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mvlonc · 5 years

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hello hey what’s good hunnies, i’m rollin up late but uh !! my name’s maia, 25 y/o living it up it up in the ast part of the world and uh listen i don’t have discord bc i’m a literal grandma when it comes to keeping up with all the new means of being social lmao so if you would like to chat and/or plot?? just shoot me an im on here — i’m usually always mobile & i obviously love to talk a lot ! and i’m a heaux for dramatic / angst-fuelled plots .. just a little fyi … i’m excited !! so anyway !!! onto the Idiot of the Hour you’re actually here to read about; my darling malone. i have a pinterest board for him HERE , a playlist for him HERE , his stats page set up HERE , and a connections page HERE which as you can see is bare as all hell so let’s plot <3

have you seen MALONE SINCLAIR since the storm? some say they look like DACRE MONTGOMERY but they’re 22 & go by THE LOTHARIO . HE lived in halloway for EIGHT YEARS & they are originally from MANHATTAN, NY . before the town vanished they were studying BIOLOGY and lived at UNI BLVD . most people knew the CIS MALE as BODACIOUS but i’ve heard they can also be EVASIVE . for some reason, they feel UNEASY about the town’s disappearance.

okay so homeboy here has had it pretty easy his entire life. his dad works relentlessly as chief of neurosurgery in lower manhattan and his step-mom had worked as a prestigious legal practitioner; one of the most sought out lawyers in the state, and later, a socialite. like the infamous philosopher dr justin roberts once said: “six figures, i was only four”, malone was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. while most would assume he’s a straight up trust fund punk, though, he inherited his father’s impeccable work ethic to a fault.

as an only child and therefore sole heir to the sinclair estate, his parents have been on mal’s ass his entire life to give his absolute best in everything he does. health, school, sports, friendships, relationships, the whole shebang. his marks were always near the top of his class, he excelled at his two favourite sports; hockey during the winter, baseball during the summer. but it wasn’t until he hit his mid adolescent years, started developing an interest in girls ( whom he once thought were riddled with cooties ), that his focus faltered a wee bit and good lil o’malley boy started being a teenager.

embracing his lavish lifestyle and all the popularity / opportunities it handed him on a silver platter basically, mal was ho-ing himself around, partying it up with the elite crowd, earning himself a pretty risque rep among his peers. it wasn’t until he met his first actual serious girlfriend that he did his best to tone it tf down. and it worked, for awhile. but !! of course he fucked it all up and even though what’s done is done, he has big regrets. BIG regrets. mainly bc girl went absolutely wild and took a baseball bat to the ferrari his parents had waiting for him for his 16th birthday yikes.

sO after this wild series of events, his step-mom urged the family to move back to his dad’s hometown in halloway, new hampsire. it was within reasonable travel distance for senior sinclair to fly back and forth for work, and the town seemed a lot more quaint and quiet compared to manhattan, somewhere malone could focus better on his studies. no matter how defiantly he protested, delivering as many good points to stay in new york as he possibly could to his parents, their minds were made up and so malone spent his high school years in halloway. of course, he still stirred up his fair share of drama just as he did in manhattan, and continued to party with the best of them.

after graduating high school with exemplary marks, instead of taking the opportunity to potentially thrive in the big leagues of the sports world, malone opted to stick to his roots, following in his dad’s footsteps. he got accepted into halloway university as a pre-med student, studying all the biological sciences, and would be entering his senior year come september... until shit hit the fan and all hell broke loose rip. at first, the idea of living without any sort of authority figure attempting to keep him in line was thrilling to the young man. he took full advantage of this with the rest of his fellow university students, partying it up to celebrate the end of the world. but as the days went on, malone felt ... uneasy about the false liberated situation they were in.

what had happened to everyone’s parents? his parents? why hadn’t anyone tried to contact them, or come back for them (wherever the adults went)? were they all really left to fend for themselves - had they actually been abandoned? he’s actually pretty pissed at the thought, and also saddened but that’s not something openly he shares with the others. for now, he’s cooperatively working with the group to ensure their survival until somebody - anybody - comes back to take them to wherever it is he assumes the adults are doing the same.

wanted connections ; 1) ok so uh he obviously needs his boy(s), 1 or 2 who he’s pretty dang close with. they travelled together, were each others’ wingmen at one time or another, always have each others’ backs through thick & thin. it’d be cool if their parents had been friends and so the boys kinda grew up together like brothers. 2) also on that note, maybe a fella he’s experimenting with?? bc he’s a bicurious soul, potentially bisexual, so that would be a loAD of angst huh. 3) he need him some fwb / hook up type deals, whether they be a regular occurrence or a one time thing. 4) ex gfs!! i don’t see him having like… a SHIT load of exes bc he tries to stay away from relationships but probably anywhere between 1-3?? whether they be on good terms, bad terms, lingering feelings, etc. i’m cool with whatever. 5) maybe somebody he tutored?? bc while he gives off mad Big Dick energy and tends to think with that head lmao, mal is actually very intelligent. 6) how about some enemies tho. like… idk man i’m SURE there are ppl he rubs the wrong way bc he’s kind of narcissistic lmao. or maybe they think he’s fake. or maybe there’s some sports rivalry or classic case of polar opposites or he broke ur bff’s heart?? the possibilities are endless.

#hallowayintros #hallowaypoints #this is a ... mess sdfgdf #im going out for the day but #ill be mobile so lets plot!!!#hopefully will be back in time for the event<3

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ebhenah · 6 years

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Fictober 18 Day 8

Prompt: "I know you do."

Original Fiction (a continuation of my Fictober Day 7 story: Uncharted)

Rating: T Mentions of war, death, family separation, LGBTQ2SIA+ relationships

She kept the jacket, and when it stopped smelling like home, she traded it for another. She relished the scent of her father's best friend and how closely it was tied to memories of her childhood. She couldn't wear it anywhere public, because it was a UNIFORM jacket for a military organization that she wasn't a member of- in any timeline. She wasn't a soldier. Chains of command irritated her. She didn't thrive in such a structured environment. She wasn't made to conform. Honestly, she'd never really understood how her parents could cope with it- especially the humans that had contributed half of her genetic make-up and raised her. They were both strong-willed, headstrong, and kind of reckless. The aliens that made up the other half of her background- they made a bit more sense for a military career. One was the consummate soldier, and the other… imperious was probably the best description. Regardless, she was NOT cut out for a military life. Too much of a wild card. Not that she had a hard time with being part of a team- she actually thrived in a team setting as long as everyone had equal say. It was when she was expected to blindly obey that problems started to crop up.

So, she had kept the jacket. She wore it in the privacy of her own quarters, on the ship full of aliens her family had liberated before their planet had been wiped out. The ship that had been home to her boisterous siblings and exasperated parents and their closest friends and teammates for years. The quarters she had shared with her wife for far too short a time. It felt odd to have such a large chunk of the ship to herself, but she was not ready to allow strangers into her space just yet… and the younger versions of the people she considered family were all happily and appropriately housed on the other ship.

They were still watching out for her though, which felt a little odd, since she was older than most of them now. They were still the same people, just… a little less wise, a little less cynical, a little less war-worn. It did her heart good to see them so… unburdened. To know that THESE versions of the people closest to her might never have to harden and age the way that the people she'd grown up with had. It did something good to her soul to be able to watch the younger versions of her fathers fall in love and forge a life for themselves. Everything might be completely different, but that love gave her a bit of an anchor in this uncharted territory.

Slowly but surely, her living quarters were starting to become a favorite spot to hang out when they were off duty. She taught one of her dads her favorite lullaby from when she was little and helped the other perfect his kimchi recipe. She discovered her hangar was slowly filling up with junked engines and spare parts and tools enough to keep her in projects for weeks and the guy who'd taught her how to hold a wrench and bought her her first set of protective goggles blushed when she mentioned it. When she went to train or work-out, as often as not she'd find one of her childhood mentors ready to spar or spot her.

Bit by bit, they were showing her that she wasn't alone. Proving that family was made of stronger stuff than time. They'd seen her with her brother and her dads- before the three of them had safely returned to her original timeline and she'd gotten stranded here. They'd worked together to create a new future for their people… and in doing so, they'd accepted her as one of them. As lonely as she was; as homesick as she felt; there was no way any of them were going to let her feel ALONE. The whole world might feel like a weird, faulty copy of her own childhood- but she was not isolated in it by any stretch of the imagination.

Still, the best moments were often the ones she shared with the only one of the inner circle that she HADN'T grown up with. Someone who hadn't survived in her own timeline. Someone she'd saved, only to have him save her right back. There was a kind of freedom in that. There was no weight of memory. No lingering ghost of what had been to be. Just him. Just her. Just two of them trying to find their footing in a world that wasn't really designed to contain either of them. Living ghosts, he called them. It had led to nicknames. She was Spook. He was Wraith. No one but each other ever heard those names. They'd never even had to discuss it- they both just knew they weren't meant for any other ears.

So, when she heard footsteps behind her during one of her many bouts of insomnia, she expected it to be Wraith. It wasn't. It was the younger of her two fathers. The one she'd grown up being told she was a mini-version of. The one that shared the personality traits she was finding it hardest to access in this new life.

"Can't sleep?" he asked, dropping to the floor beside her. They were in one of her favorite spots, the scaffolding that scaled the far wall of the big communal hanger, overlooking her work space.

"I don't know what you are talking about," she answered, peeking out from the folds of the ridiculously too huge borrowed jacket. "I'm out like a light, safely tucked into my bed, dreaming of sugarplum fairies and strippers."

He snorted, "you got me- I actually thought for like, a split second there that you wouldn't find a way to make that weird."

"You don't like dreaming about strippers?" she asked, "I find that very hard to believe. Strippers are awesome dream fodder."

"Why do you do that?" he asked.

"You know why," she answered, "you do it, too."

"You don't have to do it with me," he said gently, "since I know why you are doing it in the first place. Seems like a waste of effort."

She shrugged, her ear twitching in agitation and flattening against her skull, "I don't even think about it anymore. It just happens."

"I was talking to my mother today," he said, apparently choosing to change the subject rather than push. "She wants to meet you."

"Nope," she answered, shaking her head. "That's not going to happen. I can't. I can't see them, so young… and start all over with them, too."

"They're your family," he pointed out.

"No. They are YOUR family. I'm not even going to be BORN in this timeline."

"You don't know that."

"I kind of do, though," she sighed, "I know how I came to be, and those reasons won't exist here. You guys will find a surrogate, or adopt, IF you choose to have kids- and I am fine with that. Really. I am. My family doesn't need to be your future. You have more options than my dads did. That's a good thing. You won't have to resort to the alien science experiments that made me and my siblings."

"Don't talk about yourself like that," he scolded, "you aren't some kind of…"

"Monster? Lab specimen? Freak?" she shook her head, "I know all that. Doesn't change HOW I came to be."

"I would be so proud to get to raise you," he said softly. "I realized today when I was talking to my mother that none of us have really said that to you. I know that you know your parents are proud of you. You've told me about how happy your childhood was, how loved you were. I saw for myself how close your family is… but you keep talking about how we aren't locked into doing things the way you remember them happening. That your past doesn't have to be our future. I don't think you realize…"

"I don't realize, what?" she asked, turning to face him, her eyes tracing over features that she grew up turning to, the furrowed brow she saw in her own reflection more and more lately.

"That getting to have you as a kid- it's something I look forward to. I hope that that is something that DOESN'T change."

Her eyes welled with tears, "thank-you. That's very sweet. It means a lot to me."

"Do you remember what you said to me the first day we met?" he asked, "when you told me you had younger siblings?"

"Some kind of cocky joke, I'm sure," she laughed, "but I don't remember exactly what."

"You said 'look at me, I'm awesome. Of course you had to go for the sequel. Who wouldn't want more of me in their life?' You were joking, but it's true. You are awesome. That was the moment I decided to follow your advice and tell him how I felt. Because as scary as the whole 'this is your future spouse' thing was- and it's pretty terrifying, let me tell ya. That's a ton of pressure! As scary as it was, I didn't want to risk missing out on these awesome kids I was hearing about. This strong, sassy, beautiful, matchmaking, badass who built a ship from scratch and named it after a lesbian sex joke, and who took the time to help heal an injury no one else even noticed, and who saw danger as an adventure, but treated everyone around her with compassion and who was the first person to crack a joke and break the tension was MY kid? That floored me… and, like you said, your brother was kind of cool, too."

The tears spilled over and she gave him a watery smile, "really?"

"Yes, really… I want you to know how lucky and honored I would be to get to have the family he did. To have you and your siblings to raise and love. We interact like friends, mostly- because we are pretty much the same age-"

"I am four years older than you," she pointed out, "you aren't even at your full height yet."

"Like I said- PRETTY MUCH THE SAME AGE," he insisted, "but you are still my daughter, and I never forget that. I love you… and today I realized I'd never said that to you. I love you and I am proud of you. I'm really glad I got to meet you. I see me in you- but… like, a BETTER version of me."

"There's no such thing," she squeaked, trying to keep from crying at all the sweet things he was saying. She just knew her face was blue from blushing and her markings were cherry red from all the conflicting emotions. "There's no such thing as a better version of you. You are the best person in the universe. I've always said that, and I stand by it. The very best person in the universe."

He pulled her into a hug, arms tight around her and hands rubbing her back. "You're not the smartest kid, because I am sooo not the best person in the universe," he teased, "but you are awesome."

"You smell like him," she whimpered, dissolving into tears finally, "and I love you- I do. I love all of you. I just… I miss him so much. I miss them all so much."

"I know you do," he soothed, "of course you do. Go ahead and cry. I got you. That's what dads do for their little girls."

#fictober18 #fictoberpromptIKnowYouDo day8IKnowIAmLate Day8 OriginalFIction OriginalCharacters scifi timetravel wlw mlm

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makeademia · 6 years

Video

The video that got my [spam] YouTube Channel Almost Banned **not clickbait**

(Comparing 1970′s College Music Scenes- Disco and Rock)

But yeah, stealing an entire theme song (and turning a project in late trying to preserve the least relevant part of the video ahaha) is fun. In my opinion, it was worth it. This is in no way implying that it’s good, though, so watch at the risk of your own valued time.

-AC

Transcript Below:

[Intro music]

Voiceover:

Ah, college.

Just like Hollywood romanticized high school with Grease and Dazed and Confused, I feel like college was a little bit romanticized today. In movies, all you saw were people drinking and partying and listening to really cool music but it turns out today, college costs an arm, a leg, and a kidney to go to. And there’s a lot more stress…to put it lightly.

So, what would it be like to just chill out and listen to music in the 70’s?

Upon doing some research, I found out that 1970’s colleges were dominated by two different music scenes: rock and disco.

And in this vlog, I’ll try my best to describe each one and I’ll even include a couple of anecdotes from my 1970’s parents…if they cooperate, but stay tuned to find out if they do!

Disco:

Happy Thursday, everyone.

So, I didn’t get the memo that my professor canceled class today and I’m here so there’s nothing left to do besides take over his room and teach you guys about 70’s music. So, let’s get started.

So, first I’d like to start off with the properties of disco. So, these were played at clubs and it was really played at any type of party. There was an occasion to listen to Disco.

And, it was really influenced by genres that came before it so you kind of got the Funk elements that played into Disco as well as Jazz.

And many of the songs had dance moves. Also, I believe it was illegal for people of the same gender to dance together but that got outlawed with the Stone Wall Riots, I believe, I haven’t taken history in a while.

But, you had lots of sexual revolution—everything was very “do you”.

Most of the songs were wild and upbeat. Electronic elements were quintessential to the funkiness or grooviness [groove, whoops] of Disco music.

It kind of threw away the pre-conceived notions of what “good” music is. You’re not appraising Disco. It’s more of what’s there? And does it fit the setting? And that’s kind of where the occasion comes in again.

Rock:

So, let's start off with Rock.

Keep in mind that Rock certainly isn’t anything new. It was very popular in the 60’s. Like, the 70’s wasn’t the “decade” of Rock. There’s almost a subgenre of Rock that became really popular called Acid Rock and also Psychedelic Rock. And there are tons more that fall into this category, but I’m just generally going to refer to it as Rock.

As opposed to Disco that took elements of different genres to make a new genre, it was more so the continuation of a genre that was already thriving.

Also different from Disco, the way you heard Rock was mainly through the radio. So, in a way, it was reaching the same amount of people, just through a different medium.

Unlike disco, there’s not an occasion to listen to Rock unless you’re going to a concert or something.

70’s music really pushed people to think. It wouldn’t explicitly call out the social message. It was more to promote creativity and individualism within the listeners.

Also, you had tons of different instruments used. Plus, elements of music that made it seem like they were edited.

Even the softer side of rock had the same elements as heavier rock that came to fruition in the 70’s. It had this explosion. It was unpredictable and it was really creative.

I will get into that more. It’ll make more sense, so I look forward to that. In the meantime, I am going to get into the similarities.

Rock & Disco:

They all have undertones of inclusion. You can be your own person and not only will I accept it but it’s something I want to celebrate.

So, in that way, it was all very fluid. It was fluid musically bringing in electronic elements.

The 70’s did have people who were distrustful of the government just because of all the drama that went on in the 60’s, Watergate, and whatnot. You had the government and “The man” no longer relevant in music. It was its own degree of rejection.

Also, I can’t go without mentioning this—drugs! Those drugs prospectively being alcohol and cocaine for Disco and as we all can guess, Rock definitely did have a stronghold in stoner culture and acid trips, that’s something they took from the 60’s.

So, public consumption of alcohol and cocaine is still looked down upon. This was still very underground and it was not societally accepted but it did play into the music because the music is so fast and energetic and, you know, when have you seen that in other decades?

And you’re with people and you have the free love thing going on and you can do whatever you want. It encourages your own choices and these are some of the choices.

Last thing we have here is young people, which is why I did this topic. Who makes stuff cool? College kids.

I will bring in examples of my parents. Disclaimer, they aren’t cool anymore but back in the day my parents definitely vibed with these things.

Mom & Dad Profiles:

So, contrary to what my retro baby pictures and my superb teaching on this topic may lead you to believe, I was not nor have I ever been alive in the 70s.

So instead, I brought you the more credible Tammy and Craig who were alive in the 70s.

Although they were merely teenagers at the time, I think they can still give you the spark notes

of the spark notes of how the music of the liberated college student trickled down to them.

Mom Interview:

A: So, this is my mother, Tammy

T: Are you still there?

A: Oh my God, we’re off to a great start

Q: How do you remember the rise of Disco?

T: Yeah, it was really popular when the movie Saturday Night Fever came out

A: Is that what made the term Saturday Night Fever?

T: Yeah. Well, I don’t know. I didn’t write that movie.

A:…Okay.

T: I didn’t like it, though. I didn’t like Disco music. Although, I did like that Bee Gees album.

A: What Bee Gees album? Well, actually—no. I don’t care. Um—

Q: What turned you off from Disco?

T: [cackles in English] I like more laid back songs where you can sing to the words and understanding the song more than getting up and dancing and more than, you know, being happy and peppy.

A: And you do not consider yourself a peppy person?

T: No

Q: When would you listen to Rock music?

A: Out with friends, hangin’ out in the neighborhood.

Q: Were other people this polarized on what genres they liked?

T: No, I don’t think that they were necessarily at odds with each other but, I mean, they did kind of stay on separate sides, you know.

Q: Did your school band ever use Rock or Disco in their routines?

T: Um, the band would play like Rock n Roll Music

A: And that’s the school bands?

T: Yeah and we would dance to it or twirl to it

A: Okay, but not Disco?

T: No, not so much Disco.

Q: What’s your fondest memory of 70’s music?

T: I just remember sitting in my room a lot and just listening to album after album. I had like eighty albums.

Q: So rock was personal and interpersonal?

A: So with Rock it was more about like intimate connections with your friends and-

T: Yeah, and how the music related to your life. A lot of the music you could relate to your own life. And concerts were big too. As a teenager, I remember lots of concerts. That was the big thing.

A: Any other insights you have?

T: Nope

A: Would you like to be dismissed now?

T: Yeah [cackles]

Dad Interview:

Q: How did you hear different kinds of 70’s music?

C: That's what you listen to it on my college radio stations or nightclubs, it was when you had stadium concerts, which had like pyrotechnics. Um, kinda like Led Zeppelin.

Q: What made people like these genres?

C: So you had kinda the vanilla you can think of it as almost like squares music on the Top 40 and then he had kind of people that were looking for something different. Even the disco was people looking for something different. Disco was kind of like the nightclub music but it was all associated with beauty and glamour and, you know, high fashion

Q: So there was some narcissism among Disco listeners?

C: Well, there were definitely in the ideas the Disco and even in Glam Rock there was narcissism but I think there are some of the opposite—you had the disenfranchised, the people that didn't feel like they didn’t belong like every generation had. I think it's always driven by youth; they're looking for a new sound or they're, you know, what they're playing on the radio doesn't express their thoughts and stuff but I think there are some people that get left behind and that just widens the chasm between the haves and the have-nots.

Q: Is this how the peaceful attitudes of the 60’s dissolved?

C :I think maybe you still had some of the innocence after the psychedelic 60s and and the British Invasion. Remember, back in the day, the 70s Beatles was broken up. You know, that kind of disillusioned people with-you kind of got this groovy, you know, a sense of getting along Well, yeah there's that but you know that not everyone identified with that groovy, happy, you now—loving feeling.

Q: Was it like this for Rock and Disco?

C: Because it became splintered, the majority of mass American people, you know, would listen. But those into Disco would never want to be around anything with Punk music, you know, that was dirty, that was raw trash to them, you know.

Q: What cool things arose from 70��s Rock?

C: And you also had the idea the develop of concept albums, you know, that it wasn't a bunch of singles on an album.

A: Like Pink Floyd?

C: Pink Floyd! Exactly! Like, Led Zeppelin, you know, I remember it being a big thing with Stairway to Heaven because it was like 17 minutes long and it was finally played on the radio. You also had this blissful lack of technical skills or development in the Punk movement. You know, they couldn’t play any instrument and just wailed away in and yelled and made noise and, you know, that it became a music genre.

Q: How was Rock made popular?

C: You couldn’t just say “Let's do it!”—no! You know, you had to go out to a bar or a concert to listen to music and then you would get to know it. You'd buy it, you know, an album and you go to a house party or something slam-dancing at the house party and play the music until your speakers blew. And it’s the same way with Progressive Rock into New Wave. Now that was really ushered in by the technological development of the synthesizer. You know, they started having a band without a guitar, which was unheard of back then.

Q: How was Disco different and how was it similar?

C: There was a lot of sentiment about it, about Disco. Before then, you know, you couldn't you could hear but it really was pretty mindless music. It was just dance music.

Q: Was disco popular for non-club goers?

You also had, you know, people that weren't old enough to go out to clubs and stuff. They would start to listen to their older brothers or sisters’ albums, you know.

Q: How did the drug of choice for the listeners of each genre come to be?

C: So I think that's more symptomatic of the age and the partying and stuff, which drug in particular they did and how they did it or stuff like that, yeah. That might have been more based on the type of music it like ecstasy and rings go kind of go together. It wasn’t like they started doing raves because they were doing ecstasy was but it went along with the music and being out partying, you know, drugs and drinking are, you know, right or wrong, are gonna be a part of going to college or high school, you know.

Q: Why did the 70’s become known for these genres specifically?

C: Rock and Disco where desired have fun, the desire to party, the desire to share something with friends or, you know, significant other or trying to find a significant other…

[Music and Credits]

#comparemusic

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sevendevons · 6 years

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Devon Aoki has single-handedly revamped the pretty paradigm. She is one of the newest faces in the family of Lancôme’s new millennium muses (“I definitely wasn’t the safe choice”), along with Uma Thurman, Mena Suvari and Elizabeth Jagger. Prior to landing that ambassador-of-beauty contract, the New York-born, Malibu-raised model sauntered down countless catwalks (for Balenciaga, Fendi, Givenchy and Thierry Mugler) and starred in numerous advertising campaigns (for Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld, Versace, Moschino, and currently Baby Phat). Born of a German-English-American mother and Japanese father (Rocky Aoki, the Japanese Olympic wrestler and founder of the Miami-based Benihana Japanese steakhouse chain), the freckle-faced 20-year-old will soon work her elegant schoolgirl look on the silver screen. In June, she debuts opposite Paul Walker, Tyrese, Ludacris and Eva Mendes in 2 Fast 2 Furious, the highly anticipated, shot-in-Miami sequel to the 2001 street-racing smash, The Fast and the Furious. And when she’s not capturing international imaginations as the new face of beauty and fashion, this raw talent keeps busy with plans to launch a record company and a fashion line, compares and contrasts the political philosophies of Edward Said and William F. Buckley, quotes Robert Frost and gushes about her greatest fans—especially the one who tattooed her face on his arm.

How did your mother and father meet?

My mother, [jewelry designer] Pamela [Hilburger], moved to New York from Buffalo when she was 18. She was this adventurous, whimsical young lady who wanted to discover the city. She met my dad while she was working as a coat-check girl at Genesis, a nightclub he owned. They dated for a while, fell in love, got married and had three kids together.

Are they still together?

No, they both have been remarried. My mom lives in Los Angeles and designs jewelry. She’s an artist and is really into feng shui. I appreciate how she really knows how to minimize clutter and open up the space.

Do you speak Japanese?

A little, but I never lived with my father until last year and my mother does not exactly speak Japanese! I took French in school.

Tell me about the character you play in 2 Fast 2 Furious.

I play Suki, a racer who drives a Honda 2000 supercharged and is part of a community of street kids who live and breathe for cars.

What car do you drive?

I don’t. Isn’t that terrible? If I did, I’d think about an SUV. But they’re such gas guzzlers, which doesn’t make sense to me right now, as we’re faced with war.

What are your views on the Iraqi conflict?

I’m a peaceful person, and war isn’t the answer. I have a lot of views about politics and am reading books to learn more about the subject.

Which books?

Representations of the Intellectual: The 1993 Reith Lectures, by Edward Said, who has some beautiful ideas. I’m definitely a Democrat and very liberal, but I can appreciate and understand things about Republicans. I’m also reading about the conservative party: Buckley: The Right Word, by William F. Buckley.

Talk to me about a political issue you feel strongly about.

An agreement called the Kyoto Protocol was implemented a few years ago, when many nations met to discuss how to save the world from [greenhouse] gas emissions and other pollutants. Unfortunately, the Republican Party [Bush Administration] has decided to no longer contribute to it in any positive or negative way. Problems with the environment aren’t going to go away; they’re on a downward spiral and are only getting worse. The U.S. is the biggest contributing polluter, and if we do not decide to curb output, the Protocol won’t make as much sense as if we did. Other countries have agreed to be consistent with gas emissions, but we’re no longer participating; it’s disastrous. I imagine a world where animals are not in danger, where people respect the planet. I’m not attacking the president; one man is not the seed of the problem. In fact, both Democrats and Republicans are a part of the same machine, the same economy, the same world.

You seem well-versed in world events for a 20-year-old.

I never really had to think about politics before, but it’s our era. There’s a tendency to forget about it and go on with your life. People don’t always take the time to learn about what’s going on, but I want to know what’s happening. I don’t want to be happy in my ignorance and accept that other people are making all the decisions. At this time in my life, it’s critical to have a better understanding of the politics that rule and regulate the world. I was watching the [Grammy] Awards and remember hearing Bono say something like, ‘You have to read. You have to look. You have to search and formulate your own opinions about the world around you. You can’t just regurgitate and accept.’ He’s right.

How is acting different from modeling?

Acting is a new thing for me; I’ve just started getting into it. While I’m a veteran model, which probably sounds ridiculous, now I’m going [to] castings, meeting people and starting all over again in a new field. Acting is about listening and staying present in the moment—really believing it and trying to maintain the natural process that is life. The more organic it is, the more convincing, because it’s mimicking what truly is. It’s important to be consistent with your own ideas and the collaboration process, because everyone on the set is such a vital part of the whole pie. It’s great to be involved with something so much bigger than myself.

You filmed 2 Fast 2 Furious in Miami. How do you like the city?

I love South Beach, and lived at The Shore Club for three months. What a great hotel! They were so nice to me.

How does Nobu compare with Benihana?

Benihana has been around for 40 years. It’s the best restaurant, and people who don’t think that don’t understand the experience.

Was there a time you didn’t like sushi?

Yeah, when I was younger I wouldn’t touch the stuff. You can’t ask a kid to eat uni [sea urchin]—that would be a little weird. I started with California rolls and grew to have a greater appreciation for sushi from there. It’s funny, I just went to Benihana with Tyrese and Ludacris the other day, and Tyrese ordered a fried chicken roll with ketchup! That sort of thing sounded more normal to me when I was little, but now I’m so used to eating traditional dishes. When he asked for that, I said, ‘Are you serious?’

Was your model-to-actress transition intentional?

I was never one of those people who know what they want to do from day one; I was always confused. I can’t see myself being a model when I’m 50, but I don’t have everything mapped out. There’s no blueprint of how I want things to go. So many different things present themselves to me, and it’s just about making decisions and going with what feels right. It’s like Robert Frost said: ‘Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.’ It’s about going one way and staying confident about your decisions regardless of the outcome. And anyway, who cares about the outcome? It’s all about the experience. You’re here on this planet, so you might as well take everything as it comes—really breathe it all in and make it your own.

Tell me what you’re doing besides the acting and modeling.

My father just got remarried and I felt like it was time to leave the nest. I’m living at the Trump Hotel for the time being, but I’m house-hunting, which is like a wild goose chase. Real estate agents keep showing me these really commercial buildings and high skyscrapers, but I just want something cute. I think I’d like something small—wait, not small. Definitely not small. But it’s hard to say. Do I want a two-bedroom with a marble bathroom? I don’t know. I have to just see it. I’m also working on a clothing line, a film-production company and a record label. But my dad always says to walk 10 steps in one direction as opposed to 10 steps in 10 different directions, so I need to focus.

Are you Daddy’s little girl?

Oh, yeah. That’s a big thing for me. I want to impress my father and follow in his footsteps. He’s so incredible. And I can say the same thing about my mother. She’s a survivor whose character inspires me.

Do guys get nervous meeting your dad?

Well, it’s not like I have a bunch of guys I’m bringing over. My dad does play a part in my life in every way.

You probably meet guys who are much older. What’s your dating age limit?

What is age, anyway? I used to think there was a list of things I’d need in a boyfriend, but the truth is, I just want to be comfortable and trust the person. I don’t care how old or young the person is. Actually, there is a limit on how young. I wouldn’t want to date anyone younger than me; it would be weird if he was still in high school or something. But I’ve seen couples where the guy is 70, the girl is 30 and people are scratching their heads; they don’t get it. But what is there to get? Who cares what other people are doing? Just concern yourself with yourself.

People do seem to care about what you’re doing. Have you seen ‘Devolution,’ a Devon Aoki fan website?

No, I haven’t seen it. But it’s cool.

I heard you were freaked out by a fan who tattooed your face on his arm.

That was a lie! Can I please set the record straight for once in my life? It was the worst thing, ever. After reading that article, I got so upset. A publication had asked me about my ‘craziest fan encounter,’ and I interpreted ‘crazy’ as ‘great crazy,’ or ‘weird but insane in a good and positive way crazy.’ I was so hurt when I read that they had changed my words from ‘craziest’ to ‘worst.’ Not only was it a bad reflection on me, but it would break my heart to think I had hurt anyone’s feelings.

Who got the tattoo?

A guy who went to school with my sister.

You didn’t think it was psycho?

No, not at all! I happen to think that someone inking my face onto his body is the highest form of flattery. I’m honored that people out there are interested in me; I appreciate that. I’m not scared of people who come up to me and ask me for my autograph. I’m not scared of my fans. It shows everything I’ve done is not in vain, and that there are people who see me, recognize me and support me. It’s a beautiful thing.

How would you characterize your style?

I’ve been wearing sneakers a lot. I used to be so into wearing heels and never went for comfort, but Jay-Z has a line of Reebok sneakers and they’re really cool. I also have [Cesare] Paciotti shoes, Adidas and some Puma. I’m really into sneakers these days, whether I’m going to the gym or not. Overall, I like to mix it up. I’m usually the last person to wear one designer top-to-bottom. I’ll wear an outfit that’s made up of vintage pieces, stuff from my mom, and things I’ve been given in the fashion industry.

What’s the best free thing anyone has ever given you?

Probably a couture Chanel coat that I wore on the runway, so it fit me perfectly. It is such a great piece. I get a lot of beautiful things, and try to wear pieces by newer designers, too.

Which up-and-coming designers do you like?

Benjamin Cho and Zac Posen.

What handbag are you carrying right now?

I just carry a little Chanel; it’s the greatest. You can look terrible, but if you’re carrying a nice bag that’s all that matters. It somehow makes everything so much better.

Tell me about your craziest fashion moment.

I wore a gorilla costume during a Thierry Mugler fashion show. Once I reached the middle of the runway, I ripped it off to reveal my hair and this beautiful silk dress. It was like a scene from a movie! This was probably one of the best fashion experiences I ever had on the runway. The designer came up to me and basically told me I could act because of what I did during that show.

#interview #april 2003

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sorry if this is too personal and if it is you dont have to answer it but youre trans right? how exactly did you know?

ahhh yea it’s a little personal but not like too much so

uhhhh well Once Upon A Time i used to think i was cishet (lmao) because, well, 1 i didnt know what being trans even was and 2, I liked to look at guys so I was just like “cool im a straight female” and I guess it all like, started to make sense when I found out what cosplay was? As weird as that is. But its because I was like “wow I can dress up as any character I want” and that was so wild because suddenly I wasn’t restricted to the clothes my mom bought me, or the gender I thought I had to express. I was always looking at guy characters and wanting to cosplay them and I never even considered any female chars lol. And it was like the first time I was even able to express myself that way? It was like a “safe” way to express that gender because I had told my mom that I didn’t want to cosplay girls because most designs were revealing etc. It was a lie lol it was just an excuse I used to get my mom to let me dress up as a guy and buy a binder. At that point I didn’t even know though I just found that I liked it a lot more, it felt different, more natural and right and I had more confidence? I literally hated the way I looked almost my entire life lol and I’m not a fan of female fashion outside of appreciating it on other people. I despised skirts and dresses and yeah, needless to say school dances were a Nightmare.

So yeah it was sometime in highschool when it really Clicked for me, but I was still afraid of what my mom or friends would say/think so I didn’t say anything at the time, and to be honest I was still in denial myself because I didn’t want to...it’s hard to explain...I didn’t want to admit it to myself because I knew it would be really difficult and it would change Everything and open me up to the possibility of being rejected by family or friends and I was scared of that. My dad is an extreme christian and super religious like he values the bible above everyone in my family and I Knew he would never accept that. So I kept quiet, I got my hair cut after I graduated in a more feminine style pixie cut to sorta slide by while still allowing myself to feel even a tiny bit better about my appearance. When I went off to college is when I really started to make my own decisions because I was free from my family and I could buy my own clothes and literally change my name since my school offered this little handy option of “preferred name” which conveniently allowed me to be whoever the hell I wanted to be. I was still scared though, so I compromised by identifying as gender fluid so that during breaks when I went home I could pretend I was okay with dressing feminine again. Eventually though I called my own bullshit and admitted it to myself and it just felt so good... and I told my friends and they were all supportive which made me feel a lot better. I’d just like.... lie in bed till 3 or 4 in the morning unable to sleep because I’d be thinking so much about how I hate the way my body looks and how I hate looking at myself in the mirror. So yeah lol I got tired of that and stopped lying to myself. It helps that I go to school in the most liberal city in California where my professors commonly ask for preferred pronouns and people respect and accept gender identity.

Sometime last year I finally gathered the courage to tell my mom, and she was accepting and nice about it which was Great. Only she like, would never use the right pronouns with me when I went home still and she never made any real effort to understand just what that meant so.... yea I ended up getting in a big fight w/ her just over winter break a few weeks ago right before coming back to school lmao but like overall its good if not a little awkward now... but yeah that was probably the worst night I’ve ever had in my entire life it was certainly Something

I guess like, you know how a common theme with gay/lesbian people is how they often ask themselves “Do I like you? Or do I want to look like you?” and for them the Realization comes with understanding that “oh, I do like you”. Well its the opposite for me. I like to look at guys, and I always assumed it was just because I liked them or found them attractive. Except... I dont lol. Not outside of aesthetically. So for me I had to ask “Do I like you? Or do I want to look like you?” and come to the Realization that no, I don’t like guys. I just do in fact want to look like them and I would prefer looking at them over girls because I was jealous/longing of their bodies and appearance and fashion and well I’m asexual and probably aromantic too so I had no reason to look at anyone outside of that “i want to look like you” reasoning.

This got pretty long but uh ;;;; yeah if you’re questioning or anything maybe ask yourself those questions and really think about it.

#errr so yea i dont push that 'i was Born Knowing' agenda because its just not how it works for everyone #sure some ppl do #some ppl are like me #who preferred to play with my brother and his friends when I was a kid and go outside and mess around with imaginary swords and guns #and yet still not suspect a thing #like i Always preferred playing with my brother as a child to the point i kinda lowkey disliked my sister?? lol #we just werent close #bcuz I'd always play the Imaginary Game w/ my brother #and we'd create our own characters and play as them with our toy swords and nerf guns #and like it didnt strike me as anything out of the ordinary bcuz my mom never really told me Those Are Things Boys Do #she just let me do what i wanted and play w/ all my brothers friends #of course as i grew up that changed but #i didnt know as a child #and I dont think it invalidates you if you realize it later on in life #just find out what you're comfortable with #ns #Anonymous

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