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moonlit-seren · 2 years

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If Tears of Themis Wasn’t an AU

A/N: Aka Rosa and the NXX guys vs social media XD

Does anything really have to be said?

Z is a persona he set up on Tiktok, and it’s one of those anon accounts where they never reveal their face

Has millions of followers despite the anonymity

I swear half the people watching his content are just there for his hands (‘cause I’d be too 😳 jkjk)

But on a real note the videos are so aesthetically pleasing due to the phenomenal lighting in his studio and, of course, his sheer skill

His most popular clip was of a rough sketch of Rosa captioned with, “when will you notice me, my beloved Rose?”

There was a lot of speculation after that over who he had drawn or if that person was just an imagined muse

But!!! Once Rosa appeared for a split second to bring him a snack and let me just say… When people put the two and two together she gained a massive fan following of her own lmao (who wouldn’t simp for this queen tho)

The two are shipped so so hard, and honestly, there are now more people in the comments demanding for her to appear again than for Z to do a face reveal haha

It really doesn’t help that Marius’ brush always pauses whenever he spots her as if he’s too captivated by her beauty to continue ahhhh

Bonus:

Marius directed the camera at his finished painting of Rosa, and in the background viewers could hear his confession to her

Needless to say, their wishes came true and Rosa now appears quite frequently on screen as Z’s girlfriend and muse

Let’s be real here, even if social media is still a big thing in Stellis decades from now he wouldn’t use it

Sooooo, Rosa took it upon herself to set up an Instagram page for Themis Law Firm

Originally the account was made just to promote the law firm, but it quickly became a blog account upon commenters’ request (all confidential documents were meticulously hidden ofc)

A lot of funny moments were captured and posted from pictures of Kiki caught in the middle of fangirling to other employees falling asleep in front of the coffee machine

But… the account EXPLODED when the first picture of Artem was posted (with his consent of course, though tbh he probably only gave it because he can’t say no to Rosa lmao)

Bruhhh people were rioting in the comments over who would get to marry this fine fine bachelor and Rosa took it upon herself to take as many pictures of him as she could (once again with consent)

Themis’ client count skyrocketed and Celestine was over the moon with how high she could raise the charges for Artem’s services (people were desperate to see this man in person lol)

And all that extra revenue was poured back into upgrading the office as well as more extravagant company vacations

Bonus:

The next vacation took place on a cruise ship, and Rosa got so drunk that she posted a picture of Artem loosening his tie captioned with “Daddy? Sorry. Daddy? Sorry. 🥵🥵🥵”

Celestine saw the notification and quickly deleted it (but not without screenshotting the post and sending it to Artem first ehe)

Artem will never admit this to Celestine but he still deliberately rolls up his sleeves and loosens his tie years into his marriage with Rosa because he knows it flusters her

Another person who doesn’t use social media

Rosa felt bad for always standing in as Vyn’s teaching assistant without actually doing anything, so she decided to start a youtube channel with his permission

They’re all just videos of Vyn’s lecture, but oh my lord, people in the comments simp HARD (as they should~)

So many psych related pickup lines are dropped in the comments like: “I'm conducting an experiment, wanna come spend the night over so I can interpret your dreams?” Or “Professor, you'll be enhancing the duration of your short term memory tonight… by saying my name all night long.”

The list goes on and on… (Honestly, Rosa probably flips through the comments every morning to start her day off with a good laugh)

Though, one day Vyn paused in the middle of his lecture, stared dead at the camera, and said very sternly, “For all of you who are choosing to view this lecture online, I do hope you’re taking notes on the subject and not my face.”

After that the simping in the comments section died down a little and more people started discussing the topics of the videos… On the surface level at least, it wasn’t uncommon for people to reply to their own comments with their thirst messages haha

Bonus:

Once Vyn called Rosa up to the front of the room during a lecture about color psychology and handed her a bouquet of red tulips so that she could describe how the shade of the petals made her feel

When the class concluded and they were alone, he asked her the same question once again followed up with “and do you know what red tulips symbolize?”

As expected, she shook her head and so… Vyn leaned forward, gently gripping her chin as he whispered, “Our love will be eternal…”

Okay, that’s enough of that 😂

Sunshineeeeeee

(I love this man so much, he’s adorable)

Rosa suggested making vlogs to look back on in the future and Luke immediately agreed (sobbing)

This became a weekly thing, where they’d record ten minute videos of various activities

The first few involved Luke tinkering with the artifacts in his shop as he explained their history

Thinking that this might be a good way to promote Luke’s shop, they decided to start posting some of their videos to Youtube

Neither were expecting to get much recognition, but low and behold they did manage to attract a loyal group of viewers

Their most popular videos are most definitely their cooking vlogs

Luke had made a New Year’s resolution to learn how to cook more dishes and Rosa, of course, decided to join him

Let’s be real here tho, it isn’t only the cute interactions between Luke and Rosa that keep people coming back for more

Luke always does the heavy lifting (because he doesn’t want Rosa to get hurt 🥺) and like… those muscles are caught on 4k heheh

Rosa had to look away once when he was moving a pot of soup to the kitchen table, but even though Luke didn’t catch her blush, the camera most certainly did

Bonus:

Once they failed so epically at cooking that Rosa had to call Artem to guide them through the dish, and ohhhh boy, now every video there’s at least one top comment pleading for a cameo (have you heard his calls? I can’t blame them pft)

Rosa said that they’d invite him over if the channel hit 1 million subs (she also promised a shirtless Luke if the channel hit 10 million subs lmao, woman knows her audience~)

Unfortunately, that second goal was met a year later, though Rosa put an apron on him so that his abs were covered (she didn’t want random women on the internet ogling at her new boyfriend 👀)

#imagines #headcannons #tears of themis #tears of themis fanfic #tot #marius #artem #vyn #luke

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only-in-december · 3 years

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I saw a post recently (I think it was from @floralflowerpower) about songs and how they can have deeper meanings than we sometimes realize. And at one point Christian rock was mentioned, and as a Christian myself, I feel qualified to talk about that. (This post is long, and kinda rambly. It also ended up being me just fangirling over bands the whole time. Be warned.) (There are song recommendations though. But I'm unsure of how to link them all. There's a lot.)

Christian rock is most definitely a more recently accepted thing. Because older generations saw rock as the devil's music. It was evil. Any band that played it was evil.

Which brings me to the first artist I want to talk about, Larry Norman. He was in some ways, the first Christian rock artist. He challenged the view of "the devil's music" with songs like 'Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music' (I know, kinda on the nose there😅) 'The Great American Novel' is one of my personal favorites by him, because he uses the song to not only call out the problems with Christian culture, but also American culture. He was a pioneer for some of the other artists I want to talk aboqut, and definitely deserves mentioning.

Next I want to talk about Disciple. They're a lot more recent than Larry Norman. And as such, much more modern rock. Songs like 'Dear X' and 'Invisible' built my teenage years a lot. 'Dear X' is about how your past sins and mistakes don't own you as a person anymore. Shame and Pain and Hate can't take you back. 'Invisible' is more about how God can reach anyone. No one is too broken, too lost, too hurt, that He can't help. It's amazing.

Another band I want to talk about is Demon Hunter. They're probably the hardest rock group I'll talk about here. I personally don't listen to them much, because they are more of a screamy band at times, and I'm not into that. But still, songs like 'Dead Flowers' are much softer, it has a melody and is my favorite by them.

Kutless. I just have so much love for them. They're a group that does actual worship songs (as in albums,) and they do hard rock songs too. 'Million Dollar Man' 'Hearts of The Innocent' and their cover of 'Take Me In' are some of my top favorites. (Legitimately though, I could probably talk forever about them. I'm cutting myself short here.)

I'm going back in time to the 70s for a sec to talk Petra! 'Take Me In' is originally theirs, (although I prefer the Kutless version) and they also have gems like 'The Coloring Song.' I don't listen to them a lot either, because they're more old school rock, which isn't my thing. But 'The Coloring Song' IS my childhood.

Skillet is a Christian rock band, that I think is at least somewhat popular in secular groups too. The entire 'Awake and Alive' album is just amazing. They don't shy away from their faith, but not every song is explicitly Christian either. I can't recommend them enough.

Thousand Foot Krutch is one of my boyfriend's favorite bands. And yes. They have great music. 'Fly on The Wall' is amazing. 'Phenomenon' is....(don't say it don't say it don't sa-) phenomenal. They are a harder group sometimes, but still to notch.

Okay, last one for now. And probably my absolute favorite on this list I've made, is Red. I just can't say enough. They have harder songs like 'Infidel' 'Release The Panic' and 'Feed The Machine.' And they also have softer songs like 'Hold Me Now,' which I personally love. Songs like 'Glass House' 'Perfect Life' 'Cauterize' 'Only Fight' 'The Darkest Part' and 'The Evening Hate' are soo well done. And don't get started on their music videos. They have an entire storyline going through a bunch of them, leading into the video for 'The Evening Hate' which is literally 14 minutes long. I love them a lot.

TL;DR Christian Rock has a lot of variety, and is really good. (And also not evil devil music.) Thank you.

Feel free to ask me about any of these artists or songs. I might not be the most knowledgeable, but I'll do my best🙂🙂🙂

#music #Christian rock #Christianity #not fandom #Larry Norman #Kutless #Skillet #Disciple #Petra #Demon Hunter #Red #thousand foot krutch #there's a lot I didn't talk about too #but I rambled a lot #so I'll let it go

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life-rewritten · 3 years

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Gifts of BL! Aka Christmas Goodies For BL Fans Who Want Important Discussions About Representation.

Oh wow, we're closer to Christmas. Where has the time gone?. So here's a gift for you all—another list of great BLS that will make you have a great time. If you find it fun rewatching and feeling all the emotions from these love stories, then I hope you enjoy these. Today I bring you guys a list of recommendations for our sometimes serious, sometimes heartfelt, sometimes innovative educators in BL that are very much needed.

Ah, The educators, the teachers, the serious topics, the displays, the emotional moments. Some of these shows decided to surprise me when I came in expecting something odd and not realistic; only for them to break my heart but also humble me and teach me and others some of the crucial conversations we need to have about LGBTQ+ representation in BL. We have couples discussing about their sexuality accepting they are gay or bi(Yes not just in love with only one person but they actually embrace their sexuality), we have essential coming out scenes and looks into the mindsets of people who struggle with coming out and being in the closet, we have supportive families that have to learn and show our characters warmth because of their own experiences, and we have metaphorical outlooks of what it feels to have to please society with the result of losing ourselves. These are the great BLs, they break our hearts, but they make it hopeful to see people who go through their issues and come out in love, strong and protected and supported. Their journey is worth it, so if you want to find some shows that give you these feelings, then join me and let's look at these great representations in the BL genre.

BL has a bad rep. How could it not when the reason BLs were created was for straight girls who fangirled about two boys kissing. Not that I even hate fujoshi's, you're allowed to be whatever you want, like whatever you want as long as you don't cross the line and make people uncomfortable with outrageous demands or actions (like the fujoshi's in some BL shows). But BLS has become something more, though some people refuse to take them still seriously and doubt their authenticity, some people refuse to accept some shows as BL, they instead just call it a queer film or tv. But why? BL has become a place for people to run away into a fantasy of stories where there's drama, romance, comedy, mystery, passion and more. BL can be anything, and in 2020 BL showed it could be anything, it could be serious and well produced and not filled with its past problematic enquiries, it could be funny and still tug at the heartstrings, it could be deep and painful and full of lessons but still have a happy, hopeful ending, it could be any genre it wanted, from supernatural, action, thriller and more. BLs improved and also became a source for the representation of LGBTQ+. And I think that's beautiful. It might have a taken a while for people to learn, for own voices to find a way to write new shows, for risks to be made. But 2020 saw the influx of BLS that weren't just fan service but actually art or just good stories with a great message. Here are some of them.

Thai

Dark Blue Kiss

It's weird to say that Dark Blue Kiss is an excellent representation for the qualities needed in this list. But what can I say apart from the overbearing, jealous plotline and some irrational over reactiveness with some of our characters. Dark Blue Kiss and Kiss me again has always been a show that has been worth it. Dark Blue Kiss is one of the first Thai BLs, where we saw a supportive parent, and that's Pete's father. He's incredible; he's everything that's healthy, understanding and helpful. He makes jokes with Pete about his relationship but also supports and gives him advice. He's protective and sweet when it comes to Kao and Pete, and they are themselves when they're with him even daring to speak about things like intercourse etc. It's incredible; he was a breath of fresh air for parents we usually encountered in this genre. He had discussions with his son, and in doing so, we saw his son also have more conversations and discussions with his partner about what their sexuality was, why they should come out as a couple, why they were scared to do so, what was holding them back etc. Pete's dad isn't the only supportive parent with advice and warmth, we later also add Kao's mum to the list, she's always known about Pete and Kao and was waiting patiently for Kao to come on his own and tell her. It's incredible. Dark Blue Kiss brought out conversations that didn't seem meaningless, there was an actual exploration of the fears some people have with coming out, and it was brilliant and wonderful to see on screen. Honestly are we shocked? It's Backaof as the director; all his shows should be on this list, every single show of his explores these topics with care and heart. And it's incredible.

Why it's a gift

Deep conversations and moments where you see two people learn and wonder about their sexuality and how the world may react to it. Supportive parents that are understanding, helpful and sweet. A relationship that's incredible despite its flaw, shown wonderfully and thoughtfully. Even the hurtful moments like when Kao gets outed and also has to struggle with claims of being a predator is done well and leads to Kao finally accepting his fears and coming out to the people he loves. By the end of it, all Pete and Kao are back together, happy, finally healthy and mature. Dark blue kiss also explores these two ambitions, their dreams, their ideas for the future and more. And it also has a great friendship group worth stanning. Pete and Kao aren't the only couple in this show worth praising and noticing you also have Mork who goes through his own acceptance of his sexuality once he falls for Sun, they're also great and also have their own plot revolving around dreams, jobs and character and angst. A great side couple in BL. It's amazing.

Special mention:

My Dear loser: Another Backoaf directing, no words this is incredible, I think everyone knows how great this is despite the BL coupe being a side couple, that may have an ending that feels unfinished. You can watch both this and My sky for a full experience. This deals with everything so well and also has a great support system from friends. Chimon is such an amazing actor in this.

As always I leave a gift:

LINK HERE FOR MY DEAR LOSER IN/SUN CUT

DARK BLUE KISS EDIT FOR PETE KAO THEIR STORY

I told Sunset about You

I mention this show on every list; it's like not even a surprise anymore to see it. There's a reason why this show is incredible why people prefer to see it as a queer film instead of BL. Why people think calling it a BL is an insult (which I think why? A BL should be allowed to be seen as a good form of representation). This show has it all. Honestly, a great production company behind it, acting that's phenomenal, and a story that will blow your minds each time you watch it and try to piece it together. What's even more respectful about ITSAY is that it's a coming of age done well, it showcases feelings of the youth and how feelings are seen as a storm that can't be stopped.

Especially when you are struggling to understand your sexuality, we have two characters, Teh who learns as he grows that he has uncontrollable, addictive and crazy feelings for his best friend, they're drawn to each other, but Teh can't understand what he feels, he doesn't know what this means. He struggles to comprehend it as well with his struggles with ego, pride and selfishness because of his young age. Then we have his best friend Oh Aew he knows what he is, he also is torn apart by feelings when Teh reenters into his life, he also struggles through losing his self, individuality and his confidence because of his feelings for Teh. It's brutal, but one thing stands for sure, these two are meant to be together, these two love each other. Why is this so great? Because the directing and production of this show is serious, every single scene counts, every single action has a meaning, but also this show has incredible moments that show you the struggles of internalized homophobia.

It's something that's always mentioned in BLS as a struggle. Still, this show used scenes to show it, like for example, OH wearing his mother bra because he wished he was born a girl to be with Teh. Still, then he breaks down in self-loathing only to later stand up and embrace who he is, and Teh who finally comes out to his brother in a heart-wrenching scene; another supportive and healthy relationship who understands him and tells him it's okay to be who he is, to be with Oh, to be brave and take a leap to what he wants. His brother's conversation is everything someone who struggles with the same issues wants to hear; it's a healing effect, a hopeful and painful realization that some people don't have someone like Oh and Teh's family who help them and let them accept who they are.

It's a journey of discovering the truth about how so many people have to go through this fear because of what society put in our heads, it's a wake-up call, but the fact that ITSAY has a happy ending despite all the realistic representation and angst is a hopeful meaning for everyone who saw themselves in Oh and Teh. It's incredible.

Why it's a gift:

It's unbelievable; it's not told to you but shown to you the amount of struggle some people can have when they're coming of age and realizing their sexuality. It's a beautiful representation of what it's like to fall in love: the angst, pain, healing but also sabotage, and the growth. It's produced with so much effort and hard-work and research on what would be an excellent story for LGTBQ to see. One of the best made BLs; this is not us being dramatic.

.A Gift for You

GREAT OST PLAYLIST OF ITSAY

An Edit For Teh/OH

He's coming to me

Another Backoaf, directing masterpiece. This show is incredible. Like words can't explain how good this show is. Words can't describe what a gift this show still is. How much a BL like this was needed. First, this show is already unique; it deals with supernatural world-building, with ghosts and mysteries of death/murder, it deals with also coming of age, and falling in love and accepting your sexuality. It has two confirmed gay characters who we see explore and finally reveal who they are, they've both known and as they fall in love, they have to go through the angst of what it means that they love each other.

It's incredible, not just because of the fact that Thun's ability to see ghosts and his need to hide that also mirrors his need to hide his sexuality, the way he breaks down later after realizing that people won't let him just be him or the way people made him feel bad for being who he is. The way that Mes also went through the same thing before he died, and the person who connected them was Thun's mom. She's incredible, and I still believe the coming-out scene of Thun to his mum is one of the best as incredible as his confession on the rooftop to Mes as he breaks down in the rain because he's afraid he's been left.

The amount of repressed feelings these two hides is insane, and when they later confront it, it's like OMG really they knew about their feelings all along? It's incredible, with a show that already has an incredibly well thought out plot about ghosts and supernatural, but it also has two characters that are fleshed out, who both have discussions with everyone around them about what they are and the way they have a happy ending after all the angst and tears. It's worth it thousand times over and over again. This show is just great. And no one else can do it like Backaof he just has the most excellent formulas: supportive family members, supportive friend unit, serious conversations about sexuality and feelings, important relationships and no censorship, unique plotlines and risks. He's incredible. No words.

Why this is a gift?

The actors are also one of Thailand BLs veterans. Both of them are incredible and nuanced in their scenes; they make you cry, scream, sigh, and swoon. They make you learn, and it's fantastic, they're amazing people. They're worth it both Ohm Pawat and Singto, their performances are incredible. Every character in this show is fleshed out and necessary, the plot makes sense and isn't written haphazardly, and the directing is phenomenal. Watch it.

A gift for You

He’s coming to me the whole show

PINOY

Gaya Sa Pelikula

This time we have the Philippines if Thai isn't your cup of tea I guess. This show is just, so great? It was made with the intention for representation, a love story to the LGBTQ community, actors devoted to researching and learning about the topics presented in the show. This show is outstanding, no words, it's not preachy, but it's still educative. Not one episode goes back when you don't see the effort and brilliance of this show; each message of each episode is so important and needed. The story isn't afraid to explore topics which haven't been shown correctly in this genre, and it's so good they did.

We have two characters, one a gay out guy (Vlad) who is very bitter about everyone and how they treated him, he's dying to be loved for who he is, and he's desperate to find a safe space where he can be himself loud and proud, he falls in love with another (Karl) who is more in the closet, with secrets that you discover later about his circumstance he's not sure of who he is and as the show progresses he and us get educated about everything. He learns to accept that he is gay.

This show is about self-acceptance, love and healing. By falling in love; our characters are forced to question everything about who they are, what they've gone through and how that shaped them, and we realize that both perspectives is right in their own way. The show is for people who feel like the guy who's out, who wants to be proud and tell the world he's in love but also it's for people like his partner who feel guilty for struggling and having anxiety about accepting who they are, but this show doesn't force him out, it doesn't force them to be together, it just becomes a realistic story full of hope about the future of these two. It's a healing show; it makes you question your self, it makes you go through your own journey of how you feel you're perceived in the world, it takes you on a trip of your own self-learning, exploration and discovery. And it ends making you feel grateful for the experience of it all.

Why it's a gift:

I think the best thing about this show is the other extra gifts it brings. It's music playlist, it's like your own gift bundle of new artists to explore and listen to every song is beautiful and needed, with different messages and feelings, you will find one music you love in this playlist, and you'll end up spending hours weeping about them. But it's beautiful, it's euphoric, and the show is worth it. The show has amazing actors and a great team of people behind the scenes. The writer is brilliant, poetic and serious; he knows how to make a plot. He knows how to teach you without you feeling patronized, he knows how to humble you if you didn't know anything before. He's just great.

A gift for You

GSP OST PLAYLIST- THE BEST

Gameboys

I haven't mentioned this show on here before, which is sad because it really should be praised. It's an outstanding show that showed up during a time where the world was on pause. Gameboys provided a gift for everyone who looked for something during the lockdown in the pandemic. The fact it revolves around events in the pandemic, it uses it as a great plot device and has important moments that touch your heart and make you reflect on the situation without being too heavy.

Gameboys is incredible; it also has a unique storyline, a Gameboy and his fanboy who falls in love with him and is confident he can win over his heart. Except, our Gameboy Cairo has to go through some self-exploration first, some self-healing and acceptance, some coming to terms with guilt and self-hatred he feels for things that happened to his past. This show makes you cry, so bring the tissues, I mean every show on this list probably does, but this show has so many moments, we have supportive parents, but even in a more heartbreaking way, we have warnings of what happens when people selfishly out people, the consequences of that, how much anxiety and fear you can have as you deal with internalized homophobia and being in the closet, how it affects family members, and what it means to finally accept who you are and stand up for who you are. It's brilliant, painful, but it also makes you grin from so many heartfelt moments we needed during a dark time. The actors are also amazing, and they make you feel everything they feel so naturally, they're also three dimensional and have exciting character arcs. There's a great support system as well in this show, with the best friend, who makes you smile whenever you see her. This show is worth it.

Why is it a gift?

I feel like without knowing it Gameboys was an actual gift for everyone who was struggling during the pandemic, it showed the reality of what was going on, but it also showed healing and hope and happiness derived from being in quarantine and lockdown. It showed that even in lockdown nothing had to stop, we could still fall in love, grow and learn about our selves if we wanted to. It also had a great love story to follow that was both funny, romantic and heartfelt. The directing was genius also, and it touched many people. It was outstanding.

A gift for You

ALT GAMEBOYS: A SIDE STORY FOR ONE OF THE CHARACTERS

JAPANESE

Cherry Magic

Finally, we come to this gem of a show. What else can we say about Cherry Magic? Oh I know, no one expected this Japanese BL to be so full of heart, joy, magic but also depth. This show is just ridiculously good, it's not as painful as the other shows, it's slower and more softer than the other angst in the other shows, but this show still tugs at your heartstrings and makes you laugh and cry. It deals with everything that has already been mentioned: self-acceptance, questioning of sexuality, trying to please society that you lose your self, being brave and finding your self, loving your self, etc.

It's just so great, it's also unique a story about magic and reading minds that our main character has. As he realizes his person (Kurosawa) loves him, we watch Adachi struggle through self-hate, self-deprecation and anxiety to finally come out of his shell and become who he wants to be. This show has an incredible love interest who's just wonderful, he's the ideal man, but that doesn't mean he's one dimensional or stale.

He's also deep, and has his own flaws and hurts, and the way he loves Adachi is just breathtaking and frankly makes you so jealous. Why is this show for representation? Because it's a slice of life of an office romance, it deals with what people go through in life, the gruels and requirements from work whilst also watching both our characters choose to be brave and come out to each other and pick each other despite their fears about what their environment thinks.

These two are each other's healing, comfort, support system and they both have incredible personalities. This show is also quite deep, you wouldn't think so, but when you listen to the dialogues and watch some of the scenes, you'll see how deep this show can be for its characters whilst still being fluffy. It perfectly represents the fear of coming out and coming to terms of having feelings for someone you weren't expecting. Its message is more hidden, but it's still great for conversations about representation, in my opinion.

Why it's a gift?

It was made as one; the last episode is coming on Christmas haha. This show takes some tropes of BL and chooses a healthier option, it also just fleshes out its characters incredibly, you watch how Adachi and Kurosawa changed each other's life without knowing and how their love keeps being needed by each other in many ways. It also is called Cherry Magic, because this show is magical, it makes you grin, be happy and excited from seeing one episode, it tugs at your heartstrings whilst making you blush and squeal from happiness. Its softness is something to look forward to after a hard day of whatever real life looks like to you, it has a healing effect, a warm effect and it makes you smile and forget your troubles in those few minutes. It's wonderful.

A gift for You

Adachi and Kurosawa EDIT

I hope you enjoy these shows they’re all incredible, they’ll surely make you smile and be happy. They’re all important in their own way, if you haven’t seen any have a go and see which you love. Let me know if I’ve missed some, to be honest I chose the ones that had scenes with important discussions that make you think or scenes that bring out emotions and feelings but also make you learn and realise something. Hope you enjoy the recommendations or if you’ve watched them before hope you enjoy the reviews and commentary. Merry Christmas guys :)

Other recommendations

GIFTS OF BL FOR FANS WHO LOVE ANGST, DRAMA AND PASSION

#thai bl #japanese bl #pinoy bl #itsay #i told sunset about you #bl series #bl drama #gaya sa pelikula #dark blue kiss #he's coming to me #gameboys the series #cherry magic! thirty years of virginity can make you a wizard?!#cherry magic #christmas #wrpup #december

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shoichee · 3 years

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hello! thank you for allowing the askbox requests too. can i please have a scenario for kise with a writer s/o? like, she works very hard to become a better writer even though she is quite good and always ends up getting really tired and sad. she also writes kise a lot of love letters expressing her love and how thankful she is for having him there.

Hello, my anonnie!! Sorry it took a while! I wanted for this scenario to REALLY TURN OUT GOOD, so I have been racking my head in how to write this request for a while... hope you like it!

Scintillating

Kise x Reader

Word Count: 1985

»»—————　☼　—————««

I would love to open up today’s journal entry with the typical cliché I often read in books: “The setting sun was gorgeous, its rays burning and illuminating everything in the cloud-filled skies,” or somewhere along those lines, but when I look up, it's quite the opposite. The skies I am now accustomed to are dreary blank canvases, with the exception of scattered smog and smoke as clouds, mimicking splattered black paint.

The sun, in its atrocious highlighter-yellow glory, gave way to a blobby, deflated orange in approximately 23 minutes, which meant that I didn’t have much time left before darkness would blanket the whole city for the next couple hours.

You sighed. Dropping the lead pencil with a clank, silence pervaded the room once again, save for the unnerving ticks of the wall clock. Another sigh escaped from you. The pencil that was dropped haphazardly on the desk was now delicately grasped by calloused fingers. There was still much work to do, yet your mind always drifts to these dinky daydreams. Years of writing have done a number on your hands; they’re no longer the smooth, silky skin encasing aching bone, yet Kise always reassured you that your hands are proof of your hard work.

A break would do, you thought.

Strained eyes turned away from paper to squint even harder out the window, trying to hurry the skies to grow dimmer so you can see Kise soon.

The sunset... a collection of fireworks of color... so, why do they look so drab to you?

Your eyes turned away from the window back to the inked paper. A frustrated noise escaped from your throat. The last thing that paper saw was your glare before it was crumpled up and tossed away. The pencil soon followed after. You just can’t seem to have the same knack for writing like you once did before.

When you think about Kise’s phenomenal improvement in his basketball skills compared to your own lengthy rut, your heart thumps a dull pain that was slowly, but surely, eating the rest of your self-confidence away.

So what do you do to cope? You rested your head on your messy desk before dozing off into a numbing sleep.

———

“... cchi? (y/n)-cchi? (y/n)-cchi?”

“... Mmm?”

You drowsily opened your eyelids, not registering the fact that you had ink transferred from the paper to your pressed cheek but more hyper-focused on the feel of Kise’s lips on your forehead and his arms around your waist.

Wait… Kise?

“... Ryōta? Wh-where did you come from?”

“Practice was done a while ago, and you weren’t picking up your phone,” he chuckles, admiring your state of drowsiness. “So after looking around for you, I came to your house. Your parents let me in.”

You shot up and quickly shook your head awake, ignoring the surprised but amused look Kise gave you.

“Ah—I… I forgot to write you a letter!” you panicked, scrambling to look for the pencil you chucked across the room earlier and simultaneously pushing Kise out the room. You only meant to take a short nap before you started your customary love letters for your boyfriend. As much as you knew they were cheesy and that they pissed off his fangirls to no end, writing them was the only dependable way for you to express your feelings to him. It was how you confessed to him, and it was how you were able to be honest with him up until now.

“Wha—? (y/n)-cchi, as much as I love your cute letters, I want to spend time with you too—”

“B-but—!”

Kise sighed before he swiftly maneuvers your attempts to push him out and gently scoops you up to nuzzle against your neck. “You’re usually not in a hurry like that,” he murmurs. “Have you been overworking yourself?”

“... Not particularly,” you said, averting your eyes.

You knew that Kise didn’t buy your words.

This was where you sometimes wish Kise wasn’t so sharp and intuitive, because you could feel his intense gaze piercing through your soul and exposing your most vulnerable side.

He placed you down on the edge of your bed before he gently bumps his forehead against yours. All you could do was hold eye contact with him as he gives you a concerned gaze from such a close distance.

“You don’t feel sick,” he mumbled. “Your temperature feels just fine.” But as he continued to look into your eyes, he knew something was amiss. “(y/n)-cchi, what’s wrong?”

He immediately backs up and sits on the floor to give you space, patiently looking up at you as you continue to sit on the edge of the bed.

“I…” you started, and your inability to properly express yourself haunts you again. Kise reassuringly caressed your calloused hands, and you took a deep breath before you tried again. “I’m… feeling a slump. I don’t feel like I’m good enough.”

You expected Kise to immediately jump on you to reassure you with sweet nothings and kisses, but here he was, furrowing his brows in deep contemplation at your words. A heavy silence pervaded your room.

“... When?”

“Ryōta?”

He looks up at you again, capturing you in his gaze. “When did you feel this way?”

You widen your eyes in complete surprise. Of all things to say, of all things to ask, this certainly wasn’t what you expected. You were waiting to hear a “what?” “how?” a “who?” or even a “why?”

“Well…” you hesitated. “Just very recently.”

“I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to notice until now,” he said. “Things have just been really busy on my end—but it’s not an excuse for my negligence, (y/n)-cchi! I promise I’ll do better as your—”

“Ryōta!” you interrupted, slightly amused at his flustered state. “You’re already doing so much for me, silly. It’s not because of you.”

“Uh… it’s not?”

“I just… feel like I can’t get better at writing at all. I just want to… be able to better express how I feel about myself, about you, about the world around me… but words are just so… out of reach.”

“But I think you’re an amazing writer, (y/n)-cchi. I always adore your letters, and the teachers love your essays,” Kise said.

“I think your basketball skills are jaw-dropping, and all the coaches praise you, Hell, you’re known as one of the Generation of Miracles. But even so, when you can’t improve yourself, don’t you get frustrated?”

At your words, Kise crossed his arms with a pout as he averts your eyes. “Yeah, well… I guess when you put it like that…”

“What are you being so shy for?” you cocked an eyebrow at him.

“(y/n)-cchi, you complimented my basketball skills!”

“But I always do in my letters.”

“Yeah, on paper! This is the first time I heard you say it out loud!”

His ridiculousness never ceased to make you laugh, and at the sound of your fit of giggles, Kise moves his head back to you as he lets out a few chuckles of his own. “You finally smiled.”

“Ah? Well, you always seem to know how to cheer me up,” you smiled, but almost just as quickly, you resignedly sighed again at your current predicament.

In response, Kise stands up and deftly picks your figure up before settling you on his lap on the bed. You were face to face with him, and you placed your hands on his shoulders to steady yourself. His face grows serious again.

“I know cheap words won’t mean anything, but believe me when I say that I really do love everything about you,” he softly said. He brushes your stray hair away from your face. “... from the way you brush your hair from your face when you’re deep in thought.” He smooths out the wrinkle from your brows with the pad of his thumb. “... the way you furrow your brows when you read something challenging.” He moves to hover his thumb against the plush of your lips. “... the way you bite your lips or chew on your pencils whenever you’re concentrating.” He gently encases your rough hands in his own. “... and I especially love the way your hands flurry across the paper when you’re inspired.” He kisses your hands. “From your hands, I get letters that always make my day, (y/n)-cchi.”

“I know that this slump won’t be easy to overcome, but I’ll always be here to support you. You can always lean on me if things become too much, and I will always try to help you in any way if you ask. It’s never a burden for me and never will be. You always make me happy, so… I want to make you happy, too.”

You sat there, silently digesting his every word. His words struck a chord in your heart, and before you knew it, the ever-so familiar tears streaked down your cheeks.

“Wh-What’s wrong, (y/n)-cchi?! Did I say something that hurt you?! (y/n)-cchi, oi—!”

“A-ah, well,” you said, wiping the runny tears from your face. “You just made me very happy, Ryōta.”

“W-well don’t scare me like that! Aren’t you not supposed to cry when you’re happy?!”

———

It was another typical morning at Kaijo, but Kise’s mind was filled with thoughts of you. Were you feeling better? Are you okay? Were you pushing yourself too hard again? That was something he’ll see for himself when he’ll meet with you during break.

As he opens his locker to change his shoes, he mindlessly sifts through a plethora of fanmail and letters, until he sees a very familiar penmanship.

The letter was yours.

But you always send your letters before he opens the lockers again after school. That has always been your routine. Kise holds your letter like it was his lifeline and safeguards it in the inner pocket of his uniform blazer, and he manages to escape the clutches of Kasamatsu when he runs to a secluded corner of the courtyard to open your letter in childish anticipation.

Dearest Ryōta,

With nothing to do except to wait for school to start soon to see you again, I curiously peer out the window from the room, tapping my hands on the cool table, now that the sun was rising. It was breezy, windy enough to gently tousle a few flyaway strands of my hair. I remember constantly staring at the neighborhood, the familiar trees, the familiar streetlights, but now, they emanate a different feeling when I looked out this morning.

The sunrise, usually being a stale, flat orange, was now bursting with colors ever since I locked eyes with you last night, and it made the outstretched view I experienced from the room suddenly… bigger. I still remember how you made me feel much smaller, more vulnerable in just a matter of minutes of staring into your golden eyes. The sky became a giant bruised mango of various vivid reds, oranges, yellows, and purples, and it casted all of its glow onto everything below them. It made everything so surreal, like a painting, and I couldn’t fathom to see that even such a previously dismal place could have the potential to even look ethereal with just the effect of your words.

The sight truly reminded me of you, you who outshines everyone in my vision. You’re the one who truly captures my gaze.

I hope today, and the next few days, the next few months, and the next few years, will shower you in everlasting warmth. I hope I can become that source of warmth for you for a long time, just as you have for me.

In truth, I think your words have truly moved me so much that I’ve been inspired once again. I will continue to be relying on you, and I hope you can rely on me, too.

Thank you.

I love you.

(y/n).

….

Bonus: Kise was on cloud-nine throughout the entire day, including during practice after school. Not even Kasamatsu’s kicks snapped him back to reality.

#ask #kise x reader #kise ryota #kise ryota x reader #kise ryouta #knb #knb x reader #knb scenarios #kuroko no basket #anon

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olicitytropes · 5 years

Text

Olicity Tropetastic Awards: Fandom Writers

And with this post, we’re at our final rec list for this year’s Tropetastic Awards! Thank you everyone for helping us make it through this hiatus! (instant tears)

We can’t express how much we love Olicity, this fandom, and every writer who shares their stories with us. We wish we could buy you all some real trophies (or give you a really good hug) for the time and effort you’ve poured into your fics! There are just so many talented writers that we’ve talked about and fangirled over. Hopefully through this process, we’ve been able to shine some light on all of that talent. And we hope that everyone in this fandom can appreciate and respect it as much as we do! We could’ve made this post go on forever, so all of the kudos to all of you<3

As fans, we’ve followed Arrow for seven seasons, and we’ve found so many fanfics along the way that touched us and pulled at our heart strings as much as (sometimes more than) canon. It’s hard to put into words how much that means to us, but we had to try;) Here are some writers who we want to thank. And of course, they’re only the tip of the iceberg on this giant, powerful fandom.

We will always, always, always love you.

@smoaking-greenarrow’s recs:

** @supersillyanddorky06 **

Strangers in the Night

The Firebird

The Predator

The Phoenix & The Phoenix Rises

Award: The Alternate Universe Specialist

Kudos: I’ve been so happy to let @supersillyanddorky06’s worlds distract me from real life when I needed it. The Firebird was my study-break savior in college when I needed to step out of reality and stop stressing over finals. Devouring The Phoenix and The Phoenix Rises kept me up way too late reading and made me way too tired for work the next morning, but it was so worth it! There are infinite things to love about Olicity, and infinite things to love about this talented writer. Matty, I know I can speak for more than just myself when I say that your stories mean a lot to this fandom. You’re already one of my favorite authors, but I can’t wait to read The Predator as a novel. And watch it captivate the rest of the world like it did for Olicity fans. Arrow captured lightning in a bottle when they got Stephen and Emily on screen together, and I think the same thing happened when you watched the show, fell in love with Olicity, and decided to write fanfic for them. I’m beyond excited to see what you do next, and low-key telling myself that I basically got to read a first draft of The Predator before it becomes a bestseller ;)

Bonus Kudos: MY QUEEN. Sending you all the love for the hours I’ve spent with your amazing fics! Finding an email notification that The Predator had updated always made me squeal out loud! Thanks forever for that! -Meegan (@it-was-a-red-heeler)

** @it-was-a-red-heeler **

Lost and Found

A Dance with the Devil

Desperation Club

Deep Water

Award: The Storyline Mastermind

Kudos: I know that when I start one of Meegan’s fics, it’s going to be satisfying from start to finish. I first read Lost and Found, and I was so impressed with it that I had to write this little fic review. Everything that I read of hers after that was just as wild and just as incredible. She’s a genius at pacing, building tension, and plot twists. Meegan, I’m so happy I’ve had the chance to read your dreamy and steamy versions of Olicity. And I’m even happier that we’ve had the chance to get to know each other because of this fandom. Be my friend and stay forever, K?

** @tangled23works **

Like A River

Whatever It Takes

Nothing Short of Perfect

My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark

Broken Bones and Porcelain Dolls

Award: The Hook, Line and Sinker

Kudos: Sascha writes the kind of fics that I don’t want to put down. She’s insanely good at picking up her story in the perfect place, one that keeps me hooked and wanting to read more (and since those important first words are something I often struggle with, I’m so envious of her for that;)). All of the kudos to you my friend, for your out of the box thinking! Sascha, I’m so happy that you share your writing with all of us, and just your presence in this fandom in general is amazing. I can’t even tell you how many times you’ve brightened my day! Thank you for being the talented writer and awesome person that you are!

** @mindramblingsfics **

Forget Me Not

Will Fate Allow?

Summer Flame

Was It Ever Real?

Award: The Creative Trailblazer

Kudos: @mindramblingsfics I have so many praises to sing for you, but most of all I just think you’re insanely cool. The way you craft your fics is so unique and clever. You take us on a journey with everything you write. You take all of our favorite tropes and spin them on their heads in ways I’ve never seen before. I’ve never read a summary or teaser of yours that didn’t make me excited to read the story, and those stories are always better than I imagined. Thank you for all of your special fics, and all of your hard work. We all appreciate it so much!

Bonus Kudos: Oh my goodness. This amazing writer. I cannot even begin to thank you for your incredible works! They always leave me wanting more. Summer Flame is one of my Top 5 favorite fics of all time! Along with Whiskey and Romance too! From the bottom of my heart, thank you for writing such wonderful fics! -Caitlin (@blondeeoneexox)

** @felicityollies **

Vampire and the Geek

Secrets Don’t Make Friends

Trust Me

Doppelgänger

Award: The Jack of All Trades

Kudos: I dare you all to try to find a fic from Bev that doesn’t give you everything you’re looking for. This writer can do it all, and it’s amazing. I promise you’ll be impressed by every world you jump into and you’ll fall in love with every version of Olicity that you read. Bev, I’m blown away by every story of yours, you never disappoint, and I can’t wait to read more! Thank you for everything you’ve given this fandom!

@blondeeoneexox’s recs:

** @smoaking-greenarrow **

The Hardest Part

Mine at Midnight

Just Beneath the Surface

Come Back When You Can

My Favorite Faded Fantasy

Kerosene and Desire

Award: Queen of Olicity Happy Endings

Kudos: Okay, y’all are going to have to forgive me cause this is about to get really sappy and kinda personal. @smoaking-greenarrow’s fics were the first I read after joining this wonderful fandom. I was so in awe of her talent and how she could make you feel like you were really inside the fic. How she could make me laugh, cry, and really bring out the sap in me. I wanted to talk to her and rave to her about how amazing she is, but I didn’t want to be THAT person, you know? 😂 Then one day SHE messaged ME about something totally different (😉) and I was SO excited! I actually got to tell her how incredible her fics were without seeming like a crazy person, hahaha. Now, she’s my best friend in this fandom and I am SO beyond lucky to have her. Thank you for not thinking I was some random, psycho fan girl, E. I am so thankful for you and for your absolutely phenomenal writing. If you haven’t read her fics, please do yourself a favor and go do it right now! I’d start with Mine at Midnight and work down the list. You won’t regret it. 😘

Bonus Kudos: Ellie, what can I say? Besides your unsolicited review of my little fic that launched me under the fandom’s nose (forever grateful for that, my friend) your fics are beyond amazing! So many great stories to choose from, all of them a world I can fall into with my favorite couple. Love ya! -Meegan (@it-was-a-red-heeler)

** CSM **

Lucas’ Adventures

Impeccable Genetics

A Future Worth Fighting For

Almost, But Not Yet

Award: Queen of Time Travel Fics

Kudos: Oh my goodness. Nikki! I am COMPLETELY OBSESSED with her time traveling kid fics. From Ellie to Mia to Lucas, it doesn’t get any better. She puts wit, charm, sass and hilarity into every single one of her amazing works. I am currently obsessed with Lucas’ Adventures (updated every Sunday in case y’all wanna start 😉), where a sweet 10 month old Lucas shows up and completely disrupts S2 Oliver and Felicity’s lives! If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend along with every other one of her kid fics. She is an absolutely incredible writer, I’m so happy to know her and love her works!

Bonus Kudos: Nikki, Lucas’ Adventures is exactly what I need and want to be reading in this trying time. While Arrow and season 8 look very daunting and sad right now, this fic has been so much fun to read. Can’t wait to see what you do next, and thank you! -Ellie (@smoaking-greenarrow)

** @alexiablackbriar13 **

little wonders (twists and turns of fate)

whenever you’re ready

#olicity lives!

two pints of mint chip it’s a girl

Award: Queen of Canon Divergence

Kudos: Oh boy. @alexiablackbriar13. Where do I even begin? I’m sure as all of you know, she is a PHENOMENAL writer! From little wonders to all of her amazing one shots, I’m forever in awe of her writing! I think my absolute favorite though would have to be little wonders, because OBVIOUSLY. She took canon and transformed it into something the Arrow writers couldn’t DREAM of doing. I remember when she posted the teaser of this story. I knew it was going to be one of a kind, and it did not disappoint! GO READ IT IF YOU HAVEN’T, YOU ARE MISSING OUT. 😍 and I can’t forget my other favorite, whenever you’re ready. I remember reading this and SOBBING. Mia and Lucas travel back to 2019 and meet their parents. It’s a fic that should be read by all. You’re sensational, Lexi. This fandom is so lucky to have you!

** @dust2dust34 **

Four Walls (Of Law Firms and Honey)

Forever is Composed of Nows

Wanna Be Yours

(i will be the fire) that keeps you warm

Award: The Fandom’s Real MVP of Smut

Kudos: BRE. Okaaay, I don’t think this writer needs any introducing. I mean, one of the masterminds of the perfection that is FICON? Come ON. What you have given this fandom is more than I could put into words. From your oneshots to your sultry, smutty, smut fics, to the beautiful multi-chapters you’ve created, your writing is unparalleled. I, on behalf of the fandom, want to thank you for all of your masterpieces! They are truly incredible and we are so lucky to have you!

Bonus Kudos : Bre, I will forever be grateful to the time you have spent writing Olicity fics and obsessing over Felicity Smoak and Oliver Queen. Through the years you have become a master of your craft and I honestly can’t wait for your next story. Thank you for everything. -Sascha (@tangled23works)

@allimariexf’s recs:

** @MachaSWicket **

Deceive, Inveigle, and Obfuscate

And Then It Ends, Your Little Winning Streak

Long Time Coming

The Unbearable Hotness of Being

Va Banque

Award: Master of the Essence of Olicity

Kudos: How can I possibly summarize why Macha’s works are so special? She writes with a perfect blend of compelling plot, moving emotional development, and effortlessly beautiful prose. She writes characters that jump off the page, so that we hurt and rejoice and lust with them. She adds elements of surprise and delight to even the most well-worn tropes, infusing them with the essence of Olicity. Her canon-related and AU stories always feel like just another (and in many cases, better) path that Oliver and Felicity could have taken. Every word she writes is a treat, every story is a gift to the fandom. I know this sounds effusive but it’s barely scratching the surface of how amazing her works are! I have definitely laughed, cried, and everything in between while reading (and re-reading...and re-re-reading, etc.) her stories. (Okay also I already listed 5 of her stories, but I also have to mention two more: the utterly delightful AU WIP Our Version of Events (co-written with geneeste), and fandom-favorite Little Black Dresses and King-Sized Messes.)

** @anthfan **

Devil’s Backbone

Tropes

Times like these

Tell me a story

Dust to Dust

Above and Beyond

Award: Queen of Canon-related Tropes to end all Tropes

Kudos: anthfan’s stories were some of the first I read in this fandom, and WOW what a high bar she set. Those of you who know me know that I tend to prefer canon-related stories to AUs (well okay, more recently I have begun to love AUs too, but canon-related will ALWAYS own me), and anthfan just hits that pitch-perfect spot of great storytelling - intriguing twists, heartfelt scenes, perfect characterization, and ANGST - OH, THE ANGST - while still remaining in that familiar Arrow universe we all know and love. And nowhere does she shine as well as when she’s taking well-known tropes and giving them a uniquely Olicity twist. Devil’s Backbone remains my favorite Olicity fic of all time (probably!), but truthfully I wish I could read every one of these stories over and over again for the first time.

Bonus Kudos: I thought the first chapter of Dust to Dust would actually kill me, but it proved itself to be clever and badass and witty and FUN! As far as Devil’s Backbone goes, I watch Season Three now and just assume all the stuff from the fic is going on after hours (headcanon accepted)—one of my all-time favorite stories! -Meegan ( @it-was-a-red-heeler)

** @mogirl97 **

Crazy for You

Along The Way

Sportsmanlike Conduct

The Offer

It Takes Two

Award: Master of Swoony, Romantic AUs

Kudos: So I mentioned above that I only recently (in the past year or so) really got into AUs, and mogirl97 offered a crash course that I couldn’t resist! I started with Along the Way and I was HOOKED, quickly gobbling up everything else she wrote, and it was all equally swoon-worthy. She has a way of making you absolutely fall in love with each of her universes, and every time a story comes to an end I never want to let it go. Sweet, soft, longing, gently angsty - those words can describe basically all of her stories. And romantic. So, soooo romantic!

** bri617 **

Across The Highs, The Lows, And The In-Betweens

Did It Hurt When You Fell From Heaven?

Without You (I’m Incomplete)

You Were Mine (Just For One Night)

Freeze Frame, Pause, Rewind, Stop

Award: Queen of Fluffy AUs

Kudos: bri617 is just a master of FUN. Fluffy, fluffy, soft, delightful FUN! She has cornered the market on college AUs, but basically everything she writes captures that perfect blend of flirty, simmering, quirky, playful, slightly-awkward, mutual heart-eyes Olicity that we all crave. In every one of her stories, I fall in love with Oliver and Felicity and Olicity all over again, and laugh my ass off while doing it.

@tangled23works’ recs:

** @someonesaidcake **

Ride or Die

ONE (Oliver The Footballer)

Truly, Madly, Stupidly

Award: Queen of Emotional Impact

Kudos: I’ve been trying to find a way to explain how I feel when I read @someonesaidcake’s fics and I keep failing. The best way to understand what I’m talking about would be to start reading them yourself, if you haven’t already. These stories are powerful enough that they’re gonna make you cry, smile and wish you could experience such a unique, powerful love story in real life. The fandom was truly blessed when this amazingly talented author decided to write Olicity fics.

** @olicityaddicted **

Never Tear Us Apart

One More Chance

And She Will Be Loved

Award: Queen of Heartfelt And Comforting Romance

Kudos: I chose @olicityaddicted for my second award because, to be honest, she deserves to be far more appreciated than she is. Her stories provide a safe refuge for me, a place where I can relax and forget about real life for a while. Her brilliance lies in simplicity; her fics will not punch you in the gut but make you feel like you’re cocooned in gentle warmth and Olicity love.

** @bindy417 **

Caught in the Rapture

Arrows & Airwaves

Bound to You

Award: Queen of Page-Turners

Kudos: @bindy417’s complex and beautifully drafted stories are one of the reasons I enjoy reading Olicity fics so much. She has written one of my all-time favorite Al Sah-him fics. I made the mistake of reading it on a bus once and missed my stop. Seriously, there are published books which are less well-thought-out and more predictable. Brittany’s works are imaginative, compelling and addictive. She deserves ALL the awards.

Bonus Kudos: Okay, okay. I’m kind of mad at myself for not choosing Brittany because she has written some of the most BEAUTIFUL multi chapters in this fandom. Bound to You. Caught in the Rapture. I have read those two fics I cannot tell you how many times! I’m completely obsessed. I bow down to you, lady! You and your stories are so amazing! -Caitlin (@blondeeoneexox)

@msbeccieboo’s recs:

** @so-caffeinated **

Forever Is Composed Of Nows series

Stop the Presses series

Award: Favourite Universe-Creator

Kudos: I adore an extended AU universe, and (together with the amazing Bre, of course) Janis has created one of my absolute favourites, the “Forever Is Composed Of Nows (ficon)” ‘verse. What I love most about her writing is her ability to not only write beautifully for our known characters, but to create wonderful, captivating and just full original characters that we quickly fall in love with, and are immediately pulled into their world to experience with them. I now love and treasure characters like William, Amelia and Jules (my personal faves) as completely as I do Oliver or Felicity. I also love how much she interacts with her readers, constantly asking for ideas and feedback, answering asks and writing to prompts. Her storytelling is original and immersive, and I can’t wait to read her original works!!

** @smkkbert **

10 Rules of Rebounding

The Way You Make Me Feel (I Call it Love)

Time For a Story

If Loving You is Wrong (I Don’t Want to be Right)

Award: Most Diverse and Constantly Creating Writer

Kudos: Kathi has a huge range of any type of Olicity fic you can think of! LoA/Bratva/canon/AU/kid fic/high school/friends to lovers/season rewrites/missing scenes, there is something and everything for everyone! From one-shots to epic multi-chapters, as well as some of my favourite smut? YES PLEASE!! I am not ashamed to admit I have read some of her stories many, MANY times over!!

She has consistently posted fic after fic after fic, writing over 50 Olicity stories, with “Time For a Story” constantly updating alongside, and set to reach 500 chapters!! I love how she seems to be able to write Olicity in a million different ways/scenarios and still always pull me into their new world and fall in love with them over and over again. Superb, AND not in her first language either! Amazing!

** @realityisoverrated-fic **

Infinite Love series/universe (of which there are >200 one-shots/mullti-chapters)

Award: Smoaking Billionaires QUEEN (we all bow to her)

Kudos: You want Smoaking Billionaires? This should be your first port of call! But to imply she simply writes around one theme would be an epic disservice. This series has everything, Olicity/Flommy/Toliver/SBs, fluff, family feels, kids, canon, canon divergence/swerve, action, humour, angst…oh the angst, oh, and a healthy dose of smut!

Her stories can be so deep, heart-breaking, raw and real-feeling in places, whilst also fluffy, hilarious, happy and contain some of the hottest smut ever!

** @allimariexf **

Not Your Typical Secretary series

Burning Souffles

Coming Home Again

A Dream That I Can Call My Own

Award: Queen of Canon/Canon-Divergence

Kudos: Alli has the gift of writing in canon, or slightly divergent, whilst still perfectly capturing the essence of Olicity and improving on the show’s writing, all whilst bringing the angst!! An absolutely beautiful writer, more beautiful human, and mah P.I.C.!! 😍

Bonus Kudos: Alli, I’m so happy that you share your fics with the fandom and that you created a whole channel for us to be as geeky and Olicity-obsessed as we like. Thank you for writing these stories (seriously, Succumbing to Shadows is a masterpiece), for organizing Arrow rewatches and for being a true friend. Even though there are hundreds of miles between us, I still feel that I know you and you should know that you can count on me. Always. -Sascha (@tangled23works)

** @stephswims **

One Step Ahead

That’s The Way It Is

Drunk Cuddly Oliver

Numb Lips

Award: Sweetest Little Smut Monster

Kudos: Steph has written some of my current favourite WIPs, and has a knack for writing badass AU Felicitys, in particular. She always manages to get the narrative voices of her characters juust right, which makes reading her stories all the more relatable! Oh, and the smut is glorious hehehe!!! My love and fandom sister wife! 😍

@it-was-a-red-heeler’s recs:

** @ruwithmeguys **

What Wouldn’t I Do

Indecent Proposal

Restless Heart

Award: The Queen of Nuance

Kudos: A sideways glance. The hitch of a breath. The babbling, breathless inner dialogue of a beautiful IT genius in love with a broody-but-lovable warrior. These are the elements of Olicity we all love so much, and Jessica’s magical talent as a writer. She makes you feel the angst and the love in her writing. Long after the story ends you’ll be thinking about her characterization. The tickle of a breath on the back of a neck...a heartbeat...a kiss...

** @missyriver **

Left to Fate

A Queen

Award: Badass Olicity Queen

Kudos: The first time I read one of Missy’s fics I assumed she was a professional author; she’s just that good. Left to Fate is one of my all-time favorite re-reads, full of the perfect mix of angst, fluff, and smut. Yum yum! I’m so glad I found her works!

** @the-shy-and-anxious-fangirl **

Home to You

The Queen’s Mage

Award: Wise Beyond Her Years

Kudos: Y’all, read this author’s works and know that she is going places. I am continually amazed at the maturity of her writing and the depth of her understanding of the characters we all love so much. This is only the beginning for her and I’m so proud to call Arianna a friend!

** @callistawolf **

twelve hours

ready for the fall

Award: Olicity Fandom Royalty

Kudos: Jen (jbuffyangel) may have introduced me to the Arrow fandom that exists beyond the tv screen, but Calli’s Ready for the Fall showed me I didn’t have to fear the idea of fan fiction. She helped open up a new world to me, where very talented anonymous authors could right the wrongs of showrunners and let the characters I love so much live on forever; as each other, or as pirates, or even as werewolf soulmates. Several years later she wrote Twelve Hours and taught me not to be too hasty in my preconceived ideas (ahem, Chapter 10, just sayin’). I love her stories, her analysis and words of wisdom on Tumblr, and her podcasts with Jen. Thanks for everything!

Bonus Kudos: I remember waiting every Wednesday last summer for Calli’s latest update of real love (is never a waste of time). I would be refreshing my tumblr every ten mins it felt like. It was such an amazing fic (along with every other one of her fics!), but that one will always be my favorite of yours! You are phenom! -Caitlin (@blondeeoneexox)

@memcjo’s recs:

** @hope-for-olicity **

Love Letters

Hidden Thoughts and Feelings

I Am Not Broken

No Sex Until There is Hair

So Much Love

Choices

Award: Queen of Fix it Fic and Felicity’s POV

Kudos: I don’t even know where to begin to tell all of my love for Jacq and her amazing stories. Jacq’s stories are so easy to become wrapped up in. She has a way of putting you right there as Oliver and Felicity navigate whatever life has thrown at them. During the seasons, I become dependent on her to help me through the trama the Arrow writers have inflicted upon me with their horrible treatment of Oliver and/or Felicity. Jacq’s fix it fics have brought me tremendous joy. Her treatment of Olicity, showing them as flawed people, doing the best they can while loving each other so very much, has brought me to tears more times than I can count. I highly recommend ANY and ALL of her Olicity fic!

Bonus Kudos: Jacq’s fics are what you read when you want to be happy. I can’t thank her enough for all the sweet, feel-good, wonderful stories that always come full circle in a beautiful way. And for all the moments I’ve had to try not to smile/giggle while reading her stories in public. Jacq, you’re truly an amazing writer. And even better, an amazing person! Thank you so much for helping to make my fandom experience so incredible! -Ellie (@smoaking-greenarrow)

Bonus Kudos: Jacq, my love, we’ve talked about this. Adore you and your fluffy full-of-goodness stories and your amazing comments on other author’s fics. The show may have broken your heart, but you and I have a lot of years of great stories ahead of us! -Meegan (@it-was-a-red-heeler)

** @mel-loves-all **

A Touch Unlike Any Other

Vivez

Softly Comes Love

Under a Winter Sky

Award: Olicity Historical Romance Writer Extraordinaire

Kudos: Ah, Mel. How do I love your romance novel Olicity? Let me count the ways...Mel seriously provides the exact right mix of sweet meetings and budding romance in her Olicity novels. I adore her feisty and endearing Felicity, I swoon over her stoic yet thoughtful and loving Oliver. When Olicity comes together in her beautifully crafted stories my heart simply becomes a puddle of goo. Historical Romances are my go to get-aways, and Mel’s stories always takes to a magical Olicity AU.

** @dmichellewrites **

Wanted

Distractions

Hover

What Are You Thinking?

Under the Stars

Award: Most Fabulous Writer of Olicity Family Life in One Shots

Kudos: Devon is the master of creating Olicity in all their flawed, passionate, driven, loving glory. Her stories never fail to give me a new insight into Oliver and Felicity and their life together. I love the way Oliver and Felicity love each other in Devon’s stories. As she shares her Olicity slices of life I find myself cheering for my OTP. Devon is an amazing story teller and I would recommend all her Olicity fics!

** @geneshaven **

Mother and Daughter

To Do It All Over Again

Ivy Town To Star City

One On The Way

Award: Master of Thought Provoking Olicity Stories (this link leads to his Tumblr account where all his fics are posted)

Kudos: Nobody can craft a story about Olicity quite like Gene. His blend of light and dark, joy and angst has rocked me to the core more times than I can count. Gene’s love and respect for the characters of Oliver and Felicity are evident in the way he treats them in his stories. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve reread some of his stories, but every time I do it’s like the best present you can open again and again.

Bonus Kudos: I LOVE a @geneshaven update! I remember first seeing his Tumblr posts through Louise’s blog and being fascinated that a BOY loved Olicity as much as me! And then he started posting stories that mesmerized all of us. A truly special addition to our fandom. I’m so happy to call Gene a friend! -Meegan (@it-was-a-red-heeler)

** @absentlyabbie **

Long Way Down

You’re Not a Friend (No, You’re Nothing)

Interludes

Way Down We Go

Award: MVP of Emotionally Compromising Fanfic

Kudos: When I say emotionally compromising I mean it in the most, best, angsty possible way. Abbie’s fics can rip your heart out and stop you from breathing, leaving you shaken and in the next moment your heart is melting from the amazing tender actions any and all of our fav Arrow characters. These roller coaster ride stories takes you to the highest heights only to drop you to rock bottom! This series I’ve posted is just HEART WRENCHING, MOVING, and OH MY GOD~ addictive. Her updates are celebrations, her cliffhangers can drive me to drink. And I wouldn’t have it any other way!!

Bonus Kudos: Parts of Long Way Down still run through my head now again, it’s that powerful a story. Angsty in the best way possible, dark, sharp, and wonderful. A must-read for the fandom. Thanks for an amazing story! -Meegan (@it-was-a-red-heeler)

#Arrow #Olicity #olicity tropetastic awards #fandom writers trope #fandom writers rec list #olicity fanfiction #olicity fic #Oliver Queen #Felicity Smoak

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margridarnauds · 3 years

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margrid arnaud das music-i mean marie antoinette das musical for that ask meme

LET’S GO

Top 5 favourite characters: Margrid, Orléans, Louis, Marie, Fersen

Other characters you like: Lamballe, the kids, Robespierre, Danton, Immortal Marat

Least favourite characters: Hébert, Bertin, Hébert, Leonard, Jacques Réne Hébert, Drouet, Hébert...

Otps: Margrid/Orléans, Marie/Louis....I COULD ship Margrid/Lamballe and Margrid/La Motte but let’s be real I’m not going to, Marie/Orléans in a very specific way (namely Bitter Ex Friends)

Notps: Hébert/Margrid, Fersen/Margrid, Hébert/Orléans

Favourite friendships: Fersen & Margrid, Lamballe & Antoinette, Orléans & Lamballe (not canon to the musical, but was a historical Thing), Orléans & Margrid when I’m not actively shipping them.

Favourite family: Marie’s family, especially her dynamic with Margrid (LET ! MARGRID ! BE ! THE WEIRD! AUNT!) and Louis’ odd dynamic with Orléans. Really, MA is just the story of one very, very dysfunctional family.

Favourite season/book/movie: 2018 Toho Production.

Favourite quotes: .....showing myself for the Orléans Stan I am: “Oh, cowards, tremble and sleep!” Mitsuo Yoshihara’s delivery SELLS it. Honorable mention: “Just the smallest of sparks is sufficient to set dry grass into an inferno - I just need to promise them a new world where they can live in.”

That and the from the final song, the entire cast: “Can we change the world for ourselves? What can we do to break the chains of violence? What is equality? When will people finally learn from the past? Will revenge ever end? That answer can only be yielded by ourselves!”

Best musical moment: There are some REALLY good moments in this musical - Margrid calling the wrath of God down on the aristocrats during “Blinded by the Light of a Thousand Candles”, the reprise of “Blinded” when the poor join in with Margrid, the entirety of “I Am The Best”, the key change in the Korean version of “Kill the Snakes”, the part during the March to Versailles when the other women join in for the first time to tell Margrid they aren’t going, Fersen’s low note during his first love song with Antoinette, the bit during “The Only Thing I ever Did Right” when Fersen comes in for the first time and he and Antoinette duet, the bit during The Jacobin Club when the entire Jacobin Club steps out together and swears to bring down Antoinette, the bit during “Eyes of Hatred” when Margrid and Antoinette’s voices blend PERFECTLY, the bit during the trial when the crowd begins to apply pressure to Antoinette while Margrid realizes how fucked up things have gotten.

Moment that made you fangirl/boy the hardest: I was trying to not be predictable.....but look. I lose my shit every time we get to “I Am The Best”. Because they really DID give Orléans the single best song in the musical and expected us NOT to stan. That and when he takes his final bow, because he gets a reprise of the song WITH electric guitars because, yes, he’s an extra bitch.

When it really disappointed you: The 2021 Toho. I could devote an entire post to how that production disappointed me, even outside of my personal ships, but like. It was a disappointment from beginning to end and I’m actually happy that it’s out of Tokyo now.

Saddest moment: Margrid sobbing after Antoinette’s death and then having to wipe the tears off her face to meet the tribunal. And then the look on her face at the end....

Most well done character death: Marie’s - Literally the entire musical has been leading up to this and the scene itself makes a wonderful use of callbacks and musical cues to give it this sense of TENSION throughout the entire thing, which builds off of that earlier scene where Hébert confronts Margrid. We know that Antoinette is going to die - There’s no way of avoiding it, but we still are wondering what’s going to happen. What’s Margrid going to do? Is she going to risk a life of security for the sake of the woman she’s started to feel sympathy for? Are these two women ever going to come to terms with one another, with the answer being yes as Antoinette by calls Margrid by her name instead of “the girl” and Margrid gives that last, dangerous bow.

Favourite cast member: I’m not generally big on following individual cast members, but PROBABLY Sonim?

Character you wish was still alive: I. Might have toyed with a few ways of keeping Marie alive in the past.

One thing you hope really happens: Really, really hoping the upcoming Korean production is good. Like, that’s the extent of my ambition after the last Toho.

Most shocking twist: Lamballe’s Death. I have NEVER seen anyone come in prepared for it in over 2 years of streaming. *I* was shocked when I saw it because I literally never expected a Japanese depiction of Marie Antoinette to get into the September Massacres, especially do THAT extent. And it really is the point where, suddenly, you realize that NO ONE is safe. Up until this point, no one’s died. The Royal Family’s imprisoned, but there’s a certain romanticism you can find in the situation, the idea that, hey, now they’re a happy, nuclear family. Then, the show distracts you with that discussion between Marie and Margrid so that they it can SLAM the knife into your back. And, from that point, no one’s safe. Literally anyone in the cast can die, to the point where people do, genuinely fear for Margrid’s safety by the end. It’s probably one of the single best twists I’ve seen in musical theatre, because it sets the stage for the last twenty minutes brilliantly.

When did you start watching/reading?: You know? It had to have been back in 2013. A subber that I liked had JUST finished Rebecca das Musical and had moved on to Marie Antoinette, and I thought “Well! Kunze and Levay came out with a Mar’ie Antoinette musical? I’ve got to see this, it’s going to be good!”

Spoiler alert: It was not good. I made it twenty minutes in, got to the brothel scene, and never looked back. Which means that, actually, I only BARELY missed Orléans’ song.

Favourite location: Antoinette’s bedroom - Those crazy sons of bitches REALLY replicated Antoinette’s ACTUAL BED to use.

Trope you wish they would stop using: Stop trying to make Fersen/Margrid happen, it’s not going to happen. In general, there’s this idea that Margrid MUST be totally, absolutely loveless, and I don’t really see it. I’ll be the last to say she hasn’t had a hard life, but there’s this need to ISOLATE her that I just don’t really vibe with. I’m not even saying in an inherently romantic sense (in canon...I wouldn’t actually WANT to see, say, her and Orléans making out on-stage), but just in terms of having genuine connections.

One thing this show/book/film does better than others: It really does a wonderful job as far as developing two separate female characters - Which shouldn’t be THAT HARD, given you have plenty of musicals about multiple guys all the time, and yet SOMEHOW....

Also, Margrid in particular is phenomenal, as a character. It’s definitely not uncommon for people to go in for Marie and end up really, really attached to Margrid and her development.

Funniest moments: Hébert nearly getting hit with a door, Margrid peaking under her ball gown while it’s on the rack and Orléans dragging her away, the Stars and Stripes Gown....

Couple you would like to see: .....Orléans/Margrid. I know that I say I don’t want them to actually be CANON canon but also I would NOT complain if they did. Especially after the 2021 Toho production, it’s what I deserve.

Actor/Actress you want to join the cast: Park Hye Na as Korean!Margrid would kill me, I know it.

Favourite outfit: Besides Orléans’ 2018 coat (4ever in our hearts), special props to Antoinette’s golden gown in the opening. WHAT a character introduction.

Favourite item: Margrid’s little knapsack she keeps on her.

Do you own anything related to this show/book/film?: I own a ballpoint pen and a program from the 2021 Toho run - One of these days, I keep meaning to buy the German libretto so that I can translate it.

Most boring plotline: BERTIN AND LEONARD. (But, in all fairness........look, they’re annoying, but also, when they’re gone, you do miss them, because that’s when shit gets fucked.)

Most laughably bad moment: The entire 2006 Toho Cast exists just to be one very long laughably bad moment. That and, tbh, the German. Special props to the Brothel Scene.

Most layered character: Margrid. Marie is ALSO a very layered, complex character, but Margrid gets special props because, off the top of my head, I can’t REALLY think of another female protagonist, in a musical, like her. Not saying they don’t EXIST, but I’m saying I haven’t personally seen them.

Most one dimensional character: ...2006 Orléans. He Who We Don’t Discuss.

Scariest moment: See above for Lamballe.

Grossest moment: Hébert's final confrontation scene with Margrid.

Best looking male: Kim Jun Hyun’s Orléans. *Wow*.

Best looking female: Jang Eun Ah’s Margrid. Once again. *Wow.*

Who you’re crushing on (if any): ...both Orléans and Margrid. Predictably.

Favourite cast moment: Furukawa Yuta pranking Mitsuo Yoshihara by giving him “poisonous” things for his birthday, because “You are Duke d’Orleans and I am Fersen. You are poisonous and I am passive aggressive.”

Most beautiful scene (scenery/shot wise): The ball at Versailles. One of the most STUNNING scenes I’ve ever seen. Whoever did the lighting deserves all the accolades in the world for creating a scene that’s surreal, seductive, and gorgeous

Unanswered question/continuity issue/plot error that bugs you: Not an ERROR, but I’m really, really interested in the story of Jeanette Arnaud, because this woman really haunts Margrid’s entire life but there’s so LITTLE we know about her and Margrid’s feelings about her. How long did her affair with the Emperor last? Did she always know he was the emperor during their affair, or did they meet under different circumstances? Fersen was clearly able to figure out that she was a mistress of his, so how public was the affair? And, if it was that public, does it mean that she was a servant, or was she, at the very least, middle class? How did he find out her mother’s identity? Why didn’t Orléans double-check himself? Does Margrid have any living grandparents or uncles/aunts? How old was Margrid when she died? Did she die before or after Margrid was kicked out by the nuns? (In the German, it’s very clearly the former, but who knows?)

I feel like there’s a really, really dark, tragic tale underneath all this about a young woman who ended up paying the ultimate price for falling in love with someone above her station, but it’s one that’s kept to literally only a few sentences.

At what point did you fall in love with this show/book: Probably about.....five or ten minutes into the Toho, with the Palais Royal scene. I knew, from the time I saw Furukawa Yuta on stage as Fersen, that they’d changed things around, and then seeing the changes that were made, I was able to go “Oh! It’s good now!” I feel like the moment where I REALLY fell in love was “I Am The Best” because that had been a scene I’d been REALLY concerned about from the German and then Mitsuo Yoshihara casually came in there and owned it.

#lochley

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whereistheonepiece · 4 years

Text

So @lesbian-space-ranger and I accidentally created a new Zosan AU that we’ve been talking about since last night. A note: half of this is me summarizing, half of it is pulled directly from Discord because Cas (lesbian-space-ranger) has such great ideas.

This is a long post. I don’t feel like putting it under a read more. So. Enjoy. Or keep scrolling. Either works.

So this post happened

These roles just came to me. Didn’t need to give it much thought because Sanji has the appearance and demeanor of a lead singer and I like the idea of him using his skilled hands to play piano at the same time.

I also watched the movie Rocketman earlier in the week. You know, that Elton John biopic. I adored it and it’s been heavy on my mind lately and I liked the idea of Sanji giving a high energy performance from the piano. (Sir Elton John’s music comes into play later.)

And as for Zoro, I find the bass and/or the beat the sexiest part of the music in a song and, naturally, I can see him rocking at either.

So I asked Cas if she had any other headcanons for this AU and this thing is too good to not share.

Yeah, so Zoro and Sanji are in a boy band with Usopp and Luffy. Luffy started the band. Luffy does guitar, Zoro is on bass, Usopp is on drums, and Sanji is on keyboard and vocals.

Nami is their manager. She works them hard and has taken a 40% cut of the profits because of the guys’ naivete and inexperience. But she’s why they took off. She booked their gigs at every venue she could manage, no matter how small.

They got their big break when Nami met Vivi, who’s a talent scout for the record label Baroque Works. Nami insisted that Vivi had to see the boys perform because they’re something else and Vivi’s heard that a thousand times, but she agreed because Nami is cute. Nami and Vivi are dating. Also, re Baroque Works: Crocodile looks like a sleazy music producer, doesn’t he? So does Doflamingo.

So Sanji is the pretty one, Luffy is the funny one, Zoro is the quiet/broody one, and Usopp is the smart one.

Zoro has a lot of deals with fitness brands, but secretly finds the famous life unfulfilling. This comes back later, so keep that in your back pocket.

Robin runs their social media. She’s so good at her job, running all of their accounts and tweeting simultaneously, you’d swear she had four sets of hands. Wink.

Franky does pyrotechnics/lighting.

Brook is their stylist.

Chopper was their first real fan. He and Zoro grew up in the same neighborhood and Chopper just always idolized him. He followed them before anyone knew their names. He was their hype man, saying encouraging things like "I know you guys are gonna be great!" He believed in them even when they didn't believe in themselves.

Usopp set up their recordings before they got signed because he’s savvy. And then Chopper would sell their crappy CDs. At these tiny gigs. Like coffeehouses and stuff.

Sanji can play keyboard because his parents forced him to play piano as a kid. They had this idea that classical music would teach him discipline and make him smarter. This is how he meets Zeff. Zeff’s your typical stern instructor, but he’s the first adult to ask Sanji what he actually wants and likes. Zeff sees Sanji’s not into it so he asks him what music he likes and Sanji tells him he likes pop, so Zeff gives Sanji a more rounded education. This includes Elton John because I say so. It did inspire me to put Sanji on keyboard, after all.

But other than being Sanji’s piano instructor, Zeff becomes the one positive adult figure in young Sanji’s life and he becomes something of a mentor figure for him. Zeff has a garden and he lets Sanji work in it with him. This garden is how Sanji gets his “little eggplant” nickname. Sanji pulls an eggplant out before it’s ready and it’s so small and pitiful and Zeff won’t let him live it down. Like, Sanji keeps in touch with Zeff even into adulthood and after he makes it big and he still calls Sanji little eggplant.

Zoro and Sanji are always doing that, "Kind of flirting, not really” thing on stage. Sanji is always like walking up to Zoro on stage and acting like he's going to kiss him but pushing him away at the last moment. And it's this huge mystery whether they're actually an item or not. This comes from Nami. Sanji and Zoro have this natural chemistry with each other that leads to speculation and Nami, knowing how boy band fan bases work, saw dollar signs. But it’s not just pragmatism on her part; she knows that one cannot simply go up to Zoro and Sanji and say “You obviously like each other. You should date.” So she makes money and helps her friends find happiness.

Usopp has speculation going on as well. People are always confused as to who he’s dating. Tabloids keep being like "Usopp dumped Nami and is now dating Luffy!" "Luffy Scorned?" "Luffy ditches Usopp and steals his girl!" And they just think the entire thing is hilarious. They collect headlines. The answer is Usopp is dating Luffy and Nami and Luffy and Nami just become really affectionate with each other after dating Usopp long enough. Also Nami is dating Vivi, like I mentioned, and sometimes Nami brings her on as a plus one.

Sanji and Zoro keep giving conflicting answers about their relationship status. Like they'll tell one person they hate each other and another person they're gonna get married someday. Sanji has to walk this fine line of being "in love" with all of his female fans and also "in love" with Zoro. Or not. Who knows? Like Sanji enjoys the attention but he really really plays shit up for his fangirls. This makes Sanji even more popular. Just picture pages upon pages of Sanji/Reader and “Zanji” fics on Wattpad. Nami is one smart lady. "I am the smartest, prettiest, most clever person alive."

Zosan getting together really is just a bunch of Fake Dating tropes. At first it really is just to get more press for the band. Nami schemes with Usopp and Robin to push them together. Robin's a social media genius and knows how to craft tweets and Instagram posts that fans will overanalyze.

Meanwhile eventually Zoro and Sanji admit to each other they have actual feelings and one day Usopp finds Sanji sleeping in Zoro's bed, both of them completely tuckered out. But they don’t know Nami crafted this. They just come clean and hope she won't be mad and she's like, "Yes! Finally!" and they're like "What?" and she's like, "I've been waiting for you two to realize you have actual feelings. Did you really think I'd just use you for profit like that?" and they're both like "Yes" "Of course"

Zoro’s mad at her for meddling. Secretly he’s grateful, but he doesn’t want to give her the satisfaction and he’s yelling until Sanji grabs his hand and he just calms down.

And to bring Elton John back into the picture, just picture Sanji doing a cover of “Your Song” and uploading it online and thinking about Zoro. Naturally the comments are abuzz with people speculating that he’s singing about Zoro. And like. Onstage Sanji does his rendition and sends these small glances Zoro’s way, partially because he knows it’ll get the band a lot of attention, partially because that song is sweet and beautiful and it’s such a simple way to explain his feelings. (There is a reason why Moulin Rouge included it!!) I imagine this happens before they come clean to each other. Like, Zoro comes to him and is all “I keep thinking about that song you did...” And they go from there.

And eventually the band comes to its natural end.

Usopp goes solo and flourishes, working as a songwriter and a producer. He wrote the band’s songs and he’s had a drum kit since he was, like, ten and he can make his own beats. He’s not the singing type (though he is good at it and could reach new heights if he came out of his shell), so he’s the kind of artist who makes the beat and then gets super famous pop singers to feature on his tracks. But he also writes songs for other singers and is so good at it and produces other artists’ tracks. I also like the idea that he’s taught himself to play multiple instruments, but he prefers the drums/percussion. He totally played percussion in school and was in marching band. I was in marching band for one year. I loathed every second of it, but I know he’d be phenomenal in drum corps.

Luffy isn’t much in music anymore, but he keeps himself busy. He’s something of an influencer, the kind of celebrity who gets paid to wear fashion brands’ clothing. He’s also Usopp’s trophy husband, living off the money he made off the band. Usopp grew wise to Nami’s antics and made sure he and Luffy would live comfortably for the rest of their lives, even if Usopp were to retire. Luffy also is secretly a Buzzfeed journalist because it’s fun for him to write these hit articles and people not know it’s him because he’s writing on this super bland pseudonym.

And then there’s Zosan. They have a falling out after the band splits and go their separate ways.

Sanji quits being a professional singer because he’s tired of the prying into his personal life, but he still mentors and/or teaches. He has a string of girlfriends and finds no fulfillment in those relationships because the women are only interested in his celebrity.

And they aren’t Zoro.

Zoro tried branching off into commercials for fitness, but his heart wasn’t in it. He kind of takes up ranching on a whim and learns that he’s really good at it. He likes the physical labor, the quiet, being away from it all, nobody knowing his name. He doesn’t pursue anyone after Sanji because he feels like if it’s meant to be, someone will appear.

And Sanji does.

Sanji finds out where Zoro is through Luffy. So he makes his way to the ranch and finds Zoro and Sanji is all “Come back. I miss you.”

And there’s just a lot of soft Zosan content during Sanji’s visit. Sanji’s always been afraid of horses, but he’s not afraid when he’s with Zoro, and Zoro teaches him they can be gentle creatures, it’s just that you just have to respect them. (Ha. Get it?) Zoro takes Sanji on a ride and they go out and he takes him up the mountain and shows him how beautiful the view is. Sanji's watching the sunset and he's like, "Damn that's the prettiest thing I've ever seen." And Zoro is looking at Sanji and he says, "It sure is." And Sanji's like, "you're not... even looking." And Zoro's like, "No, I'm looking alright. Prettiest thing I've ever seen for sure."

More soft things like Zoro taking off his cowboy hat and putting it on Sanji. Them sitting by the fire, Zoro playing acoustic while Sanji sings. Whenever people see them they’ll ask them if they’re musicians and they share a knowing smile and say “Yeah. Something like that.”

And Zoro convinces Sanji to move out there with him. The others come to visit. Luffy and Chopper are obsessed with the cows and horses and the chickens. Luffy wants, like, eight pet chickens. Usopp is skeptical. Doesn’t believe Lu can look after a pet.

And it kind of ends there. It was us going back and forth, oftentimes out of chronological order, and so here I am putting it all together because it’s too good not to share. But it was a lot of fun.

#zosan #zoro #sanji #lusona #luffy #usopp #nami #robin #franky #chopper #brook #vivi #namivivi #long post #music au

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totallypathet · 4 years

Text

Episode Eleven

Finally, some good fucking mini challenge. Everybody loves puppets! I always love the puppet challenge, it's good old fashioned drag race fun!

It looked like the girls were having a good time, lost of them did a good job... except Gigi. Gigi was just hard to watch. It's becoming a bit of a theme, and it's a shame. I also actually didn't think Jaida's was funny? They put laugh sounds (the trademark Roople cackle) over it, but she didn't tell any jokes, and she didn't deliver it like comedy. At least, not in the edit they showed.

Anyway, the main challenge for this week was to write a one woman show! I was a little bit confused by the assignment, I wasn't sure if it was meant to all be comedy, or how far they were allowed to extend into other avenues. I also think 5 minutes is tough for a one woman show, it's not a lot of time to do more than one thing - so essentially you just end up with a comedy routine anyway. It was a bit bizarre.

And the guest judge was the legendary Whoopi Goldberg!!! I love Whoopi so much, I was so excited to see her on there! And she was a really great mentor and judge! She coached them all well, gave them good constructive feedback on their routines, and as a judge she was so constructive and good natured and funny! I just adore her.

Anyway, now the fangirling is done, let's break down this week...

1. Crystal Methyd

Crystal won a challenge!!! It's been such a long time coming, and oh my god she deserved it so much this week! Her show had me rolling, it was so absurd and ridiculous, I just loved it! And she was clearly having such a ball doing it, and we all know that's my favourite thing to watch. In fact, that was my favourite Whoopi critique, was when Ceystal was talking about how she wanted to make people laugh, and Whoopi said "So make it fun for you." Because that's 100% right, like most of the time if we (the audience) see someone is having fun, we'll have fun with them. Such an important lesson.

And Phenomenal Phil ended up being the absolute funniest one up there! Crystal gave us fun, she gave us absurd, she had puns, she had ridiculous dance moves, she had everything for me. I was so proud, the whole way through, because I felt like we were watching pure, unfiltered, unbothered Crystal Methyd. And she wasn't worried about being too weird, or if she was making everybody in the room laugh, she was just rolling with it, and enjoying it.

Also I loved her look! Again, such pure Crystal, I was tripping balls and I loved it.

10/10 for me this week, she deserved that win, and she deserves her spot in the top 4.

2. Gigi Goode

Gigi is literally unravelling before our eyes, and its genuinely really hard to watch. I think it's really getting to her now that she really does have serious competition, and she doesn't know how to handle it.

Her concept was really funny, and she had some great jokes in there, she had a great character as well, but Ross was right, it felt so scripted. She didn't trust herself to ad-lib in sections that the audience were really enjoying, she was too busy thinking about what her next line was, and it made it too stilted. It was a shame, because it had so much potential.

Having said all that, "go fuck yourself, Gary" was probably my favourite line of the night, because it just came out of nowhere for me. It's interesting, I think it felt worse somehow that there were parts that were really funny. I think 5 minutes of average laughter seems kind of fine - but if one joke gets raucous laughter, the silence is real obvious if the next joke fails.

Her runway was cute. I caught the reference, she looked good, she did the assignment. It wasn't anything special, which is (unfortunately) where most of Gigi's looks for the last few weeks have been for me. Given how she came in, with 4 incredible looks in episode 1, I've been disappointed.

3. Heidi N Closet/Heidi Afrodite

I feel so sad that Heidi's gone, I really thought she was going to make top 4. I feel like she's come such a long way from episode 1, and honestly no-one has charisma like Heidi has charisma. Also what am I going to do without her confessionals? Her, Widow and Jaida were carrying those confessionals, and now there's only Jaida left? Devastating.

But, unfortunately, she did deserve to go this week. Her performance was the worst. I honestly think there were too many characters. Also it was impossible to tell who was who, I think she needed differentiators, like Jackie had with the different glasses. I think she could have done one of 2 things; reduced the characters to just two, so it was easier to follow, or make the confusion part of the comedy. Like, it would have been really funny if she'd had these 4 characters, and she was running around trying to play them all and getting the wrong voice or accessory, like "granny why are you talking like Slick?", or "give me back my glasses Sharon!", and it just ended up like "who are you again?" and just really play into that confusion. I wonder if she was trying to keep it too close to life, and forgot to exaggerate the comedy. It was unfortunate.

Her runway thooooough. That dress was so beautiful, and honestly her face was (I think) the prettiest it's been for the whole competition. The only shame about it was that that's not a lip syncing gown. Particularly not a Prince lip syncing gown. But it was stunning, she went out looking beautiful, with her head held high, and with such a bright future. I can't wait to see what she does next!

4. Jackie Cox

Jackie pulled it out this week. She did such a great show, it was funny, it was heartwarming, it was personal, and it told us so much about Jackie. I think Whoopi's coaching really stuck with her, when she said that she doesn't do stand up because she's not funny, she tells stories? I think they resonated with Jackie, and maybe took a little of the comedy pressure off, and gave her space to do something a little more personal, and tell her story, and not worry about telling jokes. I think that freedom really opened the space for natural humour, and I think Jackie is naturally funny! She did an excellent job this week, and I was so proud.

Her look this week, I enjoyed; it was high concept, high drag, but also really fun! I didn't get the reference at all, I think it's to a song, but I have never heard it. But honestly that didn't even matter, I thought she looked like a haute couture grinch. It was out of the box for Jackie, not at all what I expected, and I loved it.

5. Jaida Essence Hall

I think Ross nailed Jaida's performance when he said "I bet it was hilarious when she called her best friend and told that story". Because I bet it was! Shit, I'd laugh if my best friend called me up and told me that story, but it just didn't work in a stage context. It was a real shame, because I could see that she was trying, and that she knew it wasn't working. Jaida was in a really tough spot this week, because she went on after someone sho has no idea how to shut up and stayed on stage 12 minutes longer than she should have. Honestly, I dont know why they let her keep talking, they should have signalled her and stopped her.

Anyway, Jaida had to follow that, and honestly the best thing she could have done when she walked out there was acknowledge it. Say something like "I did have a story to tell you, but I've forgotten it now." Change the energy of the room. Honestly though, I think Jaida had the same problem as Gigi, she didn't trust herself. She knew that the audience wasn't feeling her story, I wish she'd just trusted that feeling and cut it off, done something different and tried to get the audience back on side.

All of that aside, she had (I think) the best look on the runway. It was so sleek, so chic, and so gorgeous. I loved it so much, she felt like a fashion front cover. Which, to be fair, she does most of the time.

She did deserve to be in the bottom this week, but she also really deserved to stay, and she really deserves her place in the top 4 as well.

So next week is the last week before the reunion! From the preview, it looks like they're all wearing their entrance looks again, so I'm excited to see what that's about. I'm also wondering how they're going to do the reunion. Will it be the same, just with more distance between the chairs? Will they do it by a zoom call? Will they just wait until this is over? Who knows!

One other thing I do really want to know though, is can Dahlia Sin finally go home now? She was eliminated first, and instead of letting her go home to her loved ones for comfort, they said no, stay and wear this broccoli costume every week and we'll use you as a sight gag. Honestly, poor Dahlia. That's going to become her oppalance, her Miss Vanjie, her cucu.

#drag race season 12 #drage race #drag race spoilers #rpdr #rpdr12 #rpdr spoilers #crystal methyd #heidi afrodite #heidi n closet #gigi goode #jackie cox #jaida essence hall

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minaminokyoko · 4 years

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A Love Letter to ‘Knives Out’

Disclaimer: This isn’t even a review. This is literally just me freaking out about what a great movie I just bloody watched and I just need to vomit words everywhere about it. Sorry in advance.

I think the best thing ever is I went into this with zero information. I remember seeing the original trailer months ago, but it wasn’t detailed. Just the short one of the premise, and to be honest, I’m not really into Whodunits. Clue is one of the exceptions and Castle is the only detective-related thing I’ve ever liked and followed religiously (up until the final godawful two seasons), so I have no predisposition to even care about murder mysteries. But then Rian Johnson dangled the juicy carrot of Chris Evans playing against type (because we all know the man is a sweetie and I can personally vouch that he’s great at hugs) and so I decided to add it to my watchlist. Then the reviews came pouring in that it was great, which surprised me, and so I decided to take a leap of faith to see if the hype was real.

Oh God, was it ever.

Y’all know me by now. I’m a hard, cynical old bitch. It’s tough to impress me, but fucking hell, I really loved Knives Out.

It’s not that it does anything new; it’s that it is a fresh, creative spin on tropes we’re used to and it’s also the strong performances that just make it a delightful film. It’s kooky and dark and offbeat. It’s charming. It’s wonderfully political. It’s irreverent. This is the niche kind of writing that I adore. It’s why I’ve loved shows like Frasier or movies like Snatch. I love the interwoven mess between the plot and the characters and everything coming to light in a big explosion.

Spoilers down below for my talking points, naturally.

I want to start with Marta, simply because I love how this movie framed the character as innocent, but not stupid, useless, or weak. I love that she had a great relationship with Harlan. I love that Harlan didn’t have any evil ulterior motives. It was simply a man who looked around and realized that he thought he was providing for his family but all he really was doing was supporting selfish, downright cruel people. That family basically just siphoned off of him and had the entitlement complex that is currently killing this country right this fucking second. It was very satisfying when he left them nothing and gave Marta the money and the choice of what to do. The final shot of the movie is genius.

Which segways into probably my second favorite thing about the movie: the commentary about the entitled upperclass versus the working class immigrant. The whole Trump debate during the party made me groan because we all just wrapped up three holidays, so I know that people were having to go home for the holidays and listen to the broken-ass logic of their Trump supporter relatives. Especially since they dragged Marta into the bullshit conversation. I LOVE the writing of having this girl who busted her ass, who listened, who was a genuinely good person, still being able to be a good person in the end after one hell of an ordeal. I loved how the movie poked all kinds of holes in the fake narrative of inheritance and immigration and patriotism. Fuck that. This country isn’t some holy land. This country was stolen from the people who were born here and then they built a fake fucking pedestal on top of the mass graves and proclaimed it theirs. Fuck that revision history and fuck the people who believe these lies. This movie is so satisfying because it’s a giant middle finger to those people and it’s a reminder that the future is these hardworking, kind people who care about society and they are the ones who have earned all the good things this country has to offer.

I also love the examples of bigotry and microaggressions that were more subtle. The WASPs in this movie don’t even realize the backhanded compliments and the truly insulting shit that they do since they’re so entitled. For example, Richard handing Marta his plate while he was arguing for Trump. That’s brilliantly done. He thinks of her as a servant while he pretends she’s on equal footing: saying one thing and yet his actions prove the opposite. There’s also Meg’s comment of “we’re his REAL family,” showing that those bastards all will smile and welcome you until the second you cease to be useful to them and then they show you just how truly ugly they are beneath those “civil” masks. When the will was read, it was the exact shitshow we all knew it would be. That was a great representation of the upper class. It’s not about being loud and racist; it’s all those subtle, hideous things they do to suppress people of color and the working class so they can stay on top where they think they belong. This narrative is powerfully woven in that regard and I really needed to hear this story in today’s climate, especially since we just started 2020 today, which could be the end of everything all over again. I applaud the writing. As a woman of color, I see this kind of shit every single day, especially now that I work in higher education, so I really hope it opens more eyes to the shit that not only immigrants but working class POC deal with on a daily basis. I likened it to Zootopia, where you came to the movie for one reason but then you were served an absolutely piping hot side dish alongside the entrée. Well done, Knives Out. Well done.

I need to give a nod to this powerhouse cast as well. I forgot Michael Shannon was in this movie so seeing him made me giddy, as I’ve always liked him since he’s so damn sinister. He’s a great antagonist actor and I almost wish he’d been given more to do. Jamie Lee Curtis did great as well.

But y’all know what’s coming. I mean, look at my profile picture. You know I have to stop and talk about my future husband’s performance.

Chris Evans as a villain.

Not only that, but Chris Evans as a GREAT villain.

Oh, God, pass me the cigarette.

We all knew from his work in the MCU that the man can act his fine America’s ass off, but boy, did I really like his role here. I compare it to Chris Hemsworth in the godawful movie Bad Times at the El Royale, because while that is one of the worst movies of the decade, it was extremely smart in casting Hemsworth in the villain role. Why? Because it sold the believable factor. Chris Hemsworth is so handsome and charismatic that he COULD in fact be a creepy ass cult leader. You take one look at that man’s chest and tell me you wouldn’t fight a smelly hippie to jump in his bed. Damn right I’d be in a Chris Hemsworth cult. Point being, Chris Evans as the handsome but cruel Hugh was phenomenal. I really enjoyed seeing everything unfold. He did such a great job. It’s all the more satisfying knowing that in real life, he’s the cutest, sweetest goofball on earth. I’m so delighted he took this role because he knocked it out of the park.

Which brings me to my next point.

I’m gonna be a basic fangirl bitch for a second here. Just hear me out.

I’d LOVE an alternate ending to this movie where Hugh didn’t do it.

I know, I know. That’s super basic and dumb and I know part of it is because I just wanted to like Hugh anyway, but it actually would be a great piece of storytelling if you changed the ending.

In this premise, Marta really did mix up the bottles and accidentally killed Harlan. Well, what I would change is that Hugh really did have a benevolent epiphany and he decides to come back to stick it to his shitass family and he figures out what Marta did and decides to help her so she’ll slip him his cut. Then the rest of the film is Hugh and Marta trying to cover the rest of their tracks so that Blanc doesn’t piece together Marta’s accidental crime. Over the course of helping her, Hugh gets to know her and they become friends, so by the time they pull it all off—mind you, I’m ambiguous in this AU, I’d be fine if the detective works it out but lets them cover it up or if they actually manage to just destroy all the evidence so he can’t convict her and he admits defeat—he’s now invested and doesn’t accept the money when she goes to pay him. Bonus points if he falls in love with her during the cover up. It’s not necessary, but I saw a couple little sparks, so I think it would be very cute if Hugh and Marta hooked up to protect each other from the horrible family and build their own empire together. But that’s me.

Trust me, this movie is brilliant as written. It doesn’t need that alternate ending. But I have to admit it got my mind churning about what a fantastic character arc it could be if Hugh hadn’t been the bad guy and he and Marta learned things about each other and formed a friendship. I’m a writer, it’s kind of a hobby, sorry. I hope I’m not the only one who thought that, but we’ll see.

I’m so glad I started 2020 with this film. It’s a rare gem. I can’t wait for it to get on DVD, because I am gonna snag it asap and watch it again. What a romp. It’s also gratifying in a petty way that J.J. Abrams went out of his way to undo Rian Johnson’s work in the Star Wars franchise and it’s backfiring majorly critically speaking meanwhile Knives Out is getting bomb ass good reviews, so good for you, Rian. Your revenge is at hand. #TEAMPETTY

I can’t recommend this hard enough. If you love murder mysteries or if you just love Clue-style quirky black comedy, please see Knives Out. It’s worth every red dime, to quote the movie.

Kyo out.

#knives out #rian johnson #chris evans #ana de armas #review #movie rec #film rec #spoiler alert #spoilers

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luvtessascott · 4 years

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Rock the Rink Write-Ups (Kitchener & Sauga)

Hey Everyone!! This is going to be a combined write-up on both my shows in one. I’ll make reference to specific shows as I go but it’ll be my overall impression 🙂I went to Kitchener with @makeitcountmeggy & @canadianvirtues & @danelledo (who was working). And I went to Mississauga with another friend and Danielle. In Kitchener, we had ice side seats in the absolute center which was AMAZING. Luckily we ended up having the aisle seat which meant Danielle could come shoot right next to us and Trennt ended up sitting with us as well. In Sauga, I was near the tunnel on the corner, not the best seats but also not terrible.

I thought that the show overall went by SO FREAKING fast, which typically isn’t something that strikes me with shows. The Birds of Bellwoods were great live, their songs sound identical to their recordings which is nice to see. I was defs jamming in my seat to all of them. Stevie must chug an energy drink before he goes on with all the running he does, it’s hilarious. Just like back and forth and circles around the stage.

I love how they do the countdown before they come out, it makes it feel big and exciting. Throughout the whole show, I love how the skaters GIVE it to the max- especially Scott and Tessa. Looking at Scott’s face he is just LIVING his best life out there. I thought the choreo was stunning. I noticed the second time I saw it how there’s so much going on that it’s easy to miss little moments because of how seamlessly it’s all knitted together. Seeing the Sympathy of the Devil intro again still gives me goosebumps. It’s such a powerful program and they really cover the ice so quickly in it. Makes me miss competition days. Seeing Carolina, Tati and Max, and Jeremy for the first time was really something special. Carolina has such magic and artistry it’s phenomenal. She really draws you in and captivates her audience. She also has great choice in costumes! Jeremy’s jumps are super high and he goes into them without much lead up. Tati and Max are also so amazing, the high and distance of their throws are unparalleled and it really makes you gasp - it’s the quality of elements that really set the Russian teams apart. I also have to say the fact that Tati had a baby and still has that much flexibility is crazy. Tati also just sits back in her landing position so nicely like it’s no big deal she just landed that throw. Sitting beside Trennt at the Kitch show-- he was totally fangirling over Tati and Max. He was in awe and even gave them a standing ovation. Chiddy’s program was really fun! I liked that it was fast and he could really let go in it. I thought it was a little messy when I saw it in Kitchener but it was much better in Sauga. Kaetlyn’s program is super cute, fits her very well and she seems super comfortable in it. The Sauga show for her solo was a messy one she fell on most of the jumps so I’m glad I got to see it in Kitchener.

Wish You Were Here...I have to start off by saying how full circle this is that they always said how it was music they’ll come back to one day for Scott’s grandfather and Tessa’s grandmother and it’s just so sentimental. In this program, I still get heart palp moments when they skate – it’s like magic. It just blends together and really transcends time. Like did the program just start? Is it over already? And they just look at each other that way like they feel everything the other person is feeling and we’re just lucky to watch. Also, it’s so easy to see the balletic elements shine through in this program. I love how many moments they have with gorgeous lines and they hit those poses that are just beautiful and communicate the feelings and emotions. Scott wearing the poppy on his chest in the black outfit was really touching, he’s always been very supportive of veterans and it was nice to see that touch.

Having Special Olympians part of the show is SO SO SO special. What a lovely stage to showcase these dedicated athletes. At both of my shows they got standing ovations and they got to celebrate a well skated program. I love Tessa and Scott for choosing to include.

Speakeasy was really well done! The acting is just so over the top and perfect I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT. Every little detail is choreographed so well with the faces, little flicks of the wrist and well timed smiles. The longing looks and winks. IT’S LIKE A MOVIE. Sway... oh man sway... sway makes me LIVE. Every turn and hold and lift. It throws me into the era so hard I don’t want to get out. VM are just stunning and will forever be. The way their bodies mirror each other and how they can just react to every hip sway and hold of each other. It’s the freedom they bring when they skate with each other that they can let go it give themselves to the choreo bc of the trust they have with each other. One is never over the top because the other is just a perfect match. Can I also have Tessa’s costume in my size please because I want to wear it every day?

Let you go was so beautiful. Nothing beats live music, and I love the interweaving choreo. Also, those black body suits are stunning. Did I mention Carolina is stunning she’s just so flowy and elegant? It’s a nice simple moment that’s visually appealing.

Motown is another number that makes me want to get up and dance with the crew! No word of a lie I want to learn the choreo hahaha. Everyone commits to characters in this number just as much as the last one. I love the little embedded story lines like Patrick and Kaetlyn. It’s such a fun medley of music that is just a party on the ice. I noticed during this number some extra details like when Tessa is being lifted in the split Scott is doing a fun little thing with Carolina and Kaetlyn on the other side. It’s cool to watch from different angles so you can notice things like that. Gotta love VM slow dancing, will never get old. I’ll be like 50 and come watch these videos and be like YEP THAT’S GOOD STUFF.

Fix you— I prepared myself to be like a mess and I wasn’t. The video of course is emotional to watch but I cried the first time I saw it online not in person. The skate itself is gorgeous I love the choreo how they get pulled away and then they find that moment in the middle at the crescendo of the music and it’s just perfect and we get a little latch and a little umbrellas. A perfect little ending, if anything I wish it was longer so we could live in it just a bit more. I couldn’t help think of all the moments that have led up to this as I watched them skate for the last time-- all the moments that we as fans have been privy to which certainly is only a fraction of the ones they have to look back on. What a blessing for them to go out on their own terms rather than by injury or circumstance or anything like that. They’re going out because they’re content with what they have accomplished and what they want to represent as skaters-- an era of pure excellence. How wonderful that we got to witness that?

Kudos to Charlie White for an INCREDIBLY well choreographed show! I do have to add that thanks for Danielle-- me, madi, and Meg got to meet Charlie and Andrew Poje after the show. We were just on ice waiting for Danielle and then they walked by and we were totally dumbfounded and then Danielle introduced herself and we got to sneak in a quick moment and grab a picture which was awesome cause I really wanted to meet Charlie.

Shout out to everyone in this wonderful crazy mess of a fandom that I’ve got to share any part of the VM journey with. I’m so incredibly blessed to have met some of my favorite people, best friends, and people that understand what it’s like to be in this fandom. I’m so grateful to have witness so much of their skating in person and I can wait to continue to support them as people.

#my experiences #my LAST VIRTUE MOIR SKATING SHOW (for now)#RTR

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thereadingchallengechallenge · 4 years

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🎆 2019 Wrap Up 🎆

While my personal life more or less went to shit this year, I have had the best reading and blogging year and I’m so excited to go through the challenges I set myself at the start of the year and see how I went.

In addition to smashing my reading goal, this year I ran the last Recsmas which had the best turnout of any of them and I hosted #Booklr Reads Australian, a month-long readathon where I encouraged everyone to pick up some Australian authors. I got to share and discover so many wonderful books and blogs through these two challenges and I can’t wait to find some new ways to interact with you all in 2020.

But for now, my 2019 goals. I set 8 originally but this quickly became 7 when I realised that trying to read 12 series in 3 months was an absurd idea (even for me, who read a book a day for two months this year). Here’s how I fared with my challenges this year:

Read 100 books. Success! I read 175 books, graphic novels, anthologies and short stories this year.

End 2019 with a smaller TBR than what I started with - less than 604 books, going by my TBR spreadsheet. I’m honestly so proud that I managed this one. Going into 2020, I have only 400 books on my TBR and I can’t wait to shrink this number even more for next year.

Minimise my book buying. Try to read and DNF more books than I buy. Another one I’m incredibly proud to say I achieved. I was way more scrupulous about the books I bought this year. Until this month, I didn’t buy new series without assurance from reviewers I trust and I haven’t bought books by authors I don’t like unless I was intrigued from reading the first few pages of the book. All in all, I read and DNF’ed 216 more books than I bought this year which is just absolutely phenomenal.

Post reviews at least every Sunday and Thursday, using backlog reviews where necessary. In retrospect, this was a tricky challenge to keep track of but considering I posted reviews almost every day in June, July, August and October, I think I can consider this achieved.

Reread The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater in preparation for the Dreamer Trilogy. I indeed read all of The Raven Cycle again and I absolutely loved it! It was so much fun reading it knowing how it ended - there were so many little easter eggs to pick up on and chuckle over. I haven’t dived into Call Down the Hawk but it’s high up on my 2020 list.

Reread Fangirl and Carry On by Rainbow Rowell in preparation for Wayward Son. I didn’t reread Fangirl (because I completely forgot I intended to) but I reread Carry On and thoroughly enjoyed it. Another book that is so much more fun to read when you know how it ends. I’m so glad we’re getting another book because I will never be sick of Simon and Baz <3

Interact with people on booklr more through reblogs, replies and discussions. Again, a hard one to quantify. I feel like I’ve done well at this but there’s always room for improvement and I can’t wait to talk with you all more next year :)

It’s been so much fun having all these goals to work towards this year so I’ve thought long and hard about the goals I want to set myself for 2020 to keep this sense of purpose around. So without further ado, my challenges for 2020 are:

Read 50 books. I’m gonna have a lot of personal stuff to deal with this year on top of finding myself a job so I don’t wanna stress myself out with a big reading goal. 50’s nice and manageable and will allow me to really enjoy what I read.

Read at least one book by an author of colour each month. I have so many authors of colour in my TBR - especially Asian authors - and I just want to make myself read them. I’ve gone through my books and have listed all the authors and I think I’m just going to read as many of that author’s books as I can in the given month.

Cross off the books that have been on my TBR since 2016. I’ve got 12 books and series that have been on my TBR since 2016 so I’m going to read one each month until they’re all gone.

Minimise my book buying. Try to read and DNF more books than I buy and buy fewer than I did in 2019. A repeated goal from last year with an extra little caveat. I don’t have any space for more books at this point so if I can cut back on buying books even more, that would be super helpful.

Interact with people on booklr more through reblogs, replies and discussions. Another repeat goal. I just want to keep improving my interaction levels and hopefully spread the proverbial bug to everyone else. Tumblr doesn’t work if we don’t interact with each other so I wanna talk more with all of you in 2020.

I also want to use my TBR jar this year. I’m not making it a goal because there’s no way to measure it - I just want to use it, especially to help with clearing out my backlist a bit. I haven’t updated the jar in at least 12 months so I should find it helpful with that.

I hope you all had a wonderful time reading in 2019. Here’s to another fantastic, bookish year full of magical stories and charming characters. Happy New Year everyone - Em xoxo

#2019 #trcc original #set your rayguns to queue

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stillwaitingformymunkustrap · 5 years

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Okay so the CATS tour wow that happened okay here we go.

I saw it at 8 o’clock on Saturday and 2 o’clock on Sunday. First of all, a few general notes, other than everything happens for a reason and the reason I had to wait 21 goddamn years to see this show is so this could be the one. First, the orchestra sounded a-ma-zing. Second, the lighting was breathtaking. Plain and simple. Kudos to the designers. Third, anyone else notice that the tempo has been getting slower throughout the years? Like, if you compare the OLC to the OBC to the movie to the 2016 Broadway revival. I was dreading that a little bit, so I was really happy when this cast stayed on top or even a little ahead of the beat. It was quick and never dragged. Fourth, the vocals were hella tight. It struck me during the choral part of Jellicle Songs how much they sounded like a recording. Fucking superb you funky little Jellicles.

Victoria (Caitlin Bond) was absolutely beautiful and spectacular. She was actually the first cat I saw, since she came up into the balcony during the overture. I may have cried. It’s all good.

Coricopat (PJ DiGaetano) and Tantomile (Laura Katherine Kaufman) were also particularly great. They stood out.

Jennyanydots (Emily Jeanne Phillips) was spectacular. Her shoes were extra sparkly, which was awesome during the tap dance because they drew a lot of attention. Hers is not one of my favorite songs historically, but I seriously wish it had been longer.

I was...worried, to say the least, about The Rum Tum Tugger. McGee Maddox is a ballet dancer who does, you know, fancy ballet, and I wasn’t sure how that would translate to Tugger.

Jennyanydots ends.

He struts out.

Jaw on the floor. I am so pleased. No one’s ever gonna be John Partridge, but I’ll be damned if he’s not the closet thing I’ve ever seen. You can tell he did his homework and used it to make his own Tugger, and his Tugger is hella fun to watch. A+.

Y’all, I love the modern Bustopher choreo with all the other cats running around serving him food (Bustopher = Timothy Gulan). It’s so much more active and makes it way more fun to watch.

During the first Macavity scare, after Demeter shouted, “Macavity!” everyone started whispering, “Macavity,” “Macavity,” “Macavity,” in a ripple from stage right to stage left. Then, after they fled and only Munkustrap was left onstage, he got this pissed off look on his face and spat, “Macavity,” before leaving. The whole thing was badass.

Now, Munkustrap (Dan Hoy) has an unbelievable voice. Like damn. Like I would willingly let him murder me if he’d sing to me while he did it (something I have previously only said about Norm Lewis, so). He seemed like less of a leader and more of a protector, but he was fierce. Like when Tumblebrutus scratched Griz, he got in between them and hissed (and they hissed loud in this production), and I thought he was gonna throw down. It was seriously badass. Nothing but love and respect for my Jellicle protector. I’m also happy to report that Munkustrap did, in fact, spend most of the production standing with his feet at least three feet apart.

Speaking of Tumblebrutus (Devin Neilson), my dude my man can freaking tumble. I saw this with my mom, who used to coach gymnastics, and she went off on this in the car on the way home; Olympic gymnasts tumble on a spring floor, and sure, Tumblebrutus’ choreo isn’t as hard as what Olympic gymnasts do, but it’s on a stage, so all that height is just Devin Neilson being a badass (are y’all counting how many times I call something badass in this review? Because I’m not).

On Saturday, Tony D’Alelio got injured at the matinee, so they subbed Anthony Michael Zas (normally Pouncival) in for Mungojerrie. He and Rumpelteazer (Rose Iannaccone) were a little out of sync, understandably, but still totally adorbs. Anthony Michael Zas’ Mungojerrie pose was crossing his arms in a cheeky sort of dudebro pose, which was great, and Rose Iannaccone’s voice was so pretty I could combust. Tony D’Alelio was back in for the Sunday matinee, and let me just tell you, his Mungojerrie is a blessing to this Earth from the Everlasting Cat. That is all.

Old Deuteronomy (Brandon Michael Nase) is startlingly tenor compared to most Deuts, but hey, the dude’s got a great voice. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

During the second Macavity scare, right before the Song of the Jellicles, they recited a bit of Macavity in a creepy chant, Naming of Cats style.

The Song of the Jellicles and the Jellicle Ball were a blast, as always. The lights during the ball were crazy, and holy crap the leap Misto (Tion Gaston) did when it got loud and fast right after the cuddle pole asdfghjkl.

After the Jellicle Ball, Keri René Fuller’s Grizabella was way less despondent and way more frustrated with her inability to do the dance. It was heartbreaking and immediately got everyone on her side. I’ll save the discussion of her voice for the Memory Reprise...

After intermission, you’d better be in your seat and ready. Old Deut’s already out there. They’re starting as soon as the lights go down.

Sillabub (Ahren Victory) not only has the loveliest voice, but just looks like she’s having the time of her life for the whole show.

Jellylorum (Kaitlyn Davidson) has one of those voices that is just super pleasant to listen to, plain and simple. There were lots of cute moments during Gus, like Victoria getting excited at the mention of her name, and Gus (Timothy Gulan) directing “They think they are smart just to jump through a hoop” at a very offended Mungojerrie. His “blood curdling noises” involved growling at Sillabub, then bopping her head with a little, “Meow.” There were a lot more, but seriously just go see it if it comes near you.

The Pekes and the Pollicles was...just...a blast. Period. Full stop. I don’t really have anything else to say about it other than, “What an absolute banger.”

The transition into Skimbleshanks was really sudden and kind of jarring. The nice thing about Skimbleshanks is that it hasn’t changed much. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? Ethan Saviet totally killed it. What more can you want? Tugger spent the song jamming on top of the washing machine, and when they built the train, Misto sat right in front with the light, and they waved at each other. Saturday night, Misto blew Tugger a kiss. I’m still dead and ghostwriting this from my grave.

Okay, now, Macavity’s laugh, okay? They had it recorded and played it from multiple places in the theatre. Macavity’s laugh in stereo is an experience everyone should get to have. Y’all know what I’m gonna say about Tyler John Logan’s Mac, right? Yep, that’s right, he’s a badass, even in the Broadway revival outfit.

Charlotte O’Dowd stood in for Bombalurina at both shows I saw, and really, you would never know she wasn’t a principle. Erin Chupinsky stood in for Demeter on Saturday night and uh...if this woman has a spine or, you know, bones of any sort, we saw no evidence of it. Liz Schmitz was back in on Sunday. Her Demeter seemed much younger and almost like a Macavity fangirl, which, you know, big mood.

I’m not a big fan of the newer fight choreo. It’s not so clear why Mac runs off in the end (Spoiler alert: It’s because he’s controlling the Jellicles with his magic, and suddenly he can’t). Up until that moment, it...really wasn’t much of a fight, tbh. Munk kinda gets his ass kicked. Alonzo fared better than anyone else. But when Macavity electrocutes himself, it is loud and you can feel it. It was awesome, in the actual sense of the word.

Tugger’s speech at the beginning of Mistoffelees reminded me a bit of the announcer vocals in the Ballroom Blitz. I appreciated the circusy, hype-man vibe. And Mistoffelees. Oh, Mr. Mistoffelees. He’s the cutest thing ever. I mean smile that could melt the sun. “Phenomenal dancer” doesn’t even begin to cut it, but that’s all I’ve got. Hands down my favorite Mistoffelees. Yes, I said it.

Now, I shall talk about Grizabella’s voice. I got nervous before she went for the chorus after the key change, because, you know, that’s hard. She...pardon my French...fucking nailed it. The whole audience gasped. My mother cried. Holy crap.

I’ll stop there, because I feel like the ending should be experienced, not read.

tl;dr—The CATS Tour is a Heavenly blessing from the Everlasting Cat that went far above and beyond my expectations. 12/10 would recommend.

#CATS the Musical #CATS Tour

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melaninkimchi · 6 years

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BTS Outro:Tear Review

I’m super delayed publishing this review! Totes watched Namjoon’s review before writing mine, so if you spot something he said, that’s why. Also credit to my friends too for talking to me about the album! Love listening to others’ insight on music!

Singularity

This surprising introduction to this phenomenal album features member Taehyung’s soulful baritone. This neo-soul track seems as if it was designed to specifically highlight Taehyung’s timbre. His vocals are punctuated by a groovy bass guitar. No doubt, we all continue to hear continous improvement; his voice is now polished, conveys oodles of emotion, and flows thick, like honey. The more you listen, the more you like it!

Fake Love

First thoughts I had towards this track was Nickelback guitar over a trap beat, which is something I’m sure most of us have never heard before. The warbling guitar present in the first and second verses lend a dreamy quality. For me, Jimin’s pleading vocals really shape the vibe of this track. As the track goes on, it’s as if it’s building to an emotional crescendo, even if you don’t understand the lyrics. Throughout, I sometimes wondered if the punctuation is done purposefully (i.e. I hear “now you’re so mad”) Probably just wishful thinking on my part!

(P.S. I absolutely love the rock remix of this track, it’s even better than the original!)

Truth Untold

Right away I noticed that Taehyung opens this track and I couldn’t help but rejoice and hope that it was a precursor to the rest of the album (it was!!!) I had no idea that this would be vocal line’s song, but it’s sang so beautifully, and I’m happy it is just theirs. You can hear everyone’s improvement, even over the last album Her, where I ranted that each member sounds absolutely awesome. You can’t fake the vocal quality of this track. The single punctuated piano notes are perfect for letting each member fully use their voice as an instrument. Listen carefully to the crafted, fitting adlibs throughout the song!

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I knew this song was going to be totally different in the first 5 seconds (a la Pied Piper) and liked it immediately. Once again, Taehyung’s voice is the first you hear (I squeed in joy at this). The charm of this track is its baseline. That bass guitar is just….no words. In addition, Namjoon’s rap as the first verse truly shines. It seems as if we haven’t heard this style of flow from him in a minute (is it just me?) Also, on every track we hear Yoongi’s spine-tingling introduction(“Suga”) and it makes me wonder how I ever missed it on previous releases. This song easily has the top spot for favorite instrumentation on the album (THE FLUTE!) The adlibs in the chorus are a highlight along with the quick drum breakdowns that serve as transitions into another verse or member’s part.

Paradise

Get ready to break it down with this one. Jungkook’s sweet, “Marathon, marathon” set the vibe for me immediately. Right after his verse, the beat drops into a true bop. The messaging in this song is truly crafted to apply and resonate with all ages listening. Yoongi’s verse seamlessly flows into Hoseok’s; the transition between the two is my favorite part on the track. At the end of the song, you can hear each member on the gang vocal, and I thought it was a great touch to close out this reassuring track.

Love Maze

It took me a while for the opening banjo (?) to grow on me in this track. This song is Jimin’s song! His vocals are prevalent throughout and shine as the highlight for me. Namjoon’s verse! I fangirled so hard at the english, no lie. I really appreciate those four lines so hard. The underlying clap beat keeps me tied into this song for sure. Jin’s, “just don’t give a damn,” admittedly made me chuckle. To me, the end of Yoongi’s rap had a surprising bite that I appreciated.

Magic Shop

I view this song as Jungkook’s masterpiece! I love the echoey “underwater” sounds throughout the track. It kind of reminds me of Whalien 52, but with completely different messaging and meaning in the lyrics. Almost like we felt lonely, or like no one could understand, but now we are trading in the negative things/qualities/thoughts that made us feel that way for positive things/thoughts/qualities that we enjoy, and through that positivity we give our best to others, and also hopefully to ourselves. The singsong quality of Hoseok’s verse really sticks out to me on this track in the best way.

Airplane Pt. 2

I love that Hoseok’s “Airplane”, an individual call –out on the struggle and ascension of himself and his group, led to this group call-out. The lyrics are really affective, from the beginning of the song, (“I see no star”) to the end, the group tells it as it is; that they worked hard from the very bottom to get to where they are now while still maintaining their sense of humility. The Latin beat and instrumentation makes this a unique track for BTS, and I continue to be so pleased that they try different genres on their albums. Listen close to the adlibs during the entire 2nd chorus, they’re fantastic!

Anpanman

This song is such a fun one! I love the lyrics; Bangtan are the best, but still recognize their limits. It’s like this year’s “Attack on Bangtan”. I think 5 years later, this song shows us that we are still loving and supporting the same seven young men, except now they’re grown more mature. Favorite things about this track are the twerk beat from jump and ingenious whistles present throughout. This song could’ve been something different, but it’s perfect. I think Hoseok and Yoongi’s opening verses really shape this track as well, and it’s different to be reminded that members Jin and Jimin are capable of producing those “big” vocals we hear in the bridges before the choruses. Still Bangtan!

So What

This is the official dance track of 2018, no one fight me on this! “Somebody call me right one…somebody call me wrong?” Absolutely never guys. For some reason, I heard each rap line member’s introduction like 10 times louder than the rest of the song. (“Suga”, “Hope World, let’s go, grrrr”, “RMMMM”) These why be bothered lyrics are especially fitting for these synth beats that make you wanna jump up and down. Tae’s voice “we are young, and wild, and free” sounds especially sweet to me. Jimin’s ending refrain is also almost touching, reminding us that we can “so what” in order to continue to not be so down on ourselves, and take the time to love ourselves. The rest will get done!

Outro: Tear

This right here….I had no idea the last track would be my favorite out of the whole album. This R&B/hip-hop instrumentation is phemenomal. Every time I listen, it prompts me to ad lib (does anyone else do this?) We have definitely not heard Namjoon rap like this in at least two albums, with his biting flow (“Ion wanna listen to that”). Love that this song features the same chorus quality as Outro: Her with the members vocalizing in addition to their rapping. Even if you haven’t looked up the lyrics, you can hear the emotions in each member’s verse. Yoongi’s is admittedly my favorite for personal reasons. I looked up the lyrics and froze. No matter where you are, what culture, color, ethnicity, people all feel the same, and Yoongi’s lyrics spoke to me. Plus, his modulation throughout his entire verse was surprising, but I enjoyed it very much. It really lent to the emotional impact of the track. I’m also really glad they had Yoongi sing the bridge of the track. Hoseok’s verse closes the song with a building crescendo that almost leaves you exhausted. “Tear.”

#bts #bts tear #ly: tear #album review #music review #bangtan #namjoon #yoongi #hoseok #taehyung #jungkook #jin #jimin #admin niss #no idea what else to tag #loved this album

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