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hollowmossart · 3 years

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Alright I don’t know what prompted this. It’s 11:06 at night, although time is fake so who knows. General TW/CW for mentions of violence and such. It’s fanfiction. side note: these are all fictions I find while scrolling Ao3 that I get stronger reactions to the tags or description from! If any of these are yours and you do not want them here, please message me and tell me

This will also include my reaction to the fan fictions but entirely judging the book my it’s cover (in this case, tags, fandoms, and descriptions) on whether I would read/have read or not. If I’ve read it, there will be a rating/recommendation

-Assimilate by AlacrityAbound-

•words: 2,882•

Rating: Incomplete, Teen+, M/M, Graphic Depictions of Violence

Description:

”He saved them all, he had to remember that. He had saved everyone from this terrible fate, from the life he now had to live. They didn’t understand, would never understand, nor would they know the lengths their Voice would go to protect them.”

H-huh??? No no no this sounds painful.

Tags:

“The smiling god”

oh no

”hurt and very little comfort”

EXCUSE ME? PLEASE NO

”believeinasmilingcecil”

OKAY LISTEN. IVE WRITTEN THIS BEFORE. IVE COSPLAYED THIS BEFORE. BUT F-CK THIS AU LMAO

”betrayal”

um. to whom,, may i ask??

Will I be reading this?

Maybe if I grow to a point of numb where I turn to Strex!Cecil in order to feel? Maybe if I just need to cry.

-Dinner Break by StarshipRangerBoyWonder-

Rating: Completed, M/M, General Aud.

•words: 1,717•

Description:

"Cecil’s in desperate need of some food. Lucky for him, Carlos comes to the rescue."

Firstly, this sounds like sm-t, though it’s not marked as being such. I do have to note, one of the fandoms listed, along with the obvious WNTV, is. McDonalds..? Is there actually a fandom?? Secondly, Carlos to the rescue.

Tags:

”Cecil/Chicken Nuggets”

Please.. please tell me this is not a ship. This can’t be right??? Wot?? I’m scared mom come pick me up. I need Carlos and Martin(tma) and my boyfriend in a cuddle pile with me right now.

”duck”

..duck goose?

”Kentucky does not exist” “I repeat” “Kentucky” “does” “Not” “exist”

Gotcha! Makes perfect sense! thank you night vale

Will I be reading this?

likely.. not. the tags mixed with the description have me in fear of my brain cells. i have so few left.

-Absolutely Facinating, Scientifically Speaking, by zombified_queer

Rating: Completed , Teen+, M/M

•words: 584•

Description:

"Carlos was just out doing some shopping when he just about had a heart attack. Still, it was facinating, scientifically speaking."

To be fair, without the tags this one would not have caught my eyes, however, the tags are as follows:

Tags:

"Earl Harlan is a merman"

Okay... Go on..?

"The aquatic hamster ball"

Firstly, huh? I think I have been in one of these. It leaked and got my jeans wet. Secondly, really weird deja vu right there.

"Earl is loosely based on the zebra turkeyfish"

..The what now? DId I miss a few episodes or--

Will I read this?

It is relatively short for my liking, however, I have extrmely curious. I've read the works of this fandom and I've seen just how weird it can be. I might.

A remembrance of strange things, by Pseudothyrum

Rating: Completed, M/M, General Aud.

•words: 630•

Description:

"There isn't enough coffee in the world to deal with Night Vale"

Me reading some of the tags/descriptions of fanfiction at what is now 11:57pm on a Monday. Giving off the vibes of a Cecil POV.

Tags:

"wall tentacles"

... what? yknow.. its not as strange as it could be..

"crack"

ah a crack fic. that last tag is a bit less concerning now.

"definitely not ghosts"

hey uhh i think they're might actually be ghosties.

"blood"

did i accidently find a hannibal x will fic.

Will I read this?

Again, it is super short, so I likely won't. I gotta point out, most wtnv fanfiction would be considered crack fic by any other fandom, so this fandom's idea of 'crack fic' concerns me. I might check it out. Not super high on my look out.

-Endless Wedge, by the_angst_alchemist

Rating: Major Ch. Death, M/M, complete

•words: 1,397•

Description:

"Years have passed since that snowfall way back when, and Carlos can still recall every second when he wasn't able to say those words to the man he cared about. So in order to keep that broken voice preserved in his mind, he's kept his own voice quiet."

..Oh wow. Ow. This one caught my eye with tags that made me giggle, but a caption that made me well aware I will cry upon reading it. The description suggests it is well written, I want to even say beautiful. It also hurts because how dare you make Carlos sad?

Tags:

"Carlos doesn't cope well with death"

:( baby no its okay (Have I mentioned I'm a simp?)

"Cecil doesn't cope well with being dead"

I think that's the general consensus of the public, Ceec

"endless wedge"

Sounds like this is describing an emotion? Maybe the wedge of pain in my heart when I read this.

Will I read this?

Oh no doubt in my wee brain. I wish to hurt this good please. It seems amazingly written judging solely on the description, and has a decent amount of words for my liking! I will update when I have read it. I just noticed it's a part two, so I might have even more pain to bear first.

I will update this post when I go through more! It's currently 12:25AM on 12/01/20 on a god damned Tuesday why did I hyperfixate on this for an hour and a half.

#welcome to night vale #wtnv #wtnv fanfiction #welcome to night vale fanfiction #fanfiction #ao3 #archive of our own #fanfiction reaction #cecil palmer #cecil gershwin palmer #carlos the scientist

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nowondershewantsrevenge · 4 years

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audrey + sea three live in a seaside castle goodnight and goodluck part one

leaf me alone im gay n yearning and my mind is flourishing even though im supposed to be working on my fifty followers mini celebration for my main but whateva

anyways hcs r under the cut enjoy

this starts when audrey accidentally overhears mal talking about splitting up gangs from the isle to keep the peace

audrey is so pissed at this because her and uma are friends now and she knows how much her crew means to her

well, uma and her sit close to each other in any class they have (not really on purpose) and they don’t talk that much during school, but the two of them frequent this quaint little restaurant for studying that smells like fish and fried potatoes (which drives audrey insane but she needs friends right now and uma is turning out to be a very good one) when they are there, they talk about a variety of topics. audrey is almost always choking over her words because everything she says has to be picked apart in her mind to make sure she isn’t as boring as she used to be. but uma doesn’t care, and it makes audrey’s heart light up to know that she can count on uma not hiding behind a smoke screen (she couldn’t always rely on that from her old friends)

anyways, she doesn’t go in there (because princesses don’t eavesdrop and mal doesn’t get to know she accidentally did) and she immediately goes to uma instead, practically breathless after almost-running to uma’s dorm that she shared with one of the other pirates (desiree maybe?)

uma, gil, and harry were there and she had a hard time talking to boys because according to her grandmother she was ‘out of practice’

so she stutters out an explanation to follow the confused look on uma’s face, which turns into a rather angry one and audrey’s heart pangs in the slight fear that she said something wrong.

however, uma takes notice of this and her face turns back to neutral, but audrey can practically feel the anger radiating off of her.

harry is ready to beat a bitch up, and gil will do whatever harry and uma tell him to so everyone’s on edge, audrey more so because of nerves.

‘she’s almost queen, you can’t stop her.’ is what audrey says to try and stop them from exposing her for accidental eaves dropping.

‘yeah well there’s no way in hell i’m letting her take my crew away from me. nobody will be too happy about that, trust me auds it won’t be just us.’

following immediately after her tiny speech, uma had stormed into the office that had mal in it and gave her a (colorfully languaged) piece of her mind with harry and gil following suite

audrey stood near the doorway, and was bordering the feeling of being left out and the need to leave struck her quickly. but lucky for her, the second she moved her foot harry turned around with a look that made her stay.

so she stayed of course, but only to leave disappointed trailing after a rage filled uma after mal’s half ass explanation for safety.

it takes approximately nine minutes of uma’s ranting before audrey speaks up so quietly she can barely hear herself, ‘i have a place you could stay,’

and she’s met with silence so she continues, ‘i inherited a castle, it’s on the water, and if you wanted to could live there and go to school here, it’s not far.’

uma blinks, ‘that’s the most extra gift i’ve ever heard of.’

audrey tries to cover it up, ‘don’t think of it as a gift, it’s just like the dorms here, but more private.’ if she squints she swears that she can see the ghost of a smile quirk at uma’s lips.

the floorboards creak and suddenly there’s a warm tan hand on her shoulder, she looks up to see gil looking at uma with a face a child would give their mother when they see a lost puppy.

harry is sitting next to uma as she nods to the boy behind her, ‘fine, but you have to come with us, if it’s really not a gift.’

she gulps, swallowing her nerves, ‘alright, that’s fair’

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darkficsyouneveraskedfor · 5 years

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Indecent

This is a dark!Loki and OC fic. It will contain noncon content amd possibly other senstive matters. Please mind the trigger warnings.

Note: I posted this months ago on ao3. I've had a recent wave of people asking to continue. So I've decided to post it here and see if it's worth carrying on.

Please let me know what you think and please reblog if you can.

Summary: Sigorna must save her brother after he is caught cheating at a gambling house.

Sigorna was sat on her front step, chiselling a hunk of jade into a perfect tear drop. Next she would twist silver around it and attach it to a chain. Another bobble to add to her wares. They were simple adornments but they sold well. Affordable, but attractive. Besides, peasants didn’t need elaborate jewelry, not like those nobles who spent their days judging each other by the cut of their fur and the girth of their gems. It all seemed so trivial to those who lived coin to coin.

Something was amiss. Giermund never spoke to Sigorna. She saw him near every day but it was rare he ever paid her any heed. It was better that way. The few words they had exchanged were sharp, if not heated. She couldn’t understand why her brother, Audun, spent his time with such an oaf. He had a nose for mischief, always finding a new way to bend his morals or stir trouble. There was too much work to be done to waste on an imp like Giermund but she could not forsake her brother his friends. They were blood and she loved him regardless.

Giermund stood before her, staring down at her expectantly. His shadow was ominous as the sun cast if over her front step. She looked up, keeping chisel and stone in hand. She glanced around for Audun but he was nowhere to be seen. That was the first sign that the pair had found trouble. Sigorna tilted her head and gave a long sigh.

“Giermund,” She greeted dully, “What brings you to my door?”

“Sig,” He replied, adopting her brother’s pet name for her. She scowled but kept quiet. His brown eyes were dilated; he was afraid. “There’s no time. You must come.”

“What’s going on?” She stood, tools in hand.

“I..I’ll explain on the way but we must hurry,” The lack of venom in his tone and the desperation in his eye unsettled her. Giermund always held a special spark of loathing for her. She looked down at her chisel and the chunk of jade and tucked them in the pocket of her apron. She hadn’t the time to lock them away in her chest.

“Explain,” She waved him back the way he had come, walking at his side. His strides were almost too long to match. Sigorna was a strong woman; her muscles thicker than most of her sex, but she was short. Her dark red hair varied between a deep auburn and unnatural violet, the tight curls bound at the nape of her neck.

“We were at the Asp’s Coil,” He began and Sigorna growled. “We were winning, you wouldn’t believe it. We got so much silver we could have cried.” He grinned, “But, well, I guess it made the staff suspicious and they pulled us aside. They interrogated us and...they let me go but they said Audun's being held still. They said he was to be arrested.”

“Gods damn it, Giermund,” She stopped short and seized him by his jacket. He was much taller than her but she easily halted him, “The Asp’s Coil. What have I said about the gambling houses? Especially those in the upper hills.”

Giermund had the grace to look guilty but his inherent defiance burned in his glare. Sigorna grimaced and released him, turning back to the street. “Come on, before they haul him off to the dungeons. I should at least like to bid farewell before my brother is locked away.”

She kept silent for the rest of the walk. She had a feeling that Giermund was not telling her everything and that he had played a bigger role in her brother’s detainment. She looked up as they approached the gambling house. Two golden snakes formed an arch above the doorway, their heads twisted around each other at the top. There was a drunken man passed out at the bottom of the steps and a woman begging for coin not far from him. She was surprised to see such characters in this neighbourhood; it was closer to the palace and oft frequented by nobles.

She marched up the steps and through the door, the guards within halting her as they spotted Giermund. “Hey,” They caught him by his collar, “Didn’t we just toss you out of here?”

“I...I’ve come back to see my friend before he’s sent off to the prison. Please, I said I would return. Ask your boss.” He sputtered.

“I am the sister of the man you are holding here and I should like to speak with him,” Sigorna demanded.

The guards looked at each other. “The lady can see him but not you,” They tossed Giermund back through the door and he barely steadied himself before he could stumble down the steps, “Go before you join your friend in his fate.”

“Boss won’t be happy ‘bout her,” The other guard said, “He’s come all the way down here to deal with these idiots and now this.”

“The boss is never happy,” His companion grumbled, “And I’m done arguing.” He looked down at Sigorna as he crossed his arms, “You come with us and you make it quick.”

They guided her to the left of the entrance and through a door marked for staff only. She felt as if she were being marched to a prison herself with a guard on each side of her. She had never been in a gambling house before and it was as inhospitable as she had expected. The walls were painted with scenes of debauchery and the rabble of voices always seemed to be present even in the vacant hallway.

A set of stalls waited at the end of the next corridor, bars enclosed each and a dark figure sat huddled in one of them. It seemed they needed cages for hustlers more often than not. As she neared the occupied cell, the figure stood and she recognized her brother peering out at her. He clung to the bars, his cheeks streaked with dry tears. His fear mixed with shame as she approached.

“Audun,” She shook her head, “How many times have I warned you about these places?” She hissed.

“Please, Sig, I don’t need an ‘I told you so’,” He pleaded, “Especially if this is the last time we see each other.” He sniffed, “I didn’t know the dice were loaded.”

“Loaded dice?” She winced, “Aud, they’ll take a hand for that.”

“If I’m lucky that’s all they’ll take. I...Giermund gave me the dice but I don’t think he--”

“I knew it,” She interjected, “Do you still think he’s a friend now? You’re behind bars because he wanted to cheat criminals out of their money. We must tell them they were not your dice.”

“I tried that but...you really think they’ll just let me go?”

“Where’s the owner of this sty?” She asked, “Let me speak with him.”

“Sig, this isn’t just any gambling house, the owner…” His voice died as his eyes widened, looking past his sister.

Sigorna’s ears pricked and she slowly turned. The guards were no longer leaning lazily against the wall but stood at alert as a new figure stood between them and her. His black hair shone in the lantern light and his green jacket was limned with golden hems. He looked thoroughly intrigued by their conversation and she guessed he had been listening for the last minute. She had seen him before but only from afar.

“I am the owner of this establishment,” He grinned, “Prince Loki of Asgard.” He preened, “And your brother has stolen royal property. An offense punishable by--”

“Death,” Sigorna felt her blood turn cold. She knew the laws as well as any. She also knew the man before her was a trickster. “Surely, that’s a little much for a pair of dice."

“We must maintain law and order. Justice being blind and such,” He said casually.

“You can’t--”

“I am a prince, I can do as I will,” He shrugged, “But…” He looked her over, his green eyes piercing her, “I am not entirely heartless. I did offer your brother another form of recompense but it seems he cannot fulfill it.”

“What?” She peeked over her shoulder. Audun’s head was lowered and he seemed terrified of the prince.

“You may, however, take on the debt yourself.” The prince glanced past her before returning his attention to Sigorna, “I would prefer however we weigh our options elsewhere,” He motioned to the corridor that stretched behind him, “I value discrepancy in these matters.”

It was a spark of hope but it seemed much too good to be true. It might take ages to pay off her brother’s misdeed but it would mean his life. She could not forgive herself if she did not at least try to find an alternative. And if she could not, she would likely follow her brother to the ax as she would not restrain from throttling Giermund for his trickery.

“Very well,” She agreed reticently.

“If you would,” He gestured for her to follow him down the next corridor. He stopped at the third door and pushed it open, waiting for her to enter first. She had thought it improper to precede a royal but she would that this be over quickly. She did sense, however, the heat of his gaze on her as she stepped into the room. It irked her.

“Sit, please,” He nodded to a chair. She neared it cautiously. Slowly she lowered herself into the seat and folded her hands in her lap. She was suddenly very nervous. She wasn’t sure she could save her brother this time. Loki approached the other side of the desk before her, setting down a glass decanter and two glasses. “Wine?” He offered as he poured the first glass.

“No, thank you,” She answered, “I don’t drink it.”

He tilted his head but left the second glass empty. He sat across from her and sipped, looking at her over the goblet's brim. He set it down and cleared his throat. He had drained almost all of it. “While we did catch your brother before he could make off with our silver, he has still committed a grave offense and if this establishment is to uphold its reputation, we cannot let it go unpunished.”

“You said he could not afford the recompense,” She was tiring of his ancillary monologues. “What would that be?”

“My, you are rather straight to the point, aren’t you?” He raised a brow and she frowned. He seemed amused by her impatience. “I would only that your brother repay what he would have stolen from me.” She nodded, waiting for him to continue. Could he not say anything outright? “Which would be twenty thousand silver.”

“Twenty thousand?” Sigorna gasped. Her chest tightened and she found it hard to breath. It felt as if fire was burning her flesh. “I...I’m only a simple crafter, I can’t possibly--” She paused, trying to keep calm. She hadn’t cried since her parents had died but she could have sobbed right then and there. Instead, she breathed deep and gritted her teeth. “I’m sorry. I can’t afford that either,” She said in resignation, lowering her eyes. “Not all at once, anyhow.”

Silence formed between them. She knew she should just go but she didn’t want to say goodbye to her brother. She didn’t want this all to be happening. If she stood and left that room, it would mean her brother would marched to his death.

“Well...there may be one other alternative,” Loki’s voice was low; deceptive. He was making her an offer but she knew already she would not like it. She didn’t like anything about the prince thus far.

“Dare I ask what this alternative is?” She countered and he chuckled.

“You know, I’ve never been spoken to quite contentiously by a peasant. And you’ve not even given me my proper title. That in itself is crime,” He grinned. “But I understand. You're emotional; careless. Not too mention your class would have you ignorant.”

“What is it?” She asked bluntly, “This alternative?”

“Well, there are several ways of paying this debt. First, your brother’s death, which you don’t seem very keen on. Second, in silver, but it seems you lack enough coin for a dress without patches. Third,” He held up three fingers, having counted down his options, “It is a bit unconventional, admittedly it’s likely not found in any law books, but I am a benevolent prince.”

Sigorna swallowed, annoyed by his roundabout speech. She gripped the arm of her chair as he watched her, basking in her anticipation, her frustration.

“I would release your brother and forgive his debt if you would take his place,” He said and her mouth dropped open slightly. She didn’t relish her own death but she would willingly give her own life for Audun’s. “I wouldn’t have you given over to the gaoler, however. That would be much too cruel. No, you would be mine.”

“Pardon?” She hissed in confusion.

“You,” He pointed at her as he stood, “Would belong to me.” He rounded the desk and rested his hand on the back of her chair just above her shoulder, leaning over her, “I don’t make this offer to just anyone. In fact, I would’ve had your brother dragged to the prison already in another circumstance. I had only just gone to his cell to make the order but you, my dear, intrigue me.”

Sigorna stared up at him mortified. She knew what he was offering but was too stunned to believe it. Yet she knew she couldn’t say no. She couldn’t let Audun die for her own self-preservation. She couldn't let Giermund take her brother from her as she had always feared. But it would mean giving herself to someone even worse.

“Should I have the ax sharpened or…” He let the words hang, savouring the drain of colour in her face. She pressed her lips together, glaring at him like a crow ready to peck his eyes out. Her lip twitched and her throat tightened. She forced herself to answer before she lost her will.

“No,” She said. “Don’t kill him, please. I’ll…” It took all her strength not to look away from Loki’s taunting eyes, “I accept your offer. I’ll take his place.”

He smirked and his gaze flicked up and down her body before he pushed himself away from her. He clapped in triumph and turned back to reach for his wine. He downed the last swill left in his glass and set it aside. His hand rested on the decanter and he looked to Sigorna, “Are you sure you wouldn’t like a glass?”

“I'm certain,” She replied, “I’d like to say goodbye to my brother.”

#loki x oc #dark!loki x oc #dark loki #loki #loki fic #fic #dark!verse #mcu #marvel #oc

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calwh7 · 5 years

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Sleep Walking - Chapter 1

Hey I’m back but with voltage, think I’ve moved on. This is something I’ve wanted to write for a while now so I thought why not?. Thanks to my friend tho who have encouraged me to write this especially @gamerneko-girl thank you 💕 also the gang mentioned in this is from my fave game sleeping dogs.

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Description: Yumeka, the daughter of Soryu Oh and MC lives with her mother in Hong Kong, oblivious to the fact that her father is the boss of the Ice Dragons, one of the Sun on Yee’s sworn enemies. Yumeka is also a mobster behind her mothers back, she is a high up member of the Sun on Yee. Now plagued by her mothers capture, she must fight for her mothers freedom by single handedly bringing down Soryu Oh, but with secrets uncovered left and right, will Yumeka make the right decision? Will she ever get her mother back?

Pairing: well it’s kinda Soryu x MC but it’s their kid. Who will also get a girlfriend.

Warning: this story contains scenes of violence, abuse, torture and very bad laungage throughout all chapters. There’s a scene in this chapter that’s kinda gruesome, it’s in between the * . You can skip it it’s not really story important.

Notes: a triad is basically a Cantonese mobster who belongs to one of a few specific gangs, Soryu is NOT a triad though. Yumeka is not a good person like her father. Also Sor doesn’t know he has a kid, he think that MC left him 19 years ago. Also Ryusei doesn’t exist in this. Enjoy!

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The rumble of the engine smoothed out as I parked my bike in a secluded alcove next to my apartment building, hidden enough so that no one would steal it through the night. I sighed as I began the journey up the stairs of the building, passing neon lights of suggestive words that flashed through the windows. I finally reached number 57 on the fifth floor, but hesitated before entering. I could hear shouting from inside, a mans fluent Cantonese shouting at a woman's timid, broken one that still had a strong Japanese accent. I think I'm really lucky I can speak both languages. That mans voice belongs to my mothers 'boyfriend', Li Wei Shang, who is actually a customer of my gang, the Sun on Yee, although not a loyal one. He would never dare lay a hand on my mother, he knew the consequences, but he'll happily throw me about a bit, because if I hit back I know the consequences . I couldn't get rid of him, not with the ever present promise that a much younger Yumeka had made to her mother. That was to never hurt him and always show respect, because apparently he has given us a lot and we should be thankful. Bullshit, if only mum knew what he really is, but then again I would also be exposed for who I really am as well, and the one promise that my mother made me swear by was that I was to not ever enter mafia culture. That lasted until I was about thirteen.

I opened the door, dreading what was to come. I heard heavy footsteps hurrying closer to me, and when I turned round from closing the door I came face to face with Li.

"No, don't hurt her please! Get out of here Yumeka!" Her shouts were cut short when Li's fist hit my face, leaving a small trail of blood from my nose.

"Get the fuck away from me!" I kicked him in his stomach hard causing him to cripple over.

"This little shit stole my money, MC! I need it back" He was holding his stomach whilst pointing an accusing finger at me.

"Here it is, I didn't steal it, just borrowed it" I calmly placed 50 dollars onto the coffee table and paced along to the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I could hear the shouting continuing but it had reduced to a more shouty conversation, if you could call it that.

I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror, hands gripping the sink. Sighing, I took off my Adidas jacket to inspect a wound that was left there from this afternoon by a rather jagged hunting knife. It wasn't a deep cut but it was still bleeding and in need of stitches, I'm just mad the boy who cut me managed to cut into a tiny piece of my dragon tattoo that goes up my left arm. That shit was kinda expensive. Taking the medical kit I keep in a bathroom drawer, I began sewing close the wound with a medical needle and thread, then wrapped a bandage around it so it doesn't get caught. Halfway through my bandage work my phone rang, still in the pocket of my jacket.

"What do you want Sami?" Sami Cho is the nickname for my best friend in the Sun on Yee.

"Yumeka, I don't give a shit no more and everyone agrees with me, Li is three months behind his payment and he ratted us out to the cops this morning and that's why there was a drug bust down at the docks wear house, he know shit he ain't supposed to know. We gotta kill him, I don't care about your little promise to your Momma, just go tell her the truth, no point in lying. But we'll get him tonight, I'm sure you'll be joining in as well?" Sami's tone was final as he half shouted his demand down my phone. I don't think I could argue with him, not now. Too many times I've saved Li’s ass.

"Well shit Sami, nice to speak to you too. Umm... fuck, you really going to do this? My mums gonna kill me, and you ain't seeing me for a couple days either 'cuz I really gotta lay low if I ever want a chance to speak to my mum again. I know your right, and sure as hell I'll be the one killing that son of a bitch. Just come here at three or something, and don't ring the doorbell like last time, idiot" I whispered harshly down the phone, getting my point across. I've been waiting for the right excuse to get rid Li for a long time. I just turned nineteen last month so I've been an adult for some time now and I think I can handle the aftermath of my mother. Lame excuse, I know, but at least it's something.

I came out of the bathroom with my jacket crumpled in my hand shoving it in a dirty washing pile in a basket by the bathroom door. I felt the heaviness of my switch blade, phone and wallet in my front jean pocket, giving me some comfort at least. My next stop was the kitchen where I made a nice hot cup of coffee, just like my mum taught me, only this time I slip in a little sedative that I keep hidden in my medical kit.

"Hey, sorry 'bout that Li, I'll pay you back double and it won't ever happen again" I approached him with a weary smile and gestured for him to take the coffee off me.

"You better be you little shit, don't think your mum would appreciate me telling her all about her little mafia kid" He sneered at me, quiet enough so mum wouldn't hear from the bedroom and snatched the cup out of my hand, gulping down most of the laced beverage.

"Only thing your mum and you are good at, making fucking coffee" He laughed a little as he drained the other half of the cup before slamming it down on the coffee table and announcing that he was going to bed.

"Goodnight" I smiled at his back as he retreated to his bedroom that he shared with my mother. Now I only need to wait an hour, take my mum to the hotel round the block, and the rest will just be a good night out with my mates.

An hour passed of me lying on the couch and I could hear the thunderous snoring coming from the bedroom, time to make my move. I opened the door quietly and snuck up to my mums side and shook her awake.

"Mum, come with me. I need to get you out of here. Pack a small bag, your going for a trip" I whispered.

"Yumeka sweetie, it's two in the morning, it can't be that important" My sweet mother smiled up at me from her bed.

"I'll explain when we get there, but I really need you to do this for me. I'm in a bad situation and I really need your help, but we have to get away from here. Please mum, I love you" I whispered back at her whilst grabbing onto her hand, hoping my little performance would be convincing enough.

"You're scaring me now Yumeka, what kind of trouble are you in? Please don't tell me it's gang stuff!" Her voice broke halfway through her worried Japanese, almost like she was ready to cry. Maybe I was playing into her emotions too much, no time for crying, at least not now.

"Mum" I warned her with a hard voice. "Please do as I say. It's for your safety, not any one else's" I glared and regretted it as soon as it left my mouth, but it got the job done, 'cuz now my mums hurrying about the place packing essentials for at least three nights. She picks up her bag with shaky hands and headed to the front door.

"What about Li?" Mum turned around, finally saying something for the past ten minutes.

"Fuck Li, mum, just stay close to me. Where I can see you" I ushered her out of the door keeping a firm grip on her elbow, switchblade out of my pocket and in my other hand.

"Yumeka I don't like where this is going, why do you have a knife?" I gave her a side glance.

"You really need to be quiet, I'll explain later" I hurried her down the stairs and out onto the cold street and just as we turned round the corner, Sami and two of my other friends where there to greet me.

"Yumeka, how you doing? Go deal with your Momma and come straight back, we ain't gonna be waiting for long you know" Sami greeted me with a smile, almost like he hadn't seen me just a few hours ago when we were running from some cops down at the docks.

"Just give me ten minutes" I nodded and left.

"Who were those people? I'm seriously worried right now and I need answers" Mum gripped my knife free hand with her other hand.

"You'll know when we get there".

It took us only three minutes but we arrived in a stingy, run down one bed Hotel room. Good enough for one night.

"You better start talking Yumeka, I'm really freaking out over here. You're never like this" Mum sat at the end of the bed, holding the frame for some support.

“You’re really going to hate this mum, but I’m...sorta in...um. I’m a triad. And I’m in the Sun on Yee” After my little confession, I looked around the room awkwardly before sitting on a slightly dirty arm chair where I lit a cigarette.

“You’re what?! How could you do this to me! And for how long” Her last question was barely audible. Her face contorted as sobs racked her body. If I hadn’t been so eager to leave my mum and go kill Li, maybe then my heart would’ve broke a little.

“I was thirteen. I just started out as a drug runner, then my... talents got me promoted, you could say. Now I’m just like any other guy in the gang but I got special privileges so I can keep it a secret from you, since my boss wanted me to stay, ‘cuz apparently I’m a real good find talent wise” I shrugged my shoulders and took a long drag of my cigarette.

“So those dangerous looking guys back there, they’re your friends? And those tattoos, I should’ve known they’re gang related” Mum raised a shaky hand to wipe at her over spilling eyes.

“Yea, Sami is my best friend actually. Look I’d love to stay and chat, but I’ve got a job to do. I’ll be back in an hour, please don’t leave the room. Here’s some money for room service” I dropped 20 dollars onto the end of the bed near mums lap.

“You can’t just leave me here Yumeka, I can’t let you do that. You’re going to hurt Li aren’t you?! Yumeka please-”Her cries were cut short when I slammed the door on her, taking the only key card with me. It pained me, but it had to be done. I walked down the hallway of the hotel and I could still hear my mums crying and shouting.

“Don’t you dare fucking let her out” I snapped to a passing maid who cowered back in fear. If I had known how wrong I was, I would have never left my mothers side, but nether the less I walked to the elevators humming a giddy tune, excited for the job of taking down Li.

* * *

“Look who finally showed the fuck up!” Sami shouted in my direction as I headed round the back of the sky scraper apartment building.

“Look I got a little caught up, you know how my mum is” I laughed as he punched my arm. I looked down a few feet away from him, a battered and wheezing Li Wei Shang at the other guys feet staring up at me.

“Yu-Yumeka” He coughed up a wad of blood onto the pavement.

“Don’t fucking talk to me Li. You knew this day was coming” I spat at him and gave him a swift kick to his stomach, earning a scream and from what I could hear, a broken rib.

“You better start talking. Why’d you tell Li?! Why were there cops waiting for us at our hideout this afternoon. Why were there Ice Dragons too?!” I shouted in his face and took my switchblade, slashing his shoulder as an ear piercing scream flew out his mouth.

“Oh shut the fuck up” I stood over him and grabbed his sweaty blood stained face.

“I-I told them! To get extra money! T-they said I would have protection” Li whimpered.

“Protection? You already pay us protection money. Well, you’ve been lacking on those payments for three months now. I’ve been lenient Li, you gave me and my mother shelter and food, so I got you outta a lot of trouble. But not this time, little bitch” Taking my blade, I held it close to his throat, watching him start to really panic. I wasted no time and quickly slashed his throat, leaving him to bleed out.

“Come on guys, I got places to be”.

* * *

“Mum, you okay in there?” I softly knocked on the hotel door. No answer.

“Look. I know you hate me right now but I’m coming in. I’m really sorry mum” I mumble just loud enough so that she could hear. I scan the key card and step inside.

“Oh fuck, no no no no, fuck!” I smashed my closed fist against the wall leaving a bloody hole. Funny enough, that was probably the least worse of the damage. There were chairs overturned, a broken window and TV, glass every where. There was a sizeable patch of fresh blood on the pillow of the bed, that means her kidnappers couldn’t have gotten far. But before I could do anything about it, I was brought to my knees by fear, letting a few silent tears roll down my face.

I took a deep breath, collected myself and stood upright again. That little moment won’t happen again, I will find my mum.

“She sure as fuck ain’t dead” I whispered to comfort myself, but I did not expect a chilly voice and the sting of a needle at the side of my neck to be one that answered.

“That’s what they all say. Night night”

And then I was dreaming.

#kbtbb #soryu oh #yumeka oh #kissed by the baddest bidder #kbtbb fanfic #action #mafia #oh this is kinda shit now that i read it #need a name for the MC suggest one if u like

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jafreitag · 3 years

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Grateful Dead Monthly: Lindley Meadows (Golden Gate Park) – San Francisco, CA 9/28/75

On Sunday, September 28, 1975, the Grateful Dead played a concert at Golden Gate Park’s Lindley Meadows in San Francisco, California.

Lindley Meadows

From the Wiki: “In the 1860s, San Franciscans began to feel the need for a spacious public park similar to [NYC’s] Central Park. Golden Gate Park was carved out of unpromising sand and shore dunes that were known as the Outside Lands, in an unincorporated area west of San Francisco’s then-current borders.” Frederick Law Olmsted was the driver. He was the guy who conceptualized Central Park, and later Jackson and Washington Parks in Chicago, as well as the whole shebang for Chi’s 1893 Columbian Exposition and most of the nearby U of C campus. Olmstead “proposed a plan for a park using native species suited for San Francisco’s dry climate; however, the proposal was rejected in favor of a Central Park-style park needing extensive irrigation.” Nice try, man.

The park got a Commissioner in 1871, and the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department began overseeing its development. Between then and now, it’s been basically urban green space. Per the Wiki, GGP is roughly the same shape as Central Park, but twenty-percent bigger. It’s bounded by the Pacific Ocean on the West and the Haight on the East. And it’s the third most-visited park in the United States, after Central Park and the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

So Lindley Meadows?

See the oval on the left side of that sat pic? It’s Golden Gate Park Polo Field. Apparently, Lindley Meadows is the green area that sits just above its northeast corner. Guys, I’ve never been to California, much less SF. I’m not a super-traveled person, so some of these venue write-ups seem poser-y. They’re not intended to be. Apologies for the lack of local knowledge, and feel free to add anything like that below the line.

The Dead played exactly four shows in 1975. On 3/25, they played a benefit for San Francisco Students Need Athletics, Culture, and Kicks (SF SNACK) with the Doobies, the Starship, Santana, Dylan & Baez, and Neil Young. The band’s set was comprised of the Blues for Allah material that everybody pretends to dig (but nobody really does). I’m not familiar with that show. On 6/17, they played at Winterland, and the setlist was also BFA-forward. I’m not familiar with that show, either, but, according to the Grateful Dead of the Day blog, it gets attention nowadays. On 8/13, they played at the Great American Music Hall – that’s One from the Vault, and we’ve covered it before. Finally, on 9/28, they played at Lindley Meadows. Single set show, which clocks in at just under two hours. A lot of BFA material, but a lot of well-toured and well-beloved chestnuts, too.

Photo credit: Alvan Meyerowitz

In a 2008 post about this show, the Grateful Dead Listening Guide blog makes two points. First, there’s an absolutely epic audience recording. To wit: “[T]his is one of the audience tapes that historically was said to have been recorded by the band (Phil Lesh in particular) from the stage itself … It is absolutely one of the very best of the best AUDs. But Phil didn’t tape it. Phil didn’t make any tapes.”

GDLB continues, and this is great:

“[B]efore this century [meaning the ’00s], if you weren’t in the most enshrined trading circles, you couldn’t find a complete copy of this AUD to save your life (and the real deal master itself only just went into circulation in May 2008). When you might have run into this recording (I was lucky enough to score 45 minutes of the show on cassette about 12 years ago), there was no way you could accept that it was an AUD at all. Clearly Phil and the band had to have had a hand in making this tape, right? It just sounded WAY too good. And there was the fact that there were a painful amount of right channel dropouts throughout the tape which allowed you to appreciate the quality, but never really left you wanting to listen to the tape again because of the pain involved in those dropouts.

Then the SBD came on the scene, sounding super duper. Someone digitized the AUD (a multi-gen version) and spent the time patching the dropouts with the left channel – palatable now, the AUD was a dizzying drink from the fountain of audience magic. Well friends, that was nothing…

I’m not going to attempt to document the story of taper Bob Menke here on these pages. Let’s just say that BadBob (his own moniker) bleeds the history of Grateful Dead taping and collecting. He’s one of those fellows whose name lands in the inner circle when playing the dart game of Dead tapers. ‘Nuff said. Menke’s story has been one of clouded half truths, misunderstandings, and mystery in the eyes of tape collectors. Over the last number of years, the real Bob Menke has made his way into the digital scene, so a lot of the mystery has faded. But, it sure did fuel the fires that made this particular tape one of such grand story telling. This is one to tell the grandkids about, to be sure.

So Menke recently digitally transferred his master, and the MOTB crew [dunno] finished it off with heroic editing (glad I didn’t face this task). And now we have this AUD for the ages, in its most beautiful glory.

The recording is so good, it makes the AUD vs. SBD debate seem silly. It’s a little unfair, like bringing an NBA all star off the bench at a junior high basketball game. So much so, that it’s fair for a SBD supporter to cry foul – ‘Oh, well, 09/28/75! You can’t talk to me about that show. That’s not fair.’ Regardless, when you want to know what it might have sounded like pressed up against the stage for this hallmark Dead show in the year after they retired (you may never see them again), this is it my friends. Cripplingly good.”

There’s a link to the Menke AUD below, but on to the second point. Apparently, the band was “high” – as in, their performance was chemically enhanced by LSD. Again, GDLG:

“Then there’s the well enough substantiated story that the band was higher than kites for this show. While it has always been very well understood that this band played under the influence of LSD many many many times, there are some shows that come to mind when Deadheads talk about shows where the band was ‘known’ to have been chemically altered for sure: 08/27/72, 05/11/78, and 09/28/75 among them. So, this places an extra special sparkle to re-living the day’s concert when listening.

Also, there is the fact that a baby was born during the show [check banter after Slipknot!], with the band and stage announcers doing their best to help.”

Acid, a baby, and no deaths? It’s like a good time Altamont. Right, Jerry?

GDOTD offers some listening notes:

“It opens with a sharp and focused Help On The Way before heading into a moody Slipknot!, which rages in the latter half. Rather than transitioning into Franklin’s at that point, as they had during the two other times they had paired those songs, the Slipknot! ends, and they launch into a smoking The Music Never Stopped. On that tune, Donna adds lovely backing vocals, as she does throughout the afternoon.”

More GDOTD:

“[A]fter a bit of banter, they finally hit the Franklin’s Tower, playing in mind-meld form throughout with Phil throwing down and the entire band contributing to a seismic jam after the ‘listen to the music play’ line. Then, Bobby announces that they will be playing a cowboy tune, before rolling into Big River, throughout which Keith serves up some incredible fills. After It Must Have Been The Roses, a marvelous Truckin’ takes off and eventually steers into a blistering jam … [T]he boys slow things up just a notch, Phil rains down a series of bombs, and Jerry streaks around before ceding the stage to the drummers. The Drums themselves are transcendent, but the Stronger Than Dirt that follows is face melting. What’s more, the transition into Not Fade Away is rapturous as the drummers drive on the change, but the rest of the guys resist, teasing out the last of the Stronger Than Dirt theme while slowly falling to the inevitable momentum of NFA. And what a Not Fade Away it turns out to be with serious, imaginative jamming all the way through to the Going Down The Road Feeling Bad, which is itself resplendent. Then One More Saturday Night caps the show in rocking, high-energy fashion.”

That’s cool, but there are listening notes, and then there’s our guy. Without further ado, here’s everyone’s favorite. The master of zero disasters, the king of schwing, the 88’s tickler, the Peloton’s boss, the cherry on top, the sun behind that one annoying cloud, the reason that outside cats come back home, the guy who rolled his eyes at all those Dos Equis commercials b/c #beentheredonethat, the Ig influencer behind @31daysofdead, and the better half of this gotdam thing. Man/myth/legend is just a trope until you meet him in person. He’s handsome; he’s erudite. He’s a man beyond description and, in his rare spare time, a member of Jehovah’s favorite choir. He’ll break it down, fo’realize. Ladies and Gentlemen, LN Grateful Deaditor, ECM…

“Hey now, kids! Today we’ve got some ‘Hiatus Dead’ for you. As most of you know, Hiatus Dead refers to that period of time between 10/20/74 (Winterland) and 6/3/76 (Portland, OR) when the Grateful Dead took some time off from touring. During this period, the band played only four shows, all of them in 1975. The show JF and I are featuring in this month’s edition of Grateful Dead Monthly – September 28, 1975 – is the last of those 4 shows and it would be the last show for over 8 months. This show is unique for a lot of other reasons too. First, it was a free show in Lindley Meadows in Golden Gate Park at a time when that kind of thing didn’t happen anymore like it did back in the 60’s. Another thing the band hadn’t done in a long while was play a show while they were tripping. Legend has it that they revisited that part of their past as well on this day. Although this has never been confirmed, it sure makes for a good story and at least seems plausible given the overall strangeness and looseness of the music compared with their very tight performance at the Great American Music Hall just a month prior on August 13th. In addition, unlike most GD shows where the band is virtually mute, here there is a lot of funny and odd stage banter – Bobby’s joke about getting around to all the old favorites that they can remember, the calls for a doctor to attend to the woman in the audience that was going into labor and Phil clarifying for the crowd that Truckin’ is NOT pronounced Truck-ing.

Another factor making this show unique is the weather which was unseasonably chilly for September. With temperatures down in the 50’s, it felt more like November than September which brings us to another unique aspect about this show – the band’s attire. Instead of Bobby wearing his signature Lacoste polo shirt and cutoff shorts, on this day he is wearing a Pendelton jacket with bell-bottoms. And, Garcia is rocking a leather jacket with Puma sneakers(!) While we are talking about attire, let’s also talk about instruments. This was allegedly the debut of Jerry’s new guitar, Travis Bean. It’s the guitar that he would use until 9/28/77 when he started playing his Doug Irwin Wolf again. Keith plays an electric Fender Rhodes the entire show. These two instruments certainly influenced the sound of the band that day.

Which brings us to the MUSIC…

The Grateful Dead played one set which clocked in at approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. They opened with Help>Slipknot. It’s the third one ever but just the second with lyrics. Jerry botches the last verse. It happens. Slipknot! is the third one but the first not going into Franklin’s Tower. It is played slowly, but deliberately, and they pull off the complex arrangement with flying colors. However, things come to a rather abrupt end when they call a halt because Jerry apparently breaks a string – he is audibly absent in the closing riffs. This is the point when the woman is having a baby too.

Once everything on stage is ironed out and a doctor is located for the woman in labor, the band launches into the Music Never Stopped. It is only the second performance and is a mere 6 minutes. Donna crushes her verse. This early version has only a few bars of the drifty mid-jam section and then charges right into the ending jam which only hints at the potential that it would soon become. Once the song concludes there are more stage announcements. A doctor has been located and now there are pleas for a stretcher.

“Oh, man. That’s weird. A stretcher?”

They Love Each Other is up next – perhaps inspired by the woman having the baby(?). Either way, it’s the first in over 1½ years and the first without the bridge section. This performance has a unique sound and tempo that is played somewhere in between the peppy versions from the 1973-74 era and the slower versions from the 1976 and later era. It is almost reggae-like. Jerry gives it a sensitive reading – sweet and subdued in its expressiveness. Afterwards Phil comes to the microphone to tell the father of the newborn child that his help is needed (Help on the Way?). That’s when Bobby comes to the microphone to assure the fans who are calling out requests that ‘we will get around to all the old favorites that we can remember.’ Cheers and laughter ensue to which Bobby responds, ‘you wouldn’t be laughing if you knew what that meant.’

Bobby cameltoe, ftw.

With the the band launches into a spirited version of one of their oldest songs from their first album – Beat it on Down the Line. Maybe this was a musical message to the father of the newborn baby to get moving and help his wife(?) Weir’s old buddy and bandmate from Kingfish, Mattew Kelly joins on harmonica. His playing is faint, but present, and adds a nice counterpoint to Jerry’s guitar.

The band completes the piece of their musical triptych that is missing due to the equipment and baby interruptions by playing a stand-alone Franklin’s Tower from a cold start. It is the third version ever and it is exquisite. The drums are groovin’ and Jerry’s on fire especially after the ‘if you get confused, listen to the music play’ line. Great call and response at the end. This is the song that made it onto the abbreviated version [featuring one song from every year] of the box-set 30 Trips Around the Sun that appears on Spotify.

There are more calls from the audience for songs – apparently somebody is calling for Truckin’ but Phil does not like the way the fan is pronouncing it. ‘Did I hear someone say TRUCK-ING? That’s not how you say it. You don’t say TRUCK-ING. But anyway, we’re not gonna play that now. We’re gonna play something else.’ Weir then comes to the microphone to announce that ‘Billy would like to make a small point to the fact that we’re playing a cowboy tune.’ That leads into rootin-tootin’ version of Big River which has nice solos from Jerry and Keith.

A letter-perfect reading of It Must Have Been The Roses follows. Jerry’s voice is at its pure, sweet unaffected peak. Excellent vocal harmonies from Jerry and Donna. Keith’s work on the electric piano provides the perfect accompaniment.

Phil returns to his Truck-ING banter which signals that the band is now ready to play it. Weir warns the crowd that he’s not going to remember the words, and he makes good on his promise by not only forgetting most of them, but also forgetting to sing part of the second verse at all. No worries. The jam that follows is fantastic thanks in large part to all the tight material the band had been playing over the past year when they were rehearsing and recording Blues for Allah. There is some heated controversy among fans about the jam that comes out of Truckin’. Some have said that it is The Eleven. In fact, the 30 Trips box set refers to it that way. I don’t hear it but it’s an exciting jam for sure! To me, it sounds more like a King Solomon’s/Stronger Than Dirt groove which is what the band segues into following Drums. This is the fourth and final King Solomon’s. It’s definitely the loosest.There are a few rough spots at first it recovers and maintains a solid groove.

There is a loose transition into Not Fade Away. The lead in is funky and rockin.’ Garcia peels off a slide-flavored, acid-drenched solo which is the start of a long, spacey transition to GDTRFB which is also funky with some amazing energy. Saturday Night caps the show in rocking, high-energy fashion. a hoarse-sounding Phil bids the audience farewell, ‘Let’s have another party like this again sometime.’ And with that, the band slipped back into hibernation mode and would not perform again for another eight months.”

As Ed mentioned, this show is part of the massive 30 Trips Around the Sun box set.

And it’s still on the Live Music Archive. Transport to the soundboard recording HERE, a matrix recording HERE, and Menke’s audience recording HERE. According to Menke,

“It was an overcast day and we got there early. About 8:30 in the morning. That is how we ended up about 10-15 feet from the stage. The mics were mounted on broom sticks (handheld) and they were split about 20 feet apart. The upfront vocals I believe are the product of a small (relative to PA speakers) speaker on the floor of the stage next to the right PA column. The vocals seem to be blasting from that speaker. Another very intersting point is the fact that the Jefferson Starship opened and their sound from the same PA absolutely sucked. Nothing approaching the clarity and sound quality the Dead got from the same system.”

There you go.

More soon.

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#IFTTT #WordPress

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isleofthelxst · 7 years

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Moving On - AudreyXJay

It was as if her whole world had stopped spinning, and no one seemed to care. Audrey had always been privileged, some may even say she was spoiled rotten. There was nothing she'd ever had to tough her way through; her mother vowed to raise her own daughter in a perfect world, unlike her own, which had been plagued for years by the Dark Fairy, Maleficent. Thus, Audrey had always been waited on, hand and foot, as she continued to be. Everything she wanted was a few sweet words away. Like Ben, once. She'd never met anyone she couldn't charm, and Ben was no exception. It was as fate would have had it, like any fairytale she'd have written for herself. They were perfect; the pride of their school, and the envy of the students there. What she could possibly lack that Mal had was beyond her. Audrey spent about 23 of the 24 hours in a day primping herself, but the past few weeks had been an exception. She could barely remember the last time she wore makeup, done her hair, or pranced around in a pair of high heels. After the coronation, she'd realized it was pointless. Her mind reeled with scenarios and possibilities; Mal would be Queen, they'd both make Audrey their personal chambermaid. Her mother and father's legacy would perish with her. The thought of it sent her into tears. Huddled in a corner of her dorm, she sat with her legs up to her chest, still in yesterday's clothes, cheeks sticky with dried tears. Her head ached, and she wanted nothing more than to sleep for years like her mother; to drift off and never to wake again. What was the point? Ever since the tourney match a few weeks ago when Ben had professed his love for Mal, she'd been the laughing stock of the school. Showing her face after having been in hiding for so long would just make it worse. No matter what she chose, Audrey was painfully depressed. She looked at the girl in the mirror; a girl who once had everyone wrapped around her finger, good grades without barely ever trying, and the epitome of beauty. All she saw now was heartache etched into her worn features, her mop of usually shiny, brown curls piled on top of her head in a knotted mess, jagged bitten nails, and dry, dehydrated lips. The breakup had drained her energy in one swift motion, and no one seemed to think much of that. During her weeks-long pity party, she only had a few visitors, all of which were her roommates, Lonnie and Jane, who were only forced to be there, well, because they lived there. Lonnie had tried coaxing Audrey out of the room with promises of sweets and shopping, but it was no use. Nothing interested her anymore, and it was doubtful anything ever would. Today's activities consisted of pulling her cheerleading pompoms apart, strand by strand, falling onto the ground in a pile of blue, white, and yellow. The colors of Auradon made her sick to her stomach, and she decidedly pushed the frayed pile of plastic aside and began habitually studying herself again. A knock at the door surprised her. Even more surprising was the fact that before she could gather her now-hoarse voice enough to form a coherant, "Go away," someone pushed the door open, little by little. A familiar, penetrating pair of dark eyes peered in, creaking the door open until a face came into full view. Jay stood apprehensively, looking worn in his tourney jersey. The bit of warmth left in her glowed. Jay was handsome and softspoken, though he was known by others as brute and cunning. He wasn't that way around her anymore. Still, she bowed her head in shame. "If you're here to tell me to stay away from Ben and Mal, save it. I've heard it enough," she mumbled. He narrowed his eyes. "Why would I say that?" She huffed frustratedly, as if she were trying to explain something to a toddler. "Can't you see I want to be alone right now?" she snapped. He shook his head stubbornly and plopped down next to her. Normally, she would have winced at even the idea of sitting in such close proximity to a sweaty tourney jock, but the company was a bit comforting. "Let's talk," he insisted. There were a few minutes of silence, all of which Audrey waited to see Jay grow impatient, or even bored enough to get up and leave. But even in the silence, he was unswayed, and sat as quietly as she did, as if enjoying the company as well. She sniffed and sighed, finally, giving into his silent prying. "I'm no good for anyone anymore. I'm... damaged goods." He immediately shook his head. "Not true." Audrey scoffed. "Clearly you've been living under a rock. Everyone says I am." Jay rolled his eyes. "And you believe them? Really? That doesn't sound like the most popular girl in Auradon Prep." Audrey swallowed back the lump in her throat. "That's Mal now. I have nothing." Jay felt his face grow a little heated. "That's a little selfish..." he said slowly. "... considering that some of us really have had nothing." Audrey sniffed again. "Let's not make this about you." Jay couldn't help but smile a little at this. "I see the normal Audrey is still inside there somewhere." Audrey laughed hollowly, a gesture meant to sound more genuine, since she did indeed find Jay quite funny. "Sorry. Been throwing myself a little bit of a pity party lately." Jay shrugged. "It's cool. Grieve if you need to." He paused. "People miss you though." She laughed hollowly again. "Yeah right. Who?" Jay thought for a moment. "The girls, especially Jane. All the cabinet members of Auradon and the people you've helped through community service here. Your parents... and Ben." Her heart gave a little, his name feeling like a firm blow to her chest. She let out a choked sob at the idea of Ben even thinking about her; it wasn't hope, but the nagging reminder that she was an afterthought and would never truly be his. She felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her frail frame, pulling her closer. Jay's chest rose and dropped with a soothing rhythm, and before she knew it, her tears had ceased. She blinked up at him, her lashes fringed with tears. "Listen," he began. "I love Mal, but she got lucky. And you will too. You've got to move on, Aud'. You're gorgeous, and any guy would be crazy not to go for you. You'll find someone, just give it time. Prince Charming is out there somewhere." She just stared intently, perhaps blankly at his piercing eyes, thoughtful, yet intense and alluring all the while. Had someone slipped her the Love Spell? She felt herself becoming entranced by the sheer force of his comforting words, his habition to say just the right thing at the right time. She latched onto him now, controlling her breathing. "Thank you, Jay..." she whispered. "Thank you for being there for me." She leaned up, nuzzled into his cheek, and planted a shy kiss on his face. He reddened a bit, but managed to compose himself. "Y-yup... that's what I'm here for." He patted her arm. "We're getting you out of this room tonight. We'll go where ever you want to go. On me." Her eyes sparkled for a moment in her instant, newfound infatuation. "Shopping...?" she suggested quietly. He raised his eyebrows. "I-I mean yeah... sure. If that's what you really want." He smiled a bit. "Warning, I have a tendency to shoplift." Audrey giggled, this time genuinely. "I think we're going to balance each other out just fine." In that moment, all she wanted to do was break free of her room, away from her inhabitions, and explore a different side of her "perfect" world with someone new.

#disney descendants #descendants 2 #disney #disney channel

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kilnkin · 7 years

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aud and wynn are the worst. theyre just. theyre the worst. featuring the most half assed conflict resolution and most awkward flirting to ever hit wollstonecraft.

kilnkin hey so uhhh are you ok?? first off?? everythings kinda crazy idk

kilnkin i guess you might be reading this and not reply to this so ill skip ahead im sorry?? shit no ok ignore the question marks im sorry i upset you really and made you set a lot of stuff on fire if thats what happened

cavelingthings were you ever going to tell me?

kilnkin yeah!! i mean idk probably?? i didnt think it was that big of a deal??

cavelingthings you lied to me

kilnkin i did and thats why im sorry i just really didnt think it would matter!! like i took it from them so they couldnt use it and i wouldve given it to you cause honestly i couldnt either

cavelingthings i wouldn't have minded if you just asked me first

cavelingthings tbh I'm relieved that it was you

kilnkin seriously?? you set a car on fire over that shit i dont think it wouldve been fine and dandy

cavelingthings well it wasn't extracted for nothing I'd rather someone I'm close to use it instead of those jerks

kilnkin so does that are you saying its fine??

kilnkin like i had moire prep me for this whole big grovelling thing and we're just? good?? fingers crossed

cavelingthings kind of...

cavelingthings just please promise you won't lie to me again that's what really hurt

kilnkin yeah of course!! ive seen you in action i wont be crossing you any time soon lol

cavelingthings yeah... a lot of people "saw me in action" tonight

kilnkin haha yeah youre probably earning a major rep with the new kids

cavelingthings I'll say, this "nick" guy messaged me earlier and called me something that i don't know how to deal with

kilnkin what

kilnkin did he actually call you a cow is that what those people were going on about?? fuck him

cavelingthings oh no that was like a misunderstanding but ummm... he called me "beautiful"

kilnkin ??? OH oh

cavelingthings yeaaaaaaahhhh

kilnkin well thats weird not cause you arent or anything uh

kilnkin thats just. has he even seen you?? or is he just creeping ur blog omg

cavelingthings creeping he legit told me he was looking through my selfie tag

kilnkin ohhh my god thats why are all of these boys so creepy what the fuck??

cavelingthings no idea

kilnkin i mean theyre good selfies!! literally hot lololol but ohhhh my god

cavelingthings what? WAIT WHAT

kilnkin what what?? like the fire??? like hot haha pun ((:

kilnkin hello??

cavelingthings yes hi hello uhh sorry about that

kilnkin no problem i know im hilarious lol XD

cavelingthings that was a good pun A+

cavelingthings anyways I'm messing with that guy now lmao

kilnkin pffft you get it all the time im sure YES i wanted to ask omg what level of "messing with" bc one torched out car is an accident, two is suspicious lmao

cavelingthings oh!! no non of that ...for now none*

kilnkin lol good hey what did you like?? say to him

cavelingthings about what?

cavelingthings like how im messing w him or

kilnkin uh yeah! or like how you replied but yeah actually im more interested in the messing with lol

cavelingthings well he said "maybe we can aim for a better second impression, yeah?" And I was like "if you're lucky" then he said "ooh, shit,alright. i'll bring my A game" and then I said "don't know what your A game is but from the first impression you might need to bring your B and C game for support" i don't know if its working or if it looks like I really am flirting back :T

cavelingthings how do i mess w boys ?

kilnkin uhh hmm im not good with flirting so im not sure actually lol )):

cavelingthings ....didn't you like call me hot back there

kilnkin uh ok listen wynn whatever i may or may not have said five minutes ago my idea of both flirting and messing with boys is putting bugs in their beds and like idkk otherwise pranking them so um maybe do one of those things to him??

cavelingthings I could like buy him a coffee and fill it with something gross when he's not looking

kilnkin haha yeah thats the spirit

cavelingthings any suggestions?

kilnkin slobber from beaus hellhounds might be a good place to start

cavelingthings perfect i can't believe i just asked him to coffee yikes

kilnkin oh my god lmao its ok its all part of the setup lol im sure dog slobber tastes grosser coming from someone u have a crush on right XD

cavelingthings hm don't know! guess we could test it, do you have a cup o' dog slobber to give me?

cavelingthings kidding lmao

cavelingthings or am i?

kilnkin haha w or?? not haha lol um

cavelingthings omg he agreed :0

kilnkin are you? oh!! good omg it begins lolol

#ooc #IM #cavelingthings #aud: i hope i die. i hope we both die

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spectrearia-archive · 7 years

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Rules: Answer the questions in a new post and tag 20 blogs you would like to get to know better.

—————————————————————————————

REPOST don’t reblog

Tagged by: @foxivi! I don’t always do stuff like this but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to do it anyway haha

Nickname(s): Rainmaker, Rain, Flowey, Aud - it depends on the person, really

Star sign: Aries

Height: 4′9″

Time right now: 2:49 PM

Favorite music artist: gosh I really don’t like questions like this because I have too many favorites. I love all sorts of music - ranging from actual songs to soundtracks and scores!

Song stuck in your head: Mean - Taylor Swift

Last movie watched: Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers

Last T.V. show watched: it was either Pokémon XYZ or Mickey Mouse cartoons, but I can’t exactly remember haha

When did you create your blog: my sis saved the url forever ago but I actually started using the blog in June of 2016!

What kind of stuff do you post: I mostly post video game stuff, with a heavy emphasis on Nintendo games specifically. I was posting a lot of Pokéani for a while as well and I also reblog my art and other random stuff I like sometimes.

Do you have any other blogs: yep! I have my own art blog: @pekoeboo!

Why did you choose your URL: My sister actually came up with it back when Splatoon was first announced at E3 of 2014. So she jumped on the url within the first few weeks after the game was announced, just to make sure no one took it. But since she really didn’t have a use for the url, I decided to take ownership of it and turn it into a video game/personal blog!

Gender: Female

Hogwarts house: I literally don’t know squat about Harry Potter, so I wouldn��t be able to tell you haha

Pokémon team: Instinct, I guess....?

Favorite color: Purple, though I really love every color for their own reasons

Average hours of sleep: 9-ish, most of the time

Lucky number: 113

How many blankets do you sleep with: on average, maybe 2 or 3. right now i’m varying between 3 and 5 because i’m a baby who gets cold at night lol

Dream job: in all honesty? i don’t even know. maybe something to do with helping/caring for cats? I just really love cats. ;o;

Following: i’m not sure i never really check to see how many people my sister is following, since our accounts are linked

Followers: 118

Tagging: i’m really not a tagging kind of person?? I suppose whoever sees this and wants to do it can say that they’ve been tagged by me! I won’t mind! ;w;

#random stuff #tagged for me #long post #btw thanks vivi!

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gramilano · 4 years

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I’ve interviewed The Royal Ballet’s principal ballerina Yasmine Naghdi several times over the past five years. The first time, she was a soloist and preparing to debut as Juliet with Matthew Ball as Romeo. The last time was 18-months ago, a few months after her debut in Swan Lake, a role she was scheduled to reprise this spring, but then The Royal Opera House closed its doors.

She is currently on holiday in my adopted homeland, Italy. However, while I’m in the north by the Ligurian Sea, Yasmine and her Italian boyfriend are in Puglia, the heel of Italy’s boot. I spoke to her via Skype in early May and asked her whether she was with him in lockdown.

We’re in quarantine in our flat. I think when we last spoke, it must have been early on in our relationship. We’re now coming up to two years together.

How’s your Italian?

I’m actually learning Italian. I love languages, and as his parents don’t speak much English, it’s a good incentive for me to be able to speak their language and communicate with them.

I need to speak as it is the best way to learn, so I’m jealous of people like you who are there often. I spent a little bit of time in Sicily with his family over the new year and just hearing them speak was the best way for me to absorb it and try and speak back. I felt that I’d made really good progress over those three days, but then you take a step back when you come home again. I have one or two lessons a week via Skype at the moment, now that I have a bit more time on my hands.

It’s good to have another language in my pocket. I speak a good amount of French and a little bit of Flemish. My mother’s Belgian so I grew up hearing [the family] speak, and although I never learned to read or write Flemish, I spent holidays there and I learnt it quite well, hearing it all the time. I’ve been around languages all my life, so I just love to have another one.

It’s a good outlet for me as well, as the ballet work uses a different part of the brain. So finishing the day and studying written and spoken Italian is very stimulating, and I enjoy it.

So tell me about life in lockdown.

Well, it’s definitely been an adjustment. As a dancer, you’re constantly working to a schedule. You always have a goal in mind, the performance you’re working towards, a deadline. When I was a student, it was the same thing: schedules, deadlines and goals. For that all to come to a complete halt is a real shock, and there’s nothing you can do about it. We can’t work from home as we need the rehearsal studio. We need each other to dance with. We need the stage and the audience to be there for us. So for dancers, it’s impossible, and I think the acceptance of that is the first step.

How have you been coping without a schedule?

I just needed to find a way to have my own daily schedule. I love having structure. I make lists every day – maybe I’m a bit OCD. Whether cleaning my flat, doing a ballet class, cooking a new meal, researching something, or having an Italian lesson, I’ve structured my day to give me a little schedule. That helped me a lot in the early days of lockdown. What’s been really great is Kevin [O’Hare], our director, together with The Royal Ballet health care team, has arranged for us to have ballet classes, Pilates, yoga and strength training through Zoom.

We’ve got an amazing weekly schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, floor barre and ballet class. And we’re all kind of logging on and seeing each other in our various homes with people holding onto the kitchen counter, people holding the sofa. It’s really fun. As you know, there are dancers from all around the world, in all the different time zones, so you’ve got someone who logs on at 5 am in Miami or in Brazil or Japan. It’s really fun to see everyone come together and it feels family orientated with all of us joining in for our daily ballet class. And then on Tuesday and Thursdays, we’re provided with a yoga session, and strength training, like cardio and weights. People use tins cans as substitute weights! And then we also have Pilates, so we’re being provided with a really great way to maintain some fitness at home. Hopefully, it won’t be a complete shock to the body when we eventually go back to the opera house.

How does Pilates and so on work on Zoom?

Well, for example, the Pilates teacher will set an exercise doing the first step with us, and then she’ll come and look at the screen to see all of us and then give us some corrections. It’s really nice that it’s quite intimate and that just with The Royal Ballet members. But I know that Kevin has made these classes also available to external companies, which is so wonderful. So they’ve organised it so that everyone can have an allocated time.

Lauren [Cuthbertson] told be about the delivery of Harlequin dance flooring and a barre?

That is a saving grace because pointe shoes on a wooden floor is a no-no. So for weeks and weeks, I wasn’t able to do any form of a pirouette because I was worried about slipping. But then Kevin spoke with Aud Jebsen who very generously helped get Harlequin deliveries to everyone’s home, even in Brazil and the States. Everyone now has these Harlequin floors, which is very, very helpful for pointe shoes especially because it gives just the right amount of grip and friction without it being sticky, if you see what I mean. We were quite spoiled by that delivery.

I imagine that a grand jeté isn’t possible, but how much can you do?

Well I can jump on my exercise mat, which is quite thick, and first of all, it is kind to my neighbours – I haven’t had any complaints about loud jumping! It absorbs the sound, and I can do first position échappés and some sissonne side, for example. And secondly, it’s kind for my bones as well, because if you jump on a hard floor, there’s a risk of getting a dropped metatarsal or a strain in the shin. So I didn’t want to risk any of that. I also try to do a little bit of plyometric training every so often just to ensure that those muscles are still there and active. But like you said, grand jetés aren’t quite possible, but what I do do is kind of mark jetés, just for the muscle memory.

As you can’t travel far on your mat, what do you do for cardio and your stamina?

I always thought that running was not good for dancers: it’s bad for knees, it’s bad for ankles, and it’s in parallel, and we’re not really used to having that impact in parallel position. But when we went into lockdown, we got an email from our healthcare team saying that they wanted us to be open-minded about running. They said that they wanted us to give our muscles and bones the feeling of impact. That way, it’s not a complete shock to the system when we do return to work because, of course, that’s our biggest fear. None of the dancers has ever had a break this long unless they’ve been injured, so everyone’s fearful about coming back to work and then getting injured.

So I started running a little bit and, of course, I panicked at first because I thought, oh my god, I’m going to be exhausted. I’m used to working anaerobically, which is very stop-start with intense bursts and then rest. With running, it’s just consistent cardio. But once I started doing it, and I started quite slowly, I really surprised myself at how long I could run for. One day I was running with my boyfriend, and he encouraged me to run for nearly an hour [she laughs], and I hated him a little bit after that! I would never have thought I would be able to run an hour in my life, but I did it. So there’s a first, and I’ve also invested in a skipping rope because I’ve heard that it’s a really good way to get your heart rate up as well. I’ve been enjoying different ways to stay fit and exercise during this time.

Have you ever had injuries that have kept you off stage for a lengthy period?

I have been incredibly lucky with injuries. I had one injury, which was shin splints, when I was 16 years old, and I put that down to training at the same time as growing with the body having to keep up with the demands. I never stopped dancing, but I had to stop jumping for about three weeks because of the strain it was putting on my shins. As you’re young, you bounce back quite quickly. That was the only dance-related injury where I had to sort of take a step back. There have been other niggles here and there, which maybe took a day or two, but nothing severe.

However, last summer we were on holiday and I was walking on a rocky beach. I lost my balance when a boulder kind of shook loose and I landed really badly. It was at a bit of a height and I dropped down on my left ankle and, I kid you not, it swelled up to the size of a grapefruit. Of course, being on holiday, I’m panicking, and I thought immediately that I’d broken it. We drove to the local hospital, and I managed to get an x-ray which ruled out a break, but there was a severe sprain.

I had something like five weeks until I was meant to do Swan Lake at the Kremlin Palace. It was something I was really excited about and looking forward to, but of course, you’ve got all the fouettés on that left foot. I’d never had such a severe sprain before, so I had no idea of how long it would take to get that strength back. That was the first injury I’ve ever had that took me completely off dancing for, I’d say, about six to eight weeks. But, in the grand scheme of things, I consider myself still incredibly lucky because that’s not long compared to what a lot of other dancers have had to go through. People that have had a snapped ACL need a year to recover and stress fractures can take a lot longer. So I still consider myself really, really lucky. It’s just silly that it was unrelated to dance.

So many people have said that to me that these things happen when you’re off your guard. I said to my parents over and over that I couldn’t believe the amount of difficult ballets I’ve done, the risks that I’ve taken, the near injury moments that have happened to me on stage and yet I walk away unscathed. And then on holiday I fall badly on my ankle and this happens. It’s unbelievable.

I missed dancing the mistress in Manon, two performances, and I had to cancel the performances at the Kremlin. It took me until January, so a good six months, to dance without pain. My first performance back from that injury was a live cinema relay when I danced the second movement pas de deux of Concerto, so no pressure! And then my second performance back was the opening night of Sleeping Beauty. So again…

The power of the mind and the amazing power of the body to heal… it teaches you a lot to have an injury like that.

What should you have been dancing in this in this period? Are you missing out on any debuts?

I had a couple of Wayne McGregor works because what was remaining of the rest of our season was the Live Fire Exercise, Prodigal Son and Corybantic Games bill and I was meant to debut in Live Fire Exercise, so I’ve missed out on that. Also, there were my three Swan Lake performances that I was due to dance with Matthew Ball. That was quite sad because I love Swan Lake as I really connect with this ballet and I was revisiting it for the second time after having danced it for the first time two years ago in 2018.

On the scheduled day of my first performance this year, I got a phone call from Kevin, my director, it was so sweet. It was 7.30, which is usually our start time, and he said, “I was just thinking of you. I can’t believe that now the curtain would be going up on Swan Lake, and we would have all been settling down to watch the show. It’s just so surreal to think that it’s not happening.” Then, for the whole evening, I was looking at the clock going, “OK, it’s 8.30, and the curtain would have been down after the white act,” and, “Now I would have been doing fouettés,” and, “Now the curtain would have been coming down at the end,” and “Now I would have been on the tube home.” I was kind of following it with the timings for everything would have been happening… I couldn’t help it.

It’s thoughtful that he called you.

So lovely. Kevin said he looked in his diary and saw that it was our performance that night. It was nice to get a call from him and just have a general chat.

Also, I think I was going to be involved in the sequel to [Wayne McGregor’s] The Dante Project. No casting had really been mentioned, but it was in the pipeline. Some rehearsals were due to start during the first week of lockdown. Then we had a tour to Doncaster that we would have been doing in July. So not too much, but I felt bad about the Swan Lakes. I have a feeling it might return soon because we missed so many performances and it’s such a wonderful ballet and such an audience pleaser.

Why do you love Swan Lake? Some dancers don’t enjoy its challenges.

You know, you either love it or hate it, I think. I’ve always been someone that loves a challenge and pushing myself to try and achieve something that’s hard to reach. It then feels even better if it goes well, and you just think, “Oh, I’ve done it. I’ve achieved what I dreamed of.”

Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake are the two hardest classical ballets in the repertoire without a doubt. When you dance either of those ballets, and you feel that you’ve done them well, it’s the best feeling in the world to hear that audience applaud after all the hard work you put in.

In Swan Lake, I love the contrast of the roles; being two people in the same ballet. I love dancing very quietly, peacefully, and gracefully as the white swan.

With that wonderful music – especially played live in a theatre.

Of course, the music is so famous and, as you say, live music is just irreplaceable for the feeling that it gives you.

And then you morph into the black swan.

Putting on that costume starts the change, and then the headdress goes on, and the makeup becomes more dramatic, and then you see yourself in this stunning black glittering tutu and you have to be a completely different person. It’s really adrenalin-fuelled. You’ve got that balance in arabesque, and you’re building up to it and, although you’re tired, you have to contain yourself. Then you’ve got this very long solo with the menège at the end, and so you’re even more tired when you have to come on and do 32 fouettés well, so it’s a great challenge. I love that feeling when it goes well, and that’s why I really love this ballet.

Have you been watching some of the dance videos that companies have been offering online?

Yes, I have. It’s so wonderful. I was just thinking that during this time what’s really helping people is art. That’s why it’s so important for people to have that escapism through various means, be it through music or through movement. Having ballet streamed has offered people a little moment to forget about what’s going on in the world right now and allow themselves to be transported a little. I tuned in to all of the Royal Ballet screenings, the Mayerling from Stuttgart, and the various videos that are coming from Russian companies. I saw English National Ballet’s Dust, which was really beautiful, and Hofesh Shechter’s Clowns – that was really interesting.

Just dance?

I am not a ballet bunhead, so to speak. I’m not someone who watches ballet videos all day. I never really was. They inspired me obviously, and from time to time, yes, but I would never want to be completely immersed in it, day and night. I love having a normal life alongside my ballet life. It’s different for everyone, and some people need to be in it all the time, but for me, I love the balance, that work/life balance. And I think it makes me appreciate it more when I come back to it.

So in terms of non-ballet stuff, we’ve been watching a lot of Netflix – I heard that their shares have completely skyrocketed during this time. I really enjoy watching Killing Eve, which is on BBC iPlayer.

I also watched a documentary about Manolo Blahnik, the shoe designer [MANOLO: The Boy Who Made Shoes for Lizards], which is fantastic. He’s such a character, really upbeat – the kind of guy you just want to be best friends with. I started Ozark because everyone was talking about it, but it didn’t click with me for some reason.

It’s very dark.

VERY dark. I wanted to like it so badly because everyone was just raving and raving about it, but unfortunately, no. We’ve also watched a Spanish series called Elite, which is fun, full of very good looking people at a school, but when three students from an underprivileged background arrive on a scholarship, someone gets murdered. It’s kind of a murder mystery. It’s definitely glossy, but it’s been great for quarantine, and it’s got a really nice soundtrack.

I also love watching Chef’s Table on Netflix. I don’t know if you’ve seen any of those.

I’m a fan.

Oh, I’m so glad, me too. I’ve been watching a lot of those because it’s really artistic. I said to my boyfriend that these chefs are artists expressing themselves through their food.

I remember you telling me that you love cooking.

I’m doing a lot of cooking, and this has been the perfect time because I’m not exhausted, and I’m not limited with time. At the end of the workday, when I finish at 6.30 and come home, I just want to make a really quick pasta to get my carbs, with some chicken for example, and I don’t have time or energy to experiment. Now, during this time, I’ve been experimenting with different cuisines: some Chinese fusion food and a lot of Italian food. I’m trying to perfect my spaghetti alle vongole which is really good.

I’ll believe you.

No really! We’re making fresh pasta, and we’ve bought basil plants. Having an Italian around the house has taught me to buy high-quality ingredients all the time, which I really appreciate. So that’s been something I’ve enjoyed. Dinner is being planned right from the morning.

Vadim Muntagirov and Yasmine Naghdi in Le Corsaire, photo Andrej Uspenski

You sound very positive and happy, but I imagine you’ve had some down moments too?

We’re only human. Yes, of course there are down days, most definitely. We’re all going through ups and downs and sometimes I kind of just wake up feeling a bit low and uninspired. On those days, I’ve learned not to get angry at myself at feeling that way, and if I want a day to just sort of be in a slump, I have to let myself and I shouldn’t fight that feeling. I shouldn’t try and push past it because then I irritate myself even more. I’m getting a really good amount of sleep every night, so I can’t blame it on being tired, but I’ve learned to understand myself and those days.

I think that quarantine time has taught me to listen to my body in a psychological way rather than just how it is feeling, like “Oh, I’m tired because I went from 10.30 to 6.30 yesterday,” or, “I had a late performance last night.”

On those days I just try and get out of the house and get some fresh air, because it can be hard staying in all the time. I know that with you in Italy it is even more strict than it is here. We’ve been so lucky being allowed to go up to the park, allowed to do exercise outdoors. So I’ll try and push myself to go for a run, which, you know, get those endorphins going.

Are you keep in contact with friends and share these feelings with them?

Oh yes. It’s been great taking time to call people and chat to people a little bit more. There was a time that I was calling my colleagues on a daily basis and I thought, you know what, I’m actually talking to them more than I would normally at work because I would be in rehearsal here and they would be there. It’s been nice to connect with people.

LA BAYADERE The Royal Ballet ROH Covent Garden, Solor; Steven McRae, Gamzatti; Yasmine Naghdi, Nikiya; Akane Takada, The High Brahmin; Alastair Marriott,

What other positive things will you take away from this quarantine period?

I hope that coming out of this will give people a lot of positivity. I think it will definitely change the way people think about life in general, about what’s important. All the material things are not as important as people thought, and I’ve been appreciating the simple things in life. Being able to go to the supermarket and then make a good meal is a simple pleasure. I found myself returning to some old ways.

For example?

We bought some board games and have been playing those together. You know, we’ve been playing Scrabble quite a lot. I’ve been really enjoying it, and I would never have done that. I think it’s taking time to do things that we used to enjoy doing back in the day.

It’s definitely made me far more appreciative about things that we have but usually took for granted. Being able to give your best friend a hug, you know, or being able to see your family regularly. It’s kind of crazy, but I’ve not seen my sister since January. She went on a skiing trip before the lockdown and then decided to stay in Normandy with her French boyfriend.

It’s been such a stressful time for so many – especially the key workers who are working to save people’s lives or the people who are ill at the moment. I think it’s made me grateful to be in my position, keeping in mind all of those who are really going through a difficult time. It is a great time for reflection in general.

[Interview] The Royal Ballet’s Yasmine Naghdi: a time to reflect I’ve interviewed The Royal Ballet’s principal ballerina Yasmine Naghdi several times over the past five years. The first time, she was a soloist and preparing to debut as Juliet with Matthew Ball as Romeo.

#Lauren Cuthbertson #Matthew Ball #Royal Ballet #Vadim Muntagirov #Wayne McGregor #Yasmine Naghdi

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