as long as you don’t mind me practicing my lines.” I manage to choke out just under a whisper. I see his face light up and he grins happily.

“You mean I can stay?” I couldn’t hide my blush of embarrassment any longer so I just nod and huff turning back to my coffee selecting the size.

“You’ll have to pay for your own rent, and not to mention trash day is a pain in the…” before I could finish I was lifting into the air. I yelp in surprise clinging to the strong arms that managed to lift me up.

“Put me down!” Despite my cry we were both laughing. Eric carefully sets me down and I look up at him. We were once more a breath away. I see Eric glance between my lips and then back to my eyes as a silent question to see if he could kiss me. A soft smile crosses my face and I place a gentle kiss to his lips. Now that took him by surprise, I wrap my arms around him and start to deepen the kiss. Finally he begins to kiss back, though the moment was ruined when I heard the beeping of the coffee being finished. I pull away feeling my cheeks flush and clear my throat going to the coffee.

“W-Well that was…” I manage to stammer out after there was an awkward silence. I pour the sugar into the cup carefully.

“Amazing?” Eric finishes and turns to me. I nod and smiles softly with a blush.

“Yeah… Amazing.” I take my coffee and offer a sip to Eric. He shakes his head and chuckles.

“no thanks I have my cigs.” He shows a pack that he had in his back pocket and my nose scrunches up in displeasure.

“What you don’t like cigarettes?” I sigh and rub the back of my neck embarrassed at how easily he managed to read me.

“I just… Hate how they smell. The scent clings to everything.” Eric hums softly but closes the box.

“If you don’t like them I won’t use them. Besides that gets me a better chance for kisses.” He teases making me laugh and shake my head.

“Dork.” I place a gently kiss onto his nose as a thank you. Eric grins ear to ear and I walk to the living room.

“Where are you going?” I set my coffee down on the table and hum turning to him.

“I have to practice my lines.” Eric nods and sits down on the sofa as I clear my throat and begin my lines. I get through about half of my lines before Eric cuts in.

“My, oh my! So the prince assumes he can fight me! One of the best knights in all of the lands?” I snort softly at his dramatic pose. It was nice to have someone fill in for Stan’s role.

“I have no quarrel with you! I only ask for safe passage through the forest.” I begin to circle around Eric and we both pretending to hold up swords.

“The only way you’ll get there is through me! And even then you’ll have to deal with the elves!” We take a lunge at each other and Eric falls dramatically.

“Oh what cruel fate! Killed by my own prince!” I snort and laugh going over and kneeling next to him.

“You were supposed to dodge.” I flick his forehead making him hold it with a grin on his face.

“How could I dodge such an amazing strike! My prince is truly amazing.” I laugh and gently rest my forehead on top of his looking him in the eyes smiling as he turns red.

“Will you stop if I give you a kiss?” He hums happily and let out a small laugh looking at me than to my lips.

“Sounds like a good trade to me.” I roll my eyes and place a gentle kiss on his lips.

He hums softly in the kiss tickling my lips so I pull away laughing and shaking my head.

“Honestly you’re such a dork.” Eric grins happily and laughs pulling me down beside him and we lay on the floor. I cuddle into Eric and he hums softly messing with my hair.

“Kyle, I was thinking… Do you want to make this official..?” I look at him feeling my cheeks heat up.

“Y-You mean like actually dating? Like a relationship?” Eric snorts softly and gently kisses my forehead.

“No as best friends, of course I mean as dating.” Eric says sarcastically and I roll my eyes cuddling into his side lovingly.

“Sure… That sounds great.” I whisper and Eric hums happily pulling me into a hug which I gladly return.

“I’m glad…” He whispers softly. I couldn’t help the smile forming on my face and I gently kiss his chin.

“Me too.” I whisper and nuzzle into chest lovingly. I could stay here forever, listening to Eric’s calming heartbeat and soothing breathing. It was safe, calming and loving, everything I would ever need.

@kymanweek

((This is the start of a story I was thinking about writing for Ao3! I have a lot more planned but I just wanted to send a snip it, should I finish up the story on a03? let me know your thoughts! :D)

#sp kyman #kyman week #day 7 #Kyle x Cartman #kyle x eric #kyle broflovski #eric cartman

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thenatureofpages · 3 years

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Top Bookstores in the USA On My Bucket List

I love traveling – I’ve often done so with my parents on holidays and breaks. While there are neat attractions at every place, the spots I’m always drawn to are the bookstores! There are truly some unique and fun bookstores to be found if you’re looking, which is why I’ve made a bucket list of bookstores I want to visit once covid (hopefully soon) is under control.

Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN

Photo from Nashville Scene

Parnassus Books is named after Mount Parnassus in Greek mythology, the home of literature and music. This bookstore also has a canine bookseller who hangs around the shop – adorably cute.

Bright Side Bookshop in Flagstaff, AZ

Photo from Bright Side Bookshop

Bright Side Bookshop is a colorful dive into the heart of it’s mountain city in Arizona and considers itself to be a community hub! The fun bookstore looks like a book nerd haven.

Bart’s Books in Ojai, CA

Photo from @BartsBooksOjai

Look, I’m a nature person at heart (to all those laughing: yes, my high school English teacher may have described me as an “indoor cat” which is one hundred percent true, but I’m a sucker for a good sunshiny day), so when I saw Bart’s Books I was HERE for it. This is the world’s largest outdoor bookstore!

Powell’s City of Books in Portland, OR

Photo from Willamette Week

Its the largest indie bookstore in the world! With nine color-coded rooms and over 68,000 feet of books, I would happily get lost inside the store. They also have an Espresso Print Machine, meaning writers can take their novels in on a USB and design a cover, format, and print their own books!

The Last Bookstore in Los Angeles, CA

Photo from Must Do Travels

Starting out in 2005 under the belief that bookstores were quickly dying out, The Last Bookstore has grown to one of largest indie bookstores in the world! They collaborate with local artists and create fun book set-ups for shoppers to photograph with.

Books Are Magic in Brooklyn, NY

Photo from Books Are Magic

What an aesthetic bookstore! Books Are Magic is quoted for wanting to be “the friendliest bookstore in Brooklyn,” and from the pictures they sure look like they measure up! The owner is an author herself, and they hold events for writers and the community (right now held virtually).

Boulder Bookstore in Boulder, CO

Photo from Boulder Bookstore

Nestled in Boulder, this bookstore looks amazing to take pictures in. Look at the bookstagram opportunities! This looks simply amazing, their website shows a vast amount of titles, and they encourage everyone to shop indie!

Elliot Bay Book Company in Seattle, WA

Photo from Elliot Bay Book Company

During non-covid times, Elliot Bay Book Company hosts over 500 author signings every year! It is home to over 150,000 book titles – and looks super cute while doing so.

City Lights in San Francisco, CA

Photo from American Booksellers Assoc.

City Lights is a famous bookstore, known for their own publishing company within the store! It specializes in world literature and arts.

Changing Hands Bookstore in Phoenix, AZ

Photo from Changing Hands Bookstore

Changing Hands Bookstore has a cozy atmosphere, even only from the photos. Just looking at them makes me want to curl up with a book! One of their locations even has a First Draft Bar (lol) that has snacks and beverages for readers.

The Strand in New York City, NY

Photo from Wikipedia

Now, if you’ve been following me on my The Nature of Pages bookstagram, you might actually know that I managed to visit The Strand after BookCon 2019! It was absolutely amazing – books for ages – and yet, I couldn’t just leave it off this list! There are 18 miles of books in this bookstore, and multiple floors!

The Henry Miller Memorial Library in Big Sur, CA

Photo from Henry Miller Memorial Library Facebook

Honestly, this bookstore/library looks way more like a sleep-away camp cabin than a bookstore, and I’m totally here for it. They are more well-known for their events, but seriously. Adorable.

The Montague Bookmill in Montague, MA

Photo from TripAdvisor

This store’s slogan is “Books you don’t need in a place you can’t find,” and if that isn’t enough to make me want to come on a wild adventure, I don’t know what would. They also have a cafe and sell vinyls in this old stone mill turned into a bookstore.

Square Books in Oxford, MS

Photo from Tracey Jackson

Square Books is a two-story bookstore with a cafe and a balcony for readers to peruse. There are three buildings full of books in historic, old buildings turned into these bookstores! They’ve had writers-in-residence in their past.

The Book Cellar in Chicago, IL

Photo from TripAdvisor

This cute half-eatery, half-bookstore has hosted many authors signings and community events, north of Chicago and near the coast. They also have poetry nights for locals!

McNally Jackson Books in New York City, NY

Photo from McNally Jackson

LOOK AT HOW MANY BOOKS ARE ON THE CEILING! Honestly, that’s the book nerd goal right there. They’re currently hosting virtual author events and questions, and recently posted a picture of people playing in the snow right outside their shop. Totally goals.

Brattle Book Shop in Boston, MA

Photo from Atlas Obscura

Last, but certainly not least, is Brattle Book Shop! I’ve been to Boston and now I’m kicking myself for not managing to get here! It’s one of America’s oldest bookstores, started in 1825. They’re known for having rare 1st editions of books.

Phew! There’s so many cool bookstores to visit. Have you visited any of them? Let me know in the comments if you have or if I’ve missed any epic bookstores!

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siochan-leat · 6 years

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Thor: Ragnarok Review

Now that my brain is properly working again, I think I’m able to construct my review of the film. On a whole, my spoiler-free review is that this is probably the best film Marvel has done. And they took some risks with it - a different kind of director (cos, let’s face it, Taika Waititi is about as different as they come), different sets designs and concept, and the atmosphere of the film was lighter and definitely more comedic than an action film typically is. Which was said when “The Avengers” came out - ‘we didn’t expect it to be so funny!!’ Well...this time we’re dealing with the end of a planet and the extinction of a people….it’s tough to make THAT hilarious.

The best way I can review this film properly is to talk about the characters themselves instead of me nattering on.

Oh and tagging @lokiperfection and @quoting-shakespeare-to-ducks cos they might be the only ones who read this, LOL

So, be warned here be spoilers ahead…

Thor: Thank you Taika, for finally giving us the Thor film we’ve been waiting for! He was absolutely brilliant is this film - outrageously humorous from the very first scenes, still chucking around Mjolnir like nobody’s business ( that is, until...well he doesn’t have it anymore), ready to fight anyone or thing that messes with him or his friends, and still VERY MUCH the pig headed hothead he’s always been. But...there was something more endearing about this incarnation of Thor. We can tell he’s…changed. Maybe it was all that running around the cosmos trying to find himself that made the difference? It’s hard to tell. But once his hammer is broken, I think he finally realizes that must rely on something else for once - he must find his other strength(s) and find his true power. Odin quite rightly says to him in his Big Moment of Weakness, “Are you The God of Hammers?” No, Thor is the God of THUNDER, so he has no choice but to find that power and tap into it if he and those who join him have ANY chance of defeating Hela. He also realizes WHEN he needs to ask for help comes into play here too (scene with Heimdall and Odin in particular).

He’s also the Imperfect Hero here - flawed, uncertain, clumsy and yeah, things can be badly timed. Just cos you’re “Asgard’s Golden Boy” doesn’t mean you can’t make mistakes.

And I now want to refer to him from now on as “Sparkles.”

The scenes with The Hulk and his brother, Loki I found especially endearing and wonderful, but more about that later.

Loki: As a devoted Loki Fangirl, I was expecting much of this character and THANK THE GODS, Taika and Tom did NOT let us down. We also finally got the Loki we’ve been waiting for since Tom donned the helmet back in 2011. Here, Loki is at his very best - chaotic, snarky,mischievous, deadpan gut-bustingly funny, the full-tilt diva, but also the insecure, hurt, wounded soul. I remember as many of you will, Tom speaking about Loki and saying, “The opposite of love isn't hate; it’s indifference.” And that is so so very clear in this film it’s just remarkable. I think the very real possibility that Thor is now indifferent to his brother really REALLY bothers Loki and the scene that PERFECTLY CAPTURES THIS is where Loki projects himself into the dungeon room on Sakaar to plead with his brother….and Thor just sits there, tossing rocks at him, with no expression on his face. Loki finally, after getting no reaction, says “ would you say something? SAY SOMETHING!” And Thor’s response is so perfect!!! ‘You did all this bad shit and you’re gonna keep doing more and more of it, so…?”

Even more so when Loki betrays Thor for the umpteenth time after “Get Help” and what Loki doesn’t see coming is that Thor knew it was gonna happen. So he has a chat with Loki whilst being on floor with the shock collar thingy, cos maybe that’s the only way he will actually LISTEN, and says to him (i’m paraphrasing here), “we just keep going around and around like this….when will you get it, that in order to grow you must change?? You are (just) the God of Mischief….but (when?) you could be MORE…”

I have more to say about him in “Scenes I Loved”. Cos he was in a LOT of them. Ehehehe

Odin: So...the AllFather is in exile and he’s got some big explaining to do. I know every family has secrets they’d rather keep tucked away somewhere, and yeah maybe he was trying to protect his loved ones and the whole of Asgard from the Royal Family’s dirty laundry, but WOW. You didn’t think your people deserved to know that The Goddess of Death was gonna come for everyone once i’m dead, and oh by the way she’s Thor’s sister and my first born and we kinda destroyed whole civilizations together.

I’m sorry…...WHAT?!?!

Back the Family Tree up here!!!

But Odin knows he fucked up. BIG time. And his sons and Asgard’s people are unfortunately gonna pay the price for it. Unless, his sons come together (haha) & do something about it and end up saving them. Cos they’re Thor and Loki’s people now to save.

Hela: Ooooooh, yesssss. HELA YES. Bless you Cate Blanchett, for doing this role cos NO ONE could’ve done this better. She was magnificent as only Cate could make her - that narrowing of her eyes, THAT STRUT OF MURDEROUS INTENT, that sly snark to her voice and, i’m sorry, but if her and Loki are not blood related, I’m calling BULLSHIT.You couldn’t ignore the parallels between Hela and Loki if you TRIED, cos there were just SO MANY of them!!! There’s one scene towards the end of the film where Thor is on the throne and Hela is before him explaining something and the camera goes to a wide shot behind Thor and for a moment, in that wide shot, if i didn't know it was Hela standing there, I could’ve SWORN it was LOKI.

Perhaps that’s why Odin was so hard on Loki for so long? Because he had seen and experienced first hand what powerful greed and destructive ambition actually results in??? That’s my guess anyways.

Heimdall: Really, the TRUE saviour of Asgard. It made me a bit uncomfy to think that Heimdall was and is considered an enemy of the Crown, even after Odin’s exile and Loki’s takeover. But Heimdall is this film had a singular purpose and we knew that he could see Hela coming for Asgard so his sole purpose was to save as many Asgardians as he could and stash them up in the mountains (Mines of Moria, anyone? *snickers*) until he could make for the Bifrost to get them off the planet. Idris Elba, as always, was superior.

The Grandmaster: In my humble opinion, Jeff Goldblum’s greatest role and performance since Jurassic Park. He was the Jeff Goldblum-iest Jeff Goldblum EVER.

The Hulk: I thought, like most of us, that Mark Ruffalo was the best thing to ever happen to Bruce Banner/Hulk and i still DO, even more so now because of this movie. Hulk here is a different Hulk; he’s still a hothead and very temper driven, but he’s revered on Sakkar as a Gladiatorial Champion and he really seems to love the attention and all the “winning”. I’m glad he has more lines in this movie and we get to see a bit more of his personality, and not just Banner’s. I really like his man-child way of speaking, it really gives him a very likable “gentle giant” quality, well...gentle when he WANTS to be. When he said “Please?” I think i felt my heart turn to goo.

Valkyrie: UHH YAAAAAS QUEEN!!! I love love love LOVED this character OMGGG. There’s not much to not like about her ( well….maybe the whole “traitor to Asgard” that Thor accuses her of being…?) She gives absolutely ZEROS FUCKS, she drinks like a fish, kicks fucking ass and takes names, also has a Strut of Murderous Intent, and looks FLAWLESS. I think she and the Ravagers would get along VERY WELL. But, once Loki gets into her head and Thor kinda tells her not to run from her problems anymore, I like that she does a bit of an “about-face” and realizes that Asgard…..is still home for her and is in real trouble, no matter how much she tries to deny or forget her past. But she will help and join in on her terms.

And um, the whole ship jumping scene?!?!?! ASDFGHJKLKL!!!

Korg: Easily my fave new character of the MCU (sorry Groot). Every single scene he was in had me busting a gut laughing and he’s just so….CUTE!!! And, can we also appreciate that the director of this film was able to be an integral character in it too?!? Like….how often does that happen?? Almost never!

And thank you, Taika for making me fall in love with an animate pile of rocks. I haven’t been so smitten since Rockbiter and Rockbiter Jr. in the Neverending Story Films.

Skurge: I really liked Karl Urban in this role, but the character itself was kind blah for me. He agrees to be Hela’s executioner so he can “ have a chance to prove myself”, but every time Hela does something, he has second thoughts. In every scene he has a double take of “should i really be doing this??” It kinda felt after a while like, did he not get she’s the Goddess of Death? What did he think she was gonna do? Kill people with candy floss? It’s like it took him the entire movie to get up enough courage to back out of the deal and go against Hela, which he’s promptly killed for.

Surtur: I didn’t know anything about this character going into the film, so all I can say was that he seemed to be a bit of an egomaniac fire demon at the start of the film (all that monologuing…..yeeesh!) but once he was reborn and grew big and scary, I was more convinced and freaked out. Him shoving his flaming sword into the heart of Asgard and making in go BOOM was very VERY COOL.

Scenes / Things I Loved

- The Tragedy of Loki whole play scene. Great cameos by Liam Hemsworth, Matt Damon and Sam Neill. And Loki turning and saying to Skurge, “ you had ONE. JOB.” LMAO

- Thor and Loki in Midgard. THE BLACK SUIT OF SEX.

- The whole Dr. Strange scene.

- Thor and Loki seeing Odin for the last time (not counting Thor’s visions) in Norway. I think this scene was more...emotional for Loki than Thor cos I don’t think Loki knew how Odin was going to react to him being there. But once Odin turns to him and tells him “...took me quite a while to break free from your spell...Frigga would’ve been proud…” , I think all was forgiven in that moment. And to solidify this, Odin says that he loves “his sons”, and that he’s failed them both. I spent most of this scene focusing on Loki’s face and it was hard to watch Tom’s face as Odin’s spirit “left”. It was just….heartbreaking.

- Thor in the wheelchair in the tunnel before meeting the Grandmaster. The “Willy Wonka” music made me laugh SO HARD!

- The Grandmaster.

- Thor finding Loki alive and Loki’s reaction to Thor being alive. And oh god that whole “Shhhhhh! SHHH!” thing Tom did??? ASDFGJLAKSDASJHHASFKJAHS

- The dungeon scene between Loki’s projection and Thor

- STAN LEE’S CAMEO. THE BEST EVER.

- Korg. All of Korg, all the frickin TIME.

- Thor finding/unleashing his Thunder & Lightning powers while Hulk is beating him up. The flashes to Odin were an awesome touch

- Thor Shirtless for almost 2 minutes. HHHNNNNGG. Another Very Important Plot Point. And thank youuuuu Taika for circling the camera around and around DAT BOD. O_O

- Pretty much all the stuff with Thor and Hulk in Hulk’s apartment. Especially the sit-down chat on the bed where Hulk gets Haiku poetic.

- Thor asking Heimdall to help him to “See”.

- FENRIR.

- Loki and Valkyrie’s scene. I love that she calls him “Lucky” *snicker snicker*

The elevator scene and “get help”

- Valkyrie and Thor jumping on and off various ships in MID AIR. O_O

- The scene with Thor and Odin in Thor’s Moment of Weakness.

- Thor kicking ass on the Bifrost at his full power. AWW YEAAAAH!!

- Loki’s arrival back in Asgard. And the helmet flip. And him fighting. And….and….ALL OF IT.

- “We’re gonna need a ship with cupholders, cos we’re gonna die, so DRINKS!!!”

- “Darling...you have no idea what’s possible”

- “It varies from moment to moment.” ( not so much the line but HOW he SAID IT! GUHHH!!!)

- “It's a bold move, brother. Even for me”.

- The final scene between Hela and Surtur. 3D was MADE for that scene alone.

Things I Didn’t Love

- Thor immediately blaming Loki for Odin’s death. I think it was unfair of him to jump to that conclusion. Yes, he was in exile, yes Loki may have put him there, but how was Loki to know that Odin was coming to the end of his life? Maybe Odin didn’t want his sons to know that he was dying so he covered it up much like he did everything else.

- The way Hulk turned back into Banner. I found it very hard to buy Bruce and Natasha’s love story in Ultron, and we have to deal with it yet again in this film. I found it equally hard to swallow that Banner was trapped in Hulk for 2 YEARS and the moment he sees and hears Natasha, that THAT is what changes him back??!?!? I don’t buy it.

- The Loki shock collar scene. I can understand why Thor did it, but i think there must've been a better way to reason with his brother, even if he attempted to betray him yet again. I don’t agree that Thor simply left Loki there to suffer for hours and hours. If you recall every other time Thor was shocked with the collar it DID shut off after a while. We have no real way of knowing how long he was on the floor before he was found by Korg and his crew.

- How mangey Fenrir looked. I know, i know, he’s been dead for a while, i just thought when he was reborn, he’d look a little less dead.

- Some of Hela’s monologuing. And most of Surtur’s.

Things I have theories about. Or the Internet does

- How Loki made it onto the ship that made it out of Asgard. He goes from releasing Surtur on Asgard in Asgard’s basement to being on the ship….but we never see him actually board the ship. My theory is that he was either able to project himself onto the ship once it began to leave and his real form followed soon afterwards OR the Loki we saw in Asgard’s basement WAS the projection and his magic was strong enough to release Surtur from afar.

- Whose ship was that that appeared in the extra end scene? Internet theories seem to think it’s Thanos’ ship, which makes sense since Loki did kinda cheat him out of the Tesseract. But if that’s what Thanos is after and Asgard is no longer…..perhaps Loki was able to take it with him before releasing Surtur?

If you made it ALL THE WAY DOWN HERE.....YAAAAAY YOU GET A COOKIE AND A HUG!!!

#thor ragnarok #review #my opinions #lokiperfection #quoting-shakespeare-to-ducks #marvel

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inhalingwords · 6 years

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Monthly Wrap Up || October 2017

Henry IV, Part 2 by William Shakespeare || Henry V by William Shakespeare || The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare || A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare || Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare || As You Like It by William Shakespeare || Hamlet by William Shakespeare || Instrucciones para salvar el mundo by Rosa Montero || Kudottujen kujien kaupunki by Emmi Itäranta || Brokeback Mountain: Story to Screenplay by Annie Proux, Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana || Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë || The Gap of Time: The Winter’s Tale retold by Jeanette Winterson || Puhdistus by Sofi Oksanen

Henry IV, Part 2 by William Shakespeare

Disease, darkness, decay. 2 Henry IV is a sequel and it shows tbh. It’s boring, Prince Hal is obnoxious, there is not a thing in this play I much care for. The prologue is alright.

Henry V by William Shakespeare

Henry V continues and -- thankfully -- ends the story in the Henriad. Like 2 Henry IV, I didn’t enjoy this one either. I mean, it’s a fine play (and tetralogy) about war, kingship, honour, patriotism, etc., except that that’s precisely the problem. All of that presented as it is in the play(s) is directly opposite to my own values and morals. I don’t think it’s honourable that king Henry V wants to wage war with France only because of some titles and dukedoms to add to his name/”imperium” (+ to distract the populace with external unrest away from civil unrest) or that he threatens French towns with rape and pillaging if they don’t let them in so he can have them surrender “peacefully”, and that’s all supposed to make him out to be this great, amazing king because “band of brothers! we happy few! he totally gets down with the lowly commoners! wooo”, like, no thanks.

The entire concept of these plays is to bump up English/British nationalism/patriotism and be a reminder of these “”””glorious””” things done in the past “under God’s will”. lmao. It’s jingoistic propaganda and that doesn’t interest me.

The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare

Now, The Winter’s Tale is a severely underappreciated Shakespeare play imo. There are not sufficient words to explain how much I loved reading this play!

The Winter’s Tale is a lovely tragedy-that-turns-to-comedy about jealousy, family, time, redemption, rebirth, healing, and hope in the middle of darkness. There are some real kickass female characters (Pauline! what a woman! i love her! and Hermione, who is Great™), one of the most famous stage directions of all time (”Exit, pursued by a bear”), queer subtext, cute romance, and one of the most beautiful scenes in Shakespeare (that last scene with the “statue” Hermione, damn!).

A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare

This was actually my second reread of this play this year, I already reread it back in March. But because I recently bought the beautiful Arden edition of the play, I just needed to reread it once more. And I’m glad! This is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays (hence why I bought the separate edition). I love the whimsy, the fairies, and the aesthetic, but I also really appreciate the plot, the running away into the woods and all the love-magic shenanigans.

I greatly enjoyed the Third Series Arden edition’s emphasis on the theatrical staging history across the world. It was very interesting to read about (also: wtf I didn’t know there’s a history of female!Oberons, that’s my new favourite interpretations at the mo, so yess, thanks). The entire Introduction was top-notch and I found much to think about; my favourite things is how the play has very much a dreamlike quality with many alarming things bubbling underneath the surface that are never quite brought into focus and problematised.

Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

Holy moral ambiguity and manipulation, y’all! There’s no clear villain in this play, everyone’s a bit sketchy, and the central theme is of political rivalry and machinations. My favourite thing about Julius Caesar (and other plays like this) are the many layers, like when you consider the historical time depicted in the play, the context of Shakespeare’s time when the play was written in, and also the context of present time when I myself am reading this play.

I ended up liking this play much more than I expected to, and I’m looking forward to reading it again in the future (and seeing some great adaptations in the meantime!).

As You Like It by William Shakespeare

As You Like It is a wonderful pastoral (romantic) comedy that both brings the pastoral to life and parodies/critiques it. It’s absolutely charming and also very queer (thereby claiming it’s place on my list of fave Shakespeare plays pretty much automatically). It’s also the play with the female character who has the most lines out of all Shakespeare’s female characters (woop!). The characters are what really make this play for me: Rosalind, Celia, Orlando, Jaques, I love them so much, and I might even go so far as to say I even enjoy Touchstone.

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

I have to admit: this was my first time reading Hamlet, I haven’t seen a movie or stage adaptation of it, and, going into the play, I only had a very general idea what it was about (along the lines of “there’s a Danish prince called Hamlet, it’s a tragedy, people die”) and I knew a handful of quotes out of context.

That said, like for many others, my experience of reading Hamlet was that of recognition. I kept encountering quotes I knew and it proved super interesting to finally get the full context for them. I find Hamlet an intriguing play, (especially philosophically, psychologically and metatheatrically speaking) and I’m looking forward to seeing some stage/movie adaptations of it.

Instrucciones para salvar el mundo by Rosa Montero

Instrucciones para salvar el mundo is a milestone book for me: it’s the first book I’ve ever read in Spanish. Sadly, I can’t whole-heartedly recommend it for others. I like it... I think??

The problem I have with the book isn’t that it’s bad, it’s that I feel like I really love the theme and the central concept of the book so much -- there’s beauty in life, sometimes you don’t even realise how privileged you are and how much you have, how much life in itself is worth until you’re staring death in the face, that these darkness in the world but also so much goodness and beauty and happiness -- BUT something about the execution was just lacking. The characters felt a little bit too much like stereotypes (the two boring white male protags, one of whose wife is death so he’s grieving and the other who is cheating on his wife; the black sex worker who is Good and needs to be helped; the Moroccan suicide bomber, etc.). I did like two of the female characters (Cerebro, an old scientist, and Fatma, the sex worker) but they were more peripheral characters, just passing through the bigger plot of the two dudes, one of whom was so obnoxious I nearly put the book down because of him.

So, yeah. The book is good but not awesome, and I feel a bit let down.

Kudottujen kujien kaupunki by Emmi Itäranta

Kudottujen kujien kaupunki (UK: The City of the Woven Streets, US: The Weaver) is easily my favourite book of the month.

Earlier this year, in April, I read Itäranta’s first book Teemestarin kirja (engl. Memory of Water), which I loved, so I was expecting to like Kudottujen kujien kaupunki, and it honestly still managed to blow me away and even exceed my expectations. Once again, there’s a dystopian setting, environmental themes (this time, water pollution), beautiful writing, and fascinating worldbuilding, but with explicit wlw main pairing this time. My heart soars. Itäranta has definitely landed a spot on the list of my fave authors.

Brokeback Mountain: Story to Screenplay by Annie Proux, Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana

Proulx’s writing style isn’t necessarily my fave -- it’s quite sparse, unornamented and to the point -- but the story is beautiful and touching in all of its horror and it definitely packs a punch. It’s about rural homophobia, internalised homophobia, love and desires, repression, and life.

This edition also featured three short yet insightful essays about adapting the short story to the big screen.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

I…. like Wuthering Heights?? I’m baffled because I was pretty much prepared to dislike it due to so many people talking about how the relationship is really unhealthy and shouldn’t be romanticised, so I was expecting some sort of 1800s version of Twilight/50SoG, but… that’s not what this is??

Wuthering Heights is not a love story, it’s not a romance, and it’s not supposed to be. It’s not written as such. The relationship (between Cathy and Heathcliff) is not in any way portrayed as a romantic, healthy pairing you’re supposed to root and strive for (like in Twilight/50SoG) with the expectation that the reader is supposed to be sighing about how romantic and thrilling everything about the romance is. In Wuthering Heights, the abuse is portrayed as abuse, as negative and abusive, and the narrative does not support the reading of Heathcliff as a romantic hero and “Mr. Perfect”.

So, yeah. I like Wuthering Heights. In terms of the locale and characters, the scope of the novel is very small and almost claustrophobic, but the emotional magnitude is astonishing. Some of the characters are vile, selfish, and repugnant much of the time and yet I was so swept up in the story and invested in knowing what was going to happen, that I really enjoyed reading about them and I couldn’t help but symphathise with them because of the masterful storytelling. The portrayals of passion and revenge are so vivid I got chills. And I enjoy the double nature of the book; we have the one half (Catherine and Heathcliff) and the other half (Cathy and Hareton), and I love how it’s one of those hopeful stories about breaking the cycle of abuse, the younger generation doing better than the older.

The novel is also highly atmospheric. The moors, the nature, the wilderness. It all reflects the characters and the fact that the novel is so pointedly not about high society and social niceties.

The Gap of Time: The Winter’s Tale retold by Jeanette Winterson

My first venture into the world of Shakespearean book adaptations -- and I am so glad it was with such a great one!

The Gap of Time is a remix of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale (a tragedy-turns-to-comedy that I read for the first time this month and love a lot!), and to me it’s a very successful one. There are so many things brimming with insight (I feel like I marked up at least 2/3 of the book!), some nice winks at the source material and Shakespeare in general, and tbh I gotta love anything that takes the queer subtext in Shakespeare and makes it explicit. I really enjoy the way Winterson modernised the story and dived a bit deeper into themes like time and family, which were already present in the original play.

However, The Gap of Time did feel a bit rough and unpolished at times, although I wonder whether it was intentional and meant to reflect the way reading one of Shakespeare’s (or anyone’s) plays feels like (since obviously they are meant to be seen and not read per se, and consist of nothing but dialogue).

Puhdistus by Sofi Oksanen

In February, I read the first book in Oksanen’s Kvartetti series about Estonia’s recent history and the East/West dichotomy of Europe. This month, I finally picked up the second novel (and the most well-known of the three books that have been published in the series). I was much impressed reading it, and I can see why it became such a sensation.

Puhdistus is a story about shame and sexual violence from the PoV of two women of two different generations set against the backdrop of Estonian history (from 1940s to 1990s, mostly preoccupied with the occupations of Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia, deportations, the Forest Brothers, and surveillance). The novel is at times brutal and sad, you might even call it a psychological thriller (though I myself wouldn’t go that far), but there’s also a constant thrum of hope of survival persisting throughout an the ending is hopeful. I find Oksanen’s writing a joy to read and I think I’m going to pick up the third book in the series sooner than I picked up this one.

#booklr #bookblr #october wrap up #reading wrap up #monthly wrap up

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zeinabalmelli · 7 years

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Translation of SKAM article

Hey everyone! There were a few who wanted to read this article about SKAM so I’ve translated the whole article. I’m sorry for typos or weird sentences (there were some that were hard to translate) but I hope it can help anyways. You may also want to have the article beside you while reading since there are many gifs and chats you need to see to understand it:)

http://p3.no/minneord-skam/#skam

Dear SKAM-fans, this speech is for you

We have cried and we have laughed. SKAM has brought us together and this is our obituary

It is blue Monday and we are starting to realize: the days where you update the SKAM-page every 10 minutes are over. That SKAM-tab that you never close, can now be crossed out.

A fairytale is over, and it is almost impossible to describe how we feel. Fortunately, pictures can say more than a thousand words, and therefore we are choosing to express ourselves through memes and gifs - free tips from us to you who will be holding a wedding or birthday speech in the future.

Season 1

WOW (emoji)

The first meeting between Noora and William, aka Wilhelm, didn’t go unnoticed. After William insulted her friend, she told the schools biggest fuckboy where the closet stands (a proverb). High five to girls who dare to stand up and tell a guy off.

*Gif of Noora*

LOL (emoji)

Let’s put some time aside for some of the most comedic moments from season 1: Sana and Chris who are causing through the school yard on hover boards. Sana has so much control over that hover board! Before it began to ‘collapse’ for Sana in season 4, Sana had control over everything.

*Gif of Sana and Chris*

Aww (emoji)

Holy Father, Eva and Jonas were so good together! Jonas is and will always be the guy, meanwhile Eva never was the same when that relationship ended, and she started to drink/get drunk at every party. But enough about that. The scene that goes from madness to cuteness in the middle of traffic is fine/cute. Shall we break up? Shall we be together? Couldn’t they just have stayed together forever?

*Gif of Jonas and Eva*

WTF (emoji)

Bad at scoring/checking out? Don’t worry about it, Chris will show you how it’s done… First: do not leave any doubt. have you heard that you have to make eye contact, thereafter look bashfully at the floor and then look up again? Forget it. Here are to words that count: stare and suck. So make sure to have something appropriate to put in your mouth, like a spoon or love on sticks or ice-cream. You can eventually go for Sana’s favorite tool: carrot.

*Gif of Chris*

Oh run (emoji)

Eva has made out with guy-Chris and his girlfriend found out. Not good. Sana’s look/expression scream “Oh run” when Iben’s gang comes after Eva and right after Eva got a “slap” in the face. Conclusion: don’t fight. But if you absolutely must, go with Sana - she has control over her nerves.

*Gif of Sana + Eva getting hit by Iben*

Never forget (emoji)

This scene is SKAM. This is the gang on their way to party - and they look awesome”. Put your hands up if you’ve NEVER blasted “Dick in the Air” on your phone while walking in slow motion a summer day? Nobody? Exactly. I rest my case.

*Gif of the girls squad walking in slow motion*

Sobbing (emoji)

“If I see you now I will say things that I’ll regret later so I’m suggesting that I’ll call you when I’m ready to hear your explanation on why you have chosen to fuck up everything between us”…When you don’t even bother to use any kind of punctuation you’re angry. The text is bad. I am sobbing more than Eva over this text. And we have to take the transition to the next clip, with Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek”. The scene is a little sad and empty just like Eva is feeling.

*Gif of Eva getting the text from Jonas*

Best message (emoji)

This post if FUNNY! What (Eva thought) would be a romantic cabin trip, turned out to be a dramatic day at Hotel Cæsar. Guys used their time on smoking in hiding, while Eva used her time on trying to read Jonas’ texts. Isak does not wait long before he makes a joke out of it all.

“Picture of a chat between Isak, Jonas and Eva”

Season 2

WOW (emoji)

If there is something Noora can, it is putting the Magnusson guys in their place. In the first season she went after Willian, and now it is the big brothers turn. That slue snake didn’t know where to look when Noora came after him with all the different laws for child pornography, threats and coercion - yes, and the alcohol law on top of it all. One more time - hat off (bow down)

*Gif of Noora*

LOL (emoji)

You know when fish cakes are life, but someone else ate them? Me neither. But it was such that Noora has to eat two fish cakes at five, and it is extremely annoying when Eskild, the stealer, eats them. Even though it is bad to admit the situation is pretty recognizable. Who hasn’t gotten home after an extremely bad day, and a trifle makes you totally lose it? The looks from Linn completes this scene.

*Gif of Noora, Eskild and Linn*

Aww (emoji)

There are more “aww-moments” in this season, like when Noora plays guitar and sings for William, or when she is running after him after the party, and they finally get their first kiss. But the sweetest moment has to be when they had the talk. Noora who has just “I was afraid that you just went around and thought that we were together or something” and William who was just like “We are together though” while Noora was like “No!” and William “Yes, we are”. DOT/DONE. Young love!

*Gif of Noora and William*

WTF (emoji)

Monday 29th of February at 4.35 pm is one of the SKAM-history moments that are hard to forget: we are introduced to Eskild. Or more correctly: we are introduced to both Linn and Eskild - two fantastic people who Noora lives with in Kollektivet. Linn is laying in fetal position in the bed in a dark sleeping room, while our first meeting with Eskild is a little less innocent. When Noora opens the door to his room we skim that he’s… very well treated by another guy to “Circle of Life” from The Lion King. Our biggest wish now is a spin-off-series from Kollektivet with Eskild and Linn as the main characters. Please!

*Gif of Noora walking in on Eskild*

Oh run (emoji)

Sana’s revenge was not a good idea since it wasn’t Camilla and the gang who created the hate account. When the hijab-police came walking towards the gang in the school yard, there is only one thing to do - as Sana said herself: “Honestly - run! RUN!”

*Gif of The girls running*

Never forget (emoji)

William getting out of his nice car in slow motion here. The clip being slow motion is so effective, and the guys look så cool - these are the bad boys with a big “b”. In the clip Kanye West is appropriately sining “I need a slow motion video right now!, and now i feel like we need a gif in slow motion - here you go:

*Gid of William getting out of his car*

Sobbing (emoji)

Seeing Noora run across the school yard after William when he thinks that she slept with his brother Nico is heartbreaking. “I just trust myself. I’ve learned that no one is really there when you need help”, is Feiten from Kolboten singing, and the tones makes the scene even more sad. Noora throws herself over William who is just removing her from him and leaves her alone on the ground. Fortunately, the girls came running towards her.

*Gif of Noora running after William*

Best text (emoji)

Here we could’ve chosen all the texts from Eskild, but we are only choosing one. Since we are already trying to make a spin-off-series from Kollektivet happen, we have to choose this chat between Eskild and Noora which shows how good this spin-off-series could be.

*Picture of the chat between Eskild and Noora*

Season 3

WOW (emoji)

Goosebumps alarm when Nils Bech sings “O Helga Natt” in the church! The music amplifies the nervous atmosphere in which Isak receives a sensitive text from Even.

*Gif of Isak receiving a text from Even*

The moment Isak gets up from the church bench almost gets me to jump from the chair. “What happens now?” “Is it going well Even????”. Fortunately, the neck-breaking seance ends well. <3

*Gif of Isak and Even*

LOL (emoji)

Who would’ve thought that Magnus would twitch at this extremely direct and rare pickup line? Not bad though!

*Gif of Magnus and Vilde*

But nothing is better than these two rare people getting together. It is totally obvious that these two are meant to be.

*Gif of Magnus and Vilde*

Aww (emoji)

You know that feeling of being in love where time stops and everything stops existing?

The scene with Isak and Even the day after they found each other gives me this nice, new lovers kind of feeling. Now it is you two - and nothing can stand between you. Love has Provisionals. <3

*Gif of Isak and Even*

WTF (emoji)

What is going on with Even and paper? I don’t think I was the only one who raised raised her/his eyebrows when he emptied the dispenser on the wall from paper. If it was a bad score tip or him just being weird is unknown. But one thing is for sure: it works on Isak!

*Gif of Isak and Even*

Oh run (emoji)

Isak is having a bad time because he 1. is in love with Even and 2. hasn’t been able to tell his friends that he is queer. When he finally has the courage to come out, Jonas is the first one to know. The way Jonas reacts just shows how nice he is. Me <3 Jonas even more after this

*Gif of Jonas and Isak*

Never forget (emoji)

The excitement of Even and Isak is there. On the sofa, with a girl, they both throw glances at each other. But just wait till they want to be with each other. As good as the jubilee stands in the ceiling they run away from the party, just the two of them. It gets even better when they get/share their first kiss… and it’s even under water!

*Gif of Isak and Even kissing*

Sobbing (emoji)

Talk about driving my feelings up and down a gigantic mountain. In byrjinga it is just Isak + Even = *heart eyes emojis* and everything is good. But suddenly Even starts to act weird without Isak knowing why. Even just disappears from the hotel room. He just has to go out and buy food, without any clothing. Isak is stressed and scared that Even just disappeared out of the door and on the same night it came out that Even is bipolar. The moment Isak is told that he is bipolar is so extremely sad/hard. Especially since Sonja tells him that his feelings towards Even aren’t real. Stupid Sonja!

*Gif of Isak and Sonja*

Best text (emoji)

So. Linn. Is. The. Best. She is extremely weird, pessimistic and funny in all the clips she is in. And in this chat from Kollektivet she proves once again how good it is to have her in our lives. Everyone needs a Linn in their life. <3

*Picture of a chat*

Season 4

WOW (emoji)

No one that the love story between William and Noora was going to end the way it did. No one was ready for William to return the moment he did either. It was mildly said a shock to see his car roll up in the drive way at Chris’. But it was good to see the return with a slow motion filming of William! For me he has now become the defintion of slow motion.

*Gif of William, Noora and Sana*

LOL (emoji)

It is so fun to watch the girls flip out when they discover a room full of slightly dressed/clothed guys. But again it is good to not flip out here. The very, very best thing is the return of Chris and her spoon (which many may remember from the first season where she had a little crush on Isak)

*Gif of the girl squad checking out balloon squad*

Aww (emoji)

When Sana finally gets confirmed that Yousef is in love with her - and not Noora. Oooh, it is so good/cute. It is like the lump you had stuck in your stomach just disappeared with one wink. It got replaced with love butterflies.

*Gif of Sana looking at Yousef’s texts to Noora*

And the glances they both share right after are just amazing

*Gif of Sana and Yousef*

A little bonus here that everyone has been waiting for since season 1 FINALLY happened. Eva and jonas getting back together. <3

*Gif of Jonas and Eva*

WTF (emoji)

But the moment before Eva and Jonas get back together is the weirdest moment. Guy-Chris and Emma fall in love at first sight?! Have they not met each other before? This is with no doubt one of the moments that are written in SKAM-history.

*Gif of guy-Chris and Emma*

But what is even more of a WTF moment is when Linn shows off her wild side (?) who no one thought she had. Linn. <3

*Gif of Vilde and Linn*

Oh run (emoji)

Sana: we have to get that bus

Noora: But we don’t have the money!!

Sana: I’ll fix it.

It can seem like everything totally blew up when Sana decided to buy a buss for over 200.000 kr. It also did - but it doesn’t get any less fun to watch for that reason. Go Sana!

*Gif of the girl Squad*

Never forget (emoji)

This clip made me laugh! Sana has done enough of things she is regretting and now she thinks that the girl squad have turned their backs on her. It turns out she was totally wrong. She has the best friends in the world. <3

*Gif of the girls turning up in the van*

Sobbing (emoji)

Love hurts like they say. And here it really hurts for Sana. Imagine finding your best friend on the dance floor making out with the guy you’re in love with… Ouch.

*Gif of Noora and Yousef making out in front of Sana*

Best text (emoji)

Even though the main product of the series are the clips, the chats are also a huge part of the series. It makes the characters even more real for us. The characters on the show follow Pradise Hotel (a reality show), therefore it is so good that this reality show has SKAM-wicked.

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bookingbuys-blog · 5 years

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My 12 Favorite Cities in the World

Updated: 8/4/2019 | August 4th, 2019 (Orignally posted in 2011) When you travel for a living, you get asked a lot of questions as you bounce from one hostel to another. The top one: what’s your favorite country? The second most asked question: what’s your favorite city? I’ve spent a long time traveling the world and have been to hundreds upon hundreds of cities in the world. There are so many that I love for many different reasons – some for art, some for history, some for the food, most for the people. But, to me, the ones that stand out the most are the ones where I feel most at home. They are places I visit and feel connected too. Their energy and my energy match. I move around them with ease, I feel at one with the culture, and tempo of the city. I think to myself “Yeah, I could live here.” Not just visit but live. And, when I think that, then I know I’ve found a special place. So what are my favorite cities in the world? Where are the places I feel that way? They are here: My 12 Favorite Cities Amsterdam Paris Bangkok Stockholm New York City Chicago Vancouver Queenstown Perth Hong Kong London Reykjavik 1. Amsterdam

I can’t say exactly how many times I’ve been to Amsterdam, but it’s in the double digits. And, for a brief time at the end of 2006, I lived there as a professional poker player (Seriously. It’s one of the more interesting random facts about me!). The fast-paced life, friendly locals, easy access to the rest of Europe, picturesque canals, and great architecture keep me coming back. Plus, it being Amsterdam and all, there are tons of weird and quirky things to see and do there too! In some ways, Amsterdam reminds me of my hometown of Boston, which might be why I love it so much. The brick buildings, fast-moving people, austere vibe. It feels like home. Favorite activity: Boating through the canals with friends. Visiting Amsterdam? Check out my complete budget travel guide to Amsterdam! It’s hundreds of pages long and will help you plan the best trip there! 2. Paris

Ever since I stepped out on the Champs Elysées, I knew Paris was it. It was everything I dreamed it would be I was in love from the first moment. Sure, Paris is large and expensive and bursting with tourists. But what big city isn’t like that? Paris is beautiful, vibrant, and filled with great food and history. Being here is like being in a real-life romantic comedy. I love the city so much I even moved there for a good chunk of 2019. It really does live up to all the hype, especially when you move away from the tourist areas and into the local places more. Favorite activity: Picking up some good food at the market and having a picnic. Get my complete budget travel guide to Paris and plan the perfect trip! It’s hundreds of pages long and will help you plan the best trip there! 3. Bangkok

I hated Bangkok the first few times I traveled there. It was simply a dirty, polluted city with no redeeming qualities. It wasn’t until I moved there that I fell in love with it. Bangkok, it turns out, is an easy city to live in — there’s lots to do, plenty of events, great bars, wonderful food (nothing beats Thai street food), and even more wonderful people. It’s just a bad tourist city. There’s just not a lot to do there for a tourist. It’s a city you live in. Living in Bangkok showed me that looks can be deceiving and that there is more to a city than what you see on the surface. You just need to be willing to look a little deeper. And, when you do, you always find something special. Favorite activity: Live music at Brick Bar or eating noodles at a street stall. If you’re visiting Bangkok, check out my complete budget travel guide to Bangkok! It has everything I know about the city in one easy place. 4. Stockholm

I have a strong affinity for all things Scandinavian, and Stockholm is no exception. I’ve been there a handful of times over the years, and I even tried to move there years ago (it didn’t work out). I think this city is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. The reds and greens of the buildings have an Old World charm that rivals cities like Prague, and during the fall, the changing leaves only highlight that beauty. Stockholm is also very historic, with a high quality of life, and the Swedes in the city are super friendly and welcoming. It’s not a cheap city to visit, but it’s worth every penny! Favorite activity: Getting lost in the maze of historic streets in Gamla Stan. Check out my budget travel guidebook to Stockholm and plan your trip today! 5. New York City

New York City is a place where dreams are made into reality and there is always something to do, something to see, or a new place to eat. The city is so multicultural that when I feel like I need to travel but I can’t, there’s an ethnic area of the city that will give me my fix. I love NYC. It is the heart of the world to me. It is a non-stop place where you come to make it in the world. You can always find something to do, world-class food, people from all walks of life, and just a hustler vibe. I spent close to five years living there and visit at least once a month (when I can). It is the city you see in the movies. Favorite activity: Walking the High Line and cooling off with drinks at the Grey Mare. (Tell Marcos I say hi!) Since I spent so much time there, I wrote a budget travel guidebook to New York City! Pick it up for all the insider info you need! 6. Chicago

After NYC, Chicago is probably my favorite US city, especially in the summer time. While the winter months here can be brutal, this lakeside city seems to come to life after it emerges from its long and cold winter. Along with its lively atmosphere, the food here is delicious and the architecture is second to none. There’s a vibrant energy during the summertime as everyone is out in the parks, cafes, rooftop bars, on the lake, and watching the Cubs. Chicago is just awesome. Favorite activity: Going to a Cubs game! For more, read our destination guide to Chicago and start planning your trip today. 7. Vancouver

I think this must be one of the most livable cities in the world. I’d certainly live in it, which is my benchmark for whether or not I really like a place. In Vancouver, you can go from the city into the mountains in minutes. I think that is really the highlight of the city for me — the fact that I don’t have to go far to be with nature. Not only is there incredible nature nearby but there’s a park so big in the middle of the city, I often feel like I am in the center of a forest. Add in a vibrant food and art scene, and Vancouver is definitely a world-class city. It’s not a cheap city to live in, but that’s the price for all the amazing things Vancouver has to offer! Favorite activity: Hanging out on Granville Island or walking around Stanley Park. Read our desintation guide to Vancouver and start planning your trip today. 8. Queenstown

Perched on a lake in the stunning South Island mountains of New Zealand, Queenstown is a high-energy resort town for adventurers. This isn’t your typical city, as travelers come here because they want to be outside. There’s bungy jumping, hiking, rafting, zip-lining, boating, and tons more. It’s a paradise for the outdoorsy type and the perfect city for people who don’t like big, crowded cities. The city and surrounding area are postcard-perfect (much like the rest of the country! I would jump on a plane and head back there right now if I could. Favorite activity: Hiking the surrounding mountains. Read our guide to Queenstown to plan your next adventure there. 9. Perth

Perth, Australia, is more like a big town than a city — and I think that’s what I like about it. It’s big enough to have a lot to do but small enough to feel cozy. I love Perth because of that small-town, big-city feel and for the fact that it’s on the water and has a great nightlife. Not only that, but Perth is a great jumping-off spot to see the western Australian parks and natural sites, and it’s also close to hip Freemantle, which is home to my favorite Australian brewery: Little Creatures. I find it much more personal than other towns in Australia. Favorite activity: Relaxing at the beach Read our budget travel guide to Perth for more information! 10. Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of the best cities in the world for foodies. I always stop in when I’m in Asia and stuff my face with some of the best dumplings in the world. The city is busy and dense (it’s one of the most densely populated places on the planet) but it has a fun nightlife and tons of activities to keep you entertained, from markets to temples to nearby hikes outside the city. While the city offers an interesting mix between eastern and western cultures, what really sets Hong Kong apart from other massive, dense cities is just how clean and well-organized it is. Getting around is a breeze, making it an easy and fun place to explore for a few days — or more! Favorite activity: Eating dumplings! Get my comprhensive budget travel guide to Hong Kong and know all the best local spots to visit! 11. Reykjavik

Iceland is one of the most expensive countries in the world. As a budget traveler, you’d think that would keep me away but let me tell you something: it’s absolutely worth the price. Reykjavik has tons of cozy cafes, wild clubs, cute architecture, and friendly pubs. It’s tiny, yet you can easily spend a few days here and not get bored (especially if you’re a night owl. Icelanders love to party). Fortunately, as the tourism industry grows, there are more and more free (or cheap) things to do in the city. And with Icelandair offering free stopovers on flights between North America and Europe, it’s never been easier to visit this charming Scandinavia capital. Favorite activity: Cozying up in a cafe to read and people watch. Get my comprehensive budget travel guide to Iceland here! 12. London

As a history nerd, I’ve always loved visiting London. Some of the best museums in the world are there — and they are all free (there are tons of other free things to see and do as well). But it wasn’t until last year when I spent a month in the city that I really “got” it. I understood why people loved it. There was a charming sophistication to the place. Strolling the streets of the city, enjoying the markets, taking in the history of the place, laying in the park, and having a pint outside a pub? Heaven. Paris will always have my heart but London comes close. Favorite activity: Visiting as many museums as I can and then drinking at a pub. Check out our travel guide to London to plan your trip. *** There are you have it! My favorite cities in the world. Leave a comment on this post and let me know what your favorites are – and why! P.S. – I just released a new book! It’s called “Ten Years a Nomad” and it’s about my ten years backpacking the world and the lessons I learned from it. It features tons of stories I’ve never told on this blog and is a book that delves into the why of travel! Click here to learn more, grab your copy today, and meet me on my book tour! Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned. Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the largest inventory. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. I use them all the time. Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are: World Nomads (for everyone below 70) Read the full article

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tamboradventure · 5 years

Text

My 12 Favorite Cities in the World

Updated: 8/4/2019 | August 4th, 2019 (Orignally posted in 2011)

When you travel for a living, you get asked a lot of questions as you bounce from one hostel to another. The top one: what’s your favorite country?

The second most asked question: what’s your favorite city?

I’ve spent a long time traveling the world and have been to hundreds upon hundreds of cities in the world. There are so many that I love for many different reasons – some for art, some for history, some for the food, most for the people.

But, to me, the ones that stand out the most are the ones where I feel most at home. They are places I visit and feel connected too. Their energy and my energy match. I move around them with ease, I feel at one with the culture, and tempo of the city.

I think to myself “Yeah, I could live here.” Not just visit but live.

And, when I think that, then I know I’ve found a special place.

So what are my favorite cities in the world? Where are the places I feel that way? They are here:

My 12 Favorite Cities

Amsterdam

Paris

Bangkok

Stockholm

New York City

Chicago

Vancouver

Queenstown

Perth

Hong Kong

London

Reykjavik

1. Amsterdam

The fast-paced life, friendly locals, easy access to the rest of Europe, picturesque canals, and great architecture keep me coming back. Plus, it being Amsterdam and all, there are tons of weird and quirky things to see and do there too!

In some ways, Amsterdam reminds me of my hometown of Boston, which might be why I love it so much. The brick buildings, fast-moving people, austere vibe. It feels like home.

Favorite activity: Boating through the canals with friends.

Visiting Amsterdam? Check out my complete budget travel guide to Amsterdam! It’s hundreds of pages long and will help you plan the best trip there!

2. Paris

Paris is beautiful, vibrant, and filled with great food and history. Being here is like being in a real-life romantic comedy. I love the city so much I even moved there for a good chunk of 2019. It really does live up to all the hype, especially when you move away from the tourist areas and into the local places more.

Favorite activity: Picking up some good food at the market and having a picnic.

Get my complete budget travel guide to Paris and plan the perfect trip! It’s hundreds of pages long and will help you plan the best trip there!

3. Bangkok

I hated Bangkok the first few times I traveled there. It was simply a dirty, polluted city with no redeeming qualities. It wasn’t until I moved there that I fell in love with it.

Bangkok, it turns out, is an easy city to live in — there’s lots to do, plenty of events, great bars, wonderful food (nothing beats Thai street food), and even more wonderful people. It’s just a bad tourist city. There’s just not a lot to do there for a tourist. It’s a city you live in.

Living in Bangkok showed me that looks can be deceiving and that there is more to a city than what you see on the surface. You just need to be willing to look a little deeper.

And, when you do, you always find something special.

Favorite activity: Live music at Brick Bar or eating noodles at a street stall.

If you’re visiting Bangkok, check out my complete budget travel guide to Bangkok! It has everything I know about the city in one easy place.

4. Stockholm

I think this city is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. The reds and greens of the buildings have an Old World charm that rivals cities like Prague, and during the fall, the changing leaves only highlight that beauty.

Stockholm is also very historic, with a high quality of life, and the Swedes in the city are super friendly and welcoming. It’s not a cheap city to visit, but it’s worth every penny!

Favorite activity: Getting lost in the maze of historic streets in Gamla Stan.

Check out my budget travel guidebook to Stockholm and plan your trip today!

5. New York City

I love NYC. It is the heart of the world to me. It is a non-stop place where you come to make it in the world. You can always find something to do, world-class food, people from all walks of life, and just a hustler vibe.

I spent close to five years living there and visit at least once a month (when I can).

It is the city you see in the movies.

Favorite activity: Walking the High Line and cooling off with drinks at the Grey Mare. (Tell Marcos I say hi!)

Since I spent so much time there, I wrote a budget travel guidebook to New York City! Pick it up for all the insider info you need!

6. Chicago

After NYC, Chicago is probably my favorite US city, especially in the summer time.

While the winter months here can be brutal, this lakeside city seems to come to life after it emerges from its long and cold winter. Along with its lively atmosphere, the food here is delicious and the architecture is second to none. There’s a vibrant energy during the summertime as everyone is out in the parks, cafes, rooftop bars, on the lake, and watching the Cubs.

Chicago is just awesome.

Favorite activity: Going to a Cubs game!

For more, read our destination guide to Chicago and start planning your trip today.

7. Vancouver

Not only is there incredible nature nearby but there’s a park so big in the middle of the city, I often feel like I am in the center of a forest. Add in a vibrant food and art scene, and Vancouver is definitely a world-class city. It’s not a cheap city to live in, but that’s the price for all the amazing things Vancouver has to offer!

Favorite activity: Hanging out on Granville Island or walking around Stanley Park.

Read our desintation guide to Vancouver and start planning your trip today.

8. Queenstown

The city and surrounding area are postcard-perfect (much like the rest of the country! I would jump on a plane and head back there right now if I could.

Favorite activity: Hiking the surrounding mountains.

Read our guide to Queenstown to plan your next adventure there.

9. Perth

Not only that, but Perth is a great jumping-off spot to see the western Australian parks and natural sites, and it’s also close to hip Freemantle, which is home to my favorite Australian brewery: Little Creatures. I find it much more personal than other towns in Australia.

Favorite activity: Relaxing at the beach

Read our budget travel guide to Perth for more information!

10. Hong Kong

While the city offers an interesting mix between eastern and western cultures, what really sets Hong Kong apart from other massive, dense cities is just how clean and well-organized it is. Getting around is a breeze, making it an easy and fun place to explore for a few days — or more!

Favorite activity: Eating dumplings!

Get my comprhensive budget travel guide to Hong Kong and know all the best local spots to visit!

11. Reykjavik

Iceland is one of the most expensive countries in the world. As a budget traveler, you’d think that would keep me away but let me tell you something: it’s absolutely worth the price.

Reykjavik has tons of cozy cafes, wild clubs, cute architecture, and friendly pubs. It’s tiny, yet you can easily spend a few days here and not get bored (especially if you’re a night owl. Icelanders love to party).

Fortunately, as the tourism industry grows, there are more and more free (or cheap) things to do in the city. And with Icelandair offering free stopovers on flights between North America and Europe, it’s never been easier to visit this charming Scandinavia capital.

Favorite activity: Cozying up in a cafe to read and people watch.

Get my comprehensive budget travel guide to Iceland here!

12. London

As a history nerd, I’ve always loved visiting London. Some of the best museums in the world are there — and they are all free (there are tons of other free things to see and do as well).

But it wasn’t until last year when I spent a month in the city that I really “got” it. I understood why people loved it. There was a charming sophistication to the place.

Strolling the streets of the city, enjoying the markets, taking in the history of the place, laying in the park, and having a pint outside a pub? Heaven.

Paris will always have my heart but London comes close.

Favorite activity: Visiting as many museums as I can and then drinking at a pub.

Check out our travel guide to London to plan your trip.

***

There are you have it! My favorite cities in the world. Leave a comment on this post and let me know what your favorites are – and why!

P.S. – I just released a new book! It’s called “Ten Years a Nomad” and it’s about my ten years backpacking the world and the lessons I learned from it. It features tons of stories I’ve never told on this blog and is a book that delves into the why of travel! Click here to learn more, grab your copy today, and meet me on my book tour!

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the largest inventory. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. I use them all the time.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

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Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all the ones I use to save money when I travel – and that will save you time and money too!

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sophiescarlet · 7 years

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My reviews of all the Nancy Drew games

I was writing this up for a friend who’s just getting started on the games, but here you all go. My favorites are bolded. Sincerest apologies to anyone on mobile if they haven’t fixed the read-more bug.

1. Secrets Can Kill – Nancy goes to a high school to investigate a murder. It’s a bit more simplistic than later games, but still enjoyable. Plus Aunt Eloise is a librarian! She doesn’t actually appear in the game, but Nancy does go to the library to do research. I actually think the original version’s storyline (which sticks more closely to the book) makes more sense, but imo the “remastered” version’s gameplay makes more sense and is more fun. (NB: The original version no longer works on current computers.)

2. Stay Tuned for Danger – Nancy investigates sabotage on a soap opera set. I’ve only played this once and don’t see myself returning to it. The storyline is good, but the mechanics are reeeeally hard to figure out. It’s probably my least favorite actually.

3. Message in a Haunted Mansion – Nancy investigates supposed hauntings in a San Francisco Victorian. There are elements of the occult and Prohibition era. It was pretty fun; I ought to play it again.

4. Treasure in the Royal Tower – Nancy goes to a ski resort or some such thing and searches for Marie Antoinette’s stolen jewels, I think? It’s one of the biiiiiig fan favorites, but not one of mine; I just didn’t enjoy the mystery. Points for introducing the series’ best character, Prof. Beatrice Hotchkiss, though.

5. The Final Scene – Nancy has to rescue someone being held captive in a historic theatre that’s about to be torn down. Appropriately claustrophobic and atmospheric; I need to play this one again too.

6. Secret of the Scarlet Hand – Nancy investigates thefts from an exhibit of Mexican artifacts at a museum. Interesting but kind of eh. Guess it’s just not quite my cup of tea, topic-wise.

7. Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake – Ghost dogs haunt a rural cabin. Prohibition-era elements again. Also not one of my favorites because of tedious mechanics, and just a weak storyline.

8. The Haunted Carousel – Nancy investigates a New Jersey amusement park with strange happenings, like a carousel that operates by itself. Admittedly this is totally my bag as far as plot/setting because I love amusement parks, but I think the setting is a great mix of “old-fashioned” nostalgia and modernisation, and it has one of the most appealing sets of secondary characters in any of the games. Plus it has a MacGuffin, which I think is a large part of the key to the best Nancy Drew books (and games).

9. Danger on Deception Island – I don’t actually fully remember the setting/plot but it’s something on the ocean in the Pacific Northwest, I think. I remember the setting being very Murder, She Wrote, in a good way, but the game as a whole didn’t really make an impression on me, obviously.

10. The Secret of Shadow Ranch – I’ve played this twice and still struggle to remember it, so you can probably take that as an indication of quality. It’s not bad, just, all the pieces seem a bit disconnected, from what I recall? Also, I found the love interest character very annoying. At least Daryl from Secrets Can Kill was cute and gentlemanly.

11. The Curse of Blackmoor Manor – So this is actually the only one I’ve never played. It’s the fan favorite, though. I read the book it was allegedly based on – though past The Final Scene the extent to which the games are truly drawn from the books is hit-or-miss, and past Secret of the Old Clock it’s a total joke – and it was pretty shit, so I guess, can only go up from here?

12. Secret of the Old Clock – This was an interesting concept, to try to place a game in the 30s when the original ND books were set, and it works fairly well, though inevitably sometimes comes off as gimmicky (the phone system and gramophone being good examples). Trying to combine elements of all of the first four books was certainly a choice, particularly after adding in the new element of spiritualism, but the story actually turned out really well imo, even though it ultimately can’t be reconciled with the book universe. It’s also I think the last game where the puzzles integrate pretty directly with the plot, rather than just being random-ass mini-games thrown in to make the gameplay longer.

13. Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon – The first full appearance of the Hardy Boys, though they appeared fleetingly as far back as The Final Scene iirc. It’s also (veeeeery loosely) based on the first Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys SuperMystery I ever read: they’re invited on a newly-restored train trip by a Paris Hilton lookie-likey who wants them to solve the decades-old disappearance of a miner. It wasn’t bad, but it was hardly a gem. I don’t see myself playing it a second time.

14. Danger by Design – Nancy investigates why a Parisian fashion designer seems to be losing her mind. It was okay, though it took me two tries to get into it, but somehow it just seemed kind of half-assed.

15. The Creature of Kapu Cave – The second and last full appearance of the Hardy Boys. Pretty much universally considered one of the three worst games in the series, and I’d call it the worst. The plot is iffy and the gameplay not very entertaining, though at least you do switch between playing as Nancy and playing as the Hardy Boys, which is a neat twist. It’s also more linear than the other games, and ... yeah, the plot is just crap.

16. The White Wolf of Icicle Creek – Nancy investigates sabotage at a Rocky Mountain lodge and yes this setting is in fact Royal Tower revisited but without the cool castle. It also has the most notoriously difficult puzzle in the series. I might play it again at some point, but I wouldn’t count on it.

17. Legend of the Crystal Skull – Nancy investigates a murder in New Orleans. This is known for being one of the creepiest ND games, and I liked some of the characters, but it still falls flat for me. I guess I don’t think the plot is rich enough, especially given the very rich setting. You do get to play as Bess, though.

18. The Phantom of Venice – Nancy investigates a series of thefts in Venice. I’d say this is the best rendered of the more exotic locations, and though most of the secondary characters are just okay, Margherita and Enrico are absolute joys. Admittedly the plot doesn’t make much sense, and the different elements of the game can seem disconnected at times, but I find all the puzzles so much fun. I think this and The Captive Curse are the ones I’ve played the most, at least if the two versions of SCK are counted separately.

19. The Haunting of Castle Malloy – Nancy investigates something (I forget what) at an Irish castle. What I remember about this more than anything is how fucking tedious it was and how much fun I didn’t have. The bartending puzzle was the absolute highlight, which is kind of sad really. I don’t remember the plot being bad, but I don’t actually remember the plot at all, so it sure wasn’t good either.

20. Ransom of the Seven Ships – This is one of the three widely reviled games, but I didn’t think it was that bad. Nancy and George are marooned on a tropical island and have to find a kidnapped Bess. Yes, the plot is weak, but it’s still fun. Certainly not my favorite, but certainly not bad imo.

21. Warnings at Waverly Academy – Nancy investigates threats and sabotage at a girls’ boarding school. Yeah, SCK teas for sure. Personally, I found the supporting characters a bit of a letdown; it seems like this should have one of the best casts of characters of the ND games, but Rachel is the only one I really liked, and even she’s pretty milquetoast. The plot is a bit weak too.

22. Trail of the Twister – Not one of the more popular games, and for good reason. Nancy joins a tornado tracking team (alliteration entirely unintentional). I didn’t enjoy most of the characters or most of the puzzles, and I found the gameplay tedious at times. But mostly the plot just wasn’t engaging enough.

23. Shadow at the Water’s Edge – Along with Crystal Skull, one of the big “creepy” games. Nancy stays at a Japanese inn that seems to be haunted. I felt that the secondary characters were stereotypes and kind of racist, and one of the puzzles is stupidly frustrating, but the plot is actually really good, and the gameplay is fun (though traveling on the subway can be tiresome).

24. The Captive’s Curse – Yesssssss, this has to be my favorite in the series. Nancy goes to a German castle supposedly under attack from a monster. The supporting characters are excellent, for sure my favorites in the series, and the puzzles are pretty fun too. The setting is great as well, though it has the same frustrating “navigating the woods” thing as Castle Malloy.

25. Alibi in Ashes – Nancy is accused of arson in River Heights and has to prove her innocence, then catch the actual arsonist. This is the last game that involves playing as other characters: in this case, Bess, George, and Ned. I haven’t had a chance to play it a second time, but I’m sure I will, because it was pretty fun. Plus, Deirdre Shannon is a total gem of a character: “Nedward” is instantly iconic.

26. Tomb of the Lost Queen – Nancy goes to an archaeological dig in Egypt. Which should totally be my bag, but the plot here feels very superficial, and the gameplay seems disconnected.

27. The Deadly Device – Nancy investigates a death at a high-tech scientific facility. The mechanics can be tough to figure out, but I enjoyed the story and the characters. I’ve seen at least a couple people say they enjoyed this more than they expected to, and I concur. Joe Hardy is at his comic best too.

28. Ghost of Thornton Hall – Nancy investigates a haunted Southern mansion. The last of the creepy game trio (interesting that two of them are set in the South), and in some ways a throwback to MHM. It got a lot of acclaim at the time, but it was pretty average for me. I’ll probably replay it at some point, but it’s not what I call a priority.

29. The Silent Spy – Nancy goes to Scotland to learn about her mom’s past as a spy. Yeaaaah... That basic idea is pretty out-there and really not in keeping with the franchise as a whole. I don’t really know where it came from, honestly. The parts where Nancy has to come to terms with her mom’s life and death are good, but overall, it’s not that great.

30. The Shattered Medallion – Another pretty widely reviled entry, and again for good reason. Nancy and Bess go to New Zealand to compete on an Amazing Race-type reality show. There is little to no mystery here; it’s evident that the whole game was just an excuse to bring Sonny Joon, a long-running off-screen character, into the series, and damn, they did not do Sonny justice. I probably won’t play this a second time.

31. Labyrinth of Lies – Nancy investigates thefts from a museum in Greece, tied to an upcoming theatre production. I didn’t like most of the secondary characters, and the plot was weak, though the setting is good. Definitely in the bottom third or so of Nancy Drew games.

32. Sea of Darkness – Nancy goes to Iceland to search for a missing man and ends up getting involved investigating his girlfriend’s family history. An appropriate finale to the series (or at least it would have been if Her had managed to end things gracefully instead of dragging them out so painfully). The secondary characters are appealing, and the setting is great. Plus, points for having the only two canonically queer characters in the series.

Dossier #1: Lights, Camera, Curses! – Nancy investigates problems on the set of a remake of an Egypt-themed Old Hollywood movie. Pretty fun, though it really could have used a hint button like every other hidden object game I’ve ever played.

Dossier #2: Resorting to Danger – Nancy investigates bomb threats at a spa. Pretty generic setting, but they do make the most of it.

#nancy drew lb

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