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in-superbloom · 3 years

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did you ever hear about the girl who got frozen? (a.i.)

right where you left me: prologue

pairing: ashton irwin x olivia jones (oc)

warnings: uhh a kinda grieving theme i guess? but no deaths. it has a sad tone overall, but nothing major (in this chapter hehe). foul language because i can't help myself. the tiniest mention of alcohol, but as a memory. think i should probably warn you that this contains a very sad ash. also not much dialogues. this is mainly for explanation and introduction, but very important for the story. if you find anything else that might be triggering, please let me know so i can add it here !!

author's note: oof okay. so. this is the prologue of a series very very dear to my heart that i've been working on for what it feels like my whole life but really it's been just a few months. but i'm in love with the story (which rarely happens with my own writing) so i hope you can enjoy it too !! this is also my very first time posting a fic since 2013 so pls keep that in mind <3 no i am not shaking as type this ofc not also: although i have the full story ready in my head, this is the only chapter that's written. i wanted to wait until i had at least a few ready before posting this but i'm too anxious for that lmao just saying this bc it will take a good while until i have any more chapters, so <3 (p.s.: i went over this thing a million times since may so if you find any errors pls look away, i'm not fixing this thing anymore. thanks <3)

another note: anna from the future here to say that i completely forgot about the playlist i made for the story lmao here it is in case you're interested k thanks bye <3

credits: title is from taylor swift's song right where you left me. model in the picture: paola locatelli. banner by me.

i also wanted to take a minute to thank some really nice friends that i've made here over these past few months & that i'm extremely grateful for @wastelandcth @suchalonelysunflower @littledrummerangie i cannot thank you babes enough for inspiring me the way that you do & for letting me yell about this to you && for encouraging me so much 🥺 i'll never be able to explain just how much this means to me, so i'll have to settle for saying thank you at any change that i can get <3 i love you all 💜 also gem my baby, thank you for the inspo with the banner 💚

@bluesdelis look babe i did it 😌 you know how grateful i am for you & for you letting me have a breakdown every week about my writing for the past 8 years so let's not dive into that or else i will write something bigger than this prologue jsjsjdjd love you 🖤

i hope you all have a good reading and a nice day ♡

let me know what are your thoughts about the fic ! ♡

word count: 4.1k

☆☆☆

Cold. That was the first thing that Olivia’s brain processed.

Still with her eyes closed, she buried herself more into the duvet, while her arm blindly reached for the furnace in human form that she calls boyfriend. However, as soon as her arm was only met with cold sheets, her eyes shot open.

Blinking the sleep away, she sat up on the bed, searching for the infamous red clock resting on Ashton’s bedside table that was supposed to look like a vintage alarm clock. Olivia had ordered it online at an auction website a couple of years back, as a gift for his 23rd birthday, since it was something he had mentioned multiple times prior that he was looking for, but still hadn't found. But when it finally came in (two weeks after the due date), it looked nothing like the picture she saw on the website. Feeling beyond frustrated, she wanted to send it back immediately and ask for a refund and maybe leave a not so polite review on the seller's page. But Ashton stopped her right away, laughing like the situation was absolutely hilarious to him, while saying, 'I like it, it’s quirky'. So, the clock stayed and found a home right next to him in their room.

Some days, however, she would wake up at some ungodly hour because of the blaring noise of the only ringtone the clock had. But whatever annoyance she could feel towards the object, it always vanished as soon as she felt Ashton's lips gently touching her face in a good morning kiss before he would get up to start his day, leaving her to catch some more hours of well deserved sleep.

As the furthest from a morning person as a touring musician could possibly be, Olivia had always feared that living under the same roof as Ashton would turn her into an early bird like him, but she's thankful that it never happened (not that he needs to know about that).

When she sees the red clock, she smiles at the sudden but welcome memories of them flooding her foggy brain, but frowns slightly when she realizes it reads 12:13 pm. Ashton rarely lets her sleep past 10 am.

Gathering all her strength and will, she rises up from the bed, smoothly picking up a grey wool sweatshirt from the chair (way too baggy on her slim body, but it smells like him), pulling it over her head and relishing on the soft material warming up her body. Making her way to the door and calmly going down the stairs, she can’t help but stop for a minute to admire the picture frames on their walls, one in particular catches her attention – probably one of the most prized pictures and memories they had. It felt older than it actually is, but it was around 4 years ago, she's sure – a little while after the two of them met. The picture was of their group of friends that still remains the same: Ashton and his best friend, Luke; Olivia, her best friend, Calum and their old hometown friend, turned into Calum’s new friend at college, turned into everyone’s friend, Michael; and her then newly band members, Suki, Eli and Ravi. Together, their group was the life of the party through all their college years, and it showed by the big smiles and drinks in hands they all had in the picture. It was a very special night, the first time Olivia’s little band played for the public – for a small audience sure, but it was a wonderful night nonetheless. What a long road it had been since that night.

Her nostalgic thoughts were interrupted by a shiver that went through her whole body, and it made her realize how oddly cold the whole house was, not only their bedroom. Which, granted, it was November in New York and the weather was just getting colder, but that’s exactly why Ashton always made sure to keep the house warm enough. As much as she loved the chilly season, the warm weather always reminded him of his hometown, and who was she to deny him that?

The smell of fresh made coffee could be sensed even before she reached the kitchen. Arriving there, the curly haired woman still found no signs of her boyfriend, so she went straight after the coffee maker pot sitting on the far left corner of the cream marble counter. Smiling softly at the tons of memories of Ashton's sleepy figure making their favorite beverage, she reached for a coffee mug on the cupboard on top of the counter and poured the remainder of the hot liquid on it (it's her favorite mug, if she must choose – it was a gift from a fan, and it had printed on it a collage of the pictures of her and Ashton that were posted on social media through their first year of relationship).

Moving to the glass doors that lead to the mini garden they cultivate, she didn't have to open them to spot the 6-feet-tall man sitting on a bench outside, looking oddly small in his oversized clothes, coffee mug tightly held between strong hands. Something about his figure made Olivia frown, however: he was staring with an unwavering look at her small but eye-catching pot of yellow daffodils that were almost as much of a pet to them as Stitch at this point. Sensing that there’s something definitely off about his semblance, she made a mental note to talk to him and find out what’s wrong later. So she goes back to the kitchen, knowing that he might need this quiet and private moment for himself.

She lost count of the minutes that went by (couldn't have been more than five) before she hears the garden's door opening and closing, and then his bare feet are dragging his brawny body to her. Except, he goes over to the sink, walking right through her, not showing any sign that he even saw her hunched figure over the counter table in the middle of the room.

Alright, someone's in a mood.

Olivia tries to swallow the annoyance already bubbling inside her – he knows how much she hates to be ignored, no matter how mad he might be – by trying to think of what she can say that won't piss him off. This is always a hard feat to accomplish when Ashton gets in these moods, but there’s a reason for them to work so well together.

“I missed my favorite body heater when I woke up,” she says in her best sweet voice, knowing how quickly his resolve crumbles when he hears that voice.

Still, no reaction.

That settles a worry at the pit of her stomach, because Ashton is never like this. Even when he's not in the mood to talk, he always gives some kind of reaction to her words; it doesn't matter how small, just enough to make her feel acknowledged.

When he's finished washing his mug and the few scattered dishes across the sink – she noticed that he already had lunch, if the lone plate in the drying rack is anything to go by –, he dries his hand in a towel, turns around and throws it on top of the same counter Olivia was leaning up against. Once again, he walks away not even sparing her a look.

Indignant, she leaves the now empty coffee mug on top of the table and follows him as he walks up the stairs, any determination to not aggravate his mood now well gone.

“Hey! In case you didn't notice, I'm right here. Whatever got you in this sour mood, I'm certainly not to blame, so can you stop being a child now and talk to me?!”

Ashton just keeps walking – more like sluggishly dragging his body – until he reaches their bedroom and suddenly stops just merely two feet inside the room, looking around with vacant eyes; like he was expecting to see something that wasn't there.

“Okay, that's really mature of you. Are you planning on ignoring me all day then?” Olivia questions exasperated, staring angrily at the back of his neck, where the condor tattoo lives – her favorite of his, but that sight doesn't bring her any peace today like it usually does.

Her glare only breaks when she hears the familiar sound of dog tags swaying on her right side. Shifting her gaze to the direction of the sound, Olivia notices Stitch, their small, black & white French bulldog – who she thought was outside in the garden – slowly trudging his way from around the bed until he stops at Ashton's feet, looking up at one of his humans with sad eyes. That realization only makes the worry in her stomach grow uncomfortably.

“Hi buddy,” Ashton's voice cracks a bit from the lack of use, but he smiles softly at the sweet dog, and crouches down to pet him.

Olivia can't help but gasp as she notices three things all at once that leave her overwhelmed: first, how she didn't even notice Stitch was in the room when she woke up – which never ever happens, in fact, most days he wakes her up whenever he deems her bedtime as finished and can't ever contain his excitement when she finally gets up; second, how the windows blinds are closed, which, again, rarely occurs under their roof, not if Ashton can help it. And third, how sad and melancholic the whole scene in front of her is – how sad and melancholic Ashton is. Pointless to say by now – that's also a very rare occasion.

A chill creeps up Olivia's spine, putting her body into high alert and also serving as a reminder of how everything looks out of place today. Trying to keep her head from spiraling down way too soon, she wraps her arms around herself and crouches down beside her two favorite boys, trying once more.

“Ash? Can you hear me?” even with her throat closing, she softly asks, purposefully putting her face in Ashton's point of view. Her only answer is the low whispers he's letting out to Stitch, while cradling the tiny dog in his arms, spreading gentle kisses on his head.

“I know, bud, I know. I miss her too,” is the only whisper she could understand and immediately wishes she hadn't. The weak wail that comes from Stitch's throat seems to fit perfectly with how the three of them feel.

Ashton then looks up and for a couple of seconds, and Olivia can swear he’s staring right into her eyes. But when he shows no reaction, she knows he’s just staring ahead and not at her, with that look that says there’s too much going on inside his head. She feels the urge to embrace him and get him to talk about whatever is on his mind, so they can share that weight like they always do, but when Ashton gets up from the ground and settles on the bed with Stitch, Olivia can physically feel the crack in her heart caused by the feeling she’s left with.

While Ashton is pulling the duvet over him and the dog, with clearly no intentions of getting up anytime soon, Olivia stands up on her feet with a new-found determination – she needs to figure out what the hell is going on.

This nightmare had to be just that, right? Nothing but a very vivid dream – she's had those before. Scary sure, but they always go away, and soon enough she's back into Ashton's arms, with Stitch jumping on the bed ready to lick their faces off. She just needs to wake herself up from whatever fucked up dream this is – right?

She's running down the stairs this time, frantically in search of something, of what exactly, she doesn’t know – but she knows she needs an answer. The more she looks for something, the more desperate she gets, not knowing what to look for. Then suddenly, something catches her eyes.

The white and blue calendar that's held up by magnets on the side of the fridge. She knows their calendar is red and yellow. They got it from their favorite flower market. Slowly, as if scared of what it might be there – “It's just a calendar, for fucks sake” – she approaches the damn thing. Upon inspection, she deems it as a normal calendar – she really doesn't know what she was expecting – until.

She knows what's wrong with it now.

It's November. She knows it, because the Asian and last leg of her first world tour is about to begin November 21st, eleven days from today. Right after Mike's birthday, she knows this.

Then why does the calendar say today is January 14th?

☆ ☆ ☆

Ashton woke up with a jolt. He quickly sat up, frightening the little Frenchie that was asleep right next to him on the bed. Trying to make sense of his surroundings, he roughly rubbed his face to get some sleep off of it and soon reached for the dog that was staring at him with sleepy but sad eyes. Ashton is sure Stitch understands far more than a dog is supposed to understand about their current situation.

The room is covered in shadows, almost pitch black, but he can see the sunlight even through the thick dark grey blinds covering up the windows. Ashton knows he won't be able to sleep again at that moment, so he gets up from the bed – much slower than he used to. His heartbeat is still out of control because of the nightmare that woke him up, but he can't bother to pay attention to it when Stitch is softly wailing beside him. Ashton lets out a ghost of a smile when the dog rests his head on his right upper thigh, looking up at him with an expression Ashton knows all too well.

“C'mon you little ravenous creature, let's feed you,” the bulldog excitedly jumps to the ground, already running his way down the stairs, not even waiting for Ashton to get up.

That gets a real smile out of him, but it vanishes as soon as he glances at the alarm clock on his bedside table. It reads 5:13 am, nothing out of the ordinary for him. But that small and inoffensive clock, with its red paint peeling off, holds a lot of memories for him. Memories that two months ago would bring joy to his heart, but now he almost wants to throw the object across the room.

It was a stupid thing, really. He had been wanting a vintage alarm clock and Olivia got one for his birthday. But the product they received was definitely not the one she bought, and if he's being honest, he didn't like it as much as he made out to. But seeing her so excited in the weeks before it arrived, and how disappointed she was when it did, he couldn't help but try his best to make her smile that luminous smile again. It's part of his nature by now.

That's also the reason why he lets her think that he doesn't notice when she wakes up at some ungodly hour (her words, not his) along with him, because of the annoying and only sound the alarm clock is able to produce. He always leaves soft kisses in every inch of bare skin he can find on her sleeping figure, so she goes back to the dream land and doesn't wake up before 10 am. No one wants to deal with that kind of bad humor, not even him.

As much as he likes being a morning person and absolutely enjoys her company in the mornings, he knows she'll take any and every extra hour of sleep she can get before starting the day. And that's why he loves that she's so stubborn that his early bird tendencies never got to her – he knows she feared that this would happen when they moved in together, but he met her like this, fell for her like this. He wouldn't change a single thing about her.

Ashton drags himself out of the bed, wincing slightly at how cold the wooden floors are under his bare feet. He doesn't bother putting some socks on, or a sweater – the cold weather in the house is uncharacteristically comforting to him. Nothing feels warm without her anyway.

While descending the stairs, he mentally curses himself for not being strong enough to look past the picture frames on the wall. One in particular catches his eyes – a picture from the night of Olivia's first concert with her band. The memories of that night are still painfully vivid in his mind: the laughter among their group that eventually infected everyone at the pub, Suki and Luke's first kiss and the silly smile that didn't leave his best friend's face all night, the standing ovation Olivia got after her three-songs set, and her captivating and breathtaking smile that made him realize right then and there, while watching her sway to the music, that he was definitely falling in love with her and there was nothing he could do to stop it – not that he wanted to.

So many memories held up on that wall, in the relatively short time since they met, that he can't help but wonder if that's all they'll get in this lifetime.

Ashton is abruptly taken out of his thoughts by Stitch's barks coming from the bottom of the stairs. He quickly jogs down the few steps left and goes straight after the dog's food in the kitchen's cabinet. After Stitch starts to happily devour his breakfast, Ashton goes to make his coffee, doing enough for two people like he always does, since Calum drops by most days for a chat or to drop Duke before going to work. Although all three of them know he just can't bother to make food for himself in the morning, while Ashton is the group's elected chef. Ashton always says he just needs a boyfriend – Olivia says Calum already has one who makes him breakfast every day.

He grabs an apple from the fridge and makes his way outside to their garden. Even though a lot of their memories took place there, the garden is the only space in the house where he doesn't feel like suffocating all the time. At least here, he can breathe some fresh air and look at the sky when he's feeling overwhelmed – which is basically all he's been doing for about a month now.

Yet, a lot of the garden has Olivia's name written all over.

He remembers vividly the day she came home after spending two weeks in LA doing some pocket shows, with a pack of daffodil seeds and the largest smile. She excitedly told him that a friend gifted it to her when she mentioned the little garden they were planning to build together at their new house. The friend told Olivia that daffodils symbolize rebirth and new beginnings, so as the good lover of symbolism that she is, Olivia loved the idea of having those flowers to symbolize their new beginning.

Ashton, on the other hand, wasn't a fan of the flowers at first – he just didn't see the appeal to them. But nonetheless, he indulged her, letting Olivia plant the seeds near the bench they used to sit during the quiet and unrushed afternoons, so they could admire the sunset, and she could happily look at the daffodils.

Pointless to say – the damn flowers grew on him.

Now, however, looking at them without Olivia and her contagious joy next to him, they were back to be as dull as they were before, if not more so.

Still lost inside his head without any sense of how much time went by since he sat down, Ashton doesn't hear the front door closing, and doesn't notice that he's no longer the only person inside the house until someone sits next to him on the bench. Yet, he doesn't show any sign of acknowledgement to them.

A few minutes go by before either of them speaks up.

“Luke said you didn't go to see her yesterday,” Calum starts softly, not wanting to disturb the calmness of the morning.

Ashton takes a few seconds to respond, “No point in doing that.” The black haired man licks his lips while thinking carefully about his next words.

“You know staying inside this house all day by yourself won't help either,” Calum turns his head to his left and takes a good look at Ashton's uncharacteristically hunched over figure, and immediately thinks that anyone can tell this man is not himself anymore. His second thought is that Olivia would hate seeing him like this.

“And what exactly do you expect me to do? Move on with my life like nothing happened? Like I'm not slowly and painfully losing the love of my life? Just because it’s easy for you doesn't mean it's easy for me.”

Calum closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He knows Ashton doesn't mean it, it's the anger and frustration talking. He knows it. Doesn't make it sting any less.

“I'm not telling you to move on with your life, because that's far from what I'm doing, and I certainly don't expect you to do it. I'm just saying you need to occupy your mind or else–”

“I'll go insane? Think it's a bit too late for that,” Ashton interrupts with a bitter tone that doesn't belong to his usual chirpy voice.

“You know it's not,” Calum sighs and drinks the rest of his coffee, moving his body slightly, so he's facing the blonde man, “I got a job interview for you at that school you talked about so much last summer, the principal said you can go any day this week. I went ahead and sent her your resume as well as explained everything that she needs to know about Olivia, so you don't have to. You just gotta put on some decent clothes and show up.” he sees Ashton's face softening a little and takes it as a victory. A few beats go by and then, “Maybe take a shower too. That's gonna make you feel better.” Calum leans in closer to his friend's personal space and takes a sniff, causing Ashton to deflect from him slightly, but not to push him away – another small win.

“Definitely take a shower, you stink. When was the last time your hair saw shampoo?”

“Fuck off,” is Ashton's only reply to the younger man's inquest. But Calum can see a smile creeping up on the blonde's face, which brings out a smile of his own.

“I'll send you all the details later today,” he checks the hour on the watch on his wrist and gets up, “Just please, Ash, go. I can't lose you too.”

Calum gently lays a hand on Ashton's shoulder and squeezes a little. The man doesn't look up, but gives a curt nod to his friend, who's satisfied enough. Calum stops on the threshold of the garden glass doors to give some kisses to Stitch – who came to make Ashton company as soon as he finished his food –, and then he puts the coffee mug on the dishwater. And soon enough, he's on his way out of the door. But not before snatching a tangerine from the fridge.

Ashton is left by himself once again. As he hears the sound of the front door closing, he thinks that this might be his life from now on. Just him and Stitch, trying their hardest to make it through another miserable day without the love of their lives. While everyone else comes by just to make sure he's still breathing. Breathing, maybe, but alive?

Swallowing the tears, he looks up at the sky. It's a deep, beautiful mix of orange, pink and blue, but he knows that it won't last long and soon the rain will be pouring down. He thinks about how much Olivia loves the rain.

God, he needs to pull himself together. She would hate to see him like this. Maybe he should take Calum's offer after all, he really needs to occupy his mind.

Making a mental note to thank Calum later, and also to apologize for how rude he was to him this morning, Ashton slowly gets up from the bench to put his mug on the sink and makes his way to the living room, with the small dog loyally following his every step. He puts on some cartoon that for once doesn't remind him of her (she always lovingly made fun of him for still watching those) and cuddles with Stitch on the couch. He can take a shower later.

Not half an hour goes by, he falls asleep and has a good dream for a change. He dreams of the days he spent with Olivia in the Philippines last February, right before her first world tour started. Some of the most magical days of their lives – surrounded by delicious food, a whole new culture to learn about and the warmth of the sun. Infinite counted days full of love and passion, where they were the only people in the world.

Even his subconscious knows to hold on to that brief moment of happiness, because he might never live that again.

#anna writes #perhaps she does write after all #alright i'm gonna go hide somewhere now bye #ashton irwin fanfiction #ashton irwin fic #ashton 5sos #ashton irwin x oc #5sos fanfic #5sos fic #ashton irwin imagine #5 seconds of summer #5sos imagine #anna writes: rwylm

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verobatto · 3 years

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Destiel Chronicles

Vol. XCVI

It was a love story from the very beginning.

The Destiel Reunion and the Cowboys Date

(13x06)

Hello my dears! We are finally here, in TOMBSTONE fanfiction 🤣

And of course, a whole unique volume for this delicious episode.

Dean is happy now

The reunion between Cas and Dean was really very beautiful. First of all we have Dean incredulous face, he can't believe what his eyes are seeing, he can't believe Cas is alive and in front of him.

DEAN: Cas, is that really you?

SAM: No. You're – you're dead.

CASTIEL: Yeah, I was. But then I… annoyed an ancient cosmic being so much that he sent me back.

Dean is hopes, Sam reality in this dialogue. Every inch of Dean wished Cas to come back. Now that he has him there, his eyes can't believe, but he really wants. And Sam brings back the fact that Cas was definitely dead.

SAM: I don't even know what to say.

DEAN: I do. Welcome home, pal.

(Gif set credit @gabrielokun )

This hug is beautiful, Sam is still surprised, but Dean react with a hug, he missed his angel so much, he is the one "running towards him" at first. The emotion in his eyes, and the relieved and happiness to have him back. The love of his life is back, after so much suffering.

CASTIEL: How long was I gone?

DEAN: Too damn long.

(Gif set credit @shirtlesssammy )

And here we have the difference between Family Love and Romantic Love:

When Mary Winchester comes back in 12x01, she makes the same question Castiel did. But Dean's answer is different. He can calculate the exacting days and years his mother had been dead. But with Cas is different, Cas represents the love of his life, his hopes, he was suicidale after he was gone, so... That time Cas wasn't there with him, it felt like eternal. That's why he didn't calculated, Because it was TOO DAMN LONG.

And he says it with the painful remembrance in his eyes, red because he wasn't sleeping well, and because he maybe had crying so many times.

After this angsty scene, we have a huge change in Dean. He is happy now, so happy, that he can't hide it. He is shinning again. Smiling. Hopeful. And in addition, he has a cowboy adventure, even when the data they have from Dodge City isn't that clear, he drags the whole team to it.

And just like in season 5, he rewrites TFW now 2.0, describing each member enthusiastically.

DEAN: Yeah, but we should probably check it out.

CASTIEL: Wait. Really?

DEAN: Yeah, we've done more on less. Besides Dodge City's kind of, uh, kind of awesome. All right, well… two salty hunters, one half-angel kid, and a dude who just came back from the dead. Again. Team Free Will 2.0. Here we go.

Before continuing with this happy Dean, let's check a mystery, that had been solved in season 15. Why Jack had power on the Empty or how is that Cas woke up. Of course it was Jack's power over the Empty, because he will be new god, but also, it was the Profound Bond, the deep love these men feels for each other the path Jack used to find Castiel. Is so freaking romantic I just can't...

Okay, coming back now with happy Dean...

And how Sam was trying to make him confess... Something else. Noticing the change in his brother, knowing what was the cause of it, it was so blatant, that the smart little brother confirms here Dean's true feelings for the angel...

SAM: Still can't believe you brought your own hat.

DEAN: Well, I can't believe you didn't.

SAM: You're in a good mood, huh?

DEAN: Yeah. And?

Sam was waiting some time alone to ask this to him. Imagine you saw your brother in so bad shape a day ago, suicidal, not having faith or hopes in life... An now, he's happy, shining. Smiling. Laughing. What could happen? Of course, CAS is back... But is Dean ready to confess what he feels for him to his brother? Or even, to recognize his own feelings for the angel?

(Gif set credit @deansplushy )

Dean recognize Castiel is not just the win he needed, but the BIG WIN he wanted in his heart. And he stops there. He can't say more, but is not necessary to say it. Sam is an insightful person, and he gets it. He understands and confirms Dean loves Castiel in that special way. But he is not ready to "come out from the closet" . And the scene that comes after this one, is Sammy, smiling crookedly and tilting his head, Because he knows the message behind those words. He turns back and closes a closet. Pure Symbolism.

Cowboys Adventures

Let's jump now to the "angry bear" scene.

What it means? Simply and perfectly, that scene means CASTIEL WATCHING DEAN SLEEPING OR EVEN TRYING TO WAKE HIM UP. Both of it reveals CASTIEL IN DEAN'S ROOM. INTIMACY. First hint of scene we've never seen. But indirectly pointing at a canon fact. And we love it.

Also, bossy, grumpy Dean that needs his coffee to function. And Castiel just submissively obeying his angry bear and sitting back in the coach... Damm these two... Their dynamic had always been like that, but we didn't have enough of it. We didn't have enough of domestic destiel.

Then, once in the car, Castiel is wearing a cowboy hat. So, it means they had to go to buy it somewhere. Just Imagine Dean looking for a cowboy hat to fit in Cas' head.

He fixes his boyfriend, because he wants him to look even more good.

DEAN: All right, listen, these Dodge City cops aren't likely to trust big city folks, so we're gonna have to blend.

CASTIEL: Which is why you're making me wear this absurd hat.

DEAN: It's not that bad. Well, actually, yeah, it kind of is. Hang on. [Dean reaches over and removes the hat band and tosses it in the back seat] All right. That's better.

CASTIEL: Is it?

(Gif credit @grumpycas )

This scene shows us again their intimacy and how Castiel just accepts to be part of his fantasies. He is willing to play Dean's cowboys game. Because he loves him. And this means to share a good time with him. But, CAS worries about how he looks. And he peeks into the rear viewer mirror, and if you look at Dean's facial expressions, I think he's having a heart attack for Cas' proximity. Hahahahss. Oh, Dean you're so in love in this date.

DEAN: [sighs] Yeah. Look, just act like you're from Tombstone, okay?

CASTIEL: The city?

DEAN: The movie. With Kurt Russell? I made you watch it.

CASTIEL: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. The one with the guns and tuberculosis. [in a deep cowboy voice] "I'm your Huckleberry."

DEAN: Yeah, exactly. Well, it's good to have you back, Cas. All right, follow my lead. We'll fit right in.

Gif credit @agusvedder

Okay i really think here is when Dean had a heart attack, an stroke and a bonner, at the same time, I will elaborate hahahaha

Another hint of their INTIMACY, is the fact that they watch movies together! Not just that, but Dean made CAS watch Tombstone, and who know how many other movies! (More domestic Destiel)

And then... Cas goes for it, because he knows how Dean loves cowboys, and because he is a sexy, hot, angel that knows how to seduce him, not just with eye fucking... But... Using the link over Dean.

And it works... Because the hunter closes his eyes, swallows and tries not to faint right there of arousal. And then, shamelessly, he just says IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK, CAS.

And then, is so funny to watch Cas trying to follow Dean's lead. Oh gosh... Hilarious. Rom com.

Symbolism of the rest of the episode

Dean's bisexuality

Dave and Athena were a representation of Dean's bisexuality, just as in the Rocky's bar in 14x10.

In this episode we have Toxic!Dean mirrored by the monster, Dave and Innocent/Healing!Dean mirrored by Athena.

The dynamics between them was similar to te dynamics in the Rocky's bar, in which Dean's toxicity and AU!Michael, the monster, tried to keep Dean locked inside his emotional toxic prison.

DAVE: Athena, don't you think we have a good thing here? Why do you wanna go mess it up?

ATHENA: Whatever. I have to work.

Athena wanted to improve his life, to go to school and move to a bigger city. To be better. She had dreams. Innocent, is the best part of Dean.

Another important fact is Dave wearing another's man face, a very known bandit, adding to one of the topics of this season: masks, fake identity, as a foreshadow of Dean's possession.

So Dave is Toxic!Dean, his own monsters, trying to keep him in the darkness.

The visual narrative adds to this symbolism the red ascot I'm both characters, Dave and Athena, to point out again at Dean.

Jack and Dean

We will have Jack killing an innocent man because he couldn't control his powers. As a foreshadow of when he will kill Mary not controlling his powers again.

Jack carries with a green backpack, green is Dean's color, and the backpacks means guilts.

Here is when Jack starts feeling guilt for killing a man. TFW will connect with him trying to explain that's part of the job.

All the dead people and killing the monster

When Dave comes back with Athena, she discovers he is a monster, and rejects him. Because he killed someone. This is very symbolic because in Dean's head, he sees himself as a monster, a murderer, and he hates that part of him.

So, at the end of the episode, Dean says alone, helps the sheriff, the righteous man, saves him and saves the girl, his innocence, killing the monster, his toxicity.

This episode showed us the future inner battle Dean will have to win. And it will be successful.

To Conclude:

This was a very Destiel episode, they showed us hints of how intimate Dean and CAS are with each other. And how much Dean is in love with CAS.

The happiness after Castiel's returning alive, gives Sam almost a confirmation of Dean's true feeling for Castiel, assuming he is not ready yet to get out from the closet.

There was a foreshadow of AUMichael possessing Dean, and the inner battle of 14x10.

Dave and Athena represented Dean's bisexuality and part of his personality. Keeping in mind Athena is the greek goddess of wisdom, war strategy, is the good part of Dean and innocence.

Hope you like this meta, see you in the next one!

Tagging @magnificent-winged-beast @emblue-sparks @weird-dorky-little-d @michyribeiro @whyjm @legendary-destiel @a-bit-of-influence @thatwitchydestielfan @misha-moose-dean-burger-lover @lykanyouko @evvvissticante @savannadarkbaby @dea-stiel @poorreputation @bre95611 @thewolfathedoor @charlottemanchmal @neii3n @deathswaywardson @followyourenergy @dean-is-bi-till-i-die @hekatelilith-blog @avidbkwrm @anarchiana @dickpuncher365 @vampyrosa @authorsararayne @mybonsai1976 @love-neve-dies @dustythewind @wayward-winchester67 @angelwithashotgunandtrenchcoat @trashblackrainbow @deeutdutdutdoh @destiel-shipper-11 @larrem88 @charmedbycastiel @ran-savant @little-crazy-misha-minion @samoosetheshipper

@shadows-and-padlocked-hearts @mishtho @dancingtuesdaymorning @nerditoutwithbooks @mikennacac73 @justmeand-myinsight @idontwantpeopletoknowmyname @teddybeardoctor @pepevons @helevetica @isthisdestiel @dizzypinwheel @jawnlockwinchester @horsez2 @qanelyytha

@destielle @spnsmile @shippsblog @robot-feels @superlock-in-the-tardis @superduckbatrebel @2musiclover2 @madronasky @anon-non2 @cea1996 @lisafu02 @asphodelesauvage @destiels-canonahhhhhhhhhh

If you want to be added or removed from this list just let me know.

If you wanna read the previous metas from this season here you have the links:

Vol. XCIII, XCIV, XCV.

Buenos Aires January 17 2021 02:31 PM

#destiel #destiel chronicles #destiel meta #Supernatural meta #season 13 meta #13x06 meta #tfw 2.0 #dean winchester #castiel #jack kline #sam winchester #cowboys #tombstone #domestic destiel

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theshinsun · 4 years

Note

here we fuckin GO: The Soliloquy of Aomine Daiki’s So-Called Love Life, they say the line is thin, aokaga lifeguard au, domestic FTM aokaga because fuck yeah, Pro Bono, 'a mere shadow' in aokuro, skater AND garage band aokagakuro AUs, and also Eskimo Brothers,,,

SOASCLL

it was just supposed to be an AoKaga oneshot about the boys being awkward and getting together and Aomine having an internal crisis the entire time, but it fizzled out about halfway through bc I didn’t really have a direction to take it in I was mostly just riffing.

Excerpt:

Bottom line, there was something about a guy saying “I hate you,” with his mouth and “you're beautiful,” with his eyes that created a category that probably shouldn't exist between “bitter rival” and “um... crush?” and pulled a word of strangled acceptance unbidden and immediately from Aomine's throat. And in the days following that massive moment, and the tiny spell of relief and mutual agreement that had come after... absolutely nothing of note happened.

He felt like something... kind of should've happened. Like in one of those shoujo romance novels where new lovers fall into each other’s arms amid a swirling pink flurry of hearts and roses. That kind of thing. But no, after that earth-shattering split-second that had thrilled and terrified them both, and probably rearranged the fucking cosmos in its wake, life... just seemed to go on as normal. The sun still came up in the morning, and went down at night; the world kept on turning, none the wiser to the extraordinary phenomenon that should have shaken it to its core.

they say the line is thin

I straight-up wanted to write something twisted, it’s been such a long time since I’ve tortured these boys... so I started a oneshot in which Aomine chokes Kagami during sex... and not in the kinky way.

Excerpt: (cw: implied choking)

Something twists in Aomine’s chest, seeing him like that, some desperately childish ache that’s so strong and pure it’s almost hideous. His eyes begin to sting as it clenches thick and toxic in his guts, tightening like a noose as he shudders for breath. He can barely see straight.

His hands are shockingly dark on Kagami’s skin, and they’re even darker on his neck, large enough to fit perfectly around it, the tips of his thumbs kissing over the slope of his trachea. His fingers are folded snug against the curve of his spine, just cradling him, just feeling the weight of his head as it lifts away from the mattress. His glistening chest rises and falls at irregular intervals, his eyes are closed, and he’s so fucking beautiful that it can’t be real. It shouldn’t be.

lifeguard AU

I’ve wanted to write a silly, tropey AoKaga lifeguard oneshot for ages... they say write what you know, right?

the only content I’ve ever seen for this AU is one person pining for the hot lifeguard, or being rescued by them, I’ve never seen anyone write rival lifeguards, and as an ex-lifeguard I can attest that this was definitely a thing that existed. at my job people would mark X’s on their visors for every save they made, and that was something that could get really competitive, which explains this dialogue snippet I have drafted.

Excerpt:

“Fuck you, chain riding doesn’t count.”

Kagami’s glaring at Aomine’s face, at his downcast eyes beneath the soaking wet fringe of his hair, instead of the Sharpie he’s holding in one hand, but he knows he’s not about to correct his mistake.

“It so does count,” Aomine says, putting his visor firmly back on his head, two new X’s added bold and black to the fading, ever-lengthening row along the brim. He crosses his arms over his chest.

“It was one save.”

“It was two people!”

domestic FTM AoKaga

idk I need more FTM Kagami in my life... I only have the beginning bit of this one written out, and I probably need to rework it, it’s pretty old and it’s pure fluff.

Excerpt:

“I get that it was urgent and all, but next time can you try not to break my face? I like my face.”

Kagami came willingly enough, and planted a light, apologetic kiss on his temple, “I like your face, too.”

On rare occasions, he got to watch Aomine totally melt. His shoulders would drop, his frown would soften, and even his eyes would seem to simply relax and brighten up… and then he would ruin it by opening his mouth, every time.

“Hmm... that’s pretty gay, man.”

“Both of your hands are on my ass right now,” Kagami pointed out.

Pro Bono

ok but just think about Aomine and Kagami as rival lawyers... angry snarky boys in suits... inadvisable after-hours courtroom sex with ties still on... come on.

I bounced this idea off my friend Sam and we thought it’d be hilarious if the firm is owned by Kagami’s dad, and at some point Aomine grabs the wrong ass on accident. Then later comments that Kagami has the same ass as his dad and Kagami’s like “how the fuck do you know that??” “mistakes were made, that’s how.”

the main thing holding me back from writing this AU is I have no idea how courts work or what the daily lives of attorneys are like, I need to binge-watch some SVU for research purposes or something.

a mere shadow

I was inspired by Smokey310’s What are we drinking anyway for this idea. basically a oneshot in which Aomine is at a party and pining over Kuroko/regretting things gone wrong between them. he runs into Mayuzumi there, and is just drunk and miserable enough to decide he’s an acceptable substitute for the time being. Mayuzumi’s working through issues of his own (Akashi-related) and decides to humor him; they make out and possibly do other things that are not a good idea for people dealing with a recent heartache.

heavy aesthetic skater AU

this is a recent idea so it doesn’t have an outline or anything yet, but... I just wanna write more AoKagaKuro getting up to shenanigans, I’ve been bombarded with a lot of skater content on my dash lately, and I wanna write more short, atmospheric fics that have a specific tone and “feel” to them, ya know? this one would be like... pure 90′s urban grunge and skate park aesthetic, flannels and Vans and crowding on railings together to watch the streetlights come on as the sun sets... that kinda thing.

garage band AU

on the subject of AoKagaKuro shenanigans... I’ve seen professional band AU done (usually with the entire GoM) but imagine for a moment if you will my friends... indie startup Soundcloud band with three members, only one of whom can actually sing (it’s Kuroko), the other two are super competitive guitar players who get in each other’s faces and throw in the occasional backup vocals when they aren’t throwing things at each other. imagine the late-night recording sessions, crashing on each other’s couches and sharing headphones. imagine one of the two resident dumbasses trying to download an mp3 file and it turns out all choppy and corrupted, and they all argue about whether it sounds better that way. imagine the “found sound” percussion (most definitely involving Aomine slapping Kagami’s ass like a tambourine) I just want this concept to exist okay it’s self-indulgent af but it gives me so much joy.

Eskimo Brothers

okay so... here’s my urban dictionary entry for the day, courtesy of my ex-coworker and very own Eskimo brother Moon.

Eskimo brothers (n.) two or more people who have, separately and/or coincidentally, had a sexual encounter with the same individual.

this trope could honestly feature in any of my AoKagaKuro concepts, or it could get a separate fic of its own, and I’m a little undecided on the combination (most likely Aomine and Kagami both slept with Kuroko, but I could also see it going another way). I don’t have an actual... plot? of any kind for this idea but I just love the thought of it existing and would love to write it someday.

#shin speaks #answered #that was long as fuck #and a lot of fun #thank you friend!! <3 #knb #aokaga #aokagakuro #aomayu #rarepair #breaking this up because of the content warning as well as the length #just to be safe i mean #taigainside #writer woes

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bearpillowmonster · 4 years

Text

Persona 5 Review (Confidants)

You can increase relationships with characters, increase your knowledge, guts, charm, proficiency and kindness in your free time for various uses in the future, it’s really intricate and interesting because you’re seeing so many storylines at once and uncovering other characters’ pasts, it’s really engaging. I guess it's possible to not have maxed social stats but I didn't really have a problem with it. I know that there are some things you can only do before or after a palace but I ‘usually’ try to get it done in one run as early as I can, it’s almost like the palaces are the break from taking breaks. Though if you do leave a palace, it restores hp and sp so that’s cool. Also, finishing a palace early opens up a lot of relationship opportunities because they aren’t nagging “You wanna go to the Palace today?”

So, if you can spend time with only so many characters then which ones did I spend time with and which ones do I recommend spending the most time on? Well first off, you can dabble, like just start someone’s route and if you don’t like it then just ignore it and move on, I like how it gives you a chance to meet everyone before any major commitments. Also finishing one up sometimes gives you exclusive personas you can make.

Let me start with Chihaya, I like the Chihayafuru anime so I went along with it but I really just wanted my money back, I’m not sure if the star actually did anything but the story was just average and that money wasn’t coming back. I didn't spend a whole lot of time with her though I kind of wish I had because I saw a rumor that she helps with something significantly, as long as you have the cash for it, which is very apparent around endgame or even if you had the part time jobs.

Ryuji’s story was average but I use him a lot in combat so I wanted to increase my bond. I’ve seen headcanons that these characters do really crazy stuff and go to prison for it but it’s not true, they’re just a band of misfits, the prison that you see in promos is a metaphorical one, a dream prison held inside their own mind, it’s in the very beginning of the game, just want to clarify that because it worried me going into this game. I finished his confidant.

Queen’s is rather decent, as I mentioned, she was...She acts way too attached to not like him, I mean look at the way she’s clinging to him during that house break in scene, she’s always the one to take initiative and be second in command. What I don’t understand is that if you go somewhere with her and see someone, she’ll immediately play it off “he’s just carrying my books”. She’s also the one that went straight to Alibaba when getting hurt, I like that motherly aspect. I ship my Joker with Queen for him but Kawakami for me (it would be kinda weird for him since she's older and his teacher). It’s the amount of growth we see her character go through, she seems the most genuine even if her side story focuses on her friend.

Panther’s is alright but she wants you to help her get mentally strong, O..k..? I’m not exactly one for Panther so I didn’t choose her romantic route because I think she has more chemistry with Fox. Though she seems to be the most connected to Ryuji for some reason, despite bagging on him all the time. DNF.

Fox, I will say that spending time with him made me appreciate him more and I like the rewards and art that goes with it. He’s actually hilarious, this game has a sense of humor and when it comes to him, it’s just gold, he’s so passionate and proper which makes for the best type of lines and delivery. DNF.

Kawakami, I obviously have a soft spot for but I see that her story is a real thing that bothers her, I’m not a big fan of what she reveals half way through, that seemed kinda pointless other than keeping that a secret but if you have a decent amount of money, I would up her confidant as well, it certainly wasn’t anything I expected. I finished it relatively early but by the end she enables you to go out at night even if you’re tired from mementos or a palace. Imagine my surprise when I instantly like her and then the way they introduce her route...I’ll leave it at that other than I finished her confidant.

Speaking of, quick break in the section to mention this. You would think something as in depth as this game would include a meter or consequence of sorts if you start neglecting people or duties but it’s not as stressful as that, you don’t have a sleep meter so you can do stuff in the evening (though sometimes sleeping will enable certain things like dreams which give you points with characters you spend time with regularly)

Mishima is actually one of the more interesting ones to bond with because his story seems very casual but it’s interweaving with the main one until the end of it and I like where it heads, I usually tried staying nice to him for the most part but making sure he doesn’t go “too too far”. The big thing you get is being able to increase your “other” party members stats as if they were equipped in your main party which can be useful. He was one of the first I maxed.

Yoshizawa is the new girl in Royal, so I tried to get on her good side, I actually met her and thought she was kind of robotic because of how apologetic she was but as time went on and as I grew her her confidant, she became more appealing. She was the first I finished because she only has 5 ranks but it was alright, as I said, she’s new so her story is going to be in there anyway but ranking just gives a bit more context is all. Getting all 5 ranks doesn’t finish it. However, it never seems like it's actually "finished", of course I didn't do the romance route so it might've been longer that way but for the most part, from what I see, the romance routes are mostly copy and paste with different characters outside their confidants. Other than a few dialogue options with different context but they’re the same events. The field trip in particular is the main one that I’m talking about. (I know I just revealed I played Royal, I’ll explain why this review isn’t about Royal towards the end though)

If you want, you can help Caroline and Justine experience human stuff but it isn’t a confidant, it just gives you items.

Sojiro. I only did his about half way because he gifts kindness and sometimes enables you to get coffee which gives you hp or sp. Which is cool but I wasn't sure how the confidants worked just yet and was scared I would drag him into the story unnecessarily but that's not the case for any of them, the consequences are a lot different than you might first imagine. He takes calls from multiple people, some who we figure out, some we might not and then he dresses in that sketchy outfit and says "dress for the job you want." and the way he's dressed makes him look like a pimp so...that's concerning. DNF.

Akechi is a bit questionable but every now and then I would spend time with him. He reminds me of a lion. There isn’t much of story though other than that one thing about his parents. Most of these are just spending time with the character and they start to build more substance about half way through. DNF.

Oracle actually has a really cool personality, I think of her more like a sister type to my character though. You have to have a good level of kindness in order to do a lot (which is the hardest to obtain) Once you do though, it seems to tie into a side quest and it’s really dumb because you change a gamers heart...for cheating. And that leads to...

Shinya. Why does this character even have a confidant? It easily could have been Iwai to help with that sort of thing. I didn't even rank him up, sorry, just wasn't really enough of a reason to.

Hifumi is cool, I like how she’s in a church and plays Shogi, it reminds me of Hunter X Hunter with Gungi. Her story is kind of sad too but not too much different from the “I’m on all the magazines but don’t really want to” she just wants to promote the board game. I waited until after I maxed out Queen to get past Rank 4 for her though because I was wary of giving some of the girls the wrong idea especially since that meeting between her and Queen. But once my character and Queen were official, then I decided to come back to Hifumi. DNF.

Takemi has an interesting take, I ranked her confidant up but wasn’t psyched about it, it provided a source for the guts attribute for a little while, it’s really sketchy in hindsight but the story is a little bit similar to Kawakami, with being shunned and all but Takemi seems to embrace it a lot more. I maxed her confidant, it allowed me to get discounted prices for health items.

Noir. She’s actually what I expected Persona to be like, she’s the neutral in my eyes, kind of bubbly but cute about it instead of overly obnoxious. She takes certain events way better than I expected which is good for her but I think the story would’ve packed a punch during that arc if they went deeper with how she takes it. It’s poetic how she’s acting healthy while her father is not. Not to mention that it’s like she’s planting the seeds for her new self both metaphorically and literally. You can gain some pretty good items if you do it right, SP is always a welcome in my book. DNF.

Iwai. I’m not going to recommend which thing you should prioritize, that’s up to how you want to play the game, you should keep it balanced but this guy requires a pretty high guts level. He can mod your weapons for you which comes in handy, the story is kind of mysterious because you go undercover. You also get discounts. DNF.

I love the idea of Joker bringing around a talking cat the whole time, it’s a total aesthetic, sneaking him some of his food, keeping him in his backpack, he’s as big a part of the team as any, if not the biggest. You don’t really choose to rank him up though, he’s intertwined, you can still choose to be nice to him though. Even though he doesn’t act like him, Morgana kind of reminds me of Daxter with the dynamic, wherever Joker goes, Morgana goes. I let Morgana kind of take free rein and he ended up being the strongest on my team, you don’t know how many “1-More”s I’ve seen this cat do, he was probably the one that was most consistently in my party.

I didn’t mess with that political guy or the journalist.

Also make sure to have figured out what gifts go to which person because once you get the option, it may be hard to get it back if you refuse. Ranking up people outside of the Phantom Thieves affects who is there for the ending so maybe keep that in mind.

Now you may or may not have noticed I missed a specific character, I have been writing this review since I started the game, accumulating different opinions and such, as I mention some in the Palace section of my review. The final days of playing this have pissed me off. From here to the end, I’m going to rant so if you don’t want to hear it and just want to take what I’ve said and leave, now’s the time, I’ve written everything else without this burden on the game hampering my score. However, you need to know this if you want to buy Royal specifically.

Maruki is far and few between, not much substance but I don’t mind sitting down with him once in a while. I only got about half way through so if you want to increase his confidant, do it early because it’s not always available but he helps with SP like the temple in Kichijoji. That’s what I wrote, then I finished the game and I was like “Wait a minute...something isn’t right...” So I looked it up and apparently Maruki is a new character to Royal as well. Alright, fine, so what? Well you need to rank him to level 9, there is in fact a reason and I completely missed it because I played this game BLIND. Biggest mistake and the game doesn’t tell you otherwise. So with Persona Royal, you get an extra semester longer than the original game with new story and new content that deals with Yoshizawa and Maruki in particular. The regular additions to the vanilla game hinted at it but I never knew there was more to it. So, I could’ve played the regular version of Persona 5 and had the same experience. Oh, but to put the icing on the cake. You need to rank up Maruki by November 18th. I only ever had two save files and you know what the one I didn’t finish was at? NOVEMBER FLIPPING 19TH. But wait; How do you play the new content if you can’t go back to the save file? And to that I say “HA” You don’t. I screwed the pooch unless I want to play the entire game again on new game+, has to be the same ending I had too so no finishing early with one of the other endings. Even if I played on the easiest difficulty, have all the stuff from new game+, use all the strats that I figured out afterwards, it would still take forever. The shortest speedrun of this game is 16 hours, that’s enough for a whole other game, I beat Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood in less than that. Why isn’t there a function to skip to a certain section?! I’M PISSED so for now F- this game, if I ever manage to play through those sections at some point then I’ll update this review getting rid of this and making its own review. I’m not just going to look up the cutscenes either, I got Royal instead of vanilla for a reason.

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mst3kproject · 5 years

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Miami Connection

From the title you have probably already guessed that this is an 80’s drug movie, and you are mostly right, but Miami Connection is so much more. The director was Woo-Sang ‘Richard’ Park, a South Korean film-maker who wanted to break into the Western market despite not speaking any English. Those of us who know anything about bad movies are already going oh no, because that’s how Troll 2 happened. Park’s American buddy who was gonna help him do it was Young-Kun Kim, a taekwondo-instructor-slash-motivational-speaker who decided to write, produce, and star in the movie himself because hey, he’d seen movies and it didn’t look that hard. Oh no, that’s what Hal Warren thought when he set out to make Manos! And since these guys couldn’t afford actual actors or stuntmen, they cast a bunch of Kim’s taekwondo students, who thought the movie would be great publicity for their band! Oh no!

The movie opens with a drug deal in a junkyard being interrupted by biker ninjas, who kill everybody, steal the cocaine, and run. Just a Tuesday night in 80’s Miami, really. Having thus introduced the villains, we now meet the heroes, a fantastically talentless 80’s rock band called Dragon Sound. Their newest member is Jane, the new girlfriend of lead guitarist John. Jane’s overprotective brother Jeff does not approve of John, and he hangs out with the coke-stealing ninja bikers from the opening, so he could easily make good on his threats… what he doesn’t know is that the members of Dragon Sound are all training together in taekwondo, and they’re more than ready to take on him, the entire dojo, and a rival band!

Miami Connection is the Starcrash of martial arts movies. It is completely, irredeemably terrible and yet it never stops being entertaining. The ‘plot’ is mainly a series of ass-kickings, strung together with dialogue scenes that discuss the consequences of the previous fight and set up the motivations for the next one. I am in no position to judge anybody’s skill at taekwondo, since I can’t tell Karate from Kung-Fu (of course, neither could the people who made the Karate Kid remake), but very nearly everything else in the film is absolutely awful and funny as hell. I could list hilarious moments for several pages.

The dialogue is stunningly banal, especially when it’s expository. Both Jane and keyboardist Jim narrate their own tragic backstories and both are bad but in very different ways: Jane doesn’t sound like she particularly cares about the deaths of her parents or her brother’s gang involvement, while Jim weeps like a baby while he whimpers about his mother telling him to find her lost husband. Later when Jeff is killed in a brawl, Jane doesn’t sound too cut-up about that, either. She’s certainly not nearly as upset as Ninja Biker Dojo Master Yoshida, who gets a flashback that makes it look like Jeff might have been his boyfriend. My favourite line in the whole movie is when another member of the band, Jack, complains about Jeff and “his darn gang, selling their stupid cocaine!” like a six-year-old who wants his turn on the X Box.

Because nobody can emote, the ‘acting’ in the movie mainly consists of a lot of yelling, and their favourite thing to yell is “son of a bitch!” They don’t use it as an exclamation the way Reb Brown did in Space Mutiny, it just seems to be the only insult the writers could think of. It gets funnier every time you hear it.

Costumes seem to consist of whatever everybody wore to set that day, with the exception of the black ninja pajamas (ridiculous-looking as always) and the t-shirts Dragon Sound wear when they perform. The latter feature the name of the band in ‘Vote for Pedro’ font, and nothing else. I own one of these. You can buy them at teepublic.

The plot is an absolute mess. Why does Yoshida think eliminating Dragon Sound is the key to controlling the drug trade in that area? They haven’t done any vigilante stuff at that point – they just react when Jeff attacks them. I get why the rival band, who were fired from the nightclub so Dragon Sound could play instead, would want them out of the picture, but the ninja bikers seem to have no reason to care. Meanwhile, said rival band just kind of falls out of the movie and is never seen again.

I don’t know who the main character is supposed to be. The story starts out being about John and Jane’s star-crossed relationship, which could have had a Romeo and Juliet angle with Jeff’s death but doesn’t. Then they slide out of the way as we focus on Jim’s search for his missing father, which keeps us busy a while, but then the final showdown is between Mark and Yoshida, who have so far been secondary characters. Jane isn’t even present at the ending, although Jim’s father does show up to recite some more utterly terrible dialogue as he reconciles with his son.

Jim, John, Jack, Jane, and Jeff. Did Kim just think all American names start with J?

I’m not sure how old Y. K. Kim’s character Mark is supposed to be. He and the other bandmembers are room-mates, and he dresses like them and rides around in their convertible with his feet up on the dashboard. He talks and acts like them and tells people that his bandmates are ‘like brothers’. But whereas they’re all in their twenties, Kim was forty-one when this movie was made and there is no attempt to hide that. Is he just supposed to be hip with the younger generations? Or did they actually expect us to believe he was fifteen years younger than he looks?

There are long sequences in which nothing happens. We see the band play a whole song at the club, twice, and then one of those songs is re-used for a montage sequence of characters at the beach. The latter does not further the plot but it does show us a lot of women’s butts with wet bathing suits clinging to them, as well as the world’s best-dressed nudist. There’s a sequence of taekwondo training that runs several minutes, and which does nothing but set up a single finishing move that will recur at the climax. There’s a biker company picnic like the one in The Hellcats but without the interesting parts.

Literally everybody in this movie practices some kind of martial art, including the nightclub owner and the drug dealers… but I figure that was just the 80’s. Also, this movie taught me that men in the 80’s took their sunglasses off as a sign of respect, much like removing the hat in earlier decades.

What the fuck is up with the dancing crop-top dude? Even the guy who’s about to fight him looks confused by him. He was so weird I thought he’d be a good stinger, until we arrived at Miami Connection’s ultimate stinger moment – a car turns a corner, revealing a bunch of motorcycles on a collision course with it, and John, in the driver’s seat, says, “ugh, ninjas.”

On a slightly more serious note, the movie does have an ostensible message, which is spelled out between the last shot and the closing credits: only through the elimination of violence can we achieve world peace. This is kind of a silly statement because, yeah, that’s what peace is, but also because we’ve just spent this entire movie watching people beat the shit out of each other with hands, feet, and whatever they can grab. The script is aware of this contradiction, though, and stops at several points to remind us that taekwondo and other martial arts are not merely fighting techniques but ways of life that promote discipline of the body and mind and strong bonds between people. This is the side of taekwondo that Dragon Sound plans to promote during their world peace tour, and the message seems heartfelt enough even if the delivery is lacking.

In that light its interesting to note that this disciplined martial arts lifestyle seems very much at odds with the hedonistic biker one that Yoshida and his followers also participate in. The two stereotypes conflict on every possible level, right down to ninjas being quiet while motorcycles are loud. I think this might be an attempt to paint the baddies as hypocrites, but I honestly don’t know. It’s equally possible that ‘biker ninjas’ were just the coolest-sounding thing Kim could think of.

After that list of suckage, I do have to say that there are two or three things Miami Connection does astonishingly well. Both the night shots and the gore effects are pretty good – especially the night shots. You can always see enough to tell what’s going on, but it’s not so bright that you don’t believe it’s night-time. I’ve seen way worse in movies with way higher budgets. The fight choreography is also shockingly effective sometimes. It never turns taekwondo or any of its other martial arts into some kind of artsy dance performance. The fight scenes are brutal, and you believe that the people in them are fighting for their lives. Maybe not the best thing for their message that taekwondo is the key to world peace, but pretty effective if you’re just here to enjoy the chop-socky.

Being so terrible and yet so much fun, it’s no surprise that Miami Connection showed up on Rifftrax Live in 2015. Y. K. Kim was a pretty good sport about it, too – apparently he’s happy his film has finally found an audience, even an ironic one. That puts him much higher on the dignity ladder than Joe Don Baker or Sandy Frank, and even if he seems like a bit of a huckster I have to hand it to him for that.

#mst3k #reviews #episodes that never were #miami connection #80s #magic voice recommends

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hatari-translations · 5 years

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Berglind Festival mockumentary - translation

A while back, I translated this talk show interview from Vikan með Gísla Marteini. As it turns out, this was not all there was to it: in this video, we can see the full Hatari segment, which includes a short, hilarious mockumentary on Hatari by comedian Berglind Festival (who would do these humourous segments on Gísli Marteinn’s show), starting at about 7:48 in the linked video (it should link to that timestamp). I’ve translated it (and the brief dialogue that comes after it) below, but please watch the video alongside the translation; it’s funnier with everyone’s expressions.

The band Hatari will go on stage to represent Iceland in Eurovision in Tel Aviv on May 14th, and the nation is holding its collective breath. "We'll finally win Eurovision," say some. "I demand Hatari assume full responsibility for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," say others. But let's start at the beginning. What is this Hatari thing?

Iceland. The year is nineteen ninety-something. Hatari is born at the National Hospital and goes through traditional schooling. Suddenly everyone's talking about Hatari and they're heading to Tel Aviv to lead their nation to victory in Eurovision. But what are these leather-clad beings up to? When did they first take an interest in toppling capitalism? And how are they going to buy all these straps when capitalism has fallen? What is their true goal?

[Berglind interviews Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson, Minister of Foreign Affairs.]

BERGLIND: Why did the Ministry of Foreign Affairs decide to found Hatari?

GUÐLAUGUR: This is our contribution to Eurovision. I think it's very important that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs safeguards the interests of the country and its people, and Eurovision is definitely a place where we want to make a difference. Really, it's a wonder this is the first time the Ministry has directly interfered in the way that we're doing now.

BERGLIND: Have you made any plans at the Ministry for Hatari's victory in the contest?

GUÐLAUGUR: Sure. Of course, we have a precedent, which was the Independence Festival [massive 1994 celebration of fifty years of Icelandic independence, remembered for huge traffic jams], but we expect this to be bigger, involving more people. And we've decided to celebrate not just in the Icelandic embassies in Europe, but also our embassies in North America and Asia.

BERGLIND: Is it true that Iceland will be one of the biggest BDSM destinations in the world after this?

GUÐLAUGUR: I think that's very likely. We're going to have to see how it plays out, of course, but it's something we're strongly expecting.

And what about the children? It turns out Eurovision is not only for the gays: it's also for kids. Recent studies show that our children have become both more open and less prejudiced after Hatari won Söngvakeppnin. At the same time, kids' orgies have grown in popularity, and community centers' BDSM clubs are fully booked.

But despite the huge popularity of Hatari, not everyone is thrilled with the band.

[Berglind sits down with a robed figure whose face can't be seen, but I suspect it's Andrean.]

BERGLIND: Do you think Hatari is a total sellout?

FIGURE [titled "a member of Hatari's youth movement from the early years"]: Yeah... Mm.

But the inevitable question on everyone's minds is probably: what effects will leather straps have on our culture and society as a whole?

[She interviews Sólhrafn Elí Gunnarsson, board member of the Icelandic BDSM society.]

BERGLIND: Your people have got to be pretty pumped for Eurovision this year.

SÓLHRAFN: Yeah, we are.

BERGLIND: But well, Hatari is very popular with kids. Have you had any kids trying to register for your organization?

SÓLHRAFN: No, that hasn't happened.

BERGLIND: But what does Hatari mean for our culture?

SÓLHRAFN: More leashes. More leather. More spikes.

BERGLIND: Only fun.

According to the dictionary, culture is the furthering of human qualities and what separates us from the animals. But... animals are often also on a leash.

[She sits down to interview Bergsteinn Sigurðsson, "culture guy", and Guðrún Sóley Gestsdóttir, "culture lady"]

BERGLIND: What does Hatari mean for our culture?

BERGSTEINN: That's a good question, Berglind. I think instead of viewing Hatari as a band, or as performance art, it's more accurate to regard it as a state of being.

GUÐRÚN SÓLEY: Exactly. A state of being that describes the familiar symbols of consumerism, rearranges them, and thus examines the overlap between cultural and societal phenomena.

BERGSTEINN: Exactly! Hatari is stepping into the territory of visual meaning by evoking stereotypes about capitalistic prosperity and wrapping them in a certain uncanniness, thus reconstructing cultural and ideological systems, in an attempt to redefine the human experience.

GUÐRÚN SÓLEY: All that's left is the contemplation of whether we're dealing with a sincere staging or a staged sincerity.

BERGSTEINN: Also the guy who plays the gimp is seriously hot.

[She interviews Goddur (Guðmundur Oddur Magnússon), professor at the Academy of the Arts.]

BERGLIND: What does Hatari mean for our culture?

GODDUR: Well, it means that we're putting real artists out there. It's a really strong group of artists, both musically and visually, who know how to reach the souls of people using what we call sarcasm or opposites. Everyone knows that love has won, but it's tacky to say it. That's why you use the opposite, and you get this strong reaction, at a time, in a place, where - you can't imagine how much hate there is in that area.

BERGLIND: But what will happen if Hatari wins the contest?

GODDUR: They'll definitely get worldwide attention, because it's so loaded with meaning. And it's only going to do good.

BERGLIND: What's your favorite part of the song?

GODDUR: Well, the chorus, of course. That's where you get the goosebumps.

Is the Icelandic nation ready to end up as the victor? I felt as if with every question I asked, hundreds of others arose. I felt as if Eurovision were eating me up from the inside, and only one man could save me.

[She interviews Friðrik Dór Jónsson, singer.]

BERGLIND: Friðrik, what's going to happen to us?

[Friðrik looks worried and uncertain and then shakes his head slightly, in silence.]

After this mockumentary segment, we cut back to the main show, with Hatari sitting on the couch with finance minister Bjarni Benediktsson and actresses Brynhildur Guðjónsdóttir and Salka Sól Eyfeld. Gísli Marteinn says that we've now learned a lot about Hatari (he has a grammatical fumble and asks if they can cut that, which is amusing), and says that he thinks he's speaking for the whole Icelandic nation in saying we'll all be crossing our fingers hoping for Hatari to make us proud and do great.

GÍSLI MARTEINN: I know Einar's pumped for this, or so I've heard.

Einar stares, emotionless.

MATTHÍAS: Yeah, you may be right.

GÍSLI MARTEINN: If you need a backup, Bjarni here isn't too dissimilar...

MATTHÍAS: As a backup drum gimp?

GÍSLI MARTEINN: I don't know if he's as good at the drums, or the bass line, as Einar.

KLEMENS: We do need a bass gimp, too.

SALKA: Isn't it all fake anyway?

MATTHÍAS: In Eurovision everything is fake, but he really does play the drums at our gigs, admirably.

Then Gísli Marteinn thanks the guests and bids them farewell.

#hatari #berglind festival #documentary #interview #translation

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piratewithvigor · 4 years

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A Review Of Classic Rock Fanfics I Wrote When I Was 12 That I Cringed Over For Years And Now Find Oddly Hilarious Now

GNR

Back In The Shadows: My necessary vampire AU where 3/5 of the original members are vampires and there’s a lot of angst. May rewrite someday with less cringey dialogue and more smut. 7/10

Crashing And Burning: A world where music is illegal and Axl has voices in his head that are the souls of dead musicians. Pretty much everyone makes an appearance. Steven has a stuffed elephant named Stacy. Would have been great if I ever finished it. 9/10

Junk: Written as a gift. Izzy and Steven create their own Christmas ornaments after realising how expensive they are. Little bit of shipping, but not enough. Feels rushed. 4/10

Meltdown: Axl throws a tantrum. I wrote one scene when I was angsty at my parents and then added a shoddy beginning and end. 3/10

Sleepless On D Block: Proud as hell of this one. The only one I was brave enough to post on AO3. Izzy is a death row guard who falls in love with his inmate- Axl. Like The Green Mile, but more gay. 10/10

Motley Crue

Ink: A badly-written poem about Nikki’s tattoos from his POV. For only 4 verses, it packs a punch. 6/10

Love, Nikki: It should have stayed as one chapter. Was going to be an imagining of Nikki’s suicide note to his bandmates. Progressed into the aftermath of the suicide where he’s forced to watch the world slowly forget about him. Why did young me romanticise this so much? 2/10

The Outlaw And His Whore: A wild-west AU with a Twincest ship (is that the ship name for them?) that I wimped out of writing an actual sex scene for, so I decided that Vince was narrating a sexual fantasy out for them in present day instead. Pretty much unreadable. 0/10

Rush

A Love Poem: Another angst poem. In this one, Alex is writing it for his husband, Geddy, who died of cancer. Made everyone who read it cry, which was exactly my intention. 7/10

By-Tor And The Snow Dog: A cross between Lion King 2 and Lord Of The Rings, but with Rush. I hadn’t planned it out enough, so it died after 2 chapters. Could have been epic. 4/10

I Do The Best I Can: Written for a prompt about how John would feel after having been replaced and how it impacts his relationship with Alex. Actually fairly proud of this one. 8/10

July 21, 2005: The date of gay marriage being legalised in Canada. Complete with a Dirxst ship and only 100 words long. 4/10

Just One More Story?: ‘What if these rockers read their own fanfics?’ was the question this resolves, complete with excerpts from Dirxst fanfics written by writers I admired (only one acknowledged their inclusion and loved it). Would have preferred to use my own writing. 6/10

Sleep With Me?: Geddy and Alex finds Neil’s attempt at erotic writing. 3/10

The Trees: Basically a fanfic written for kids based on The Trees. 2/10

Workin Them Angels: Another gift. Another unplanned story that went sour. After a near-death experience, Geddy meets Alex, his guardian angel. 1/10 and I’m sorry to the gal I tried to write it for.

Led Zeppelin

Dyfi Valley: Robert and Jimmy write Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp while in seclusion in a cabin together. Casual homoerotic undertones, but there doesn’t have to be if it isn’t your thing. Mostly just two guys being dudes and appreciating each other’s beauty. 9/10

Miracle Worker: AU where Jonesy is a roadie and bass tech who Robert recruits to take over his own bass duties while on the road to reduce strain on himself. Not bad for 3 hours’ work. 7/10

Quick Lovin: A 100-word drabble about Robert subtly domming Jimmy during Moby Dick. Good for brief smut. 5/10

The Traveling Wilburys

And They Never Forgot: A few words in honour of Tom Petty’s death. Published the day of. 6/10

Van Halen

Another Blonde: Dave being salty about being replaced. 8/10

I Charge By The Hour: Eddie and Dave get together after being perfectly uncomfortable with each other in the name of lending one another PA equipment. Not as awkward as it feels. 7/10

Queen

Who Wants To Live Forever?: Freddie comforts his band in his final hours. Sad as hell and I did not know a single thing about Queen when I wrote it. 4/10

Alice Cooper

The Strange Case Of Mr Vincent And Alice Cooper: Vincent Furnier is slowly possessed by the spirit of a girl named Alice Cooper, slowly corrupting his mind and driving him away from his bandmates until she can achieve world domination through him. Great beginning, lousy end. Had to watch the 1969 Rock Festival Performance too many times to write it. 6/10

Kiss

Beyond The Makeup: Paul contemplates his identity as he suits up for a show. Totally a ripoff of the opening of his book, Face The Music. 2/10

Hooligan: Ace and Paul put on each other’s makeup. 1/10

David Bowie (And Rolling Stones)

Lazarus: Written with lines from the song, this was written for the first anniversary of Bowie’s death, cause I was feeling emotions. 4/10

Miss You: David and Mick’s reunion after spending months apart. Then they realise that Charlie is in the bathroom with them. A great amount of awkward, but I still kind of like the ship. 6/10

Sweethearts: A collection of bad one-shots with David and Mick just being a couple in love. Features Saturday morning cartoons, baking cookies and a bachelor auction. 5/10

The Doors

The Neighbor Upstairs: My first and only attempt at an OC within fanfics. No one hated it, but no one really loved it. Also my first story. My first review was a notice that it had been improperly formatted. 1/10

Crossovers

The L.A. Vampires: Alice Cooper, Jimmy Page and Ozzy Osbourne gather for their yearly feasting ritual and to induct their newest member of their group, Nikki Sixx, but Nikki is missing and about to face his first bloodlust. A slightly better vampire AU, but not as well-crafted as my first. Best part is the title’s word play. 4/10

Bitch’s Brew: Tommy Lee and Steven Adler join destructive forces and create a cocktail made with all their leftover alcohol. They then make a drinking game bet where the loser has to destroy Axl’s room and stay there to face the wrath. It ends with a pretty sweet kiss. 8/10

#Writing #Classic Rock #yes this whole post is me feeding my ego #but also a little bit of looking back on my teens fondly #GNR #Guns N Roses #Motley Crue #Led Zeppelin #Rush #Kiss #Alice Cooper

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olicitysecretsanta · 5 years

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The Personal Shopper (Olicity Holiday)

Merry Christmas to @bifelicitys! I am your Secret Olicity Santa. I hope that you enjoy this romantic little story for the holiday!

The Personal Shopper

Felicity Smoak loved this job. Okay, technically, it wasn’t her job-job. It was her side hustle. Everybody she knew had one - an extra means of income - usually independent in nature - that she could use to make money on her off time from being a cyber-security expert at Merlyn Global in Starling City. The money was good, the work was ridiculously easy, and it was helping her to send extra cash to help her mom pay off her home in Vegas. It also helped to keep her busy and totally not thinking about how spending the holidays in a new city could make her feel a little alone. She had moved to town six months prior.

When Felicity first learned that personal shopping was an actual job, she scoffed. The idea that people paid you to shop for them sounded extravagant and, well, lazy. At first, she only purchased and set up computer systems for Luddites, people who either didn’t understand tech or were legitimately afraid of it. But last month, the agency that placed her asked her to branch out into other shopping tasks. This was how she found herself buying Christmas gifts for a very busy, very wealthy CEO. Initially, she had set up his home office and apparently he was so impressed, he asked the agency to hire her for the purchase of a slew of Christmas gifts for his friends of loved ones.

Felicity was surprised when she learned of the request. She had only exchanged a handful of emails and texts with Oliver Queen — that was his name — until that point. Of course, she knew she had good taste, a great intuition about what items were suitable, and perhaps most of all, the resourcefulness to find whatever was the right fit, no matter how difficult, but she certainly didn’t expect him to appreciate that that. But he did.

Since she had become his personal shopper, things with the businessman and Felicity had subtly shifted and there was more of a dialogue taking place between them. The emails were more frequent. There had been…texting. When he liked one of her suggestions, he always responded with text or an enthusiastic emoji. A target with an arrow sticking out of it meant she had nailed it. A goat meant the idea was exceptional. Once he had sent her a heart eyes emoji and then spent three texts explaining that his thumb had slipped and apologizing. That made her chortle for a full five minutes. The idea that a CEO would send her a text with heart eyes in it was hilarious. She had Googled him and knew that he was both handsome and notoriously single. It was best not to get infatuated with that sort of man. Still, Felicity looked forward to their exchanges. Realizing that her holiday duties would be wrapping up soon, she could not help feeling a bit sad.

On this particular Saturday morning, just days away from Christmas, Felicity entered the security code to a penthouse in what she considered the “fancy-schmancy” district of Starling. A green light on the panel signaled success. She turned the handle on a large wooden door and it swung open easily. On the other side, the clean lines, leather upholstery and muted tones of the apartment that screamed “luxurious bachelor pad.” There were a few paintings and a couple of furry pillows on a sofa, but no hint of personal decorations upon first glance. Normally this didn’t bother Felicity, but on this day it struck her that there was no hint of a holiday going on in the place.

Really, Oliver? No cheer? There was no evidence around the place, despite its beautiful furnishings, that he was celebrating Christmas. It was all grey and natural, but lacked color and, well, personality. Why didn’t he have a wreath on the front door or one of those Charlie Brown trees on a side table? It made Felicity shake her head.

The IT specialist/cyber security expert was dressed down today in yoga pants and an oversized green sweater, well aware she wouldn’t see anyone and, more importantly, no one would see her. She removed the messenger bag slung over her shoulder and slipped out of her fluffy winter coat, setting them both on stools by the breakfast bar of the kitchen island. Her boots came off next, leaving her feet covered in a pair of festive Hanukkah socks. Her grandma always kept her flush in themed hosiery. It was their thing.

Felicity had visited this apartment so many times, she had developed rituals. After leaving her footwear resting by the door, she headed to the wall of windows on the far end of the open living space. They showcased Starling City.. She stood near the glass and hugged herself against a slight draught. The brief chill was worth it for the view. It was a cold, but clear day and she could see for miles, even beyond the city.

When her reverie was done, she went to the stove and filled the stainless steel kettle that always rested on the gas burner. Early instructions on working in the empty apartment had encouraged her to make use of the kitchen, as needed. She did so gratefully. After sourcing a tea bag and a mug from the cabinets, she walked to the dining table and approached the laptop and a note that was left for her. The purchases were all made on Oliver’s laptop, which had his banking attached. It was easier that way and Felicity enjoyed working in the space, far from her small apartment and her tiny office at Merlyn Global. She also found it funny that she was tasked to work on a computer she had initially set up for the man.

Felicity had yet to cross paths with the man himself. It seemed that Oliver Queen was always out of town, or at a work event, or some gala. It had become a source of comedy, actually, how they passed without meeting. Consequently, there was always a typed note with instructions, presumably produced and placed on his dining table by his executive assistant. She had nicknamed the note-fairy “Godfrey” (although she was well aware the woman’s name was Louise) and wondered what it was like to be the sort of assistant who had to go to their boss’s apartment to deliver notes. She read an article that said CEOs sometimes had assistants do their packing. Godfrey have to pack for the man? Check the wine stash to see if any bottles were missing? (For the record, Felicity had examined the wine cabinet and even Googled a few of the labels out of curiosity, but she would never help herself to something. That was simply not right.)

Something else was not right today. The note. It was handwritten. A confident print with occasional script flourishes mixed in. Still, a man’s hand.

Dear Felicity,

First, thank you so much for everything you have done over the last months. I have appreciated your expertise more than I can say. You have done such a wonderful job sourcing gifts. It felt at times like you read my mind.

Felicity couldn’t help but smile. She felt appreciated. It had hardly felt like work to find gifts for Oliver Queen’s close friends and family members, but she liked the acknowledgment. That was something she didn’t get at her regular job.

I know that my mother is going to love the arrangement you made for the exhibit at the Starling Museum. Her friends at the garden club will be absolutely livid with jealousy and that will be like a second gift to her.

She nodded. The museum sponsorship had Moira Queen written all over it. Felicity got the idea when she saw a picture of the woman standing in front of a painting in an old issue of Architectural Digest. Did they really have an actual Monet in their actual house? She would have to ask sometime. Yeah, sure.

Dad will really enjoy the new turntable and the box set of Rolling Stones records (and they will make Mom crazy). We might need to think about head phones.

She giggled. It had not been her intention to create friction at the Queen Mansion, but when her research revealed that the retired business leader had been in a Stones cover band in college, it just felt right. Now she imagined Robert Queen strutting around his library like Mick Jagger and it made her extremely happy. The man deserved a little rock and roll in his life.

That amazing bottle of scotch is probably more than my best friend deserves, but it is Christmas. I’m not sure how you found it, but you are quite remarkable. He is going to owe me big time.

The bottle of Macallan for Tommy Merlyn required a bit of horse trading with a liquor dealer in Coast City and thirty minutes of free advice on the topic of secure point of sale systems. It was worth it and she was victorious. Now, she found it rather funny that she had helped arrange a gift for her boss’s son.

The Lieber bag you picked out for Thea is perfect for her collection. Thank you for figuring out which one she wanted.

She wondered if Oliver knew that his baby sister, Thea Queen, was an a-plus operator. As soon as Felicity started digging around to figure out a good gift for the young fashion student, Thea herself reached out and gave her several excellent suggestions and sources for the perfect treat.

All of the other gifts — the Disney package for the Diggles, the wallet for Walter Steele and the treats for the Board, were, again perfect. I am sure that my assistant is going to be very pleased with the cashmere wrap (and a hefty bonus).

Felicity knew that wrap was very, very nice. She just couldn’t imagine Godfrey wearing it. Well, she honestly couldn’t imagine Godfrey, period. And she liked it that way. Some mysteries were best left alone - as long as they weren’t technological.

One the subject of bonuses, please see the envelope (just between us) and accept it with my sincere thanks. You are obviously a clever, observant and nice person. I have enjoyed our messaging back and forth very much during this stressful end of year. You have made me laugh and, well…thank you. O

Felicity blushed a little from the complements and then noticed the aforementioned envelope. She looked inside and her eyes bugged out when she saw the amount. It was too generous.

She pushed away from the table and stood up, feeling the need to pace. She never expected any kind of gesture like this from a client and she didn’t know how to respond. Should she refuse it and risk offending him? Her brain was clouding up with ethical concerns. Finally, she grabbed her phone and found the familiar contact in her messaging program.

FS: You are too generous.

A few moments passed. Then she saw dots pulsing on the screen.

OQ: Not at all. You deserve it. You saved Christmas for me with my family. That means a lot.

FS: I do appreciate it. Thank you.

OQ: Are you headed out of town to visit your Mom for the holidays?

Felicity smiled. It was funny how much information had been shared in both directions while doing this job. Of course, it had been necessary to learn about Oliver in order to pick out appropriate gifts, but revealing information about herself had just happened naturally as they exchanged messages.

FS: No. She is going to Reno with her cousin. It’s a non-stop party with those two through New Years. They wear me out.

Oliver responded with a celebrating emoji and a smiley face.

FS: Are you going to be traveling for business through Christmas?

OQ: No, I actually got back last night.

An alarm bell went off in Felicity’s head at the same time the tea pot whistled. She nearly jumped out of her chair.

FS: You’re here?

OQ: At my parents through lunch. Tonight there’s a Christmas gala for…something. I’ll be by later to get my tux.

Felicity breathed a sigh of relief and headed to pour the water in the cup, phone still in hand.

OQ: Just relax and have that cup of tea.

She stopped and looked around the kitchen.

FS: How did you know I’m making tea at your place? Did you get cameras?

OQ: Creepy. No. I could never something like that past a security expert like you. I do get a notification when the alarm is disabled. Remember? You told me to set that up months ago.

Felicity smirked and submerged the tea bag in the bubbling cup.

FS: Very good. But that doesn’t explain how you know I’m making a cup of tea.

OQ: Every time I come home when you’ve been there, the only trash you leave behind is tea-related.

FS: That’s very observant of you, Mr. Holmes.

OQ: Thank you, Watson.

FS: But maybe the tea drinker is Godfrey.

A laughing emoji was the response.

OQ: That nickname.

FS: Not on-point?

OQ: Eerily accurate. Louise is a gem though.

FS: She must be to go through your unmentionables.

OQ: What???

FS: I read that some CEOs have their assistants pack for them.

OQ: That’s just wrong. I must admit, I do get a lot of help to manage my life, but I would never ask someone to do that.

FS: Good. I didn’t think you would be that kind of boss.

Felicity curled up on the sectional with her cup of tea. A handy throw within arm’s reach was pulled across her lap.

OQ: There was that one time though.

Felicity quirked an eyebrow and sent a similar emoji.

OQ: I had a business trip to Washington, DC and it got extended from two days to five. Louise had underwear and socks delivered to me. New. From Amazon. Totally unsolicited.

FS: So, she never touched your actual drawers then?

OQ: No drawers…of any kind. Ever. Jesus. I do have to make eye contact with her sometimes.

Felicity giggled into her cup and took a sip.

FS: I just realized, I am pulling you away from holiday merrymaking with your family. Decking the halls and such.

OQ: We don’t actually do that. Mother has the staff decorate. This year’s theme is silver and angst.

A chuckle erupted from the blonde.

FS: Don’t you miss putting up your tree?

OQ: Maybe a little. But I travel so much. I’m not around to pitch in anyway.

Felicity felt the conversation mood slipping. Even though she knew she should end it, she didn’t it to be on a sad note.

FS: My mother decorated a tree entirely with tacky earrings one year. That was special.

OQ: Aren’t you Jewish?

FS: My mother likes to decorate. Christian holidays have been appropriated. And she has A LOT of earrings. Another year we made ornaments out of aluminum foil.

OQ: That sounds very special.

FS: We Smoaks are resourceful.

OQ: You are a lot of things, Felicity. Very remarkable.

FS: Thank you for remarking on it. So, you have a gala tonight. What’s it for?

OQ: A worthwhile cause.

FS: You don’t know, do you?

OQ: Nope.

FS: But you’ll still show up looking pretty, right?

Felicity pressed send before she thought about it. She grimaced. That was a much too flippant thing to say to Oliver Queen, her client. She really needed to work on her babbling via text. After a moment or two, there was a response.

It was a blushing emoji.

FS: I think I should probably leave you to your day.

OQ: No problem. I do need to go to brunch. Have a great Saturday. And thank you again.

The end of Oliver’s text was filled with all manner of silly emojis. A snowman. Eyeballs. A scarf. A unicorn.

What a nice man, she thought. And a generous one - to friends, family, and colleagues.

Suddenly, Felicity wanted to do something nice for Oliver Queen. Maybe it was crazy, but she would try. She just didn’t have a lot of time.

>>—>

It was mid-afternoon when Oliver emerged from the elevator to the penthouse floor of his building carrying a sack of leftovers from his parents’ house. The housekeeper, Raisa, never let him leave empty-handed. He probably would have come home a little later, but he was intrigued. His security system had been disengaged two hours earlier with the code he had provided to Felicity Smoak and it had not been reset. Curiosity pulled at him and he was just a little worried that she might not be okay.

He had left the note and check early that morning, wanting to be sure she had a nice holiday and knew how much she was appreciated, but as the day had worn on with activities at the mansion, he had really only been thinking of her and their texts.

As soon as he crossed the threshold, Oliver was struck by the smell of cinnamon and pine. Over near the window, he caught sight of her - a petite blonde with her back to him, reaching up to put a paper snowflake on a sizable Christmas tree. She was adorable from the back, her pony tail swishing back and forth. And when she lifted her arms, the sweater she was wearing revealed a rather tantalizing yoga pant situation. He had Googled her months ago when he decided to give her access to his home, so he knew how attractive she was, on top of being an exceptionally gifted tech genius. It still burned him that Merlyn had hired her before she was on QC’s radar. But maybe things worked out the way they were supposed to.

Rather than startle her, he just stood and marveled at the room. There were boughs of holly and sprigs of greenery placed carefully around the room. Candles (the battery-operated ones that looked pretty authentic from a distance) flickered on tables. She had obviously worked fast. His apartment looked like an actual home today - not just an extension of his office or a hotel suite. He wanted to smile, but guarded his features, waiting for the woman to turn to face him.

When she did, she took his breath away, just a little. Her glasses had slipped down her nose and she gasped at his sudden appearance.

“Oliver. I mean, Mister Queen. I’m…” Felicity grimaced, suddenly realizing that this spontaneous idea might not be welcome and she had majorly overstepped. Perhaps the man didn’t want all of this holiday nonsense cluttering up his streamlined existence.

He liked her voice. It was feminine and he wanted to hear more of it.

“You’ve been busy,” he deadpanned.

“I just thought,” Felicity stammered as she moved to collect the paper snowflakes she was cutting at the dining table, “you might enjoy some cheer in your home. I am so sorry I intruded. I can come back later when you aren’t home and clear it away.” She wasn’t making eye contact now.

“Felicity,” Oliver sighed her name for the first time. It felt nice on his lips. “Felicity,” he repeated, finally causing her to stop and look at him. “You will do no such thing.”

“No?”

“This is the absolute best present I have gotten in a long time,” he spoke warmly and approached her at the table.

She bit her lip and looked away, her fingers worrying at a snowflake so much that it was becoming confetti on the floor.

“It wasn’t a big deal, I…”

“I don’t mean mean the decorations. I mean you,” he stepped closer to her and touched her elbow gently. Felicity looked up at him, breathless. He really was a looker, as her grandma would say. She swallowed hard and swore not to say anything ridiculous for as long as possible.

Oliver got lost in her blue eyes and stopped speaking, then suddenly realized what he had just said. It sounded kind of overbearing. “Not…not that you’re my present,” he actually stammered. “I mean, your friendship. Meeting you has been such an unexpected gift these last months. Do you understand?” Oliver’s voice was barely a whisper as he studied her face for a response.

The blonde had to escape his intense gaze, so she looked down at her Hanukkah socks and flexed her toes. Oh geez, she was wearing crazy socks in front of this beautiful man. It suddenly occurred to her that he didn’t care. Felicity blinked and a smile erupted across her sweet face. “Well, technically, we haven’t met yet.”

“Holy shit, you’re right.” The tall man threw his head back with a chuckle. Then he gathered himself as he would before a business meeting. He stepped back and bowed his head slightly.

“Hello. My name is Oliver,” He stalled, then, to make it clear that he was not his father. “Oliver Queen. I am an over-scheduled businessman who is completely reliant on other people to do basically everything for him.” He offered his hand to her, quite formally.

Felicity stood a little straighter and reached out to meet his hand with hers. “Hello. I’m Felicity Smoak MIT Class of Oh-Nine and I am occasionally nosey and completely inappropriate.”

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Felicity.”

“Oliver.” She said his name and it sounded sweet to his ears. She grinned afterwards because she liked the sound of it too.

“Felicity, if you aren’t busy tonight, could you stay and help me decorate this tree? Have dinner?”

“Sure. But you have a thing. A gala thing tonight.” She tried not to look disappointed.

Oliver thought about the situation for a moment and then pulled his phone out of his pocket. His expression encouraged her to wait while he attended to something. He drafted a text and hit send. Then he waited.

“I like your socks,” he said idly. He liked everything about Felicity Smoak, actually, but it was a little early to share that.

“Thank you,” she brightened. “A present from my grandma.”

“Have I mentioned how extraordinary you are, Felicity Smoak?”

“Not in the past ninety seconds.”

There was then a ping on Oliver’s phone. He looked down at the screen and grinned. He sent another text back. There was a reply. And then another exchange. When it all ended, Oliver breathed a cleansing breath and looked more relaxed.

“What is it? What just happened?” Felicity couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer.

Oliver turned the phone to show her the conversation. Felicity moved closer and leaned in to read the screen.

OQ: I need you to do the gala thing tonight in my place.

TMerlyn: What’s it for?

OQ: A worthy cause.

TMerlyn: You always say that.

OQ: it’s always true.

TMerlyn: Why me? Or should I say, why not you?

OQ: I am decorating my apartment tonight with my new friend. And you owe me.

TMerlyn: Thank God, you old hermit. Is she pretty? Does she have a friend. Hey, how do I owe you?

OQ: You will when you see your Xmas present.

TMerlyn: It better be good, Ollie. And you better send a nice donation to the worthy cause.

OQ: Will do. Night Tommy.

Felicity’s heart was beating, being this close to Oliver and having witnessed his private conversation. He wanted to get to know her better. She shivered a little at the prospect.

“I am suddenly free.” He looked down at her, nearly a head shorter than him and beamed. His eyebrow quirked with an unanswered question.

“Well, since you are free, I guess it’s good that I am as well.”

“Yay,” he cheered, just loud enough for her to hear.

“You know, you really need to slow down and take more time for yourself, Oliver.”

“I absolutely agree. And that starts tonight. You could show me how to make these snowflakes for the tree.”

Oliver took her hand and led her back toward the tree. He didn’t let go and hoped she wouldn’t mind/didn’t notice.

“Oh, I don’t know. That’s pretty advanced. Do you think you’re ready?”

“Maybe you’re right. I should work my way up to paper crafts.” Oliver looked from her to the tree and sported a playful grin. Next to him, her voice piped up. It was becoming his favorite voice.

“Right. So, Oliver, do you have any aluminum foil?”

The End

and

Merry Christmas!

#arrow #olicity #olicity fic #olicity secret santa 2018 #submission

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twobellsilence · 5 years

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Fanfic review #6 - “Lucky Match” by Izumi

Next on the list is Lucky Match, a basketball team AU that, aside from GLAY, also includes D*r en Gr*y, SUGIZO, PUFFY’s Ami and Yoshiki himself. Seriously, what’s up with all the GLAY x Deer on Gary fics? Not that it’s a bad thing, it just seems kinda odd considering how different the bands are from each other. I guess it could be used to push an opposites attract dynamic, but aside from that I don’t personally see the appeal; even then, that definitely makes these fics more interesting since I have no idea what to expect going into them.

The story consists of the Hokkaido University basketball team, made up by Teru, Takuro, Hisashi, Jiro, Ami and SUGIZO, participating in a national tournament. A simple plot, but also one with lots of potential. Sadly, all that potential is ultimately lost in a rushed story chock full of flat characters and confusing relationship dynamics. And it really is a shame, because the first chapter is actually pretty solid in terms of setting and character introductions; however, as the chapters go by, the drop in quality becomes extremely apparent and some things come out of nowhere and lead nowhere, if you’ll excuse the repetition. For example, it’s established that Teru and Ami are in some sort of relationship, but then the fic makes you believe Teru is actually in love with Jiro, but then later on this entire subplot is completely forgotten and Teru and Ami go back to being happy together again with no explanation or anything. Really, most “romance” (which are actually just crushes) in this fic is only mentioned once or twice in an very superficial way, which makes it seem forced and unnatural. Speaking of forced, you can tell the author rushed to finish this - everything goes by extremely fast, and you would think it’s because she was excited to get to the climax or whatever part she was looking forward to write, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with this one. Heck, even the ending is really off because of that, as if the author just wanted to get it over with - although we should at least give her credit for finishing it. Major matches and interactions go by in the blink of an eye and give you no insight about the characters, thus leaving most of them devoid of any personality, like Sug. The Dear an Gray members have it specially rough in this regard. And in the topic of matches, if you expected some good sports action, I’m sorry to inform you this fic has none of that. The matches are never described and you’re only told who plays and who wins. That wouldn’t be bad at all if it was compensated by beefier slice of life parts, but as stated before, that’s not the case, so there isn’t much content to work with.

Now, I know it may seem bad so far, but this fic definitely has some good stuff in-between. Teru and Hisashi’s personalities, for instance, are accurate enough, and the relationship between Hisashi and Jiro is really interesting - Jiro’s crush on Hisa is adorable, and their banter is absolutely hilarious and some of the best comedic Hisa/Jiro interactions I’ve seen so far. It also manages to use Japanenglish in a way where it feels natural instead of cringeworthy, or at least in my opinion, which is honestly an impressive feat. And Yoshiki is their freaking DEAN. He just comes in and is like “win this tournament and *I* will be pretty proud of y’all” and then leaves to never be seen again. It’s hilarious, really.

In short, this fanfic is a mixed bag of wasted potential and clever spots of entertaining dialogue. It’ll probably pull you in on the first chapter, but you’ll find yourself losing interest towards the end; despite that, it’s decent enough to enjoy if you have nothing else out there to read. I wouldn’t really say it’s a must-read, but you should give it a shot if you’re into this sort of AU or want to draw some inspiration from it. I’d personally find it pretty interesting if someone re-made this or expanded upon the concept.

#not adding a break because it isn't thaaaaaaat long........ or is it? idk #Luke rants #Luke surfs the dead Geocities #//long post

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icharchivist · 5 years

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And that was all for the part of the live that ended up online, so the mic relay was cut so i hope one day we get to see a live version of it -

but else yeah they sang TDD Legend, then their parts of the Division Rap Battle, Division Battle Anthem and Hoodstar, with the rest of TDD for the backup say during the introductions, and it is making me so emo

they were all a bit stiff in the begining but they started to get so used to the stage after a bit they were super comfortable joking around and moving around, like there is a serious shift between the begining of TDD Legend and all the rest of the live that is impressive to see, i’m so happy they’re feeling more and more in their elements.

Before the live they all looked kinda nervous but ended up joking together trying to make “TDD” with their arms as a pose, but they fucked up so they decided to just mess it up even further and it was hilarious.

As it went, Shirai-san was so much exploding with energy and bouncing around everywhere, this man never ceases to impress me. Like his bodylanguage is non stop, he’s so excited to be here, i am soft everytime he’s acting, and i love how he’s always trying to hype up people when the others members of the band are singing.

Hayami-san was far more comfortable on stage than he had been in the previous lives and i’m so happy about it. I remember reading that apparently Subaru-san thought he seemed more and more like Jakurai as he was getting into the mood, which really warm my heart.

Subaru-san was so excited to be here and it really showed, it makes me so happy to see how much in his element he was and how much he could geek about being here. For him who was at the origin of the project and is always such a geek when it comes to this specific scene, this was so good to see him this happy, and i love how he was cheering everyone along with him. The cast often says that it’s Subaru-san who taught them how to rap and in a lot of way he can be sort of their cast leader at least, and in a way it really shows with the way he leads everyone. Which still makes me laugh since just as his character he is the youngest of the TDD VAs at least.

And Asanuma-san was fantastic, also more at ease that he was during the previous lives. Man he was so soft spoken during the 2nd live, idk if it was mic problems or him having problems with his voice or just stage fright, but in comparaison to the 2nd live he gained so much confidence to play Yokohama Bad Boy and i’m so proud of him. Also man he’s been slowly metamorphozing into Samatoki since he started playing him, first the same haircut, then he started to bleach his hair clear brown to look closer to Samatoki, but now he’s full on having white hair to really look like our Mr Hardcore and it is making me SO emotional to see how much he pours in this character.

The way they played the dialogue part of TDD Legend was goddamn adorable, they were really /playing it/, which was especially noticeable with Shirai-san’s cute act and Asanuma-san’s BadBoy act.

And they were all so hype to sing the Ensemble song, and i’m so happy we’ve heard Hoodstar for the first time in live, it only gives a glimpse to what awaits us when they will sing the new songs in a couple of weeks. Makes me think we’ll also probably get TDD Legend in the newest live which.... ahhhh.... that will hurt but i want it.

All to say that was fantastic and i’m so happy they could participate to this live to start with. It still makes me emotional how this passion project took off and got them into such places to start with and i’m so happy to see them this happy in this stage, playing those characters.

anyway i love this saga peace out ✌

#it's the loving hpm hours every hours #ichablogging hpm live

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careergrowthblog · 5 years

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Eureka! Teaching for creativity. C = f (K, P, D)

Over the years I’ve thought a lot about the question of teaching for creativity. Back in 2012 I wrote this post where I made some reasonably sensible general statements:

It is uncontroversial that for us to solve Humanity’s problems, to create the conditions for a sustainable future and also to maximise the cultural richness of our lives, we need to develop our collective capacity to be creative and innovative. It also flows fairly obviously that our education system should contribute to this process. Creativity and innovation, to my mind, manifest themselves in two arenas:

Arts and Culture: our capacity to express ideas through art forms of all kinds including literature, music, art, theatre and design. This can be about composition and performance.

Problem Solving: our capacity to develop our understanding of scientific and technical problems, or social and political problems, and generating solutions.

In both areas, there is demand for us to do better – whether you are driven by a hard-headed desire to put our nation at the cutting edge of industrial technology for economic purposes or by a more ‘you can say that I’m a dreamer’ ambition to create a society where people are able to express themselves more fully as rounded individuals with ideas and talents of all kinds.

However, sad to say, I was rather overly impressed by Sir Ken Robinson. I even asked a colleague to draw this cartoon for me:

Hilarious cartoon. Because this is what skool is like, yeah.

It’s an all-too-common and rather pathetic and lazy line of reasoning, that schools batter kids out of their creativity, their souls, their love of life and learning by being all ‘exam factory’. Thankfully, I’ve changed my views – not entirely; but I’ve refined them significantly.

I now regard Sir KR as rather ‘all mouth and no trousers’, all too willing to slag schools off as prison ships of doom and not really offering meaningful, scalable alternatives. What I see is that, in the main, schools that do the best work in fostering creativity are also those where students are set high academic standards; where the exam results are good; where there is discipline, rigour, high expectations. Creativity is the product of a rigorous, broad, knowledge-rich curriculum.

This territory has been explored superbly by David Didau via twitter and his blog and his most recent book. Here (https://learningspy.co.uk/featured/can-creativity-be-taught/ ) David explores whether creativity can be taught. I’d agree that creativity is better regarded more as an emergent outcome rather than something that can be taught per se – so I prefer to think of creativity as something than can be fostered. But my view is that creativity can and should be fostered. The question is how?

David suggested that it would be hard to find a much better formula than that creativity is a function of knowledge and practice. Let’s say C = f(K, P). This means that the road to creativity is focus on maximising the knowledge students have and encourage them to engage in lots of varied practice. To a large extent I agree with this. In any field where you could be said to be creative, you will have significant knowledge of numerous possibilities; the more knowledge you have of the various elements you can deploy – artistically, mathematically, technologically – then the more options you have for combining ideas in original ways. The more practice you do in combining things you know, the better you get at it – and this manifests itself as being more creative.

Here’s a great example that I first referenced in my 2012 post: My daughter learned from Francis Bacon, first by making a copy of his work:

And then, by using her new knowledge to produce this portrait of her brother:

Knowledge + Practice. It worked. She went on to assimilate this style into her own repertoire of art techniques and used them to inform future creative endeavours in art.

Here’s another example from my son. When he was in Year 2, aged 7, his teacher provided him with the knowledge and scaffolding to write poetry in a certain style and then gave him the opportunity to practise. This is what teaching to be creative is, in my view: showing that there are more possibilities ( showing that words can be organised in structures that create feelings and moods) and then providing the opportunity to try it.

I could list a great many similar experiences as a musician, science teacher and a writer where more knowledge and more practice have allowed me to become more creative. In music, for example, improving my knowledge of chord shapes or of satisfying sequences and sounds (all remembered as physical or visual shapes, not through formal music notation) has allowed me to write various pieces of music. When you are stuck for inspiration, it’s often by gaining new knowledge from others or by revisiting knowledge you already have, varying the mode of practice, that you find a new rewarding creative avenue to go down.

The implication for the school curriculum here is that students need to have opportunities to gain knowledge and to practise expressing or applying knowledge creatively in a range of domains including explicitly artistic domains. You can’t practise if you’re not given the opportunity. In my formula, I nearly used O instead of P. O for Opportunity. But it’s the opportunity to practise that matters. If a curriculum denies students the opportunity to practise, the knowledge has nowhere to go, nowhere to find form in creative pursuits. You might know, in theory, what it might be like to write creatively, compose music, solve technical problems with a range of techniques, but unless you are given the chance to do it, you don’t practise and therefore can’t get better or more fluent. This where my simple Mode A Mode B model kicks in.

However, I feel that C = f( K,P) misses out a vital element in my own creative experiences – and in those I see from others- and this in the territory of attitudes or dispositions. In a range of situations – with classes of students, fellow musicians in a band, developing my own writing or musical range – I’ve found that a key element in determining the quality, the scope, the ‘success’ of creative endeavours owes a great deal to the disposition of the creators: that willingness to explore, to try untested ideas, to take risks, to break from conventions, to go down the less trodden path. This can’t be covered under ‘Knowledge’ or ‘Practice’, in my view. It’s more about mindset. It sits outside those things.

Can you foster more creative dispositions? Yes I think you can. A teacher – or parent or a peer or individual for themselves – can give value to the various products of any creative process and encourage someone to continue to explore. If you are rewarded by the response you get from generating ideas, you are more likely to continue generating them. As a band member, I was often struck by how bold some of my friends would be with their musical experiments where I tended to be more conservative. I had more rules confining me; they didn’t. I’ve watched art teachers push A level students to explore deeper, wider, more bravely, more boldly, more expansively – building knowledge, encouraging practice – but mainly supporting a ‘go for it’ disposition, breaking down inhibitions, and leading students to become more creative, more original. In this sense, creativity can certainly be fostered.

I’ve seen this happen with writing too. I had some encouragement and direction writing my blog and book to use my own voice; to write more freely, to say what I felt.. to mix up the sentences. Short ones. Punchy. Direct. And longer ones that allow you to range from idea to idea in a more lyrical fashion giving the sense of building momentum and heightened emotions and having something important to say!

My son has had this too. I love this. A Year 7 homework to explore the use of reported speech, scripting dialogue, a bit of linguistics, etc. My son wrote pages of this, utterly absorbed for hours one night. The teacher urged them to ‘have fun with it’. So he did. He diced with some stereotypes and later in the story subverted them rather cleverly.

I think this illustrates the formula nicely: C = f(K,P, D)

He’s using knowledge he’s acquired from his experience and from studying grammar.

He’s been given an opportunity – a structured framework within which to practise.

He’s been encouraged to develop his disposition to be uninhibited; to take a risk, to not stick to safer conventions of writing.

In combination, my son was being taught to be creative. His creativity was being fostered. It can be done.

With this in mind, I would say that a great school curriculum needs to attend to all three areas. It’s never a fight between knowledge and creativity. Often the limiting factor is opportunity for practice. Often it’s a lack of open-endedness, thereby limiting the possibilities and creating an over–emphasis on correctness, the opposite to a creative disposition. It doesn’t matter how much knowledge you have if you’re not encouraged by the value system you exist in to deploy it creatively. At the same time, having the disposition to explore is utterly fruitless if you don’t have knowledge of the range of possibilities. This is the Sir KR trap: the illusion that we can bypass knowledge in favour of dispositions. It’s a false promise. Crucially, importantly – the safest bet from all three factors is to build knowledge. It’s definitely the place to begin and to give the greatest weight to.

If we get our ideas lined up – deeper knowledge, practice opportunities, exploratory disposition – then we can start to talk about ‘teaching students to be creative’ or at least, ‘fostering creativity’ in a meaningful way.

C = f(K,P, D)

Cue Archimedes running naked from the bath.

Eureka! Teaching for creativity. C = f (K, P, D) published first on https://medium.com/@KDUUniversityCollege

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englishgeek82-blog · 5 years

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Spinal Bros go up to 11.

Bros: After the screaming stops (2018, dir Joe Pearlman &David Soutar)

Music documentaries have started getting good recently. Arguably starting with the navel-gazingly black and white arthouse examination of Take That’s five-piece reunion ‘Look Back, Don’t Stare’ in 2010, and refined by films like Asif Kapadia’s superbly intimate ‘Amy’ in 2015, the Oasis retrospective ‘Supersonic’ the year after, and this year’s super glossy polychromatic sensory overload of ‘A Head Full of Dreams’ by Mat Whitecross, there has however been something missing. All of these have been serious, artistically credible examinations of British music phenomena, and while that’s got its place, I feel as though in these overly serious times of universal brouhaha, we have been crying out for a film that could somehow out Spinal-Tap Spinal Tap, and yet strangely tug at the heartstrings at the same time. Well, worry no more - Matt and Luke Goss are here to provide that very film.

Bros, for anyone under the age of 30, were briefly the biggest thing in the pop world in the late 80s. With a string of hits under their belt and a massive-selling debut album, it seemed that they epitomised everything that British 80s synthy-teenybopper-pop had to give. And that’s the problem - they did. Lots of shiny surface, not a lot of depth. Blessed with incredible good looks but cursed by it being the 1980s and fashion being, let’s say a relative term, Bros shone almost as bright as their bleached blonde hair before fading into obscurity almost as quickly. In a famous interview at the height of their fame, British TV’s favourite Uncle elect Terry Wogan asked them avuncularly, ‘Have you boys given any thought to what you’ll do when the screaming stops?’ Fast forward to November 2017, and minus original member Craig Logan (who was always ‘that other bloke in Bros’) the brothers signed on to a reunion gig at London’s o2, and this film tells the story of that reunion.

In equal parts the film is laughable and endearing, awkward and sincere, deluded and perspicacious about its subjects. It’s great success comes in the emotional connection it brings to a story that could easily, like its subjects did in the 90s, miss the mark and simply become irrelevant. Although ostensibly about a band reunion, and despite the fact that plenty of the dialogue could genuinely have come from Christopher Guest, the film wisely decides to focus on the story of two estranged brothers trying to find out how to have a relationship again, rather than the music of Bros which, while undeniably good 80s pop, hasn’t aged particularly well.

It’s a fascinating thing to see. Unlike some faded 80s pop stars, both brothers have enjoyed considerable success since the band split, with Luke having acted in several high profile films and moved into producing his own movies, and Matt being an established (and indeed award winning) fixture on the Vegas strip, it seems that neither brother needs to do this reunion for financial reasons. Staying in touch with showbiz but adding in a mix of Hollywood and Vegas has also provided the two boys from North London with a fairly intriguing detachment from reality - something brought home hilariously by some of the cod-philosophy on show in their talking head interviews and indeed the diva strips and tantrums that pepper the fractious interactions between the brothers after they reunite in the rehearsal room. Despite some of the pathos-laden attempts at being ‘deep and meaningful’ (there are ‘highlight’ reels on YouTube, but they don’t quite manage to capture the majestic Partridge-esque atmosphere) eventually the human side does come through, and as the brothers share their stories about their sister’s untimely death in the late 80s at the height of their fame, and their relationship with their mother who passed away shortly before the reunion, the director employs some fairly effective storytelling techniques to start to bring them closer together. By the time they sit side by side in the final day of rehearsals, tearfully working out a song written for their mum, it’s hard not to feel for them and begin - despite it all - to properly root for the band and the reunion to come off.

I was born just too late to really care about Bros in the 80s, though I was very aware of them. Of course as soon as the 90s rolled around and music moved on at the incredible and boundary-smashing pace that saw the powerful cynicism and alienation of grunge, and the swaggering lad culture of indie and Britpop come around, Bros were quickly relegated to the role of throwback pop jokes. There are times in this documentary when it seems like they are determined to cliche themselves into the role of deluded has-been Spinal Tap punchlines, but by the time the film reaches its conclusion, it’s hard not to feel genuine affection for them and genuine interest in their story. Even if you’ve never heard of them, I would recommend checking this out and gaining an insight into the zany and oddball machinations of the world of pop.

#Bros AfterTheScreamingStops Documentary SpinalTap Coulditbeparody

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lifejustgotawkward · 5 years

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365 Day Movie Challenge (2018) - #197: Rocktober Blood (1984) - dir. Beverly Sebastian (52 Films by Women 2018: #54)

I don’t really know much about the husband-and-wife filmmaking team of Ferd and Beverly Sebastian, other than that they made exploitation films between the 1960s and 80s with titles like The Single Girls (1974), ’Gator Bait (1974) and American Angels: Baptism of Blood (1989), and that nowadays they run an organization that allows prison inmates to bond with retired racing greyhounds. (I gather that the pair was the much tamer, Southern equivalent of Michael and Roberta Findlay.) Rocktober Blood was a rare solo directing venture for Beverly Sebastian, although her husband co-wrote, produced and photographed the film; Beverly, meanwhile, was the other co-writer and the production designer.

The film’s story is highly absurd: a rock singer (Tray Loren) apparently snaps and slaughters a couple dozen people; two years later, the one surviving victim of his attacks (Donna Scoggins) is now the frontwoman of his old band, yet somehow the executed killer rock star has suddenly returned from the dead to murder even more members of the band’s inner circle. As poor as the acting is in Rocktober Blood, there are a few genuinely good slasher-horror moments, some digs at MTV (or “MVTV” in this film), and even a stereotypical “the call is coming from inside the house” scene, which incorporates a line of dialogue so grossly over-the-top that it’s pretty hilarious. Because we’re talking about a slasher film from 1984, there is a noticeable amount of nudity and bathing scenes from the actresses - a tendency that reminds me of similar moments in Doris Wishman’s “nudie cuties” and “roughies,” where the camera would linger over every female character dressing and undressing for no reason except to the men in the audience - but then again, I could never have too many bad words to say about a movie in which one of the main characters has a poster for the Gun Club album Fire of Love hanging over his desk.

#365 day movie challenge 2018 #rocktober blood #1984 #1980s #80s #beverly sebastian #52 films by women 2018 #women in film #women filmmakers #women directors #female filmmakers #female directors #horror film #horror films #horror movies #horror cinema #ferd sebastian #tray loren #donna scoggins

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londontheatre · 7 years

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It’s such a good thing that the British Theatre Academy is giving so many young performers the chance to shine on a West End stage. They’ve done it before and I’m quietly confident they’ll do so again. For this production of Jason Robert Brown’s 13 The Musical, 19 characters are played by a total of 47 performers throughout the run. Beyond that, as the cast photos are not accompanied by their names in the show’s programme, it is quite impossible to say for definite who was played by whom. No matter: though Evan Goldman is both lead character and narrator, this is a truly ensemble piece of musical theatre.

Occasionally, for this opening night performance at least, the American accents were oh-so-slightly questionable – mind you, I’ve heard worse from adult performers. Though none of the characters in the story are, according to the programme, “older than the show’s title”, let’s just say I would be surprised if this extended to the ages of all of the performers themselves. But this isn’t Lord of the Flies. It’s just that the older characters, apart from a few minor cameo roles filled by members of the company, are off-stage.

As ever with Jason Robert Brown musicals, the musical numbers are wordy, and taken together, there are few truly memorable verses. Perhaps only the final two songs, ‘Homework’ and ‘Brand New You’, have melodies that stick in the mind. The sound balance between the performers and the band, the latter directed by Chris Ma, is excellent, allowing the rapid dialogue and the narrative-driven songs to be understood as they were meant to be.

The style of humour has, to be blunt, zero subtlety. One school pupil, Archie, tells Evan that, “No one makes fun of me on the special needs bus. That would be ironic.” Elsewhere, the suggestive ‘Hey Kendra’ is so flirtatious that I wonder, if it were to be hypothetically broadcast, which side of the ‘watershed’ it would deemed suitable for.

Whenever the laughs came, the punchlines were responded to heartily, a wholly justified acknowledgement of the flawless comic timing. None of this, quite extraordinarily really, results in hammy performances, for which director and choreographer Ewan Jones must take at least some credit for. Not being subjected to the hair-dryer treatment in a West End musical production was refreshing.

The storyline is not the most profound of plots. 13 The Musical could hardly be renamed Dear Evan Goldman. Everything is going so swimmingly for Evan in the first half that it is no surprise that things change for the worse in the second. Nonetheless, the portrayal of youngsters’ feelings and emotions are captured so plausibly, and as performed here, it’s highly convincing.

[See image gallery at http://ift.tt/1FpwFUw]

In all of the playground politics that goes on, much can be applied to adult life, where powers of perception are required in similar measure to understand not only what was said but what wasn’t said, and more particularly, what was meant by what was and wasn’t said. The plotting and scheming is no different to the world of politics or working in an industry where competition is strong and keeping everyone on their toes.

It boils down to this: I was engrossed by every minute of this coming of age story – even the cheerleading in ‘Opportunity’. And it is always good to see a cast clearly enjoying themselves on stage. An exuberant and joyous production, this is another triumph for the British Theatre Academy. Long may their splendid work continue.

Review by Chris Omaweng

An original musical with music and lyrics by Tony Award-winning composer, Jason Robert Brown, (Parade, The Last Five Years, Bridges of Madison County) and book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn, it premiered on Broadway in 2008 and is the only Broadway musical ever with a cast and band entirely made of teenagers.

13 The Musical is an hilarious, coming-of-age musical about discovering that “cool” is sometimes where we least expect it. Geek. Poser. Jock. Beauty Queen. Wannabe. These are the labels that can last a lifetime. With an unforgettable rock score, 13 The Musical is a musical about fitting in – and standing out! Evan Goldman is plucked from his fast-paced, preteen New York City life and plopped into a sleepy Indiana town following his parents’ divorce. Surrounded by an array of simpleminded middle school students, he needs to establish his place in the popularity pecking order. Can he situate himself on a comfortable link of the food chain… or will he dangle at the end with the outcasts?!

Composed of a precocious cast, no character in 13 is older than the show’s title. The cast is comprised entirely of teenagers, but the stories that come to life here are ageless, the emotions they explore timeless, the laughter and the memories they provide priceless.

Ambassadors Theatre West Street, London, WC2H 9ND Booking to 23rd August 2017

http://ift.tt/2w4QZ0O LondonTheatre1.com

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theriteofdance-blog · 7 years

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Ka • Cirque du Soleil

Performance Details:

March 18, 2017 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The experience for the performance of Ka really starts from the moment you begin lining up to enter the theatre. The men and women who work there by keeping the lines in order and checking tickets take on personas and characters that vary drastically. My personal encounters involved a rather buff and stoic-looking man who barked hilariously specific orders to those who were trying to figure out where the lines of entry were, and a greying man with a walking stick who was friendly but entirely kooky in his conversational topics (Which ranged from pointing out baldness in males who were waiting in the same line as myself to the history of helicopters and their resemblance to dragonflies). Each comment got a chorus of good-natured chuckles from those of us waiting in the line, and while at first it can be confusing, it became clear that these were not just workers. They were very good at acting and initiating conversation in their character’s mindset.

Like I said, it becomes a performance experience almost as soon as you walk into the theatre lobby.

Inside the actual theatre, the stage is staggering in its design and construction. It really makes your mouth gape in awe, and wonder what sort of show is about to unfold. Several people behind me, when I turned around, had stopped entirely in the middle of the walkway inside the theatre to openly marvel at the stage extensions that ran above our heads. As the show would progress, the magnitude of the staging would continually prove to be awe-inspiring. I think that this is one of the most prominent factors of the show itself, acrobatic amazing-ness aside. With rotating stage floors that spin and rearrange itself to provide a tilted or completely vertical position, it makes the actions of the performers atop it even more impressive. The skill necessary to flip, run, fall, twirl, jump, and fling off of a moving, tilted, or completely vertical stage is not something that many dancers (like myself) can even imagine doing.

Returning to the performance, the show is described as being “the story of the coming of age of a young man and a young woman and their encounters with love, conflict and the duality of Ka”. The storyline is revealed throughout the performance, and it is done fairly well. The story is told in parts, where a scene will cut and the staging will switch around to move to a different character much like a book written in sequence through various points of view.

A short summary of the story’s plot: A brother and sister seem to celebrate (the occasion seems unclear, were it not for the booming narrative voice that opens the show, declaring the occasion as being the twins’ coming of age celebration) in the midst of a great gathering of individuals. The position of everyone else in relation to the twins suggests to the audience that the twins are royalty. They are happy and carefree, until a band of hostile enemies appear and decimate the mood of festiveness. In the fight that ensues, the parents of the royal twins are killed. Despite trying to escape via boat together with their court, the twins themselves are separated; the male twin falls off the boat and is saved by the court jester, and the female twin with the caretaker and two male court valets wash up on the shoreline of a beach after the boat sinks. The twins each face their own set of challenges and build up experiences (including falling in love) that test their determination which culminates in an eventual reunion between brother and sister and a final battle against the enemies that threaten them and their loved ones.

There is no spoken component to the storyline, though the performers do speak in what is assumed to be a made-up language when dialogue comes about. The real communication comes from the body gestures and facial expressions. We don’t know what the female twin is saying, but we can see her curious expression and careful steps forward toward the unfamiliar terrain she’s been exposed to.

The costuming for this production was complex, and at times I felt that the design of some of the costumes could have been done differently so that the movements of the performers could be more clearly identified, specifically in the case of the performers who were supposed to be royalty or royal court members. Sometimes, for instance, the leg-tucked-into-chest flips that performers executed were almost hard to follow and appreciate because the costume would be too long and the only visible thing moving through the air were folds of fabric.

I appreciated the stark difference in costuming between the royalty and royal court from the enemies because it made it simple to understand who was part of which side. A point I have to make because there have been shows in the past where strong distinctions were not made and the audience was constantly in a state of confusion trying to identify who was who when they could have been focusing on the movement and story. In all, however, the costumes were imagery-inspiring and certainly drew in the eye. My personal favorite was the Firefly Boy in his glitzy and sparkly nude body suit - who I like to refer to as the “glitzy Tarzan”.

The show had an astounding musical score. In intense moments of complex choreographed fighting or thrashing aboard moving stage sets, the music was positively engulfing and prompted an almost physical reaction in my own heart to feel each deep drum strike or buzz with the enchanting male choral chanting. I admit, the more dramatic music was my favorite and I loved it so much that I absolutely had to buy a CD of the soundtrack as soon as I left the Ka theatre.

Interestingly enough, the whole production seemed to me to gain much of its influence visually from the Eastern world. The Dragon that roared at the interest was sculpted and painted in much the same way one would see them portrayed in Chinese artwork, the face paint and mask design on many of the performers seemed to draw off of the art style of the Japanese, the royal costuming was reminiscent of robes worn by Eastern royalty, and the use of the little instrument by the main villain at the very start of the show to assumedly signal the beginning of the show had such a strong resemblance to Buddhist practice. Because of all this, I wondered if the title of the show ‘Ka’ was to highlight the theme of family in the show since the Cantonese word for family is Ka (家庭).

The performers of this amazing show were brilliant, and can certainly be considered masters of their art. The aerial acrobats were a personal favorite, especially the scene in which the Sister Twin and Firefly Boy soared high above the stage together, landing gently on solid stage flooring to be playful and flirt innocently only to wow the crowd by flying up and over the audience. It was a scene that left the audience captivated, heads following the progress of the two contorting bodies through the air and gasping collectively when the Sister Twin latched on with her feet to the Firefly Boy dangling without holding on with arms or hands above the crowd.

Another stand out scene, amongst the many that existed, was the ship scene in which the ship convincingly rocked to and fro violently in the midst of a stage actively lit to appear like a thunderstorm. It was about mid-scene that I realized that the ship was not moving mechanically, at least not completely, because it was being rocked by the weight of performers at each end of the ship like a giant see-saw. The job that these performers had almost slid past my radar since their ability to act and move the boat at the same time made me believe they were just as frenzied as all the other performers were. It truly was a spectacle, and one I will never forget.

The production of Ka at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas is without a doubt a must-see event! It will thrill you, make you laugh, keep your level of alertness always at the max, and it will not leave you disappointed or underwhelmed. If you are a dancer like myself, the show will make you wish you could train harder so that one day you can join the world of Cirque Du Soleil and dazzle the audience the same way you were dazzled the night you stepped into the Ka Theatre.

-Patricia Hernandez

#Ka #cirque du soleil #performance critique #performance review #las vegas #mgmgrand #mgm grand #lasvegas

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