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lightsandlostbells · 4 years

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wtFOCK season 3, episode 1 reaction

So! It’s a million years too late, but I decided to talk about wtFOCK season 3.

I had fairly positive feelings about S1 of wtFOCK. It was the scrappy underdog of the Skam remakes, in a way, and what it lacked in polish, it made up for authenticity. I was very willing to overlook its flaws because of what I perceived as genuine attempts to connect with teenagers. I was really, really holding out hope that future seasons would improve on its flaws. And ... well. (Disclaimer: I still haven’t seen S2. Sorry! I just failed to keep up with all the remakes and S2 is my least fave so I didn’t feel that motivated to make it a priority, even though I did like Zoë a lot in S1.)

Heads up - I didn’t care for this season. A lot of people did, and I would never, ever want to ruin someone’s enjoyment of something, even if I personally didn’t like it. So please take this as a warning that I have a lot of negative things to say, and don’t read if it’s going to harsh your buzz for a pairing or a story that you deeply love. However, I didn’t want to just be grumpy and angry the whole time, so I tried to think of constructive ways to fix certain problems I had with this season. No guarantees that they’re satisfying solutions, but it was an interesting exercise.

Also, I didn’t watch this in real time, and I paid barely any attention to fandom reactions and/or drama, so it’s very possible that I am missing context, or that pacing issues didn’t register with me quite as strongly, etc. If one of the actors ate a live dolphin on Instagram, and then got into a fight with fans on Twitter about their right to eat live dolphins, and now fandom has canceled the problematic dolphin-eating actor, I legit do not know, do not come at me if I’m like “This actor is doing a good job” with “Wow, didn’t know you stanned dolphin-eaters??? YIKES.” Honestly, for the purposes of just grading this season on a storytelling level, I would prefer not to know anything about the cast or crew unless it directly has an impact on the show itself.

Clip 1 - House party

OK, I did like this flashy intro shot, immersing us in the Wild ‘n’ Crazy Teen Party of Wild ‘n’ Crazy Youths.

Amber rejecting every dude in site … When Will Gay Vilde Rise. (I know there have been some f/f storylines in the remakes, but if there’s one involving an actual Vilde, please let me know.)

Luca saying “We’re not walking around in a high school drama” - you can hear the rimshot.

I do like the transition from the party up to the bathroom, that’s a cool shot. wtFOCK’s directing so far is more ambitious than it was in S1.

Robbe is clearly a mess and they acknowledge his problems at home right off the bat.

We go back downstairs. wtFOCK’s version of Magnus knocks his drink on Amber and she gets pissed. She gives him the finger and he falls in love. Still a better love story than S3 Daphne/Basile.

It’s a small point, but I don’t get why we didn’t get this moment before jumping up to the bathroom with Robbe and the others? It would be a far smoother transition, just on a practical level and also in the sense of fully immersing us in Robbe’s POV after a quick update with the other characters.

Belgian Magnus joins the guys in the bathtub and announces he’s in love. They roast him when they find out it’s Amber and start talking about hot chicks. Moyo starts grilling Robbe about his type of girl, in a crass, sexual way.

This is honestly not a bad start to Robbe’s story at all. Robbe is clearly more reluctant to get into his interest in girls than Isak was - Isak was more fuckboyish from the start, Robbe seems like he’s about to start squirming and doesn’t really give an answer to Moyo’s questioning. Which is fine! I think it’s fine to start off the POV character at different stages of performing heterosexuality, as long as it’s taken into account in the writing of the character’s whole arc. The fact that the boy talk is so crude and sexual just ramps up Robbe’s alienation.

I swear, I will never understand how the girls in this scene just go into the bathroom and pee in front of strange boys … like maybe I am just a ~prude but that seems like a recipe for disaster and I would not trust those little fuckers to not be secretly recording me on the toilet.

Her peeing is kind of a power move, like marking her territory.

Also L M A O at Robbe starting to flirt with the girl while she is pissing … like now this comes off as a kink thing. OK, Robbe. Jokes aside, this gets across the same meaning as the scene with Isak: he starts to flirt with her because he was encouraged by the other guys.

Uh, flush the toilet, lady. And use some TP.

Now this version of Emma seriously radiates some Natalie Portman in The Professional vibes.

She orders him to stand up and then starts kissing him. I get way less of a vibe of Robbe’s mad game with women (like how Isak negged Emma into kissing him) and more like this girl is the love interest out of an indie romcom, all mysterious and spunky. She kisses him like once after taking his jay and then leaves. The boys all crack up. Moyo tells Robbe it’s his responsibility to get the weed back which lmao, no it’s not, all you assholes were there and could have intervened.

This scene is perfectly fine and even effective! Not entirely the same vibes as OG, but it still has a purpose and some obvious cause-and-effect, and there are some nice stylistic choices.

Clip 2 - Party pt. 2

Robbe is now making out with mystery girl. We already have a divergence in characterization from OG. Isak was being performative about making out with Emma and shut it down once the guys left. Robbe is making out with this girl because he wants to be straight, I guess? If it’s not to appeal to his friends, it’s likely that this is for himself. Again, I have no real problem with this change if it’s incorporated into Robbe’s overall arc and characterization. My thing is, if you’re writing this scene, do you realize the differences in characterization? Or do you think this is interchangeable from what happened with Isak? The latter is where you run into problems, because then the writing shows lack of nuance. I bring this up here because, well, you can guess how I feel about later events.

Luca seems rather aggro about the mystery woman, which I assume is because she still has the hots for Robbe?

It makes me laugh that we got this first-person POV as Robbe leaves through the garage, because of the “Smack My Bitch Up” song being played in the last clip (the song had an infamous music video, banned from MTV in the ‘90s, that was from a first-person POV). But again, WTFock is trying harder with the cinematography and direction, good for them.

Robbe ditches the cops by jumping on the bike with Belgian Emma. OK, I get it, Belgian Emma is too cool for school.

I have kinda mixed feelings on that, actually. I mean, I’ll be honest - I don’t see why any Emma has to be made into someone more palatable. Definitely don’t demonize her or present her in a misogynistic way! She deserves sympathy and dignity as much as any character on a Skam. But … it’s fine if she and the Isak aren’t like, amazingly compatible except for his sexuality. The Even character is supposed to be the one who really shakes up the Isak’s world! The Isak is supposed to be lost and confused and drifting and then Even comes in and is someone he can really open up to. Not just because he’s another guy who’s into guys, but because Even’s personality meshes with Isak’s so easily while still challenging him and introducing him to new things. In a way, it does kinda diminish the effect of the Even if the Isak meets ANOTHER mysterious stranger who’s an awesome person. Or at the very least, it lessens the feeling of the Isak’s detachment from everything.

And again, this could work if the writing realizes it. You can totally craft a subtly different arc from the pieces of Isak’s season. It’s just that (speaking from the future) I do not feel this is what happened.

Clip 3 - Tagging time

I don’t think it’s necessary to break up all the parts of a longer scene/set piece into a bunch of different clips. If you start a scene at 16:00, it’s OK to have the clip take place over several hours. You don’t need to chop it up unless there’s a reason why this pacing might benefit the story. Honestly, if you’re watching in real time, I think this method is often less effective at building tension/emotion/etc. But wtFOCK is not the first remake to try this tactic.

... this part where Robbe and Noor put on masks sure hits differently in 2020.

Belgian Emma’s name is Noor and she takes him to a warehouse, or something? It’s very secret and Cool Kid. And IDK, it’s fun, but again… I think making the Emma that much of a fun mysterious cool exciting person is very much diminishing the effect of Robbe’s isolation. We had a good start with establishing that alienation while he was in the tub, but now his reactions to her rad hipness feel way too sincere and act against the major character conflict of his season. He seems nervous to go with her, but not because he’s with a girl, just because it’s a risky scenario.

Noor hands Robbe a spray paint can and leads him to tag a wall. There’s a guy taking pictures. So I’m assuming one of the guys in masks is the Even? The POV seems to shift to the photo guy briefly, like we’re seeing Robbe through his eyes. And even though I’m not a fan of POV breakage, I do think this is a cool way to introduce the Even without really introducing him, you know? If that’s him. (EDIT from the future: Ummm, so that wasn’t Sander, right? I’m rewatching and it doesn’t look like him. Soooo that part has even less relevance than I originally thought. Got it.) (EDIT from the future beyond the future: @hellswolfie tells me that this actually was Sander, so I am just bad at recognizing people, lol.)

Robbe and Noor take off their masks briefly to kiss. Uhhhh, did the scene really just … cut off there? Because L M A O what a weird choice. We don’t get to see what Robbe creates on the wall, which could be a great way to establish his character, AND we end with him on a smiley, contented note which does not boost his POV at all. It legit just makes him seem like a guy who’s into this girl, and sorry, even if that’s his public persona at this point in time … that’s not what we, the audience should be getting at all.

Clip 4 - Boy squad morning after

Robbe skateboards to meet up with the guy squad. Again, the directing is far better IMO than in S1.

Robbe got the weed back so that conflict is over, I guess.

He gets a call from his mom and stops laughing with the guys and gets serious. He walks away to take the call. Then he starts to open up to Jens about his mom freaking out, and then Moyo spots some girls so they all ditch Robbe to go chase girls, and WOW, Jens, please turn in your Jonas card.

Don’t love that we didn’t hear his mom on the phone. There’s no reason not to let us hear what she’s saying since it would be in Robbe’s POV AND as it turns out, they just tell us about the situation with his mom right off the bat, anyway, so it’s not like there’s much point in hiding it.

This was effective in a sense to establish how girl-crazy his friends are, as well as setting up Robbe’s isolation, which I was worried wouldn’t come across as strongly after meeting Noor. But I think they could have NOT mingled in his mom issues to make this part more effective. Like if the goal was to show more of Robbe being alienated because he’s gay, then that’s not entirely successful, because there are non-gay reasons why Robbe wouldn’t join his pals on the girl chase. I mean, even a horny hetero Robbe might not want to chase girls with his bros because talking to his mom is a downer, so it’s not necessarily because of his sexuality. Plus he just found a girl he liked in Noor, so apparently, he’s not on the prowl. What this part IS communicating that the Belgian guy squad doesn’t have much interest in their friend’s family struggles, which ... ehhhh, maybe not great in the grand scheme of the storyline? These guys can be flawed, for sure, but we do need them to care about Robbe’s well-being. And Robbe tried to open up here, so the flaw is not in him, it’s in his friends. I’m going to let it slide because Jens was offering to help Robbe in the first clip, so it’s not like he’s been a totally insensitive friend this whole time.

Clip 5 - Phone call from Robbe’s dad

Noor jumps on Robbe and they make out. She shows him the garage and they talk about the tagging world or w/e. Again, not sure why they are portraying Noor as like … a legit love interest. I don’t get much of a sense of discomfort from Robbe. Isak was just not into Emma and was uncomfortable when his bathroom flirting came back to haunt him. And I don’t think it’s TERRIBLE not to follow that route, but you can’t just make this huge change if you don’t account for it in future episodes and Robbe’s overall arc. (EDIT from the future: Which I don’t think they do, otherwise I wouldn’t care.) Every scene should count in furthering Robbe’s character, especially this early in the season where we’re just getting to know his particular struggles. If Robbe is trying to convince himself to like girls, then I want to see definite vulnerability in how that’s portrayed.

I blame the directing/writing more than the acting for the lack of discomfort, since I sensed Robbe’s lack of comfort just fine in the bathtub scene.

Makeouts get interrupted when Robbe’s dad calls. Again, not sure why we aren’t hearing both sides of the conversation? Because we’re in Robbe’s POV. Why wouldn’t we hear them? This seems like they just want to create some suspense or mystery over the situation with his parents. But it’s perfectly possible to do so while still letting us in on the phone calls. In fact, it’s arguably more intriguing to let us listen to some phone calls where we get some vague details but nowhere close to the whole story. It’s not like Robbe’s dad is going to explain the whole situation to his son in an exposition dump. We can get some crumbs to tease us, while still keeping us in Robbe’s POV and not feeling like the show is cutting corners.

Robbe gets mad at his dad and tells Noor he needs to be alone. Closeup on Noor as Robbe walks away. OK … why? Why on her and not Robbe when it’s his POV? Why the focus on Noor’s feelings when we really need to be establishing our protagonist’s mindset in the beginning of this season? I’m not saying her feelings don’t matter, I’m saying that well, this isn’t her story. It would be better to see Robbe’s pained reaction as he leaves.

Clip 6 - Robbe’s dad drama

Jens comes running up while Robbe is being sad. Robbe says that it may be necessary for him to stay with Jens because Robbe’s mom has been committed to a mental health institution and Robbe doesn’t want to stay with his dad. Ah, so I guess we’re hearing that right away. Which honestly makes not hearing his phone calls to his parents even funnier - like you lock us out of his POV arguably for the suspense, but then you end the suspense anyway by just telling us what happened a scene or two later? All right. I guess there’s suspense in that we don’t know exactly what’s up with the mom, mental health-wise, or the root of Robbe’s problems with his dad.

It occurs to me that maybe they just didn’t want to hire people to voice Robbe’s parents? Or put in the time to film both sides of the conversation? I have a hard time believing either of those because it’s so lazy, but.

I mean, just turn the phone conversations into text conversations if you’re not going to let us listen to Robbe’s parents on the other end.

They go and play football without really resolving the situation. Sad music plays while Robbe joins in. Also, someone was calling Robbe, and I assume it was his dad, but it’s not shown.

These clips are VERY short and choppy so far. You could easily combine the last two, so Robbe is with Jens instead of Noor when he gets the other phone call from his dad, leading into this conversation.

We know immediately about Robbe’s mom’s situation instead of it being a mystery, like with Isak. Which, again, isn’t inherently wrong, but then I want them to DO SOMETHING with it.

Clip 7 - Jens and Jana

Oh hey, Jana got her braces off! IDK if that happened last season or this one, but it was something I liked, seeing a teenage girl with braces on a teen drama. That rarely happens unless it’s a joke or a plot point.

OK, they really need to film Robbe’s phone so I can actually see who’s calling…

Jens tells Jana about Robbe’s parental situation. I’ll note that first she asks if something’s up with Noor, so news of the Robbe/Noor relationship must have traveled really fast since they’ve only just gotten together. Like Robbe and Noor are clearly dating, going off Jana’s comment, and not just hooking up. Then Belgian Magnus wants to know about hooking up with Amber. Meanwhile Robbe is having a conversation off screen with his dad? Guess it wasn’t important!

And that’s the problem, obviously. It’s his POV season, anything you decide to show SHOULD be important to his storyline.

Also … it’s fine that we’re focusing on Robbe’s shit home life since that’s relevant to his story, but almost nothing in these clips has set up Robbe’s attraction to men, and only slightly his lack of interest in girls, which was negated by him seeming very interested in a girl afterwards. And knowing how long this season takes to get going with the Even character, it’s a pretty glaring omission.

So we don’t see Robbe’s phone call with his dad, but he gets snappy about it when Jens asks. One of the boys (I can’t tell who) says that Robbe’s on his period. Gonna be real, I don’t care for this squad so far.

What was the point of this clip? We already know Robbe is having problems with his dad, which is the most relevant part to the plot here. We shouldn’t be wandering from Robbe’s POV so much, but even taking that into account … we already know Belgian Magnus likes Amber, so that’s not necessary to establish. And we didn’t need to see Jens tell Jana something we already know. I assume he tells her so Zoë can find out and offer a room, but there’s no reason to see Jens tell Jana this, so. Filler clip.

Clip 8 - Zoë and Robbe at the lockers

Yeah, Zoë offers Robbe a place to stay here, but again, we didn’t need to see the news travel down the Jens-Jana pipeline. It could have been condensed more efficiently.

Robbe doesn’t want to because he says his dad wouldn’t approve. Zoë says she hopes things get better with his mom and Robbe at first snaps and tells her to leave it, then says thanks. This is an actual good interaction, writing-wise, kudos.

I liked Zoë a lot in S1 and I like her here again. I really should watch her season despite my Noorhelm allergy. The scene of them kinda smiling at each other across the hallways reminds me that this is probably the strongest relationship in the whole season, tbh.

Why was this clip so short? So many of these clips could have been combined into one. I mean, Zoë could have said, “I heard from Jana who heard from Jens...” without us needing the previous clip. Although, did Robbe really want anyone else to know about his home life? Lol @ Jens just blabbing Robbe’s private business.

So I guess they didn’t set up the Eskild situation in S2 that would lead to Eskild offering Robbe a place to stay?

Clip 9 - Robbe gets roommates

Robbe is in Zoë’s room. He sees her “everyone you know is fighting a battle” quote next to the mirror, which is a detail I actually quite like in context with the rest of this storyline and Even’s condition. It’s a good Skam thesis overall.

I guess Zoë met with Robbe’s dad. Zoë calls him a tough cookie. Robbe doesn’t want to speak to him. They bond a little over their parental problems. Again, a nice detail.

Belgian Eskild appears and teases Robbe a little before announcing that Robbe’s dad has agreed to let him stay in the flat. Yay!

Oh, so Senne is staying there, too? At least they didn’t do a pointless Noorhelm breakup in this version.

Milan (the Eskild) tries to go in for a hug and Robbe isn’t cool with it, so at least that’s something with Robbe’s issues with men. (I think? The thing is, Robbe also does not really know Milan, so it’s not as weird that he’s not ready to be affectionate with a near-stranger.) (EDIT from the future: Keeping the S2 almost-kiss that’s referenced in the next clip in mind, I can rationalize this moment as a continuation of that awkwardness from Robbe’s POV.)

They chat with Lisa (Linn) who wants to direct Robbe on what he is and isn’t allowed to touch in her room, heh. Milan and Zoë have cute interaction, and Robbe looks happy. I do like the flatmate vibe so far, they seem fun.

Clip 10 - Robbe and Milan

Senne and Zoë get cute. I haven’t seen S2 so I can’t give my opinion on their version of Noorhelm, but I did think a few things about them were less creepy in wtFOCK’s S1 than in OG. Milan talks about how they’re a Disneylike couple and Robbe laughs.

Then Robbe apologizes for something that evidently happened in S2, where Milan tried to kiss Robbe at a party? Again, I didn’t see the scene. Milan says he’d never try to do that. He offers Robbe a hug, which he accepts - tbh I don’t know if Robbe SHOULD accept based on where he is in his character arc, maybe he should have more skittishness? But it’s a nice character moment, at least. They really have to make up for lost time with the Robbe-Milan relationship, so I can get that they need to establish some closeness fast.

Not being in the wtFOCK fandom, I kinda wonder if there was backlash to that scene from before and this is damage control, LMAO.

I feel like you could’ve tweaked this to be more representative of Robbe’s issues, like have him stress here that he’s not gay, because it’s a sweet scene but again, I don’t feel like this episode built up Robbe’s internal dilemma very well. You could make this not just about smoothing over whatever bump there was in this relationship, but also about setting up some internal tension with Robbe’s sexuality issues. Multi-tasking - it’s great!

EDIT from the future: OK, I tracked down the S2 scene, and yeah, while it illustrates some of Robbe’s internalized homophobia, I really think you needed to carry this through to this clip. Because that was a very public situation, and they made a point of emphasizing onlookers’ reactions. I feel like you need to show that Robbe’s internalized homophobia isn’t just about external reactions, but internal struggles, because ... so far, that’s what it is? Like what is he doing with Noor otherwise?

Clip 11 - Housewarming party

Party is underway. Yasmina is there and is friendly with Robbe. It sounds like they’re working on a school project together. Aaron (Magnus) and Moyo are talking about hot chicks again.

Noor arrives and the boys tease Robbe about how far he’s gone, Robbe looks pretty chill and happy until Moyo says Robbe’s getting laid tonight and you can see the nerves and reluctance take over. Okay! A character detail that actually works for his arc! Yes!

Partying, makeouts with Noor … sorry but they are wasting a lot of time with this relationship. ROBBE ISN’T INTO HER. Here’s the thing: I don’t want to demonize any of Evak’s female “love interests,” right? It’s pointless anyway because Evak is the endgame pairing, Sonja and Emma aren’t “threats” in the end, but also because they’re not bad people just for wanting to date these two guys who happens to want each other instead. And I think you can do interesting things with Sonja and Emma as characters. I’ve read Sonja fanfic that’s really good!

But when it comes down to it … this is not the story of Robbe/Noor, and there’s a point where it feels like there’s too much development for something that is really intended to be a speed bump in Robbe’s journey.

I guess it’s a pet peeve of mine when gay stories devote a ton of time to het relationships, to the point where it begins to overshadow the main gay relationship. Love, Victor did this to an absolutely ridiculous degree. (I actually made notes for Love, Victor reactions, but hesitated to post them because 60% consisted of me typing I DON’T CARE ABOUT THESE STRAIGHT ROMANCES.) And I GET it, this is an experience many gay kids go through in their coming out journey, but also, less charitably… you don’t need het romance to dominate everything. You don’t need to make this about how a gay person being gay hurts a straight person. I genuinely appreciate that once Isak kisses Even, it’s fucking over with him and Emma, that plot thread is done.

Anyway, Noor tells Robbe he’s so fucking hot and Robbe looks more uncomfortable, moreso when she wants to see his room and he goes off like he’s headed to Mordor.

Aaron checking out Amber … okay, again with all the het. I don’t care!!! This is not important right now!!

Noor pushes Robbe onto the bed, ugh please don’t have them Go There.

She takes off her top and Robbe touches her boob like he’s sticking his hand into a porta-potty. We see his discomfort so at least this part is effective and relevant to Robbe’s arc. Noor is taking off her bra when the boys come into the room, wanting the weed. Okay, you dumb fucks, you’re teasing your bro about getting laid and yet you think it’s cool to enter his room when he’s with a girl? I mean, that’s a lucky break for Robbe, but his friends are extra stupid.

The mood is killed, Robbe goes hunting for weed. Episode ends.

HOW I WOULD REWRITE THIS EPISODE:

Lmao, some of my changes sounded a lot like “be like OG Skam S3.” Because Skam S3 was well-written and made sense. But I tried to think of edits that worked with what wtFOCK was presenting, not just repeating OG.

(I’m also repeating a few things in this section that I said above, btw)

While this episode doesn’t make me angry or anything, it’s got a serious problem with dithering. The first clip is a solid start to the season, but afterwards, so many of these clips feel like filler. There’s a lack of substance to them. It was hard to write about them because they ended up feeling like two minutes of nothing.

Did we need to see repetitive mentions of Robbe’s troubled relationship with his dad? No, it’s an important plot detail but we could have established that more concisely in fewer clips. Did we need to see the process of how Robbe comes to stay with Zoë, Senne, and Milan? No, not really. Or at least not dragged out over at least three clips.

I don’t feel like I’m in Robbe’s head to the extent that I should be so far. Some of this is because the show just flat-out locks us out of his POV, like not showing the phone call in the Jens-Jana clip. But a lot of it is also because of the narrative dawdling. There’s just not as much to analyze unless I bring in Skam season 3 and project what we know about Isak onto Robbe. And that’s not a good way to adapt a story.

The framing of Robbe/Noor needs to change. Combine the bathroom intro with the aborted sex scene - the boys are sitting in the tub, teasing Robbe about getting laid, so he makes out with Noor and they go into a bedroom where he’s clearly not into this, and then Moyo and Aaron come in asking for weed because Robbe still actually has the weed from the bathtub at this point. Or do what Skam France did (can’t believe I’m referring to Skam France) and have the arrival of the cops interrupt the makeout/sex session and Robbe takes his cue to exit.

But frankly, it’s not great to have Robbe acting or looking too cozy with Noor, like this is a legitimate romantic arc except when it gets to the sex. The point is that this isn’t a romance. Even if you want to show some cuddly, non-sexual scenes with Noor, you have to show more of Robbe’s reluctance and fear throughout.

Show Robbe’s fucking phone conversations with his parents!!!! Good Lord. He’s not ordering a pizza. These are important aspects of his story. Capitalize on that family tension, show us what a bad place Robbe is in at the start of this season.

Now, about the lack of Even in this episode. Not introducing Even is a bold move, but not necessarily a smart one. Even’s introduction in Skam is not just the intro of “the love interest” - he’s the catalyst for almost everything in Isak’s story. Consider that in episode 1, Isak is seen mostly unhappy and bored - he’s distraught after kissing Emma, he’s checked out of his friends’ lunchtime girl talk, he zones out staring at his teacher’s boobs, he doesn’t want to be at kosegruppa. Isak is actually very passive and just going through the motions, doing what people tell him to do. But once Isak meets Even at kosegruppa - well, that’s when Isak wakes up. In the next few clips, we see Isak taking action. And sure, they’re small actions, searching for Even online, watching the Even video over and over, asking Vilde if there will be more kosegruppa meetings. But we can see that Isak now cares about something, he’s paying attention. Of course, Robbe’s story doesn’t have to follow the same arc. However, it does the season a huge benefit to get him intrigued by something at this point, so we the audience are not just sleepwalking along with him for a few episodes.

There’s also just the simple fact that we have only 10 episodes to establish a love story and make us care about the Even character, and it’s a very risky move to waste too much time. If you are really killing it with the rest of Robbe’s arc, this could still work, but ... well, that’s not what’s happening here.

If they didn’t want to full on introduce the Even directly, one thing they could do is subtly and indirectly find ways to include him in the narrative and create some mystery. Let’s say Robbe sees the Even’s artwork somewhere and is like whoa, that’s cool, and we can tell that it resonates with him. Or he admires Even’s graffiti, or it makes him laugh, whatever. Basically Robbe has some kind of emotional reaction to a thing the Even has created or done, which helps to set up that relationship even before we officially meet the Even.

If we want to add a little more, perhaps Robbe sees a mysterious dude in a mask tagging a wall, but they get interrupted by the cops or something and have some kind of brief but intriguing interaction with each other, and Robbe’s like, who was that guy in the mask? Or Noor takes Robbe to the tagging place, the police/security bust them, Robbe and Noor get separated, and Robbe gets helped out by the Even so he can escape. So it’s an important moment, lots of adrenaline, we can frame it like there’s a sudden ~charge~ between them (ooOOOooo the Even helped Robbe stand up and their hands touched like this was a fanfic, etc.), but he doesn’t learn Even’s name, maybe he doesn’t even see his face because Even has a mask on, so Robbe spends part of the next few episodes trying to figure out who that guy is, casually asking Noor if she knows a guy like that, keeping his eyes open. Maybe we have some fakeouts where Robbe thinks he sees the Even again but it’s just a false alarm. He’s on edge, eager to know more about that mystery guy, and so are we. Bam, we have “awakened” Robbe from his deep sleep.

If you’ve seen Netflix’s The Get Down, there’s even a scene like this where Jaden Smith’s character gets caught tagging by the cops, he runs and flees with another young dude, and they have a moment where they recognize each other as graffiti artists they admire. While watching that scene for the first time, without any context or spoilers, without even knowing if there would be LGBT content in that show, I immediately thought, “This guy is his love interest.” Not even because it was overtly romantic. Because the way it was written and shot told us that this meeting was important. Because they had an instant connection. Something similar could have worked for Robbe and his Even. But in any case: it would have been best to establish something between those characters, even if it wasn’t an “official” introduction.

Stop focusing on Aaron/Amber when it’s not in Robbe’s POV. Reverse the scene at the beginning with Aaron videotaping and Amber getting spilled on. She gets pissed, he falls in love, and then we follow him upstairs and we meet the boy squad. That is a very obvious, very clean transition that doesn’t interrupt Robbe’s POV as it technically hasn’t started yet. So IDK why they didn’t do that, lmao.

Some changes with the Milan relationship:

Tweak the apology scene to be more representative of Robbe’s issues. Have Robbe apologize while still stressing that he’s not gay. Have Milan be chill and not question that statement, but maybe Robbe is so defensive that it comes across as unconvincing.

Then have Milan be the one instead of the boys to interrupt the Noor almost-sex scene. Milan wanders in acting drunk, haha Milan, he’s wacky. Robbe doesn’t realize it (though the viewers do if they’re paying attention) but Milan is only pretending and is “subtly” rescuing Robbe because he realizes, based on the earlier scene, that Robbe might be struggling with his sexuality and he wants to give him an escape option. (Although I still think it’s best to combine the not-sex scene into the opening clip, but this could work, too.)

Basic questions we need to be asking, clip to clip: what is the conflict? Where is Robbe’s head right now? Why is this scene necessary? How did this scene come to be - what’s the cause and effect here? How does it advance Robbe’s story? Is it redundant? How do we tell this story in a narratively economical manner?

#wtfock reactions

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dobrikburrito · 5 years

Note

David Being in a relationship with a journalist like the met while she was interviewing him!!!

N/A: hiii thank you so much for requesting this! i turned it into a cute lil’ blurb, i hope you like it. not sure if this is what you had in mind, but i think it turned out pretty cute. thanks again ♥

“Thank you so much for coming David, this has been great so far!” One of the executive producers for Buzzfeed Celeb praised.

“Oh, no problem at all! I’m actually having a really great time.” David laughed. “Can we have some more puppies or something? Although I have to confess that the Thirst Tweets were my favorite!”

Everybody laughed with David, they also did have a great time in the videos that they shot with him. “Well, there’s only one more to shoot and it’s with (Y/N) on the ASMR room.”

“Oh, wait. Are you serious?” David was suddenly excited. This sounded like a great idea. The guy nodded. “I absolutely love and hate ASMR. Some of it I can’t stand but most of it I think it’s hilarious. This is going to be great.”

“We sure hope so,” The producer laughed and opened the door to another shooting studio for David. “Here, let me introduce you to (Y/N), she’s knew in our team, but she’s amazing.”

The producer called up your name and motioned for you to join him and David. Smiling, you made your way towards them. David was taken by how hot you were for a second, admiring your hair, eyes and smile.

“Hi David, I’m (Y/N),” You smiled fully, absolutely amazed to have the opportunity to meet David Dobrik. You have him a hug, unlike other people in the Buzzfeed building who only gave him handshakes. “Not gonna lie, I love your vlogs.”

For a second, David forgot how to talk. “Oh? Oh, yeah. I mean, really?” He laughed, awkwardly.

“Yes! I’ve actually been watching you for over a year and a half, so it’s amazing to be able to meet you!” Your smile gave him chills.

“That’s so nice, thank you, really. And wow, over a year and a half, huh? That’s way back.” You took charge of the room and took David to the center of the shooting, behind a desk with multiple ASMR props.

“Nearly OG fan. It was the good old apartment days with Alex and Dom.” You laughed, putting a strand of hair behind your ear. “Oh, congratulations on the Kid’s Choice, too!”

David blushed, fixing his hair. “Thank you. It’s been a crazy couple of weeks.”

“Sorry, I’ve been wildly fangirling when I should’ve probably put on the professional looking front like. Welcome Mr. Dobrik, how are you enjoying your buzzfeed experiences so far?” You said with an english accent.

David couldn’t help but laugh out loud, feeling more at ease and comfortable. “No! Please no, that’s way worse. Continue to tell me how much you love what I do.” David flirted back, side smiling. You couldn’t help but laugh too.

“Alright, alright! Don’t go hitting our ceiling light equipment with your head.” You joked, laughing. David laughed loudly again.

“You guys really did save the best for last, huh?” David told the Buzzfeed staff team.

“Oh, now I’m the one hitting the lights with my big head.” You blushed and laughed. “Unless you meant the ASMR bit, which would totally make me SO obnoxious for even thinking you meant me.” You said with a struggle voice while hiding your face.

“Yeap, I meant the ASMR.” David playfully joked and you hid your face on the desk. “No, no no no! I was joking, sorry. I did mean you, yes. I’m sorry, don’t cry.”

“Oh, in that case…” You immediately got up and smiled, throwing your hair around. David laughed.

“Are you guys ready to shoot?” The director said.

You both nodded and smiled at each other, trying to contain the laugh. You spent the next 40 minutes playing with sand, slime, brushes, honey cones, and all other things. You and David had instant chemistry and he kept flirting with you the entire interview, since while you were both playing with the items, you got to answer him personal question.

“So, how’s that love life going?” You focused on cutting off the play sand while asking him that, because if you actually looked at him, you’d blush. “Any girls on sight? Dating anyone? Friends with benefits? Distant relationships? Secret affairs?”

“All of those, yes.” David joked. “Oh that sand is my favorite, it’s so good.”

“Don’t you digress my question Dobrik.” You bumped his shoulder playfully.

“I’m not seeing anyone, no. I’m single and that’s all you’ll get from me.” David smirked and you rolled your eyes.

“Come oooooon, a girl’s gotta eat here.” You smiled at him.

“I’m serious. I’m not seeing anyone right now. I have one girl in mind, yes, but we’ll see about that.” He looked at you while saying those specific words and you looked away, trying to keep it together.

“Have you asked that lucky lady out yet?” You gave him a squared sand while picking up some slime.

“Not yet, no. But I will soon enough.” He shrugged, smiling to himself.

You both diverged the conversation to other topics and questions, but wouldn’t leave a knowing smile off of your faces. After the shooting was done, the first thing David did was turn to you and ask:

“So, are you free tonight?” David smiled, looking at you, hopeful.

“Mm… Yeah, yeah I am.” You smiled and slightly bit your lower lip.

“That’s great. We could hang out tonight, if you’d like.” David proposed and you nodded, smiling at him. He took his phone out of his pocket and handed it to you, so you could put your info in there. Quickly after he texted you “Hii” so you could keep his number too. “So, I’ll pick you up at 8?”

“Yeah, that’d be perfect.” You hugged him goodbye, since he was being taken away by the producer to do some photos and then leave.

#david dobrik #david dobrik x reader #david dobrik ff #david dobrik fluff #david dobrik vlogs #vlogger #youtube #vlogsquad #vlog squad #fluff #fanfic #dobrik #ask #anonymous #request

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helpinghanikan · 5 years

Text

Generation Gap

Avengers (and Matt Murdock) x reader

Sum: Everyone is of legal age

Steve Rogers:

Your situation was a difficult one; on one hand you were just a junior member of the Avenger’s legal defense (half step higher than an intern), and your clearance shouldn’t be more than the first floor and no deeper than the offices. On the other hand, you were the partner to one of the OG Avengers, a class that had no restrictions.

This was why you couldn’t really get mad at security when they would direct you towards the intern spaces. Nor could you yell at them when they’d refuse you entry to where your man had agreed to meet.

This also spread rumors throughout the office about your “relationship”. How else could someone your age get this far if you weren’t getting bruised knees from it? Very few would believe that it was your skills and work ethic that took you ahead of the pack. If it were high school you would be eating lunch in the bathroom stall instead of your office desk.

Tony Stark:

The word “cradle robber” was thrown around in magazines and gossip sites. Along side were things like “gold digger”, “silver fox” and even “pedophile”. A statement that was swiftly met with legal action.

It might have been better if you had just come out about your relationship. Speculation of the relationship started when some young woman started hanging around Stark business without reason. The same reaction started when Peter became an “intern”, but they didn’t have a leaked photo of a rooftop kiss.

“We should take this as a challenge,” You had said one evening. Another scandalous claim of your rise from broke waitress to the most successful sugar baby in North America. “All this crap, you know?”

“I don’t like challenges unless I get a big prize at the end.” Tony’s voice comes from somewhere under his desk. From your angle all you can see is the jean legs and white socks sticking out from under the metal.

“My happiness would be a big prize,” You say. “New bracelet would be a big prize.”

Thor:

It’s both a blessing and curse that Thor cared almost nothing about Midgard gossip.

On one hand, while you tried to teach him about computers, he’d never look anywhere but you. This huge man who looked to be over ten years your senior sitting at your desk, slowly typing and doing his best. Over his shoulder and there were your co-workers, pretending not to be watching him. Pretending not to whisper to each other.

First job a few months right out of college and you already had a new name.

“The newer model,” that was fine.

Or it was the “dumber version,” that one, yeah, that one hurt.

You were no Jane Foster, in truth, you would never be able to compete with her. These comments never went farther than your office. Whether it was that your co-workers didn’t bother to try or magazines didn’t care about what some office monkey’s had to say.

You’d rant and rave to your man, but he never seemed bothered.

Bucky Barnes:

It was Bucky’s choice to stay more on the down low, outright refusing anything even mildly promotional. He was as he was before the Avengers, a rumor.

Because of this it was up to you whether anyone knew about the relationship.

Nobody seemed to believe you about it: Family believing it was just to get them off your back (partly yes), friends just finding it an impossible idea that you’d even meet someone like Bucky.

Not wanting to ruin his privacy you never pushed the matter on those you knew. Even if your teeth would grind when they’d claim your pictures were photoshopped.

Natasha Romanoff:

Everyone at your college knew what Nat was the moment her car rolled up.

A rare, and elusive, sugar mama.

Although you were months into the relationship it was only then that you mentioned it to her. Natasha was a great liar, if she wanted you’d never know a true thing from her. But when you bring this up, with a little laugh, she immediately avoids eye contact. Her lips sucking in a tiny smile at the not-accusation.

It never occurred to you just how much income Nat actually had. From returned bounties to hush agreements, she had enough to never even look a price tag. Not that she ever gave an impression of caring about designer and overly expensive things, the most were some name brand make up and dresses hardly worn.

The rest went to you, without you ever really knowing. Although Nat wouldn’t lie about important things, there was never any truth to the prices of things. That shirt that just so happens to be your perfect size and favorite color? That was a friend’s who had left it and wouldn’t want it back. That restaurant where you had to wear a “borrowed” dress she’d never ask to give back? Nat had a coupon. Those earrings she hands you after getting in the car? She found them in the bottom of her purse, weren’t her style, and still in their little box but the price tag mysteriously gone.

Some wanted power over others to see the fear in their eyes. Nat wanted power over the joy in your eyes, to be able to say, “they’re just going to be thrown away” and see the awe you’re trying to hide while running your thumb over the jewels.

In the end she got a feeling of purpose and you got bed sheets that’d make angels cry.

Bruce Banner:

“Tell your daughter to slow on the caffeine.” The barista says.

Admittedly, you were drinking it a little fast. The few shots of expresso to make up for the long night both had with paperwork. The expensive drink threatened to spew right from your nose. Instead you coughed and coughed, trying to hide the laugh that’d cause Bruce to make that face.

It was too late for that. Bruce turned from the counter and walked quickly to the small corner table you had claimed. He had that face, the one where he was upset but still found it a little funny, but not wanting to admit it out loud.

“Stop it,” he says, taking a drink as though that’d stop your giggles.

“Yes, Dad,” You say.

“Please, don’t.”

“Yes, Daddy?”

“We should see other people.”

T’Challa:

You weren’t the first to be called into HR. Not the first to be called in because of an “inappropriate relationship”. And certainly not the first cute little (former) intern whose had relations with a foreign dignitary.

HR lady was not messing around with this. Waiting for you to take a seat before instructing you to shut the door. A power move that you allowed her to have.

“So, I don’t-I’m not big on office gossip,” She starts, hands in a prayer position. “but there has been talk about your relationship with the dignitaries from Wakanda.”

There it was, you were specifically assigned to the dignitaries as a small spy. None of your higher ups ever mentioned that the young woman in the corner knew everything they were saying, you weren’t that good of a spy, it would seem. More than once accidently making eye contact with the guards and even T’challa himself. That was what led to your situation now.

“I understand, you’re new, you wanna see the world and he’s, yeah, he’s something interesting. But don’t you think you’re taking your little crush a little too far?” She says this as if your age gap isn’t anymore than five years.

“Well, out of context I understand, how you see it that way.” You had to bite your tongue to keep from adding ‘but he started it’.

Work in foreign affairs had taught you how to say “you don’t know shit” in polite talk.

“So, what can we do about this?” She asks. This woman might have been a kindergarten teacher in a past life. Talking in that way where she already had an answer but wanted to watch her victim struggle.

You’re back in middle school. Just shrugging your shoulders in the hopes that this conversation with an authority figure would hurry up.

“This is your first warning,” she says, still ‘seeing things in the wrong context’. “If your little crush goes any farther, attention going to be taken.”

You were too valuable to cut right away. Calling you in for the second warning a week later.

Pietro Maximoff:

His long legs took up the entirety of your backseat. Back against the old seat, legs stretching towards the ceiling, feet almost flat. This was only done because you had yelled at him more than once about feet on the windows.

This was your tradition for the last semester of your Senior year. Bell rings and there stands Pietro at the gate. Relationship the result of a state-wide school meet with Avengers, and a friend’s dare to plant a kiss on Pietro’s cheek during the picture. That picture was still framed in in both your rooms.

You can still remember her eyebrow shooting up to her hair-line when Pietro had led you into the kitchen. You probably should have worn something more grown up; walking in there with your tennis-shoes and backpack on one shoulder.

In the end Wanda was the only one that seemed to approve of your relationship, who was she to judge anyway? Her partner was a robot younger than you. The rest though;

“Are you in class with Peter?” Steve asks. The nicer of the questions coming your way.

Peter Parker:

May’s interrogation happened the moment the door opened. Looking up and down at the woman here to pick up her nephew. Inviting you inside, sitting you on the couch and starting the questions. Whether Peter even knew you were there or not was up in the air.

You were a senior, a dumb senior. One that needed a freshman to help you with math, one that you got made fun of for it and for the crush on said freshman. Also, one that stopped caring when Peter would give you that look. The one he didn’t think you see, the one he makes when you’re staring down to the math problem or looking towards something away form him.

Now he looks from the crack of his door. Opened just enough that one eye looks into the room. You can see him trying to decide; Stay in room and hope Aunt May doesn’t kick you out or swing open the open, grab your hand and make a great escape.

He didn’t really get a choice in the matter. After being asked about your age, your grade, how long you’ve had your license and your “intentions” with Peter. You tilted so Peter would see your entire face. Getting your look of “help me” and finally opening the door.

The plan didn’t work as you thought it would. Peter being dragged into the interrogation right along side you. Aunt May turning your date twenty minutes late with advice about relationships, responsibility and even a touch of protection. That she didn’t pull out a power point and a ruler was a miracle.

Stephen Strange:

You met Dr. Handsome back when he was just handsome intern. Little baby surgeons making rounds through a learning hospital, one of their stops was your room.

It was doubtful that he remembers the first time you met. Barely in your freshman year and here comes in a crowd of men and women. Looking you over like an art piece, or an animal in a zoo, whichever sounds better. Laying back in your bed; leg in a sling and a story of jumping down the stairs you were sure to exaggerate later.

You were too young for there to be even a chance at a relationship. That didn’t stop you from referring to him as the “Dr. Handsome,” while high from painkillers. Mortification after hearing Stephen being mocked for it kept you from talking to him again during his visit.

Fast forward a few years and you’re back in a hospital. The designated biker chick showing up randomly to serve court papers. It became an art to avoid any questions from the nurse or people you pass, “visiting a sick Nan”, “My boyfriend got hurt, he’s in this wing”, “What do you mean I need a visitor’s pass?”

Dr. Handsome was in one of those wings. The recognition verified after you blurt out, “Dr. Handsome, haven’t seen you in a while.”

Matt Murdock:

Foggy’s face when you pecked Matt’s lips on the way out was something else.

Foggy knew you longer than Matt had, your parents were friends. He used to watch you when you were little, you would borrow money from him and promise to pay him back. You never did.

So, in the end, it was his fault you even met Matt.

Karen didn’t really care. Compared to his past relationships and his nightlife, a sweet little girl who just had her first drink would be something good for him. She was also your unofficial boss as the office manager. A few ignorant individuals referred to you as “the secretary’s secretary”, you couldn’t choreography how fast all four of you would correct them.

The several weeks you’ve been the new secretary it never occurred to you that the relationship even was a secret from Foggy. You’d arrive at different times but usually leave together. When you didn’t leave together you’d kiss him goodbye or he’d plant softly on your cheek. It just seemed that Foggy was never looking at you when this happened.

-------------------

Carol Danvers:

It’s easier to forget about the gap between you when it’s not always present.

It only sometimes leaking out when handed an iPhone or asked to look something up. Her eyebrows squinting together, staring at the screen like it may jump out at her. Looking at the silly cat onscreen, looking back up at you.

“Whose cat is that?” She asks, looking back down at it.

No matter how many times you explain to her that it’s not your cat, nor anyone you know’s cat, she will ask you again.

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shimmerjjang · 5 years

Text

VIP Diaries: (Meeting Seungri!!!) The Great Seungri Show in Manila 2019

Hello 안녕 안녕 shimmers and VIPs! Wow, I’ve been wanting to publish this post for a while now because this experience I had during The Great Seungri Show in Manila is a FIRST in my whole life as a BIGBANG VIP! I met Seungri and I got the sweet sweet chance to be in a photo with him. Not a standee, not a poster but the real Seungri!! Gurlll, I could go on and on about this but let me compose myself for a bit and talk about The Great Seungri Tour which happened in MOA Arena last January 19, 2019.

So, if you know me or if you’ve been following my SNS and happened to see one of my posts from last year, you’d know how much I loathe this area. I swore I won’t even go anywhere near Mall of Asia after the trauma I had from this horrible incident. And after that, I never attended any sort of event if it’s held around this area.

THIS IS MY FIRST TIME back here in months. Only BIGBANG can bring me back! The bitter memories are now replaced, thanks my Panda Seungri!!

This VIP concert experience is made possible by K-Music Insider! I’m beyond grateful for this chance because the truth is, my budget didn’t allow me to shed 10k upfront that time for the VIP seats and photo-op opportunity. I would’ve settled for a cheaper lower box ticket but I still made sure I hop into giveaways with the goal of getting a photo-op pass in mind. And dear heavens K-Music Insider blessed me with one! 넘너무 행복해 ㅠㅠ

Gates opened at 7pm and I entered the venue at around 7:15. There weren’t crazy lines so I just went straight to the entrance. There weren’t any chaos (thank goodness) and I know it’s a good thing, but I’m kinda sad too because we weren’t able to fill the entire arena. The show was announced late so many VIPs weren’t able to prepare them fundsss (including me haha)

BUT when the show started, it didn’t feel like the arena isn’t full! It was a whole new party out there!! Just exactly as how I expect a BIGBANG concert should be. I mean, Seungri is a total charmer and I’m sure all VIPs know that he’s the best at sweeping the crowd off their feet compared to the rest of the members. Seungri has been my bias wrecker since 2012! Oh well, but yo gurl is tough and my heart for G-Dragon won’t be swayed by anything!!!! \\(^^,)//

Here are some fancams I managed to take. I know, I wasn’t able to take that much because I really want to savor the moment. Also, this is my first time to attend a concert without my sister or cousin (huhuhuhu) so I don’t have someone to take turns with recording. But then again, all throughout my life as a K-Pop fangirl, I have learned how important it is to really get into the moment instead of recording each and every part of the show. So yep, enjoy my mini fancams!

Opening MV - Where R U From

BANG BANG BANG

Intro Talk (Some in Tagalog)

GG BE

If You

Where R U From

Fire - 2NE1 Sandara

I am the BEST - 2NE1 Sandara

Go Away - 2NE1 Sandara

Dahil Sa’yo Tagalog Cover - Pandara (Seungri & Sandara)

Seungri calling his mom (haha!)

Tagumpay (Seungri’s self-composed Tagalog song LOL)

We Like 2 Party

셋 셀테니 (1,2,3)

In My World

youtube

I’m so proud of Seungri! This is his first ever solo world tour and I can see that he did so well in pleasing and wowing the crowd despite the absence of his hyungs.

Did you watch the whole video? BOYYY I CHOKED WHEN HE SLAYED THAT TAGALOG SONG!! I swear that song by Inigo Pascual annoyed me for a while because I hear it everywhere. But gurllll, who would’ve thought that I’d learn how to love it. I’ve been singing it subconsciously right after the concert. I mean, I’m gonna be honest, he sounded more native than Sandara and Ryan Bang (he showed up briefly on stage too along with Anne Curtis) LOL

Dara was also a guest for Seungri’s show. Well, Sandara has always been a steady guest whenever BIGBANG would show up here for a tour! That’s OG YG Family for you, children! The 2NE1 songs she performed were immensely nostalgic. How can my eyes well up over happy songs? I’m still hoping for a 2NE1 reunion to fulfill my empty Blackjack heart! :(

Seungri has always been the life of the party and he’s so good at being in variety shows! That’s what he served us during his concert. For a short moment we all thought we mistakenly entered a comedy bar, not a concert LOL Seungri made my stomach burst out of laughter the entire night. He’s just GOLD! He even savaged his fellow BIGBANG members in front of us. haha! Ang lakas ng loob kasi everyone’s in the military haha

Seungri showed us funny photos of every BIGBANG member for him to roast... EXCEPT for T.O.P... So naturally, us VIPs will ask and look for him. When he wrapped the photos up without including TOP, all of us went “Where’s TOP?!!!” I honestly thought he’ll just brush it off, considering all the crazy controversy surrounding TOP, I won’t be surprised if he’ll just ignore us. But Seungri didn’t. He heard us and he gave us a very reassuring answer.

VIPS: “TOP!!! TOP!!! Where’s TOP?”

SEUNGRI: “Ah, TOP? He’s fine! I just wanna say he’s okay.”

ME: Wooooh!!! OMG OMG *hyperventilating*

SEUNGRI: “He’s super okay. Yeah. He will come back soon, don’t worry!”

VIPs: *crying and going wild*

SEUNGRI: “You know what, now in BIGBANG, TOP is MOST OKAY! hahaha We are all okay..”

ME: LAUGHING WHILE CRYING UGLY TEARS

Watch the full clip of that comedic/unexpectedly emotional part here..

The entire show lasted for around 3 hours, I think. Seungri gave us major K-Pop throwback as he also sang a lot of his great hits from his early solo career (Strong Baby, Gotta Talk to U, GG BE..), as well as BIGBANG’s! It was an amazing show full of nostalgia.

Here’s my only #OOTD shot from the concert, together with my fellow mod at BIGBANG Philippines - Chi!

We, along with the ladies of 2NE1 PH, as well as other VIP friends lined up for the photo-op right after the concert. Each photo with Seungri will be done by 10s and we’re fortunate enough to be the last ones in line so there were just 8 of us.

AND NOW! TADAAAAAA!! Here’s our official group photo courtesy of LOONG Studio, the official promoter for Seungri’s Manila leg of the tour.

I mean, let that sink in for a short moment. Gurl, MY EXISTENCE GOT PULVERIZED! I wasn’t sure of what was happening and if it really was happening at all. For the first time in my 10-year VIP fangirl life, I was able to see and interact with a BIGBANG member. INSANE!

As I was walking towards Seungri, my mind went blank. I just stretched my hand for him to shake and I told him that he did great on stage. OH DEAR I remember him just looking back at me, smiling and thanking me for coming to his show. I’m in a trance! And because I went straight to him and approached him first, I totally forgot everything I initially planned. I have my phone in hand to secretly record everything just for my personal memento but totally forgot!! Also planning to stand beside him (I was 2nd in line so I could’ve done that) but chose to just talk to him first so by the time I was done talking, everyone got settled already while I’m still lost in front of him! Also planned to stand on his right side because that’s my freakin’ angle but totally forgot!!! HAHAHAHA Basically, my mind stopped functioning LOL but I’m so happy I got to interact with the King of all Maknaes, SEUNGRI. Everything happened so fast and when we were asked to leave, I made sure I told him I love him! HAHA He’s probably tired of hearing that from everybody but at least I let it out my chest. ^^

Say hello to my very nervous smile!!!! HAHAHA My heart was about to pop out of my mouth! SEUNGRI is just super handsome and I’m not just saying this because I’m a fan. Like he’s legit handsome and his smile is so dreamy. He’s just genuinely friendly and there’s this warmth from him that makes you forget he’s a star. I guess I’m used to seeing K-Pop stars being cold in real life, but definitely not Seungri!

Ah, seeing him so close is definitely one for the books! Ah also, I would like to thank my Moonshot x Innisfree combo for keeping my foundation on point despite going crazy the entire night. hihihi~~ (I will review these two soon, promise!)

I’m beyond happy to see Seungri’s last show before he enlists. Their OT5 comeback may take a while because of their military schedule and all these sad controversies that still stir everything up unnecessarily! But hey, we’re all waiting at the Flower Road (꽃길) so I can only hope that the kings stay healthy and happy.

My next goal is to see all BIGBANG members in their Final world tour in Seoul - 2020, 2021, who knows! Really hoping to have the same amazing opportunity like this to meet all of them next time. IT WILL HAPPEN I CAN FEEL IT! <3

Read more of my VIP Diares here or my other K-Pop shenanigans here.

#seungri #bigbang #seungri in manila #BIGBANG VIP #VIP Diaries #VIPDiaries #BIGBANGPH #BIGBANG Philippines #The Great Seungri #the great seungri tour #kpop #event #VI #Victory

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nancydrew65 · 5 years

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SKAM NL Season 2 Episode 4 Thoughts

This episode, like the last, was so different it was almost like a whole new episode. I was constantly surprised by each new clip.

I Hate Monday

Isa and Janna are studying for a German test they have that day, while Engel keeps furtively glancing at the school entrance. The girls joke about Engel’s fantastic pink sunglasses and their failure of a benefit. In order to cheer Engel up, they all crowd in for a group hug and peck Engel on the forehead. Ah, the Dutch girl squad is so cute. Also, Janna’s encouragement was beautiful. I want to see more of her and Engels’ relationship.

Liv receives a racy photo of Ralph that was clearly not meant for her.

Unsurprisingly, Engel is looking for Noah. Janna reveals that Noah was with a girl when he found out about his mother. I wonder who that girl could be? In the background of the conversation you can see a shot of Isa looking confused. You know this is the moment she pieces everything together.

Oh, Liv is giving Noah a call! She really is the sweetest Noora. Also, constantly calling and checking up on a boy is not the greatest way to send the message that you are not interested in him. Noah doesn’t pick up which is not the least bit surprising.

You’re the Girl Noah was With

I love how they had the time stamp in front of the huge heart, and then they cut to Liv. They do this again with the flowers at the funeral in the Friday clip.

Liv is doing homework when she is called to her balcony by Isa. Isa is there holding a massive blow-up heart. I love Isa and her friendship with Liv is everything. I think Isa, and the other Evas in general are so overlooked. They truly are fantastic, complex characters with hearts of gold.

Also, this has to be the cutest way an Eva has told a Noora she has found her out.

Liv is way less defensive than Noora was about the date. I thought it was a nice touch that Isa asked Liv how the date went. Like I never felt any of the girl squad ever interacted with William or really cared about Noora’s relationship with him (other than the drama with Vilde in the beginning).

Isa is the voice of reason, saying Liv should just tell Engel about the date. Of course, Liv decides not to. She asks Isa to keep the secret. I love how cool Isa is with it. She doesn’t push Liv or anything. She just calmly agrees to it.

He Doesn’t Reply

Liv is in the bathroom at school when she hears what sounds suspiciously like someone throwing up. Turns out Engel is in the stall and she says she has the stomach flu. Like, come on. We all know that is a lie. Oh, Engel. I really wish she wasn’t doing this to herself. Look, anyone developing an eating disorder is awful. But Engel is already so thin that it is almost worse.

As Liv braids Engel’s hair, Engel goes on a long talk about Noah and how awful his life is because his mother just died and his father doesn’t pay attention to him. I hope we don’t go too much into this because I feel like OG leaned way too heavily into tell not show, when it should be the opposite. I want this information to be revealed more naturally through the course of the storyline. Learn from OG’s mistakes, SKAM NL.

Yikes. We get this little interaction where Engel asks Liv not to tell the girls about her “stomach flu”. OK, I didn’t really like this scene. The whole point of the clip is revealed to be about Liv wondering how she should approach Noah. So, this whole scene emphasizes Liv’s feelings towards Noah, when it should be about how grave Engel’s eating disorder is. If this had been a short clip with an emphasis on Engel’s ED and then we got a separate clip about Liv’s conflict over Noah, I would have been happier.

Liv heads home to find her quiche has been eaten. There was a nice moment where Liv took out her headphones and was hit with the noise and commotion coming from the living room.

Jayden and Kes are playing video games while Lucas and Ralph are looking at Ralph’s phone. Ugh, the boys have made a mess of the living room. Liv shuts down the video game and puts out the joint Jayden is about to smoke. The boys complain about how much of a square she is and then leave. Liv is totally in the right in this scene, though. I mean, it is her apartment. They made a mess and ate her food. They should be groveling for her approval.

Then, we get such an amazing little scene. When they were on the couch, Lucas was helping Ralph check out guys on Grindr, and he was actually remarking about their relative cuteness. This is so different from how Isak was in that Season 3 scene where he didn’t want to remark on the boys Eakins was showing him on Grindr. I think overall, SKAM NL has given us hints that Lucas is more comfortable in his sexuality than Isak was, like with the scene in the cabin episode in Season 1 where he and Kes danced together. I do think he probably has the same issues with being stereotyped as gay like Isak did because there is this whole exchange where Lucas is like. “You call him cute, right? All you gays.” IDK, but I swear to god, if we don’t get a Lucas season, I will cry.

Liv storms off to her room. Ralph, being the loveable teddy bear he is, notices this and goes to talk to her. I think Ralph, overall, cares a lot more about Liv than Eskild did about Noora. Or else, he is more obvious about it. He shoves his phone in Lucas’ hand and you can see the shocked look on Lucas’ face. That must be an awkward situation. Like, without Ralph, he doesn’t really have a reason to be checking out Grindr, but you know he wants to.

Ralph asks Liv what is wrong, and then Esra joins them. She and Ralph had a were supposed to meet up. Liv confesses that she doesn’t know what to do about Noah. She doesn’t say this in so many words, but it is obvious who the conversation is about. Esra and Ralph give some pretty solid advice, just saying that there is no specific thing you can say to make everything better and that you just have to be there for that person.

I Could Sleep on the Couch

Liv heads to Noah’s house to talk to him and the funeral for his mom is going on. I’m not sure if Liv knew about the funeral, but I’m figuring she didn’t. If she knew, then Engel knew, and Engel most definitely would have shown up.

A lady guides Liv through the house. I can’t figure out how she is related to Noah. Is she his aunt? She is kind of comical; she compares the death of Noah’s mother to her dog dying, which… yeah, you shouldn’t do that.

Whew, they have an open casket. I really hate open caskets, but maybe that is just because I have had awful experiences with them. I just feel like the person is no longer themselves once they have died and so you’re just looking at a stranger who has been dolled up by the funeral people, so they look presentable… ugh, I just can’t stand it.

But, on another note, are we ever going to find out how Noah’s mom died? Because I feel like that is important.

Liv takes a piece of pound cake up to Noah’s room, and Hallelujah! Noah’s room reflects his personality. There are paintings strewn all over the messy room. I felt like we never got to know William’s personality or interests, and his room was basically bare, so we never knew anything about him, except his tragic backstory and the fact that he was in love with Noora. I am so glad SKAM NL is giving this character more than that.

Noah tells Liv his mother was crazy and that she left the family to live on a commune. Oooookay. What is with SKAM and crazy mothers? SKAM NL is the worst with this. So many characters on their show have messed up mothers: Lucas, Jayden, and now, Noah.

Noah kind of lashes out at Liv, saying he is tired of pursuing her. He tells her to leave. This is one of the only times I understand this move from a William. In most of the remakes, he has been constantly pursuing her, and then he says this line. At least her, Noah was reeling from his mother's death, so he is probably in a very emotional state.

Liv storms out, but promptly returns and parks herself on Noah’s couch. They sit side by side, just listening to music. I think several hours go by because suddenly, the light is different.

And wow. This is the most a Noora has wanted to stay the night at a William’s house. Ralph called her, and said he was at home to let her in. Liv just shuts that phone call down and pretends she has no way to get into her apartment.

Noah and Liv get into his bed. Right as that happens, Ralph texts Liv. Noah picks up her phone and reads the texts. Okay, but why did he look at her phone. In OG, it made more sense because it was his phone tha5 they were using to communicate with Eskild. Here, Noah took Liv’s phone and looked at it without permission. Hmmmm.

He teases Liv about liking him, and then they both go to bed.

General Thoughts

I enjoyed this episode, especially the last two clips. They were both so different from OG. Honestly, at this point, it hardly feels like I am watching a Noorhelm remake. Noah and Liv’s vibe is so different from Noora and William’s. Noah is the most unique version of William I think. For one, he mofe of a personality and he is also an artist, which is very different from the popular fuckboy attitude that William had. Liv seems way more into Noah than any other versions of her character have been at this point. I actually buy this because although Noah has still acted like a jerk sometimes, he is much better than William was. I bet next week, they will have their first kiss. I wonder how it will happen because I doubt Noah will hold a fundraiser. I am actually really excited. They are one of the only Noorhelm versions I can stomach together. It is really only this version and Druck. Alright then, until next week!

#skamnl #skam remakes #skam reaction

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treehoes · 6 years

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Ok so I saw Hamilton today (4-4-18) on broadway and here’s like a lil review of how amazing it was

•Alexander Hamilton- I was going through so much shock that i was actually there I don’t remember much but the placements of all the characters during the “me? I _____ him” was spot on

•Aaron Burr Sir- The guy playing burr made burr so sarcastic it was great

•My Shot- This is probably my least favorite song but like the bros™️ were hitting the table with cups and their fists and it was so cool

•The Story of Tonight -Very low key bros being bros drinkin

•The Schuyler Sisters- The “and Peggy” was so like hey what about me it was great. Also those girls are phenomenal like wish I was half as talented

•Farmer Refuted-I’m pretty sure thayne Jasperson was the og Samuel seabury and he’s on point like Hamilton was all up in his face and he just pushed ham away and moved his box in front of him

•You’ll Be Back- Ok so king George was a great singer but he sang kinda annoyingly and I thought that really portrayed king George

•right hand man- G-wash was so great honestly and the ensemble in this song was so awesome and on point

•A winters ball- Reliable with the LADIES

•helpless- Lexi Lawson is very different from Phillipa soo but she’s so talented and absolutely killed it also Hercules as the flower girl was the best creative decision ever

•satisfied- Um ok so like actually shook Mandy fricking Gonzales is so talented like at the part at the end she not only killed it, she stabbed it 27 times and drop kicked it to mars like it was a mouth drop open and they redid everything from helpless perfectly 11/10 one of the best parts

•the story of tonight reprise- Drunk Lauren’s is the best

•wait for it- Ok home slices you know how much I went off on how good satisfied was well, this was 100 times better. Burr was better than Leslie Odom by a lot he was the best in the show

•stay alive-There were British soldiers in the background it was cool also Charles Lee was funny cuz he’s a general WEEEE

•10 duel commandments-Laurens, who has just shot someone: fuck ya I just shot that bitch fuck him.

Me: I’m so proud of you

•meet me inside- Ham: im not your son

G-wash: that sound fake but ok

•that would be enough-Again, Lexi Lawson slayed as eliza like she was pregnant and still killing it

•guns and ships- Lafayette was mega fast like I know all the words to that song and I could barely understand what he was saying but he was still great

•history has its eyes on you- G-wash gave ham a sword and when he put it in the holder it made such a nice noise

•Yorktown- I love big group numbers like this the choreography was on point. Right before herc entered they were waving redcoats and he burst through them and it was awesome

•what comes next-King George went im so blue and all the lights turned blue I just really like that part

•dear theodosia-This is my favorite song on the soundtrack and I wish they did a bit more with it onstage cuz they kinda just stood and sat and that was it

•the part where Laurens dies that I can’t remember the name of- Ok this was so sad but herc and Lafayette were up on the top part with the same letter that eliza was reading to ham and I didn’t know that they did that and it made the scene a lot more sad

•non stop- Ham is so extra I love it. They had chairs to represent ham, john jay and Madison and they all faced backwards and when John jay got sick after writing five they flipped his chair around and they took away Madison’s chair when he only did 29 and Hamilton was sitting in the third chair and I just really liked the way they did that. Also when ham goes to burr in the middle of the night there’s a light that makes it look like burr is standing in a doorway and I just really liked that lil detail also non stop is the song that got me and my friend that i went with into Hamilton so it has a special place in my heart

•intermission- Umm pretty boring actually, 15 minutes of random dudes coming on and off stage making sure everything is ok, no singing or dancing 0/10 but here’s a photo of me at intermission

•what’d I miss- Ok so at the start of this, ensemble came out from different places and one of them came from the orchestra hole and I thought that was hilarious also this is 10x better on stage than it is on the soundtrack the ensemble was all on point doin their thing

•cabinet battle one- There was a mic drop and that’s all I wanted from this song and I got it

•take a break- Ok so Philip was great in this he was so nervous doing his poem and eliza was beatboxing like the true queen she is. And the beginning part made great use of the circle thing on the stage like ham was facing back when Philip and Eliza sang and then it circled him to the front and Philip and eliza to face the back I loved it

•say no to this- Spoiler, Hamilton didn’t say no. Also James Reynolds had a southern accent and I thought it was so funny

•the room where it happens- I said it once I’ll say it again burr was phenomenal like his lil dance was awesome this song blew me the fuck away

•Schuyler defeated- Idk what to say about this one except for I liked that Philip and eliza were on the balcony thing off to stage left

•cabinet battle 2- I love that these are rap battle but also epic rap battles of history is literally this cuz it’s a musical about history also when Madison said France it was so small it made it more funny

•Washington on your side- When they go OH the lights went big on the floor it was cool. Also “look at the bill of rights, which I wrote” I always thought Jefferson said which I wrote so since I started listening to Hamilton, I’ve had three tests/quizzes with a question on who wrote the constitution and the bill of rights and I always put Jefferson cuz of this line and I always got it wrong so fuck you hamilton

•one last time- I cried, g-wash was so good at the end of this song I can’t I want to hear him sing this every day

•I know him- When the lady whispered in his ear he was like what cuz like john Adams? That’s short bitch?

•the adams administration- Ham drops a stack of papers from the balcony and it hits the ground on a big beat and it was soo cool

•we know- Hamilton spills his soul out and Jefferson burr and Madison are like :o

•hurricane- I never really liked this song too much but The ham dude did it so amazing and the lighting looked like water and hurricanish

•the Reynolds pamphlet- Ok king George is in this and it’s the funniest thing ever cuz he’s all like I told you that you guys would suck and look! A very upper person had an affair

•burn- I’ve seen bootlegs of this song so many times but there’s nothing like seeing it onstage cuz it goes black at the end and all you can see is the fire from her lantern it’s beautiful

•blow us all away- I love Philips character cuz he’s such a kid and he’s great and talks a little fast

•stay alive reprise- I cried real hard during this, 11/10 death, would cry about again

•its quiet uptown- So sad lots of crying from the big tough looking guy sitting next to me. I really like how angelica narrates it I think that’s cute

•election of 1800- Ham: sad cuz of sons death

Everyone, chanting: choose you Bitch we’re incapable of doing it ourselves

But Jefferson did an I win dance when he was endorsed and burr was like wtf bro guess i gotta kill you now

•your obedient servant- When Hamilton writes a letter to burr it was 5 pages long and they had a different person deliver each page and the last girl had two and was doing a little dance to deliver them it was great

•best of wives best of women- Look at ham writing his note to next of kin, love your wife more she’s Lexi Lawson for Christ’s sake

•the world was wide enough- I cried even tho I knew he was gonna die. Hams part where there was no music was so dramatic and g-wash came on and hams Mom and Laurens/Philip it was so sad I loved it

•who lives who dies who tells your story

Thinking about this is gonna make me cry again but Hamilton was not in this number at all and I thought that was great cuz he’s dead but honestly fabulous way to end the show I’m shoooook

All in all it was a beautiful show, much more than I could have ever asked for. We had terrible seats but that’s ok cuz it’s Hamilton. The lighting and dancing and blocking was phenomenal I never really notice anything like that when I see shows but it was so good I talked about the lighting for 5 minutes straight and I don’t know jack shit about lighting

#hamilton #alexander hamilton #aaron burr #eliza schuyler #eliza hamilton #angelica schuyler #peggy schuyler #maria reynolds #james madison #thomas jefferson #hercules muligan #john laurens #philip hamilton #george washington

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deehollowaywrites · 6 years

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12 days of girlfriends

@ignitesthestars said something very nice (which I needed to hear because honestly: not having a great day), so below the cut she and you all can find some OG horse girlfriends from the Patreon’s December rewards, since I oddly enough don’t have anything Valentine-themed.

The camera jogs up and down with Adair’s stride. She grins into her phone, tilts the screen now and then to show me the sidewalk piled with snow and the line of bare trees outside the Carnegie building. She could walk all over Lexington with me and it wouldn’t be enough. Her breath forms a cloud, lips just parted. In the dark of her neighborhood street she’s all bright eyes, smiling teeth. Starry white flakes land on her hair, and I blink, hard. She looks like home.

“What are you wearing?” Felix coos. “My weather app said it was like barely twenty degrees last night.”

I have to laugh at that. “You’re the one in Miami, babe, you should be telling me all about your utter lack of coverage.”

“Yeah, but that turtleneck you have. The blue one.” She sounds hungry, an edge in her voice that warms my skin even over the phone. “God, you’re such a sweater girl.”

I smooth my hands down my pullover, twitching it off one shoulder to let the lacy strap of my bra peek out. “A picture’s worth a thousand words. Hang on.”

Can’t believe you discovered ARTISANAL HOT CHOCOLATE FLIGHTS you hipster fucks, I comment on Phil’s newest Instagram post. It’s such a familiar photo it almost hurts--three faces and mine missing, Adair and Phil with Eddy in between them, beaming over their drinks. They’ve even got on ugly sweaters, Eddy’s featuring a cat wearing a Santa hat and Phil’s Chanukah-themed, Adair’s red plaid and spiked with gold pyramid studs.

Eddy’s response appears almost instantly: los celos son feos, nena and then Adair’s: I’ll take you when you get back--bring a flask to spike things ;)

That’s a good plan, I suppose. I sure could wish I were there right now, ready and willing to lick whipped cream off Adair’s lips.

“The guys made me take them Christmas shopping for their girlfriends,” Felix says, and stands up from her desk. The sweater she’s wearing, a chunky crochet in forest-green, looks demure from the front--and then she turns to show off the back, a deep V tied with a bow. The tails of the bow flop against her waist as she bends, just enough to let me see she’s wearing the sweater and her panties and that’s about it. A smirk appears over her shoulder. “Want to unwrap this present?”

There’s a bright red envelope in the mail slot at my sublet, like an exclamation point in the middle of takeout menus and Scientology pamphlets. The lipstick print on the card inside just about matches, centered below Adair’s neat handwriting in glittery gold ink. The message pricks at my eyes. She always knows exactly how much to say. I don’t press my own lips to the paper, but it’s a close call.

Leave it to Felix to find an off-brand Snapchat clone featuring X-rated filters. I stare at the photo she’s sent, her skin Miami-tan and her hair warm in the filter’s reddish tint, cartoonish sprigs of holly the only thing between her nipples and my hungry gaze. There’s no accompanying text, but then there doesn’t need to be; the shot is enough to keep me warm tonight, no extra quilt and no commentary required.

We’d agreed to send a few little things in the mail, and do big presents when I get home to Lexington. I go to Sephora, figuring I can pick up some new lipstick for Adair, but even the idea of stocking stuffers is distracting. All it makes me think of is her legs in tights, or better yet her legs in thigh-high socks...maybe her legs in both and not much else, maybe snowflake-print tights or socks with little velvet bows on the backs--

I leave Sephora in a hurry, empty-handed.

I text Felix a picture of the Christmas tree in our front window on the night we watch Love Actually and finish decorating, half of it decked out in Kelly’s kitsch extravaganza--glass pickle ornaments and Bettie Boop dressed as Mrs. Claus and the Christmas Story house--and half of it my offerings of white lights, silver balls, and rustic wooden stars. It’s my first Christmas with Felix and it kills me a little that we didn’t do this together, the tree and the hanging of the stockings, the shopping where you try to hide what you’re buying the other person, the first snowfall.

Her reply is succinct and pure Felix: nice tree but I’d rather climb you #4days

“I’m watching it right now,” I tell Eddy as he launches into another fawning overview of the video currently circulating Facebook. When it loads, I find out he hasn’t been exaggerating: there’s a whole choir of robed ladies belting, but Adair’s voice is easy to pick out. She’s in the back row, taller than nearly everyone else, but her smile hits me like I’m in the room. I don’t even recognize the hymn they’re singing--something about Judea’s plain--and I don’t care. She could be singing in Farsi and it’d still be the best thing I ever heard.

“Wow,” I say at last. “I think I just got religion.”

I take about fifteen selfies before my cat gets bored and retreats into the kitchen to paw at his bowl. None of them look right--none of them capture what I’m trying to convey: I miss her, I love her, I can’t wait to drive to the airport tomorrow at almost 11PM to pick her up, I’m still the hottest thing she’s ever seen even though she’s been riding Gulfstream’s December meeting with reams of Miami supermodels within easy hollering distance.

I pat my cheeks and adjust the hem of my sweater and try again, turning so that the lights of the tree reflect on my face. When I look at the picture I realize the most noticeable sparkle isn’t the candles on our living room windowsill or the sequins on my sweater’s collar, but the tears in my eyes.

“I’m in Charlotte,” Felix says, voice muffled. It’s not just the background noise, droning lectures on the airport intercom and people’s half-caught conversations; she sounds like she’s chewing. “Flight’s delayed, but I think that’s on Lexington’s end.”

“Lots of snow to welcome you home,” I say, and try to ignore my nerves over her plane trying to land in icy Blue Grass, flying through the snowstorm currently hovering on the Tennessee/Kentucky border. “What are you eating? Sounds delicious.”

“Those gingerbread jockeys you sent.” She swallows. “Thanks for decorating the one in Three Creeks icing, I think me eating it made Marty lose on Wednesday.” A giggle, nearly lost in the blare of a kid crying somewhere near her. “So what else you got in your cookie jar?”

“Remind me how many doorways are in your apartment,” I murmur, my lips at the base of Adair’s throat. We’re standing in her front hall, have been for at least five minutes, a little cluster of mistletoe and red ribbon and golden bells glinting above her head. She’s warm despite the temperature outside, the skin of her waist smooth where my fingers edge up her sweater.

“Front door, kitchen, two bathrooms, two bedrooms,” she says, and lifts me up. Her arms curl beneath me, brace my back against the wall. “There’s mistletoe in every single one, and one undisclosed location I encourage you to discover.”

Her dedication to the holiday aesthetic is truly inspiring.

#u: honeycomb hills #oc: felix hamilton #oc: adair mitchell #diana's writing #Crystal Queer

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strongbeautifulfulloflight · 7 years

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Better Late Than Never

This one is for my beautiful adoptive “little brother” and Henrik stan, @megansarah11 who gifted me this prompt during a bout of writer’s block:

Prompt: Caroline is Henrik’s Daycare teacher and Klaus is his guardian. She falls in love with Henrik before falling in love with Klaus. Henrik is shy at first so she eases into comfort by reading to him…

So here are the things you need to know:

- This is an AH – All Human – drabble. - It’s going to be in a couple of parts because inspiration kind of went rampant. - For the sake of the prompt, Henrik is aged down, but the rest of the OGs will stay their respective ages. Which, technically, isn’t too farfetched considering Rebekah and Kol are biologically 17 and 18. So yeah! Happy reading! _______________________________________________________________________ PART ONE:

Tap, tap, tap went Caroline’s foot. It was 3:09 p.m., rendering her beyond impatient. And with just cause. It had been a long day, filled with ABCs, 123s, spills, stains, and ultimately, really sore feet. She should have learned by now that pumps were an inappropriate choice for Kindergarten, but she’d be damned if she gave up her dignity for a bunch of five-year-olds. The last few straggling parents convened in their usual circle by the playground their children had scampered toward the second the bell rang at 2:50 p.m. They were the elite – the in-crowd socialites of the parenting world who had nothing but time to stand around gossiping about their mommy blogging, their latest trendy diets, dating scandals in the community, or the secretive newcomers to Mystic Falls – the Mikaelsons. The construction on their mansion had taken a few short months and had the town abuzz with speculation. Who were they? What did they do? How much money did they have and why take up residency in their small town? They were seen in glimpses but never all together. The youngest was a five year old and the eldest was in his thirties. There were a handful of them, at least one teen aged female, and one male who didn’t resemble the others but there was no certainty as to whom was family and who was not. When there didn’t appear to be a mother figure, the rumors started. They were gays who liked to adopt; they were orphans; they were gypsies; they had been abducted by aliens! The less they saw of the Mikaelsons, the more the town talked. Caroline ignored it all. She was one of the first to meet the head of the household, eldest brother Finn. He had been looking to enroll his youngest brother and wanted to personally meet the woman he would be entrusting him to on a daily basis. She gave him her usual spiel about the curriculum and the daily class schedule, let him tour the classroom and answered all questions expertly. Her own questions burned something fierce. He offered minimal information. He and two of his brothers shared legal guardianship over the rest. There were six of them, total. Their parents were never mentioned and she desperately wanted to know the backstory but her instincts told her to keep her mouth shut, for once. That was the only time she saw Finn. Henrik joined her class the following week. She’d managed to connect with most of her students on some level, but little Henrik had been a mystery. He wasn’t as vocal or as boisterous as the others and didn’t interact with many of his classmates. At first, she assumed he just needed an adjustment period and gave him the benefit of the doubt, but as time went on, she learned his timid nature was who he was. It wasn’t a lack of interest as he excelled in all academic areas. It was socialization that he shied away from. Play time was often spent in the miniature library where he would study the characters of Dr. Seuss, trace the lines that Harold’s purple crayon drew, and watch the mouse cause chaos every time you gave it a cookie. In fact, story time was when she saw him the most animated. Since he couldn’t read, he loved to listen. His eyes lit up and he sat just a little straighter, leaning a little forward, eager to hear the story behind his favorite images unfold. Yes, the nervous little boy who was currently standing beside her bowing his head and kicking at the pavement beneath his feet was an anomaly. As far as five-year-olds went. “It’s not like your brother to be this late,” she mused aloud. Henrik nodded, sparing only a tiny glance out of the corner of his eye before blood rushed to his face again in an embarrassed blush. Caroline sighed, looking down at her watch again – 3:14. “Tell you what. Why don’t we go wait for him inside? It has to be more fun than this, right?”

He shrugged and nodded, letting out a little huff of disappointment before he turned, ready to follow her. She smiled and held out her hand and he looked at it with wide eyes, as if she’d just insulted him gravely. It made her wonder if a lack of affection at home was a reason why he was so reserved. She let her hand lower to the back of his shoulder instead, and he half-flinched when she did, seemingly in surprise rather than pain, but he made no objection and so she led him back into the school.

She’d seated him at his table with a coloring book and basket of crayons and he seemed placated enough that she could sit at her own desk while she waited. It was unusual for his brother to run this far behind. Elijah had always been impeccably punctual, early even, greeting her with a pleasant smile that almost matched Henrik’s before the boy would clasp his hand and they would retreat to their own lives, just like the rest. When they first met, she was shocked to learn he wasn’t Henrik’s father, but rather another one of his brothers. Despite the age difference, the resemblance was uncanny. Brown hair, brown eyes, same angular jaw structure, and matching noses. Never had she seen siblings so alike. It was…unnerving. And adorable.

She glanced at him again and he was frowning at the crayon in his hand. “What’s wrong, Henrik?” He looked over like he’d forgotten she was there. “I went outside the lines,” he mumbled, his face filled with shame. Her brows twitched and she smiled empathetically. “That’s okay, sweetie. It doesn’t have to be perfect.” He looked down at his picture with a tiny, scrunched up frown. “Kol’s gonna laugh at me.” “Is that one of your brothers?” He nodded. She smiled slyly as she plucked one of her books from the aligned collection on the corner of her desk and got up, smoothing her skirt as she walked over to sit with him. “You know, some of the most famous artists don’t stay in the lines. They don’t even use the right colors. They make the sky green and the grass blue.” “They do?” “Mmhmm.” To emphasize her point, she opened up the art book she’d picked out, flipping pages. “And some of them don’t even paint faces the right way.” She turned the book so he could see, showing him a distorted portrait. “See?” He turned his head sideways, face screwing up in confusion. “This lady has a nose for a chin.” He smiled, a tiny giggle miraculously stuttering out. He quickly covered his mouth to stifle it. Caroline beamed. “Do you know who made this?” He shook his head. “An artist named Pablo Picasso.” “Oh I know him!” Her brows raised, pleasantly surprised. “You do?” He nodded emphatically. “One of my brothers does paints and he told me…um…he told me about Ki-passo and No-mey.” It was Caroline’s turn to giggle. “I think you mean Monet.” She turned a page to where Water Lilies was depicted and pointed. “Monet’s paintings are really fuzzy, but, sometimes, if you squint real hard, it gets a little clearer.” He did and she became endeared by him. His head quirked to the right when he looked up at her again. “What does it say?” “What?” “Right there.” He pointed to the caption beneath the picture. “It says, ‘Water Lilies, by Claude Monet. In 1893, Monet purchased land with a pond near his property in Giverny, intending to build something “for the pleasure of the eye and also for motifs to paint.” The result was his water-lily garden.’.” “And that one?” He pointed to the adjacent page where one of Edgar Degas’ Dancer paintings was printed. “‘Edgar Degas was a French artist famous for his paintings, sculptures, prints, and drawings. He is especially identified with the subject of dance; more than half of his works depict dancers.’” She smiled, running her hand over the photo. “He’s one of my favorites.” “Mine too,” a masculine voice said from behind her. Both Henrik and Caroline turned in unison to find a man standing in the doorway. Her heart was aflutter with surprise and mild intrigue. “Nik!” Henrik’s chair thrust from behind him, falling over, and he darted across to hug him. Caroline closed her book and stood, adjusting her shirt, very aware that the man’s fierce blue eyes hadn’t left her since they’d met. She held the book to her chest and put on her best smile, despite the slight agitation that this blonde mystery man was almost thirty minutes late. “My apologies for the delay,” he spoke with a distinctly British accent. “There was a bit of a mix up. Today was supposed to be my sister’s turn to pick Henrik up but she fancied herself a trip to detention instead.” “No worries. These things happen.” Henrik was all smiles, hanging onto his brother’s leg. “Miss Caroline knows A’casso.” “Pi-casso,” he corrected. “And I’m very pleased to hear that your teacher is well-educated in the arts.” Caroline smiled wryly. “You must be the brother who paints.” “I am,” he nodded, doing a quick once over, “but you can call me Klaus.” She nodded. She knew this game well. It wasn’t the first time one of her kid’s parents had shown interest. Mr. Salvatore had been particularly persistent, she remembered. Mrs. Salvatore wasn’t too pleased when she got the call from Caroline about her husband’s inappropriate behavior. “Nice to meet you, Klaus. I’ll see you tomorrow, Henrik.” She turned to head back to her desk, unaware of the curious frown she’d left on his face. “I really am sorry.” “I know you are.” She shot him a knowing smirk as she returned her book to its brethren. “Have a nice day, Mr. Mikaelson.”

Whenever it was raining, standard protocol for Kindergarten was to have parents enter the building and pick up their child on a one by one basis. For the most part, they were accommodating and prompt. Except for one. “Do you know who’s picking you up today, Henrik?” He gave a little nonchalant shrug of his shoulders and went back to book he was looking at, clumsily pushing his hair out of his face. Caroline sighed, glancing up at the clock again. It was 3:11 p.m. She could’ve guessed who his ride was today, but she dreaded having to encounter another sloppy pick-up line and the awkward tension that followed it. She’d been fortunate enough all week but on this rainy Thursday, the odds were clearly against her. Admittedly, he was an attractive man. His face had all the right angles in all the right places, and his eyes held a certain mystique. She wasn’t normally one to get lost in blue eyes (she’d seen enough in the mirror) but his were that crystalline sapphire that no living being was immune to. Aesthetics were only half the battle, as their intensity and depth only created more intrigue. There was a certain anguish behind them, a bit of mystery and that was the real clincher. Mysterious guys were always insanely alluring, but she knew better than to trust them. Lost in her daze, she failed to realize Henrik was standing in front of her desk waiting patiently for her to notice. She blinked and snapped out of it. “Oh. I’m sorry, Henrik. Did you need something?” He held up the book he’d been perusing, covering the better portion of his face with it. “Will you read this to me?” She smiled a heartwarming smile and laid her pen down pushing herself back from the desk. “Of course.” She got up and immediately Henrik ran over to the carpet where the class held their “story time” circle. She couldn’t help the little laugh that slipped out at his compulsory habits. Instead of dragging one of the chairs over, she joined him, sitting crisscrossed just as he was. He craned his neck to look over her arm when she opened the storybook to the first page: “'The night Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind, and another, his mother called him “WILD THING!” And Max said “I’LL EAT YOU UP!” so he was sent to bed without eating anything.” She turned a page and Henrik’s eyes followed studiously. “That very night in Max’s room a forest grew and grew and grew until his ceiling hung with vines, and the walls became the world all around, and an ocean tumbled by with a private boat for Max, and he sailed off through night and day and in and out of weeks and almost over a year to where the wild things are.” She glanced up to check the time doing a double take when she saw Klaus standing in the doorway. He pressed his index finger to his lips and gestured for her to go on, his eyes slyly pointing toward Henrik. She looked down and saw the little boy looking up at her, waiting patiently but his eyes were enthralled. “You wanna turn the next page?” He smiled and nodded and she turned the book so he could lift the page, turning it with pride and basking in having the special privilege to do what no other kindergartner was permitted. His eyes scanned the contents of the new pictures and words, as if he were absorbing every detail. “When he came to the place where the wild things are, they roared their terrible roars – ” her voice roared as she read, “ – and gnashed their terrible teeth – ” she bared her teeth “ – and rolled their terrible eyes – ” her own eyes bulged “ – and showed their terrible claws till Max said “BE STILL!” And tamed with the magic trick of staring into all their yellow eyes without blinking once, and they were frightened and called him the most wild thing of all, and made him king of all wild things.” Henrik beamed and threw his hands up. “Let the wild rumpus start!” Caroline laughed. “Oh so you know this story.” He bowed his head bashfully, grinning up at her with a guilty look. “Well then you won’t mind if we finish it tomorrow. I think someone is here for you.” She nodded at the doorway. Henrik turned and looked. This time, instead of running for his brother, he turned his back on him and sulked. “Can we finish the story first?” Klaus smiled knowingly and meandered over, hands clasped behind his back. “Now, Henrik, I’m sure Miss Caroline has more important things she’ll need to be getting to.” Henrik looked down with the saddest eyes she’d ever seen. She couldn’t keep her hand from going to her chest, especially when he stuck his lower lip out in a dejected little pout. Klaus sighed, seemingly familiar with this tactic, and crouched down to his brother’s level. Suddenly his voice softened and lost all trace of irony. “If you think about it, she’s just said she can read more to you tomorrow. Which means the sooner we finish up today, the sooner it will be tomorrow.” His brows raised in a pointed look as Henrik studied his expression. “Okay,” he reluctantly agreed. Klaus nodded and stood once again while Henrik pushed himself up with his palms and picked the open book up from her lap, looking wistfully down at the pages. “Can you teach me to read?” “Hmm. I think maybe we should finish learning the alphabet, don’t you?” “I already learned,” he objected. Klaus crossed his arms with a challenging smile. “Let’s hear it, then.” Henrik stood proudly, his voice contrastingly gentle. “A B C D E F G, H I J K M&Ms O P…” He mumbled the last, blushing at their direct attention on him. Caroline laughed. “What about L and N?” “Indeed,” Klaus agreed, smiling too. “I think they’ll be lonely without the rest of their mates.” Henrik stared at him in confusion. “Never mind. Go on and put your book back and get your things. We’ve imposed on Miss Caroline enough for today.” “Oh, he hasn’t imposed.” She crossed her arms with a guarded smile. “Just you.” His lips pursed in a smirk. “My apologies.” “Let me guess. Another mix up?” “Actually – ” She held a hand up. “It’s okay. No need to explain or apologize. Not to me, anyway.” She stalked away from him coolly to help Henrik gather his things. “I’ll make you a deal,” she told him, glancing sideways at Klaus. “Since your brother can’t seem to pick you up on time, we can practice reading while we wait for him. Okay?” Henrik’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. “Promise?” “I promise.” “You have to say “you have my word.” That’s what Elijah and Nik always say.” Klaus’ head dropped to his chest with a chuckle and even Caroline couldn’t help her laugh. When he didn’t budge, his little frown lines determined, she composed herself, pressing her lips thin with a nod. “You have my word,” she promised. The five-year-old’s shoulders sagged in relief and he smiled satisfactorily. “Don’t forget your coat in the closet.” He nodded obligingly and ran to where his raincoat hung above his cubby. “Thank you,” Klaus’ voice was at her neck, the rest of him suddenly beside her. She shivered but turned and gave him a resolute nod. “Truly. I appreciate you taking the time to facilitate his interests.” “It’s my job.” She folded her arms. “Besides, what else are we supposed to do while we wait for you?” He tilted his head with a sly grin. “Well now that I know he’s not the only one interested in my arrival…” “That is not what I meant.” But he only continued smirking. And oh God, the dimples. Why did he have to have dimples? She shook her head, her own lips betraying her in a smile. “You know I’m starting to think you do it on purpose.” “What?” “Show up only after all the other students and parents are gone.” “What purpose would that serve?” “To get me alone. Have me all to yourself.” He pursed his lips in a deliberating pout. “That is an advantage, however you’re forgetting one minor detail.” He gestured to Henrik who was busy working diligently to get the buttons of his coat all snapped. She laughed mockingly. “Right! Your little womanizing sidekick. Winning the hearts of girls everywhere by asking them to read to him until you can swoop in at the perfect moment. With the perfect thing to say.” She narrowed her eyes, nodding with a finger directed at his chest. “I’m onto you, buddy.” He looked down at her finger then slyly back up to her face. “Now why would I reduce myself to such juvenile measures knowing a woman as clever as yourself wouldn’t be susceptible to it?” He lifted a brow for added flair. Her hands went to her hips and she continued nodding. “See? Perfect.” He laughed and she found it was a sound she was starting to favor. Lucky for her morals and dignity, Henrik rejoined them, his jacket buttons all snapped and completely off center. He had skipped one but his proud smile kept them from correcting his error. “Got everything?” she asked and he nodded. “Good. So we’ll pick up where we left off tomorrow, right?” “Right. And don’t forget, you gived me your word. It’s in my pocket so I won’t forget to bring it.” She giggled again, putting her hands up. “I am at your will.” He beamed up at Klaus excitedly, but Klaus had his own excited sights set on someone else. “Until tomorrow, then.” “Until tomorrow,” she agreed. He flashed her one last dimpled smile, completely smug, before taking the lead to exit. Henrik looked up with a curious frown as they walked out, his voice echoing in the hallway, “But I thought tomorrow’s Elijah’s turn…” Caroline laughed to herself as she walked through the classroom, straightening up the chairs and stray supplies. So maybe he wasn’t the worst Mikaelson. Despite her best efforts, he had charmed her. Not only was he sweetly devoted to Henrik and extremely easy on the eyes, but he was smart, and artistically inclined, and…smooth. Yes, damn him, he was slick as oil. The really warm kind that was used for pleasure. A movement outside the window caught her attention and it was Klaus and Henrik walking down the front path of the school towards an SUV that was waiting by the curb. That was awfully bold of him, leaving such an expensive looking car with the keys in the ignition. And then it happened. The passenger side door opened and she caught a silhouette masked by a curtain of blonde. Henrik waved and the woman stepped out, leaning over to hug him as she did. She saw Klaus’ hand go to her waist and he kissed her cheek. That was enough. Caroline turned away from the window scoffing at herself for being so naive. How could she have let herself believe he might actually have been genuine? Here he was trying to sweet talk her when he had another bimbo in the car waiting for him! She should have trusted her instincts, realized he was just like all the other fathers that hit on her, but he played the game well, answering a question with a question to avoid a direct rebuttal, all the while ensnaring her with his wit and his too blue eyes and his stupid, obnoxious dimples! Well no way would she let him get away with it. No one made a fool out of Caroline Forbes.

~ ~ Part Two coming soon! ~ ~

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