#most people around me at least. i see myself in musicians. artists. writers. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

motivatedtale-blog · 4 years

Text

About Motivatedtale

.:Contents:.

.:Author’s Note:.

.:Summary/Idea:.

.:Characters:.

Motive

Unmotivated

.:Stray Facts and Resources:.

FAQ

Rules

.:Inspiration:.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.:Author’s Note:.

Hey, so I've noticed this a long time ago but I’m just now confronting it since I got my computer fixed- it seems pretty impossible to reach the “About Motivatedtale” on mobile, even with the literal LINK to the page (I could only sort of access it through some loopholes in a browser- and the link just took me to my Tumblr instead), so I wanted to compile the information that’s in there into a post for any mobile users who may follow this blog. I’ve got more followers here than my art blog-- so even if there’s not much interaction each post, I think there’s at least a few people who might not have access to an about page here. Changes are very likely to be made and things will be added occasionally :)

.:Summary/Idea:.

“Have you ever wondered what happens to creations when a creator gives up?”

Motivatedtale is essentially an abandoned AU with no finished story or a plot. Which, ironically, not having a story is the story itself. It’s a tale about how the lack of motivation (along with other things like self doubt and lack of interest) in a Creator leaves a story unfinished, and with no reason to exist, no story, the AU is crumbling into nothingness, as it is being forgotten by the only one who knows about its existence- the Creator. However, there’s two characters in it that have to deal with that burden of having no ending or reasons to exist. And they’re completely aware of what’s going on.

At least, the first one that was created is aware, because they were made to be that way. They inform the only other character (Frisk/Motive) about all of this when they meet. They’re a Sans of course (which is sort of a self aware joke because a lot of people either start with the Sans of an AU when creating characters, subtly revolve around a Sans of an AU in a story, or the entire story literally and shamelessly revolves around a Sans. This is not an attack on anyone). This Sans goes by Unmotivated, and is quite bitter about existing. These characters have no finished story, no destiny, and no purpose. Being self aware of this can be a great burden on hope and happiness; ignorance is bliss, after all.

What the AU would’ve been if it was “completed” is unsure.

How the story ends is not fully decided or meant to be disclosed (for now), but even if this AU is finished or not, it is already technically complete. It symbolizes a project that is given up on; a project that is abandoned, and what would happen if the characters in these types of projects were conscious about this- if our ideas existed somewhere out there, somewhere where our decisions, intentional and unintentional, have a serious affect.

So, if this AU is abandoned, it’ll be quite ironic.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.:Characters:.

Motive

Motive is the Frisk of this AU, and one of only two characters that are in this AU. Motive was created after Unmotivated, but the coloring of their design was given up on towards the very end. Their sweater is unfinished because the creator gave up on them due to being overwhelmed with empty and destructive thoughts, but the outline/shape is still there. The sleeve usually is never shaded/effected by light.

Motive is an optimist, and believes that their AU will one day be finished. They have the soul of motivation, which is outwardly visible and tied to the loose hanging strap of their overalls. They don’t have preferences in pronouns (though they/them is usually the default), and calling them by any pronoun is fine (she/he/they/it..it really doesn’t matter, honestly).

Motive acts impulsively a lot of times and does not think of the consequences of their actions…or, they do, but they choose to move forward with their actions anyways. Since optimism is one of their key traits and it’s exaggerated and simplified in their character and logic, it can result in some bad outcomes. The same goes for their impulsitivity. They’re not that serious natured, and act more like a child than a young adult (despite being 18). However, they do make a lot of (sometimes unnerving) jokes that could be considered uncomfortable, but they mean no harm. While Motive is quite intelligent and empathetic, they’re distracted quite easily and might say or do inappropriate things during certain situations.

Since Motive is technically a new character and was not fully developed by their Creator (backstory, powers, etc), their underdevelopment as a character is actually a big part of their development as a character.

(More is to be added later)

Unmotivated

The Sans of the AU, and the first ever character created (which again is poking fun of the idea that people usually start with the Sans of the AU for characters). Unmotivated is bitter and cynical towards his existence and his Creator, and is completely aware of the multiverse and AU Creators. A big fourth wall breaker. He’s apathetic, bored and often paints himself as emotionless and uncaring to hide any hurt/feelings of helplessness. He bottled them away a long time ago. At first, Unmotivated was hopeful about his AU, but he was alone for an unspecified but long amount of time in his AU, and was driven to toxicity and bitterness during that time. He’s seen his universe grow, halt, and then slowly deteriorate- he has seen new ideas come and go, and is helpless to stop the rampant decay of his universe- his home- his story. He’s overall a pretty lonely character.

When or why he got the nickname “Unmotivated” is unclear- but it’s definitely supposed to be a pun. He hates the name but finds it funny and ironic at the same time.

Unmotivated’s soul is held by a string that is woven into his rain coat. He considers this to be poor design choice but doesn’t really do anything to fix it. He often keeps his soul in his pocket for safe keeping. (More is to be added later)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.:Stray Facts:.

• The AU resets (sort of like an update) each time a new idea is added. This is how Unmotivated is generally aware of Motive when they’re created. • The “Creator” resembles anyone who has abandoned or given up on their projects or ideas. This isn’t meant to put people that do this in a negative light.

•The white of Motive’s sleeve isn’t meant to be shaded since it’s “incomplete.”

FAQ (most are from amino since not many people ask here)

- What was the AU supposed to originally be before it was abandoned?

This is undecided and left up for interpretation. However, based off of the design of the current characters, it can be safely assumed that the AU was supposed to be more lighthearted and cutesy. There are random bits and ideas spread throughout the AU that give glimpses to what it could’ve been.

- Can I draw fanart of these characters?

Of course! I’d be honored to receive fanart and would love to see it! Just please keep things appropriate if you do.

- Is Ink Sans or Core Frisk going to be in the comic?

No.

I’ve gotten asked this several times, and the answer is no. Doing this would completely ruin the theme and point I’m trying to get across with this comic. This story revolves around a Creator and their Creations, and there will be no other characters made by other people.

- Are Motive and Unmotivated shipped together?

NO.

It’s fine as a joke but please realize they aren’t. This isn’t an AU centered around romance and would distract from the goal of the comic if I had that. While I’m not anti-frans in any sense, I still don’t want it in my comic.

- How often do you plan on updating the comic?

Each page is published whenever I finish it nowadays due to stress of a schedule. I post them in bulks of 2-3 on amino and twitter, and whenever I finish the page on deviantart, instagram and here.

- Is the Creator a character?

Yes, and no. The Creator represents not only myself, but any artist that has struggles putting their creations out there due to insecurities or other causes. They’re more symbolic and fluent rather than a structured and identified character. Of course though, if there is any introduction of the Creator, I would have to give them some sort of design- and I do have general ideas of what they’d look like. However, they’re still supposed to represent a broader group of people than just myself.

- What does Unmotivated think about other AUs/Sanses?

Unmotivated has an apathetic mindset when it comes to AUs and other characters like him. He’s incredibly self aware and sees a much bigger picture. He knows characters are just pawns to their creator, and won’t get fazed by any story. Sort of like watching actors in a movie while constantly reminding yourself that they’re just actors. However, he is quite envious of anyone with a complete and happy storyline, since that’s something he lacks but yearns the most. That’s something he wish he had.

Keep in mind Unmotivated and Motive cannot interact or travel outside of their AU, and no one can interact with their AU except the editor/creator.

Rules

• Please do not publicly RP with these characters unless given permission. This might be changed after more of the comic is complete, but I do not want these character’s personalities to be strewn.

• Please do not draw or write NSFW with my characters– I am a minor, and a large part of my audience are also minors.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.:Inspiration:.

Alright, this part is going to be a lot less formal and more personal. The idea for this AU came from my own self doubt and self destructive attitude as a creator. Doubting my own works and ideas has seriously held me back for a long time, and it STILL holds me back as I’m sure it has for many, MANY other creators like me. Musicians, artists, writers.. Almost all of us have that fear of trying out a new idea or making something you usually wouldn’t. Almost all of us have felt that crushing self doubt when you see someone better than you, and you tell yourself you’ll never be like them, your art will never be that great, you’ll never get that far…so on, so on.

So, while I was trying to come up with an idea for an AU (which I had actually been considering for well over a year), the thoughts crept in.

“no one will like this”

“there’s enough AU’s”

“you’re unoriginal”

“this is a waste of time”

“the fandom is dying”

“you have horrible character designs”

“AU’s are overrated”

“this doesn’t fit your audience”

“people will judge you”

“you never finish anything”

“this is stupid”

“your art isn’t good enough”

“you’re not good enough”

“someone probably already came up with this idea”

“no one cares about your idea”

“no one would bother with your art”

And ironically, all these thoughts gave me this idea.

Even so, these thoughts have still been nagging me every time I even try to work on this, and it’s been taking a lot of courage to take on the heap of anxiety I have over something so harmless. I didn’t join the Undertale fandom for over a year simply because I was afraid of being judged for my interests,, fun fact. Never thought I’d be able to make an AU. I’m still quite nervous posting art of anything that isn’t Mario related for some reason.

Putting all this to side though, I find the concept of what happens to unfinished and/or abandoned stories and projects interesting, especially if there’s an alternate reality that’s actually effected by your decisions. Kinda like you’re a god. I mean, imagine what it would be like if you had a creator and they just gave up on you, and you’re left with no purpose. Seems like it would suck, haha.

So that’s basically my AU, Motivatedtale. If you have any thoughts or questions, I’d love to hear them. Thanks for reading if you did!

#Motivatedtale #undertale au #comic #about page #alternate universe #information #motivatedtale comic #au #au comic #au sans #au frisk #motive #unmotivated

28 notes · View notes

somewhere-between-red-and-orange · 3 years

Photo

Hope you don't mind but this is a small rant about art/content thieves...

I was around on Deviant art back in 2008 when it was bare bones, and let me tell you back then it was a lawless land (think art thief's everywhere). I learned how to code on basic sites that were set up back then like myspace (actually Archive of our own is still set up like the old classic deviant art too tbh) The nostalgia for old sites I get from going on Ao3 makes me happy. Lol anyway this meme is to say I had like a younger sibling of my friend message me (think they are around 16-17) and they asked me about the anime I liked and about what video games I like. When I told them about Undertale they said “Oh do you know what Archive of our own is? its a fanfiction...”(etc.) They started explaining Fanfictions to me and I was SWEATING lmfao. It got me back to thinking about when i was 16 the absolute power I had in my teenage emotional mess years was way too OP. If you know how to hack old sites, you know how easy it is even with the new code. Then she started to tell me about her art thief on DeviantArt.

I've encountered quiet a few people in the world over the last few weeks that be testing my patience, and my constant disassociation episodes/state are making me ascend to a new level of ‘try me’ xD Its one of those the real kindness isn't having the skill to filter IP addresses for the soul reason to block someone's whole Wi-Fi from access to a site, to effectively cut off all their devices from their bullshit... its choosing not to call upon those powers and abuse them. xD I CANT STAND THIEVES I've learned to control myself and give warnings first. But my siblings friend is having problems on DeviantArt with art thieves (Honestly I thought people would stop that by now) And I swear I'm having flashbacks and panic attacks cause they are using the same tactics. (but now most of them are sneaky, at least in my day they were mostly trolls who would think crediting a re-color made things okay) Its not just her art, its her Photography AND her writing. Of course I’m outraged about all of it, but as a fellow writer? It hit a cord and I was so mad. Whatever little brat is stealing my friends little sisters stuff and only barely changing things up...stars help you >.< See, I told her I would keep an eye on it, as she said she wanted to see if she could get them to stop herself, and I applauded her for that. However, I am not afraid to take down any account that girl tries to make for a year if she seriously thinks stealing ANY form of art and making it her own is okay. -^- little amounts of Inspiration and small coincidences are okay, I just encountered a few other writers who said they were inspired by me, BUT THEY ARENT RIPPING OFF ENTIRE PLOT IDEAS AND ELEMENTS, BECAUSE THEY HAVE RESPECT. Even if you forget to credit at first, if you recognize it and correct it its way better than just refusing?? From experience I know that shit is PAINFUL in any amount more than a handful of coincidences. She put so much hard work into her art and then this person takes it and posts somewhere else with a recolor and gets views or people thinking their the original artist of the fanart. Its not just ripping away credit, and hard work its spitting on it. Its why taking art from someone's page and posting it on a Facebook group with no credit or link to their work its not good, ITS STEALING. Its hard to justify this to younger artists/authors/photographers/musicians (etc.) but especially with fanart, (my friends little sis draws sonic fan art) where its her original drawings (she did not use a base or trace) when this someone steals it, its so painful to defend. ( I guess from what she told me their saying ‘its fan art you don’t own it Sega does’ and I'm sitting here like, If someone took all of the Twilight books and set it in a different universe it would still be their art, their story. OH WAIT THAT DID HAPPEN ITS CALLED 50 SHADES OF GREY AND ITS A WHOLE DIFFRENT THING.) For example, my fanfiction uses the appearance and general backstory of characters, with the personality's of the characters being a wide gathering of many different degrees of influence. Sure all humans have souls, but I implemented and expanded greatly on the lore. I once read a fanfiction that mentioned the MC could shoot bullets out of her soul (a nod to the first fight with mettaton) and it was wonderful. I sat there thinking how cool it would be to use that element, but I came to the conclusion It would be my responsibility to ask them for permission first. I was too nervous to ask but I went with the basic respectful rule, If you think the original artist wouldn't be okay with it, THEN DONT DO IT. Some artists are TOO NICE TO TELL YOU STRIGHT OUT THAT YOU ARE PLAGERIZING/COMMITING ART THEIFT. You are taking their work and saying “okay I’m gunna pass this off as my own for as long as I can before people realize its a recolor/stolen/repost. Its DECEATFUL and its LYING you are hurting a hardworking artist. My friends sweet little sister being one of them, 😭 So listen, most artists/authors/songwriters would not mind if you did a spin off, but there is a reason we don't have to say sonic belongs to sega and undertale belongs to toby fox on archive or deviant art, BECAUSE ITS ALREADY TAGED SO EVERYONE KNOWS THAT. However NO ONE KNOWS A SMALL ARTIST/AUTHOR/MUSICIAN. Therefore If you want to use the same pose, clothes, color schemes (this one is debatable and it gives me a headache) setting, vernacular, AU (that isn't just like mafia, school, futuristic a.k.a the common obvious ones) magic systems time period, etc. YOU CREDIT AND LINK THE CREATOR. even if it is another mafia AU setting or for example a new sonic species someone came up with, If it walks, talks and quacks like a duck ITS A DUCK so SAY THAT. Its one thing if it really is a coincidence, there are only so many combinations of things, so I understand it can happen. BUT IT IS OBVIOUS WITH RECOLORS, not to mention this thief of my friends little sisters art came out and SAID SHE STOLE IT??? LIKE??? If you know its someone else Ideas/species/pose, for the love of god ASK THEM OR LINK THIER ART PAGE/ART THAT INSPIRED YOU. Its hard to gauge with new comers to fandom stuff but basically you could argue she isn't being original because her art is fanart of something, but we all know that isn't right. Her art is art too, but her art is nothing that's been done before its a new style and species entirely. Its ORIGINAL ART, BECAUSE its separated by the source material in at least 4 degrees, in the art world this makes it considered Original again. Its something many novice creators don't understand in the beginning and that's why I’m here to educate. If It gets to the point where its matter of opinion, so I’ll say this....Speaking from experience again, my friends little sis, me and every other artist I'm sure, WE WOULD RATHER YOU COME TO US AND ASK FOR THIER HELP ON YOUR OWN ART/PHOTO/STORY/WORLD-BUILDING. I swear some of these people spreading hate/ignorance on all kinds of sights really do make me wanna be a internet vigilante again idk. Its one thing to be kindly inspired and credit and ask and not copy ideas that aren't just part of the fandom, but new and original ones the small hardworking artist makes, she would be mortified if she knew I went on this rant, she is shy but that's exactly why i felt so passionate about this. Anyway long story short if you couldn't tell by this rant I'm fucking unhinged and I and my army of bored adults with knowledge of code and nothing better to do will take your stolen art down. Message me if you got a troll that need’s de-platforming/bootin’ lmfao

#somewherebetweenredandorange

4 notes · View notes

rinnnyxr · 3 years

Text

Goth worn black lipstick? dyed your hair black? worn a black leather jacket? smoked a cigarette? shaved part of your head? gotten a mohawk? gotten a lip piercing? worn black boots? shopped at Hot Topic? wrote an emo song or poem? worn a plaid skirt? gotten a tattoo? wanted a tattoo? 6/14

Girly had a little dog? gotten a manicure? straightened your hair? owned a designer purse? worn pink lipstick? worn pink nail polish? worn mascara? gotten a free makeover? worn high heels? worn a mini skirt? been to Paris? screamed upon seeing a spider? worn expensive perfume? shopped in New York?

8/14

Nerdy played Dungeons and Dragons? been to a gaming convention? worn tape around your glasses? worn a plaid shirt? worn suspenders? solved math equations just for fun? enjoyed playing with a calculator? stuck a pen behind your ear? broke your nose? pulled a door that said "push" or vice versa? been on the honor roll? read a graphic novel? dressed up as an anime character? worn thick black-rimmed glasses? 8/14

Preppy worn "in" clothes? done your hair like everybody else, in the "in" way? dressed in the "in" style? been a teacher's favorite student? gotten straight A's in a class? enjoyed school? worn a button-up shirt? worn a sweater vest? been in a clique? started a rumor? spread a rumor? had a high school crush? passed notes in class? worn knee-high socks? 10/14

Hippie owned a lava lamp? tie-dyed something? owned a dream catcher? worn a peace sign necklace? made a peace sign with your hands? been a nature lover? gone camping? slept under the stars? considered yourself spiritual? considered yourself unconventional? smoked weed? enjoyed art class? enjoyed creative writing? walked barefoot through the grass? 6/14

Redneck/Hillbilly lived on a farm? driven a tractor to school? listened to country music and enjoyed it? worn cowboy boots? danced at a ho-down? worn a cowboy hat? showed animals at a county fair? been in 4H? milked a cow? ridden a horse? driven a tractor? lived in the country? sat on a hay bail? plucked a chicken's feathers? 2/14

Band Geek been to band camp? played an instrument? been a section leader? liked football games only because of the band?

1/5

Religious been to church camp? been baptized? read the Bible? been to church? worn a WWJD bracelet? been on a missions trip? been to Sunday school? been to an Easter service? been to a Christmas service?

2/9

Bohemian considered yourself spiritual? enjoyed making art? enjoyed creative writing? written a song or poem or story? enjoyed dancing? enjoyed signing? enjoyed making music? considered yourself a dancer, singing, musician, artist, writer or designer worn something long and flowy? had long hair? believed in peace, freedom, and love? painted something? been to a rennessaince faire? played a tambourine? liked fairies? had long, wavy hair? had dreadlocks? worn a dream catcher necklace? worn something with fringe? owned a crocheted blanket? considered yourself a nature lover? walked barefoot in the summer? sang songs around a campfire? been to a music festival?

15/24

Jock been on a sports team? ran a mile? worn a sports jersey? ran a 5k? had a favorite sports team? been to professional sports game? watched the Super Bowl for the actual game itself? been to a Super Bowl party?

4/8

Trendsetter worn something, and then someone liked it and bought the same thing? started doing something, and others followed you or copied you? gotten compliments on the way you dress? been told you are unique? worn something just because you liked it? started a fad or a trend at school? stood out from the crowd? won a costume contest? collected clippings from fashion magazines? enjoyed putting outfits together? 6/10

Aries You love adventure. You are very energetic. Confident and enthusiastic. You're sharp and quick minded. Passionate. You can be self-centered at times. You are quick tempered. Impulsive. Procrastinator. You take unnecessary risks. Total: 7

Taurus Reliable. You have lots of patience. You are very determined. Your mind is very secured. It's easy for you to become jealous. You can be resentful. You can become greedy at times. You are rigid. You want to go in the business industry. You are extremely faithful. Total: 5

Gemini You are very versatile. You like changes. You are talkative. You seem to be very quick-witted. You're pretty smart. You would consider yourself to be polite. Energetic. You are very inconsistent. Prone to nervousness. Cunning. Total: 4

Cancer You are very loving. Emotional. Very sensitive. You're very nurturing. You have an active imagination. It's not hard for you to be sympathetic. Very indecisive. Clingy. Over-emotional. You are very moody. Total: 9

Leo You are generous. Warmhearted. You believe you're pretty creative. You tend to be bossy at times. Very outgoing. You make sure you are 100% faithful. You are intolerant. You interfere a lot. You are a loving person. Open minded. Total: 5

Virgo You are very modest. You have the tendency to be shy. Reliable. You are practical. Intelligent. You are very fussy. You tend to worry. You can be overcritical at times. Perfectionist. You are conservative. Total: 7

Libra Romantic and charming. You are very easygoing and sociable. You're an idealist. Very caring. You get told that you are talented. You enjoy change. You are flirtatious. You have a short temper. Daydreaming is one of your hobbies. Gullible. Total: 4

Scorpio You are determined. Emotional. You are powerful and passionate. You are easily liked. Patient. You are loyal. Generous. You become jealous easily. You tend to be secretive. You have strong sexual desires. Total: 5

Sagittarius You are optimistic. You love your freedom. You are very honest. Adventurous. You are careless. Tendency to be irresponsible. You become depressed easily. You are restless. You take those around you for granted. You care about the environment. Total: 4

Capricorn You are very cautious. Reserved. Very ambitious. You stay cool under pressure. Others say you are funny. You are pessimistic. You don't show your sensitivity to others. You are sometimes selfish. Hold onto grudges. You have great patience. Total: 4

Aquarius You are friendly. Humanitarian. You are lively. Honest and loyal. You crave to be different. You are independent. Unpredictable. You are chaotic. Rebellious. You tend to be unemotional. Total: 2

Pisces You are imaginative. You are very sensitive. You are emotionally weak. Artistic. You are idealistic. You tend to be careless. You are easily confused. You are sometimes immoral. Receptive to new thinking. Impractical. Total: 6

You are: Cancer (irl I am Virgo).

I know how to cook toast. I can do my own laundry. I can cook for myself. I actually enjoy intellectual conversations. Total so far = 4

I show up for school all of the time unless I'm sick. I always carry a pen in my pocket/purse. I've never gotten a detention. I've watched talk shows. I drink coffee/tea at least once a week. Total so far = 7

I know how to run the dish washer and/or do the dishes. I can count to 5 in either Spanish/French /German/Italian/etc. When I say I'm going to do something I always do it. I can mow the lawn. I remember to water my plants. I study when I HAVE to. I pay attention at school most of the time. Total so far = 10

I can spell experience without looking it up. I can go to the store without getting something I don't need. I always understand jokes the first time they are said. I can type fast Total so far = 14

I have realized that the weather forecast changes every hour. I realize that no one will take you seriously unless you are over the age of 20 and have a job. I can read a book and actually finish it. Total so far = 16

I knew that the alphabet and twinkle twinkle little star have the same rhythm. You just checked. You actually watch the weather. total = 17

1. Geek/Nerd You wear glasses You sometimes put a pencil/pen in your ear You are very awkward You say things that no one really understands Your shoe size is over 10 You play a lot of online gaming You think your hair looks strange TOTAL: 3

2. Jock You have beefy arms You don't mind dressing in front of some people You are quite a show-off You sometimes bully people around You charge in to deal with problems head-on You wear your team color(s) even in your spare time Conflict can be in your nature sometimes TOTAL: 1

3. Gamer You can be very prone to anger You can think of 10 good reasons why video games are good for you It drives you crazy when someone holds the disks like this You know what the terms "squeaker", "camper", and "spawn-trapper" mean You've owned more than one game console/hand-held device in your life You agree that the most difficult of games came from 90's Nintendo You take a side in the battle between the Call of Duty and Battlefield franchises TOTAL: 3

4. Emo You deny that you're emo, even when people tell you You have said "I'm just me" You once had a phase where you wanted to be the next Tim Burton [or still are] You wear dark eyeliner, even if it's only on special occasions You have some form of material possession with black and white stripes You've been to Warped Tour You like the taste of Monster Energy, or you hate the taste but drink it anyway TOTAL: 3

5. Goth You genuinely read Edgar Allan Poe in your spare time You drink coffee You've sworn revenge on people who've wronged you You get pissed when people mistaken you for an emo You listen to 80's post-punk [If yes, immediately give yourself 2 points for actually being a musically cultured Goth.] You've actually frightened people before You think ravens are cool TOTAL: 3

6. Rock Junkie You've been in a band before, or are still in a band You can name some actual garage bands You can play Guitar Hero You get overly excited when you hear a rock song in public You claim that "Nickelback killed the rock scene" Dave Grohl is the savior of the rock scene You know how easy it is to lose guitar picks TOTAL: 1

7. Punk You are very bias on whether blink-182 is punk or not You've used safety pins as apparel before You have or had a Mohawk or wanted one at some point in your life You hate MTV, and you know the one song dissing it You think The Ramones are underrated You've shouted "Sellout!" before You've been to an ACTUAL pit TOTAL: 0

8. Metalhead You at least know the basics to playing guitar You also enjoy classic rock You pretty much like every and any form of rock music You let your hair grow You hate bad pop music You really love to play Guitar Hero You play your music at max volume TOTAL: 4

9. Surfer You live in the West coast, or wish you did You wear a Hawaiian shirt You like to get up early You hate tourist season You listen to the Beach Boys or The Police You know who Dick Dale is You like to say Dude, even to females TOTAL: 2

10. Gangsta You use the N word, even if it's to yourself You are streetwise You wear a cap backwards You can rap hell as good Your father or grandfather swears as much as you do You want to stop to eat every time you see a nice restaurant You can run fast, even when carrying something TOTAL: 0

11. Cholo You're a fan of Scarface You like to say "Orale" You like hearing Oldies [ditto if they make you cry] You shop at a swap meet instead of a Mall You eat at actual Mexican restaurants You always carry a neckerchief around Carne Asada is the bomb TOTAL: 0

12. Asian Your parents have forced you to learn a musical instrument before You name your goldfish Everyone assumes you're Chinese or Japanese You watch Anime and/or read Manga You always wanted to move to Tokyo and/or wanted to learn Japanese You can use chopsticks Your parents expect straight A's TOTAL: 4

13. Hipster You really just don't give a f**k what people say You still write letters You like being ironic You listen to Frank Sinatra You like vintage You miss the good ol' days and can look past its flaws You really do spend lots of time dressing and claim to have just "thrown it on" TOTAL: 3

14. Afterburner [Me and my friend Alec have formed this subculture. Basically we're the opposite of hipsters in that we like it after it's cool. Things that are old but not old enough to be considered retro. Take a look.] You admire the technology of the 90s You still listen to the Jonas Brothers You still use a Walkman [portable CD player] You still use Windows XP You still use a Gameboy Advance SP Disney 2-D Animated movies in the 2000s actually were memorable for you These facts shock you, especially when you add an extra 3 years. TOTAL: 1

15. Greaser You like Rockabilly and/or vocal music You snap your finger to upbeat songs You can be very charming at times You want to be like Elvis You like to comb your hair back You have a leather jacket You hate it when people touch your hair TOTAL: 2

16. Hippie You hate authority You are generally very gentle You're a vegetarian Lava lamps are cool You've smoked something once in your life You respect the classics You're sometimes too lazy to finish a sentence TOTAL: 3

You are: Metalhead & Asian

1 note · View note

dailytomlinson · 4 years

Link

You'd be hard pressed to find evidence of Louis Tomlinson at a party rubbing shoulders with A-listers in the glamorous Hollywood Hills. Instead, the Doncaster, England-born musician usually chooses to spend his time with his hometown friends who have known him since he was a kid.

It's impressive to say the least that after almost a decade in the spotlight, he's stayed grounded and has yet to lose sight of himself. In the same respect that he's unapologetically himself in life, despite his millions of loyal fans (and dollars), the same can be said for his honest and emotional lyrics on his debut album, Walls, — out January 31, 2020.

Ahead of the release of Walls, the 27-year-old stopped by iHeartRadio HQ to discuss his music, his songwriting, and what fans can expect on his trek around the globe on his first solo tour — which sees many dates already sold out despite not launching until next spring.

After his band One Direction took a hiatus in 2015, Tomlinson — like the other members (Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, and Liam Payne) — ventured into a solo career. But unlike his counterparts, Tomlinson spent a few years developing his sound, writing dozens of songs, and figuring out exactly how he wanted to portray himself as a solo star. And trust us, it was worth the wait.

If one thing's for sure, Tomlinson is creating music and releasing it in his own time and on his own terms instead of obsessing over topping charts or chasing trends. It's authenticity and honesty that matters most to him and it's safe to say he's nailed it judging by his newly released song “Don't Let It Break Your Heart” as well as the handful of other songs he's shared with fans.

To find out more about what Louis had to say about his album check out our Q&A with him below!

Your debut album, Walls, was recently announced. Can you give more detail about the sound and what we can expect from the album?

I always try to operate as a writer, lyrically it's honest and it's real. At times, blunt. Musically, it's it's just live and as organic as I possibly could make it, and there's plenty of guitars on there, so I'm really happy with the way the record sounds.

Is there a meaning behind the name Walls?

Walls one of the songs on the album. It's one of my favorite songs on the album. I just thought it was a kind of thought-provoking title.

You recently mentioned that you kinda fell out of love a little bit with music. Did these past few years trying to get the album together help you fall back in love with music?

A combination of that and being disciplined in myself that I needed to discover music on my own. I often talk about when I grew up in the town that I grew up in, I relied on pop radio to give me new music. But the way that pop radio, sonically, has changed, I now have to go and search for, you know, these kinds of songs myself. I think once I found some really great albums that were new and modern, it gave me, kind of revitalized.

From “Two Of Us” to “We Made It,” one thing that's clear about your songs is that they're always so honest. You're always so authentic in everything you do. How much does authenticity mean to you in your music?

I think it's vital. I think it's vital for any artist, you know, or any kind of art, really, you know. Authenticity, especially these days, people can see through it, so I think, you know, you're better off just being honest and real, take me or leave me kinda thing.

Were there any songs you were nervous about putting on the record that maybe you thought were too honest?

My writing style is very autobiographical. I think I often go into a session and feel like by the time I've left, I've been a bit too honest there. I think, just naturally, through my upbringing and the kinda place that I grew up, I don't really struggle to kinda speak about myself.

What song, even if you can't say the song name, are you most excited for fans to hear on the album?

Well, before it came out, I was most excited about “Kill My Mind.” I think, musically, it really represents what I wanna do and, again, kind of is a good advert for the live show. But, in terms of my favorite song, and favorite song that fans haven't heard, is probably “Walls,” the title track. It's just a really honest song, the lyrics, I think, is really beautiful. We've got live strings on it as well, which really kind of adds to the atmosphere.

Fans can expect to see you on tour next summer for your first solo tour; which is so exciting. What are you looking forward to most?

Just the actual fact of getting out there and playing to everyone. You know, I had the luxury of being in One Direction and every single year we did, you know, literally hundreds of tour dates. Going from that to then not touring at all, it was quite drastic. That's the real moment as an artist where you get direct feedback from the audience of the stuff that you've been making. So, I'm really looking forward to that moment!

Fans can pre-order Walls on Louis' site as well as grab tickets to his 2020 tour!

#dlibyh #louis tomlinson #231119 #press #iheart radio

78 notes · View notes

theothersideofthecinema · 4 years

Photo

The Captive Lover – An Interview with Jacques Rivette, Frédéric Bonnaud

(September 2001)

Translation by Kent Jones

This interview was originally published in Les Inrockuptibles (25 March 1998) and has been republished here with the kind permission of the author.

* * *

I guess I like a lot of directors. Or at least I try to. I try to stay attentive to all the greats and also the less-than-greats. Which I do, more or less. I see a lot of movies, and I don’t stay away from anything. Jean-Luc sees a lot too, but he doesn’t always stay till the end. For me, the film has to be incredibly bad to make me want to pack up and leave. And the fact that I see so many films really seems to amaze certain people. Many filmmakers pretend that they never see anything, which has always seemed odd to me. Everyone accepts the fact that novelists read novels, that painters go to exhibitions and inevitably draw on the work of the great artists who came before them, that musicians listen to old music in addition to new music… so why do people think it’s strange that filmmakers – or people who have the ambition to become filmmakers – should see movies? When you see the films of certain young directors, you get the impression that film history begins for them around 1980. Their films would probably be better if they’d seen a few more films, which runs counter to this idiotic theory that you run the risk of being influenced if you see too much. Actually, it’s when you see too little that you run the risk of being influenced. If you see a lot, you can choose the films you want to be influenced by. Sometimes the choice isn’t conscious, but there are some things in life that are far more powerful than we are, and that affect us profoundly. If I’m influenced by Hitchcock, Rossellini or Renoir without realizing it, so much the better. If I do something sub-Hitchcock, I’m already very happy. Cocteau used to say: “Imitate, and what is personal will eventually come despite yourself.” You can always try.

Europa 51 (Roberto Rossellini, 1952)

Every time I make a film, from Paris nous appartient (1961) through Jeanne la pucelle (1994), I keep coming back to the shock we all experienced when we first saw Europa 51. And I think that Sandrine Bonnaire is really in the tradition of Ingrid Bergman as an actress. She can go very deep into Hitchcock territory, and she can go just as deep into Rossellini territory, as she already has with Pialat and Varda.

Le Samourai (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1967)

I’ve never had any affinity for the overhyped mythology of the bad boy, which I think is basically phony. But just by chance, I saw a little of L’Armée des ombres (1969) on TV recently, and I was stunned. Now I have to see all of Melville all over again: he’s definitely someone I underrated. What we have in common is that we both love the same period of American cinema – but not in the same way. I hung out with him a little in the late ’50s; he and I drove around Paris in his car one night. And he delivered a two-hour long monologue, which was fascinating. He really wanted to have disciples and become our “Godfather”: a misunderstanding that never amounted to anything.

The Secret Beyond the Door (Fritz Lang, 1948)

The poster for Secret Défense (1997) reminded us of Lang. Every once in a while during the shoot, I told myself that our film had a slim chance of resembling Lang. But I never set up a shot thinking of him or looking to imitate him. During the editing (which is when I really start to see the film), I saw that it was Hitchcock who had guided us through the writing (which I already knew) and Lang who guided us through the shooting: especially his last films, the ones where he leads the spectator in one direction before he pushes them in another completely different direction, in a very brutal, abrupt way. And then this Langian side of the film (if in fact there is one) is also due to Sandrine’s gravity.

The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955)

The most seductive one-shot in the history of movies. What can you say? It’s the greatest amateur film ever made.

Dragonwyck (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1946)

I knew his name would come up sooner or later. So, I’m going to speak my peace at the risk of shocking a lot of people I respect, and maybe even pissing a lot of them off for good. His great films, like All About Eve (1950) or The Barefoot Contessa (1954), were very striking within the parameters of contemporary American cinema at the time they were made, but now I have no desire whatsoever to see them again. I was astonished when Juliet Berto and I saw All About Eve again 25 years ago at the Cinémathèque. I wanted her to see it for a project we were going to do together before Céline and Julie Go Boating (1974). Except for Marilyn Monroe, she hated every minute of it, and I had to admit that she was right: every intention was underlined in red, and it struck me as a film without a director! Mankiewicz was a great producer, a good scenarist and a masterful writer of dialogue, but for me he was never a director. His films are cut together any which way, the actors are always pushed towards caricature and they resist with only varying degrees of success. Here’s a good definition of mise en scène – it’s what’s lacking in the films of Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Whereas Preminger is a pure director. In his work, everything but the direction often disappears. It’s a shame that Dragonwyck wasn’t directed by Jacques Tourneur.

The Big Sleep (Howard Hawks, 1946)

It’s Chandler’s greatest novel, his strongest. I find the first version of the film – the one that’s about to be shown here – more coherent and “Hawksian” than the version that was fiddled with and came out in ’46. If you want to call Secret Défense a policier, it doesn’t bother me. It’s just that it’s a policier without any cops. I’m incapable of filming French cops, since I find them 100% un-photogenic. The only one who’s found a solution to this problem is Tavernier, in L.627 (1992) and the last quarter of L’Appât (1995). In those films, French cops actually exist, they have a reality distinct from the Duvivier/Clouzot “tradition” or all the American clichés. In that sense, Tavernier has really advanced beyond the rest of French cinema.

Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958)

Of course we thought about it when we made Secret Défense, even if dramatically, our film is Vertigo in reverse. Splitting the character of Laure Marsac into Véronique/Ludivine solved all our scenario problems, and above all it allowed us to avoid a police interrogation scene. During the editing, I was struck by the “family resemblance” between the character of Walser and the ones played by Laurence Olivier in Rebecca (1940) and Cary Grant in Suspicion (1941). The source for each of these characters is Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights, which brings us back to Tourneur, since I Walked with a Zombie (1943) is a remake of Jane Eyre.

I could never choose one film by Hitchcock; I’d have to take the whole oeuvre (Secret Défense could actually have been called Family Plot [1976]). But if I had to choose just one film, it would be Notorious (1946), because of Ingrid Bergman. You can see this imaginary love affair between Bergman and Hitchcock, with Cary Grant there to put things in relief. The final sequence might be the most perfect in film history, in the way that it resolves everything in three minutes – the love story, the family story and the espionage story, in a few magnificent, unforgettable shots.

Mouchette (Robert Bresson, 1966)

When Sandrine and I first started talking – and, as usual, I didn’t know a thing about the film I wanted to make – Bernanos and Dostoyevsky came up. Dostoyevsky was a dead end because he was too Russian. But since there’s something very Bernanos-like about her as an actress in the first place, I started telling her my more or less precise memories of two of his novels: A Crime, which is completely unfilmable, and A Bad Dream, a novel that he kept tucked away in his drawer, in which someone commits a crime for someone else. In A Bad Dream, the journey of the murderess was described in even greater length and detail than Sandrine’s journey in Secret Défense.

It’s because of Bernanos that Mouchette is the Bresson film I like the least. Diary of a Country Priest (1950), on the other hand, is magnificent, even if Bresson left out the book’s sense of generosity and charity and made a film about pride and solitude. But in Mouchette, which is Bernanos’ most perfect book, Bresson keeps betraying him: everything is so relentlessly paltry, studied. Which doesn’t mean that Bresson isn’t an immense artist. I would place Trial of Joan of Arc (1962) right up there with Dreyer’s film. It burns just as brightly.

Under the Sun of Satan (Maurice Pialat, 1987)

Pialat is a great filmmaker – imperfect, but then who isn’t? I don’t mean it as a reproach. And he had the genius to invent Sandrine – archeologically speaking – for A nos amours (1983). But I would put Van Gogh (1991) and The House in the Woods (1971) above all his other films. Because there he succeeded in filming the happiness, no doubt imaginary, of the pre-WWI world. Although the tone is very different, it’s as beautiful as Renoir.

But I really believe that Bernanos is unfilmable. Diary of a Country Priest remains an exception. In Under the Sun of Satan, I like everything concerning Mouchette [Sandrine Bonnaire’s character], and Pialat acquits himself honorably. But it was insane to adapt the book in the first place since the core of the narrative, the encounter with Satan, happens at night – black night, absolute night. Only Duras could have filmed that.

Home from the Hill (Vincente Minnelli, 1959)

I’m going to make more enemies…actually the same enemies, since the people who like Minnelli usually like Mankiewicz, too. Minnelli is regarded as a great director thanks to the slackening of the “politique des auteurs.” For François, Jean-Luc and me, the politique consisted of saying that there were only a few filmmakers who merited consideration as auteurs, in the same sense as Balzac or Molière. One play by Molière might be less good than another, but it is vital and exciting in relation to the entire oeuvre. This is true of Renoir, Hitchcock, Lang, Ford, Dreyer, Mizoguchi, Sirk, Ozu… But it’s not true of all filmmakers. Is it true of Minnelli, Walsh or Cukor? I don’t think so. They shot the scripts that the studio assigned them to, with varying levels of interest. Now, in the case of Preminger, where the direction is everything, the politique works. As for Walsh, whenever he was intensely interested in the story or the actors, he became an auteur – and in many other cases, he didn’t. In Minnelli’s case, he was meticulous with the sets, the spaces, the light…but how much did he work with the actors? I loved Some Came Running (1958) when it came out, just like everybody else, but when I saw it again ten years ago I was taken aback: three great actors and they’re working in a void, with no one watching them or listening to them from behind the camera.

Whereas with Sirk, everything is always filmed. No matter what the script, he’s always a real director. In Written On the Wind (1956), there’s that famous Universal staircase, and it’s a real character, just like the one in Secret Défense. I chose the house where we filmed because of the staircase. I think that’s where all dramatic loose ends come together, and also where they must resolve themselves.

That Obscure Object of Desire (Luis Buñuel, 1977)

More than those of any other filmmaker, Buñuel’s films gain the most on re-viewing. Not only do they not wear thin, they become increasingly mysterious, stronger and more precise. I remember being completely astonished by one Buñuel film: if he hadn’t already stolen it, I would have loved to be able to call my new film The Exterminating Angel! François and I saw El when it came out and we loved it. We were really struck by its Hitchcockian side, although Buñuel’s obsessions and Hitchcock’s obsessions were definitely not the same. But they both had the balls to make films out of the obsessions that they carried around with them every day of their lives. Which is also what Pasolini, Mizoguchi and Fassbinder did.

The Marquise of O… (Eric Rohmer, 1976)

It’s very beautiful. Although I prefer the Rohmer films where he goes deep into emotional destitution, where it becomes the crux of the mise en scène, as in Summer, The Tree, the Mayor and the Mediathèque and in a film that I’d rank even higher, Rendez-vous in Paris (1995). The second episode is even more beautiful than the first, and I consider the third to be a kind of summit of French cinema. It had an added personal meaning for me because I saw it in relation to La Belle noiseuse (1991) – it’s an entirely different way of showing painting, in this case the way a painter looks at canvases. If I had to choose a key Rohmer film that summarized everything in his oeuvre, it would be The Aviator’s Wife (1980). In that film, you get all the science and the eminently ethical perversity of the Moral Tales and the rest of the Comedies and Proverbs, only with moments of infinite grace. It’s a film of absolute grace.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (David Lynch, 1992)

I don’t own a television, which is why I couldn’t share Serge Daney’s passion for TV series. And I took a long time to appreciate Lynch. In fact, I didn’t really start until Blue Velvet (1986). With Isabella Rossellini’s apartment, Lynch succeeded in creating the creepiest set in the history of cinema. And Twin Peaks, the Film is the craziest film in the history of cinema. I have no idea what happened, I have no idea what I saw, all I know is that I left the theater floating six feet above the ground. Only the first part of Lost Highway (1996) is as great. After which you get the idea, and by the last section I was one step ahead of the film, although it remained a powerful experience right up to the end.

Nouvelle Vague (Jean-Luc Godard, 1990)

Definitely Jean-Luc’s most beautiful film of the last 15 years, and that raises the bar pretty high, because the other films aren’t anything to scoff at. But I don’t want to talk about it…it would get too personal.

Beauty and the Beast (Jean Cocteau, 1946)

Along with Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne (1945), it was the key French film for our generation – François, Jean-Luc, Jacques Demy, myself. For me, it’s fundamental. I saw Beauty and the Beast in ’46 and then I read Cocteau’s shooting diary – a hair-raising shoot, which hit more snags than you can imagine. And eventually, I knew the diary by heart because I re-read it so many times. That’s how I discovered what I wanted to do with my life. Cocteau was responsible for my vocation as a filmmaker. I love all his films, even the less successful ones. He’s just so important, and he was really an auteur in every sense of the word.

Les Enfants terribles (Jean Cocteau, 1950)

A magnificent film. One night, right after I’d arrived in Paris, I was on my way home. And as I was going up rue Amsterdam around Place Clichy, I walked right into the filming of the snowball fight. I stepped onto the court of the Théâtre de l’Oeuvre and there was Cocteau directing the shoot. Melville wasn’t even there. Cocteau is someone who has made such a profound impression on me that there’s no doubt he’s influenced every one of my films. He’s a great poet, a great novelist, maybe not a great playwright – although I really love one of his plays, The Knights of the Round Table, which is not too well known. An astonishing piece, very autobiographical, about homosexuality and opium. Chéreau should stage it. You see Merlin as he puts Arthur’s castle under a bad charm, assisted by an invisible demon named Ginifer who appears in the guise of three different characters: it’s a metaphor for all forms of human dependence. In Secret Défense, the character of Laure Mersac probably has a little of Ginifer in her.

Cocteau is the one who, at the end of the ’40s, demonstrated in his writing exactly what you could do with faux raccords, that working in a 180-degree space could be great and that photographic unity was a joke: he gave these things a form and each of us took what he could from them.

Titanic (James Cameron, 1997)

I agree completely with what Jean-Luc said in this week’s Elle: it’s garbage. Cameron isn’t evil, he’s not an asshole like Spielberg. He wants to be the new De Mille. Unfortunately, he can’t direct his way out of a paper bag. On top of which the actress is awful, unwatchable, the most slovenly girl to appear on the screen in a long, long time. That’s why it’s been such a success with young girls, especially inhibited, slightly plump American girls who see the film over and over as if they were on a pilgrimage: they recognize themselves in her, and dream of falling into the arms of the gorgeous Leonardo.

Deconstructing Harry (Woody Allen, 1997)

Wild Man Blues (1997) by Barbara Kopple helped me to overcome my problem with him, and to like him as a person. In Wild Man Blues, you really see that he’s completely honest, sincere and very open, like a 12-year old. He’s not always as ambitious as he could be, and he’s better on dishonesty than he is with feelings of warmth. But Deconstructing Harry is a breath of fresh air, a politically incorrect American film at long last. Whereas the last one was incredibly bad. He’s a good guy, and he’s definitely an auteur. Which is not to say that every film is an artistic success.

Happy Together (Wong Kar-wai, 1997)

I like it very much. But I still think that the great Asian directors are Japanese, despite the critical inflation of Asia in general and of Chinese directors in particular. I think they’re able and clever, maybe a little too able and a little too clever. For example, Hou Hsiao-hsien really irritates me, even though I liked the first two of his films that appeared in Paris. I find his work completely manufactured and sort of disagreeable, but very politically correct. The last one [Goodbye South, Goodbye, 1996] is so systematic that it somehow becomes interesting again but even so, I think it’s kind of a trick. Hou Hsiao-hsien and James Cameron, same problem. Whereas with Wong Kar-wai, I’ve had my ups and downs, but I found Happy Together incredibly touching. In that film, he’s a great director, and he’s taking risks. Chungking Express (1994) was his biggest success, but that was a film made on a break during shooting [of Ashes of Time, 1994], and pretty minor. But it’s always like that. Take Jane Campion: The Piano (1993) is the least of her four films, whereas The Portrait of a Lady (1996) is magnificent, and everybody spat on it. Same with Kitano: Fireworks (1997) is the least good of the three of his films to get a French release. But those are the rules of the game. After all, Renoir had his biggest success with Grand Illusion (1937).

Face/Off (John Woo, 1997)

I loathe it. But I thought A Better Tomorrow (1986) was awful, too. It’s stupid, shoddy and unpleasant. I saw Broken Arrow (1996) and didn’t think it was so bad, but that was just a studio film, where he was fulfilling the terms of his contract. But I find Face/Off disgusting, physically revolting, and pornographic.

Taste of Cherry (Abbas Kiarostami, 1997)

His work is always very beautiful but the pleasure of discovery is now over. I wish that he would get out of his own universe for a while. I’d like to see something a little more surprising from him, which would really be welcome…God, what a meddler I am!

On Connaît la Chanson (Alain Resnais, 1997)

Resnais is one of the few indisputably great filmmakers, and sometimes that’s a burden for him. But this film is almost perfect, a full experience. Though for me, the great Resnais films remain, on the one hand, Hiroshima, mon amour (1959) and Muriel (1963), and on the other hand, Mélo (1986) and Smoking/No Smoking (1993).

Funny Games (Michael Haneke, 1997)

What a disgrace, just a complete piece of shit! I liked his first film, The Seventh Continent (1989), very much, and then each one after that I liked less and less. This one is vile, not in the same way as John Woo, but those two really deserve each other – they should get married. And I never want to meet their children! It’s worse than Kubrick with A Clockwork Orange (1971), a film that I hate just as much, not for cinematic reasons but for moral ones. I remember when it came out, Jacques Demy was so shocked that it made him cry. Kubrick is a machine, a mutant, a Martian. He has no human feeling whatsoever. But it’s great when the machine films other machines, as in 2001 (1968).

Ossos (Pedro Costa, 1997)

I think it’s magnificent, I think that Costa is genuinely great. It’s beautiful and strong. Even if I had a hard time understanding the characters’ relationships with one another. Like with Casa de lava (1994), new enigmas reveal themselves with each new viewing.

The End of Violence (Wim Wenders, 1997)

Very touching. Even if, about halfway through, it starts to go around in circles and ends up on a sour note. Wenders often has script problems. He needs to commit himself to working with real writers again. Alice in the Cities (1974) and Wrong Move (1975) are great films – so is Paris, Texas (1984). And I’m sure the next one will be, too.

Live Flesh (Pedro Almodóvar, 1997)

Great, one of the most beautiful Almodóvars, and I love all of them. He’s a much more mysterious filmmaker than people realize. He doesn’t cheat or con the audience. He also has his Cocteau side, in the way that he plays with the phantasmagorical and the real.

Alien Resurrection (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 1997)

I didn’t expect it as I was walking into the theater, but I was enraptured throughout the whole thing. Sigourney Weaver is wonderful, and what she does here really places her in the great tradition of expressionist cinema. It’s a purely plastic film, with a story that’s both minimal and incomprehensible. Nevertheless, it managed to scare the entire audience, while it also had some very moving moments. Basically, you’re given a single situation at the beginning, and the film consists of as many plastic and emotional variations of that situation as possible. It’s never stupid, it’s inventive, honest and frank. I have a feeling that the credit should go to Sigourney Weaver as much as it should to Jeunet.

Rien ne va plus (Claude Chabrol, 1997)

Another film that starts off well before falling apart halfway through. There’s a big script problem: Cluzet’s character isn’t really dealt with. It’s important to remember Hitchcock’s adage about making the villain as interesting as possible. But I’m anxious to see the next Chabrol film, especially since Sandrine will be in it.

Starship Troopers (Paul Verhoeven, 1997)

I’ve seen it twice and I like it a lot, but I prefer Showgirls (1995), one of the great American films of the last few years. It’s Verhoeven’s best American film and his most personal. In Starship Troopers, he uses various effects to help everything go down smoothly, but he’s totally exposed in Showgirls. It’s the American film that’s closest to his Dutch work. It has great sincerity, and the script is very honest, guileless. It’s so obvious that it was written by Verhoeven himself rather than Mr. Eszterhas, who is nothing. And that actress is amazing! Like every Verhoeven film, it’s very unpleasant: it’s about surviving in a world populated by assholes, and that’s his philosophy. Of all the recent American films that were set in Las Vegas, Showgirls was the only one that was real – take my word for it.I who have never set foot in the place!

Starship Troopers doesn’t mock the American military or the clichés of war – that’s just something Verhoeven says in interviews to appear politically correct. In fact, he loves clichés, and there’s a comic strip side to Verhoeven, very close to Lichtenstein. And his bugs are wonderful and very funny, so much better than Spielberg’s dinosaurs. I always defend Verhoeven, just as I’ve been defending Altman for the past twenty years. Altman failed with Prêt-à-Porter (1994) but at least he followed through with it, right up to an ending that capped the rock bottom nothingness that preceded it. He should have realized how uninteresting the fashion world was when he started to shoot, and he definitely should have understood it before he started shooting. He’s an uneven filmmaker but a passionate one. In the same way, I’ve defended Clint Eastwood since he started directing. I like all his films, even the jokey “family” films with that ridiculous monkey, the ones that everyone are trying to forget – they’re part of his oeuvre, too. In France, we forgive almost everything, but with Altman, who takes risks each time he makes a film, we forgive nothing. Whereas for Pollack, Frankenheimer, Schatzberg…risk doesn’t even exist for them. The films of Eastwood or Altman belong to them and no one else: you have to like them.

The Fifth Element (Luc Besson, 1997)

I didn’t hate it, but I was more taken with La Femme Nikita (1990) and The Professional (1994). I can’t wait to see his Joan of Arc. Since no version of Joan of Arc has ever made money, including ours, I’m waiting to see if he drains all the cash out of Gaumont that they made with The Fifth Element. Of course it will be a very naive and childish film, but why not? Joan of Arc could easily work as a childish film (at Vaucouleurs, she was only 16 years old), the Orléans murals done by numbers. Personally, I prefer small, “realistic” settings to overblown sets done by numbers, but to each his own. Joan of Arc belongs to everyone (except Jean-Marie Le Pen), which is why I got to make my own version after Dreyer’s and Bresson’s. Besides, Besson is only one letter short of Bresson! He’s got the look, but he doesn’t have the ‘r.’

* * *

5 notes · View notes

tillidontneedfantasy · 4 years

Text

‘Fine Line’ - Harry Styles REVIEW: Finding His Balance

“When I played it for the label, I told them, ‘This is the first single. It’s two minutes, thirty-five. You’re welcome,’” Harry Styles recalls when discussing “Lights Up” in a track-by-track breakdown of his second solo studio effort, Fine Line, with Rolling Stone writer Rob Sheffield. Thank you, indeed. “Lights Up” was an excellent first single choice for a number of reasons, now all the more clear in the context of the album. Though oddly structured and not particularly radio-friendly, it’s interesting, catchy, short and to the point: as much as you try to hide who you are, once the lights are up, those watching will know, so you might as well shine; but do you know?

Just as importantly, does Harry? Fine Line is a vague exploration of the self, both personally and musically, filled with cryptic platitudes and slick guitar riffs. However, the one aspect of himself Styles seems to be most acquainted with, and thus most comfortable sharing, is the “dark running through” his heart that cannot be extinguished by all the lights; in fact, it is amplified. Perhaps Styles finds it difficult to be honest in his relationships, but Fine Line is sprinkled with dark confessions, most notably in a series in the middle of the album (immediately following “Lights Up”): “I can tell that you are at your best / I’m selfish so I’m hating it” in “Cherry,” a track of spewing bitter jealousy; “There’s no one to blame but the drink and my wandering hands” in “Falling,” a heart-wrenching ballad for the books; “I’m just an arrogant son of a bitch / who can’t admit when he’s sorry,” in the pleasant-sounding yet morose ditty “To Be So Lonely.”

Those confessionals are the strongest demonstrations of Styles’s songwriting potential, and are the meat and bones of Fine Line’s takeaway: losing someone you once loved can cause you to almost lose yourself. Hopefully, you find yourself along the road to healing; but Styles often leaves the listener wondering if he really does know who he is now or not. What we do know is two things: 1) The end of his last relationship caused a lot of pain and introspection and 2) The man likes to have sex. Understandable points. Good equation for a successful album.

BEST TRACK: “Fine Line”

The title track and closer, “Fine Line” immediately invokes emotion as soon as it begins, and it only intensifies throughout its six-minute and eighteen-second duration. As the song moves along, new elements are subtly and meticulously added, layered in with his low and almost careful singing in a way that sounds like nature. Around four minutes in, the song really starts to come alive, the instrumentation building and building towards an outro that reaches a crescendo at Styles’s final “we’ll be alright,” and then perfectly finishes with high-pitch vocal notes that feel like freedom before it drifts out with a few light piano notes. While its message about maintaining balance on the fine line between the extremes of love resonates, the real victory of this song is its ability to move you with just the music. Despite its length, it always feels like it ends too soon.

WEAKEST TRACK: “Golden”

While a pleasant-sounding opener and a good tone-setter for the rest of the record sonically, “Golden” could have been cut in half, with about twenty fewer repetitions of the title, and used as more of brief introduction or interlude instead. In contrast to the closer, “Fine Line,” which is the longest song on the album and includes just as much- if not more- repetitions of its title, it serves a purpose in that song, whereas in “Golden” it feels like filler. This monotonous track is the most prominent example of how often Styles’s lyrics seem to be lacking; he surely has the ability to improve, he just needs to access it.

THE IN-BETWEENS

Luckily for Styles, the production on this album is so outrageously good that it’s enough to keep you interested throughout. “She,” a six-minute psychedelic rock song is an epic trip (I mean, Styles’s guitarist, Mitch Rowland, wrote it on mushrooms, go figure) into a daydream with the perfect woman who doesn’t exist. “Canyon Moon” is a road-trip-ready, light, feel-good song where his musical influences are rather apparent; Styles cites Joni Mitchell and Crosby, Stills, and Nash as his muses, and another idol of his, Steve Nicks, claims it to be her favorite track on the record, a lovely feat. The pre-released singles “Lights Up,” “Watermelon Sugar,” and “Adore You” are sincerely all pop perfection, more mature and refined from his 1D days. The most experimental track, “Treat People With Kindness,” is interesting but falls short for a song that feels like years in the making, considering it has been a phrase Styles and his fans have claimed for the past few years. Although it is clear that Styles’s intention with the song was to spread a positive message which focuses on being kind and not taking life too seriously (though he proclaims that “if our friends all pass away / it’s okay,” and…I don’t know, is it really okay, Harry?!?) it feels like he could have done more with it. One particularly good line is towards the end of the track when he sings, “all we ever want is automatic all the time,” and perhaps he could’ve taken his own advice and given a song with such a grand title a bit more effort.

BEST PROSPECTIVE SINGLE: “Falling”

A close second to “Fine Line,” “Falling” is one of the strongest in Styles’s solo discography and more impressive considering he wrote it in about twenty minutes in a towel. In this beautiful ballad, Styles opens his heart, grabbing the listener’s in the process. “What am I now? / What if I’m someone I don’t want around?” he sings in a panic. This moment of self-reflection after the end of a relationship truly settles in as reality and you can no longer look away from your mistakes is painfully relatable. This track is the most honest of the bunch, and thus feels necessary. With all the previously mentioned pop jams already aptly released as singles, “Falling” feels like the wisest choice going forward to keep the momentum; listeners love a man openly grieving a heartbreak and taking responsibility for his actions (even cheating, I suppose, as is mildly implied in the first verse…I mean, this is your mans? Good thing his regret sounds sincere at least), and the unbelievable tone of his voice when he belts the last word of the bridge, “and I get the feeling that you’ll never need me again” is just the icing on the cake.

***

It is always a difficult task for a former group member to come into their own as a solo artist, and very few have done so with the admiration and reverence that Styles has accrued thus far. With his self-titled debut solo record in 2017, Styles made it clear, as most group-departing members do, that he had a sound different from that of his claim to fame in One Direction. His seriousness as a musician was now established through the positive reception of his debut, and thus his success allowed him to have a little more fun on Fine Line. It also allowed him to get a little more candid and authentic, knowing that the world has accepted him with open arms and has been begging for more. Styles mostly delivers with Fine Line, but in some ways it feels unfinished. The musical production is intriguing and exciting, and by far the best thing about this album, but is still somewhere between a regeneration of classic inspirations and a sound unique to Styles himself; all he needs is a little more time to find his own signature style (no pun intended) rather than just creating a conglomerate of musical elements from his influences and signing his name. But in the meantime, the music still holds up. The real conundrum is the lyrics, which are well and fine, but do not effectively communicate the truth hiding behind the sentiments yet give you just enough to let him get away with it. If he had given us just a bit more, Fine Line could have been a true triumph. However, this is only his second album, and being a confessional songwriting superstar while still preserving your right to privacy is, well, a fine line to walk (I had to, I’m sorry!), but I’m sure he’ll find his balance in no time. Grade: 3.5/5

DISCLAIMER – REVIEWER’S BIAS: I was a very casual One Direction fan during their peak of fame. I think Midnight Memories is a great pop album and I stand by that. I’ve always been more of a Niall girl, but I have never been able to completely resist Harry’s charisma; I’m only human. I listened to his debut album in 2017 maybe twice, three times at most, and just thought it was fine, but not particularly impressive. But since then it’s been impossible to deny his talent and star power. I was very intrigued by “Lights Up,” and with every single release I had found myself enjoying the songs more than I wanted to admit. I think Fine Line is a really great album. Sonically, it is in my exact sweet spot of the kind of music I absolutely love, so I was doomed to like it from the start. What stopped me from giving it a grade of 4 or higher though was that even with multiple listens I struggle to understand what the hell this guy is trying to say in his music. Many times, it takes me reading what die-hard stans say to understand what message he’s trying to send. Unfortunately, that is a failure to me. I know plenty of people love cryptic and ambiguous lyrics or poetry, but as a consumer, I want to be able to understand the story or the message with at least a couple of listens. Of course, lyrics can and should be left up to interpretation, but sometimes I don’t even know what he wants me to interpret! From my perception, this is just a reflection of Harry holding back from truly saying what he wants (with few exceptions, such as “Falling”). I think he is so talented and has so much potential but just needs a little more time unlocking it. I’m excited to see what he does in the future.

40 notes · View notes

fantasiesandbooks · 4 years

Text

Hearts Don't Break Round Here iii

I don’t own any of the photos.

Prologue Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

A week has passed since Chanyeol talked with Jongin about you. After that day both boys haven’t seen nor talk with each other much due to Chanyeol’s lessons and Jongin being busy with his job or trying to ignore him. Your brother hadn’t come to meet him like most nights either and whenever Chanyeol tried to iniciate a conversation, Jongin would tell him some excuse to get away from him.

It was passed over 09:00 pm when Chanyeol was washing the dishes and you having mercy on his soul, were helping him with the drying and organizing them. You were sitting next to the table drying a plate when you turned to look at Chanyeol who gave a sigh and wiped a few drops of sweat that were running down his forehead with one of his arm’s sleeve.

“Are you tired? You have spend 10 minutes washing that sauce pan” You snorted.

“I know but there’s a lot of stains in this. What did Mrs. Patmore cooked in here?” Chanyeol complained.

“The cream that you wanted. The one with vegetables and melted cheese” You said.

“I’ll never asked for that soup again if other people has to suffer like this for cleaning it” Chanyeol stated and you laughed.

You stood up and went to have a look at what your friend was having trouble with. You stood next to him and watched that inside the sauce pan there was some parts with burned cheese stick to it.

“Ah! I will revealed some washing secrets for you now” you said and put your cloth over your shoulder.

“Put some of that soap over the sponge” you said and pointed out towards the soap bar that was on the other’s boy side near the sink. Chanyeol did what you told him to “ok. Now?” He said to you.

“Now scrub the parts where there is burned cheese and after that fill the pan with hot water” you instructed him.

Chanyeol followed the steps as you said “Now what?” He asked you.

“Put it on the counter and leave it until you finish with the other dishes” You said and went back to your chair.

“That’s it?” Chanyeol looked at you bewildered.

“Yeah. The hot water helps to soften the stain so next time you’ll scrub it, it will come off without trouble” you explained.

“You could have told me that since the beginning” Chanyeol complained.

“You didn’t tell me about the burned cheese” You countered back. Chanyeol gave you a pointed look and continued washing the rest of the dishes.

“I have thought your brother would be here but ever since I started coming down to wash the dishes I haven’t seen him” Chanyeol said after a while.

“That’s because he is still sick and Mrs. Patmore told him not to set a foot inside the kitchen until he stopped coughing”. You said.

“But he is all right?” Chanyeol asked with concern in his voice. He felt bad for not knowing that his friend was sick.

“He was feverish the first couple of days and Mr. Carson told him not to work. He is getting better so don’t worry” You explained and gave him a reassuring smile. Chanyeol nodded.

“What have you been up to?” You asked him.

“The usual. Lessons, homework, taking care of Toben” Chanyeol said smoothly. “What about you?” Chanyeol asked you since he haven’t see you as much as he would like to.-Nowadays the only time he could spend with you was at this hour.-

“Same. Helping in the kitchen, helping at home, doing some errands, taking care of Toben when you are not around, reading and kneading some things I want to have ready before the holidays” you said calmly.

“Seems like you are very busy.” Chanyeol said.

“Indeed I am” you confirmed.

“Thanks for taking care of Toben” Chanyeol said.

“No problem. He’s so cute” You said and smiled at him.

”He is also a little rebel. I have taught him not to bite my notebooks and yet he still does it” Chanyeol said seriously and you chuckled.

“Well didn’t you say he is just like his owner?” you said amusingly and lifted a brow at him.

“Maybe he is not entirely like me” Chanyeol said.

“Sure he is” you laughed.

Chanyeol finished with the washing and took a seat in front of you so he could started drying the remaining plates.

“So...” Chanyeol clear his throat “you haven’t seen your other friends lately? Jongdae, Kate, Junmyeon” Chanyeol asked you, trying to sound smooth.

“Not really. I saw Kate last week at the market and I saw Junmyeon while I was exiting the haberdashery a couple of days ago but he was in a rush so we just greeted each other and he went away”. You explained nonchalantly.

“I see” Chanyeol said and focused his attention to the plate he was holding in his hands. You remembered the conversation you had with Kate about Chanyeol about he becoming a doctor and he liking you but you pushed that last thought on the back of your mind and asked him “Yeol?”. The boy hummed in response.

“Do you really want to become a doctor?” You asked him curiously.

Chanyeol settled the plate on the pile and frowned at you. “Why are you asking me that?” Chanyeol asked you.

“It’s just that the other day I thought about it and I realized that I haven’t asked you that. You take all this lessons and read books about science and medicine but since we were kids you have always enjoyed doing things regarding music and being outside in the fields. Don’t you want to be a musician or an agriculturist?” You asked him.

Chanyeol sighed heavily “I have thought about that countless times too. I would love to play the piano and give concerts all around the world but my father is against it. He would disinherited or murder me before that happens”.

You look at him baffled. You knew his father was strict but not to that extent “But he likes to go to concerts and he plays the piano too. I have seen him. Why wouldn’t he allow you that if that’s your dream?” You asked him. “Because he thinks music is only worthy as a hobby. Yes we go to concerts and yes he plays instruments too but he thinks that a good man should focused on taking care of his name, his business and provide for his family. In our family all the men have always taken care of the businesses. I don’t want that. I don’t want to be stuck in an office, signing papers and checking accounting books until I die. It was either that or becoming a doctor. I choose the last one because at least that way I can help people”. Chanyeol explained with sadness in his features.

“But you haven’t talked thoroughly to your parents about this?” You asked him.

“My dad wouldn’t listen and my mom... she is scared that If I pursue a life as an artist, my father would never talk to me again and I will starve and struggle without the family’s money” Chanyeol sneered, there was bitterness in his voice. You leaned over a little bit and put your hand over his arm to squeezed it gently.

“I’m sorry Chan. I wished I could do something to help you” you said sincerely.

“It’s ok. I want to think that maybe It won’t be that bad. I mean, I will still get to play in my free time” He said and gave you a side smile but you could see that behind it there was sadness and resignation.

“What about you? What do you want to be?” Chanyeol asked out of the blue.

“Mmm... I haven’t thought about that” you admitted “Maybe one of the first maids?” You said doubtfully. “Although I prefer cooking that cleaning around the house if I’m honest but I don’t think Mrs. Patmore would leave her job ever”. Chanyeol chuckled at your last statement while shaking his head “No. I mean what do you want to do?”. “Well, in a perfect world in which I would get to do whatever I want and be whoever I want... I would love to be a writer. You know like the ones who write novels or tales”. You said with a sad smile. Chanyeol noticed that and couldn’t help feeling bad for you -He knew you liked writing since a few years a ago. When you, Jongin and him were younger and Nana read to you all, you would always volunteered to make the characters voices and everyone in your family encouraged you to write your own stories just to keep you busy in the afternoons after school.-

“Do you still write?” The tall boy asked you quietly.

“Not as much as before” You let out a sigh.

“Is there a reason for it?” Chanyeol said quizzically.

“Life I guess, obligations...” you said and looked at your hands “I just don’t feel like it these days. I feel too tired and as soon as my back hits the bed, the only thing I want to do is sleep and there are times when I feel bad about it because I promised myself that I wouldn’t let my dream die but it’s like it is fading away slowly”. You said frustrated.

Chanyeol looked at you. He wanted to hug you but in his mind he was debating whether if it was inappropriate or not for him to do so. “And you haven’t consider taking lessons about it?” He asked. - although you and your brother went to school like every other kid, there was a huge difference between the public schools and the private ones like the one Chanyeol attended to. In yours, people would learn only the basic subjects like vocabulary, maths, grammar, reading, spelling. In Chanyeol’s school there were that subjects too and also others like science, economics, drawing, painting, writing and a lot more-.

“Of course but they are too expensive and right now I can’t afford it.” You explained.

“If you really want it it I can pay for it”. Chanyeol suggested.

You looked at him baffled “It’s very kind of you Yeol but I can’t accept it” You said.

“Why not? I have some money saved but I’m sure it’s enough for a writing lesson. Besides, it’s not like I would needed it for something important” Chanyeol said nonchalantly.

“If you are saving money it’s because you want to spend it in something that it’s important for you” you pointed out.

You are important for me he thought.

“I’m telling you I’m not. I’m not even asking you to give it back” Chanyeol said.

“No but even like that I would still feel the burden of a debt” You said.

“That’s nonsense” Chanyeol lifted a brow at you.

“It’s the way I feel it” You explained awkwardly.

“Well then see it as a loan and you’ll pay me when you have the money” Chanyeol said annoyed. “No, thank you” you said firmly “I appreciate the gesture but I want to pay it for myself. I would feel better about it”.

“You are impossible” Chanyeol rolled his eyes at you “but you’re welcome”. You smiled at him “thank you for understanding”. Chanyeol smiled you back. In that moment you felt your heart skip a beat and quickly averted your gaze to other place in the room.

“I finished with this pile” you announced and stood up to put the plates in the cabinet.

“I finished with these too” Chanyeol said.

“That ones put them over there” You said and gestured towards another cabinet at the other corner. When you finished with the kitchen cleaning you two high five each other.

“I’m going to bed now, I’m exhausted and tomorrow I have to go to school” Chanyeol said and yawned.

“I have to wake up early too” you said. Both of you took off your aprons and hung them.

“Thanks for helping me” Chanyeol smiled at you.

“You’re welcome Mr. Park” you said jokingly and Chanyeol groaned at that.

“Don’t. I don’t like it when you or Jongin call me like that” Chanyeol stated.

You laughed at him “I know. Good night Yeol” you said as you were walking to the back door that let you to the employees houses.

“Good night y/n” He said and headed towards his room.

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

Chanyeol was on his science lesson, bored as ever looking out the window. It was a sunny day but you could felt the chilly air already. It was his last lesson of the day and he had been wishing for it to be finished as soon as it started. His school’s friend Baekhyun nudged him so he returned his attention to the teacher.

“Focus mate. These is the last class before the exam. If you don’t get it then I won’t have any one that could explain me later” The brown haired boy said quietly.

“This is so boring” Chanyeol said in the same voice.

Baekhyun nodded “Hey. Look at this” The boy whispered and showed Chanyeol a drawing of Mr. Kim with his grumpy face and fake toupee pointing at the chalkboard. Chanyeol chuckled at the lousy portrait of his teacher.

“You missed his thick mustache”. Chanyeol pointed out.

“If you are really that picky then draw it yourself” Baekhyun said to him. Chanyeol looked thoughtfully at the man in front of the classroom and started drawing. His skills were not better than his friend’s but still you could tell it was his professor due to his peculiar features. Baekhyun and Chanyeol were so focus in the drawing that they didn’t notice a figure hovering above them until someone cleaned his throat.

“What do we have here?” Mr. Kim said in his raspy voice.

Chanyeol and Baekhyun looked at each other in shock and turned to look at his professor. The man had a stern face when he lower his gaze towards both boys notebooks. “Seems like you two gentlemen like your drawing lessons so much” Mr. Kim said with a quizzical look.

“We...” Baekhyun started saying but the man cut him off.

“The rest of you keep doing the exercises on the board. I’m gonna take Mr. Park and Mr. Byun to the Principal’s office. When I get back I want all of these finished”. Mr. Kim said to the rest of the class and walked to the classroom’s entrance.

“Come on gentleman. Don’t waste any more of my time” The man urged them and motioned Chanyeol and Baekhyun to followed him.

“We are screwed” Baekhyun muttered to Chanyeol as both of them were raising from their desk.

Chanyeol was walking through the manor’s entrance. He was walking slowly trying to delate his arrival as long as possible since he didn’t know how he would tell his mother that he had gotten a report and 2 days in detention. Surely her mom was going to lecture him but he was more fearful about his dad finding out about it. Your grandma was entering the house with a bag full of bread and other stuff. She was having trouble with finding her keys. Chanyeol looked at her and rushed towards her.

“Nana” Chanyeol said. “Do you want some help with that?”.

“Oh Mr. Chanyeol. It’s not that heavy. It’s just that I’m looking for my keys but I can find them” She said as she was rummaging on her purse with one hand.

“Give me the bag” Chanyeol said as he was basically taking it out of her hands “Now you can look for them better”.

“Ah! Here they are” The old lady said relieved. She opened the door and went inside followed by Chanyeol.

Mr. Carson was walking around the house when he saw the two of them approached.

“Good afternoon Mrs. Y/l/n. Mr. Park. Do you need some help with that?” Mr. Carson greeted them. “Could you please take the bag to the kitchen Mr. Carson? Mrs. Patmore asked for this ingredients for tonight’s dinner but first I have to check on Mr. Park”. Your grandma told the man.

“I’ll give this to Mrs. Patmore then” Mr. Carson said as he took the bag from Chanyeol.

“Excuse me” The man said and went away.

Chanyeol got lost at the figure of the man walking away.

“Mr. Chanyeol” Your grandma said and the boy shook his head to clear his mind and returned his attention towards the old lady.

“Yes Nana” he said.

“Let’s go to your room so you can change your clothes”. Chanyeol nodded and went up the stairs alongside with your grandma.

“How was school today?” The old woman asked him.

“Uh... good”. Chanyeol said trying to sound as smooth as he could be.

When they reached the second floor your nana sighed “What did you do?”.

“I didn’t do anything. What makes you think that?” Chanyeol asked baffled.

“My boy. I have known you since the first time you open your eyes in this world. You have the same expression of remorse that the one you had when you were 5 and used your mother’s lipsticks to draw on the wall” Your nana explained.

Chanyeol sighed heavily “If I tell you would you promise not to tell my parents about it?” Chanyeol asked her. Your grandma looked at him quizzically but nodded at the end.

Chanyeol looked around in search that no one was around “I got a report and two days in detention” he said regretfully.

“A report?. For what?” Your grandma asked him surprised.

“My science teacher caught me and other friend drawing him” Chanyeol confessed. Your nana sighed.

“And now I don’t want to tell my mother about it because she wil tell my father and both are going to lecture and punish me” Chanyeol said sadly.

Your grandma sighed “Good heavens boy. One day you and my grandchildren are going to kill me”.

“I’m sorry Nana”. Chanyeol said with his head down. You grandma decided to help him at seen his troubled face.

“Let’s go to your room and you will hand me the report”. Nana said and started walking. Chanyeol frowned at her not understanding her request but followed her either way.

Once the two of them went inside his room your Nana closed the door and put the lock on it.

“Now, what you did was very inappropriate and unkind. You shouldn’t mock on anybody else’s appearance” Your grandma said firmly.

“I know and I’m sorry” Chanyeol said regretfully.

“I’m going to help you for this one time only ” Your nana said and went to take a seat in front of Chanyeol’s desk.

“Give me your report, a pen and a blank sheet” The old lady told him.

Chanyeol rummaged through his backpack and took out the things your grandma told him.

“Here they are” He said and went to handed them to her. Nana took them and put the report aside. She took the blank sheet and started to scribble something on it. Chanyeol was looking above her shoulder and his eyes got rounded as plates once he realized what she was writing.

“Nana, are you going to forge my mother's signature?” Chanyeol asked bewildered.

“Is either this or giving her the report card” Your Nana looked at him.

“I don’t want to give it to her” Chanyeol said.

“Then be quiet and let me concentrate on this” Nana said to him, returning her gaze to the paper in which she was practicing the signature. Chanyeol pursed his lips and let her continue. After 10 attempts your Nana signed the report and gave it to Chanyeol. The boy looked at it and he was baffled. The signature was exactly like his mother’s. Every curve and dots traced perfectly. If he hadn't seen his Nana doing it, he wouldn’t believed she was the one that signed it and not his mother.

“It’s exactly like hers.“ Chanyeol said astonished. “Awesome”. He whispered.

You nana sighed “Tear or burn this sheet. Nobody can find out” Chanyeol nodded eagerly.

“Nana are you like an agent undercover or a former criminal?. I mean you gamble, you know how to do this.” Chanyeol said and waved the report card. “What else do you know?”.

Your nana laughed at his imagination. “I’m not either one of those. I just... know a few stuff”. She said proudly.

“Can you teach me?” Chanyeol asked him excitedly.

“No”. Your Nana said seriously and the boy’s smile flattered.

“This was a one time only remember that. Doing this is wrong.” She explained.

“What about the gambling?” Chanyeol asked him.

“That I can do” She smirked at him and he looked at her again with excitement in his eyes. “But your parents can’t know about it.” Nana pointed a finger at him. “Of course. It will be our secret” Chanyeol said solemnly.

“Thank you thank you thank you Nana. If I could I would marry you” Chanyeol said and gave her a big hug. Your Nana chuckled at his words “Now now” she said and tapped his arms for him to release her “I already have a husband and although he is dead, he is my only love till this day”. Chanyeol let go of her and smiled widely at the old woman.

“What am I going to do with you boy?” She asked rhetorically “At least I think that out of the three of you, you are the calmest”.

“I have thought y/n was the calmest” Chanyeol said.

“That girl used to play with candles and burned part of my favorite tablecloth when she was 7 and Jongin tried to make a bonfire in the living room when he was 9. Thank God his mother was in the house when she noticed the smoke” Your grandma said and shook his head at those memories.

Chanyeol laughted “I didn’t know that stories”.

“I have plenty of those but now I have to check that everything is fine in the kitchen” Your grandma said as she was exiting the room.

“Don’t forget to be there at 07:30 pm. You know your father gets grumpy if he is hungry”. She said.

“Yes ma’am” Chanyeol said loudly. She looked amused at the tall boy one last time and closed the door.

You were sitting on a branch, looking at the corn fields while eating an apple. You were on your break before dinner and decided to climb up there so anyone could find you or that’s what you had expected.

“What are you doing up there?” Chanyeol yelled at you. And that’s how my peaceful time comes to an end you thought

You looked down and saw Chanyeol scrunching his nose at you.

“Nothing” you yelled back as you bit your apple.

“Come down” Chanyeol said to you.

“No” you answered.

“Then I’m going up” Chanyeol said firmly and started climbing the tree.

You looked at him amused while he was groaning on his way up.

“Move over” He said and you moved a little so he could sat next to you.

“Apple?” You muffled and extended it towards him.

He took it an bit it “thank you” he muffled and gave it back to you.

“Sure”. You said.

“Why are you here?” Chanyeol asked you.

“I wanted to be alone for a while” you said nonchalantly.

“There are a million places to be alone here and you choose the top of a tree?” Chanyeol sneered at you.

“Look at the view” You indicated.

It was a beautiful view. On one side there was the manor and the enormous garden with its autumn colors. On the other side there were the fields with its brown-greenish colors.

“It’s pretty” Chanyeol admitted.

“I like to come up here from time to time” You said.

“Oh. So this is like your spot?” Chanyeol said curiously.

“I have many spots” you said amused.

“Anyway. How was school?” you asked him.

“I got a report and 2 days in detention for making a drawing of my science professor”. Chanyeol said.

“Was it a good drawing at least?” you asked him.

“His mustache looked better on my drawing. Seriously, I have never seen someone with such a thick mustache as his. It has to be fake like his hair” Chanyeol said and you laughed.

“Does your mother already knows about it?” You asked him.

“Nope. Nana helped me with the report” Chanyeol bragged.

“She signed it, didn't she?” You said amused.

“Yes. But how do you know that?” The tall boy asked surprised.

“She did it when I got one too. Same with Jongin” you explained.

“Why Am I the last one to find out this stuff about Nana?” Chanyeol said annoyed.

“Because you are a good boy” you cooed and pinched his cheek.

“Stop it” Chanyeol said and smacked your hand away. You laughed at his grumpy face.

“At least I didn’t burn her tablecloth” Chanyeol said.

“She told you about that?” You chuckled at memory. “It was an accident though”.

“So you say” Chanyeol said. “I didn’t know I have pyromaniac friends”.

“Some things are better to keep them to ourselves” you said and he laughed.

You two went quiet after that for a little bit, you gaze at the farmers, your father was putting the last basket with pumpkins on the cart. Chanyeol turned to look at you; you were wearing trousers, which was very uncommon for girls in this time, a white shirt and your hair was loose with a ribbon on top of your head. - Even there were times in which you would look like a boy due to you garments Chanyeol will found you beautiful-. He shook his head to came back to the present.

“I still don’t get why you use your brother’s clothes” Chanyeol said weirded out.

“Would you like me to climb up here with a skirt so everyone who passes by could take a look at my legs and undergarments?” You asked sarcastically.

“No” Chanyeol said. For a moment his mind imagined that scenario and he blushed. You sneered at his reaction “These are more comfortable for running and climbing. Besides it’s not like I’m planning to charm a guy dressed like this” You said nonchalantly.

“With that I’m sure you wouldn’t” Chanyeol said mockingly and you smacked his arm.

“So...” Chanyeol said “Have you been doing anything interesting this afternoon?”.

“I was reading in the library before I came here”. You said.

“What are you reading now?” Chanyeol asked you.

“Little women” you said excitedly “And I’m loving it so far. Have you read it it?”.

“No” Chanyeol said. “I didn’t even know that one was in the library”.

“You must read it then. After I finish it of course” You said “I’m in love with Laurie”.

Chanyeol looked at you with surprise and concern “Are you in love with a woman?”. This can’t be true Chanyeol thought.

“No. Laurie is the main male character. His real name is Theodore” you laughed.

“Thank God”. Chanyeol said relieved.

“But even if it was a girl, why does it matter? A person should love whoever they want regardless of their gender, doesn’t it?” You asked him and Chanyeol look at you surprised.

After a moment of meditation Chanyeol answered you “True. But it’s also true that it does matter. People will judge and there are ones that think that’s sinful too”

“Well the way I see it people don’t get to choose who they love. Our hearts are the ones that make that decision for us and we can only follow them and be happy or ignore them and be miserable about it” You said. Your words went deep into Chanyeol’s mind. Although he wanted to tell you about his feelings for you so badly, It wasn’t that simple since he thought there were many factors that prevented him from it like your guys positions, Jongin’s feelings regarding that topic and if he was being honest with himself, sometimes there was this fear of you not reciprocating his feelings. In a way, you being oblivious of them was the thing that kept his heart hopeful but if you didn’t want him the way he wanted you, well that will crushed him.

“Chanyeol, are you ok?” You asked him, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“Yeah” he said quickly.

“You just zoned out” you pointed out.

“I’m sorry” Chanyeol said.

“It’s ok but don’t you agree with that?” You asked him.

Chanyeol looked at you “I... do”.

You gave an intake of breath. “Well, it’s time for us to get down of here”. You said.

“Yes” Chanyeol said and started climbing down.

Once his feet reached the floor he dust off the dirt from his hands and his shoes. He was dusting off the low part of his trousers when he saw your feet in front of him and a red droplet hitting the floor. He looked at it weirded out when another droplet landed next to the other one. He heard you grunting “what...?” He stood up straight and looked at you in concern. A trail of blood was coming from your hand due to a big splinter that must have buried in it while you were climbing down.

“You are bleeding” Chanyeol said matter of factly. You grimaced in pain, trying to removed the splinter with your good hand but failing miserably.

“Ahg... I can’t pull it out” You complained.

“We need to wash your hand first so it won’t get infected” Chanyeol said and grabbed your arm gently for you to follow him.

You arrived at the river that was located a few feet away from the fields. You put your hands inside of it. Letting the water take away the dirt and blood from them. Chanyeol washed his hands too and grabbed your hand with the splinter in it. “I’m going to try in pulling it out. It might hurt” Chanyeol said as blood was starting to come out from the wound. “Do it quick please” You said. Chanyeol focused his attention on your hand. Hearing you grunting every once in a while due to the pain. All this long you were looking at his face. He was focus in the task and although you knew he would have to pinch the skin for the splinter to go out, he was moving your hand gently. Even like this he looks handsome you thought but the pain brought back your attention to your hand.

“Done” He announced triumphantly. He threw the splinter away and put your hand in the river again to wash away the last trails of blood from it.

He took his handkerchief out of his pocket and wrapped it up around your hand. He looked at you and saw your watery eyes and a tear slipping down. He cupped your cheek softly, wiped off the tear with his thumb and gave you a little smile.

“You are ok now” He said.

The sun's rays cast over his figure and face giving him a magical appearance. He is beautiful you thought and gulped. You looked at him in wonder and feeling his thumb slowly caressing your cheek made you lower down your gaze in embarrassment.

“Thank you” you said.

“Anytime” Chanyeol said and stood up. He offered you his hand to gave you a lift. You took it and stood up.

“I have thought you would be tougher with handling the pain” Chanyeol said jokingly and you pushed him slightly.

“I’ll tell you that next time you get injured” you said and Chanyeol laughed.

You were almost at the stairs that let you to the kitchen’s back door when you touched Chanyeol’s arm gently to stop him.

“Yeol” You said and the boy looked at you.

“Could you help me braid my hair? I still have to finish some things in the kitchen and I can't get in with my hair like this” you asked him.

There was hesitation in Chanyeol’s features “I would but I don’t know how to do braids” The boy said awkwardly.

“It’s easy” you said as took off your ribbon and hold it in your injured hand. You grab your hair with the good one and parted it in three sections “you have to take it like this and then you have to intertwined the right section with the center and then the left one with the center”. You explained. “Ok” The tall boy said hesitantly. He went to stood behind you and grabbed your hair.

“But if it’s not ok, don’t complain about it” He said you.

“Ok” you said amused. At first Chanyeol thought it was kind of confusing to intertwined the sections.

“No... wait. I think I’ve messed it up. How do you girls do this?” He said.

“Just like I have told you. It’s the easiest braid. Think you crisscross one hand and then the other” You said. He did it again. He saw that the braid was forming properly this time and felt happy because he was doing it right.

It’s so soft Chanyeol thought and sniffled the shampoo’s essence. It must be a new one since he didn’t recognize the smell

“I have finished” Chanyeol announced.

You passed him the ribbon “Now tie the ribbon to the end so the braid don’t get loose” you said. He took it with one hand and wrapped it around the end on the braid. He made a bow and pull it tightly.

“Done” he said pleased with himself.

You turned around and smiled widely at him “thanks”.

“Sure” the tall boy said and smiled shyly.

“Due to your kindness I will ask Nana to help me with making your favorite dessert” you announced. Chanyeol’s eyes lighted up “That would be awesome”.

“Let’s go inside” you said and climbed the stairs with him by your side.

Once you finished your duties in the kitchen and said goodbye to Chanyeol, you went to your house and paid a visit to your brother.

You knocked on the door “Jong it’s me. Can I come in?”.

“Yes” you heard through the door. You opened it and saw Jongin with his pajamas, sitting on bed near his nightstand. He was reading a book but he put it aside once you came inside.

“How was your day?” You asked him.

“Tiring” he coughed. “Yours?”

“Same” you said. Jongin looked at your hand. -Your mom have taken care of it in the kitchen and now was wrapped up with a bandage.-

“What happened to you?” He asked with little concern on his features.

“A big splinter got inside the palm of my hand while I was climbing down a tree” you explained. Jongin shook his head in disapproval.

“I’ve told you to stop climbing trees. This was a minor thing but what if you fall and break something?” Your brother said sternly.

“Ok don’t be so dramatic. That didn’t happen and Chanyeol was with me so if I had fallen, he would have pick me up” You said to him and went to sit by his side “I promise I’ll be more careful”. Jongin shook his head at you but said nothing.

“He was in the kitchen too. He asked for you. Wanted to know if your were busy and if you were feeling better from your cold” You said.

“And what did you tell him?” Jongin asked intrigued.

“That you are better now and you still can’t go inside the kitchen” You said nonchalantly. Your brother hummed and you looked at him weirded out.

“Nini there’s something you are not telling me” You said and looked at him straight in the eyes.

Jongin sneered “You are insane. Of course there’s not” he said dismissively.

“Then why haven’t you looked for him like any other night?” You asked him and crossed your arms above your chest.

“I’m still sick” Jongin said and stood up to put his book on his desk near his window.

“You are not that sick and that hasn’t stopped you before when it comes to hang out with Chanyeol” You pointed out.

Jongin sighed heavily “Y/n there’s nothing going on. I have had a very rough week. I’m still sick and that doesn’t prevent me from doing all of my duties. Chanyeol have a life and I have a life too. There’s nothing wrong if we don’t see each other for a week. It’s not like we are not going to see each other again. We work in his house. For his family” Jongin said seriously. Although part of what he had said is true, he has been avoiding his friend in case the tall boy wanted to talk about you again or try to talk him into the idea that it was good for you and him to be a couple. -He knew Chanyeol was a good boy and if he would ever had to hand you over to another man, he would have like that man would be his best friend but truth was that this world was cruel and people will tear you apart with their criticism and judgments. He wanted to protect you and Chanyeol too because even if his friend didn’t mind other people’s opinions regarding you two, he would get concern about his parents opinions.- After scanning his face in search of any trail that would give him away you just nodded.

“Ok then” you said and decided to got to your room.

“Y/n” he said as you were getting up from his bed, you looked at him.

“I want to talk to you about something” He said and grabbed his chair to put it in front of you.

“About?” You asked him.

“Have you ever liked someone?” He asked you.

“Of course” you said and rolled your eyes at him “There are a lot of actors and musicians that I like”.

“I mean people that you know” He said and gave you a tired look.

“Oh. Yes” you said nonchalantly.

“Do I know him?” He said inquisitively.

“Ah... yes but I won’t tell you his name” You said and he looked at you surprised.

“Is it Chanyeol?” Jongin asked hesitantly. You were taken aback by the question. Maybe a few days ago you could have said to him no immediately but now you weren’t that sure. You liked Junmyeon because he has some of the traits you look for in boy and because he had the same status as you, you could be together easily. But the past few days and spending more time with Chanyeol at night has made you realized that you were starting to look at him more as a boy and not a friend which made you afraid of that, specially since feelings like fondness were increasing with each day.

“I... no” You said and released a breath you were holding. Jongin looked at you and although he heard what he want it, in your face he could see you were not that confident of your answer. Nevertheless he decided not to dig into the matter.

“Ok” he sighed. “You don’t need to tell me his name. I just... You understand that even if you like Chanyeol or someone like him. A rich man. You couldn’t be with him. Right?”.

“I know what you are going to say to me. About being raised and growing up differently and that other people will judge me because they always go against women first. I get it but as I come to think about it with each day that passes by, I find myself not caring about that. At least not as much as before” you told him honestly. He looked at you astonished.

“Maybe I’m foolish or I have read to many books” you sneered “but I just want to be with a good man”. You smiled slightly at your brother.

“You are saying this now because you are not in that situation” Jongin countered back.

“Yes but I think if I ever find myself in that... I could endure it If I really love that man and he loves me back the same way” you said.

“I don’t want you to get hurt though” Jongin said quietly and you put a hand over his knee. “I know and I don’t want to see you get hurt too but that decision is up to me. As you said, I have a life too and there are some choices that I have to take on my own” you smiled at him. Jongin snorted “You can’t use my words against me”.

“I just did bro” You said playfully and he pinched your cheek.

You rubbed your cheek “Besides. If I ever do that and I’m wrong about it, you will get to tell me I told you so” you joked.

“I hope it doesn’t come to that” Jongin said.

You looked at each other for a moment.“Alright I’m going to bed” you said and gave him a kiss on the cheek as you stood up.

“Good night bugsy” Jongin called you by your nickname.

“Night Nini” you smiled at him and closed the door after you.

Jongin went to bed and thought about your conversation before he felt asleep.

I really hope she knows what she’s doing he thought before stepping into dreamland.

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

Friday came along and after classes Chanyeol and Baekhyu were walking towards the detention’s classroom.

“Man this sucks. It’s Friday and we have to be stuck here two more hours” Baekhyun complained “At least the punishment should have started on Monday”.

“I know” Chanyeol sighed.

“Hey, do you want to go to my house after this?. My parents left to the city because they had some business to do and I don’t want to get dinner alone” Baekhyun said.

“Uh... sorry but I can’t. Today my grandma is coming to have dinner and my dad want us there” Chanyeol said awkwardly. He felt bad at seen the excitement on his friend’s face lighting off.

“Oh, ok then. No problem” Baekhyun said nonchalantly.

“But you can come to my house. Surely there would be some friends of my parents and I don’t want to be alone in their adults talk” Chanyeol said and Baekhyun face lighted up again.

“Sweet. I will tell Joseph about it after detention. Thanks mate” Baekhyun said enthusiastically.

“Sure. Who’s Joseph by the way?” Chanyeol asked intrigued.

“My family’s driver” Baekhyun explained.

“And you call him by his name?” Chanyeol asked him surprised.

“Of course! I don’t like to call the staff by Mr. or Mrs., it’s not like they are strangers. Some on them have more time with the family than myself. My mother doesn’t like it but when she’s not around I call them by their names” Baekhyun explained, pleased with himself.

“You don’t do that?” Baekhyun asked him.

Chanyeol thought immediately about you and Jongin and a smile crept on his lips “Yeah... but only with the people around my age or the ones that don’t feel uncomfortable for it” Chanyeol explained. The two boys had reach the detention entrance and looked at the door.

“Ready?” Chanyeol asked him as he touched the doorknob.

Baekhyun gave a sigh “Open it”. Chanyeol opened the door and both of them went inside the classroom.

Baekhyun and Chanyeol arrived at the manor. Both boys were starving and wishing to arrive at the dining room and stuffed their empty stomachs. “Good afternoon Mr. Park” Mr. Carson said as he saw the two boys entering the house. “Good afternoon Carson. This is my friend Baekhyun, he’s staying over for dinner” Chanyeol said politely.

“Good afternoon Sir. It’s a pleasure to meet you” Mr. Carson said to Baekhyun.

“Likewise Mr. Carson” Baekhyun said politely.

“Where is my Nana?” Chanyeol asked the old man.

“She’s in the dining room waiting for you Sir. I’ll tell Emy to get ready another meal” Mr. Carson said

“Thank you Carson. We are starving”Chanyeol said

“If you excuse me” The old man said and exited the room. Baekhyun was looking around, taking in the interior of the house.

“Wow, your house is bigger than mine” Baekhyun said to the tall boy.

“Come on. I’ll introduce you to my Nana” Chanyeol said excitedly and motioned the other boy to follow him.

“Nana” Chanyeol said excitedly as the older woman was sitting at the table kneading.

“Ah Mr. Chanyeol. I was starting to get worried” Your grandma said and she looked at him.

“I was at school” Chanyeol said. “In detention” he whispered.

“Ah right. I had forgotten about it” She said.

“And who is this young man?” Your grandma said and smiled at Baekhyun.

“I’m Baekhyun Byun. It’s a pleasure to meet you Mrs...” Baekhyun trailed off as he realized he didn’t know her last name.

“ Mrs. Y/L/N” Chanyeol said.

“ Mrs. Y/L/N” Baekhyun repeated and smiled at her.

“He’s a friend from school Nana” Chanyeol explained.

“Oh. In that case you can call me nana too if you like young man” Your grandma offered.

“Wonderful” Baekhyun smiled widely. “I had a Nanny when I was younger but she was a grumpy lady” He said bitterly.

“I’m sorry to hear that” your grandma said.

“It’s ok. Probably she’s preparing to fly around on her broom by this time of the year” Baekhyun said and your grandma laughed.

“You are as witty as handsome Mr. Baekhyun” Your Nana said amused.

“I have the feeling that you and I are going to get along very well Nana” Baekhyun said mischievously. Your Nana shook her head in amusement and Chanyeol did the same.

“I’ll go to check on your food boys” The old lady said and went to the kitchen.

“I liked her. She’s a lovable old lady” Baekhyun said.

“She is. But she’s tougher too if she needs it” Chanyeol said with a smile on his face.

You were in the garden reading when you heard Chanyeol calling you. You turned around and saw you him coming down the stairs with another boy. You raised up, dust off your skirt and took your book from the ground.

“Hi Y/n” Chanyeol breathed.

“Hey” You said and smiled at him and his companion.

“What were you doing?” Chanyeol asked you.

“Reading.” you showed him the book. “I’m sorry but who’s that?”

“Oh sorry, this is Baekhyun. A friend from school” Chanyeol said and gestured at the boy. You smiled at him and make a little bow.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Sir” You said.

“Please call me Baekhyun” The boy said and took your hand to kiss it gently.

“And the pleasure it’s mine, lady” He said and smiled at you. You looked at him surprised and Chanyeol was frowning at him.

“Ok” you said as you pull your hand slightly backwards.

“May I call you by your name?” The boy asked you.

“Sure” You said nonchalantly.

“Thank you Y/n. You see I...” Baekhyun was saying when Chanyeol cut him off.

“Ok now that we got the introductions over. Would you like to come and play cards with us?” Chanyeol said and smiled at you.

“I would love too but unfortunately my break is almost over and I have to help for tonight’s dinner. Mrs. Patmore wants everyone in the kitchen and If I don’t show up in time, she will cut my head off and serve it for the main course.” you said.

“Oh, ok. Well I’ll see you after dinner” Chanyeol said.

“The game will not be the same without you” Baekhyun said sadly and his friend looked at him weirded out.

“You bet It won’t. I would have won you guys” you said confidently.

“But another day I will play with you gladly” you said.

“I’ll look forward to it” Baekhyun said and smiled at you.

“If you’ll excuse me” you smiled and walked away towards the manor.

Chanyeol and Baekhyun turned around to see you walking away. Chanyeol was hoping to spend a little bit of time with you before dinner but at least he will get to see you after it. He looked at his friend and saw him still looking at you. “What was that crap about? The game will not be the same without you“ Chanyeol nudged Baekhyun and imitated his voice.

“Ouch!” The shorter boy exclaimed “I was trying to be polite”.

“You’re weird” Chanyeol said.

“Why didn’t you tell there was such a pretty girl working at your house? Baekhyun complained “Are there more like her?”.

“Because the employee’s appearance is not something I usually talk about to anybody” Chanyeol said annoyed.

“Well this one in particular you should have mentioned it” Baekhyun said. Chanyeol was getting mad at his friend. He had just seen you once and he already wanted to woo you. The tall boy could recognize the mischievous look on his friend’s eyes. Baekhyun could be lazy for school but when it came to something he really want it, he would put his everything to get it. What he was missing though, was the fact that Chanyeol had known you for a longer time and that he loved you.

“Don’t even think about it” Chanyeol warned his friend.

“Why not?” Baekhyun frowned at him.

“She already likes someone” Chanyeol said confidently.

“That’s because she hadn’t met me” Baekhyun said cockily and Chanyeol rolled his eyes at him.

The tall boy started to walk towards the house and Baekhyun followed him.

“Hey! Can I come to your house more often?” Baekhyun asked him excitedly.

“No” Chanyeol said grumpily.

With this Chanyeol was more sure that he loved you.

Thank you for the support and the love. I hope you like this new series and enjoy this chapter. I’ll try to come up with the next one as soon as possible. Also If you have any comments regarding this chapter feel free to send me a message. I think it would help me a lot.^^

#chanyeol #exo au #park chanyeol #exo #sehun #sehun scenario #chanyeol au #pcy #sehun au #chanyeol fanfic #chanyeol series #exo fanfic #fic #exo scenario #sehun series #exo series #chanyeol scenario

22 notes · View notes

hlupdate · 4 years

Link

To find out more about what Louis had to say about his album check out our Q&A with him below!

Your debut album, Walls, was recently announced. Can you give more detail about the sound and what we can expect from the album?

Is there a meaning behind the name Walls?

Walls one of the songs on the album. It's one of my favorite songs on the album. I just thought it was a kind of thought-provoking title.

You recently mentioned that you kinda fell out of love a little bit with music. Did these past few years trying to get the album together help you fall back in love with music?

Were there any songs you were nervous about putting on the record that maybe you thought were too honest?

What song, even if you can't say the song name, are you most excited for fans to hear on the album?

Fans can expect to see you on tour next summer for your first solo tour; which is so exciting. What are you looking forward to most?

Fans can pre-order Walls on Louis' site as well as grab tickets to his 2020 tour!

#louis tomlinson #231119 #articles #iheart radio

17 notes · View notes

wootensmith · 4 years

Text

politics and agency

I've been thinking a lot about agency these past few weeks. I mean-- I always think about agency, that's kind of my job. But I've been thinking about it more lately. About how if you put characters in hopeless positions in a story, they're still going to find a way out (in most stories, anyway. Barring a deus ex machina or something). Maybe that's why we really need stories in human society. Because a lot of time those characters seem to have more agency than we do.

We tell ourselves we can be like those characters. We tell each other we can do anything if we only try hard enough. That powerlessness is only a temporary obstacle. That if we work out the right puzzle, say the right words, perform the right feat, we'll be free of every hardship between us and what we desire. And it's an intoxicating thought, especially when you are at your most hopeless. We have SO MANY stories about averting disaster, at least in America anyway, that we've neglected somewhat, stories about what to do once the disaster has already happened. Those stories ARE out there, we just don't hold them up like we should. Not all of history is written by the victors, just the history we tend to pay attention to.

I know it's scary to look around and realize where we really are. Where we're about to be. That no matter how hard we try, how much we try to repeat the old, reliable patterns and systems that SHOULD work, we're not any closer to the top of the hole we've found ourselves in. Whether the hole is poverty or injustice or voicelessness or the world dying. It's hard not to pretend that everything's still going to be ok, that there's some way to avert all this. If you're still able to convince yourself, then frankly, I'm a little jealous. And resentful. For the rest of us, when the mask is finally gone, it's time to start making new stories. Imagining ways to rebuild and build better instead of imagining ways to put brakes on the cart after it's already flung itself off the cliff. Part of that is truly realizing what the situation is.

People who speak up or stand out are already or will be shortly silenced. First, they'll be watched, their activities tracked. They'll lose jobs. They'll be threatened physically and financially. They'll be arrested or disappear. People who don't cheer loudly enough for the powerful will eventually receive the same treatment. Anyone who is considered a burden or who doesn't provide some sort of advantage to the powerful are being shut out as well. They'll be left to fend for themselves or disappear too. Anyone too poor, too sick, too outside of whatever is not the predetermined "norm"-- we're on our own. All we've got is each other, so we better stick together if we can. The systems meant to protect us from that sort of process are already partially dismantled. We cannot rely on them anymore. Use what's left, but expect those to disappear or be curtailed, too. Including here. So start thinking of other ways. Start making new networks. New systems. Outside the existing ones.

As much as I push people to register, to vote, to participate in the systems that exist, we also need to realize that as much as we are betting on there to be a "next time", there are lots of people betting and planning that there won't be a next time. Keep registering people. Keep calling your elected representatives. But also be ready for when it doesn't work anymore (it's already starting). It's the same with climate change. Keep pushing for countries to make and honor resolutions. Keep boycotting the worst polluters and rewarding corporations who do better. But realize that the people in control never expect to pay an actual price for what they are doing or allowing.

Remember that the attitude toward the climate crisis has never been to stop polluting but always to a.) clean up the damage after it's done (which is important but gives the people doing the damage zero reason not to keep going as they are) or b.) to abandon the planet altogether and start the whole thing up somewhere else Facts don't get through. Because facts won't get through, that means empathy doesn't work. Neither does fear. Consequences don't stick or are nonexistant.

That's where we are. So what are we to do? That's why I've been thinking about agency so much lately. I used to be mad at Sartre for claiming he was a "writer who resisted, not a resistor who wrote". Maybe I'm still mad at him about that, but maybe he also wasn't entirely wrong about it. Because it seems to me, as terrible as that list of where we are is, the very worst point is the last. If facts don't get through, then nothing else can change. When facts don't count, all that's left is stories. And that, we can do something about. The powerful already know that. They use stories all the time to hurt people they don't like or want to get rid of. They have all the other levers now, but we still have at least this one. Not to tear down people we don't agree with, but to imagine the way out of all this. To build up the world we want to see. Facts might not get through, but the truth can.

It's not just me who says so. Research has found people have similar psychologic feelings of connection and loss with characters in art they consume. In books, in video games, in movies (and more). Put the truth into a new context and maybe it gets absorbed. Ask someone to have empathy for someone struggling in their community and people may just dismiss them as lazy or bad or dishonest. But make an outsider a hero in a story, and maybe people start to have compassion for them. Maybe they start making small connections to people in similar situations in their outside life. If you ask someone to do something about climate change and maybe they tell you it's all a hoax or feel too small and powerless to do anything worth while. But build up a world in a book or a game, make people fall in love with it, and then destroy it and maybe it makes an impact. Better than that, after the destruction, if the world is rebuilt, maybe people get ideas about their own lives.

It doesn't have to be postapocalyptic. It doesn't have to be dystopian. It doesn't even have to be sci fi. Oliver Twist wasn't. A Patch of Blue wasn't. Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry wasn't. Whatever you write, however you write, happy ending or gritty or sad, the same truths can get through. That's why they can be taken out of their real world context and still work.

Good people care about what happens to other people and work to shield them, to help them. No matter the differences between them. Doing what's right sometimes means a character doesn't "win". A heroic character does what's right anyway. Or, if they choose not to, pay a heavy price. A healthy world is one where the characters are cautious about how they use it and recognize and try to prevent or repair collateral damage. Equity and fairness are important and desirable. Kindness is attractive. People are stronger together.

You don't have to be a "big name" to do it. In fact, the smaller you are, the longer you'll get away with it without paying a price. Stay brave and remember you don't know who exactly is reading (or watching or playing). I'm not going to claim it'll be easy, even then. We're going to fail. Scapegoat did. And then we're going to try and fail again. And again. And maybe someday, we'll be succeeding even though we don't know.

Maybe someday, someone changes their mind because of something we made. Or starts to change it. Maybe more than one somebody. And maybe we never, ever know. That's ok. There are a lot of artists who never knew, can never know, but did it anyway. Because their stories and music and art were their most potent form of agency. And they had to have faith in their work, as ugly or misshapen as they thought it might be, that the truth would leak through somehow.

I can't tear down his camps by myself. Not even if I called and wrote and organized every day. But if I can upset enough people about the idea of good people trapped in a prison for no reason, then maybe I get some folks to help me. I can't clean up the world, no matter how much I recycle or compost or pick up litter. But if I get enough people nervous about what happens when there's not enough resources left by writing about a refugee space ship on a hopeless, endless journey to find a new world, maybe someone will have a better idea about how to fix it.

Maybe this doesn't seem like anything new. Maybe it seems as small as the difference between being a writer who resists or being a resistor who writes. It's frustrating that all we might have left are words that people may never hear or see. But words are what stories are made of. And stories are what civilizations are made of. We're in a war now, about which stories get to be read or heard. About what kind of civilization we're going to be. I'd rather fail at making a better one than succeed in building a terrible one.

Maybe that's not a very hopeful message. Maybe I should tell you never to give up, to keep on keeping on. It's not working. And I'm sorry for that. I'm not going to tell you to stop doing what you've been doing, because I can't give up on it either. I'm just saying, be ready. Start building something new, some new blueprint. So it'll be there when it's time. It'll be up to others (or us all) to actually construct it, but it's up to the storytellers, the musicians, the artists to imagine it in the first place. It's our turn now.

#politics

6 notes · View notes