#an occasion like this deserves a meme this iconic

[simp4coups]

#seventeen #hoshi #seungkwan #spotify #kakao m #kpop #an occasion like this deserves a meme this iconic

[neroushalvaus]

Top 10 favourite characters from any fandom

I was tagged by @limalepakko , thank you! Since I have recently listed male characters here (or you know, in August, but we all know time hasn't been a thing for many moons), I took the liberty to list characters in general this time. I also went with which characters feel right at the moment, so does not show all my favourites. I also try to keep these short. (edit: okay so these are not remotely short, I will post a list first and have the explanations be under the cut, read if you want to hear my ramblings c': )

1. Fantine, Les Misérables 2. Javert / Jean Valjean, Les Misérables (yes i am cheating) 3. Carrie "Big Boo" Black, Orange Is the New Black 4. Jane Marple, Agatha Christie's Marple 5. Aunt Lydia, The Handmaid's Tale 6. Bridget Jones, Bridget Jones books & movies 7. Rock Lee, Naruto 8. Sarah O'Brien, Downton Abbey 9. Marilla Cuthbert, Anne of Green Gables / Anne with an E 10. Sister Monica Joan, Call the Midwife

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1. Fantine, Les Misérables

I love Fantine with all my heart. I remember reading Les Mis for the first time and her story sending chills down my spine. Her character development makes me so sad, from a girl who falls hard and fast and won't deny anything from her lover, to a woman who is so beaten down by society that she can't do anything but laugh at her fate. But I love how she doesn't lose her pride or her fighting spirit and how she still has the guts to spit in Valjean's face when she sees him after being arrested. And I love how all she does is for her daughter and how despite selling "the gold on her head and the pearls in her mouth" she is content, because all that matters to her is that Cosette will live.

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2. Javert & Jean Valjean, Les Misérables

I was really trying to limit this list to one character per fandom, but alas, I am but a weak little person. Thus, I am cheating already. The thing is that when it comes to Les Mis characters, Fantine, Javert and Valjean are the eternal top 3 for me, but I'm never quite able to say who I love the most. Last time I picked Javert for the male character meme because I love the symbolism and critique of society his character embodies, but let it be known that Jean Valjean is the best character in all of literature and I will fight you on this. The original soft on crime icon (aside from Jesus Christ but they're the same and you know it). Valjean's character journey is such a complicated one from an ordinary man (no worse than any man) to a person, who had been shaped by society and criminal justice system to be a very dangerous man, to someone you could compare to a saint if you wanted to... To an ordinary man, who would do anything for his daughter. He has so many character-defining moments, the biggest ones being in my opinion the trial of Champmathieu and letting Javert go instead of killing him. I just love Jean Valjean so much and could speak about him for hours.

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3. Carrie "Big Boo" Black, Orange Is the New Black

Hopping away from the Les Mis hole and into a OITNB hole. I was debating on whether I'd put Boo or Pennsatucky on this list since I love them both so much, but I've been feeling so much love for my angry butch king that it had to be her. First of all, I'm just so happy to see butch lesbian representation where the butch identity is not just a joke. I know OITNB sometimes uses Boo questionably, but in general she is a nuanced character and one of the most interesting ones in the series in my opinion. I'm so sad they forgot all about her on the last seasons. I love everything about her, how she has trouble with feelings besides anger and often deflects serious stuff through humor, how fiercely protective she is of those she loves (boosatucky otp forever fucking fight me), how proud she is of her butch identity ("i refuse to be invisible")... Also, not to express attraction, but... Mama I'm in love with a criminal. And not to be a slut for how characters view religion/spirituality/God, but the relieved smile she has in one of her flashbacks when she says "there's no God... there's nothing", like you can't just do stuff like that and expect me not to love the character to bits.

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4. Jane Marple, Agatha Christie's Marple

Last time I listed Poirot and was a bit frustrated I couldn't list Marple, but now it's time to right that wrong! I love this little old lady so much. I love Agatha Christie so much for just going "you know who is the person who knows everything that's going on in a community, and thus would make the perfect detective for a detective story? the nosy old woman". As she is introduced in The Murder at the Vicarage: "Miss Marple is a white-haired old lady with a gentle, appealing manner — Miss Weatherby is a mixture of vinegar and gush. Of the two Miss Marple is much more dangerous." She is so likable and witty, you can't help but love her. My favourite portrayal of her is by Geraldine McEwan, she looks so gentle but has such a sharp gaze. I would spill all my secrets to her any day. I also am compelled to tell you that when I was a child we had a costume party at my school and I dressed up as Marple and learned some old lady things in English (it was before third grade so I didn't know much English back then) just for the occasion (such as "thank you, my dear", "what a lovely necklace you are wearing" or "there has been a murder"). Teacher might have thought me rather morbid but I remember that day being quite good.

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5. Aunt Lydia, The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid's Tale is such a great series and a book and Aunt Lydia is such a great character. The way she's capable of being absolutely cruel and vicious, but how she is also protective and caring in her own way. One of my favourite scenes in this series is when Serena Joy (my other favourite, can you tell) tells Lydia to "remove the damaged ones" from a line of handmaids and Lydia tries to argue with her. Sure, she is responsible for some of the punishments these women are now "damaged" by, but she truly believes those punishments were for a greater good and now the handmaids deserve their place with the others as much as anyone else. It is chilling and the character is such a dark shade of morally gray, but I can't get enough of it. The actress who plays her, Ann Dowd, has so interesting thoughts about her, like here. I just love this character so much I could scream.

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6. Bridget Jones, Bridget Jones books & movies

I'm mostly talking about the movies here because Renée Zellweger's performance is iconic. Plus the movies are what made me love this character first. But I'll give it to the books, they're one of the few books I've laughed out loud while reading. Anyway, how do you even begin explaining the love I have for Bridget Jones... I love how she is a character so many people can relate but who would be a comic relief side character in some other story. Yes, yes, it is really bad that she is constantly described as fat when she really is not, but when I was growing up she gave me hope that people who are viewed as fat and/or unattractive by other people can be admired and appreciated, and they don't have to be super talented at everything and highly intelligent and some kind of a super smooth social butterfly to "make up" for what they "lack". And also that they can have standards (i once dodged a bullet by rejecting someone by pretty much subconsciously quoting Bridget Jones so..). I also love how the comedic tone of everything does not dismiss Bridget's feelings. For example in some other movie we maybe would concentrate on how "stupid" Bridget was to trust that Daniel was in love with her, but in Bridget Jones we concentrate on how Bridget was hurt by Daniel cheating on her, how he is the one who did wrong. Idk I just love Bridget Jones so very much can you tell.

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7. Rock Lee, Naruto

Aka the boy who would have kicked Madara in the balls if Kishimoto had any sense of drama and good storytelling. I think I robbed Lee by not putting him on the fav male characters list. You know that post that goes like "gays be like 'these are my comfort characters', 1 literal ray of sunshine, 2 war criminal" etc? This child is the sunshine. I've been reading and watching Naruto again ( @hapanmaitogai is my sideblog for that nonsense) and I'm so ready to adopt Lee and/or Gai. Rock Lee is just such an earnest character, he has a goal he will give anything to achieve and he's the one true underdog in this manga. I love how he's so kind and polite (it's not so clear in English but in the Finnish translation he speaks as formally as he does in Japanese, he uses singular polite "you", calls Sakura "Sakura-neiti" = "Miss Sakura" etc... i love one polite boy). Also, he has the best fights in the series. Like Lee vs Gaara is a Classic, but we simply can't forget that time Lee absolutely crushed Sasuke in just a few minutes, or that time he politely asked Kimimaro not to kill him while he drinks his medicine. The best boy. I love that boy so much.

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8. Sarah O'Brien, Downton Abbey

Last time it was Thomas' turn, so now I must talk about the snakiest snake, the queen of weaponized handmaidenry, Miss O'Brien. She is such a great character especially in the first two seasons (I obviously love her on season three as well but Julian Fellowes really tried to make it hard by not explaining her actions at all, didn't he. Well, luckily I am ready to stuff the gaps with my headcanons). She has some of the best comebacks in the series and brings some needed realism in some conversations. I also love how she uses her position as a lady's maid for her advantage and how she is proud of her profession despite being highly aware of the power structures in the Abbey. And then there is the soap. That is such a good character moment, because for a character who always plans ahead, who is ruthless and cunning and intelligent... I don't think O'Brien thought about the soap thing at all before she left the room ("Sarah O'Brien, this is not who you are" hit me like a train). Just once she did something with nothing but anger motivating her and that became one of the defining moments of her character. And one of the defining things of the future relationship between her and Cora. That's why I find the Sarah/Cora ship so interesting, because there will always be the undercurrent of bitter regret. Also Sarah O'Brien and Thomas Barrow are the greatest brotp and Fellowes was a coward for driving the smoking scheming gay best friends apart, and

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9. Marilla Cuthbert, Anne of Green Gables / Anne with an E

I'm not saying L.M. Montgomery is entirely responsible for me having a fondness for strict, older women who first act unkind but have a heart of gold, but she most certainly did not help. Between characters like Marilla Cuthbert and Elizabeth Murray, how can you not fall in love with the type? It's been a while since I read the Anne series, but I really love how Marilla's character has been adapted into the Anne with an E tv series. Geraldine James looks like she was born to play her, she has me in tears so often. She has the ability to portray someone like Marilla, who is a very hard and stern person but feels deeply for her loved ones. I was watching the episode that dealt with Matthew's heart attack and Marilla berating her brother while hugging herself like she was trying so hard to hold herself together absolutely destroyed my heart.

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10. Sister Monica Joan, Call the Midwife

It was a tough choice between her and Sister Evangelina. I just love these nuns very much. Sister Monica Joan is such a lovable and wise character. She is so knowledgeable of many subjects, from the Bible to astrology, and I feel like her unspecified memory problems and confusion are handled very tastefully. I also love how she's such an important part of her community despite not working as a midwife anymore. She is such a kind woman and gets visibly upset when others are treated poorly. And how could I not mention her saying "I do not believe in weeds. A weed is simply a flower that someone decides is in the wrong place", like... I love her so so much.

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I won't tag anyone, but if you read this and you want to do this, consider yourself tagged and you're no allowed to mark me as the one who tagged you!

#this list was fun to make #sorry for rambling #i just really like talking about my favourite characters #do you have a minute to talk about eleven losers #or well.. like four losers? #hm. let's tag #fantine #jean valjean #javert #boo #aunt lydia #bridget jones #rock lee #sarah o'brien #miss marple #those are the ones i have character tags for but let's tag also #ctm #anne with an e #anne of green gables #phuh #many characters #much love

[marimelwrites]

Experience yourself meme (,numbers picked randomly) 3, 6,18, 25, 37 !

o3﹕ do you prefer to write in silence , or with music / background noise ?

-I prefer to write with music playing. It’s usually this massive playlist of a ridiculous number of songs that I enjoy the sound of and which give me the right mood. On occasion, I prefer classical or instrumental soundtracks of which I have a separate playlist for.

o6﹕ is there something about the roleplay community that irks you ?

-Gif icons because they’re so small I can’t see what the heck facial expressions they’re going for? Haha! No, but really, I would say it’s how catty or nasty people can be at times about faceclaims or more than that. I’m very much of the opinion that people should be allowed to write using the faces that fuel and inspire their writing. If you don’t like it, just avoid the face and list that face in your rules for banned FCs. Simple as that. But you don’t need to bring another writer down simply because of your dislike of a face. That face is not the writer, the FC could just have the aesthetic the mun is going for. I detest negativity, hated, whatever. I prefer to enjoy myself while writing, and my biggest aim is to write well for my writing partners so that THEY can enjoy themselves too. I fully support your creativity. I want you to feel like you can do your best work. OH! And one more thing… people who reply to someone else’s reply with one line, usually only a one line conversational response. This does NOT include one line starters as those are fun and leave things open for all sorts of shenanigans. I mean, when your writing partner has given you a reply with effort, they have earned your effort in return. It’s kind of an insult to give only one sentence/line/word. I’m NOT saying write a whole novel in response but cmon, you can give at least a few sentences. If you have no muse for a thread, communicate.

18﹕ which of your verses or arcs is your favorite to write about ?

-I wouldn’t say I have a necessary favorite. I will say that I have been hoping to be able to FINALLY see Madeleine get through a point where she fully trusts the shipmate and finds happiness. Writing her for the years that I have, I’ve never been able to see her realize true and complete happiness, for someone who I created with a horrendous past, but deserves a solid and strong relationship… I just want that for her. Note: i do not care what the opposite does for a living, neither does she, she finds beauty in all but what’s important to her is a person who loves HER, chooses her, doesn’t leave her, actually wants her. She’s far too accustomed to people leaving her and this is both in what I’ve created and what’s happened to her over the years with opposite RP partners. Other than that, or kind of including that, I value a story. I value growth. Give me something to start with and let’s realize a life for whatever charas be it good, or bad. It doesn’t need to be some massive life change, small growth is also growth. Let’s just tell a story together.

25﹕ who is an author whose writing inspires your own ?

-Authors whose books I love… oof. Brandon Sanderson is my absolute favorite for his ability to tell a complex and detailed story, build an entire world, make everything real and believable. His characters are probably some of the most multi-dimensional, thorough, and fully realized characters I’ve ever read in literature. Patrick Rothfuss, also incredibly beautiful way at explaining things. Joe Abercrombie for his colorful characters, and damn him for making me connect even with the small characters and then destroy my life. There are plenty of others, I know, but I am literally drawing a blank right now and will regret this later. (But also if you want to nerd out with me and talk to me about things regarding the above authors? I would be more than happy to) Either way the above inspire me to not be complete trash.

37﹕ have you ever ventured into writing fanfiction ?

-Not on tumblr, but yes. All of my writing outside of tumblr is personal, as in nobody reads it but me. I write a lot. Possibly too much.

#ooc #ask meme answered #//you got to know a little about me!

[versegm]

Gimme all the character ideas you have on Zia. (for the ask meme)

First impression

Ok I’ll be honest I first watched mcog when I was like,,,, 4. So I don’t remember.

Impression now

DAUGHTER!! DAUGHTER!!! *points* THAT’S MY KID!!! LOOK AT HER GO!! SHE LOST EVERYTHING AND YET STILL PULLED HERSELF BACK UP!! I!! LOVE!! HER!!

Favorite moment

Remember that time Ambrosius “literal alchemist” calls her a witch, clearly bewildered, and Zia answers by chucking a rock at his face? Iconic.

EDIT: actually you know that one time a samurai grabbed her and she bit the shit out of him to get out? That.

Idea for a story

You ever think about how Zia was taken away from her family at a super young age and never really had the occasion to rekindle with her culture, and also she was raised in a super catholic home and probably forced to learn prayers n shit, and how she might feel some jealousy over Tao for knowing his roots so well? Cuz I do a lot. (In the end mcog is just the story of three kids desperate to find their roots, be it a father or their ancestors or anything, and in this essay, I will,)

Unpopular opinion

Listen. Listen. From my understanding of incan mythology, the world was separated in three parts, right? The sky, often represented by a condor, the earth, symbolized by the puma, and the underworld, represented by a snake. Zia already has an affinity with the underworld, re: being able to sense earthquakes. She also seems to be well-versed in medecine, and by extension poisons- so, venoms of sorts. Also, she seems to be fond of biting as a last ressort, as with that one scene where she bites a samurai. 

My point is if Esteban’s theme is the “condor,” Zia’s is “snakes,” and my unpopular opinion is that she should have HUUUUUUUUGE-ASS FUCKING FANGS. TWO REALLY SHARP MOTHRFUCKERS ON EACH SIDE OF THE MOUTH. THIS GIRL!! DESERVES!! CANINES!!!!! BIG!! LONG!!! CANINES!!! LET HER HAVE SNAKE FANGS!!!

Favorite relationship

I had to pause from answering this to bury my face into my hands because I just remembered how good those fukcing kids are to each other. The mutual support,,, the friendship,,, the love,,,,, just fucking gun me down as I stand scottie

Favorite headcanon

She absolutely taught her two dumbasses how to read/write with quipu and they leave leave secret messages to each other on Condor. It’s the 16th century equivalent to texting under the table about whatever you want to bitch about without Mendoza knowing.

#mcog #the mysterious cities of gold #les mystérieuses cités d'or #ENFANT DU SOLEIL #creative-minds-never-die

[recentanimenews]

OPINION: The Best Moments from Attack on Titan's First 3 Seasons

*Be sure to catch up on Attack on Titan before the Final Season starts December 7th! All episodes are streaming here.*

There are so many unforgettable and visually impressive moments in Attack on Titan. The sheer enormity of the Titans themselves, along with the always dazzling aerial acrobatics of the protagonists who battle for survival, are both portrayed in ways that create a uniquely immersive atmosphere. WIT STUDIO, Inc. did an incredible job making you really feel like you’re submerged in Attack on Titan's despair-ridden world, as if you too are rippling through the sky at breakneck speed, full of both courage and paralyzing fear at the sight of a seemingly unstoppable enemy.

This is especially apparent during key Titan transformations, the many battle sequences, moments that emphasize Hiroyuki Sawano’s breathtaking OST, and more. In anticipation of Attack on Titan Final Season, I came up with a short list of some of the best eye-popping, heart-racing moments from the first three seasons. Let’s dive in!

**Please don’t forget: there are MASSIVE spoilers up ahead!**  

Category 1: BEST TITAN TRANSFORMATIONS

II. Annie transforms into a Titan within the walls, Season 1, Episode 24 – Mercy - Raid on Stohess District (2)  

Up to this point, viewers only knew that the woman Titan was a traitor operating within the Walls. The end of the episode prior — Episode 23 — made the big reveal that Annie was the woman Titan all along. There's a lot of twists and turns here, with Armin and co. luring Annie into a trap that ultimately fails. Annie's Titan transformation leads to a pivotal fight that also coincides with the first season's end. The emotional stakes feel significantly charged in this situation, since unlike any of the prior battles with Titans, here the protagonists are forced to duke it out with a friend.

  I. Eren in Season 2, Episode 31 – "Warrior"

  My favorite transformation comes at the end of Season 2, Episode 31 "Warrior." Eren discovers that two of his dearest comrades — Reiner and Bertholdt — are in fact the Armored and Colossal Titans, the very ones responsible for Wall Maria's breach and the subsequent death of thousands (including Eren's mother). It's a pretty shocking moment that forces viewers to revise their entire perspective on two beloved characters, and the episode does a wonderful job expressing Eren's emotional anguish through his facial gestures and an absolutely spine-chilling scream. 

  The emotional weight is visually matched by Eren's mid-fall transformation, which is possibly the most elaborately animated character metamorphosis in the series thus far. It's a gut-wrenching moment that deserves its rightful spot in the multitude of "TOP TEN ANIME BETRAYAL" lists (and memes) online.  

Category 2: BEST SAWANO DROP

Eren encounters the Colossal Titan – Season 1, Episode 4 – Night of the Graduation Ceremony - Humanity Rises Again (2)  

  Hiroyuki Sawano is a powerhouse of a composer. The man responsible for the stellar soundtracks in Kill La Kill and Promare is known for sonically accentuating already-thrilling battle sequences, with a technique now famously coined as the "Sawano Drop." The Sawano Drop is a section in any Sawano track when the music briefly pauses only to come back in full epic force.

  This moment in Attack on Titan Episode 4 is a prime example: the music cuts out at 0:21 — timed perfectly with the moment the Colossal Titan unexpectedly appears — and returns around 0:43, just as Eren fires off his OMD hooks and gets ready for battle. The sudden musical drop emphatically underscores the absolute shock of seeing the gigantic Titan literally pop up out of nowhere, and the musical return adds extra hype to a suddenly desperate situation. It's a riveting sequence that comes after Eren muses somewhat hopefully about the prospects of beating the Titans alongside his freshly graduated comrades (poor Eren gets his hopes squashed rather quickly). Sawano's expert timing and sound palette make this scene that much better.

  Category 3: BEST CHARACTER “SACRIFICE”  

Armin gets burned alive by Colossal Titan – Season 3, Episode 54 – Hero  

Of the three main protagonists in Attack on Titan, Armin is distinguished by his unwavering loyalty to friends and comrades, along with his tactical genius. Armin saves his friends and other Scout members on more than one occasion due to his intellectual prowess, and his willingness to stand brave — and remain kind — despite overwhelming fear makes him a truly admirable character. That’s what made this moment from Season 3 all the more horrifying to watch. 

Near the end of Season 3, Armin surrenders his commanding position to Jean in a sudden moment of self-doubt and despair, but eventually comes up with a last-minute plan to beat the Colossal Titan. The only catch? It meant Armin had to be scorched to a crisp by the humongous Titan, all so Eren could trick and defeat an unsuspecting Bertholdt. We were forced to see one of the show’s most lovable characters literally get set aflame, made even more crushing by Eren’s recollection of young Armin’s bravery and innocent desire to witness the distant sea. Miraculously, Armin survives this ordeal due to a last-minute change of heart in Levi, but it doesn’t make the experience any less impactful. Armin’s selfless gesture leads to the complete defeat of the Colossal Titan and marks a major narrative turning point: he gains Bertholdt’s power (after uh, eating him) and ostensibly becomes the new Colossal Titan. That makes this moment one of the most important sacrifices — albeit temporary — in a show riddled with, well, lots of sacrifices. Which leads us to yet another mind-blowing moment from the same episode ...

  Category 4: BEST TIME LEVI DID HIS OP POWER MOVE Levi Vs the Beast Titan – Episode 54, Hero  

  I know I’m not the only one that thinks Captain Levi is the absolute coolest. He quickly earned a top-tier spot for me in the pantheon of magnetic, effortlessly badass anime characters. Levi kept an even-temper during the most desperate situations, like when he managed to briefly fight Annie’s Titan form and survive, or during the victorious battle against Kenny and his minions. Even with those accomplishments, this has to be Levi’s crowning achievement: absolutely decimating the Beast Titan with his signature spinning attack. Erwin and the last remaining Scouts sacrifice themselves in a suicide run toward the Beast Titan to give Levi the time to sneak up and kill the animal-like monster. The Beast Giant murderously, and gleefully, annihilates most of the Scouts by casually throwing loads of stones — baseball-style — at our heroes. That’s why there’s no greater satisfaction than to see Levi avenge his fallen comrades by ruthlessly hacking up the Beast Titan. Even though Zeke manages to survive and escape, I still think Levi laying the smackdown here is the most gratifying battle sequence yet in Attack on Titan.  

Category 5: BEST TEAR JERKING MOMENT Mikasa and Eren, Season 2, Episode 37 – Scream  

Mikasa and Eren have so many great moments throughout Attack on Titan, but this one takes the cake for me. At the end of Season 2, Eren and the Scouts try to fight off both the Armored Titan and a slew of other Titans with almost no hope of success. Eren fails to transform into his Titan form and watches helplessly as the very smiling giant who killed his mother devours Hannes — a surrogate father figure who rescued young Eren and Mikasa years back. In a last-ditch effort, MIkasa tenderly reminds Eren of their connection and the many times Eren supported her (like when Eren saved her life and gave her the iconic red scarf she always wears). Mikasa usually interacts with Eren as a protective guardian, so it’s especially beautiful and cathartic to see her express care for him with such warmth and vulnerability. And Eren returns the sentiment, which is also a deviation from the norm since he generally seems frustrated with Mikasa’s overprotective tendencies. “I’ll wrap that around you as many times as you want” is hands down one of the best lines from the series, and a fitting summation of Mikasa and Eren’s loving attachment.

  Those are some of my favorite moments from the first three Attack on Titan seasons. What was left out? What would you have included? Let me know in the comments below!

  Do you love anime? Do you love writing? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: Matt Fagaly

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

[redemptioninterlude]

sab to sookhee ( ... on her neck & ... in the rain & ... angry )

numbers & a kiss meme + @wildrcbel // sabina

Save the girl, save yourself. The two concepts seem to be in conflict, especially after the fiery exit that she’s made from prison cells and murderous fiends, and while she wishes that, within this, Sabina perhaps has LEARNED SOMETHING about the duplicitous nature of human kind, she knows, knows, knows, that she has not. In her there is some unflappable belief in goodness, in change, in those who have done bad, to change their ways and become that which was against their very beliefs. And perhaps there was truth to it all, that evil was in the eye of the beholder, and she knew, that revenge had made a villain of her, but in the end, life was life, and a dollar was a dollar. And Sabina, well -

She was waking up slow within her tight embrace, Sookhee, still in the middle of her own dance, even as they burst through the doors, with, the other’s figure dragged along for the run. But at the signs of consciousness that follows, a blithe laugh escapes past her lips, a sharpness in the way she turns, dip, sway, a bullet grazing too close. When had it started RAINING, a distant thought that’s easily forgotten, blood soaked, through, from her clothes and where she’s taken one in the side against the glamour of a party dress, worn for the occasion. A hand pushes at her gun, the metal warm, but her touch, warmer. “Princess, I’m telling you now, I don’t have time for--”

A hiss, yanking past her hold to shoot someone else, point blank, not once does she STUTTER when it comes to her life, even as water drips within her eyes, blending in, with the blur that adrenaline has provided. The same adrenaline that muted the pain that radiated like a fracture, that Sabine presses into as she tries to wrestle the gun from her grip, as if this might halfheartedly save another life, even if it wasn’t one that those here deserved living. “Stop!” Anger infecting her tone, but she’s skinny, steely, strong. She wouldn’t expect anything else from an Angel, but her teeth bare, ready to drop her figure, still leaning into her for support from the concussion she’s likely wearing but, she has a better idea.

The sound of shouts, of screams, they’re looking for them, and they only have so much time. All she needs her to be is off her game, enough, to be able to wrestle back the gun into a proper grip, to free them from this place of isolation so that they may make it back to shore IN ONE PIECE. Fingers pressing beneath the cut of her chin, able to sense that tension within the other girl, anticipation, as she dipped along the delicate curve of her neck. Bruised, but not damaged, lips pressing to where she can feel her pulse leap from beneath her flesh, again, again, she scrapes and sucks a bruise, how she trembles within her grasp, almost forgetting, for that brief moment, the purpose of it all... until a door bursts, and her eyes fly wide, open, smoothly freeing her weapon from the other’s grasp, finger on the trigger, popping off another round, gaze cool as it falls back onto her form. “Come on. We need to get out of here.”

( yeah i used that icon LOL kiss my ass b <3 ily )

#wildrcbel #❝ s. min ❞ ┆ meme reply ┆ it's stupid without proof or contract ! #❝ s. min ❞ ┆ canon verse ┆ how could you come knock on my door !

[canonskyrissian]

4, 8, 9, 17 for the ask meme, please! :D

thank youuu ♥♥♥♥

4. What Lando scene do you wish had happened/ would happen in canon?

- I would kill for the deleted scene in RotJ where everyone (not just Han) says bye to Lando (gimme that scene in my icon I need it who do I have to kill to get it)

8. Happy headcanon?

- *gestures at The Return of Hope andLike a ray of sun* also I love picturing Rey, aged about four or five, trying Lando’s capes on and asking if she could wear one to some special occasion, and Lando is like “that’s a bit too big for you, so how about I make you your own?” and then they wear matching capes and Luke dies because it’s too cute

9. Angsty headcanon?

- *gestures at what will happen inLike a ray of sun* (it’s painful, it’s so so painful, idk why I’m making Lando go through all this crap. he’s gonna be okay but seriously, he deserves none of this)

17. If there was a Lando movie, what would you like the plot to be?

- since Solo was a fun space-heist movie, I really would love the Lando movie be about how he ended up in Cloud City. also I wouldn’t mind a post-RotJ movie where he hooks up with Luke *wink wink nudge nudge*

send me Lando asks

#replies #crystalfoxfics #lando calrissian #ask meme

[hyunjizns]

dating jungwoo

⤷ idk why but jungwoo always gives me the softest, innocent vibe and that’s why he’ll forever be my bb

how you started dating

so i wasn’t sure if to make this an idol au or not but i finally settled for idol because i’m going for that “realistic” feel, lol

how you two met? well it was actually predebut when jungwoo used to work at a café 

you know, to get that extra cash because being a trainee isn’t the eaiest thing

and you frequented that café since it was pretty near to where you lived

you often saw jungwoo because you’d come during his shift and he’d always give you a warm smile 

you couldn’t explain but he was just so welcoming and warm-hearted unlike the other other employees so that was definitely fresh

before you learnt his name you had deemed him “the cute worker with the pretty smile”

seriously, every time he handed you your drink, his cute little smile would appear and your heart basically melted everytime

but tbh, anyone would melt at his smile, it’s precious, okay?

and after handing you your drink, he’d never fail to wish you a good day and ahh !!!

anyway, this continued on for a while until you didn’t even have to tell him your order anymore and he’d just have your drink and name there whoosh

he just knew that well

so you were kinda getting tired of this back and forth and wanted to get to know him better

you did the obvious bc you’re a smart person and slipped him your number when you were giving him a tip and walked away smugly

the look on his face was priceless

yes, we’d have a sh00k jungwoo because, wow, you gave him your number ??

now, now jungwoo is a bit shy so it’d take him a bit to actually text you but when he does you’re basically a candy who just got candy

but look, this boy contemplated what he was gonna say for way too long and spent majority of the time fiddling with his phone

you would never have seen someone type and erase as much as he would’ve then

“y/n, right? wanna meet up soon? this is jungwoo btw”

“sure,, any specific time? i’m free this week”

sure you may have sounded cool in your reply but your were actually just dead inside bc jungwoo !! texted !! you !!

when he sees your reply though, he would be relieved and text you the details

the two of you would kinda just drift into texting cute, soft emojis for the rest of the day

jungwoo is a bit.. clueless.. so it probably wouldn’t seem like a big deal to him unlike you who was practically combusting

p.s: it seems you’ve developed a crush on him,, but to be fair who wouldn’t?

anyway, we can fast forward to when you two actually do meet up, it’s a small bistro and everything is pretty casual 

jungwoo is a bit nervous but so are you so that leads to nervous giggles every second but you two manage through

it was a pretty, nice and calming “date” tbh and you guys started to do it more often

um yeah, that basically meant that your crush on jungwoo was getting bigger

i mean, the boy told you so much about himself already and same for you, you learnt he was a trainee, etc, etc and it just felt you got really close to him

but you weren’t sure if he liked you too since he was a bit odd with his actions

tbh i don’t think he was even planning to tell you because he was sure that it was you who didn’t like him

let’s all give a huge round of applause to his boss lol get it boss? no? okay bye sorry who told you that he knew jungwoo definitely liked you too

sorry, but basically everyone in the cafe knew about you two

and with a little courage from your friends, you found it in yourself to confess

better take no for an answer than never know, right?

so one day you called jungwoo outside and told him that you needed to talk to him and yes that kid was nervous

“I.. I kind of really like you.”

He’d be so shocked that he wouldn’t reply which would make you s c a r e d but then he gets all excited and relieved

“I kind of really like you too!” he was a bit too enthusiastic

and the rest is history 

i made this too long, oops

jungwoo as a boyfriend

we all know that jungwoo is some kind of precious human being that needs to be protected at all costs

yes

well, you’re that human being to him now

idk but we all know how he’s always smiling, well people would be starting to wonder how his cheeks aren’t hurting at how much he smiles when he’s around you

he always looks at you with so much affection in his eyes, it’s unreal

it’s that “ get you a man who looks at you the way *insert* looks at *insert*” meme

so your relationship is basically two angels protecting each other

talking about soft, idk man but this would be one of the purest, softest things for anyone to watch, your interactions would be down right precious

oh gosh, i’m already squealing, jungwoo, i see him legit defining boyfriend goals

like he would spoil the shit out of you and give you whatever you wanted, even if you didn’t ask for it

you’d be telling him it wasn’t necessary but he wouldn’t listen to you

i feel like he’d use that as a way to express himself since physical expression wouldn’t be something that he’s best at

oh yes and taking it slow and making sure you’re comfortable is one of his biggest concerns too

he absolutely doesn’t wanna rush you to do anything that you don’t wanna

as for pda, i don’t think jungwoo would go too far

he seems like the kind of person, no matter how long you’ve been together, to just enjoy soft hand-holding

yeah, your fingers are always intertwined, it’s basically the signature thing in your relationship now

even when you two are alone,he still isn’t the b i g g e s t displayer of affection

you can expect a shit ton of hugs from this one too, and no, i don’t mean those short, seemingly meaningless ones

i’m talking jungwoo style kms with full on embracing, neck snuggling and even some butterfly neck/face kisses on the occasion

his arms would be so tight yet gentle around you

i’m telling you !! this boy treats you as if you were made of legitimate porcelain

as for kisses, i feel like he’s too shy to out right kiss you, especially at the beginning of the relationship so your gonna have to ask or initiate

after he’s more comfortable though, kisses may still be shy but he isn’t afraid to do it himself

his displays of affection are actually the sweetest, like he has the gentlest hands, and does the cutest things, you’d swear he just stepped out of a romance novel

he has actually made a scrap book with all of your couple pics for you

i’m wrecking my bias list help

he’s a cuddler 100% so you can expect a lot of that from him

especially due to the fact that he’d prefer simple dates or those ones where you can just stay at home

you can seriously expect to lie in bed and just be happy with the other’s presence.

but it’s not like that everyday kind of cuddling, he’d prefer that once in a while, significant cuddle session

plus i can see him being really talkative, i don’t think he’d wanna cuddle in silence and most conversation topics would be pretty deep

maybe about your guys’ future since he doesn’t plan to break up soon or ever at that

his favourite position is you beside him with his arm around you so that he could look at your face and every little detail on it

don’t be surprised if you suddenly feel his hand under your shirt !! he just does that innocently 

he’s the boy that’d space out while looking at you because he actually can’t get over your beauty

“ how did i get so lucky ? “

he’d think that all the time

sometimes his hand is already going to brush a strand of your hair from your face before he even notices what he’s doing

yeah, it’s something that he does pretty often too

jungwoo also really cares about the little things, just enjoying small talk

like everyday you can expect him to ask how your day was and if you were okay

on that occasion that you were pissed, he’d freak because he wouldn’t be sure what to do but jungwoo being the good listener that he is, i feel like he’d just let you vent

he’d let you vent all you want while rubbing your back, not saying anything

after, he’d probably offer to make your favourite food/drink or suggest you two do something that he knew you’d enjoy

or maybe sing you one of your favourite songs since he knows that you love his voice ahh

also

okay so y’all remember that iconic vlive when doyoung was asking jungwoo what he wanted for his birthday and yea h sbksks

jungwoo would be cheeky like that pretty often when he wants something

he’s like a puppy that really just needs your love sometimes so 

this boy isn’t showing the signs correctly and you’re like “what do you want babe?”

“i um..” cue stuttering and cute giggles !!

rip you bc you just look at him like ???

“i want your love” he’d smile and tap his cheek

and you’re just like ofc you do and kiss his cheek and that’d make him 12x more giddy oho

jungwoo adores you i swear. every wallpaper on his phone is a photo of both of you

omg my heart is bursting with love for this boy

and like there was that one day when nosy yukhei took up jungwoo’s phone and was sh00k at the number of couple photos, oh dear

that would be teasing material for the other boys to use against him but y’know, jungwoo doesn’t really mind

he wouldn’t be fazed, he’just give them one of those smiles because he’s actually hella proud of those pics

but don’t ask him how things are going because he can’t really reply, he’ll kinda just scratch the back of his neck and again, s m i l e

because he wouldn’t be sure how to explain one of the best things in his life

he isn’t a master of words, y’know!

that’s why short and sweet gestures + compliments are his thing

this was also lowkey a secret relationship and you would always remember the look in his eyes after his first debut stage

you honestly felt so happy for him because you knew he deserved it 

he cried that night and it was just one of the softest things you had ever experienced, like you could tell he didn’t wanna cry but the tears still came

you patted his head as he cried into your shoulder tears of complete happiness

and when you whispered how proud you were of him, that set off more waterworks 

that just proved to you that he isn’t afraid to show his emotion when he’s around you

BuT when it came to super important things like the first “i love you” he was a nervous wreck because he wasn’t sure how you’d respond

but then he’d realise you love him just as much as he loved you so he had nothing to worry about

all in all, you guys would live that innocent relationship and every moment you spent with jungwoo would be deeply cherished

#kim jungwoo #someone get me a jungwoo #jungwoo as your boyfriend #jungwoo fanfic #jungwoo fanfiction #jungwoo scenarios #jungwoo imagines #jungwoo headcanon #jungwoo #kpop #nct imagines #nct fanfic #nct scenarios #nct u #nct u scenarios #nct fluff #jungwoo fluff #nct u imagines

[bellaloona]

11 Questions Tag!!

hi I was tagged by @taeyongscursedmullet to answer some questions and ask some to more people so here we go!

Rules: Answer the eleven questions you were asked, then write your own eleven questions!

1. What’s one thing that people do and it drives you insane?

When I’m in class and there’s a bunch of people are sitting at one table and one person starts jiggling their leg so the whole table starts shaking. I understand that it’s a reflex for a lot of people to keep them awake or let off some energy but it makes it harder for me to focus personally

2. If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?

Realistically, I would pay my tuition first, then put a bunch of it into savings, give a good portion to my parents. Hopefully by then I’d have at 30%-40% left to spend for myself, get a decent place to live, adopt several pets, donate some of it????

3. You put milk or cereal first?

Cereal, I’m not a monster.

4. Do you stay mad at people or do you forgive?

I do forgive if it’s something relatively minor and it seems like the person is genuinely sorry for whatever they did. But I don’t forget things easily so if something happens again or the person hasn’t changed form the first time, I’ll probably hold a grudge.

5. Is there anything you would like to change in the world?

I wish everyone was more open-minded. I don’t think we all need to agree on everything but instead of picking fights all the time on social media I wish people could acknowledge that others hold different opinions, and let it go if it’s not harming anyone.

6. Would you prefer to be able to talk with animals or all the languages in the world?

All the languages! I feel like animals would have a lot of...opinions about us and they wouldn’t all be welcoming and loving lol

7. With how many blankets do you sleep at winter?

3, it doesn’t get too cold where I’m from

8. Is there any artist/group you admire?

Hmm this is a small thing but I admire Jason Mraz’s effort to spread positivity with his music!

9. What’s one Idol you would like to spend the day with and what would you do with them?

I’d play video games with baekhyun!!!!

10. Do you think that people deserve second chances?

Yes, but not a third.

11. Twitter or Tumblr?

Tumblr. I visit twitter on occasion to check up on some youtubers and get quality memes but in general there’s too much conflict on the platform. Tumblr isn’t that great either but....I’m here. 😬

I’ll tag:

My questions!:

1. If you were a type of bread, what would you be?

2. Favorite dancer(s)?

3. If you could insert yourself into a fictional world, which would you choose?

4. Do you believe in aliens?

5. What’s one song that never fails to put you in a good mood?

6. Would you rather be able to mind read or have mind control?

7. What’s the craziest dream you’ve ever had?

8. What idol/celebrity would you say most closely matches your personality?

9. What’s one food you can’t stand?

10. What are your top 3 emojis?

11. What is the most iconic lyric you can think of off the top of your head?

tagging @yuniixoxo, @taenhoona, @shineekeylover, @jurinahs, and @hyunjaesz if you feel like it, if not, i hope you’re having an awesome day!

#back at it with the super late tags #fun stuff

[xb-squaredx]

A Rebuttal to Waluigi in Smash Bros.

During E3 2018, Nintendo finally unveiled Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, a new entry in the series that made headlines with the statement that every single playable character would make a return, alongside some new faces. With Inklings, Daisy and Ridley making the jump to playable characters, many fans were crestfallen when Waluigi was confirmed to once again be an Assist Trophy and wouldn’t be joining the roster as a full-fledged character. For some fans at least, this quickly turned to anger and lead to harassment directed at Masahiro Sakurai himself. But I’m here today to show that Waluigi simply cannot be playable in Super Smash Bros….but not for the reasons you might be thinking.

When looking at just who makes the cut in Super Smash Bros., there are a number of criteria, unspoken or otherwise. As the series has gone on, just about every corner of Nintendo’s stable has seen representation in one way or another, with even cult hits like Xenoblade Chronicles getting a playable representative with Shulk. Of course, that has since been established as an ongoing series, with two games being released afterward and gaining quite a bit of acclaim, so maybe that’s not the best example. But look to some of the more obscure fighters in Smash and you’ll generally have a good reason for why they were included. For some, like Ridley, it is due to overwhelming fan demand, while for others like Little Mac or Duck Hunt, these are meant as nods to Nintendo’s classic days. It helps that in Little Mac’s case, the Wii Punch Out! game was quite successful. Characters like R.O.B. or Mr. Game & Watch similarly might not be getting any new games anytime soon, but they have historical significance. Since Brawl Nintendo has even extended olive branches to characters from outside of their wheelhouse, and looking at them now, they’re real somebodies in the industry, icons even. Snake comes from a series famous for its cinematic look and stealth mechanics, while Sonic and Mega Man are platforming icons on par with Mario. Ryu is probably THE most well-known fighting game character ever, and Cloud can be considered one of the most well-known JRPG protagonists bar none. As Sakurai has said in the past, “Not just ANYONE can be in Smash.”

So with that in mind, what are Waluigi’s credentials? Being a part of Mario’s cast, he’s in just about every spinoff game, be it a sports title or the Mario Kart and Mario Party series, so with that alone he’s hardly obscure. He also does have quite a bit of fandom behind him, if the recent attacks against Sakurai haven’t shown that; there are simply a LOT of people that have grown to like the guy over the years. I think as far as that criteria is concerned, Waluigi has a decent shot, but that’s just one piece of the puzzle.

Looking at Smash’s roster, you have to consider that this is a fighting game, and with it, characters need to be able to fight. There have been many characters that simply didn’t make the cut due to problems creating moves with which to fight, famously an Animal Crossing rep and Miis. However, as we can see with Smash 4, Sakurai found a way to make them work, but they clearly took some time. There are also technological considerations as well. Ice Climbers didn’t make it into 4 because the 3DS couldn’t handle them, and up until Ultimate, Ridley’s size was a big factor in axing him from the list of potential newcomers. I wouldn’t say that Waluigi has that many problems when it comes to putting him into the game, though. I’ll be honest in that his list of games doesn’t really give him much to go on in terms of a cohesive moveset at first glance, but plenty of characters in Smash get moves and powers thought up just for the occasion. Most of Ness’ PSI moves are from his other party members in Earthbound, for one, and Samus has never had rocket boots in any Metroid game, that’s for sure! So really, the sky is the limit for a potential Waluigi moveset, and with how zany of a character he is he could definitely be someone that could spice up the game…but really, I think there’s a deeper reason why Waluigi can’t make the jump to a full-on fighter: it’d go against his very character.

Go on a journey with me here, back to the year 2000, where the Nintendo 64 Mario Tennis saw release. Waluigi was also birthed here, out of sheer necessity. Each character in the game needed a doubles partner and with everyone else paired up, Wario was all alone. It was here that an “evil Luigi” was created, and he’s been with us since. I think that Waluigi’s creation here is quite telling; of the core Mario characters, he’s the only one who didn’t debut in a core Mario platformer. Even the likes of Birdo was a common enemy in Super Mario Bros 2 USA, a game that might not “count” to some fans, but has nevertheless had elements integrated into the Mario series since. He is the eternal outsider, someone who always seems to exist on the sidelines. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride. This has since become a core component of his character.

Of the core Mario cast, Waluigi has never even gotten his own spinoff game, while his…friend Wario has had TWO spinoffs after debuting as a rival for Mario. Toad has even gotten his own game in the form of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker for God’s sake! Even though he’s guaranteed to be in most spinoffs, he’s one of the few characters that are often omitted. He wasn’t in Mario Kart 7, famously, and he’s never starred in any of the Mario RPGS (barring a Rabbid version of him in Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle), and that all seems quite deliberate. Going off of his character, as we’ve seen primarily in the spin-off titles, Waluigi seeks glory and recognition, and as described by his voice actor, Charles Martinet, he wallows in self-pity. To give him a starring role in his very own game, or even make him playable in the video game world’s largest crossover…why that just wouldn’t work!

If you so much as glance at Super Smash Bros. you can see that Sakurai puts an insane amount of work into each and every facet of the game, making sure all the littlest details are right. Sakurai really strives to make sure every fighter is as faithful as physically possible. Inklings need to refill ink, Ryu has Light, Medium and Heavy versions of all his attacks like in Street Fighter, and even Ridley, while scaled down a bit, is still designed as a powerhouse who throws his weight around like the boss monster he is. So in enters Waluigi, a character defined by being an outsider, someone who dreams of glory that he’ll never gain, who constantly asks for others to pity him, and what does Sakurai do? He gives him what he deserves.

I don’t think Nintendo, or Sakurai for that matter, hates Waluigi. In fact, I think Nintendo’s grown to love the lanky guy, but they’re committed to the bit at this point. I mean, he’s nearly 20 years old, so if they were going to give him his own game or have him star in a mainline Mario game, or even Luigi’s Mansion or one of Wario’s games, they would have done so by now. He exists in a strange state of limbo, created out of necessity, not really belonging anywhere and lacking any real link to Mario, when you think about it. It reminds me of a critical essay taking a look at Waluigi in a somewhat tongue-in-cheek tone that’s since gone viral. The author in question, Franck Ribery, states that “Waluigi is the true nowhere man, without the other characters he reflects, inverts and parodies he has no reason to exist. Waluigi’s identity only comes from what and who he isn’t – without a wider frame of reference he is nothing. He is not his own man.” Waluigi can be there whenever we need a funny villain, but he is forever denied an entrance point to the big time. That feeds into his popularity as an Internet meme, really. People love him, root for him, but him getting his way would betray his character, so really an Assist Trophy is the best he can hope for when it comes to Smash Bros.

Or maybe Sakurai is really just trolling everyone. Yeah, even I don’t think he’s that malicious, but people can dream!

Until next time,

-B

#xb-squaredx #blog #waluigi #smash bros #smash ultimate #masahiro sakurai #sakurai #assist trophy #waaaah #nintendo switch

[aion-rsa]

I Think You Should Leave Season 2: Ranking Every Sketch

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

How on Earth did we survive two years without new episodes of Netflix’s brilliant sketch comedy series I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson? The first batch of six episodes premiered on April 23 of 2019 and proved instantly iconic. 

Contained within the season’s roughly two-dozen sketches was absolutely hilarious and essential comedy that provided ample memetic kindling for the internet’s conversational fire. For the focused enough mind, it’s entirely possible to communicate with one’s friends exclusively in I Think You Should Leave memes. Lord knows, I’ve tried it.

Thankfully, ITYSL season 2 has finally arrived on Netflix after its COVID-19 delay. It features 28 sketches that range from “pretty funny” to “I can’t stop laughing. Oh God, I can’t stop laughing. It hurts, surely this is the end. Surely, I will die.”

Check out our rankings below and then begin yelling at our chances like Spectrum is dropping your network.

28. Credit Card Roulette

If nothing else, Tim Robinson and I Think You Should Leave co-creator Zach Kanin are incredible comedy scouts. Through two seasons, the show’s sketches have been a who’s who of up-and-coming comedic talent, like the wonderful John Early who is featured in this sketch. Unfortunately Early is not served well by the material here, which doesn’t rise to the same ludicrous heights as season 2’s other sketches. The best moment is Early’s immediate resolve that he’s not paying the bill, but the sketch doesn’t go too far after that. 

27. Dave’s Poop Double

The sketch that serves as the cold open of season 2’s final episode doesn’t get things off to the best start. The concept of Tim’s “Luka” hiring a guy who looks just like his coworker Dave to take monster shits every time he gets up is certainly fun but missing an important layer of added absurdity. Luka is probably the best name for any of Robinson’s random characters yet though.

26. Little Buff Boys Pt. 2

Season 2 features many more callbacks to previous sketches than the first season did. This followup to Little Buff Boys is the worst of the bunch but still quite funny. Perhaps the only thing more absurd than a Little Buff Boys competition is someone being proud of running “one of” the biggest LBB competitions in the Greater Cincinnati area. This sketch also passes up an easy Cincinnati Chili joke in favor of creating the truly vile “cherry chuck salad.”

25. Detective Crashmore Trailer

This trailer for action thriller Detective Crashmore is funny enough on its own but doesn’t reach another comedic level until the AOL Blast interview two sketches later. Still, I unironically want to see an action film with a lead character whose main quip is “Eat fucking bullets, you fuckers. You fucking suck. You fucking SUCK!”

24. I Should Have Got That

I Think You Should Leave deserves a big spread in AARP magazine. No other sketch show revels in the talents of older comedians quite like this one. After 81-year-old comedian Ruben Rabasa stole the show in season 1, season 2 ups the ante with many more sketches letting old folks shine. It’s Bob McDuff Wilson’s turn this time around and his child-like obsession with his student’s burger kills right up until the shockingly dark kicker.

23. Office Surfing

“I almost killed myself, Jullliieeeeee” is one of the best line-reads of the season. The sketch it’s built around isn’t too remarkable but man, does Robinson knock that one out of the park. 

22. “No, I Don’t Know How to Drive”

This is a quickie but a goodie. Robinson’s characters break down in tears quite often this season and this is one of the better occasions. How far have Tim’s characters come – from reveling in the existence of four-wheeled motorcycles to looking at the inside of a car and weeping “I don’t know what any of this shit is and I’m fucking scared.”

21. The Capital Room

Speaking of top tier comedic talent, thank God Patti Harrison stopped by another season of I Think You Should Leave. This time around, we get two heaping doses of Patti. This one, the first of the two, is the inferior but still quite great. In the span of roughly 30 seconds, Harrison unveils the saga of a woman who A. Got sewn into the pants of the Thanksgiving Day parade Charlie Brown float, B. Hates all bald boys, C. Sued the city and won a fortune, D. Is now helplessly addicted to wine, and E. Is tragically self-aware that her money will run out soon.

20. But It’s Lunch

Just like last year’s opening sketch, “But It’s Lunch” (this is probably a good time to mention, that I’m naming all of these things myself. You could very easily call this the Hotdog sketch but that would confuse it with last year’s hotdog sketch) sets the perfect opening mood. The sight gag of Robinson’s Pat trying to stealthily eat a hotdog is wonderful, and the fact that things so quickly escalate to hotdog surgery and puke is just sublime. 

19. Carber Hotdog Vacuum

The follow-up to “But It’s Lunch” occurs a full two episodes later and proves to be a hell of a pay-off. Robinson’s unnamed character (who is obviously Pat) very quickly reveals that there is one very specific reason he made this hotdog vacuum invention and you’ll never guess what it was. We all make mistakes. We shouldn’t be fired for them.

18. Insider Trading Trial (Stupid Hat)

This sketch somewhat mimics the experience of trying to explain what I Think You Should Leave is like to someone who has never seen it. “So, this guy took too small a slice of toilet paper…” or “…and then he has to have to have sex with his mother-in-law.” “Insider Trading” rotely describes the bizarre behaviors of one of Robinson’s deeply strange characters, Brian, as it’s being read into the court record. Brian and his stupid fedora with the safari flaps is in attendance to provide a visual aid. As are some hilarious flashbacks in which Brian attempts to roll the hat down his arm like Fred Astaire and instead encounters only wheelchair grease. 

17. The Ice Cream Store is Closed Today

Before he was a criminal lawyer, Bob Odenkirk was one of the most legendary sketch writers of all time. It’s only fitting that he stop by ITYSL season 2 to provide his comedic blessing. Odenkirk is great from the get-go but this one doesn’t really get rolling until the end when Robinson finds himself truly immersed in the fictional life of this sad old man. “His wife’s sick but she’s gonna get better” is a shockingly emotional moment amid pure farce.

16. Barbie and the Blues Brothers

This is the sketch that climbed the most in my rankings upon a second viewing. What first seemed to be a waste of Conner O’Malley’s manic comedic energy became a semi-classic once I submitted to its strange vibes. I don’t even know what to call this one but Robinson’s character refusing to stop dancing as Barbie the dog melts down is hilarious. O’Malley is better served by last season’s “honk if you’re horny” sketch, still he gets some bangers in this time around like “She thinks he’s a whole new guy because of the glasses and the hat” and “it’s her house, she’s doing what’s right!” Robinson once again closes this nonsense out with some well-earned tears. “It’s just me, Barbie. I’m not the Blues Brothers.”

15. Jaime Taco (I Love My Wife)

“Jamie Taco” is a prime example of just how rapidly (and how well) I Think You Should Leave is able to veer into pure nonsensical genius. At the top, this sketch comes perilously close to making an actual statement about how men are too quick to pretend like their wives are horrible nags. This sketch, however, has its sights set on something much dumber…and therefore better. Our hero (played hilariously by Richard Jewell’s Paul Walter Hauser) loves his wife because she helped him through his darkest moment, which just so happens to be when snotty young actor Jamie Taco refused to let him say his Henchman lines in a play.

14. Comos Restaurant 

All hail the return of the great Tim Heidecker! Heidecker, of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! fame, is one of the few comedians with a strange enough sensibility to be reasonably seen as an I Think You Should Leave forerunner. His season 1 turn as a walnut-obsessed jazz douche is a classic and this one reaches similar heights. This time, Heidecker’s character, Gary, and his lovely date, Janeane (Tracey Birdsall), have good reason to be annoyed by their date night at the sci-fi cosmos restaurant being interrupted by some hacky jokes. Of course, they use this opportunity to reveal that Jeannine’s mom used to drink puke for the Davy and Rascal radio show to pay for school supplies. It’s oddly refreshing to have a Heidecker character given a game partner and Gary and Janeane make one great team.

13. Detective Crashmore Interivew

While the Detective Crashmore trailer is the setup, this interview with AOL Blast is the punchline. Detective Crashmore is played by Santa Claus, because why not? Actor Biff Wiff’s gruff, nasally Midwestern timber is the perfect accent to accompany this lunacy. This is a Santa who in one breath demands to be taken seriously as an actor (Billy Bob Thornton-style) and in the next admits to seeing everyone in the world’s dick.

12. Sloppy Steaks (I Used to Be a Piece of Shit)

From here on out, it’s nothing but absolute homeruns. “Sloppy Steaks” could very well have been number one on this list and few would have batted an eye. The setup here is amazing as it gives Tim Robinson a reason to essentially have beef with a baby. The baby cries because he knows Robinson used to be a piece of shit. But don’t babies understand that people can change? That’s funny enough to begin with, but the real gut-busting moment here is the reveal of what “being a piece of shit” really means. In this case it means slicking one’s hair back and dousing the steaks at Truffoni’s with water to make sloppy steaks.

11. Johnny Carson Impersonator

Just a quick rundown for those who are confused…

Johnny Carson = Can Hit. George Kennedy = Can’t Hit. George Bush = Can’t Hit. 

10. Driving School (Her Job is Tables)

This is the rare I Think You Should Leave sketch that actually provides an answer to all the lunacy. As Robinson’s character’s Driver’s Ed class watches Patti Harrison’s actress in some dated videos, they can’t help but wonder what she does for a living. “Tables,” Robinson answers over and over again. This would be funny enough on its own but the reveal that Harrison provides tables to Monster Cons is a rare and valuable moment of “Ohhhhh that’s why” for this show. Equally as valuable is Harrison, who really sells that those tables are her lifeblood.

9. Claire’s Ear-Piercings

One has to wonder how much time goes into choosing the perfect “order” for the sketches in I Think You Should Leave. Two seasons in a row now, the show has selected pitch perfect opening and closing sketches. This closing number is oddly melancholic as the Claire’s orientation video for girls who want to get their ears pierced somehow gives way to one 58-year-old man named Ron Tussbler’s existential dread. If we really get to see the “highlights” after we die, forcibly fake laughing every ten minutes to make the voyeuristic experience all the richer sounds like a good strategy and not sad at all. Hang in there, Ron.

8. Little Buff Boys Competition

What. A. Crop. It was a virtual certainty that ITYSL season 2 would feature a spiritual successor to the classic “Baby of the Year” sketch in season 1. Thank God “Little Buff Boys” is up to the challenge of replicating that magic. This one has all the right elements to be another hit: Sam Richardson (in a wig this time, no less), a grand pageant hall, and some precocious youths. Troll Boy also joins the canon of young ITYSL characters who everybody instinctively hates alongside Bart Harley Jarvis.

7. Tammy Craps

There’s something weirdly nefarious about this commercial for a poisonous doll that doesn’t have farts in her head anymore. It’s a criticism of late stage capitalism crossed with the cursed nature of the Annabelle movies…while not being like either of those things at all. In reality, this is just another absurdist concept sprung from the terrifying inner depths of the writing staff’s mind. It also happens to be a particularly great one. The girl weighing her clothes down with rocks so she can hit the magical 60-pound threshold to safely play with Tammy Craps is one of the best gags of the season.

6. Karl Havoc

“Little Buff Boys Competition” and another upcoming sketch are likely to produce the lion’s share of memes and quotes from this season of ITYSL. But the one quote that’s stuck in my mind most aggressively comes from this hilarious episode 1 clip. The sight of Robinson’s Carmine Laguzio posing as the dead-faced freakshow Karl Havoc and muttering “I don’t want to be around anymore” is quite simply one of the funniest things I’ve ever witnessed. This is a marvelous, unnerving, utterly hilarious sketch. That there are somehow five better sketches speaks to how strong this season is. 

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5. Dan Flashes Pt. 1 (Office)

I Think You Should Leave is now two for two in introducing the most cutting edge items in men’s fashion. Season 1 featured the arrival of the highly practical TC Tugger shirt. Now season 2 ups the ante with the stylish Dan Flashes. This sketch succeeds because it takes a simple question “Why is Mike laying down during a business meeting?” and divines the most outlandish answer possible. Mike isn’t eating because he’s spending all his money on Dan Flashes shirts. 

4. Dan Flashes Pt. 2 (Hotel Menu)

It’s one thing to introduce a hilarious concept, it’s another thing entirely to put it into practice. This second entry into the Dan Flashes canon is amazing. Back in part 1, it seemed as though the intricate patterns on the Dan Flashes shirts have a hypnotic effect on men who look exactly like Tim Robinson. Seeing the reality of that – pasty men battling one another to get their credit cards to the cashier before the other – is truly hilarious stuff.

3. Coffin Flop

This is the second sketch of the entire season…the second! And holy shit, does it set a strong precedent for what’s to come. This impassioned message from the Corncob TV CEO for Spectrum to save his network and its precisely one television program is a masterclass in shock humor. Watching body after body busting out of shit wood somehow never loses its grim luster. Somehow, in a sketch that features dozens of naked corpses flopping to the ground unexpectedly, it’s Robinson’s monologue that hits the hardest. “This world is so fucked up. And people are mad at me because I showed a bunch of naked dead bodies with their spread blue butts flying out of boxes? Really?”

2. Calico Cut Pants

Every episode of I Think You Should Leave season 2 features five sketches save for episode 4 which has only three. And that’s because episode 4 is dominated by a near 10-minute epic called “Calico Cut Pants.” In many ways, Calico Cut Pants is the platonic ideal of an ITYSL sketch. It takes place in a nightmarish world where every bizarre action only leads to an even more bizarre reaction. Nothing ever cools down. There is always something stranger on the horizon.

In this instance, Mike O’Brien (longtime SNL writer and the creator of the terminally underrated comedy A.P. Bio) plays an office drone who enters into a living hell merely because his co-worker helps him out of a mildly annoying social jam. Robinson’s character introduces him to a website that advertises pants with piss stains on them. That’s all well and good but once you know about Calicocutpants.com you Always. Have. To. Give. It’s like PBS, but more demonic. This remarkable sketch includes everything that’s great about this show, right down to characters with inexplicable idiosyncrasies like Tim Robinson’s adamance that doors must always be held open for him.

1. Ghost Tour

The funniest moment in ITYSL season 2 (and maybe the funniest moment in the history of the world) occurs in this sketch. Tim Robinson’s character has been admonished for his potty mouth during a ghost tour over and over again. The tour guide even said he’s ruining his job. But this poor man sincerely cannot understand why he’s in trouble. This is a tour for adults and he’s following the rules by using adult language. Like any good Robinson character, he truly believes that he’s the sane one and it’s the rest of the world that’s taking crazy pills.

So in his darkest moment, the man musters up his strength through tears and delivers the following query:

“Not trying to be funny. Not trying to get a laugh. I don’t want anybody to have the worst day at their job. But. Do any of these….fuckers….ever blast out of the wall and have, like a huge cum shot?”

Cue: riotous, damn near apocalyptic laughter. What a treasure and blessing this whole show is.

I Think You Should Leave season 2 is available to stream on Netflix now.

The post I Think You Should Leave Season 2: Ranking Every Sketch appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3yCWxMF

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

[trash-the-tozier]

The Girl Reading This

Title: The Girl Reading This

Length: ~3.9k words

Summary: Now that she’s in high school, Hopper decides Eleven deserves to have a cell phone. But a cell phone comes with the internet, and it gives El a plethora of new questions, so Memelord Lucas Sinclair decides to take her under his wing. 

Warnings: cursing, old memes

A/N: I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I just wanted a fic of Lucas and Eleven being friends, and it somehow turned into a psuedo 5 times fic feat. memes. I exist to make myself laugh, but hopefully it’ll make you laugh too.  also posted on ao3 here

Hopper both loved and hated the idea of getting Eleven a cell phone. He was used to hiding her away, keeping her as secretive as possible, but a cell phone meant the internet. Everything could be found by anyone on the internet, including his daughter (she was his daughter now, god, he always had to do a double take on his life when remembering that). But she needed to be a normal teenager. He wanted her to have a good, normal high school experience, and he knew that meant getting her a smartphone. But knowing he could always contact her did appease him a bit, and the Find My Phone feature that Joyce told him about was a plus.

Eleven was thrilled by the gift. She’d already played around with her friends’ phones, beaten all of their high scores on the games they had (though Lucas insisted that using her powers on Crossy Road was definitely cheating), and figured out things like text messages and Snapchat. But she couldn’t wait to have her own phone, mostly because that meant she could talk to Mike whenever she wanted.

“No calling that boy after ten at night.” Hopper had told her, letting her open the box it came in on her own. She just gave a little nod, beaming ear to ear, and he couldn’t help but smile as he watched her power the device on, practically bouncing in her seat. Hopper added his number into her phone, made sure she did the same for him, and made sure she had her number memorized before he consented to letting her go out. She practically ran to the Wheelers' house, letting herself into the basement as usual.

“El!” Mike exclaimed, surprised but happy to see her, smiling and getting to his feet.

“I have a phone!” She told him happily, brandishing the cell phone at him. It had a large screen and a sparkly blue and gold case, Mike looking it over and nodding appreciatively.

“It's pretty.” He said. She gave him a look.

“You like pretty things.” She told him, almost accusingly.

“Everybody does!” He defended, and El laughed. He looked at her again, as though the word had reminded him all over again that she was there. “Also, hi.”

“Hi.” She responded, and he leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek. He still blushed a little when he kissed her, and she liked that.

“Let me give you our friends' phone numbers.” Mike said, picking his own phone up off the couch, flopping down on the piece of furniture. Eleven followed suit, resting her head against his shoulder. “Open up the icon of a little person. That's the contacts.”

Between Lucas's explanation of what an icon was (there was Beyonce and Bill Nye, whom she loved, but also someone named Smashmouth, whom she found annoying) and Dustin's explanation of dwarves after a Dragons in Dungeons game one afternoon, Eleven wasn't exactly sure of what “little person icon” was supposed look like. She was expecting something much more exciting than the head and shoulders of a humanoid shape when Mike tapped it, and felt a bit disappointed.

“Put Will's name on that line.” He told her, pointing. “And this is his phone number. He always has his volume turned all the way up, so unless he's sleeping or he's drawing or something, he'll always text you back.”

El nodded, typing out a message.

I got a phone.

“Make sure you say who it's from.” Mike said quickly, her thumb hovering over the 'send’ button. “He doesn't know what your number is yet.”

I got a phone from El.

The response was pretty quick.

From: Will Great! Now we can talk whenever you want!

She nodded a bit. Lucas didn't find the message quite so clear.

From: Lucas Mike? Your girlfriend got you a cell phone?

To: Lucas No it's from Dad it's from Hopper.

From: Lucas Your father-in-law got you a cell phone?

Mike blushed bright red and snatched the device out of her hands, correcting and clearing the air. Max sent back two exclamation points and a smiley face, and Dustin found the news exciting enough to hop on his bike and make his way to Mike's house. It was nice to have someone as excitable as Dustin to share her happiness with, El reminded all over again of how fantastic he was. He added her to a number of ongoing group chats, then began downloading an app onto her phone.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Mike asked quickly.

“Twitter.” Dustin answered. “We've gotta make her one.”

“What's she going to use it for?” Mike asked back. He looked slightly uneasy. “ I'm not sure Hopper would be okay with this.”

“It's just Twitter.” Dustin waved his fears away easily. “Besides, Max answers tweets better than she answers texts, unless it's stupid Lucas. You want one, right El?”

Completely clueless, Eleven nodded and Dustin beamed. He made her account, set everything up, and tried to show her how to use it.

El didn't really understand Twitter but she still liked it, scrolling through the app to see the various thoughts her friends had throughout the day. Max tweeted the most, Lucas a close second, though a lot of what he did was called retweeting. It was always pictures with words that seemed out of context, or didn't make much sense. Finally, in the middle of a Mortal Kombat tournament, she had to ask.

“Lucas?”

“Yeah?

“Who is…” She squinted at the screen, saying the words slowly to make sure she got them right. “Who is the girl reading this?”

The question took a moment to register, but when it finally did the entire basement exploded in laughter. Their reaction was amusing enough to make her smile, but it didn't answer her question, so she waited.

“It's just a meme.” Lucas said.

“Meme?”

“It's you.” Mike told her. “You're the one that read it, aren't you?”

“But I'm not…” She read the tweet again. “I'm not a badass bitch.”

“You totally are.” Dustin said, and she frowned.

“I'm bad?”

“Oh my god Mike, your girlfriend is adorable.”

They explained badass to her first, and she nodded in understanding.

“But what's meme?”

They all turned to Lucas, since it was his tweet that started this whole conversation in the first place. None of his explanations made any sense, and after attempt number four, he gave up.

“Just come over to my house tomorrow, if you want. I’ll teach you.”  

Always eager to learn, El nodded.

Lucas didn’t understand why he was nervous to have Eleven come over to his house. Maybe because she never had, really. Not on her own, at least. They didn’t talk much one-on-one, with just the two of them. There was always some mediator, some Dustin, Mike, or even Max to fill the silence or continue the conversation. Not this time though. He told himself it was stupid. He would risk his life for hers, and had actually done so on multiple occasions; he shouldn’t feel weird about her being in his living room and yet here he was, rubbing his hands together as he sat on the couch and waiting for her to come to the door.

When she arrived she had her oversized overalls on, a notebook tucked under her arm, and a pen tucked behind her ear, just barely sticking out through her mass of curly hair. Her expression was determined, and he laughed a little.

“I know I said I would teach you, but I didn’t really mean it. You didn’t need to bring a notebook and everything. It’s kinda just something dumb.”

“It makes you laugh.” El insisted. “Not dumb.”

She smiled at him a little, and he clapped his hands together. It was time to do the impossible: explain the senseless jokes of the internet to a girl that had lived in isolation so completely that her name was a number. Okay. He went to his laptop, sitting open on the coffee table, and started his powerpoint presentation.

“This first one is easy.” He said. “It’s a picture that’s just funny on its own, and there are a bunch of different kinds. His… His name is Pepe, and he’s weird. Just a warning.”

“...Pepe.” El repeated. “Okay.”

Lucas moved the powerpoint forward to the next slide, the classic Pepe picture staring back at them. El screeched in laughter, clapping her hands over her mouth and collapsing into giggles on the couch. Lucas laughed in incredulity, having never heard her make that sound before, looking down at her. Her bangs were almost completely covering her face, but he could see that her eyes were closed as she laughed.

“I told you he’s weird!” He insisted, and she shook her head a little, letting her hands drop into her lap, one on each thigh.

“Just… Mouthbreathers call Mike ‘frog face’.” She said, giggling again when Lucas’s mouth fell open.

“You think Wheeler looks like Pepe?!”

“No, no!” She waved her hand desperately, shaking her head more. “Big eyes, that’s all.”

Lucas was too far gone. It was too funny. He had to tweet about it--@ RangerLuke: this just in, @mikeypaladin ‘s girlfriend thinks he looks like pepe --before attempting to explain what context Pepe was used in, which was nearly every context, and moved on. They skipped over Slenderman, because that was a little too close to the demogorgon. Evil Kermit was difficult to explain.

“Talking to yourself, but bad?”

“You know!” He tried to think of a situation she could relate to. “Like… When you’re supposed to be doing something, but you’d rather do something else, kind of.”

She sat there for a moment, then her eyes widened.

“The dishes.” She murmured.

“Were you supposed to do the dishes?” He asked, amused, and she nodded a little. A couple of hours and way too many old memes later, Lucas deemed El internet ready. Or, as ready as he could make her. Then he released her into the world.

Dustin’s favorite group chat was ‘fuckbois and the fuckfather’, which had The Party and Steve in it. It was used mainly for shit-talking Billy and getting advice on girls, despite El and Max also being in it (usually with Max rebutting all of the tips Steve gave them). El hadn’t yet said anything, though she did read just about every message sent. Dustin figured it was just because, while friendly when they did see each other, Eleven didn’t know Steve like the rest of them did. Then one day, out of the blue, she sent them all a picture.

It was her, the sun on her face, beaming. She had her arm around the shaggiest dog Dustin had ever seen, a boot in the corner that Dustin figured must belong to Hopper, clearly the photographer.

From: The Mage Lucas!! Is this doge?

From: The Zoomer el omg ur so cute

From: The Ranger ...yes, El. Sure. That’s a doge.

Over the next couple of weeks, whenever Eleven saw a dog, she would point and say “Doge!” with the excitement to match a kid in a candy shop. If none of them were around, she would send them a picture of the dog, with herself also in it if the owner allowed. It made for a rather adorable collection. Their most recent addition was a photo Will took, El holding up that was possibly the smallest, fluffiest poodle puppy Dustin had ever seen, getting a lick on the nose.

From: The Cleric El wants everyone to know that she found another doge.

Less than a minute later, Mike sent him a text; not to the group chat, just to Dustin himself.

From: The Paladin ...dustin, i’m in love with her.

“Do you know how to braid?” Max asked, and Eleven shook her head. “Well, do you want to learn? I’ve got a bunch of hair to practice on.” She tugged on her fiery locks. It was already damaged enough by years of forgetting to add conditioner that nothing El could do would hurt it, and it had been yanked on so many times that her scalp wasn’t sensitive anymore. Eleven smiled and nodded, thanking Max quickly.

It felt a little weird for Max, who had always considered herself such a tomboy, to be teaching Eleven things like hair styles. Usually Mike’s fancy sister Nancy did that stuff. But Max knew how to braid, the style an easy and practical way to keep her hair out of her face, so she’d taught herself. It wouldn’t be too hard to teach El too, and it would probably be useful; those curls were getting a little rowdy.

It was nearing midnight, the two of them getting giggly as they sat on Max’s bed and talked about nothing in particular. After a rocky start, a few explanations, and a few apologizes, Max was glad to have Eleven as her friend. It was good to get away from the stupid boys sometimes. They had sleepovers every other weekend, alternating houses at first, but Hopper looked as awkward around her as she felt around him, so their sleepover location had more or less been permanently moved to her place.

“What happened?” El asked quietly, Max jumping a bit. Always in disregard of personal space, El had paused in her third attempt at braiding and was looking incredibly closely at her head, near the top of her cheekbone. Then El poked her, and she winced. “Hurt?”

“Oh, that.” Max leaned away a little, swallowing, wanting Eleven to please stop looking at the bruise on the side of her face. She’d been covering it with some of her mom’s makeup, but they’d washed their faces and brushed their teeth an hour ago, and she’d forgotten about it. “It’s nothing.”

Usually, Max was good at lying. But it was hard to lie to El, and maybe it was late, but she felt a bit choked up. Eleven fixed her with a look.

“Max.” She insisted.

“Yeah, friends, and all that.” Max frowned, getting from her bed to examine the injury more closely in her mirror. It had faded a good amount, the blues and purples replaced by ugly greens and faint yellows. “Billy shoved me into a dresser a couple of days ago.”

Billy left her and her friends alone for the most part, but still got in a cheap shot where he could. After hearing about El making the school bully Troy pee himself, Max desperately wished Eleven would give Billy what was coming to him, too. Like drop a set of bleachers on him, or something. El frowned.

“Shoved you?”

“He swears it was an accident, and it wasn’t worth it to argue with him.” Max shrugged and sighed, sitting heavily back onto the bed. She didn’t want to talk about this anymore. She didn’t want to cry in front of El. “He’s an asshole.”

El wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders, soft and warm in her set of spotted cotton pajamas.

“He’s Walmart.” She said. Her tone was incredibly serious, feeling in complete contradiction the words coming out of her mouth. “You’re Chanel, Max.”

Max couldn’t help it, beginning to giggle, resting her head against El’s.

“Thanks.”  

From: El He’s right though it is late.

To: El yeah

Mike rolled over under his sheets. They’d just both been told off for talking on the phone at 10:30 p.m. on a school night, Hopper first reprimanding El, the taking her cell phone and telling Mike off as well. Then he’d bade him a rather stiff goodnight, and hung up. Surprisingly though, he hadn't taken El’s phone away from her, and they'd simply continued texting. It wasn't as good as hearing her voice, but it was better than nothing. At the same time though, he didn't want to keep her up too late.

To: El go ahead and go to sleep. we'll talk tomorrow.

From: El Yes okay. Hold on though I found this.

She was still typing, so he waited.

From: El This is you

It was a picture, the words on the photo reading “the floor is appreciating your girlfriend”, above an image of a man lying facedown on the floor. Mike knew he should be worried about where on the internet Eleven was going to get photos like this, but the contents of the message had Mike surprised and happy all at once.

To: El you feel like I appreciate you?

From: El Yes

The message was followed by a heart emoji, and suddenly Mike couldn't stop smiling, a familiar warm and happy feeling in his chest (that definitely wasn't heartburn, as Dustin had suggested). He was glad he was managing to be a decent boyfriend, despite the misgivings he occasionally had about not being good enough for someone like her. He wanted then to confess his love to her, but he knew that “I love you” wasn't something you said at near 11:00 p.m. on a Wednesday night through a text message.

To: El that's good, because I really do.

From: El I do too

There was a silent moment of Mike staring at his phone screen, looking at the silly picture that had brought this conversation on before he realized that it really was time for them to go to sleep.

To: El night El, sweet dreams.

From: El Goodnight Mike. You're my favorite person in the world.

Mike felt his heart skip a beat, feeling silly and happy all at once. The urge to tell her rose in him all over again, timing and etiquette be damned, but he knew he wanted to do this right.

To: El I have something I need to tell you tomorrow, alright? don't let me forget.

And the next day, he did. They walked home together like always, Eleven turning to look at him every couple of steps. Finally, a grin on his face, he swung their entwined hands and glanced back.

“Yeah?”

“You have something to tell me.” She reminded him, as though he'd forgotten. As though he could forget this.

“I do.” He agreed. They were close to El’s house, the rest of The Party having branched off to stay in the neighborhood, and now they had nothing but trees all around them. He leaned down, kissing her quickly. She was smiling as he pulled back, and he tucked some hair behind her ear. He felt a jump of nerves in his chest as she looked at him, but shook the feeling off. He wasn’t afraid. He wasn’t expecting anything back from her; he had always been emotionally open and honest with El, and simply wanted her to know.

“I just had to tell you… I love you.”

Her mouth opened a bit as her eyes widened in surprise, her expression reminding him of the first time he had kissed her, the memory making him smile. He saw her searching her mind for something to say, and he waited. Finally, she spoke.

“I’m shook.”

Mike was going to kill Lucas.

“Augh!” Dustin let out an anguished groan, Will sighing and letting his controller fall into his lap. They'd lost their third round of Overwatch in a row, the yells their audience (consisting of a frustrated Lucas, disappointed Max, and annoyed Mike) still ringing in his ears. Dustin was lying flat on his back on the floor, El frowning at the screen.

“You guys suck.” Max said. “Can it be our turn now?”

She held her hand out. Since there was no split screen multiplayer, when they pooled their resources together, only three of them could play Overwatch at a time. Will was ready to give the game up, but Dustin sat up fast.

“No! We have to win at least once.” He insisted. “This isn't about Overwatch. This is about honor.”

“Maybe if you played as a team and stopped leaving El out to dry, she would actually be able to heal you idiots.” Mike pointed out, his eyebrows raised.

“Yeah, Mike?” Dustin was heated. “Maybe your girlfriend just sucks.”

Mike opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Eleven whirled on Dustin.

“What the fuck did you just fucking say about me, you little bitch?”

All mouths dropped. Completely straight-faced, El continued.

“I’ll have you know I graduated top of my class in the Navy Seals, and I’ve been involved in numerous secret raids on Al-Quaeda, and I have over 300 confirmed kills.”

“El--” Mike tried, but Eleven barely stopped to breathe.

“I am trained in gorilla warfare and I’m the top sniper in the entire US armed forces. You are nothing to me but just another target. I will wipe you the fuck out with precision the likes of which has never been seen before on this Earth, mark my fucking words.”

Will had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't actually asleep, though he wasn’t sure if this would be a dream or a nightmare. This was the most he had ever heard Eleven say in his whole life, and by the looks on everyone's faces, they'd never heard her say this much either.

“You think you can get away with saying that shit to me over the Internet? Think again, fucker. As we speak I am contacting my secret network of spies across the USA and your IP is being traced right now so you better prepare for the storm, maggot. The storm that wipes out the pathetic little thing you call your life. You’re fucking dead, kid. I can be anywhere, anytime, and I can kill you in over seven hundred ways, and that’s just with my bare hands.”

“Lucas.” Max's voice was soft with amazement and vague horror. “What did you do to her?”

“Not only am I extensively trained in unarmed combat, but I have access to the entire arsenal of the United States Marine Corps and I will use it to its full extent to wipe your miserable ass off the face of the continent, you little shit.”

The cursing. The cursing. Max had collapsed into a pile of laughter on Lucas's shoulder, who had his cheeks puffed out painfully in an attempt to stay quiet.

“If only you could have known what unholy retribution your little “clever” comment was about to bring down upon you, maybe you would have held your fucking tongue. But you couldn’t, you didn’t, and now you’re paying the price, you goddamn idiot. I will shit fury all over you and you will drown in it.”

“E-Eleven…” Dustin held his hands placating to his chest, but he was grinning, recognizing her words. He’d used the copypasta extensively when it had first began circulating, Will remembered. But Dustin had never gone as far as memorizing it. “I didn't… I didn't mean--”

“You’re fucking dead, kiddo.”

A ringing silence. Mike was staring, blinking, his mouth hanging open, and Will was sure he looked the same way. Dustin was a mix of amused and slightly terrified, and Will didn't blame him. Max was wheezing in an attempt to breathe.

Then El's face broke into a giant smile, practically bouncing in excitement. She turned to Lucas.

“I did it!” She exclaimed happily, beaming. “I did the whole thing!”

That was when Lucas broke, sliding off the couch and onto the floor as he laughed, laughing so hard and for so long that he had tears rolling down his face. That caused El to begin laughing too, and by the end of it they were all giggling.

“That was incredible.” Lucas told her, wiping his eyes and holding out his hand in offer of a high five. Grinning, El accepted it.

#myfic #stranger things #mileven #mileven fic #eleven #lucas sinclair #mike wheeler #dustin henderson #will byers #max mayfield #modern au #listen folks I love period accurate stranger things fic as much as the next person #but let lucas sinclair have memes

[mlstymonsoon]

for the oc ask meme mayhaps numbers 1, 2, 3, 13, and 16? :^D

!!!!!!!! thanks so much 4 asking :’) but im sorry if this reply is late i didnt notice this ask in my inbox until today aaaaa

also this got long. and i ramble abt my ocs a lot so Fair Warning but pls read bc i lov my babies

1. Meanest VS Kindest

i was gonna say arcane or mordecai for this since theyre my Iconic Antagonistic Toons i guess but then i remembered raelynn literally uh. kills toons. so! its gotta be her esp since she rly enjoys what she does for the most part n every so occasion she’ll frame a toon for a crime as an excuse 2 hurt them.

the kindest w/o a doubt is remedy!!……he lives 2 make toons feel better and refuses 2 be on offense in battles bc he doesnt want 2 hurt anyone, even cogs. he knows that puts his battle teams down 1 offense toon but he doesnt care, he’ll believe in his teams v much and he just wants 2 support them 2 keep going

2. Tallest VS Shortest

the tallest overall of my toontown ocs is emrys since hes a cog lol, hes 7′4″ ! my tallest toon currently is arcane at 5′11″ :^0 then my shortest toons are tied at 3′11″ and they are remedy and apple juice :’3 they are kids after all haha

heres a lil height chart w/ the tallest n shortest 4 fun :3c (didnt draw entire new full body pics tho lol im lazy)

it looks like remedy is offering arcane the toon-up and arcane is just like “ughhghgghhhhh” IM LAUGHING

3. Most humble VS Most arrogant

jejune is rlllllly humble tbh n he hardly attempts 2 draw attention to himself, despite being v out-there w/ his limited gags and bright appearance. he takes praise awkwardly n never knows what 2 say bc even just “thank u” seems strained 2 him so he usually just laughs it off and tries 2 slip away. when asked why hes so colorful/why he only carries trap, sound, n drop if he doesnt want attention, jj just shrugs bc he honestly doesnt know himself. sometimes he thinks its bc he deserves 2 feel uncomfortable. on the outside he tries 2 be as chill as possible, tho, and he’ll avoid eye contact w/ random toons constantly

sync’s parents (austere & verity) are definitely the most arrogant. they met by being petty after all asjkhfjkdhkfj not 2 mention they abandoned sync bc they were so obsessed w/ themselves. theres hardly a time verity or austere arent throwing each other under the bus when bragging abt themselves x___x they’ll both fight u if u dare try 2 underestimate them or disregard them n their achievements.

13. Most forgiving VS Most grudgeful

ernestine is probably the most forgiving bc she just wants 2 be able 2 get along w/ others and doesnt wanna have to stress over any potential grudges. they think it takes more energy 2 keep grudges than to not so theyre way likely 2 forgive u if u do smth bad (whether to her or not) ofc theres exceptions tho like w/ friends and family ernie may resent u 4 a long time depending on what happens. when they do hold grudges, its always over rly big things like…. ernie hates arcane bc when they recently met arcane once started a physical fight w/ monique and ernie was there so frantically she tried to get arcane 2 stop but they just hit her away. the attack was impulsive so some other toons saw and broke it off before reporting arcane but needless 2 say ernie was Pissed n monique had some injuries

the most grudgeful is ever so obviously mordecai, given that her life is focused around her grudge on monique 4 ruining her life as she sees it. even before then she was rather skeptical to others n always noted mentally of the times these individual toons would run into her or such. its the small petty things that would be what she used for a lot of her judgements. and in the end this grudge on monique goes as far as 2 essentially become her downfall

16. Most secretive VS Most open

arcane is rly untrusting due 2 their past feeling so fabricated and plus bc they didnt grow up around toons. they never feel truly comfortable telling any toon abt their past or even just general stuff about themself bc they know theyre different and dont like that about themself. if ppl ask abt their past arcane usually says they were a slow learner bc they got gags way later than most toons as well as the gags they had 2 earn w/ xp. they’ll only be willing 2 open up if they can tell the other person very likely will be empathetic (like w/ mordecai she mentions disliking toons and understanding cogs more, which arcane feels similarly)…………i wrote this abt arcane then thought abt raelynn whos also rly rly secretive for….. p obvious reasons like gotta cover up that murdering lifestyle yea….. uh so thought id mention her since its Quite Significant how secretive she is too lol. if she was open in the slightly she’d almost definitely get erased (how id imagine they refer 2 execution but its p damn rare)

so 4 most open um!! id say capsaicin bc hes always willing 2 speak his mind and tend 2 give out Too Much Information when its rly unneeded lol……. its part of his desire to be unpredictable and an overall wild dude!! tho it uh backfires a lot on him bc well lots of toons dont appreciate his comments and some even say “hes not unpredictable bc i can predict that he will try to be unpredictable.” it rly stresses him out if he overthinks how others view him negatively but he tries 2 ignore it by continuing 2 find out whatever he can say 2 others so they can be astounded

#mo answers #scrupuloussnollygoster #my toons #raelynn #remedy #arcane #jejune #verity #austere #ernestine #mordecai #capsaicin #man i mention a lot of my toons damn #if anything doesnt make complete sense i apologize #mo quacks #my art

[meridianrose]

This is a multiday post, under the cut are my entries for Day 1 - 8

Day 1 Why you're participating in Snowflake

Day 2 Favourite memory about fandom (Legend of the Seeker, People's Palace, landcomms)

Day 3 Rec fanworks you did not create (5 x au fics in 5 fandoms)

Day 4 Create a fannish wishlist (more comments for everyone, be nicer, create more, I can haz art pls)

Day 5 Rec a fannish or creative resource (scripts, screencaps and promo pics, image hosting)

Day 6 Leave feedback (I'm always doing the thing)

Day 7 Create a love meme (please leave comments/gifs)

Day 8 Share a piece of canon (Starz shows and how I fell truly in love during S2 moments, Da vinci's Demons, Black Sails)

  Day 1 In your own space, talk about why you're participating in Snowflake and, if you’ve participated in the past, how the challenge has affected you. What drew you to it? What did you take away from it? I'm assisting with mod duties this year and this is what I wrote for my introduction there: I've been in fandom a long time. I've seen some good changes and some not so good. Lately in some places there's been a lot of negativity in fandom and overall it seems there's been a steady decline in interaction. For me fandom is about the joy of connecting with other fans, discussing, creating, consuming - and also commenting on fanworks of all kinds. I'm hoping Snowflake Challenge will give us all a positive boost and encourage us to focus on the good and to rediscover the community side of fandom. And because I'm assisting with mod duties I'm seeing a lot more of the content being produced and its amazing and heartwarming to see people sharing their personal stories and how fandom has helped them, talking about their passions, sharing their favourite fandoms and resources and fanworks. It's wonderful to see so many journal entries and activity! Day 2 In your own space, share a favorite memory about fandom: the first time you got into fandom, the last time a fanwork touched your heart, crazy times with fellow fans (whether on-line or off-line), a lovely comment you’ve received or have left for someone. Legend of the Seeker. This is one of my longer and more active fandoms. The peoplespalace was where I felt very welcomed and encouraged and I wrote a lot of fanworks and participated in a lot of the activities there. I miss the Darken/Cara/Rahl family side of the fandom a lot. There was also legendland a landcomm which ran for many years – we even had a reunion battle last year which was nice! I wrote so much fic, made icons and other graphics, even fanvids. I tried to do every challenge where possible. I was on Team Cara for the longest time. Cara, Darken, Zedd were always my favourites ;) Before legendland there was whedonland and again I felt part of something there. It pretty much saved my life a couple of times. These days there's gameofcards and it's fun and I encourage everyone to check it out, but the more specific fandom landcomms seemed to make for more tight-knit teams and I miss them. Day 3 In your own space, post recs for at least three fanworks that you did not create. There are so many things I could rec! But I'll pick 5 AU fics from 5 different fandoms to spread the love a little Side by Side – Cormoran Strike http://archiveofourown.org/works/12036537 Fantasy au that ends in Strike/Robin, highly recommended. Murder – Dark Matter http://archiveofourown.org/works/12000579 College au based around an actual tradition of a game called "murder". As Glory Turns to Dust – Hamilton http://archiveofourown.org/works/11359656 Modern au with magic. Hamilton is cursed to be forgotten, leaving him alone in the world except, briefly, for Jefferson. Warning this is a fantastic fic but a sad ending. There is however a linked sequel by another author to put things right :) Skin Full of Lies – Black Sails http://archiveofourown.org/works/7570540 Soulmate au Silverflint "Every lie your soulmate tells you appears on your skin. Between outward lies, manipulations and stories told the crew John Silver's ink quite quickly takes over most of James' body." a gift fic for me, The Princess' Bodyguard – The Shannara Chronicles http://archiveofourown.org/works/13113129 pre-canon au in which Eretria is Amberle's bodyguard. One-shot but with potential for more, strong hints of Eretria/Amberle Day 4 In your own space, create a fannish wishlist. No limits on size or type of fanwork; just tell us what you’d like to see. Can we please do as most people asked on their fannish wishlist for day 4 and leave more comments? Can we journal more and create more? Can we rediscover the joy of fandom and stop with the "anti" behaviour? Please. More specifically for me, art for fics is always welcome. (I have a transformative work statement at LJ/DW and AO3 and have had translations of my work and podfic which are lovely!) In particular for my sfbb fic Bad Case of Loving You. I've got beautiful artwork for most of my sfbb fics, the DvD fics in particular. For sfbb I provide pinterest boards to help with resources and generally try to help artists out, as I did here. This is a Black Sails modern au medical drama with Silver/Flint/Miranda and Silver&Max and it was a labour of love and I'm still amazed I managed to write the thing. However it seemed to be cursed. My first beta dropped out. My first artist dropped out. My second artist swore they were ready to go then didn't post, then after the fest posted a basic stock photo+text "cover". *sigh* I made my own art in the end, banner and mini picspam for the tumblr promo post but I'm an amateur artist. Day 5 Recommend a fannish or creative resource. Springfield!Springfield! has movie and tv episode scripts. kiss them goodbye has a huge amount of screencap galleries. farfarawaysite has a smaller amount of pictures but tends to have high quality promotional pictures. Cloudinary is the site I'm using for image hosting since the photobucket debacle. Day 6 Leave feedback for a fanwork. Or multiple fanworks. It can be as simple as I liked this to a detailed list of all the things you loved about the fanwork. The key is to leave some sort of feedback. If you've already left feedback in the course of a previous challenge, it totally counts. But you're free to leave more feedback. My new year's resolution last year was to leave a comment on every fanfic, hosted on AO3, over 100 words, that I finished reading. (I needed some parameters; this doesn't mean I didn't leave comments at LJ/DW or on drabbles because I did, on occasion). I did the thing. I read a little less than usual. I noped out of more fics. But the fics I read and finished got a comment. I'm going to try and keep doing that. I've already left comments on some fics this year. My additional resolution for this year is to write down more of my ideas. Having plot ideas or dialogues while showering or in bed is one thing, but if I don't write/type at least the basics up, I forget them partially or entirely when I try to write the thing weeks or months later. Day 7: In your own space, create a love meme for yourself. Let people tell you how amazing and awesome and loveable you really are Come and tell me how amazing I am ;) Seriously though, I'm working on being more positive and telling myself I'm worthwhile, I deserve more, I am achieving more. But it always helps when other people are backing that up. Drop me a gif in the comments if that's easier, gifs are like greeting cards for saying the things we don't know how to otherwise express. Day 8 In your own space, share a favourite piece of original canon (a TV episode, a song, a favourite interview, a book, a scene from a movie, etc) and explain why you love it so much. My love of Starz shows seems to kick off in second seasons. For Da Vinci's Demons in S2e04 – starts around here: https://youtu.be/cQi4xjrBmgI?t=11m27s This is the moment I fell in love with younger!hotter!Riario, aka Blake Ritson in a wig, because hair kink. But also the moment I finally liked Lucrezia too, seeing her devotion to her sister. If you want me to like a character, have them adore and protect their little sister, if you want me to hate them, have them throw little sis under the bus. Riario tries to spare both girls, succeeds in saving only one, and his grief is evident as he speaks with a heartbroken Lucrezia. This scene changed how I felt about both Riario and Lucrezia and thus about the show and my fannish involvement. Similarly this humorous moment changed my feelings about Silver and SilverFlint in the opening episode of S2 Black Sails : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIt9u7CkBf0 when Silver completely misunderstands the plan and volunteers for a risky mission. This tumblr post shows what happens next: http://alightabovethearbys.tumblr.com/post/168194826519 It's even better later when they get on board, leading to Flint's exasperated "Well what the fuck did you think was going to happen?" You can see some gifs from all those Silverflint moments in S2 here: http://jolinarofmalkshur.tumblr.com/post/168381696381/john-silver-appreciation-week-day-6-favorite

#snowflakechallenge2018 #black sails #da vinci's demons #fandom #the shannara chronicles #hamilton #strike #legendland #whedonland #peoplespalace #nostalgia #younger hotter riario #silverflint #starz

[solatgif]

THANK GOD IT’S FRIDAY: WEEKEND ROUNDUP FOR AUGUST 2, 2019

Following up on Hannah Chao’s article, Burdens and Truth: Inspired by “The Farewell,” this week we shared excerpts from two essays from Fred Mok and Heidi Tai on Telling Our Stories of Asian American immigrants and their families. Contribute your own essay about your immigrant family by emailing us at [email protected].

Many articles are being written regarding Joshua Harris’ divorce and his claim to no longer be a Christian. You can read On Caution and Keeping: Friends Reflect on Joshua Harris’s Deconversion by Kevin DeYoung and The Tragedy of Joshua Harris: Sobering Thoughts for Evangelicals by Albert Mohler.

I was at FCBC Walnut’s young adult retreat last weekend when I heard about Joshua Harris. I discussed the news with Pastor Hanley Liu on our Walnut Commentary podcast. Listen on YouTube, Spotify, or Podcasts, and send us your feedback or ask us your questions by tweeting me @musicgoon or emailing me at [email protected].

LINK ROUNDUP

1. Jen Yamato: Bruce Lee’s family calls ‘Once Upon a Time’ ‘a mockery.’ Is it insult or homage?

“In Quentin Tarantino’s Tinseltown fantasia “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood,” Bruce Lee faces off with Brad Pitt’s fictional stuntman Cliff Booth in a scene that some say makes fun of the martial arts icon.”

2. ChinaSource: China's Earliest Known Hymn

“Hymns and Christian worship have a long and rich history in China. This article from Gospel Times details the first known hymn in China, dating from Nestorian missionaries during the Tang dynasty.”

3. Frank Shyong: The Workers Who Make Korean Barbecue Possible Deserve Better

Writer Frank Shyong, via Twitter: “I wrote about Korean bbq, the enclave economy and all the widespread, long standing illegal labor practices that make our food cheap and our restaurants plentiful.”

4. Jen Wilkin: On Daughters and Dating: How to Intimidate Suitors

SOLA Editorial Board member Daniel K. Eng tweeted about this article: “Leadership is not about the strong looking for weaker people to lead. It’s about the humble looking for those whose strengths offset their weaknesses and complement their strengths. Strong leaders surround themselves with strong people, not with weak ones.”

5. Christina Xu: Bullet Time

“[Bullet comments] represent the essence of Chinese internet culture: fast-paced and impish, playfully collaborative, thick with rapidly evolving inside jokes and memes. They are a social feature beloved by a generation known for being antisocial. And most importantly, they allow for a type of spontaneous, cumulative, and public conversation between strangers that is increasingly rare on the Chinese internet.”

WEEKEND RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Albert Mohler: The Briefing

Albert Mohler starts the fall season of my favorite podcast providing a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview. The first episode features commentary on Joshua Harris and purity culture, as well as Dr. Lena Wen and Planned Parenthood.

2. Tabletalk Magazine: Columns from August 2019

“The August issue of Tabletalk looks at several commonly misunderstood passages in the Bible, asking the question, What does that verse really mean?”

3. FCBC Walnut: Looking Up To Christian Leaders with Pastor Hanley

After returning from our young adult retreat, we discuss Joshua Harris, purity culture, and looking up to Christian leaders. Listen on YouTube, Spotify, or Podcasts.

FROM SOLA

1. SOLA Network: Telling Our Stories: Taiwanese Immigrants and Chinese Refugees

“Asian immigrant stories have been more prevalent with the rise of mainstream films like Crazy Rich Asians and The Farewell. However these stories are not foreign for many of us who've grown up surrounded by the immigrant experiences of our parents and grandparents. And yet, there is still much of their stories we do not know.”

2. Ben Shin: The Venue & the Guest List: The AA Guide to Premarital Counseling (Part 2)

“I want to examine two Asian dynamics that influence the upcoming wedding ceremony — the honor-shame dynamic and the concept of collectivist thinking — and how they might play out in wedding preparations. [...]This cultural practice is prevalent not only in different Eastern cultures today but was also prevalent during biblical times and seen in many occasions.”

3. Patreeya Prasertvit: The Glory of the Small Things

“Most of our time is spent in the smallness of life. In the small, God prepares in us a faithfulness that can persist in the big moments of tragedy, that can choose wisely in the big decisions, and that can withstand the allure of success. And small faithfulness is not sexy. It doesn’t often make the headlines.”

4. Jiwon J. Lee: Gen Z: Search for Treasure in a Scattered World

“We must battle with Gen Z in the arena of value and worth. [We] must talk about why pursuits like money, education, and career are good and why our eyes desire them. But we must also show why these good things ultimately fall short of Christ. We must communicate why choosing Christ is better in this fading world.”

5. Thank God It’s Friday: Weekend Roundup

In case you missed it, here are the highlights from last week: Burdens and Truth: Inspired by “The Farewell,” 10 Easy Ways to Blow Your Influence as a Worship Leader, The Asian American Guide to Premarital Counseling: Part 1, and Can You Be a Christian Fashion Influencer?