#the video goes into more detail about this I just gave a synopsis

[tyuninthemirror]

— valentine: k.th

— pairing: rival!taehyun x fem!reader — genre: fluff — word count: 3166 — disclaimers: university au, one-sided rivalry. mentions of food. — synopsis: all taehyun wanted was for you to give him a chance. — series masterlist

— author's note: for a tumblr that has taehyun as its muse, took me quite a while to get to him. >:( i hope you all like one, i really appreciate all the feedback and support on my last few fics ♥ (edited 8/25)

You've always envied Kang Taehyun. Since middle school, he's always been praised for doing well in school and community activities without trying while you had to work twice as hard to keep up. He was so naturally talented at everything that to say you were jealous would be an understatement; it made your blood boil.

Since middle school, you've considered him your rival, but he didn't care and let you continue your one-sided rivalry until the last semester of your senior year. You remember throwing a fit in the teacher's room when Taehyun was chosen instead of you to give the speech at your graduation.

Taehyun finally confronted you about your behavior after learning about it from your teachers.

"Why do you hate me that much? I can't change anything about myself," He bluntly said, staring directly into your eyes, "It's senseless to be resentful and bitter about something I can't control."

His bluntness caught you off guard, and you were at a loss for words. From then on, you stayed away from him.

Even after graduating and ending up in the same college, you avoided him at all costs. You were shocked to find out that you had a few classes with him, but you decided to act like you didn't know him.

One day, near the end of the semester, as you and Taehyun sit in your media arts class, Ms. Park gives out the last task of the semester. She explains to the class that the project is to make or remake a music video with a partner using the song of the pair's choice and that it would count toward your final grade.

Your heart is pounding as Ms. Park goes into further detail. She reminds everyone that she has covered all the necessary material for making a good video over the semester.

You called, raising your hand, "Um, Ms. Park?" "What if we can't think of anything to put in the video?"

"Y/N, this is when your imagination comes into play," Ms. Park replied, smiling comfortingly, "Use what you've learned and create something that symbolizes you and your partner.

"Hey, Y/N, you're okay with Lily and I pairing up, right?" Jake, one of your friends, asked you. "But if you want to pair up with her, that's fine too!"

You shrug and say, "Don't worry about it." When Lily gave you that puppy-eyed expression, you knew she had a crush on Jake and naturally wanted to be paired with him.

When the bell rings to announce the end of class, Ms. Park dismisses the group, urging everyone to put their all into their projects and enjoy themselves. Knowing they barely had five minutes to get to their next class while you had more time to spare, Jake and Lily wave you off quickly.

Before you can step outside the classroom, someone grabs your arm from behind. You turn around and see Jay, one of the school jocks, in your way. You had a bad feeling about this because you heard from one of your classmates that Jay was known for getting others to do his work for him.

"Hey, Y/N," he says to you with a sly grin. "I heard you need a partner for the final project. Well, guess what? You're looking at him."

"Thanks, Jay, but no. I'll find someone else," you told him as you rolled your eyes and tried to pull your arm away from him.

"What, you don't think I'm good enough?" He scowled, his smirk becoming a sneer.

"It's not that," you try to say calmly. "I just don't think we'd get along."

"Listen, Y/N," Jay stepped closer, his face inches from yours. "You don't get to choose who your partner is. I'm telling you right now, you're going to be my partner, whether you like it or not."

As you take a step back, your heart rate quickens. "I said no, Jay. Now get out of my way, please."

Jay pushes you as his face darkens. You take a bad step backward and fly down the flight of steps. You close your eyes and prepare for impact when suddenly, a firm hand grabs your waist and pulls you back up.

When you open your eyes, you are met with the sight of Taehyun, who had been listening in on your talk with Jay. He glares at Jay and asks, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I didn't mean to-" Jay started, stepping back and looking a little scared.

"You didn't mean to do what?" Taehyun cuts him off. "Push her down the stairs? You moron, you could have seriously injured her.

Jay fumbles an apology and rushes away without pausing to look back at you two.

"Are you alright?" Taehyun asked as he turned to face you, and his gaze softened. You nod in answer, still shocked by what just happened.

"Kang Taehyun," you breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. I owe you one.

"What do you mean? Owe me a favor?" he questioned. You turn to face him as you are startled by his question.

"Sure," you say. You pause for a second, unsure whether your hesitation was caused by the fact that you were still somewhat rattled up from the situation with Jay or by the fact that you and Taehyun were speaking normally for the first time in a long time.

"You can repay me by being my partner on the final project," Taehyun tells you. "What do you say?"

"Well, what did you say?!" Lily shrieked. You met up with your friends after class, updating them on your rather eventful day.

"I said yes," you sighed, closing your eyes and leaning back on the library chair. "Better Kang Taehyun than Jay."

"True," Jake muttered in agreement. "Why do you hate Kang Taehyun again? He's pretty nice. He helped me with my essay once."

You groaned, sinking deeper into your chair. You told Lily and Jake this story when you started college, but you couldn't say it now. Was it because he kinda saved your life? For the trouble and ruckus you've caused in his life, you never would've expected him to save you.

"I give up," you muttered, a scowl on your face. The next day, after you gave Mrs. Park your names, she gave the class the whole period to decide and discuss what each pair wanted to do for the project.

After barely talking to each other, you and Taehyun chose to make two different lists and find a match, only to find out that you both like completely different types of music.

"Kang Taehyun, how the hell are we going to make a music video for SHINEE's Ring Ding Dong?" you asked as you shoved his paper back at him.

"We could dance," he said, shrugging as if it was the most obvious answer.

"No."

Taehyun was about done with you after another fifteen minutes of you rejecting all of his ideas.

"Y/N, do you really dislike all of the songs I chose, or is it because I suggested them?" Taehyun asked, clearly tired of your tone.

"A bit of both," you agreed. Hey, there's no shame in being honest. He chose you to be his partner.

"If I choose a song I know you'll like, do you promise not to shut it down?" he asked. You sit up at his words, wondering what song he would mention. You nodded once but kept your fingers crossed in case he suggested something terrible.

"Some by Soyou and Junggio."

"So? What's the big deal?" Lily asked as she did your nails. On Thursdays, Jake has baseball practice which allows you and Lily to have your girl time at your dorm.

"I sang that song with a senior I had a crush on in high school," you explain to her, thinking back at the time you spent alone time practicing with Chenle to perform at the opening of the school fair. "Brings back memories, that's all."

"So you guys have all your filming schedules set?"

"Yeah, he said to shoot at five locations, but I said I'd only meet thrice. We're meeting this Sunday to do the first take," you answer her, checking out the hand she had just finished coating. "He suggested we feature in the video ourselves to save time and that he would do all the scene planning."

"Damn, Y/N," Lily grinned. "Taehyun is such a gentleman for giving in to your demands. Meanwhile, I have to sing and dance to Dynamite with Jake."

"Shut it, Morrow. I know you want to spend alone time with Jake."

On Sunday, you and Taehyun meet at the café he picked for the first scene. It was tucked away in a back alley near campus. You were impressed that Taehyun knew about a place like this, and you found yourself liking every aspect of it, from the cake display to the furnishings. He smiles and waves you to the chosen table when he sees you.

"Hey, Y/N! I'm glad you could make it," he says, standing up to meet you. Despite rolling your eyes in response, you can't help but be a little taken aback by his charming demeanor.

"Yeah, yeah, let's just get this over with," you mumble as you sit down.

Taehyun laughs. "Come on. It'll be fun. I promise."

"I doubt that," you snorted in response.

He orders two coffees, and you set up the camera and other things. As you work, you laugh and joke with Taehyun when he makes too many mistakes. His face turns red with embarrassment when he admits he doesn't know how to use a professional camera.

The next time you looked out the window, the sky was a shade of orange, which meant the sun was setting. You both quickly realized you had been in the cafe for more than three hours when you looked at the clock on your phone.

Taehyun looks at his watch and frowns. "Whoa, it's getting late. Do you want me to walk you home?"

You're unsure what to do for a moment, and you feel a strange flutter in your chest. "Uh, sure. That'd be great."

As you walk down quiet streets, Taehyun talks about his favorite bands and movies. You find yourself opening up to him and telling him about your own interests and hobbies. Halfway through the conversation, you quickly remind yourself that you hate him and stop saying so much.

When you finally reach your door, Taehyun turns to you with a smile. "Thanks for the day, Y/N. I really enjoyed it."

You have a strange mix of feelings. On the one hand, you had to admit that you liked the day more than you thought you would. But on the other hand, you still couldn't get rid of the irritation you felt toward him.

"Yeah, it was… fine," you reply, trying to keep your tone neutral.

Taehyun's smile fades a little, but he nods. "Well, I'll see you in class then."

"Sure," you say before opening the door to your dormitory building.

You can't help but think about the day's events as you walk up the stairs. You expected to be bothered by Taehyun the whole time, but he made you laugh and have fun. And when he offered to walk you home, it felt like a date.

But you quickly tell yourself that you can't let yourself get too comfortable with Taehyun. You've spent years building up a wall of hate for him, and you can't just let that go because you worked with him for one day on a music video.

A few days later, you and Taehyun meet up at the arcade for the next scene of your class project music video.

You can't help but feel a little nervous as you wait for him to arrive. Even though you've been trying to stay away from him since you met on Sunday, you can't help but think about why Taehyun wanted to work with you on the project.

When Taehyun shows up, he waves and smiles at you. You swear your heart missed a beat.

"Hey, Y/N, you ready to shoot?" He asked with a small grin on his face.

You nod, trying to control the butterflies in your stomach. "Yeah, let's get started."

While Taehyun set up the camera and equipment, he suggests you play some of the arcade games to collect some footage for the video. At first, you're not sure, but he talks you into playing a few games with him.

You find yourselves laughing and having a good time while playing together. Taehyun is pretty good at some games but is not afraid to act silly and mess around with you. At one point, he accidentally bumps into you, and you both fall to the ground laughing. You look up at him and realize you don't hate him as much as you thought. He might even be a little bit likable.

You two continue to have a great time together throughout the day. You're still a little cautious around him but beginning to see him in an entirely new light. He's not the perfect robot you once saw him as, but a real person with feelings and flaws. And he is nice to be around.

When you're done with the last scene of the video, Taehyun smiles and turns to you. "Thank you, Y/N, for today. I had a great time today, too."

You smile back, and your chest feels warm. "Yeah, me too. And I'm sorry I'm always so rude to you."

His smile gets bigger. "It's okay. I understand why you didn't like me before. But I'm glad we could learn more about each other."

You nod, feeling a bit awkward. "Yeah, me too."

You can't help but feel like you just went on another date with him as you left the arcade together.

Halfway down the street, Taehyun tells you he has to meet someone at the cafe you just walked by. As you walk back to campus, you say goodbye. For the first time, you're a little sad that you have to part ways, and you're not sure if you want to keep up the wall of dislike between you two.

"Taehyun! Over here!" Taehyun smiles and runs to the table where Huening Kai was sitting.

"Did I just see you walking by with L/N Y/N? " Kai asked, shock painted all over his face when Taehyun responded with a nod. "Did she get amnesia…? Doesn't she hate your guts?"

"Yeah, I'm working on that," Taehyun chuckled, scratching the back of his neck.

"Dude, don't tell me you still have a crush on her?" Huening Kai asked, laughing when Taehyun's face turned pink. "Hilarious, you know she's hated you for as long as you've liked her. Crazy how you both ended up in the same college too. Maybe that's what they call fate."

"Fate, huh?"

You and Taehyun stood on the rooftop, overlooking the bustling campus below. The sun was setting, casting a warm glow over the two of you as you sat on a blanket laid out on the ground. Taehyun had prepared an afternoon picnic for your final scene, complete with sandwiches, fruit, and a bottle of sparkling wine.

He had suggested that for the last scene, you'd film a time-lapse of you two sitting side by side and the sun setting in the background.

You couldn't help but feel conflicted as you looked at Taehyun. You had always disliked him, but as you worked together on your project, you realized that maybe you had been too immature to try even to get to know him. Taehyun was kind, funny, and incredibly talented but never tried to rub it in or show off. You found yourself drawn to him, even though you weren't sure if you were ready to admit it yet.

As you chatted and ate, Taehyun suddenly said, "You know, Y/N, this is my dream date."

"What? A picnic on a rooftop? That's your dream date?" you looked at him incredulously.

"Yeah, it might sound simple, but it's the little things that matter, you know? Just spending time with someone you care about, enjoying good food and great company," Taehyun explained, leaning back with his arms supporting his weight, the sun giving him an orange glow as he looked at you. "That's all I've ever really wanted."

You felt a flutter in your chest as you listened to him. You had never considered Taehyun a romantic before. You clenched your fists as you realized how the last three meetings with Taehyun had made you feel.

"Taehyun, can you please stop leading me on?" you blurted out suddenly. "I don't know if you're just being friendly or if you actually like me because of all these places you've set up, but I can't keep pretending like I don't feel anything for you."

Taehyun's expression softened. "Y/N, I'm sorry if I've been unclear. I didn't want to push you or make you feel uncomfortable. But the truth is, I've had feelings for you for a long time now. I just didn't know how to tell you."

Your heart skipped a beat as you heard his words. Could it be that Taehyun felt the same way you did?

"I'm glad we got to work on this project together," Taehyun continued. "It gave me a chance to show you who I really am, and I'm grateful for that. But Y/N, I'm not just doing this to change your opinion of me. I genuinely care about you and want to be with you."

"You liked me?"

"Yeah," Taehyun shyly chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck as he continued talking. "I think it was that time in middle school you helped Chani redo his homework that had fallen into the school fountain. I must sound creepy, huh?"

Your eyes welled up with tears as you looked at Taehyun. You had never expected this, but now that it was happening, you felt a huge weight on your shoulders. How could you have been so unkind to someone who felt this way about you for so long?

"Why are you crying?" Taehyun asked in a panic, sitting up to look for a napkin. Did he say something that upset you?

"I-I'm sorry for everything," you apologized as tears rolled down your cheeks. "I've been so unfair towards you, and you've been so patient and kind with me."

"There's no point dwelling in the past, Y/N," Taehyun comforted. "I don't hold anything against you."

"Taehyun, I promise to do better to make it up to you," you said softly. "I don't know where this will go, but I'm willing to find out. Thank you for being patient with me."

Taehyun's face lit up with a smile as he leaned in to kiss you. The sun had set completely, but for you and Taehyun, the world was beginning to light up.

#txt fanfic #txt x reader #txt imagines #txt fluff #taehyun x y/n #taehyun x reader #taehyun fanfic #taehyun fluff #taehyun x you #kang taehyun

[therealmofadisneyfangirl]

Kim Possible

Tick-Tick-Tick Episode #1

Hi! My name is Deanna Winchester mulitfandom (more then one fandom) blogger I decided to

create my very first blog post review of Disney’s Kim Possible.

My author block delayed this long running pop culture review.

This is actually the first episode to ever aired but of course it aired out of order on the Disney Channel.

It first aired on the Disney channel USA on June 14, 2002. Toon Disney premiere: April 11, 2005.

Kim Possible was and is my childhood show it amazing to review all episodes. This is a fun rewatch that I actually enjoyed.

Kim Possible is one of my favorite Disney animated character, it exciting to watch this show and revisit it.

I rewatch this show i never thought though to do an episode review. This is a good idea this is also my comforting show when adulting goes too far.

The episode Disney plus synopsis is I insert a screenshot down below

We first introduced to Kim Possible our heroine, the main character but also a spy.

She also has normal life as a high schooler but has no alter ego. She is a cheerleader.

She describes as she can do anything!

Anyway let begin the first episode!

The episode start with Kim Possible anxiously being late as she rush past several people as she went to her locker as she waiting for her assignment to be printed. She is anxiously like come on print please.

Only you think it her assignment to her confusion no it just her best friend Ron Stoppable printing cheat codes for a video game. Kim rightfully so is overwhelmed she has 30 seconds to print her History assignment she is annoyed by Ron. Ron was a comedian in this episode. Ron was so entertaining.

Course as the real paper was about to print there is a paper jam, Ron is nothing to fear Rufus. The viewers are like who the hell is Rufus, it turned out Rufus is Ron’s pet naked mole rat. Kim had doubts until Rufus did his magic, the paper was saved. Yay! Kim is excited and happy that her paper is saved.

Until Kim’s luck was put to test. Kim is stressed and is under lot of pressure she can’t afford to be late.

Unfortunately she rush into the school grumpy staff member Mr Barkin.

It turned out revealed by the audience Kim has been not late for third time she is also on this guy bad side a recipe for disaster. Kim much to her dismay, is ordered detention.

Cut to the badass theme song opening. Christina is such a good singer.

Meanwhile at Possible house we are introduced to Kim family. Her younger mischievous geniuses twin brothers Jim and Tim are introduced her parents are introduced Kim herself revealed the facts her parents are brain surgeon and rocket scientist. Kim told her parents the truth she is not happy she got detention what she is good at. Kim you are good at being a spy badass!

One of her catchphrase no big was introduced

We are introduced to the first time of Wade and the communicator.

Wade assign her to her mission in South America much to her parents dissatisfaction however she gave her puppy dog eyes which be a running gag for the series

She can go yay!

New details are revealed the villain characters Shego all in the first episode.

Kim is not aware who she is yet like who is that she is good.

Kim and Ron visit the professor lab I assume it was emergency. 🚨

Kim ask what was stolen even the professor does not know

Something is fishy. Kim and Ron will solve it. Kim suddenly has an idea she saw on the footage of Shego stealing the device.

The device project is revealed to be the Tick. Course Ron screamed it brought back bad case of summer camp memories which you believe it or not will be foreshadowing for later Season one episode.

That camp and Ron are connected my dear readers. Camp Wannaweep and Ron are sinisterly connected.

The tick was not alive according to the professor it was a digital blue print it was a cyber genetic Tick will be in comparison to the real thing. The professor created a robotic tick. Ron ask why

Professor say he have lot on his time fair enough.

Who will need a robot tick? The key to your question Kim is your arch nemesis villain DR. Drakken

Cut to his evil lair

Shego fell from a trap door. Cut to Shego and Drakken dialogue which is the best banter ever.

Kim say she has wrap up the conversation soon due to detention. Wade keep teasing her until Kim say to Wade can we continue the mission. Wade was like okay.

Then Wade revealed more information about Shego to Kim i forgot to add

Drakken is furious that he reveal his evil plan to Shego to build a robotic tick.

Course Kim was interrupt by Barkin. Kim found herself in detention shenanigan ensures.

Funniest moment in this episode the clock is messed up, Kim had good dialogue herself.

Course leads Rufus to the rescue who causes a distraction. Kim managed to escaped.

She thanks Ron for rescuing her with the best plan out letting Rufus out! Course he gave credit to Rufus who was the hero,

Wade access more information about Drakken and Shego that lair is in the Caribbean. Wade say myth say the island is haunted. Much to poor Rufus who hide in the soda cup. Ron was excited about new gadgets. Ron get blasted by the gadget that disguise as lipstick for being nosy. Rightfully so.

Banter between Kim and Ron, Ron is now scared of spy gadget. Kim assures him it just regular makeup

Cut to Drakken lair. Shego shouts intruder alert course Drakken is in his own world.

Kim and Ron get captured course Drakken heard of the teen heroine Kim Possible,

Not Ron. Poor Ron. Chum is friend it least they know you and Kim are team Ron. Course Kim literally does not know who these guys are. Now it started to rang a bell. Kim say you something that does not belong to you

Course cut to Kim and Ron threatened by villains threats to be shark food. Course Ron is a comic relief he has good one liners. Kim saved the day and use the spy gadget on the shark. Kim escaped much to the villains dismay.

Shego does not know what nano technology is.

Course Shego found out they escaped cut to her and Kim fight sequence, Kim saved the day by using her spy tech the lair exploded, she and Ron jump. Mission Impossible vibes. Kim is in her cheerleading uniform. Once again Kim speak to the professor, the professor thank her. She say no problem course Barkin is not stupid another round of detention. Kim is not pleased. The nano tick somehow appeared on Kim nose. Kim escaped because it emergency

Course Drakken is on her trail, Barkin is on her trail. They leave on Ron’s scooter who is not fast. It chaotic sequence. Kim saved Barkin because Drakken is trying to get her with this evil genius ray. It a mess.

They end up at Bueno nacho. Kim has the best sarcastic dialogue at Ron who is focused on food.

Ron plus food who is shocked. Course Drakken and Shego argued like a married couple.

Course Shego and Kim have their first real fight, Wade trying to get nano robot off Kim.

Kim got the upper hand Shego end up on Barkin.

Stakes are high. It intense. Kim nose will blown. Wade is problem solving except Ron has an idea. Diablo sauce he put on Kim nose which finally is off her nose. She threw tick at Drakken device which go Boom!

Which lead to Drakken iconic villain phrase quote. The police capture Drakken and unconscious Shego long story got knocked out by Kim detention associates.

Kim is back at detention which lead to most iconic moments tough but fair call back from early scene go.

Funny moment assures , Kim is getting her detention associates now friends a manicure and Barkin get outnumber. Ron say Kim factor is not a rule for detention. The episode end cut to iconic end credits of the closingcredits.

The episode was really fun I enjoy it i rate it 10 out of 10.

💯💯💯

The cartoon Kim Possible rules!

Seen you all next time for episode two review.

Enjoy! I hope you all have a great afternoon.

#kim possible #2000’s disney life #disney plus #kim possible (character) #disney blog #ron stoppable #disney #tumblr #blogger #episodes order #episodes review

[vinnystarxx]

✦₊˚🎤 ଓ ₊˚You’re my idol ୨୧

pairing : yandere idol ( Angel ) x black! fem!reader

synopsis : He's a idol, famous for his looks, charms, and talents. Everywhere he goes, he HAS to get praised ( it's his routine ) but when someone like you don't praise him, why is he attached?

including : Fluff, light smut, reader is mentioned to have big breasts ( apologies to my small chest black beauties )

warnings: Possessive, obsessive behavior, stalking, dub-con, breaking-entering

wc : 461

extra info : Angel is a brat, super bratty to the point of annoyance. But when he gets obsessed, he will calm down ( like a pet when listening to its master ) ( not proofread or edited )

author’s details : My first yandere post now ! Hooray

timestamp started : August 2nd, 2023 ; 9:39pm

timestamp finished : August 3rd, 2023 ; 7:41pm

LINKS : masterlist | homepage

Watching the same dead ad again, the ads that you can't skip. But it's with this famous idol, Angel McNight, his name is. Honestly you're sick of his face. But he isn't sick of yours. You honestly wished you decided to kiss his ass and make him leave you alone after this. Shifting your bonnet, while you remember that terrible meeting with him.

"Oh I'm so sorry, are you alright miss?" You crashed into someone, 'I should really look where I'm going' you thought. "Yea I'm fine, sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." He stares at you and figure or body, I guess. Your curly braids, your glowing dark skin in the skin, your curves and hips, your little bloated stomach with your adorable crop top. "You're...very beautiful.." he meant to say in his head but he already spoke it out loud. "Oh? Thank you, I think you're Angel, right?" He nodded with the brightest smile you've ever seen. "Thank you for helping me up again, I'll be leaving now." Huh? You didn't compliment him? Even his boydguards were confused, you didn't appreciate his looks, strange, "Miss?" you turned around, "You didn't...compliment me.." You gave him a strange and offensive look, "I need to compliment you? Don't you get enough of that already?" You kissed your teeth, and walked away faster.

"Find about out about her name and everything else important about her. Immediately"

"Ohhh [nameeee]! Are you home?" His annoying pitched voice rang throughout your apartment. you groaned, "Omg, [nameeee], you're in your bedroom!” He ran inside and plopped down on the bed, causing a bounce impact effect. “How was your day, my love?” His face lips was so close to your neck you could feel his breath. “It was going smooth until you came.” Your eyes remained on the YouTube video you were watching on the TV. “Aww, why do you I always ruin your day baby?” His hands trail up from the rim of your panties to under your shirt and just below your breasts. “You’re so soft..” rubbing his thumb underneath.

“When are you going to leave me alone? You’re starting to piss me off Angel.” You shoved him his hand from beneath your shirt. “Whyyy?” He pouted, lightly pressing his lips against your neck, “Your bonnet—I gifted it to you, do you like it?” You can possibly see the light in his eyes glow. “Yea…it’s good material and quality is nice.” You absolutely hated the fact that you didn’t throw this but the bonnet was too good to pass up. “I’ll buy more for you then.” He mumbles into your neck. His voice deepened when he’s tired, ‘guess he’s sleepy’ you thought before turning your eyes towards the news on the TV.

©︎ 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚢𝚡𝚡. ᥲᥣᥣ rіgһ𝗍s rᥱsᥱr᥎ᥱძ. ⍴ᥣᥱᥲsᥱ ძ᥆ᥒ,𝗍 ⍴ᥣᥲzᥲrіzᥱ, ᥴ᥆⍴ᥡ, ᥆r s𝗍ᥱᥲᥣ ᥲᥒᥡ ᥆𝖿 mᥡ ᥕ᥆rks ᥕі𝗍һ᥆ᥙ𝗍 mᥡ ⍴ᥱrmіssі᥆ᥒ, 𝗍һᥲᥒk ᥡ᥆ᥙ !

#🍒v’s stories #yandere x darling #yandere oc #yandere oc x y/n #yandere oc x you #yandere oc x reader #yandere x you #yandere x y/n #yandere x reader #male yandere #male yandere x reader #yandere idol

[soliverse]

don’t call me - k.dy

(sequel to call me a fool. you can read this by itself, but some references would make more sense if you read the first part.)

reader x bestfriend!doyoung

genre: so much angst, slight fluff

warnings: none

word count: 3.85k

synopsis: Doyoung missed an important milestone in your life. Now, it’s your turn to miss his calls.

prompt:

Ghost Of You by 5 Seconds of Summer, part of the Heartbreak Hotel collab by @nct-writers

dedication to:

@hunjins for leaving witty comments during beta reading

@johnyusangel for being my guardian angel during beta and when I was dying over a migraine + Qian Kun

@hxneyy-latte for nursing me back to health lol

taglist: @kunrengui (sorry this took a while 😔), @leolo404 @byeolhyesisi @thesongofdragons

networks: @nctcreations @kdiarynet @kpopscape @kwritersworld @culture-cafe @neowritingsnet @neoswitchnet @czennienet @nct-writers

Every day, your routine starts with staring at your phone for a few hours before getting out of bed. You'd check in all of your messaging apps to see if any of them came from Doyoung. Sadly, there's none of it this morning.

You would drag your mopey ass out of bed and start the day with dread, questioning why he hasn’t replied to your last text. Then, as you brush your teeth, you would check once again to see if you missed anything while you are preoccupied with oral hygiene.

The inbox notifications would still say zero. And then you'd wait… and wait… and wait some more hours, even days before he replies back.

Every time Doyoung refuses to reply to your messages soon, you get this sudden urge to bang your head into a wall, cursing yourself for texting him in the first place. You will then start to question your life choices, why you even texted him in the first place when you knew this is bound to happen. And that you probably sounded too clingy, too cheesy for his liking. Your thoughts filled as to why he refused to reply as soon as he could.

You sighed and placed your phone back into your pocket and proceeded to go on with your day. The academy is about to open and you have practice for your upcoming recital the following day.

You kept your phone around your vicinity even as you practiced. It's a good thing that your vocal mentor isn't here to point out your mistakes, but you're trying to hit every note as clean as you can. A feat that is impossible to do when you're completely distracted by something.

Doyoung: Hey.

That one word is enough to wash all of the worries that you had earlier. You once again attempted to bang your head into the wall, now cursing yourself for changing your emotions so quickly.

You kept your phone back at your table, practicing for a few more minutes before answering the text. This time, you sang with a smile on your lips, the burden of your worries suddenly lifted with a single word.

But that's just how it always is with you and your best friend.

Now, if you can only tell him how you feel.

///

You bowed at everyone for doing a great job at practice. You happily fished out your phone from your pocket to reply to Doyoung's earlier text.

You: Are you free this Saturday?

You placed your phone down for a moment to fix your stuff, but a ding! interrupted you midway and you just couldn’t help but look at his reply.

Doyoung: Not at all. Need help with something?

Your smile grew wider and you texted the details of your recital for Saturday. You've worked on the piece so hard that you wanted to share your success with him, just like he would share his with you.

The rest of the day went smoothly. It was full of wishful thinking and daydreams. And if it goes well, it might be the day that you tell him about how you really feel about him.

///

It was the day of the recital and your hands were shaking out of nervousness. Your grip on the mic was getting tighter, if not sweatier, as you heard the crowds forming outside to see you and your classmates perform.

The soundcheck commenced and they started calling all the participants by their name as they came on stage. You heard nothing besides your own heartbeat and your loud thoughts whenever you overthink. But you reassured yourself that you will do a good job.

You had to. Someone was watching and you wanted to make him proud.

Fiddling on your seat, you waited for a few numbers before it was your turn. You nervously walked out the stage, and you were blinded by the lights coming from the back of the theater. It was probably for the good. 

You couldn’t see anyone’s faces.

You couldn’t see his face. 

Because if you could, you would’ve choked on your words and hit the notes wrong once again. Thankfully, the performance went better than you expected. 

As soon as everyone came together for the curtain call, your eyes wandered to see Doyoung among the crowds. You scanned left and right, but there were no signs of him everywhere in the theater.

You consoled yourself with the fact that he probably went to the bathroom, or he was already backstage waiting for you. He couldn’t possibly miss this day, right?

The first thing that you did after coming down the stage was to have a closer look at the seats, just to make sure that he really was there in the crowd. Everyone else had their families with them, their friends, their lovers. 

But there were no signs of Doyoung in the crowd.

You tried hard to smile as everyone who passed by you congratulated you for doing a great job. But once again, you were distracted. Your mind was occupied with thoughts that you never expected to have that day.

Did he really forget about you?

Giving up completely, you made your way back backstage and hid your impending tears to everyone. On your way, you saw Johnny, waving a small bouquet of flowers to get your attention. This sparked a tiny bit of hope in you. If Johnny was around, then Doyoung must have been here somewhere, too.

You ran towards Johnny and gave him the tightest bear hug. You were worried that no one really watched you perform today. Your family lives abroad and they couldn’t make it to watch you, but you promised them that you will send them a video of you singing. You were really counting on Doyoung not only to watch you perform, but to film your performance as well. 

He must have been here somewhere.

“Thank God you came. I thought nobody saw me perform earlier,” you were once again on the verge of crying, but you didn’t have the heart to ask Johnny if Doyoung was indeed with him.

“Doyoung couldn’t make it today. He had to go out with the whole crew of his drama to celebrate their last day together. I came as soon as I heard about your performance.”

You fell quiet, breathing deep to hide your tears and your disappointment. But Johnny knew how you felt, so he pulled you tighter against him, completely encasing you completely on his embrace. “Don’t feel sad. You did so well today.”

///

Ever since then, you stopped taking calls from Doyoung. He would persistently call and text you every night to say sorry. Any other day, you would’ve been glad to see that finally, he’s the one that’s trying so hard to reach you. Sadly, you’re in no mood to talk to him. 

You thought it would’ve been cruel if you blocked his number from your phone, so you instead tried to text him excuses why you couldn’t talk.

You were tired. You went out with a friend. You just wanted to take some rest.

After hitting send, you tossed your phone in your bed, still feeling upset about him missing such an important day to you. You felt set aside like you’re the last person on his priority list.

That day made you realize that you’re spending way too much energy on someone that doesn’t return the favor. It was an unhealthy behavior that you need to get out of your system as soon as possible, even if that means cutting Doyoung from your life temporarily.

///

Doyoung was surprised to see you at the front door of the 127 dorm one day. You tried smiling at him as he opened the door to let you in, pretending that you were not upset with him in the previous days.

“Surprised you’re not busy today,” you remarked as you sat down, clearly aiming at Doyoung who was now feeling lost at your coldness towards him.

“You’re not mad at me, are you?”

“Not at all,” you tried your best to avoid his gaze because one look at your face would definitely give everything away. You didn’t want to lie to him, but it was better than saying that you were mad because you had feelings for him.

“Anyways, where’s Johnny? He invited me to watch a movie this afternoon.”

“Didn’t you tell me that you had practice today? That’s why you couldn’t meet me?”

You sneered internally.

“Yeah. Sometimes people say one thing and then they actually mean another thing. You of all people should know.”

You saw Johnny coming out of his room, fully dressed and ready for your movie night together. You waved one last goodbye at Doyoung, who just realized that you were roasting him the whole time.

///

The passive-aggressiveness went on for a few more occasions. You refused his attempts to talk to you, knowing full well that your cold facade would wear off instantly once you let him. You wanted to talk to him so bad, but your pride was preventing you from making any rash decisions. You couldn’t just go back to living your life as Doyoung’s doormat. But, as per Johnny’s advice, you got to explain to him why you were feeling that way. He at least deserved that much.

That explanation came sooner than you had expected.

You were spending a lot of time with Johnny lately, but only because he treats you like a little sister. He must’ve missed his own sister back at home, so he was making sure to take care of you as much as he could. 

But Doyoung didn’t have to know that.

You had noticed the tension between the two of them whenever you would visit their dormitory. Johnny was just a bit irked at Doyoung because you were hurting, but he understood it from his perspective. He never knew how you felt in the first place, he wouldn’t have known how much he hurt you in the process.

What goes on in Doyoung’s brain though, you have no idea. He usually just stays away from the both of you whenever you’ve come to visit them, maybe throw in a couple of pleasantries before asking you to hang out with him once again. You kept on telling him that you will once you’re not busy with the academy, and then proceeds to forget about it on that same day.

One day, he’s finally had enough and decided to block the door when you were about to leave the dorm room.

"There's nothing to talk about Doyoung."

You tried to step out once again, but he didn't even budge from his place.

"Can you just tell me what I did? I already said sorry about not attending your recital. What else do you want me to do?"

You lowered your head and tried to leave again, determined not to answer his questions. But he's just as stubborn as you are, this time pushing you slightly, just enough to make you step back.

Your fists formed into a ball and your lips pursed in annoyance. Why does he care about you so much now that you're staying away from him?

"Let me leave, Doyoung. Johnny is waiting for me," you said as calmly as you could.

"Is that it? You're replacing me with Johnny? Just because of that one mistake? What kind of friendship is that?" Doyoung's voice went up a few notches, now looking as visibly upset as you are.

"I can't be your friend anymore, Doyoung," silence filled the room as soon as you said that statement. You both stare at each other awkwardly, both of you are still in a state of shock.

"I don't think this is the perfect time to tell you this, but you have to know eventually," grasping the straps of your handbag, you braced yourself for what you were about to say.

"I have feelings for you Doyoung. That's why I was so hurt that you didn't attend the recital," you paused for a bit, biting your lower lip to hold yourself back from tearing up.

"It made me realize that my life, everything about me, revolves around you. I would literally drop everything when you say you need me. And yet, I'm so far away from your priority list that you can't even sit down for a few minutes to watch me perform," you felt a bit of moisture from your cheeks. Tears were already falling from your face without you even realizing it. 

You wiped your tears away with your sleeves and you held yourself back from sobbing to proceed to talk.

"But it's not your fault. I was the one at fault for lending you my time, and I was the one at fault for setting high expectations for someone who just treats me as a friend," you smiled weakly as you walked towards him one last time.

"So for now, I can't be your friend anymore. Not until I sort my feelings out and make things more awkward for us. Give me time for myself, Doyoung. I'll try to be a better friend soon."

You smiled as you lowered your head once again, your shoulders brushing over when you left the room. You didn't try to look back and walked as fast as possible, holding yourself together just before you reached the exit.

You ran out of their apartment building and as soon as you found a place where you can hide, you finally let yourself go. You sat there balling your eyes out and looked around for signs of your best friend. When you realized that he didn't even make an effort to comfort or follow you, your sobs got even louder as you sat down on the pavement to hug your knees.

"Go on... Let it out."

Someone sat down with you and started patting your back to comfort you. You raised your head and cleared the hair strands that stuck to your face to see who it is. It was Johnny.

"I saw everything that happened. I'm happy that you finally told him."

He rubbed your shoulders to calm you down once again, offering you his handkerchief so you could wipe your tears out. Once you finally managed to stop crying, he stood up from his seat and placed his hands on the pockets of his hoodie.

"If you need to cry all day, I'll be here."

///

Doyoung proved that your presence left a big mark that he never realized before. He thought he was just confused at first, or that he was just getting used to not being able to contact you whenever he could.

Just that evening, he was having a hard time memorizing the new choreography for their comeback. He kept on messing up one of the killing parts and everyone was frustrated that they couldn't move on to the other parts of the choreography. He felt sorry for everyone, so he left practice early to work on it himself without burdening the other members. His first instinct was the grab his phone and listen to your soothing voice, telling him to cheer up and that he will do better tomorrow.

But as soon as he was about to hit the dial button, it pained him to press the back button instead, stuffing the phone into his sweatpants and he wiped the sweat off of him.

He felt very heaviness, even more, when he was changing, basically ripping the door of his locker as he took its contents to rid himself of the uncomfortable feeling of sweat. He was both mad and upset at the same time, almost ripping a part of his shirt when he was about to put it on.

He hasn't felt like this in a very long time and he needed a way to get things off of his chest. But without you to do it, it was practically impossible.

He grabbed his matching hat and jacket, stuffing his dirty clothes on his backpack and he made his way out of the building.

He made sure that no one saw him in that state, especially Haechan, who gave him so much shit when everybody found out about your confession.

"Everyone knew, you dumbass."

He just wished somebody would've told him sooner, but he knew it wasn't their place to tell him about it. He felt stupid for not realizing it sooner.

His heavy footsteps dragged him to the ramen shop that you used to go to together. He stopped coming here when he lost contact with you, and instead of making him feel better, it made him even more upset upon the reminder of how he fucked up. But he needed a way to make himself feel better. Ramen worked back then. Maybe it would work right now.

He made the choice to not sit down at your usual spot, the one closest to the kitchen so you would get your meals as soon as you could. He instead opted for one of the corners. It felt awkward, but he was there to eat, not enjoy the ambiance. He ordered a bowl to himself, something that he wasn't used to seeing on the table. The bowl of ramen looked so empty on the table by itself, and so he ordered a lot of side dishes with a few bottles of soju to comfort himself.

To his surprise, he was served by the same auntie that used to tease you and him before when the two of you used to go to this place. He hoped that she wouldn't recognize and ask for your whereabouts, but he was very unlucky that day.

"Oh. It's been a while since I saw you! How are you?"

Doyoung just bowed to the auntie and told him that he was fine and that he missed eating there for the longest time.

"I'm glad that I finally get to see you! You missed your friend though, she just left earlier."

He was put to a halt. Something about you being mentioned sparked something in him. Although, he wasn't able to pinpoint what that feeling was at that time.

"I think she was showing the place to another friend of yours. The big guy ate a lot, so we're worried for a bit that we’re about to close early for today."

Doyoung felt his heart sink, but he still bowed and thanked the auntie for the meal. 

He stared at the contents of his table for a while, but you would always remind him that the soup tasted better when it's still hot. For some reason though, the bowl of ramen wasn't as tasty as it used to be. He used to finish bowls of that same ramen before, but he couldn't even manage to finish one. He knew better than to waste food though, so he forced himself to eat the rest of it and jumped out of there as soon as he could.

The ramen certainly didn't make him feel better.

///

It's been weeks and the first thing that Doyoung did after waking up was to open his phone for messages. There were a few of them, most of it coming from the other members, but he wasn't interested in reading in any of them.

Getting out of bed seemed harder than usual. He felt a few pounds heavier, which meant he either gained weight or he just lost the will to get up from his bed.

He tried not to stare at his phone as he brushed his teeth, so he kept them hidden in his pocket and used all of his wills to not check on it every hour.

He noticed that there was a bit of commotion coming from outside. He paid no attention and went back to his usual morning routine, getting ready for a separate schedule that he had that morning. He went to his room to get dressed and pack the things that he may need that day. Once everything was done, he went to the kitchen to tell everyone that he was going, but he was met with something else instead.

The rest of the boys were gathered up around the table, enjoying breakfast that he assumed that you made. You just stood there happily as you served everyone pieces of the omelet that you made. You turned around in his direction and he was met with that smile that he missed so much.

"Doie, would you like some?"

The nickname made him flinch. It was something that you never used on him before, but it was enough to make him look away and step out of the room immediately.

"I'm good. I just came to say goodbye to everyone."

"Oh good!" you said as you gathered your things and stuffed them neatly in your tote bag. "I just came here to drop some food because this guy said that he wasn’t feeling well. Let's go together," you said as you tiptoed your way out of the tight kitchen, messing Johnny's hair before you finally stepped out of the room.

"Let's go?" you asked giddily as you grabbed Doyoung's arm and waved to everybody goodbye. He finally realized what you must've felt when it was the other way around.

The walk towards the bus stop was a quiet one. None of you dared to talk. But he noticed that the spring of your step is back, if not better than before. Meanwhile, he was just walking there awkwardly, not knowing what to say to you because of how he left things the last time that you talked. He wanted to talk to you for the longest time, but he respected your wishes to be alone. Now he was regretting making that decision.

The both of you stood there at the nearest bus stop, the atmosphere is even quieter since it was just the two of you standing there.

"I missed you Doie," you spoke, breaking the silence between you too.

"I was hoping that we can talk right after this. You know, just to clear the air."

He remained quiet in his place, not really knowing how to respond to her.

"Meet me at the ramen place later?"

"Sure," Doyoung almost hit himself for answering so soon. To him, he sounded very eager to eat with you once again.

The bus finally arrived and you stepped inside, making your way into the seat. His stare lingered at you for a while, to see if you would look around like how you always did when he sent you home. You took those same steps, hesitating at the eighth one to see if he still stuck around to look at you.

You hesitantly sat back down in your seat, unsure as to whether he finally looked back at you when you were about to leave.

You never saw him though, because he asked you to sit down and within a split second, he was gone from your view.

Guess you're just gonna have to find out tonight.

xxx

#neohbh #nct-writers #nctcreations #kdiarynet #kpopscape #kwritersworldnet #neoculturecafe #neoswitch #neowritingsnet #cznnet #nct #nct127 #nct u smut #nct doyoung #kim doyoung #doyoung fanfic #doyoung scenarios #doyoung x reader #doyoung angst #doyoung fluff #johnny suh #johnny x reader #nct johnny

[otptings]

Reunited

✖︎Idol: Park Jisung

✖︎Genre: Fluffffy

✖︎Word Count: 1237

✖︎Synopsis: Tours are hard, but being reunited is all you could ask for

✖︎A/n: edited, the original goes by the name of tour. requests are open for enhypen, treasure, and svt. if you enjoyed this please like, reblog, or donate to my ko-fi in my bio thank you so much

“I miss you.” You held back your laughter at the sight of Jisung puffing out his cheeks in an obvious pout.

“Only two more weeks, then you’ll be back in my arms.”

“That’s boring, why can’t I just teleport there now? Or better yet you teleport here?” Shaking your head at his childishness you couldn’t help but feel the same. There have been more than enough lonely nights to last you for the rest of your days. Nights that were spent looking at all of the various photos and videos that Jisung - tried to-  regularly send you, along with scouring the Dreamies Youtube channel for any videos he forgot to tell you about.

You were more than grateful he was able to experience the tour, especially now that his knee was fully healed, but a miniscule part of you wanted him to be here, wrapped around you like a koala, your favorite habit of his. You’d give anything to be suffocating because of the immense warmth he constantly radiated, your head laying on his chest to listen to his heart beat. The moment when you’d look up at him only to see him already staring back, a sweet smile on his face as he leant down to place a kiss on your temple. Moments you wished you hadn’t taken for granted.

“I miss you more than you know, but I’ve seen all of your performances. You make me so proud everytime I watch them.” A dark blush spread of Jisung’s cheeks. He was weak to compliments. A mumbled ‘he’s on the phone’ was heard before the dressing room dorm burst open, the rest of the Dreamies making an appearance. The boys rushed to the camera, the sound of their screams and greetings making you giggle.

“Don’t think I forgot about you guys, I miss you too.” A mix of Korean and English could be heard, but due to their overexcitement actually understanding was out of the question. Jisung muttered a quick ‘bye’ before the phone beeped, signaling that he hung up. You laughed at his panicked expression before realizing he didn’t end the call with an I love you. Or the next time you’d talk.

Touring makes it hard to schedule things, having an estimated time when you two could talk did help. Giving you something to look forward to between his performances and your school schedule. You had started to get deep into your thoughts when your phone dinged.

Jisungie🐹

I love you ❤️i’ll try and call you tomorrow before practice

A smile spread across your face at his text. Jisung wasn’t forgetful, you don’t even know why you were so worried. Laying back against your pillows you grabbed your stuffed bear, a present Jisung had given you on your 6 month anniversary, hugging it close to your chest, attempting to ignore the empty sensation in your chest that had been steadily growing since he boarded the plane.

Three weeks can’t pass quickly enough.

Stuffing your hands in your pocket you huffed impatiently. You were waiting, just standing there waiting for the aircraft to deplane and the door to open revealing the purple hair boy, for the aching in your chest to finally be alleviated when he held you in his arms for the first time in months.

You felt your breath hitch when the gate doors opened without warning. 6 months, 26 weeks, and 4380 hours without Jisung, he’s finally back. People slowly started to trickle out, and your impatience only grew when none of them were your boys. After what felt like hours - approximately 5 minutes - Mark’s bright blue hair came into view. A mixture of relief and elation rushed through you at the sight of Jisung, his eyes moving rapidly before meeting yours, the same emotions flooding through them.

What you did was stupid, giving the company free ammunition to be mad at you. In your defense NCTzens already knew about your relationship, after 1 year together the company released a statement before Dispatch had the pleasure of creating a scandal. So what if you gave them a few couple pictures to leak.

Jisung met you halfway, his neck pillow laying discarded on the ground, arms wrapping around your waist tightly, as if he was scared you’d leave. That wasn’t a problem, your arms draped over his shoulders, holding him just if not more close. In your brain you could make out the Dreamies cooing over you too, but your attention was mainly on the feeling of your chest finally being full for the first time in 6 months, your other half was back.

You hadn’t realized just how much you missed the feeling of his arms around you, feeling protected in the way he seemed to fully wrap around you. You pulled away only long enough to look up at Jisung, frowning at his watery eyes.

“You’re crying.” Jisung’s hand came to cup your cheek, his thumb brushing away the tear you hadn’t realized you were shedding. Giggling, you buried your face back into Jisung’s chest. You refused to let go.

“Are they really crying? Oh my god we’re gonna be here all day.” You couldn’t see the aftermath of Haechan’s dramatic yelling, but you did hear the soft thud of someone smacking his arm - later you found out it was Renjun due to Haechan's whining about how unfair it was.

“It’s young love, they missed each other let them be.” Jaemin began to scold them, protecting his two babies as he always does.

Come on guys, let’s head to baggage claim. Sooner we get there, sooner we can go home.” Jeno’s voice broke through and you finally pulled away, not before he wrapped around your shoulders, keeping you tightly pressed to his side as you walked.

In a total of 37 minutes all 7 of the boys got their bags - including Haechan’s extra bag for souvenirs - loaded them into the van with the help of their manager, and returned back to the dorms, where you were currently curled into Jisung’s side as the other boys were spread out around the dorm, minus Chenle, Mark, and Haechan who were at their respective residences.

Jisung’s head laid on your chest while your fingers ran through his hair, massaging his scalp and listening to the soft sighs that left his mouth, his own hand playing with the bottom of your shirt, fingers threatening to touch the smooth skin underneath.

“I really missed you” Tilting his head up Jisung looked at, relief still evident in his eyes, “It’s hard being so far away from you, I can’t sleep in those different hotel rooms. Of course I have my members, but it’s not the same as having you beside me.”

“You’re back now, and you can’t act as if the tour was all bad. How was it anyway?”

Jisung recounted the tour days for you, making sure to spare no detail of how they convinced Renjun to reenact his voice crack on the stage during the encore, or when they woke Mark on his birthday by pouring water on him and how Haechan was the one to take all of the blame, or when they all decided to gave themselves temporary tattoos with a sharpie and how the makeup artists lectured them for hours while trying to get rid of the black ink - except for Mark who use blue because it was his favorite color.

Tours are rough on both of you, but being reunited is all you could ever ask for.

#nct #nct drabble #nct imagine #park Jisung #kpop fluff #kpop imagine #kpop drabble #kpop oneshot #park Jisung x reader #park Jisung x you #nct dream #nct haechan #nct jeno #nct mark lee #nct renjun #nct jaemin

[dreamingofmilk]

Anesthesia

Synopsis: You've been assigned to give Thor a check up after his surgery. Who would have thought anesthesia would affect him this way?

Word Count: 1486

Warnings: mild smut

"Y/N you're needed in exam room 200."

You sighed, "There goes my break." You threw away what was left of your lunch and made your way to the second floor of the stark tower, the Avengers private hospital level. 

Once you got there you grabbed the patient chart. Your manager, Kelly, was waiting outside of the room. You raised an eyebrow, "What are we dealing with here?" 

"Patient underwent surgery successfully, but is still feeling the anesthesia. He just needs a routine check." You nodded and glanced through the chart, scanning over the name and a bit of the medical information before your eyes flew back to the name. Thor Odinson was in the hospital?! You were surprised paparazzi weren't busting the door down. 

"Thor?!" You whisper yelled. 

Kelly smirked. "Why do you think I called you? You're the only one I know who won't fangirl around him. The last thing the hospital needs is a sexual harassment charge."

Joke's on you Kelly! Y/N thought. You loved Thor the most of all the Avengers. His looks obviously, but his personality even more. He was goofy and kind, and loyal to a fault. You just didn’t let your interest in him show at work. Hospitals are breeding grounds for gossip, especially amongst the other nurses, so you tried your hardest to keep your name out of anyone's mouth. This would be a dream come true. You get to not only meet your favorite 'celebrity', you get to treat him. Kelly really came through clutch! 

You shook off as much of your nerves as you could. Fan or not, you were going to make sure Thor got the best care possible, from you or anyone else that crosses this threshold. Once you’d gotten your bearings, you knocked softly on the door. All you heard was a grunt, so you opened the door and quickly realized that all of the photos and Youtube videos you’d seen of Thor didn’t do him justice.

The man was absolutely massive! The hospital bed barely contained him. His feet hung off the edge and his arms hung from the sides of the bed. He seemed to be awake, but he wasn’t quite lucid. What drugs could they have possibly used that worked on a fucking god?

You cleared your throat and greeted him. “Hello Mr. Odinson. My name is Nurse Y/N, I’ll be giving you a check to make sure everything went well with the surgery. Is that ok?”

The only answer you received was a grunt, so you moved forward slowly and put on your gloves and equipment. 

“Ok Mr. Odinson, Can you sit up for me please?”

He righted himself before you could reach out to assist him. So he must be somewhat coherent, you thought to yourself. You grabbed your blood pressure cuff and did your best to wrap it around his massive arm. It just barely made it. “There we go. You’re going to feel a bit of pressure on your arm.” 

Thor chuckled, “Which one, the one between my legs? I already feel plenty of pressure there. You’re very pretty you know. Makes things kind of hard for me, shame on you.” His speech was slurred, but you understood every word he said. You couldn’t even stop your eyes from glancing at the area in question, and the bulge there was just as massive as the rest of his body. You shuddered at the thought. How the hell could anybody take that beast?

You didn’t respond to him out loud though. There’s no way you could have a casual conversation about his dick, or the fact that it was getting hard. You'd just pretend you didn't hear him. The blood pressure cuff creaked as it tightened around his arm, no doubt straining to stay intact. You double checked that the velcro was secure and carried on with your examination.

"Blood pressure looks good. Now I need to check your heartbeat."

Thor nodded slightly. And sat up a bit straighter. You moved it to his chest, the sensor looked like a toy compared to his broad chest. His heartbeat started at a normal pace, but it gradually sped up. You were worried something was amiss until he spoke. 

Thor groaned quietly. "You smell so good." He reached out and wrapped his hand around your wrist. Suddenly his face was buried in your neck. It took everything in you not to let out the nastiest moan you had within you. You pulled back slowly as Thor moved his large arms to wrap around your waist. His eyes were glazed, but there was much more awareness there than you thought. 

"Mr. Odinson, I need you to calm down so I can get an accurate heart rate." You gulped. 

His eyes dropped from yours to your lips. You felt your body clench when he bit his bottom lip and slowly brought his eyes back to yours. No one should be able to put that much sex appeal into a look while doped up on anesthesia. This man was dangerous. 

He smiled, "How is any man supposed to be calm around you? I'm sure humans fall at your feet." 

"Definitely not happening." You looked away in embarrassment, a humorless laugh fell from your lips. 

He scoffed, "Then they are weak or stupid. I am neither. I know beauty when I see it."

You were taken aback. You knew you were attractive, but you didn't consider yourself especially beautiful. And the way he said it, so casually, like it was an accepted fact, just made it that much better. 

You couldn't look at his face, you were too flustered, but Thor wasn't having it. He lightly grabbed your chin and pulled your face up until your eyes met. His eyes were so piercing, it felt like they were slicing you open and looking at your bare soul. 

Without breaking eye contact, he leaned forward. There was only an inch of space between you and you could pick out all of the little details in his face. The flecks of green in his eyes, how unfairly long his eyelashes were, how soft his lips looked. 

He grinned, like he knew exactly where your focus was, "Y/N, when I get you alone…" He paused and let out a soft groan while shifting slightly, still quite unbalanced from the anesthesia. "We'll be so good together. I'll make you feel so good. Thunder doesn't only cause pain, sweetheart."

You couldn't fight the shiver that ran through your entire body. Thor was lowkey kinky! You were definitely trying to find out just how deep that kinkiness ran, but you had a job to do. "My only concern is your health Mr. Odinson." There we go, a safe answer.

Thor scoffed, "You forget I'm a god. I can smell you, Y/N. My health isn't your only concern. Don't worry though. As soon as I sleep this off, I'll take care of your other concern. You'll have to keep that uniform on, I quite like it." He grips your scrub clad ass tightly and thoroughly. You let out a soft whimper in response to his groping. 

He groaned as his hands squeezed your ass cheeks, "Have you ever felt every nerve ending in your body go off all at once?"

You moaned from his rough treatment, "No, that's not medically possible."

He tsked and pulled you closer. His hand moved down slightly and his middle finger brushed against your core and he sent a shock that started at your clit and radiated through your entire body. You could feel your toes curl and your scalp tingle. You quickly reached out and grabbed his biceps as your knees gave out. Thank god these rooms were soundproofed. The moan you let out was definitely loud enough to be heard through the hallway.

Your eyes flitted up to his, "What the hell was that?!"

He licked his lips and smiled. You felt your panties dampen. “You'll find out soon. The doctor says I should be released later today once the sedative has worn off. I'll take care of us then.”

Thor presses a soft kiss on your lips, so fleeting you thought you imagined it, until you felt a sharp stimulating zing on your lips. You gasped and pulled back looking at Thor in shock, the lightning blue in his eyes slowly dissipating with a huge smirk on his lips. 

A minute later he was sleeping, snoring without a care in the world. Like he didn't just promise to blow your back out. 

What the hell did you get yourself into?

You weren’t sure, but you made a mental note to ask Kelly for a day off tomorrow. You looked back at the large mass of god in the bed and bit your bottom lip, your body still tingling with remnants of thel electric shocks.  

Better make it two days. 

Taglist:

@aislinnsilver @wawakanda-btch @chaneajoyyy @marvelmaree

#milkfics #milky fics #milk fic #thor x reader #thor #thor fic #avengersfanfic #avengers fanfiction #imagines

[sweetdejun]

coterie: the bluetooth earpiece (1/2)

gang!x1 x fem!reader

synopsis: you’re an ordinary girl, with an ordinary life. but what happens when you catch the gang that is famous for keeping their deeds under the table, in action?

coterie’s masterlist can be found here

pairing: son dongpyo and y/n

a/n: a bit of cursing, so proceed with caution.

you twisted the bluetooth earpiece between your fingers, showing it to the rest of the crowd. and the slightly shorter boy stepped forward, with a nod and a curt grin. “that’s mine,” and seungwoo looks between the both of you before nodding to the boy, “dongpyo, fill her in, then come by my room, I have to give you some stuff. the rest of you can carry on.” seungwoo shot you one last glance before heading back to the hallway you originally came from. the rest of the guys went their separate ways, leaving you alone with dongpyo in the large living room. dongpyo’s attention was brought back to the small device, still in your hand. he walked up closer to you and held out his hand. you were confused, and this caused him to prompt, “my bluetooth?” realizing the situation you were in, your eyebrows shot up and you mumbled an apology and shoved the earpiece into his outstretched hand. “chill out there, buddy.” dongpyo smirks for the first time since you’ve met him (granted, you’ve not known the boy longer than an hour even, but still, he’s got a great smile). “come, you’ve chosen the most fun person on the team, be happy!” he motioned for you to follow him and so you walk up a set of stairs just at the end of one of the many hallways in the x1 mansion. once you reach the top, there’s a door. dongpyo opens the door and moves to the side, “after you,” you thank him quietly and walk in, and are immediately confused. you see all kinds of things in the room: apart from the traditional bed, bathroom and closet, there’s a table with all sorts of knick-knacks on it. a pair of glasses, a comb, a wig, and a few other things, but also a ton of thumbtacks, and a bulletin board sits just on the wall above the table, with tons of things pinned down to it. there’s a small bookshelf with binders, and on the topmost shelf are all sorts of passports. I wonder what he does, you think and you hear him laugh. “can’t you tell yet?” you shake your head, and dongpyo throws his back, snorting. “I’m a con artist, baby. the actor of the gang. think charles ponzi meets the spy kids. what I do around here is simple; whenever seungwoo hyung needs me to find out additional information about someone by going to their residence, I dress up and play the part. he needs me to play a smart college kid, I’ll be the smart college kid. he needs me to be an aspiring chef, I’ll be the aspiring chef. somehow I will find a way to get past security barriers and insert small things in the house, like a small voice bug or a camera. get it?” the only thing that leaves your mouth is, “this is fucking cool.” dongpyo’s eyebrows shot up, “you think so? of course, you do, this is the coolest job in the gang. anyway, as much as I would like to keep talking to you about the greatness that is my job, seungwoo hyung needs me, so I’ll be right back,” and he threw you a peace sign before exiting the room, leaving you standing in the mess. you began to examine dongpyo’s room, this time paying more attention to the details. the first thing your eyes go back to are the things he’s fixated onto his bulletin board. pictures of wealthy looking people, and it seemed that their information (business cards mainly) were also pinned down onto them. he’s crossed off some faces, and put small check marks on the cards, too. there’s some system he follows, and you find it fascinating. 

then, your attention shifts to his bookshelf. on top of it are multiple passports, indicative of their various colors. you pick up the one most familiar to you and check inside. the pages are marked a bit, indicating that he has used this passport multiple times. you look through the other passports and notice that his name and details are different in each of them. what else is expected of a con artist, you think. then, there are small weapons like swiss knives and daggers, mainly. but something catches your eye that you failed to notice before. a photo frame was put down, and its exterior matched the color of the bookshelf. you picked it up and saw the picture it held; a little boy being hugged from behind by a woman, both smiling wide in the picture. they seemed to be at a park or something. “you still in here, y/n?” a voice calls from behind you and you frantically put the photo frame back where it was, your heartbeat accelerating in anxiety. “y-yeah, you have a lot of cool things in here,” you play with your hands, a habit of yours dongpyo would soon be familiar with. you turn back and face him, and he’s holding a sheet of paper and a USB drive in the other hand. “well, I’m glad you are because seungwoo hyung just gave me details on the next mission. I hope you’re good at acting.” you think back to a time in high school where you had to take theatre for your fine arts credit. “I mean, I took theatre in high school? that’s about all I have in terms of experience.” dongpyo snorts, “well, were you any good?” you smile broadly, and tell him that you did a short film for a major grade, it’s recorded and on youtube if he wants to check it out later. you give him the name and information about the video and he says, “I’ll watch this and let you know if you can pull off the mission. if not, I think you may need to choose someone else. if you can’t act, there’s not much you can do for me.” you nod in understanding and let go of a breath you didn’t know you were holding. “alright, well I guess I’ll head over to my room, then. let me know, okay? I don’t wanna waste anyone’s time.” you tell him and you give him a small smile before leaving dongpyo. he finds your short film minutes later, scrolling through youtube for the exact name and publisher. he clicks on it and sits back in his desk chair. in the film, you were a student who liked a guy but kept it a secret, and your best friend ended up stealing him away from you. you also had a fatal illness and the film ultimately resulted in your death. dongpyo was hiccupping as the credits rolled on the screen. he froze and wipes his eyes violently. “ah shit, now what?” he mumbles and goes to wash his face. clearing his throat, he heads towards your room. he knocks and hears your response on the other side. you open the door to reveal a disheveled dongpyo and although you could tell he didn’t want you to notice, you can’t help but grin a little when you see his slightly tear-stained face. “I assume you’ve watched the film already.”

dongpyo goes red at this, and scoffs, “I don’t know why you’d think that, but on an unrelated note, what are you majoring in again?” your face falls a bit, “I was a political science major. until I was dragged here.” dongpyo lets out a sound in shock, “but you were so good! I watched the short film-stop laughing at me- and you were really good! I approve of your acting abilities, and you are now officially my partner in crime! or, well, this mission,” he rubs the back of his head. “so, what do I have to do?” dongpyo asks for permission to enter your room and plops himself onto your bed, sitting cross-legged and you stand in front of him. “well, for starters, how are you with handling fragile equipment? I know for a fact that you’ve never dealt with tiny cameras and stuff but that knowledge is kinda essential for this mission.” you shake your head, “I’ve never. I didn’t even know I would ever be in a situation like this, dongpyo. how would I even imagine how to handle tiny mics or cameras?” dongpyo’s hands go up in defense, “alright, jeez, don’t bite my head off. anywho, that’s not a problem, we have a few weeks till the actual mission so I’ll teach you how to use them. let me tell you about the mission: you know that there are 18 ministries in the korean government. well, the minister of employment and labor has been.. involved with some issues regarding employment in certain areas and basically we have an advantage over them if we succeed this mission because we’ll have proof of their wrongdoings. now the question will arise then: how do we do it? here’s where you come in.” your attention is completely captured now. “you and I need to pretend like we’re a young couple who’ve run away from home in order to stay together forever, you know all that cheesy shit. we’ll persuade him well enough and he’ll have to let us stay. we only need one night. I saw your acting and I think you have the potential, okay? so, you wanna do it?” it takes you a few minutes to process it all, come to a decision and then rethink your decision. your silence tells nothing to dongpyo so he feels himself deflate a little, and gets up. just as he reaches to open your door, your hand comes and grabs his forearm. he turns around, an incredulous look on his face and you breathe out, “I’ll do it.”

#coterie by sweetdejun #coterie #son dongpyo #dongpyo #x1 dongpyo #kpop writing #kpop fluff #x1 #x1 quantum leap #x1 fluff #x1 aus #x1 au #비상: quantum leap #quantum leap au #quantum leap #dongpyo fluff #son dongpyo fluff #sweetdejun #kpop aus #kpop au #kpop series #x1 series

[blueyesandleatherjacket]

Ghost of you, 9/?

Volume: 1.

Number of parts: 9/?.

Pairings: Human!Nine x Rose; Human!Ten x Jack; Clara Oswald x Olivia Baxter (OC).

Synopsis: "Maybe had they done a mistake by giving Maxence a sedative."

A/N: I've started writing this fiction last year after I had a particularly weird dream (as usual) and after I wrote the prologue, I've put it aside to work on other stuff. I've gone back to it not so long ago and decided that it would be the fiction I would post next, after not posting anything for a while. I must have watched I am legend and Game of thrones way too much to come out with something like this but I hope you will like it. I am not a scientist, nor did I have a particular knowledge of sciences. I do my researches on the internet like everyone to make sure everything is as close to the reality as possible. I have a literature degree only. Writing is what I do and it makes me explore next fields, and learn new things.

“It is safer and wiser to cure unhealthy rivalry than to suppress it.” - Obafemi Awolowo.

CHAPTER 9:

Rose was back to her previous spot: in the cage with the shadow of her husband. He was still asleep. The sedative Liv had given him must have been a really strong one or it was just that he needed that sleep. The rats and even Peggy showed no sign of needing sleep. They barely ever lay down and got some rest. They were always going round and round in their cages. Only the sane rats were getting sleep. The infected ones who weren’t showing symptoms were sleeping too. Maybe had they done a mistake by giving Maxence a sedative. She approached the interactive glass wall and checked his vital signs. Another invention from Zachary: inject tiny self-destructive sensors connected to the lab system in the blood of the subject. It was easier than sticking sensors on every inch of skin. Sensors that could be torn off whenever that subject was angry. The negative point of those sensors was that they were less economical because you had to renew them every week. It was already a miracle that they could survive so long in a hostile system and Zachary was doing his best for them to last longer. Anyway, this was a great evolution for their work. It made things a lot easier. Especially since they could see what a nightwalker was able to do. Rose observed the details displayed on the wall. Maxence’s vital signs were different from usual, more human like. Nightwalkers had a very high blood pressure and so their heartbeats were faster than normal. But at this precise moment, Maxence was showing almost normal vital signs. Was it the sedative? Like an after effect or something? She glanced at Maxence. His skin was still translucid with blue tentacles and yet, she could see through this ghostly appearance. Rose opened a video recording software. She was gonna do her new video log here. It wasn’t like she had anyone to talk to. Maxence was just asleep from the drugs and Zachary was himself napping behind the control panels. He had done his job perfectly and could get some rest. No one was gonna report him to Tegan. Just like no one was gonna report Rose because she was being too close of an infected person. They were a family and a family stuck together whenever they were facing a hard time. Sixth day of October 2017. Day 1750 since the infection. Rose Spitz video log. A few hours have barely passed by since the arrival of our first and only living specimen but we’re already working hard to improve and correct our attempts of a cure. It’s too early to have any real result but some differences already show up between humans and animals. If our current patient suffers from the same symptoms the rats and Peggy have, he’s also distinguishing himself by having different reactions. We know for sure that infected people are deprived of all the primary needs: they don’t feel the thirst, the hunger or the need for sleep. That’s what we think at least because that’s what we’ve seen so far but our patient number one shows us another side of this disease. A more human side of it. At 5:33am, he was given a sedative, a normal dose for a normal human since we didn’t know what dose would work on him. He has fallen asleep in a few seconds. His system has recognised the sedative and reacted positively to it. Right now, it’s 6:43am and the patient is still asleep. He almost seemed normal like this, if it wasn’t for the translucent skin and blue tentacles. His system is also reacting to the sedative, calming down his vital signs. 72 beats every minute, blood pressure at 130/85mmHg, PaO2 at 78mmHg and pulse ox at 92 percent. Still out of the normal rates but close enough. The sedative forced the system to a more human pace. The patient hasn’t woken up yet. We may have another hour before he does. Unless it goes wrong. Rose swallowed and shut the video recording. She sent the file to her computer and shut the interactive screen. She pressed her forehead against the cold glass. It was hard to speak of her husband that way but it was her job and she had to do it, to tell all the small details that could lead them to that cure. She didn’t have any idea of where they were going at the moment. She just had the feeling of going nowhere, of losing everything, and she hated this. She hated feeling so powerless while everyone around her was falling. She didn’t even have her job to keep her mind distracted because her job reminded her of Maxence, of all the time he had spoken to her about sciences, about all the things he had taught her, about all the moments they had had together until now. She turned around and looked at the sleeping form of her formerly husband. She imagined him outside of this cage, outside of this lab. She imagined him in their bed, at home. He wouldn’t wear these awful grey pyjamas. Instead, he would be in his boxers, or even naked. She had photographed him many times while he was asleep and completely unaware. The pictures did justice to him only when he wasn’t posing for them. Her fingers would brush over his naked skin and he would smile as his body would cover in gooseflesh. His voice would be husky from the sleep he would wake up from slowly. He would wrap his arms around her and press his lips to hers. And he would make love to her softly. A repetitive beeping interrupted her daydreaming and she quickly wiped the single tear rolling on her cheek. Well, tried too. Her hand met with the plastic of her suit protecting her from the virus. How she wanted to rip it away! But she wasn’t Maxence, she wouldn’t accept being a science subject. It meant they would have to kill her or throw her out of this place. And she wouldn’t bear being away from Maxence even if she was losing herself to the noctiagus. His love for her was stronger than his love for science. She was convinced that it was that love he had for her that forced him back here to serve as a science subject. He had wanted to stay by her side, he had known she would take care of him and his first reactions to her presence had made her certain of it. She looked at the wall. The beeping wasn’t coming from it. She had shut the interactive functions. She glanced around her. Nothing was susceptible of making that beeping sound in there and she couldn’t hear sounds from the outside as long as the intercom was off. Then, she realised that it came from her jeans pocket. Her phone was beeping. Probably out of battery. It would shut off soon enough and she would have to charge it to have access to her pictures with Maxence. This sudden thought gave her an idea. She reactivated the interactive wall and logged in her personal cloud. She picked some of the best pictures she had of Maxence and herself, of him and his friends, of him and his colleagues. Once she had all the pictures she needed, no more than ten, she logged out of her cloud. When Maxence would be awake, she would try something with him. She shut the interactive wall again and walked to her husband. His vital signs were almost normal, human. She delicately lifted one of his eyelids. His eyes were as black as when he had arrived here but she could see a pale blue circle in the middle. The ghost of the blue eyes she couldn’t see before. Did it mean that the true Maxence was coming back to her? She could only hope for it. Her hand softly stroked his hairy cheek. He hadn’t shaved in a while. It didn’t bother her. She liked when he was a bit hairy. It was making him sexier. He always laughed whenever she said it. He was refusing to think of himself as handsome. Gargoyle was the word he used. Rose jumped when he suddenly opened his eyes and stared at her with those black frightening eyes. The blue ring was still there. He blinked a couple times, something she had seen him do more than once since he was a nightwalker. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to check his sight. No one had thought of it so far. She stayed still and observed him. He raised a hand and placed it over hers on his cheek. A smile crossed his lips and he tried to speak. A reflex he was supposed to have lost. Nothing came out of his throat but Rose could see the word. Her name. It was her name. “Yes, my love. I’m here.” She gave him a kind reassuring smile but she could see his fear of facing his wife in a cosmonaut suit. He could not even touch her or kiss her. That was frustrating him. He tried to speak again but words remained stuck. He choked on them. “Shh, it’s okay. You can’t speak, honey. Your brain doesn’t know what it is anymore.” But the fact he could think of precise words was a good thing. It meant part of his brain was still working and thinking quite clearly. She had to write it down in her report. “You’re home. In the lab. We’re taking great care of you.” Maxence sat up slowly. He wished Rose wasn’t wearing this suit. He wanted to touch her. He was dying to touch her. But he couldn’t. He didn’t want to contaminate her and force her to live in one of those cages. He scratched his neck and his fingers met the bandage covering the bite. He frowned. Rose took his hand in hers. “Do you remember how it happened?” It was a bit blurry at first, but the memories came back to him. The mission outside, the kid, the bite, Allegro dragging him away from the nightwalkers, being locked in a bunker, and the crate. Allegro had put him in the crate and brought him back here. He acquiesced. “You’re healing well. The wound wasn’t pretty but it’s better now. I’ll change the bandage later.” The memories were haunting his mind now and it was making him nervous. Rose could feel it. Her hand found his face again and forced him to look up at her. The light circle of blue was already fading away and it saddened her. She was about to hug him, to comfort him, when she saw movements in the cage next to Maxence’s. It had been activated and Zachary was checking all the settings to be sure it was okay to welcome another infected person. Rose walked to the intercom. “Zach? What is going on?” “Liv has Allegro’s results. He’s infected. No symptoms on him. But the virus is in him.” “Damn it.” On the bed, Maxence had grabbed his head in his hands. That was entirely his fault if Allegro was infected, if Xavier was dead. For a nightwalker, he was experiencing a lot of feelings. This part of his brain was supposed to shut down with the virus. Was it because he was struggling not to lose his humanity? “T is working on the scans you’ve made. He wants you to go and work on the samples you have. Adam is already done with the blood.” Rose was ignoring Zachary. She was too focused on her husband. She walked back to him. He was too anxious. Definitely something that only Maxence, the real Maxence, could do. She cupped his cheeks. “Look at me. Maxence, look at me. This is not your fault. Alright? You were given that order. It was his fault. He threw you on the lion’s den and I promise you we’ll find that cure and save you and Allegro. And then, we’ll kick their fucking asses. They have to pay for this. They will pay for this.” Maxence blinked. The blue rings were gone. He was gone. “I love you, Maxence. I’ll never let you down.” He tilted his head. He had understood what she was saying to him but he couldn’t answer to her, or feel something. His feelings were gone and he wanted them back. He wanted to feel what love was, what loving someone and being loved by this special someone felt like. And what did it mean, be strong? He watched her leave the cage. He could still see her – well, her silhouette – as she made her way to the other cage. He got up and went to the wall his cage shared with the other one. He saw three persons coming in. They put down the crate and opened it. Allegro was a much better patient than Maxence but they were different patients. The virus was acting differently on them but unfortunately, it was turning them into study objects. Rose didn’t stay with them for too long. Liv could perfectly handle the situation with Mickey and Kyle. She walked to Tegan’s office. The man was working on the scans. Markers were scattered all over his desk and the scans were full of notes. Rose knocked on the door. Tegan started and turned to face the door. When he saw her, he came to open the door. She stepped on and the door was closed behind her. “I guess you haven’t started working on the samples.” His tone was lightly blaming her for not working on their cure when it was getting more urgent than ever. “He needed me.” “He needs the cure.” “Speaking of this…” “You’ve found something?” “It’s more an observation that I’ve made by being around him. That sedative we gave him had some interesting side effects. I’ve recorded some of them on my video log but you might hear it now.” “Go on.” “The sedative makes him more human. His system is coming back to normal when he’s asleep. Heartbeats, breathing, blood pressure were back to the latest results we have from his medical visit. I’ve also noticed that his iris was visible in the black.” “Anything else?” “He tried to speak to me, and he was struggling against his feelings. Guilt, fear, confusion. It disappeared when the sedative stopped having an effect on him.” “Hm.” Tegan turned back to his scans and Rose raised an eyebrow. She was angry that he was ignoring her and considering these remarks as her undying hope to see something human in Maxence. She had seen it and it was on the video recording of the day. It wasn’t her imagination. It was real. “Come here.” He was bent over the scans once again and he made her a sign to come closer when she didn’t react. He wanted to show her something. She stepped closer and looked at all the scans, deciphering some of the writing on them. “Do you see it?” The difference between the three scans? She sure was seeing it for how clear it was. The first one was marked with a “before infection” note. It was Maxence’s results from the last checkup that had been made in him. The second was wearing the inscription “after infection – before the sedative”. The scan wasn’t one of the best since Maxence kept moving but it was clear enough to see that the brain wasn’t working like it should. On the third one – “after infection – after the sedative” – it was a mix between the two first ones. The areas controlling dreams and feelings were active when they were totally off when Maxence was awake. “The nigtwalkers are deprived from the primary needs that make us human: sleep, hunger, thirst, feelings. But if you force their system into one of those needs, like sleep, it appears that they can come back to their normal self. You’re not the only one to have noticed it, Rose.” “But it’s only temporary. Once the effects of the sedative wear off, he was that… he wasn’t himself anymore.” “Yes, but it’s another clue given to us. We just have to work on that new lead. Write your report and send it to me. I’ll transfer it to Martha with my own conclusions.” “Alright.” “And do your job before going back to him.” “Yes.” Tegan had made it sound like a suggestion but Rose was taking it as an order. After all, he was the boss now and she was just his second in command. And he was right, Maxence needed the cure more than he needed her. She was the one who needed him around, just to know that he was still there somehow. On that thought, she went to her lab to work on the samples she had taken from Maxence earlier.

x

Colin had managed to get his hands on Maxence’s blood. He had knocked Adam out for that one purpose. It had also been to give that little prat a little lesson he wouldn’t forget so easily. While he was counting the stars above his head, Colin had opened the cold room and had stolen some of the blood that was kept there. Only two tubs so no one would suspect anything. It wasn’t much to work with but it would do for now. Until Adam gave in and became his spy. He was working with precaution not to lose any drop of blood. It wasn’t easy to work with so little but he was still managing to get better results than that team of losers. They were gonna regret their decision to have put him aside when he would have found the solution. CBC with Differential/Platelet White blood cells: 12,8/ul. 4,0 – 10,5. Red blood cells: 4,5/ul. 4,10 – 5,60. Haemoglobin: 12,5/g/dL. 12,5 – 17,0. Haematocrit: 40%. 36,0 – 50. MCV: 84fL. 80 – 98. MCH: 27,2pg. 27,0 – 34,0. MCHC: 32,9g/dL. 32,0 – 36,0. RDW: 12%. 11,7 – 15,0. Platelets: 260/uL. 140 – 415. Neutrophils: 65%. 40 – 74. Lymphs: 46%. 14 – 46. Monocytes: 5%. 4 – 13. Eos: 3%. 0 – 7. Basos: 1%. 0 – 3. Neutrophils (Absolute): 7/uL. 1,8 – 7,8. Lymphs (Absolute): 4/uL. 0,7 – 4,5. Monocytes (Absolute): 0,4/uL 0,1 – 1,0. Eos (Absolute): 0,3/uL. 0,0 – 0,4. Baso (Absolute): 0,2/uL. 0,0 – 0,2. Immature Granulocytes: 0,5%. 0 – 1. Immature Gran (Abs): 0,1/uL. 0,0 – 0,1. Colin read the results of the test he had just done on Maxence’s blood. A simple complete blood formula to see where the troubles were. The results seemed pretty normal to him despite the current condition of the man. His body was fighting an infection which wasn’t surprising and it was trying to heal the bite and burns while fighting the virus. His immune system was overwhelmed with work and the fact that he wasn’t eating or sleeping wasn’t helping it to be stronger. So Maxence was suffering from a certain anaemia. Adam had noticed the presence of leukocytes in his own notes and he hadn’t made a conclusion of that, but Colin did. Those leukocytes, it meant the fool was fighting the virus as if he had any chance to heal himself with just his will. Something was forcing him to fight, to come back to his real self. His wife obviously. How cliché of him. For a friend of Maxence, these results would be alarming. If the man kept struggling against the virus, he would kill himself. His own body would work against him and slowly kill him. Good thing he was in a bubble completely sterile. His system could only fight one virus at a time and the noctiagus was the top priority. If he was to catch even a simple cold, he would suffer from it longer than normal. Or he would die from this. The two options were quite nice for Colin. He had stopped being Maxence’s friend a long time ago. They used to be rivals but Maxence getting it all had caused Colin to get envious and jealous and that was why they were the best enemies now. The world would be boring without an adversary as clever as Maxence. That was why Colin was working on this cure instead of watching everything happen. He would be the saviour for once. He was doing the work of many men and women all alone but he didn’t mind. He preferred working alone. Everyone was thinking he was a sociopath because of it, and because he liked seeing the others around him in pain. He wasn’t refuting those rumours. He liked hearing them here and now whenever he was walking in a corridor. He would rather be feared than loved. All the contrary of that good old Maxence. Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven once wrote Milton and Colin had made this quote his motto. The world was hell and he was forming his realm slowly. The first step was this: healing Maxence Spitz and showing him who was the best of them both. Colin considered himself as the best. After all, he wouldn’t have had the bad idea of getting infected and giving his body to sciences. He wasn’t so idiot, nor generous. He put a drop of blood on a small glass plate and sealed it. Then, he placed it under his microscope. The usual cells appeared under his eyes when he looked through the magnifying glass. He changed the settings of his work utensil to have a better sight on that unusual behaviour the cells were having. He found the usual lymphocytes – a great lot of them – monocytes, eosinophils, basophils, neutrophils and platelets. He also found the virus, a spiky ball of green and violet attacking the other cells and eating them. No mercy in there. The lymphocytes were producing antibodies to fight but the noctiagus was stronger than Maxence’s blood cells. It was winning and leaving bodies in its wake. This thing was worse than any existing cancer and Colin was fascinated by it. Whoever or whatever had created it was a real genius. He wished he was that genius. He put the small glass plate away and wrote some more notes on the cells behaviour. He had an idea of how he was gonna process to mix another cure. He wrote down the formula he had mixed previously for Rose and Clara. He grabbed another pen of another colour and corrected what was wrong in it. He replaced those false data with the ones he was deducing from his observations. It didn’t take him long before he could find a new formula that was more elaborate and more precise than the former one. Creating it was the hardest part. He took his time. He didn’t fear to be double-crossed by Tegan’s team. They were all a bunch of losers. Jack only thought about having sex with the whole building, Rose was too devastated by the loss of her husband to be efficient, Martha was far behind him, Tegan… Tegan was just a weak idiot who had been given power. And that power would destroy him. His new cure was done. The day had gone by very quickly and it was night again. He hadn’t slept in more than two days and yet, he was still good at what he was doing. He filled a small vial with a dark green fluid and put a cork on it. He made sure that it was well-sealed and stuck a label on it. He didn’t write the formula, just the number of the cure: #344. Then, he slipped it in his pocket and put away his notes. No one needed to know what he was doing in there. He left his lab when he was done. Now that his cure was done, he had to find a way to make sure it would be given to the idiot Maxence was. He went to the dormitories. He knew he would find Adam there. Liv must have examined him and sent him to rest. He couldn’t work with the headache he supposedly had now. But he could pretend he needed to see Maxence for a test. “I said I didn’t want to be a part of your plans.” Colin smirked and turned around. He hadn’t even had to go to the room Adam was sharing with his colleagues to find him. The young man came out of the small kitchen they had while Colin was walking down the corridor. He turned around. Except for them, the corridor was empty. “You also said you wanted to be the best.” “What is that supposed to mean?” “We both know you have no chance of finding a cure to this virus, pretty boy. You might be clever and manipulative, you don’t have the right knowledge to mix something as intricate as this cure.” He put his hand to his pocket and pulled out the vial he showed to Adam. “I do.” “How did you…” “It doesn’t matter. I’ve mixed a new cure and you’re the only one to know.” “Well, great for you. But you can’t get any close to Maxence.” “But you do.” “I won’t do that.” “And if that’s the right cure, Adam? You would leave your boss into the claws of death?” Adam hesitated. He was nervously picking at his fingers, thinking about he best way to do things. Colin was right: he couldn’t mix a cure on his own but Colin definitely could and he was real good at it. If the vial he had in hand was the solution to that virus and Adam refused to test it then, he was condemning Maxence. As ambitious as he was, Adam didn’t want anyone to die. So he had to give in and accept that cure. Colin was winning again. “What do you want?” “A copy of everything they will send to you. All the results of all the tests. I can’t have access to it but you do. I need them to do a better work. If the one I’ve done here isn’t good enough.” Colin lightly shook the vial and the dark green colour caught Adam’s eyes. He had no choice: he accepted and Colin gave him the new cure. Now, Adam had to find a way to give it to Maxence. Knowing the man wasn’t trusting anyone anymore, it wouldn’t be an easy task…

To be continued...

Ghost of you © | 2017 - 2018 | Tous droits réservés.

×××

In the next chapter:

Jack was highlighting the most important data from the results given by Tegan. He was remarking the same details that Colin had noted earlier – details he wouldn’t share – and came to the same conclusions. He was alarmed by the risks there were for Maxence to die from the virus so he sent a message to Liv and Zach for them to keep a closer eye on him and be sure he wouldn’t get in any trouble, more than he already was. This done, he worked on the DNA data he had gathered. Maxence’s results were similar to Peggy’s but his genetic code was presenting some interesting particularities that needed to be studied to find the reason why it was so different.

×××

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[kittenfemme27]

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires

I don’t know about you, reader, but it’s been actual years since I was able to properly sit down and finish a book. My last one was Lovecraft Country in 2018, and many, many years before that. Reading used to be a big passion of mine, I loved to get lost in the worlds. I loved the movie that played out in my head as I read, as if it was projecting itself into my mind more-so than i was actually reading the words themselves. For a kid who didn’t always grow up with the internet or video games available, Books from my local library were a great escape.

So, having found myself getting more and more into horror around 2019 in all forms of media I consumed, I was more than happy to bookmark a tweet from a horror artist I follow on Twitter who had a list of all the horror books he’d read that year. This would be my chance to get back into reading, finally!

Cue.. 2 years later, and I’ve finally started on that list. The top of that list, “The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires“, was something I found immediately intriguing from the title and cover alone. I’m now regretting that decision so much that I’m not sure I’ll bother with the rest of the list.

(CW: R*pe, Gore, Racism)

“The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires” is an awful book. The only compliment I feel I could accurately give it is that it’s not written incompetently enough, from a purely technical standpoint, as to be unreadable.

The story stars Patricia Campbell, a housewife in the 1980′s-1990′s that is more apology than character, and her rag-tag group of similarly middle-aged, middle-income southern white wine sipping housewives who do, and I cannot stress this enough, almost nothing but test each other’s and the readers patience for nigh on 310 out of 357 pages. They bicker, they fight, they treat Patricia as crazy when she repeatedly shows them evidence that children around them are dying, and most of all they refuse to do absolutely anything, leaning more into pure disbelief until the problem has literally violated one of them. The book club women don’t lead interesting lives, either. They’ve got husbands who are not in love with them, children who hate them, and friendships with each other that can be broken by what feels tantamount to bringing the wrong wine to a meeting. Throughout the story, Patricia is accosted by the resident Vampire-like creature, more akin to a human mosquito than any sort of real “Vampire”, that moves in after his aunt dies. A man named James Harris. He smoothly worms his way into everyone’s lives in the charismatic way a vampire does and convinces everyone that Patricia is more or less insane for ever suspecting him of being a vampire after she watches him feed on a child. This leads to her attempting suicide after being pushed into a corner by her doctor husband who seems to have been ripped straight from the 1950′s and thinks women should be Seen and not Heard. She gives up and more or less goes comatose as a character for roughly 3 years until finally she snaps to her senses after seeing a ghost of her dead mother in law who knew the Vampire when she was a small child, who leads her to one of the bodies he’s got stored in his attic, and convinces everyone else in her book club, who has routine abandoned her at this point, to help her kill James. They do, chopping his body to bits while it taunts them and then throwing the bits into a fire. Patricia divorces her husband at the end and somehow that makes her children lover her, happy-ever-after ending.

That’s the rough synopsis, but it doesn’t really do the grossness of this book any justice. That first child James kills, is a black 9 year old named Destiny who later kills herself as it’s revealed that the Vampire-like creature’s bites feel so good and so sexually pleasurable, that if you are deprived of them after becoming addicted you’re likely to just commit suicide. This is AFTER she’s taken away from her mother by child services because they assume the bite marks are syringe injection marks and that her mother must be a druggie. She’s not the first black child to die this way either. In-fact, by the time Patricia becomes wise to James’ ways, she’s the third. They’re all from a poor black neighborhood that is literally described as shady, dangerous, and being full of “Super Predators” called Six-Mile, which is the de-facto feeding ground of the Vampire for a good 75% of the book, as well as the home of the literally only surviving named black character, Ursula Greene, who herself is nothing more than a “wise old negro” trope along with being a maid to these rich white people who think of her as trash. This is probably the biggest overarching problem in the book. It tries, in the authors words, to explore the relationships between the white, rich women who brag about how their cul-de-sac is so safe and pure that nobody even locks their door, and the poor black characters from Six-Mile. The book thinks its clever, because Mrs. Green constantly points out that the white characters let the black children die callously so that their white children would live, to which they can only reply about how guilty that makes them feel and how they’re sorry. I’m not sure what the author hoped to accomplish by pointing out the institutional racism of the 90′s, but whatever he hoped to accomplish, it fail flat on its face in the most racist way it could.

I wish that was where gross things ended for this book, but its not. At one point, the Vampire-like creature rapes one of the book club members and she is more or less outright stated to be pregnant with a monster from that rape and it is also revealed that the rape gave her an “Auto-Immune Disease” that the characters husband immediately likens to AIDS and that is very quickly killing her. This information causes her to choose to have her body cremated so nothing can spring forth from her corpse when she dies. The implications this has are frankly appalling. The books decision on whether or not a woman who gets pregnant from rape is worthy of life is to resolutely and proudly say no and treat that as if its a feminist answer. That if you’re raped, it’s akin to something like AIDS and life simply isn’t worth living. it’s one of the grossest things I’ve read in a long time.

It’s not even the only shock value the book uses to make it’s events feel real and scary, others include Patricia’s son “Blue” being obsessed with Nazi’s, for genuinely seemingly no reason. He just brings them up to make you, and everyone in the story, uncomfortable. There are constant overwrought descriptions of gore or simply gross scenarios, such as an indepth description of Patricia’s ear-lobe being ripped off, or rats gnawing the flesh off on a old woman, or a cockroach crawling inside someones ear. There is also the repeated child murder or child suicide, which doesn’t really serve a purpose other than to shock the middle-aged mothers this book was meant for, with multiple sentences in which Patricia thinks about how much it would hurt if that were her children, inviting the reader to do the same with their own.

And we couldn’t forget that this book is just unrepentant in its horniness. It’s outright stated that being fed on is the most sexually pleasurable thing one can feel, which makes it all the more awkward when you consider that the Vampire’s first set of victims are children, later Patricia’s teenage daughter who she walks in on in the middle of being fed and who she has to stop from literally masturbating in that moment while attempting to punch the Vampire off of that same teenage daughter. But, of course, it doesn’t end there. It’s a book about almost entirely women written by a Cis Male Author, which means there are constant depiction of female bodies in the nude or in violence. It’s no “She boobed boobily”, thankfully, but it’s not much better than that. Describing pubic hair, breast shape, and even making it so that the Vampire-like creature drinks from a penis-esque proboscis that extends from it’s throat and right into the upper thigh of it’s victim, which is mentioned twice to be right next to the vagina. It even goes so far as to try and sexualize its own rape, aswell as having Patricia tell the rape victim how good it feels with this section between the two. Something I’m including here in its entirety because no amount of words I can write describes how gross this passage is, in context.

   “Grace already... told me,” Slick said, opening her eyes, pulling her mask away from her face to speak. “I made her... give me all the details.”

   “Me too,” Patricia said. “I was out from what he did to me.”

   “How did... it feel?” Slick asked.

   Patricia would never have said this to anyone but Slick. She leaned forward.

   “It felt so good,” she breathed, the immediately remembered what he’d done to Slick and felt selfish and insensitive.

   “Most sin does,” Slick said.

I think the thing that angers me the most about this book is that it’s tricked a lot of people who read it into thinking its a fun, feminist read. All of the main characters are overworked mothers who struggle with being that overworked, and then come out on top anyway because of their motherly intuition and love for their kids. It’s the kind of book that a single struggling mother would read and think “Yeah, I’d do that, that’d be me! I’d save the day!” and it makes them feel good about themselves, and about being a mother, and about how hard it is to make the kids lunches and clean the husbands dirty underwear and make sure the house is clean and dinner is on the table by 6 PM all while looking hashtag fabulous and like a girlboss. A quick trawl through any review site will show roughly the exact type of single mothers this book is written for giving it 5 stars and calling it hilarious and empowering. And y’know, I don’t have a problem inherently with prose written for that demographic. But this book gets away with a ton of racism, sexism, and outright disgusting content by hiding itself under that veneer and I think that’s just awful. It should be held to scrutiny for what it is, for how bad it is, and it clearly never was.

Don’t read this book. It sucks. It sucks so fucking much. I want my night I spent reading it back.

[gogularaajan]

VIRUS MAIRUS

7 mins 40 seconds directed by Gogularaajan written by Shanjhey Kumar Perumal and Gogularaajan dop by Kumanavannan

Short Synopsis : 

When Neelakandan needs a drink, he will get it no matter what. The short film follows his struggle of trying to score some alcohol amidst the MCO in Malaysia due to the recent outbreak of the Covid-19 virus.

PROCESS :

1. THE BIRTH

We were hunting ideas for the #KumanPicturesChallenge and on 30th March 2020, Shanjhey came up with an idea in our “Sarang Naga” Whatsapp group. He showed us a picture and asked us to guess what the story would be. 

Picture 1 : Whatsapp conversation of Shanjhey, Palani and Gogu.

It’s a story about an alcoholic middle-aged man and his fearful, impulsive journey in search of alcohol, leading him to lose his mind and resort to drinking Dettol. Once we have this, Shanjhey did efficient writing that contains all the important details and structure of the story. This served as a strong base for us to write the screenplay..

Picture 2 : Draft written by Shanjhey. I went on with my ugly scribblings on it.

2. THE WRITING

At first, though I liked the idea, I could not connect myself to the story, it took some time for me to finally personalize this idea. A lot of questions hunted my mind: is it necessary to celebrate the life of an alcoholic? what is the urgency? how well do I know this man? will this be a representation?

My energy was almost drained of all these questions, and at the right time, my friend Shoban (a director himself) came to rescue. Shanjhey shared with him our idea, and Shoban instantly loved it. Shoban stressed that this is a story that should be told. That’s when we realized, that the story has its own spark and purpose, and we shall give it a shot. His words started my engine back.

#Philosophy : I tried to make sense of the story. And also draw its relation to suit the Challenge’s criteria which is horror :

what is horror? it might differ from person to person. but to me, it is basically fear. and fear is not just limited to ghosts or supernatural elements. Fear is broad and has many ways to manifest itself. In real life, there are much worse horrors happening, day to day. this story is also such horror, which is way too common in Malaysian Indian's lives. a man who is willing to do whatever to get his bottle of beer might sound too absurd and unreal to some, but it is, in fact, a very common reality for Malaysian Indians. This is in our blood, ingrained, customized for years. This is how we have been enslaved for years by different powers. when we were in the plantations, they gave us alcohol to calm us down and stray us from our real problems. a quick fix that can melt down our need to revolt or claim our rights. and this condition still persists until today, just that it has taken different forms.

this is my fear reflecting on the society, and also the character (Neelakandan’s) fear of not being able to control his spiking impulsive desire.  i think the most horrific thing that can happen to oneself is when one loses control of himself, or worst when something is taking control of his consciousness. 

I also intentionally wanted to stay outside, at the commentary viewpoint, and not indulge. I wanted a comical portrayal of this story. The story itself carried a very absurd, comical value so I didn't want to mess with it. This allowed me to create displaced emotions, where horror which exists in reality, feels humor.

most importantly, i never wanted to have a moralistic comment/statement. i just want to present the characters and events. i tried my best not to judge the character, Neelakandan. I treated him with compassion.

Picture 3 : Deriving key points of the story to serve as a direction.

After soaking my mind in this idea for about a week, I finally sat to do the screenplay. In fact, I started it quite late, so we didn’t have much time to do many drafts. Initially, Mr.Shanjhey envisioned the movie to be around 2-3 minutes long in duration, but as I was writing, I thought that it will be interesting to follow the character through few more events that can push him to decide for himself. To be honest, the writing was simplistic, I intentionally left some spaces for improvisation during the shoot.

This is the link to our final script used during our shoot : https://issuu.com/gogularaajanrajendran/docs/jpg2pdf

3. THE PRODUCTION

There are no actors. It came down to me to act, damn, I am really a lousy actor. So we tried to ask my dad if he could play this role as he fits the look quite well, better than me. I thought he is never going to accept it because he is quite an important figure in the Malaysian Tamil Literature scene and he has an image to protect. But to my surprise, he said Yes without thinking much.

Picture 4 : First look test.

For the DOP, I asked my brother, Kuma to take care of it. This was his first time, but I have nothing to complain, his work was neat. So it happened to be quite a comfortable team to work with.

Since I'm dealing with a non-actor, I've used certain methods to drive the character into the actor. On the first day of the shoot, Dad and myself sat in my darkroom. I guided him to breath, in and out, as he settles down into a relaxed state, I brought Neelakandan to him, we asked the character’s permission and seek for his help in filming. I love to do this kind of rituals, it really builds our faith in the story and character. It also gives a certain sacred vibe. I love its purity.

Apart from meditation, I used another important technique which is breathing. I have identified precisely, the breathing pattern that the character goes through in each scene and action, and through guiding the actor with the same breathing pattern, it enables him to realize the character from a deeper reality. 

Picture 5 : Im pouring F&N Zappel to the glass faking it as Dettol.

Another thing that I’ve done to get decent acting is, we shot this short film really slowly, one scene per day. Really comfortably, because I didn't want to exhaust my dad. We would shoot 3-4 hours per day for 5 days continuously. And by the end of each day, I would edit the footage.

One very valuable lesson that I have acquired is that it doesn't matter if your actor is a good performer or not, if he is attentive and has surrendered himself to the craft, you can mine the talent.  My dad is, in fact, a non-alcoholic (anti-alcoholic even). My grandfather was an alcoholic himself and my dad has witnessed how alcohol can ruin a man’s life. Fortunately, my dad has observed how a true alcoholic would behave and think, close enough. I requested him to draw inspirations from there, and channel it through the way he behaves, looks, and walks. I also collected some interesting videos from the internet (testimonies of alcoholics in India) and let him indulge in the way they exist. 

3. THE POST

Editing this movie was fairly easy, I had a strong vision of its rhythm and flow. The only scene I had quite some trouble was the one in the lift. I almost gave up, I even questioned myself, why am I even doing this. I again, realized that I’m not a gifted editor, editing really drains my soul. But the reality is, every editing project (no matter how simple it is) will push you into a deep dark realm. It is a terrible place to be in, but then, it is just the process. If we keep on, we will survive.

Picture 6 : Final Timeline of the movie.

I did the editing in quite a rush. I suppose to collaborate with my friend Neroshen on the sound design, but I didn't have the time to send the files over. I end up making the sound myself with my limited resources. The first draft of this film was about 9 minutes, where I intentionally made the last sequence of Neelakandan drinking Dettol longer. I had him to light the candle, kissing the bottle, and glass. It was like a grand celebration after a tiring journey. However, we had to take it out since it was affecting the runtime. In the beginning, I was reluctant to cut it off, but Mr.Shanjhey made me realize that it is better off. In fact the mood was not affected in the end.

Time's running out for submission. Laavanya (sister) and Senthu helped me with the subtitles in the very last minute. Very grateful that we could submit the movie for the competition, I thought that we wont make it.

AFTER THOUGHTS :

Mr.Shanjhey and myself, we are really glad that we took part in this challenge (felt more like a festival! 200+ films submitted!). We don’t really celebrate films enough in Malaysia, and I love Kuman Pictures for that, they really make it a point to celebrate films. This motivates us to practice filmmaking more, because that’s the only way to mastery.

After the selection week, we got to know that our film is shortlisted. Woohoo!

Link to playlist of shortlisted films :  https://www.youtube.com/playlist…

We shared the movie with friends and families and received warm comments. One of the responses that really touches me is from the Five Flavours Film Festival (Poland) when they made a write up about our short film, and shares how they too, feel connected with the character and story, though they are miles away.

Link to the write up : https://www.piecsmakow.pl/aktualnosc.do?id=430&fbclid=IwAR2F1BfMG0W6l8MZ4tTfprfU8zf4RG8EzCGCttP0gQgwI-5scpDjktXVwAU

One weird coincident that hit us, weeks after the making this shortfilm is Donald Trump’s statement on ingesting Dettol to kill the virus. Art becomes life, there you go. Neelakandan is validated by Trump.

And on the 28th of April, Kuman announced that our short film has been selected as the winner for the challenge.

Some lovely articles and responses for shortfilm from online media : 

1. Trootz made a detailed write-up :

https://trootz.wordpress.com/2020/04/30/virus-mairus-no-virus-can-stop-a-man-seeking-gratification/

2. FatBidin Film Club reacted to the movie :

https://youtu.be/FYarPgjRerE

3.  OhSnap Tv made a cool coverage on their website :

https://www.ohsnap.tv/2020/04/30/spotlight-gogularaajan/

4. CinemaOnline made a write-up :

 http://www.cinema.com.my/bm/articles/news_details.aspx?search=2020.n_virusmairusdiangkat_54619&fbclid=IwAR0STOOLByd7K7o5xUUp3NHd3lSINioJ0xbab-QUYY42xZe2mwJzrr2SBvA

5. Thoughts on Films wrote an impressive review : 

https://thoughtsonfilms.com/2020/05/09/virus-mairus-review/

[nightingveilxo]

“Hypnosis”, Reflections, Projections, and Circles That Seem Like Time Loops in Sherlock

First, The Basics : Watch this video about the film Stay. The rest of this won’t make sense, if you don’t, and it’s a really good synopsis of what happened in S4 of Sherlock.

Second: Setlock S4 Circles and Reflections from Arwel ( x ) Yes, he bought a sphere like the ones in Sam’s office in Stay.

Third: Know that this works with EMP, drugs, staging of events, and/or editing of footage.

ASiP 221B did not have a mirror yet, at least not on the wall. It’s behind John’s chair, and will be important at the end of this.

TBB A great deal of this episode takes place outside 221B, but it’s the episode where Sherlock instructs John that he needs to maximize his visual memory. It was possibly a bit of a hint to fans that keeping up with many details was going to be crucial. It’s also the first time we see Sherlock expanding beyond the wall over the sofa to deal with a case, and he blocks out the mirror. This information explosion takes on new life once we get to TLD.

TGG The 221B mirror is looking a little cloudy, and the rest of the apartment is in various states of shambles after the explosion. The round lamp by the sofe is fine though. There are the round glasses on the table, which Billy will later end up wearing.

ASiB Sherlock’s bedroom, after Irene has injected him. Look what is one the top of the chest. A brightly lit mirror, large, circular, but curiously angled to show the area around the bedside table lamp and the headboard.

THoB I covered Baskerville in another meta that is linked below, but suffice to say the major circular object that is lit up, happens when John is drugged.

TRF Derren Brown hypnotizing John in TEH, when Sherlock explains to Anderson how he staged his own death during TRF.

SHERLOCK (over phone): It’s a trick. Just a magic trick. JOHN (into phone): All right, stop it now. SHERLOCK: No, stay exactly where you are. Don’t move. (On the far side of the station, the team is carrying the airbag forward with blowers still attached to it as it continues to inflate. John’s attention is fully focussed on Sherlock.) JOHN (into phone): All right. (The team puts the airbag down on the road just behind the truck.) SHERLOCK: Keep your eyes fixed on me. (His voice becomes frantic.) Please, will you do this for me? (The woman takes a phone call, and the second cyclist gets onto his bike. Sherlock lowers his phone to his side, then drops it onto the roof.) SHERLOCK (voiceover): It was vital that John stayed just where I put him. That way, his view was blocked by the ambulance station.

Fast forward…

SHERLOCK: Neat, don’t you think? (Anderson looks off to the side.) ANDERSON: Hmm. SHERLOCK: What? (Anderson shrugs.) ANDERSON: Not the way I’d have done it. (Yet, look at the hypnosis patter on the lower left corner of his board.)

Fast forward, to after Sherlock pointing out Anderson wasted police time…

ANDERSON (abruptly stopping crying and looking round): Hang on. (He stands up and walks over to his wall of papers.) ANDERSON: That doesn’t make sense. (Behind him Sherlock rolls his eyes and quietly sighs with an exasperated sound.) ANDERSON: How could you be sure John would stand on that exact spot?  I mean, what if he’d moved? (Sherlock turns and quietly leaves the room.) ANDERSON (oblivious to his departure): Hey – how did you do it all so quickly? What if the bike hadn’t hit him? (Suspiciously) And anyway, why are you telling me all this?  (He chuckles.) If you’d pulled that off, I’m the last person you’d tell the truth…

Remember how Anderson is a mirror for meta fans? Yea…

(Turning around, he trails off when he realises that he’s alone in the room. He stares for a moment, then chuckles. He switches between looking at all his paperwork and looking to where Sherlock had been standing.) ANDERSON (quietly, sounding amused): Sherlock Holmes!

Sherlock has already learned to go poof from a room, which happens to just about everyone else in S4. But, there had been a camera sitting between Sherlock and Anderson.

Fast forward to S4…

-Benjamin Caron, who frequently directs shows for Derren, also directed TFP

Possibly all a bit circumstantial, but now we’re going to go deeper, and Mofftiss talks about it.

-The Woman in Green, a Rathbone as Holmes film, Lydia used light swirling on water to hypnotize her subjects.

Lydia…and Mary

Here Lydia is having a conversation with Fenwick, about how he used to play with toy soldiers, and she played with toy boats. Soldiers and Pirates?

Notice her nice starry dress in this scene, and she explains the light she uses on the water is like stars…Mary likes stars, and so does Mummy Holmes.

When Lydia begins the hypnosis process with Holmes, it looks like this. It’s not explained where the light originates or why there are four lights in the scene with Fenwick, but only one with Holmes.

The bowl that at one point, reflects Lydia’s image back to her. This goes one for an extended period of time, which is important if you’re Mary, and need time to explain something via a circular DVD in the BBC version.

There is a transition scene where Mary’s face is showing in the mirror of 221B, from a meta here. And no, it’s not a loading error, because as that meta shows, the loading symbol appears as a reflection in the mirror.

And this from the BBC Sherlock Showcase (which is “largely” about Mary.)

To end the The Woman in Green, Moriarty has a “hypnotized” Sherlock write a suicide note, and then go to the garden terrace on the roof of the apartment, where he attempts to have Sherlock jump. Moriarty’s associate even mentions that with the note in his pocket, it won’t look like a suicide, but Moriarty tells him, “I’m sorry, but Mr. Holmes’s injuries must all be self-inflicted.” He tells Holmes that if he goes through an open doorway, he will find something he’s been looking for a long time (a murderer). Watson then charges in, and Sherlock drops the facade of being under hypnosis. He tells Holmes he was delayed, because he was arrested for exceeding the speed limit.

One of the issues people had with TRF, is that Moriarty told Sherlock he owed him a fall, but Sherlock chose the rooftop location. By changing from the plot of The Woman in Green, Sherlock creators had to find other solutions to the problem. In their commentary on TEH, about TRF, Mofftiss even quips that it takes place in the “late 30′s” and Nigel Brooks is in the BBC version.

And what does Mary do via DVD? She has Sherlock inflict damage on himself, so John will save him. Mrs. Hudson takes on the role of Watson in the BBC version, but she has the backing of the government, Sherlock is unable to get as far as he needs to go, and John is supposedly avoiding him. Molly said so, and she gave Sherlock a note. Unless, she’s been hypnotized too? This meta, was actually part of the inspiration for the current post. Molly will factor in later, as well.

By TFP, Sherlock has to go through “missing” glass and doorways to find Eurus, but only after many premonitions and giving over into his emotions.

Several associations of water with ‘going deeper’ and ‘premonitions’, and more to come, but let’s move on a bit. Rathbone Place was the endpoint location for TFP, but that scene was said to have been filmed as either a beginning or end.

Now, if you don’t think it’s odd enough yet, there is this visual from the perspective of the mirror in 221B, and the skull isn’t glowing-it’s not there at all. 

The odd cavern-like lab/study area where Mary poisons Sherlock in T6T, may also be a callback to this film, and we have other methods that show something odd is going on, because that glass that shouldn’t be reflecting John and Lestrade from that angle, originally showed up in Appledore. Then of course, the glowing skull, the pool of water, and that odd portion with the place where Sherlock meets Mary/we see Mycroft with the table lamp. That last part, actually started in TAB.

But, what was the link between Sherlock and Magnussen that ultimately harmed Sherlock?

What else did Magnussen own?

Glasses, which Sherlock originally thinks are part of an information access point. While he’s inspecting them, Magnussen is eating his food, and dabbling his fingers in Sherlock’s water glass.

But, also look at that large reflective bowl sitting on his coffee table, and then compare to the one Lydia keeps on her coffee table in The Woman in Green.

Fast forward back to S4…

Sherlock, Mycroft, Norbury, etc, etc, etc…and we’re told that the footage of Sherlock killing Magnussen is being editing to make it appear someone else did it. One of the most important acts Sherlock has ever done, and he gives up on disputing the matter within moments, collecting some gingernuts off a plate.

Here we see the friends, gathered with the camera, and Mrs. Hudson complains how she can never get the image clear. Molly has to put down her glass, to help with the camera. Others have speculated that it is related to the concept that John and Mary will never have a happy home life (videos by casuals from various news and entertainment agencies), and also that it’s foreshadowing of all The Ring references we end up with in TFP. ( x ) ( x ) Sherlock is absorbed in his phone, and even when John comes up to ask him about being Rosie’s godfather, he only smiles at him with a sidelong look (the look itself is significant due to it’s meaning during the period of ACD canon.)

MRS HUDSON: Has that come out? (She looks at the screen on her camera and makes an exasperated noise.) MRS HUDSON: They never come out when I take them! MOLLY (putting down her glass): Let’s have a look. (She takes the camera.) MRS HUDSON: Aww.  She’s so beautiful. (Molly fiddles with the camera and then hands it back.) MOLLY: Have another go. (Sherlock is standing a short distance away, engrossed with his phone.) MRS HUDSON (looking at the new parents): What about a name? JOHN: Catherine. MARY: Uh, yeah, we’ve gone off that. JOHN: Have we? MARY: Yeah. JOHN: Oh. SHERLOCK (not looking up from his phone): Well, you know what I think. JOHN and MARY (simultaneously): It’s not a girl’s name. (Sherlock smiles, his eyes still fixed on his phone.) JOHN: Molly, Mrs H.  We would love you to be godparents. MOLLY (laughing in surprised delight): Oh! JOHN: If you … MOLLY: Really? MRS HUDSON: So lovely! (As the two women continue to make appreciative noises, John stands up while Molly goes to the sofa to sit down next to Mary. John walks over towards Sherlock, who is texting: Fresh paint to disguise another smell. He sends the message.) JOHN: And, uh … (He holds his arms wide and stares upwards, perhaps asking himself, ‘Why am I doing this?!’) JOHN: … you, too, Sherlock? SHERLOCK (still typing on his phone):  You too what? JOHN: Godfather?  We’d like you to be godfather. (Sherlock is now texting: Odd socks? Arrest the brother in law. He sends that text and starts another one while talking.) SHERLOCK: God is a ludicrous fiction dreamt up by inadequates who abnegate all responsibility to an invisible magic friend. (His latest message reads: If dog can’t swim, neighbour is the killer. John looks away briefly, then steps closer.) JOHN: Yeah, but there’ll be cake.  Will you do it? (Sherlock glances at him briefly.) SHERLOCK: I’ll get back to you. (John nods resignedly and heads for the stairs.)

Yes, John leaves when Sherlock uses a delay tactic. So much for Mary, Rosie, Mrs. Hudson, and Molly.

Moving right along…

Remember Molly and her note? Well, she’s a mirror for Lydia and Mary.

Look at the various persons in the christening scene, and their relative positions to the large bowl of water in front of them. John is closest, standing as though in a trance.

When he does look away, it’s to look toward Mary or briefly toward the others. The vicar puts his hand into the bowl, and shakes the water off.

What is everyone else doing?

Well, Mrs. Hudson is a few steps back from the bowl, but she eagerly meets the eyes of the vicar, as do Greg, Stella, and Ted. We end up seeing a lot of camera work, with shots taken from behind, which is something that will carry over to the Nth degree when we’re introduced to Eurus as Faith. For now though, Molly is right nearby, and Sherlock is on his phone (which is apparently consistent enough behavior that it made it into the announcement of when Rosie was born).

Molly elbows Sherlock, to get him to stop using it, and pay attention.

He does, but he doesn’t look at her, the bowl or the vicar directly for more than a few seconds. As if he’s actively avoiding eye contact, and not looking into the water. It could just be Sherlock lacking social skills all of a sudden with the woman that helped him fake his own death or foreshadowing, but…

Some weeks later, an elderly vicar stands at the font in a church.  Mary and John stand near him, Mary cradling the baby, and Greg, Mrs Hudson, Sherlock and Molly are at the other side of the font.  An older couple stand behind them. Could this be the famous Stella and Ted, ready to give ‘love and many big squishy cuddles’ to the new baby?! Sherlock is still busy on his phone. VICAR: Father, we ask you to send your blessings on this water … (he leans forward and draws the sign of the cross in the water) … and sanctify it for our use this day, in Christ’s name. (Shaking the water off his hand, he turns to the parents.) VICAR: Now, what name have you given your daughter? (Mary and John smile at each other, then Mary turns to the vicar.) MARY: Rosamund Mary. SHERLOCK: Rosamund?  (Frowning, he looks up briefly.) MOLLY (quietly): Means ‘rose of the world.’  Rosie for short. (Rosamund wails briefly.  Sherlock throws a disapproving look in Molly’s direction and then goes back to his phone.) Possibly foreshadowing Mary’s future jaunt across the globe. MOLLY: Didn’t you get John’s text? SHERLOCK: No.  I delete his texts.  I delete any text that begins, ‘Hi.’ (Molly raises her eyes skywards.) MOLLY: No idea why people think you’re incapable of human emotion. (Mrs Hudson clears her throat pointedly.) MOLLY (quietly): Sorry.  (She nods her head down to Sherlock’s hands and still speaks quietly.)  Phone. (Sherlock lowers the phone and puts his hands behind his back.  The vicar is now holding Rosamund, who is grizzling.) VICAR: And now, godparents … (Behind his back, Sherlock is continuing to type.) VICAR … are you ready to help the parents of this child in their duties as Christian parents? MOLLY and MRS HUDSON (simultaneously): We are. (Molly looks across to Sherlock and elbows him.  Behind his back, a male SIRI voice speaks from his phone.) SIRI: Sorry, I didn’t catch that.   (Stella and Ted make disapproving noises.  John closes his eyes and Mary narrows her eyes at Sherlock.) SIRI (beeping): Please repeat the question. Here is Molly, with her nice flowered dress. Hibiscus, is likely…Hibiscus are great for attracting butterflies. Mary is often associated with butterflies and in S4, whales. Didn’t we see butterflies and Mary somewhere else too? The thyroid book in HLV. 

Here’s where things start to get a little more odd.

A FEW MONTHS LATER.  221B BAKER STREET.  LIVING ROOM.  Standing in front of the fireplace wearing his camel coloured dressing gown, Sherlock sighs in exasperation. SHERLOCK: As ever, Watson, you see but do not observe. (He turns towards John’s chair.) SHERLOCK: To you, the world remains an impenetrable mystery whereas, to me, it is an open book.  Hard logic versus romantic whimsy.  That is your choice. You fail to connect actions to their consequences.  Now, for the last time … (he bends down and picks up a jingling baby’s rattle) … if you want to keep the rattle … (We now see that young Rosie is sitting in a plastic baby’s chair perched on the seat.) SHERLOCK: … do not throw the rattle, hm? (He presents the rattle to her.  She gurgles, takes it, and promptly throws it in Sherlock’s face. Across the room, Mary is lying on the sofa fast asleep with one foot up on John’s lap as he sits at the other end with his hand on her leg, also asleep.  Rosie rears her head back and then sneezes.) [Transcriber’s note: some of my beta team queried why I said this scene takes place ‘a few months later.’  To fend off further enquiries, I simply say that the fact that Rosie is now old enough to sit up and throw things suggested to me that she’s more than a few weeks old.]

Notice that Sherlock has his eyes upward, then keeps his eyes shut, until he turns away from the mirror, and Billy has on his glasses. All during a sequence about observation, and while Rosie’s parents are asleep.

All the occular devices that make up the set of 221B. Yes, some of them have been around for awhile, but Arwel wanted to make sure people paid attention to their presence and specifically where they are located.

Go back to the image where Sherlock was in the chair, using the binoculars. I cropped him out, so you see what isn’t there. In the mirror, there is no happy face. Could be the angle of the shot, but it happens elsewhere as well.

Remember the odd blog post John did, the one that was on a jpeg file, and spoke about changing nappies, and buying nappies? It confused people due to the image, and how is he changing diapers if Rosie wasn’t born yet? Because, nappies has another meaning that’s important to all these circular images.

nap·pies- A round, shallow cooking or serving dish with a flat bottom and sloping sides. [Probably from dialectal nap, bowl, from Middle English, from Old English hnæp.]

If John wants to give the appearance of business as usual, he might need to be handling a lot of these potentially dangerous objects with reflective ability. Certainly, Sherlock wants to keep it business as usual, and we see him constantly on the phone or his laptop.

This reference to The Valley of Fear, that was mentioned in the courtroom during TRF, follows…

JOHN: It pays to advertise.

(Sherlock sits down in his chair, looking at his phone.  Mary, standing near the window and rubbing her very pregnant tummy with one hand while pressing her lower back with the other, looks at him.)

MARY: So, what about Moriarty, then?

SHERLOCK: Ooh, I have a plan. (This will be echoed in TLD.)

(Grimacing, Mary rubs her bump again.)

SHERLOCK: I’m going to monitor the underworld – every quiver of the web will tell me when the spider makes his move. (As he was speaking, he has also tweeted “#221Bringit!”)

JOHN: Basically your ‘plan’ is just to sit there solving crimes like you always do.

SHERLOCK (smiling across to him): Awesome, isn’t it?! (He jumps up, steps across to the mantelpiece and rips the top letter off the pile.) A montage of client scenes begins.

FEMALE CLIENT:

He drowned, Mr Holmes.

Fast forward slightly…

JOHN: Sherlock, you can’t go on spinning plates like this.

(Sherlock’s eyes widen and lift from his phone as his mouth falls open.)

SHERLOCK: That’s it!  The place was spinning.

On another occasion Sherlock walks across the room checking his phone while he talks to a man sitting on a dining room chair.

SHERLOCK: The heart medication you are taking is known to cause bouts of amnesia.

They really want us to notice the connection between circular objects, optics, odd events happening in rooms, and memory loss.

When Sherlock is confronted with several circular, reflective objects at once, things escalate. And no, it’s not just the Thatchers items.

They have a circular dish on their coffee table.

And look, there is even an image of Charlie holding a camera, in a circular frame.

After this, most of the odd imagery uses the water concept to assist us in knowing when something just isn’t adding up.

In TLD though, we still have a few callbacks to this use of circles and memories. Here is Sherlock’s hospital room, with its round wallpaper design, and the glass dish on the table that looks like the one from the stag night. Shortly after this sequence in TSoT, Sherlock throws up a bit on the floor, and that reminded me of Mycroft’s OOC sickness during TFP.

John has a coffee cup with circles on it, and we get this impressive circular light when Sherlock and John go to deal with Culverton. The pun about cereal/serial killer is one that is used for maximum effect in this episode, but it also reminded me of the fact Culverton attempts to murder Sherlock, who is a serial character.

When Sherlock and John begin to understand the extent of Culverton’s manipulation with TD12, we see this.

Small, circular blue lights, and John has that vacant to pining expression on his face again. Blue lights, which are a topic that several of us discussed during S3 and S4, are involved in something called the “moth effect”. Moth, not butterfly. And there is a debate about this effect when it comes to drivers.

The “moth effect” is a myth in one sense and reality in another. The idea that drivers may steer off the road when they fixate flashing lights is likely correct, but they are not drawn to the lights like moths to a flame. Rather, they inadvertently steer rightward, which may or may not take them into collision with the roadside vehicle. Even normal, alert drivers in daylight conditions may steer in the direction of eye position during periods of intense fixation, although factors reducing attentional capacity increase the probability. The cause is likely error in judging heading under eccentric fixation when optic flow cues are minimal and when attentional focus prevents sensing of the need to correct the error. Although bright lights and fascination are not required, of course, it is impossible to rule out these factors in some accidents. ( x )

Remember the metas about John driving off the road, and his mentioning

JOHN: Yeah, well some people have that complex, don’t they – an idée fixe. (Walking closer to the table he looks pointedly at Sherlock.)  They obsess over one thing and they can’t let it go.

Once Mary is gone, much of the circular imagery does go away, but these few items seemed important.

Some if it is also going to factor into TFP, because the camera work, lighting, and a few props (circles and elephants) were inspired by the film Suspiria.

There was one more piece of dialogue I wanted to include, however, because it brings us back to the metas about CLUE. Here is the relevant information about how John’s Cane, Mycroft’s Umbrella, and Sherlock’s The Hat were ways to set traps for the villains, and gather evidence.

SHERLOCK (silently): Oh. (Greg looks up from his briefcase as Sherlock lowers his head a little, looking towards the floor.  Greg looks suspiciously across to John.) JOHN: It’s obvious, though, isn’t it, what happened? SHERLOCK: John, you amaze me.  You know what happened? JOHN: Not a clue.  It’s just you normally say that at this point. SHERLOCK (smiling): Mm.  Well, then …

The various ends of guns have several reasons for existing in S4, everything from determining who shot whom, the speed at which it was done, Chekhov, and to pay an homage to Bond films.

TFP starts with reflective circles…

It continues when we get to Sherrinford, in the same scene where John realizes the Governor has been put under Eurus’s power.

As you can tell from the Suspiria meta, the lighted circle of Eurus’s room was repeatedly put into the frame, but we have one final reflective bowl to deal with before the trio is done with the villains and problems of S4.

By the end of TFP, if it shattered at all, the mirror is back in 221B. Sherlock is even using it. Which is good, because we still need it.

Thanks again, to @may-shepard for sharing these predictive links with me last night. ( x ) ( x ) I was halfway through this meta when I read them, but they were definitely worth it, and I tried not to overlap too much.

So, all the pieces where it seems like time travel or editing is going on after cases supposedly closed before S3, might be issues with hypnosis.

Someone trying to recover their memories or edit in to help a loved one (whether with their lost memories and/or as an alibi).

Important meta that led up to all this. ( x) ( x ) ( x ) ( x ) ( x ) ( x ) ( x ) ( x ) ( x ) ( x )

I ran across a couple of meta about S4, The Voice of Terror, and The House of Fear as well, with Rathbone and Bruce in the roles of Holmes and Watson. ( x )

While working on this, I ran across this wonderful meta and video about how Sherlock defeated Moriarty. The author’s solution is that Sherlock used tea, but the eyes was the portion that is important in this meta, because that’s how some of the hypnosis between TEH and S4 happens.

For those that doubted the camera work in S4, this is an outstanding video about the entire season. Sherlock: How to Film Thought. I mention this, because some people insist the camera man appearing in T6T is ridiculous and lazy. No, it’s intentional.

Transcript excerpts from Ariene DeVere. ( x )

[alfstop50]

Game #2: Super Smash Bros. Brawl

”Audi famam, illius...”

Released: Jan. 31st, 2008 Synopsis: The third installment of the acclaimed fighting series, Super Smash Bros. Brawl comes with more content than ever before in Smash Bros. history! Play as new third-party characters, construct your own unique stages, or take part in a brand new story mode and thwart the twisted machinations of the Subspace Army in Subspace Emissary! Chosen Music: Main Theme --- Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a game that I associate with some of my happiest memories. The first time I laid eyes on the game was back in middle school, when the first trailer landed onto the internet and showcased all-new content and characters. I remember feverishly trying to get the trailer to load and managing to piecemeal enough of it together as it was loading, and every reveal threw me for the biggest loop. I saw a lot of familiar faces and some I had never seen before, one of which being the very first third-party character to join the series and catching literally everyone by surprise. To this day, it’s still the greatest trailer that’s ever been made for a Smash Bros. game, and probably one of the best video game trailers of all time, for how it surprised us, got us hype, and effortlessly managed to capture everything that made the series great. Little did I know that that trailer was only the beginning, and the following year I would be glued to the biggest source of hype generation for a video game to ever exist on planet Earth: the Smash Bros. Dojo. There’s really no other way for me to describe just how much of a juggernaut the Smash Dojo was in terms of marketing; the simple process of doling out updates on a Monday-Friday schedule was just pre genius. Not only were we learning new things about the game itself, but every piece of new information that we’d never seen before was enough to get everyone going. Usually an update would include a really cool new feature (like a new musical arrangement or an Assist Trophy), other times it would be as simple as explaining gameplay mechanics, and sometimes we wouldn’t even know what we were looking at (I couldn’t tell you how shocked and fascinated I was by the update that would lead into the Subspace Emissary reveal). And of course, every time a new character got revealed for the roster, all of our collective socks would instantly get blown off, and our hype levels most definitely reached critical mass with the reveal of Sonic (I had to stop myself from screaming and waking up my parents when I saw that update). It was a magical time where anything was possible and you could learn all the nitty gritty details about every new feature in the game (which I wish Smash 4’s Daily Picture thing could have done nearly half as well). Then the game actually came out and public opinion of it was and continues to be divided as hell (and is arguably the reason why the Smash community has been divided ever since it came out). And I will freely admit to saying that Brawl isn’t without its problems; the revamped physics making everything slower is something I actually favor, but it’s not hard to see why Melee fans hate how slow it is and how often tripping happens. I will also admit that some of the content that’s jam-packed into the game isn’t really up to snuff, like how the Subspace Emissary ends up being a slightly worse Kirby game, or how woefully underdeveloped the stage maker tools are. There’s a lot to unpack over what Brawl does right and what it does wrong, and I can’t really fault anyone for ending up being disappointed with the final product. But whenever I played Brawl back in the day, I couldn’t help but be completely enamored by it. There aren’t many games that can claim to have as much content as Brawl does (and even fewer in the case of Smash for Wii U), and regardless of the overall quality or how well it all meshes together, I loved every single thing about it. I loved Subspace Emissary for bringing all these classic and lovable Nintendo characters together, compensating for the weak story with some incredible moments and team-ups, and making me realize how fuckin’ awesome crossover stories could be. I loved all the fanservice they were able to cram in, from the Assist Trophies and Stickers reaching into the deepest parts of Nintendo’s history, to the music covering such a wide range of memorable Nintendo songs, and even making the third-parties feel like a true part of the experience. I earnestly love and appreciate how ambitious it was in becoming the ultimate celebration of Nintendo’s entire history up to that point, and I’ve got nothing but respect for Sakurai and his team for giving it their all and making a Smash Bros. game that had something for everyone. Perhaps the most important reason why I love Brawl, though, was how it got me to meet and connect with people in a way no other game had done before, primarily through online. Playing the game on my own was great fun in and of itself, but around the time it came out, I didn’t have a whole lot of people in real life to play it with. Online, however, I was part of an active community of people, some familiar and some not, and Brawl was the biggest thing I could think of that allowed me to connect with those people. I loved those days of playing with people just for fun, or competing against each other in online tournaments, because either way I would be playing with people and growing ever closer to them as a result. Then in real life, my skill in the game was what gave me the confidence to enter tournaments for Smash Bros. on an occasional basis, either through conventions or whenever an event was being hosted somewhere locally. I never did manage to be all that successful in these small-town tournaments, but getting the chance to play the game with more people that also loved the game is something I’ll treasure forever. Super Smash Bros. Brawl is not a perfect game by any means, but the time at which it came out could not have been more perfect for me. It’s a game that got me to have a deeper appreciation for Nintendo and video games in general, and I hardly think I’d be as much of a Nintendo fan without it. It got me interacting with more people than ever before, some of which went on to be my closest friends, while other people I frequently played with made me feel like a part of a good community. And even beyond all that, there’s just so much love and care put into delivering an absolutely jam-packed Smash Bros. game that it’s hard for me to feel any real disappointment with it in the end. I’ll always love Smash Bros. and I’m always looking forward to where the series goes next, but I know that in my heart of hearts, nothing can replace the influence that Brawl had on my life. Teaser for Game #1: It matters not who you are... Death awaits you.

[goarticletec-blog]

Avengers 4 trailer hype has you just where Marvel wants you

New Post has been published on https://www.articletec.com/avengers-4-trailer-hype-has-you-just-where-marvel-wants-you/

Avengers 4 trailer hype has you just where Marvel wants you

Rumor has it the long-awaited Avengers 4 trailer will hit this week, and Marvel fans are ready. They’ve been awaiting this trailer for months — possibly since credits rolled on Avengers: Infinity War back in April.

How ready are they? 

Several dozen people on Twitter have changed their handles to some version of “GIVE TRAILER UNTITLED AVENGERS.” Fans using the Twitter hashtag #MARVELVSTHEFANS have made multiple videos begging the Avengers 4 directors for the trailer. Fans on Reddit have shared, then deleted, moment-by-moment descriptions of what supposedly happens in the trailer, based on unofficial leaks. They’ve pored over the social media accounts of the film’s directors and stars, looking for clues to a trailer release date and a title.

Complicated theories about a trailer release date for the film have arisen based on past practices, planned events and possibly the waxing and waning of the moon. Expectations were high for the trailer to drop on Wednesday, Dec. 5. But on Tuesday, rumors began to spread that Marvel would wait until Friday to respect Wednesday’s solemn event, the state funeral of former US president George H.W. Bush. Marvel did not respond to a request for comment on whether this supposed schedule was accurate.

Trailer watchers have been burned before. Fans hoped Wednesday, Nov. 28 would be the big day. It was almost a year after the Avengers: Infinity War trailer came out, and the film’s directors, brothers Joe and Anthony Russo, were speaking that night in Hollywood at a screening of Infinity War sponsored by Collider.

But that date, and the Q&A, came and went with no trailer reveal.

Footage on demand

The first ever trailer was shown in a New York Loews cinema in way back in 1913, and it wasn’t even for a movie. Instead, it was a short film made to advertise the Broadway musical The Pleasure Seekers. But it was a brilliant hook: Tease entertainment seekers with a preview of another piece of entertainment they might enjoy. Naturally, the promotional films took off.

Star Wars and superhero films create the most intense demand for trailers.

Disney

Trailer hysteria isn’t new, but it’s certainly reached new heights, thanks to YouTube and social media, as well as the continued boom of sci-fi and superhero flicks. Studios have even managed to squeeze a little more publicity out of their trailers by offering super-short versions, often called teaser trailers.

Anton Volkov saw trailer love growing back in 2016, when he started a movie-news Twitter account and website he called Trailer Track. A wry quote from writer-director James Mangold that’s pinned to the top of the site’s Twitter account sums up the current trailer infatuation: “[Trailers] tend to debut a few weeks after you’ve reached a peak of frustration,” it reads. “Marketing’s like foreplay.”

“This sort of level of anticipation for marketing materials, be it trailers or posters, was always there,” Volkov says. “It’s just becoming … more mainstream.”

Constant intrigue

William Bibbiani is a film critic and co-host of Canceled Too Soon, a podcast about short-lived TV shows, and the movie podcast Critically Acclaimed. He agrees trailer madness goes back — at least decades. 

“Audiences were so excited for Tim Burton’s original Batman [in 1989] that many people bought tickets to another movie, just to see the trailer in a theater, and then left before the actual film began,” he said.

The trailer for Star Wars: The Phantom Menace created similar buzz 20 years ago. CNET film critic Richard Trenholm calls that era, with no Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube, a “veritable Stone Age” as far as viewing trailers. He notes that Steve Jobs described the second Phantom Menace trailer as “the biggest internet download event in history.”

Three major developments in the 2000s ratcheted up the hype, Bibbiani says. 

High-speed internet connections allow fans to consume trailers and marketing materials instantly and share their reactions just as quickly. The surge of successful superhero movies made “geeky blockbusters” the norm — who better than a self-proclaimed geek to dissect even the smallest movie detail? And the 24-hour online entertainment-news cycle has created a beast that’s always hungry.

“Fans of these properties are being kept in a state of constant intrigue, so that new trailers — or even the conspicuous absence of new trailers — become big events, even though they are, at their core, just commercials,” Bibbiani said.

Building the buzz

Marvel’s extreme level of secrecy about an Avengers 4 trailer is getting all the attention lately, but it’s not the norm.

In 2017, extended footage from Avengers: Infinity War was shown in summer at both San Diego Comic-Con and Disney fan gathering D23. Though that footage wasn’t shared on YouTube at the time, some of those fans revealed what they saw, and word spread.

But we’ve seen nothing for Avengers 4 besides a release date and basic plot synopsis.

“I think it’s quite clear that (Marvel executives) have spotted how much buzz and conversation the very lack of content and the secrecy generates,” Volkov said.

Even dedicated fans understand it’s all a part of Marvel’s business. Alex Rodriguez, 19, started a Twitter account this year called MCU Speculation to share news and theories about the studio.

“The hype and the tension builds up more and more for each day that the trailer doesn’t get released online,” Rodriguez said. “This makes for a huge launch for the trailer.”

Now playing: Watch this: Watch the ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ official trailer

2:17

Trailers still serve a purpose. Hard-core fans, the kind who wear costumes to midnight showings and buy day-one tickets well in advance, are going to see Avengers 4, preview or no preview. But a trailer can help sell a film to more general audiences.

“When a film like Avengers 4 comes in, there’s always at least one writer for a site making the argument that maybe that film can get away with not releasing a single trailer,” Volkov said. But he notes Marvel isn’t about to leave millions on the table by not marketing the film to pull in an even larger audience.

And studio dollar-signs aside, trailers create a social experience that can be just pure fun.

“The urge to share certain experiences simultaneously is often irresistible,” Bibbiani said. “And why wouldn’t it be? Who doesn’t love a good trailer, and who wouldn’t want to talk about it with their friends? Especially if it’s trending on Twitter?”

Spoilers!

There are ways to deliver the goods without driving fans to Thanos-size levels of insanity. Some studios and distributors make pretrailer announcements. Fox and Warner Brothers have even used a Facebook and YouTube feature that counts down to the arrival of an uploaded trailer. Volkov thinks this is a smart way to build anticipation for the movie while easing fan frustration.

Movies with dramatic events that are easily spoiled have to play trailers carefully, so plot twists aren’t ruined. Isn’t that right, Thanos?

Marvel

When a trailer finally does drop, its actual content sometimes has little to do with the film’s quality.

“We’ve all seen good films that weren’t well served by their promotional campaigns, and we’ve all seen disappointing films that looked pretty good in trailer form,” Bibbiani noted.  

An extreme example of this was 2016’s Suicide Squad, whose trailer was such a hit Warner Bros. actually brought in the company that cut the trailer to help edit the entire film. (It didn’t help: Suicide Squad ended up with mixed to negative critical reviews.)

But recent films at the center of the trailer storm have unanswered questions that make their trailers even more coveted — even though the previews themselves will have to walk a fine line or risk too many spoilers.

Drawing out the wait for a trailer only makes the desire for footage more intense.

“The upcoming trailers for Avengers 4 and Star Wars: Episode IX are bound to be huge pop culture events, because both previews will … answer questions that fans have been speculating about for months,” Bibbiani said. “What really happened after The Snap? And will (Episode IX director) J.J. Abrams continue down Rian Johnson’s controversial path from The Last Jedi, or will he make the next Star Wars movie more like his relatively safer Episode VII?”

The trailers are unlikely to tell us, but fans will watch them intently regardless. In 2018, anything released before a much anticipated movie, from a poster to an Instagram image, will be picked apart by viewers and entertainment sites hungry for clues. Apparently the cat in the recent poster for 2019’s Captain Marvel isn’t just a cat. And in September, the Russo brothers tossed out a Where’s Waldo?-style challenge, inviting fans to “look hard” at what appears to be a boring black-and-white image of an almost-empty Avengers 4 set.

Drawing out the wait for a trailer only makes the desire for footage more intense. The trailer for Avengers: Infinity War wasn’t released until four months after footage was shared at Comic-Con and D23, which gave fans more than 100 days to moan and complain online. Even Marvel Studios co-president Louis D’Esposito tried to soothe trailer-hungry fans by tweeting that he loved the IW trailer, but wasn’t ready to share it yet. When the trailer finally came out, however, fans made up for lost time. The original Infinity War trailer has been viewed more than 214 million times.

Start the countdown

Volkov says the anticipation for Avengers 4 is the biggest he’s seen for any film since starting his site in 2016. After that, he ranks Avengers: Infinity War, Justice League, and war movie Dunkirk as the most anticipated.

“It does just come down to superhero and Star Wars films being the biggest game in town in terms of general interest and box office today,” he said.

Once the Avengers 4 trailer finally drops, look for fans to start demanding the second trailer, Volkov says. And naturally, interest in Star Wars: Episode IX, due out in December 2019, will be galactically high.

Now playing: Watch this: ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ trailer debuts

2:01

But while the final film in the main Star Wars saga holds many mysteries, a trailer date might not be one of them.

“At least in the case of Episode 9, it’s fairly clear and obvious that (the trailer debut) has to be at Star Wars Celebration in April,” Volkov says.

You heard him, fans. Start the countdown. Only four months to go.

First published Dec. 4, 9 a.m. PT. Update, 9:29 p.m. PT: Adds likelihood that trailer won’t be released Wednesday, as rumored, due to the funeral of George H.W. Bush. 

CNET’s Holiday Gift Guide: The place to find the best tech gifts for 2018.

Everything we think we know about the Avengers sequel: Think Avengers: Infinity War was intense? Stay tuned for part two.

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[theabsmancom]

Our Muscle Gain Truth Review: Is This Ebook Really Worth It?

Ebook Title: Muscle Gain Truth Ebook Author: Sean Nalewanyj

Ebook Price: Check For Current Specials Reviewer: Todd Bowman Site Reviewed: www.musclegaintruth.com Recommended For: Beginners and Intermediates Format: PDF Ebook – Instant download Bonus’s: The Hardcore Workout Video, The Bod Pod Audio Mp3 Course, The M.F.I.C 1-Month Membership, The Personalized Workout Plans, The Piercing “Hot Seat” Interview, The Lifetime Product Updates. Guarantee: 60 Full Days Optional Upgrades: ($50 additional Silver, $90 Gold)

The Entire Best-Selling E-Book… In MP3 Format, Delicious Muscle-Gaining Recipes & Smoothies, The Bodybuilding Inner Game: Pyschological Strategies, Anabolic Growth Calculator, Meal Plan Power Upgrades, The Real Deal Body Transformation Fat Loss System, The Muscle Building & Fat Loss Inner Circle: LIFETIME Membership, 12 Weeks Of Personalized One-On-One Email Coaching.

Muscle Gain Truth Workout

Our Muscle Gain Truth Review

In this muscle gain truth review and write-up, I’m going to be as honest as possible. Sean Nalewanyj has put together a pretty interesting bodybuilding ebook (in PDF format). In this muscle gain truth review and report I’d like to take a fresh look and really inspect whether or not his claims are true. There are a lot of upgrades and bonuses that are pretty darn useful.

The course itself rivals any other bodybuilding ebook on the market. I think what pushes this Muscle Gain Truth program and e-course over the top is the insane amount of bonuses and upgrades Sean offers. In this muscle gain truth review I’m more excited about this bodybuilding ebook than any other I’ve seen. There is so much useful information here. I gave his muscle building program a pretty thorough run through to say the least . I’ve been working out for about 13 years so I know my way around the gym. And even after reviewing the other 3 bodybuilding e-books on this website there are still some pretty incredible gems in (MGT) that the other guys missed.

Who the heck is Sean Nalewanyj?

According to online research Sean Nalewanyj has been bodybuilding for most of his life and is the creator of a few bodybuilding weight loss products. The products are called, The Real Body Transformation System and The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System. He’s written many articles for popular websites and magazines online and offline. If you were to follow this course exactly how he lays it out, you’re going to get incredible results now matter what type of body you have. This bodybuilding program (as apposed to many others I’ve seen) is incredibly easy to follow because of the way it’s laid out. I was very impressed.                                                                                                                                    I hope you enjoy my muscle gain truth review.

First off before we go any further with the Sean Nalewanyj and muscle gain truth review and investigation let’s discuss what you get.

Here’s a brief evaluation of what you get in Muscle Gain Truth:

Muscle Gain Truth Review Details:

Good Points About Muscle Gain Truth

Clearly Muscle Gain Truth is one of the hidden gems of the online bodybuilding world. The amount of information you get is like information overload. Which is great in my mind because that’s what you pay for right? Sean is a good writer which makes this body-building ebook a fun and very interesting read. The muscle building secrets that he shares are amazing and easy to understand. Having this knowledge when you’re in the gym is priceless. You’ll feel head and shoulders above anybody else

If I Had To Critique Muscle Gain Truth

Personally I don’t like to pass judgement on too many things but after taking another look at this and writing this outline I feel an honest need to be upfront with you. In this muscle gain truth review and analysis I really wanted to take a closer look at this program than most people. So I really had to do a complete study of the entire muscle building program that Sean lays out. A few people have mentioned to me the quality of the images could be a little sharper. I honestly didn’t see that they were lower quality pictures. In my mind the pictures are supposed to enhance the information, not the other way around. If the quality of the images is the only thing to complain about, that means we’re onto something good here.

Muscle Gain Truth Money Back Guarantee & Refund

Muscle Gain Truth comes with a pretty good 60 day money back guarantee. I think that’s pretty impressive because that gives you 2 full months to impliment his whole strategy and if it sucks or you don’t like it, not a problem just send it back and they don’t hassle you about it. Which is great because there is nothing worse than a company that asks you question after question about why you want your money back etc.

Summary / Conclusion

After a complete examination and criticism and scrutinizing everything I could get my hands on, I strongly recommend that you purchase Muscle Gain Truth. I just had to give it rave reviews based on the value you get for your money alone.

I don’t care if you’re a man or a women. It doesn’t matter either if you’ve been working out for 2 weeks or you are a seasoned bodybuilder. It’s just my opinion but I think this bodybuilding course is going to go up in price because of how much information is really inside. This one is a hidden gem in my mind.

My Opinion & Synopsis

It seems like I could keep writing this about this muscle gain truth review forever. You just have to purchase it, try it out and put it to good use in order to really know everything I’m talking about. I strongly recommend you buy this ebook before the price goes up. Go ahead and give Muscle Gain Truth a good once-over. You’ll be glad you did!

What Is The Sean Nalewanyj Workout?

  The San Nalewanyj workout is a workout system that Sean Nalewanyj has been working on for over 10 years. He’s been perfecting the workout ever since and really dialed the exercise routine into a no fail system as he calls it. The San Nalewanyj workout has been so scientifically and psyiallocally perfected he created the Muscle Gain Truth No Fail Workout system.

The Truth About Building Muscle ebook

E-books have been growing in popularity over the past year and a half. Many e-books are in a PDF format. PDF (Portable Document Reader) was created by Adobe Systems in the early 1990′s. Most PDF e-books can be read in one of many ways. Many people like to print them out at a place like Kinko’s and read it like a traditional paperback or hardback book. While others like to read PDF files on devices called e-readers. Most e-readers these days can decode PDF files so they can be read directly from the device itself just like a regular book.

The most popular e-readers are the Apple Ipad, the Amazon Kindle and the Sony e-Reader. The Truth About Building Muscle ebook is excellent to take with you and read on any one of these hand held devices. Many people can even read PDFs and ebooks on their cell phones like an I-phone. If you’re looking to build muscle and want something that not only is motivating but also gives you a detailed plan that will help you build muscle fast, then I highly highly recommend The Truth About Building Muscle eBook. Grab your copy today.

  The post Our Muscle Gain Truth Review: Is This Ebook Really Worth It? appeared first on The Abs Man.

from The Abs Man http://www.theabsman.com/our-muscle-gain-truth-review-is-this-ebook-really-worth-it/

[allthestoriesinyourhead]

Reviewer pj presents...

There isn't a grand story behind the reason why I chose to read this book. I suppose it randomly caught my attention. I learned about it on a video of this girl talking about the books she was planning to read on her vacations. Shee talked about the synopsis and since then I thought it would be a nice adult contemporary, a quick read and I felt like that's what I needed in between of this other heavy series I'm reading (the "Captive Prince" trilogy). I started it in 2016 then abandoned (because it gave me headaches) it and finally picked it up again last month and now I'm on the second one.

But yeah, back to the book. The plot seemed interesting... (I mean... interesting enough to kill some time) and then thought about it for a few days. I thought I wouldn't be able to find it online because it was a recent release, but somehow I did.

So I read the first chapter and thought it was ok. It was a good start. But I was closest to finishing the first Captive Prince book so after that, I dived right into this one.

But oh boy! If I thought that first CP book gave me headaches... just wait until you meet this "Me Oxford Year”’s protagonist, past pj!

-magical girl transformation sequence into reviewer pj-

Summary

So, in this book, we're introduced to Ella and she's a politics passionate/planner/overachiever who's dreamed her entire life to go to Oxford ever since she read an article in a magazine about this person's "Oxford Year". So, she studied her butt off and landed the prestigious Rhodes scholarship with all paid expenses for a year at Magdalen University in Oxford!

Right after she lands in Oxford, she receives a call to work for her dream Senator candidate and she agrees to work with them from Oxford, promising that she'll be back in the US in a year to continue to help on her campaign.

On her first day, while strolling through the beautiful streets of Oxford looking for something to eat, she ends up in a fish and chips restaurant where she encounters Jamie Davenport, a sexy guy with a sexy voice, apparently, that is until he accidentally ruins her blouse with her fish and chips, attempts to flirt with her while trying to help her clean herself and, a few moments prior, almost ran her over with this car. Needless to say that that did not end well.

That is, until the next day he ends up being one of her teachers at Magdalen, and after Ella tries to deny their inevitable chemistry for like a chapter or two, the two of them agree on what they want...or more exactly, on what they don't want. A relationship.

Review

There's something about contemporary romances that is so alluring to me. Perhaps it's the promise of a book that'll be easy to read, not having to think too much outside of my little old boring box, not having to imagine any crazy settings too far away from my reality, or maybe it's the promise of reading fun and quirky characters that get into fanciful situations that would probably never happen to us, normal people, because really... how many  English, attractive, young, rich, single, literature/poetry teachers that don't believe in relationships are out there just waiting just to fall in love with us?

But yeah, this book was definitely a guilty pleasure. I knew it wouldn't be the greatest story, but sometimes books of this genre (whether that is YA or adult) have managed to surprise me, to add in something extra to their story that ranked them a little higher than what I usually rank them. If the ending of the story is predictable but the characters are likable and the stakes feel real, it gets 3 stars. If the story is predictable, yet addictive and the characters are ridiculous but funny, it gets 2 stars.

But then you have books like "My Oxford Year" where the main character tries to be funny but it's really annoying and everything in the plot becomes convenient for her until the point where it stops making any sense? Because if you attend an Oxford University on a very prestigious scholarship and have a seemingly demanding job (your dream job, might I add) in the US, you obviously wouldn't have time to do all the other things that happen in this book. Unless, of course, your name is Ella Durran.

Ella starts out fine in the first chapter. I really thought I would like her. She's awed by how beautiful Oxford is and the descriptions of everything she sees and everywhere she goes are very detailed, almost as if you were there. I'll give it that. She's a little confused at how different is everything and everyone from back home, but still comes out as cheerful and friendly, and looking forward to enjoying her Oxford year, her once in a lifetime experience, more than everything. Cool. Nice. We're off to a good start.

In the first 2 or 3 chapters, you can see that she's a very friendly and social girl who speaks her mind, and from those chapters, I thought I was going to like her. But then her narration went from being funny...to just childish. Just...

He’s flirting with me. Holding the towel poised and ready, all dashing smile and twinkling eyes. My head explodes. “Are you kidding me?” “I would never dare kid about such matters,” he charms. “You’re flirting? You should be apologizing!” “For flirting?” “For nearly running me over!” “You’re suggesting I apologize for something I didn’t intentionally do? I’d rather apologize for the flirting.” He’s smiling. “Y-you . . . you posh prat!”

Now keep in mind that this girl has, allegedly, dealt with people worse than this, according to her backstory as an assistant in previous political campaigns. But still, without having that sort of impressive background, someone please agree with me that this isn't normal, that yelling at a stranger like a child and making a scene in a restaurant because a guy is flirting with you isn't normal. This is how she treated those people at those campaigns she helped at? If so, how did this girl ever achieve anything in her life, how is she working for the future president of the US? I've said this before and I'll say it again, but even if you're upset because of something he did, this is not how an adult behaves. This girl is supposed to be 24 but her actions, her dialogue, and even the writing sometimes made me feel like I was reading the diary of a 13-year-old.

And it only gets worse from there and Ella becomes your typical Mary Sue. And it's all just a huge somehow. She somehow isn't expelled from her classes because she only goes like two times in the entire book, and they just happened to be Jaime's classes, then rarely mentions them afterward. Somehow she isn't fired from her job, you just know she's doing excellent and that her boss and the Senator candidate love her based on 4 phone calls where all they talk about is how excellent Ella is, she even somehow saved the almost Senator's campaign from...something that didn't make sense? She somehow becomes best friends forever after one-half conversation with this group that now would do anything and go anywhere for her. She somehow gets the guy of her dreams, who just happens to be rich. Eventually, she meets Jaime's parents and somehow they both end up loving her, even though it's been less than 6 months since they met. Like I said, it's impossible to be this great in such a record time unless your name is Ella freakin Durran.

Then we have Jaime Davenport and he's just your typical contemporary co-protagonist guy, charming, dreamy, is friends with everyone in Oxford and his family is rich.

He sighs heavily. “Let us accept the fact that my family is, I believe the American vernacular would be, ‘loaded,’ and move on, shall we?” Jamie air-toasts me, that charming smile still on his face.

I really don't have much to say about Jaime, he (and his mother) just didn't annoy me like Ella, her friends and the rest of the characters did. He still won't be a character I'll remember in the next months. He liked to use words that no one says like "vernacular" and loves poetry but would never write it because a guy like him...writing poetry? Who do you think he is? A walking cliche?

As for the plot, I don't have much to say about it either. I knew it wouldn't be a romantic masterpiece but the "twist" mentioned in the synopsis caught my attention. Before I learned what it was I was already beyond annoyed but I wouldn't spoil myself. Then I got to the twist and I thought that meant this book go down a bittersweet path. I was hoping that it would, that would have helped the book's score a little bit. But nope, again I sucked at predicting book endings and its score... well, it can't be worse.

Verdict

I read that this book is a lot like "Me Before You", but there are only two resemblances between these two books and, in my opinion, that's not enough to compare them. I read "Me Before You" 2 years ago, around the time that the movie came out and, while it was better than your typical adult contemporary romance, it still didn't hit me like it hit everyone else...

But it was definitely way better than this one, so read that instead.

So finally, after studying my butt off to get a scholarship I'm not even going to take advantage of, landing my dream job securing myself a future in politic for the rest of my life but finally dropping all of that to fool around Europe with the richest and most handsome guy in all of England, "My Oxford Year" has me awarding it with....

1 out of 5 stars

Yeah... I could never recommend this.

Reviewer pj out!

#pj reviews

[tricialucido-blog]

Kaufman and Kristoff’s “The Illuminae Files” pt. I

Hi there! This is my first attempt at blogging about books I’ve read for leisure. I was inspired greatly by the bookstagram and booktube communities in Instagram and YouTube, respectively, and while I enjoy seeing content from both platforms, I feel like there’s something else I want to see from book bloggers that’s currently not present in the content trend today. I’ve seen a few bloggers here and there whose content I really liked (a personal favorite is booktuber @LilyCReads), but I guess it’s high time I shared my personal sentiments and commentaries myself. I still don’t know where I want to take this, but starting somewhere is better than nothing amirite. Anyway, here goes.

Note: This is a spoiler-free review. Part II, which I will link here as soon as I’ve posted it, will most likely be full of spoilers because I will talk about the key themes and important quotes from the books. Beware and proceed with caution! :-) 

Title: The Illuminae Files (trilogy); Illuminae (Book 1), Gemina (Book 2), and Obsidio (Book 3)

Authors: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Genre: science fiction, military space opera, epistolary

Rating: 5/5 stars

Story Time!  ✨

Before I dive right into the books, let me tell you guys a bit of a backstory. I’ve always enjoyed science fiction, especially space opera (a close contender is steampunk). Mind you, though, I wasn’t really part of the Star Wars crowd (I was more of a Harry Potter pre-teen) as I was growing up, so I can’t really point to the franchise as the origin of my interest. No, I’d say I started getting interested in the science part before I discovered that it could be fused with fiction. I loved encyclopedias and the annual almanacs when I was a kid, and up to this day it still baffles me a bit that I was that kind of kid before books and (eventually) the humanities dragged me into their fold. I was deeply fascinated by the heavenly bodies, and up until I realized I had acrophobia (fear of heights), I even wanted to be an astronaut. My venture into science fiction and its subgenres was a little less scholarly. I’m not ashamed to share that I fell in love with space opera through fan fiction, specifically an old X-Men fan fiction. That masterpiece really changed my reading experience.

It was my youngest sister, a bonafide bookstagram lurker, who introduced the Illuminae Files trilogy to me. All she said was, “It’s an epistolary. I think you’d like it,” and I was already purchasing the second book (she already bought the first one). This is where it gets kinda funny, because originally, I read Book 2 (Gemina) first before I picked up Book 1 again this summer. I read the words “...breaking up with her boyfriend” in the synopsis and I instantly got turned off haha! I easily dismissed Illuminae because I thought it was just another typical YA love story packaged differently (but ultimately still the same formula), and I was just so exhausted with the same old variations. For the record, I was wrong, okay. But anyway, my sister assured me that I wouldn’t miss much if I start withGemina (which, totally false) and that the spoilers were negligible (only because when I got “spoiled” in Gemina, I didn’t realize at the time the significance of what I found out ahead, and when I picked up Illuminae, I already forgot most of what happened in Gemina). [Story Time: End]

Now that story time is over, I just wanna point out that after typing this whole chunk of word vomit, I realized that I’m already so chatty and I haven’t even started on the books themselves! I swear, I’m only letting this run as long as this because it’s the first one, and I have a lot of behind-the-scenes anecdotes that I really want to share. I hope I don’t drive y’all away hahaha, so let’s just jump into the “review” part. 

The Gist  ✨

The year is 2575, half a millenium ahead of what constitutes as “today”. Human civilization has moved past the uncertainty of space explorations, of the search for the “second” Earth. Distant corners of the universe? Not so distant anymore. Space travel that spans light years? Now simply one “jump” away. For all the fancy technological advancements that humankind has achieved, they still aren’t beyond mass murder for the sake of money and resources. At least that’s what I gathered when megacorporation BeiTech Industries brutally massacred the citizens of a small far-flung colony called Kerenza IV, where there was a ongoing illegal mining of hermium, a precious resource in this universe. The trilogy revolves around the protagonists, victims and survivors of BeiTech’s brutal invasion, and their search for justice while fighting for their lives in the yawning emptiness of space. There are all sorts of characters within each book, including a Skynet AI, and all sorts of trouble as well.

Reactions   💖

Stylistics. As I’ve mentioned above, all three books are hashed out through a collection of files, chat logs, and video transcriptions to name a few. And duuuuuuude. Kaufman and Kristoff really did an incredible job with the lay-out of Illuminae Files--hats off to their entire team, there is no denying the genius behind their concept of what an epistolary is. It was exciting to dig into the books to examine every detail and every Easter egg that they left in each well-planned page. Although, I’ll be honest here, there were a few times that I really got confused and lost in the story--not in the sense that I was intensely absorbed with what was happening but rather, because there were a lot of details and clues to take in. It was easy to be overwhelmed by everything that was happening. Add the fact that there were events happening simultaneously, and were described in completely different media (this will make much more sense once you pick up the first book). I don’t consider it an entirely negative thing because the confusion really helped in blindsiding me from most of the major plot twists; in fact, I’d say I enjoyed the story more when my theories were debunked by the more awesome plot twists.

World-building and plot. Speaking of plot twists: the plot had some really well-placed surprises and shocks. I love that the romantic scenes were not distastefully added. In fact, instead of stealing the limelight from the major conflict as well as the science-and-technology “vibe” of the story, the romance further heightened the stakes that the protagonists were risking with every decision and plan they concoct. 

The authors did not give us 600-pages of long-winding narratives (per book) and chunks of justified text divided into chapters--no. They gave their readers a feast of visual exercise and yet, using less words (than a standard 300-page novel) and hardly a clear-cut linear plot progression, they raised a lot of important questions that we could use some time to ponder on (more about these in Part II--beware of spoilers, though!). What I always look for in science fiction (and fantasy as well, for that matter) is a well-executed world-building. It doesn’t matter if the premise is unique if the author did not manage to back the novelty of their idea; sometimes, if the world-building is particularly lacking, it really puts me off from the plot itself. In the trilogy, it wasn’t a problem at all, which helped to make me more absorbed with all the adrenaline-infused twists upon twists in the story. 

I also have to commend how well the authors incited reactions from their readers--at least in my reading experience. One particular conflict in Illuminae really gave me goosebumps and sent a chill down my spine (won’t elaborate haha you’ll know if you’ve read it!!). Ugh, remembering it as I type this has me shivering involuntarily again. Those were some real creepy scenes, I tell you.

Characters. Most of the protagonists (but not all) paired up in different points of the story, so it’s easy to view them as such: couples. I don’t think I hated any off the them, even with my initial avoidance in reading Illuminae because of Kady and Ezra’s established relationship; in fact, the romance between all of them turned out to be not overbearing at all. Having said that, I think it’s a great disservice to each character, especially the couples, to view them only within the confines of their relationship dynamics. Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff both did a great job in adding layers upon layers of character development of the protagonists; furthermore, they were not stingy in adding characters and giving them actual personalities, and even though at certain times the sheer amount of characters got really confusing, in the end I consider it a plus on their genius and detail-oriented world-building. These two did not hold back in conceptualizing and planning. They were good at deliberately leaving out certain information, that’s true, and they got me to believe that nothing was amiss--only to exclaim “oh shit…” when things finally fall into place. 

On the other side of the spectrum, BeiTech’s foot soldiers were ruthless and machine-like, and performed well as villains; however, what I loved about Illuminae Files are the details that the authors added--seemingly inconsequential details that will make you pause for a bit and remember that these brutal murderers are just as human as the protagonists, that while it’s easy to view them as merely “BeiTech”, there are still individuals behind the uniforms and high-calibre assault weapons. These details will lead you to the thought that both villains and heroes experience the same spectrum of human emotions, and it is jarring and terrifying to be reminded that only a thin line divides the two “sides”.

Anyway, this is where I’ll end Part I.

Watch out for Part II soon, which I will link below as soon as I’ve posted it.

Wow. So that was a pretty intense word vomit. Apologies for being so chatty, and if you managed to read this until the very end, thank you so much! I’d love to know what your thoughts are, if you’ve read the trilogy or if you’re planning to), etc. Let me know if you liked this type of in-depth (read: intense and overboard) review or if you hated it haha! Leave a comment or hit my ask box and I’ll be happy to reply! Part II will be up soon. See you! <3

Photo credits:

Book covers | bumblebeerosee on Redbubble

Space | Jeremy Thomas on Unsplash

Space (2) | Max McKinnon on Unsplash

#tricialucido #feature book review #illuminae files #amie kaufman #jay kristoff #science fiction #space opera #epistolary