#10/10 jokes coming in from zoë

[sharry-arry-odd]

Shit . . . when did this turn into Days of the Scooby Gang's Lives? Or As the Scooby Gang Turns? Or even One Wraith to Live. Bah.

Revenant, by Phaedra Weldon

[demi-gods-posts]

PJO characters as moodboard’s and my opinions on them🫶 (not including the gods)

Major spoiler warning!! ⚠️ ⚠️‼️‼️

I tried to include every character I could/could think about at the moment + from the wiki.

Character development ratings are for how well I think their character development was in the story with everything we’ve been given in PJO and how they’re portrayed with this development.

The overall rating is my genuine opinion on how well I think the character was written overall and how they were handled in the story.

Percy Jackson

A bit biased considering he’s the main character but I love his relationships with people around him. How he always jokes around even in tough situations (but only when it’s needed, not unnecessarily joking). And his sarcasm in the books feels like he’s telling us a story that he knows everything about. It makes the story feel more at home and open rather than being in an outside perspective viewing in. It allows the reader to become immersed with the story and feel how the characters are feeling.

Character development: 10/10

My rating overall: 10/10

Luke Castellan

I honestly really liked Luke’s character development as a whole in the series, seeing how he felt betrayed by his family and how he didn’t have a sense of home or anybody to rely on. And how he loved Annabeth for so long but she didn’t love him in the same way at the end. How he was never able to see his father and never got any support from Hermes at all, how his mother went insane and how he ran away from home to camp half-blood.

Character development: 10/10

My rating overall: 9/10

Zoë Nightshade

Zoë’s my favorite character by far in the entire series, just showing how she knew she was going to die on the quest but went anyways truly shows her courage and determination to stand up against her father Atlas. And the way she asked Artemis if she did good made my heart shatter. And I love that she lives in the stars now by the moons side with Artemis. Just knowing she can rest now after what I’m guessing is thousands of years of hunting with the huntresses and seeing her friends die again and again. Now knowing she can finally be free and safe in the afterlife.

Character Development: 10/10

My rating overall: 10/10

Silena Beauregard

As I think about it I start to like Silena’s character more, how she joined Kronos as a spy because of her love for Charles. How she is the daughter of Aphrodite of all of the gods and is swayed to do something she doesn’t want to do because of love. How she comes in to fight pretending to be Clarisse because she wants revenge for Charles and gets to see him again in Asylum. How the entire reason she became a spy was for her love for Charles and the fear that he would get hurt if she didn’t join Kronos as a spy. And how she was considered a hero afterwards because of her actions in the battle.

Character development: 9/10

My rating overall: 10/10

Charles Beckendorf

Though he wasn’t shown all that much in the actual story he was a good character in theory, how he sacrificed himself to sink Krono’s ship. How Silenas love for him created her into a spy and lead to him dying as a result even if she was promised he wouldn’t get hurt. And he’s now safe in Elysium with Silena being happy together.

Character development: 10/10

My rating overall 9/10

Nico di Angelo

From the start of his arc’s I personally didn’t really like Nico until the war. I also enjoyed the plot point of his misplaced anger for Bianca’s death and the betrayal against Percy because of his father. Though I didn’t like how much of a ‘villain’ he was portrayed as because he was a child of Hades. Just adding to the fact he felt misplaced and was used by Mida’s ghost for leverage against the other mortals

Character development: 9/10

My overall score: 7/10

Bianca di Angelo

I felt like Bianca was a sort of throw away character in the series and was only really there for Nico’s story in the books. Since she died so early on from being introduced it felt like she was just used for plot development instead of being created as a genuine character who wanted to live with the huntresses. Being that the first quest she went on she died. Though I do love to see the sense of community and family she finally gets after joining the huntresses for the first time and how she finally feels accepted in her life.

Character development: 3/10

My rating overall: 5/10

Annabeth Chase

Honestly Annabeth isn’t one of my personal favorites though she’s pretty high on my list, she’s written as being witty, sarcastic and serious with a sort of soft side to her. I like her development with her parents in The Titans Curse and how her parents treat her (I say parents as her dad and step-mom. Not Athena) and also in The Titans Curse I like her development with when she meets the huntresses and almost joins them. Though decided not to because of Percy.

Character Development:8/10

Overall Rating: 9/10

Thalia Grace

Thalia had a lot of good development before she joined the huntresses, though I do think after she left the tree she acted like she knew more than everyone else in a sense? Though I do like her general character and her choice to join the huntresses of Artemis after Bianca and Zoë passed on.

Character development: 9/10

My overall score: 7/10

Clarisse la Rue

Clarisse was a really good character in my opinion, being all rude and rugged to Percy but treating Annabeth like a sister, comforting Silena when Charles died and staying by Chris’s side when he went mad later forming into Chris calming Clarisse when she was upset or just generally being a good boyfriend towards her. Clarisse is rough and tough though she has a soft side towards certain people like Annabeth, Chris and Silena.

Character development: 10/10

My overall score: 10/10

Feel free to add your opinions on the PJO series and its characters in either my asks or comments 🫶.

[seeminglyranch87]

Taylor & Travis Timeline

October 2023 - part 2

October 16 - Travis and Jason attend Game 1 of NCLS in Philadelphia

People Magazine release an article (x)

"Taylor's unlike anyone Travis has dated before," 

"It was very unexpected for his friends, but he's so into her and very, very happy."

The insider continues, "Some people thought he was just joking around about the bracelet and having a crush on her earlier this summer, but he was serious about it," referring to Travis' attempt to give Taylor a friendship bracelet with his number on it at her Eras Tour in KC

They are "having a great time getting to know one another"

"They make a very cute couple."

Another People article is released the same day (x)

"They've been texting and talking on the phone between the pockets of time they get to spend with each other,"

"[Travis] knows what he signed up for with this attention, but they've spent time under the radar too. They're giving things a real try,"

Rumours circulate that Travis and Taylor have looked at a house up for sale together (x) as reported by Jenna Bush Hagar on the NBC talk show; Today with Hoda & Jenna.

“A friend from Kansas City texted me there might be news they’re buying a house,”

October 18 - New Heights Podcast episode 59 (x)

Travis & Jason talk about security (timestamp 5:30)

Jason Kelce asks his brother Travis "Have you had to enact any security of your own? Do you feel like you're a security guard when you are with Taylor?"

Travis responded, "I feel like whenever I'm on a date, I'm always having the sense that I'm a man in the situation. I'm protective, yeah, for sure. You always have to have that feeling or self-awareness, I guess."

Travis is trolled by intern Brandon (see photo below)

Travis and Jason have a laugh about Taylor meeting their dad Ed and wondering what he would talk to her about? (45:10)

Travis reveals that he and Taylor’s cameos on SNL were not planned. They had attended the recording of Season 49’s premiere episode in support of good friend and feature musical guest Ice Spice. (1:14:05)

Taylor releases "The Cruelest Summer" playlist which includes Cruel Summer live from the the Era's Tour and Cruel Summer - The LP Giobbi Remix in a bid for Number 1. (x)

ET publishes an article (x)

"They have a lot of fun together and [Taylor] loves how chivalrous [Travis] is," the source says. "Taylor feels at ease with Travis and they are already very comfortable around each other."

ET's source notes that "it's been easy" for Taylor and Travis "to connect because they have similar values and goals when it comes to their personal lives and careers."

Rumours continue to circulate that Travis has bought a $6 million home in Kansas City that provides more privacy and security and that he took Taylor to view the property. (x)(x)

October 19 - ET is informed that the duo is fully committed to their relationship and the future (x)

"Travis and Taylor are all in. The two are very into each other and are enjoying their time together but are also planning for the future. Taylor starts her international tour in November, and Travis is planning to be there to spend time with her," the source says. "Travis and Taylor are very serious about their careers, and the two bond over that and want to show support for each other whenever they can."

During week 10 of the NFL season, Travis and the Kansas City Chiefs enjoy a bye week, providing him with a brief respite. Coincidentally, during this very week, Taylor is set to take the stage for three consecutive nights in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from Nov. 9 to 11, marking her debut international Era Tour performances. This fortunate scheduling overlap grants Travis the opportunity to be in attendance.

Taylor papped in LA dining at a sushi restaurant with Zoë Kravitz, Selena Gomez & Keleigh Teller

October 20 - Travis Kelce answers questions at the Chiefs press conference (x 3:50)

When asked about his appearance on SNL Travis replied (8:00)

"it was funny, obviously I didn't know what was going to go down and just decided to hit SNL last second and they asked if I wanted to end the skit that was about me and Taylor's take over of the NFL games which was hilarious, I loved every bit of it and I was laughing my tail off during the skit, to be honest I don't even remember saying anything..."

Travis was also asked what he recommended people wear to dress up like him as a halloween costume, he suggests a moustache, 87 chiefs jersey and a friendship bracelet. (8:44)

Travis reveals

"I had [a moustache] when I first met Taylor"

US Weekly article (x) a source says about Travis and Taylor

“They’re really happy. They’re not saying they’re in love yet. But it’s obvious to her friends they’re heading in that direction,” noting that their loved ones see Swift, 33, and Kelce’s strong connection when they are together. “Friends think they’re in love.”

“He’s going to see her when she’s back on tour. That’s already planned. And when she gets a break, she’ll see him,” the source adds. “It’s going so well because it’s easy and nothing is complicated.”

“Taylor is really happy and excited about Travis. She’s at the relationship stage where she looks forward to seeing him, getting calls from him, spending time with him,” the source continues. “She has butterflies in her stomach and she hasn’t had that in a while. She feels safe and comfortable around him physically and emotionally.”

The insider notes that Kelce has surprised Swift with how “in tune” he is with her needs. The athlete has also been “a gentleman” toward Swift since he revealed in July his attempt to make a move on Swift while attending her Eras tour concert. “Travis is someone who is so different for her. With him it’s easy. She doesn’t have to worry about anything,”

He has his own career and money. So he’s not with her for the wrong reasons. He has his own successful career and understands the demands,” the insider concludes. “There’s no drama and they’re happy. He’ll visit, she’ll visit. It’s working for them.”

October 22 - Chiefs v Chargers, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City. Taylor flies into KC to cheer on Travis and the Chiefs as they take on the Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium.

Taylor is photographed with Bernie Kosar at Travis home pregame (x).

Taylor appears to have had a brilliant time supporting Travis at the Sunday afternoon game joining Brittany Mahomes and others. The Chiefs defeated the LA Chargers 31- 17 with Travis scoring a touch down to cement the win. Taylor wore a "87" friendship bracelet in support of Travis.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid addresses the press commenting on the Chiefs win (x 2:16)

"Kelce keeps getting better with time, Taylor can stay around all she wants"

Taylor and Travis leave Arrowhead Stadium together in Travis' Rolls Royce (x)

tay and trav in the getaway cart

Taylor and Travis celebrate the win at Travis KC home photographed with Chiefs teammate Mecole Hardman Jr. and Chariah Gordon (x)

Taylor changed shoes to be part of a group of teammates, WAGs and close friends of the KC Chiefs wearing custom red nikes. It's so nice to see Taylor be included in this way! (via @taylorswiftstyle and Aric Jones on instagram)

The Messenger reports (x)

" [Travis and Taylor] are both smitten and can't keep their hands off one another when they are together," the source said. "They aren't scared to be affectionate in public."

October 23 - Cruel Summer hits No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100! Cruel Summer hits this milestone 5 years after it was released from the 2019 Lover album. Taylor and Jack Antonoff (who helped produce the song and long time friend) celebrate with a post (x). Notice they are in a recording studio in LA (last week) and are being way too cryptic holding up 11 fingers... TS 11 anyone?

People speak with Ed Kelce, Travis' dad (x)

Ed tells PEOPLE that the “Karma” singer is “a very, very sweet, very charming, down-to-earth young woman."

His initial impression that Swift is “very genuine" was proven right upon his first meeting with the singer.

“I’ll tell you something very special that I noticed about Taylor the first time I met her,” Ed shares. “We're sitting in the suite, she gets up and in the front room, she gets up to go get a drink or something and she starts picking up empty bottles, cans, plates that are scattered around. Because in the suites everybody gets stuff and you empty it down wherever you can.” Ed continues, “And I'm just thinking, I don't think she got the diva memo. She didn't get the spoiled musician. She doesn't know how to pull that off. And that really to me said a whole lot.”

Travis and Taylor are papped hand in hand heading out for dinner Monday evening at Piropos, an Argentine Steak House. Travis is seen opening the car door for Taylor. (x)

Victor Oladipo believes Taylor Swift makes Travis Kelce better (x)

October 25 - Ed Kelce speaks with ET (x)

"I think they are two very, very driven professional individuals," he says. "I think they're very supportive of each other, which is key. This is a rough time for either one of them to have a relationship. She's in the middle of this ginormous tour, he's knee deep [in the NFL season]. At least he takes his just as serious as she takes hers as far as commitment to their craft."

Ed believes that Taylor's pre-concert ritual of preserving her voice -- which Travis claims is the reason he was unable to present her with a friendship bracelet -- shows how dedicated and understanding she is when it comes to her career. 

"I think she's very committed to that," he says of the "Anti-Hero" songstress. "And I think Travis supports that. And I think she realises how committed Travis is to sleep, 10 hours a day, when your body is going through this kind of thing. So I think they're both very supportive."

And should the Chiefs make it to the Super Bowl...

"Without a doubt," he says about saving a seat for Tay. "She'll be in the middle of the Eras Tour so..."

And if Ed himself should ever make it to the Eras Tour, he'll be singing "You Belong With Me," as he revealed that it's his favorite song of hers.

"Being genuine with your feelings," he tells ET of the dating advice he gave Travis and Jason. "Being respectful of a woman, and that's taught from a young age. Be yourself, be honest with someone's emotions. But these are all things that they've understood growing up just being the norm."

Episode 60 of New Heights airs, part of the episode title is "Travis Reacts to “Swift Stats"" (x 56:20)

In response to whether National Tight End day is a real holiday, Jason tweets

October 26 - Taylor is seen out in NYC. She is at Bradley Cooper's apartment with Shawn Levy, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. That night, Taylor goes out for dinner with Alana and Danielle Haim at Holiday Bar, NYC (x)

Patrick Mahomes says that he wants to have a secret handshake with Travis after his wife Brittany and Taylor went viral for theirs (x)

“I need to talk to Travis, because me and Travis don’t even have a handshake yet,” Patrick, 28 said during a radio interview with Kansas City’s KCSP (610 AM) on Thursday, October 26. “So I mean, they’re ahead of the game on us. So we’re gonna have to get on the whiteboard, and we’re gonna figure out a handshake so that we can try to one up theirs.”

Go to previous update -> October 2023 Part 1

Go to next update -> October 2023 Part 3

Return to timeline

[multifandomwriter5]

blood, sweat and dirt | battison x gn!reader

warnings: mentions of blood, swearing, angst, and fluff, and very unedited, thats pretty much it loll

description: bruce comes home covered in blood and sees you pacing around the room... best friends to lovers trope

a.n omg so i watched the batman the other day and im obsessed, rob and zoë were amazing. there's no spoilers for the movie and i dont think i used any pronouns, lmk how u like the fic and also lmk if you want a part 2 cuz i have some ideas lol

part 2 part 3

bruce wayne had been your best friend for as long as you can remember, your parents had been close, they had worked together so you and bruce had spent countless days together as kids, you were there for him when his parents passed. you were there for him when no one else was, even when he would lose his temper, you'd always be there for him because you know deep down he's still that little boy who lost his parents all those years ago.

it had been 3 days, 3 days since you last saw bruce, since you last talked to him, which wouldn't be a problem if he wasn't actively trying to avoid you. key word... trying, you decided that you would go to the wayne manor as soon as you got off work and see what has been going on to make him so distance lately.

you finished work around 10 and made your way to the manor, alfred let you in with an anxious look on his face, he was never very good at lying to you and he knew your stubbornness "he's not home y/n," alfred told you, you wondered where the hell he could possibly be at this time of night when he rarely leaves during the day "can i wait for him please," you asked although you both know it wasn't really a question "of course y/n, you may wait as long as you please, though he may be a while," he informed you, the anxious look still placed on his face.

you waited, and waited, and waited, and then finally at almost 1 in the morning you heard the door swing open and and then slam shut seconds later, you jumped to your feet practically running over to him, you gasped at the sight in front of you, bruce wayne in the batman suit covered in blood, sweat and dirt, he turned to you eyes wide "y/n, what the hell are you doing here," it sounded like he was trying to yell but his voice came out all ragged, you walked around him slowly, your eyes becoming teary at the sight, worry replaced all the previous anger and annoyance as he stared down at you.

you felt like you couldn't speak, for one, your life long best friend is the batman, and he was standing in front of you all bloody and hurt, oh god, he must be in so much pain. you quickly ran to the main bathroom downstairs and grabbed the first aid kit you knew would be there and ran back to where he was now sitting at the kitchen table.

"bruce," you spoke as you sat on the floor in front of him, he looked at you, anxiety, you placed the emotion on his bruised up face "i'm gonna need you to take the suit off please," you knew in any other circumstance he would laugh and make some inappropriate joke about you wanting to see him strip, but this was not the time and you both knew it, so instead he stood up and you helped him take the suit off.

you went to work on his cuts, they were scattered everywhere, thankfully there was only a couple deep ones that would need to be stitched up, you cleaned them all, starting from his abdomen slowly making your way up to his face. he watched you the whole time, neither of you spoke, you were to focused and he had no idea what he was going to tell you, there was no lie he could come up with as to why he came home in a batman suit covered in blood, the truth was out and now you could be in danger because of him and he was terrified, he couldn't lose you too.

"are you ok?" you asked, not knowing what else to say

"it's nothing i can't handle," he said taking his eyes off you to stare at the wall. it was silent for a couple minutes before he spoke again "i wanted to tell you," he said "then why didn't you?" "i was... am, scared, it's too dangerous, i didn't want anything to happen to you, you mean too much to me," he admitted, still not looking at you, bruce wasn't one to open up often, but you knew he was hurting and you hated that you couldn't do anything to stop it "i thought you got bored of me, that you didn't want me around anymore," he looked at you then, he had been so worried about your safety he didn't even realize he was pushing you away "i'm so sorry y/n" he said and you noticed the tears threatening to spill in his own eyes, you didn't say anything, you just moved closer to him, hesitating before wrapping your arms gently around his neck, not wanting to hurt him, he pulled you closer, his arms tightened around you waist, it was strange, bruce was never one for physical affection, you enjoyed his embrace, you felt safe.

when he pulled away you were sad to let go but he looked at you with in a way you'd never seen before and you weren't sure what it meant, you stared at each other with the same intense look until you felt his lips on yours, it was unexpected and you weren't sure it would even count as a kiss, his lips barely brushed against yours, waiting for some sort of approval or invitation so you closed the gap, your lips moving together as if it was muscle memory, as soon as it happened it had stopped when you heard something scratch the floor you both pulled away "uhm, i was just getting some water," it was alfred, you and bruce both laughed together and for a split second it felt like you were kids again laughing at some inside joke only the two of you were in on, alfed smiled and left the room with a quiet goodnight "it's late," you said "stay," he said looking at you again "ok," you nodded.

you followed bruce to his room, watched him as he grabbed an extra pair of sweats and t-shirt from his closet handing them to you, you took them with a smile saying thank you before going into his massive bathroom that was more like a spa, you decided to take a shower since you hadn't been home since before work, then changed into his clothes that were definitely too big for you but you didn't care.

you crawled into bed next to bruce and he turned over to you groaning with pain, "im okay," he said when he saw the worry on your face, you didn't believe him but nodded anyway "come here," he whispered in a low voice, you moved closer to hime and he wrapped his arms around you again.

"i don't like seeing you hurt," you said into his chest "i know... i know," he sighed placing a kiss atop your head "sleep now, we have tomorrow to talk," he said, it was nearing 3 and he knew you had questions, but he also knew you were tired, and so you did, you both did.

[hopetofantasy]

Culture, parallels & meta - S3 E3

Zaterdag 08:10

Perfect parallel: An upset Robbe being little spoon to Noor this episode, him being a relaxed little spoon to Sander in the last one.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Moyo has half eaten wafers cookies on his bed. Between the cellphone time and timestamp, it took Robbe five minutes to get dressed and to the beach. The beautiful angel pendant makes its first appearance.

Bonus: This cinematography trick of using a wide shot with nobody else in the sight, makes us actually feel how lonely Robbe actually is. 

°

Zaterdag 08:23

C is for culture: “Vamanos” - As you may have noticed, Flemish has a lot of words that aren’t typically Dutch. These are called ‘leenwoorden’ (= ‘borrowing words’). In some cases, the language has made the word its own, with their conjugation or sound (like barbecue - barbecuet - or e-mail - ge-e-maild), other times the expression is copied completely (like smartphone or laptop). There are various reasons as to why people don’t want to change it: globalization, wanting to be more vague/cool, general laziness, ...

Perfect parallel: 

Sander’s playful “Are you the manager?” and “That’ll be zero stars on Booking.com” to Robbe when they meet in this episode, Sander’s sheepish “Zero stars on Booking.com” and Robbe’s pointed “Where is that manager when you need him?”, when they have their fall-out in a later episode. 

Sander saying “When I booked this room, I explicitly asked for room-service” here and him actually booking a room with room-service for the both of them later on.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Jens’ keyboard is lying on top of the closet. Sander grabbing his keys (to his car?).

°

Zaterdag 08:44

C is for culture: The option to use self-scanning is pretty common in Belgian supermarkets, especially in shop-and-go city stores. You pick up the scanner, scan the stuff you buy, go to a counter, pay and walk out with your groceries. A sales assistant is still present to help out with problems or do random routine checks. It’s fast, easy and cost-efficient. The downside? Shoplifting becomes a bit easier this way.

That’s character: Sander is putting up a ‘cool guy, devil may care’ facade. He jokes about not scanning everything, dismisses Amber’s list, whirls the shopping cart around and sings David Bowie to this boy. He wants to make a lasting impression on Robbe. If he’s the most charming, chaotic and adventurous version of himself, then he doesn’t have to think about other stuff like his own crumbling relationship. (Also the reason why he doesn’t answer the question about Amber: they simply met through Britt). As the boxes fall down, so does Sander’s tough exterior, as he never intended to hurt Robbe by playing around in the supermarket.

Robbe’s clumsiness meter: +3, he almost topples off the cart twice and drops the chocolate bars on the floor. (The crash with Sander isn’t his fault though)

Oopsie: 

Sander is wearing a leather jacket, but we don’t see it in the previous clip. Either he left it in his car or it’s an ‘oopsie’.

When Sander accidentally tosses Robbe into the boxes, we hear glass breaking. However, in the next shot, the boxes seem to empty (and they were supposed to be filled with chips, which don’t make that sound).

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Sander is wearing black Converse. They bought Jupiler beer. Robbe pulls out ‘Delhaize’ Biscuit chocolate bars and Florentin cookies.

°

Zaterdag 13:13

C is for culture: "Croques” - The word ‘croque’ is an abbreviation for ‘croque monsieur’ (= ‘crunch mister’). These are grilled ham-and-cheese sandwiches, a typical greasy snack at taverns, markets, carnivals, your home, ... Other versions include the ‘croque madame’ topped with a fried egg, ‘croque bolognese’ with bolognese sauce, ‘croque hawai’ with a pineapple slice.

That’s character: It’s clear that Robbe has no idea how to eat properly. All throughout the season he eats unhealthy breakfasts (choco spread with cookies), snacks (chips, cookies) and dinners (Aïki noodles, frozen lasagna). But here we see the reason: he doesn’t seem to know how to cook or work a stove. Exactly why he buys prepackaged or instant food options. So, it’s probably for the best that Zoë helps out his eating habits.

Perfect parallel:

Robbe making an unhealthy breakfast in the previous episode, Sander providing him with an unhealthy snack in this one. (The way to a man’s heart is through the stomach)

Britt’s condescending “Listening to David Bowie again?” in this episode, her calling Robbe his next obsession similar to David Bowie later on. 

Sander’s “Do you know where I can find the coffee?” to Robbe in an earlier scene and his “Was coffee on the list?” to Amber here.

Robbe’s clumsiness meter: +2, he stumbles backwards after Sander touches his shoulder and burns himself after turning the ‘croque’.

Nod to the OG: This kitchen scene is the equivalent of the ‘5 fine frøkner’ scene, as Sander sings his favorite song to Robbe and makes breakfast, whilst both flirt with each other (subtly).

Oopsie: They supposedly went to ‘Delhaize’ for all their groceries, but the ketchup bottle comes from ‘Carrefour’ and the butter from ‘Colruyt’. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Sander messes up the first words to ‘Under Pressure’ - it’s ‘pressure’ not ‘under pressure’. He mixes the weed with tobacco for his joint. The conflict on Sander’s face at the end.

°

Zondag 16:34

C is for culture: "What kind of shit question is this?” - They’re playing ‘De Slimste Mens ter wereld’ (= ‘The smartest human on earth’), a board game by the popular Flemish television show with the same name. The quiz is very challenging. People have to solve associative, general knowledge and out-of-the-box questions with multiple answers in different rounds. Points are awarded in the form of seconds, which are used during the game. The candidate with time left at the end, wins.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The group is drinking white wine out of plastic cups. Sander studied at ‘de!Kunsthumaniora’, the same school as Noor. Sander’s wearing his combat boots again.

°

Maandag 15:12

C is for culture: Aaron is wearing a bunny costume for the paintball game ‘Hunt the bunny’. This is usually played by people on a bachelor party or a corporate team building (with the groom/boss as the bunny). The goal is simple: the bunny has to cross the field from one corner to another, whilst the hunters shoot as much paintballs as possible to ‘kill’ it. Which is... rather painful, especially at close range. 

Oopsie: What they’re doing is actually illegal or even impossible. People aren’t allowed to play paintball in protected environments, like dunes. Unless they’re doing it with a specialized organization who’s trained for these games (and are present at the time of playing) or have the written permission from the ‘Agency of Nature and Forest’, the police, the city, ... There is a whole heap of permissions, administrative papers and laws to deal with. 

Lost in translation: Britt saying “Doe normaal” (= “Act normal”) has nothing to do with her dismissing Sander’s mental health. This Flemish phrase is often used to calm people down, telling them that they’re acting rather irrationally or childish. It’s an angry way of saying “Can’t you behave yourself? Calm down. What are you doing? Be rational!”. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The blue and red flags tells us that they’re going to play ‘capture the flag’. Some of the ‘pfff’ gun sounds you hear, indicate that the air pressure needs to be checked. Moyo took off his protection mask, which is dangerous and sometimes considered a foul during the game.

°

Dinsdag 20:02

C is for culture: "Do you know how to make s’mores?” - Toasting marshmallows above a campfire, isn’t really a tradition in Belgium. So that’s why the girls don’t know how to make s’mores. 

Lost in translation: ’Smoor’ is a Flemish dialect word for smoke or the act of smoking. It does sound a lot like ‘s’mores’. This is why Luca thinks Aaron wants to hold the marshmallow into the fire. 

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Of course Robbe had nothing to lose with Noor, he wasn’t actually interested in her. With Sander, however, Robbe doesn’t dare to do anything.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Aaron is drinking ‘Bock’ beer. Amber looks at Aaron like she really likes him, when he’s preparing the s’mores.

°

Woensdag 20:42

C is for culture: 

“An old german bunker” - The province of West-Flanders as well as its coast still has a lot of remnants left from WWI. From German bunkers to trench-networks, burial sites and museums, the 'Great war’ left its traces. Unsurprisingly, every year, people still find around 300 tons of (active) bombs underneath the fields.

“Around ‘All Souls’ Day’ they come back to life” - ‘All Souls’ Day’ is a christian holiday on the 2nd of November, on which the dead are commemorated. However, since that day isn’t an official holiday in Belgium, people visit the graves and honor of their loved ones on the 1st of November, ‘All Saint’s Day’. 

The group drinking ‘jenever’ shots - ‘Jenever’ (known in English as ‘Dutch gin’ or ‘genever’) is a traditional liquor in Belgium and the Netherlands. Young people usually drink these colored, high percentage spirits at Christmas markets, pre-drinks or parties when it’s cold outside. Different flavors include vanilla, chocolate, berries, lemon, apple, ...

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The wooden panel behind Jens says ‘Volg de pijlen’ (= ‘Follow the arrows’). Aaron and Amber are holding hands after their fall. Robbe downs a chocolate-cream ‘jenever’ shot at the end. 

°

Woensdag 21:53

Perfect parallel: Robbe lashing out at his friends in this episode - he feels left out and confused about his sexuality - and blames the pranks. Him doing the same in the next - he thinks his friends are hypocrites by saying homophobic comments to him yet defending the gay teacher - and blames the vlogs. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The second living room has a spinning disco light.

°

Donderdag 21:12

C is for culture:

“In dat jeugdhuis” - A ‘jeugdhuis’ (= ‘youth house’) is a meeting place, run by young volunteers. All teens and young adults are welcome to hang out, throw parties, drink at their bar, organize concerts, attend workshops - just making the space their own. 

“He sounded like a begging Romanian” - Luca is referring to Romanian Romani families, who roam around in the streets of Brussels begging for some money. These ethnic groups have a mostly negative image amongst the Europeans. Which is why she states this harsh and hurtful comparison.

Perfect parallel: Noor asking Robbe for a playlist so she can listen to his favorite songs here, Sander actually making a Bowie playlist for Robbe in the next episode.

Lost in translation: Luca is mocking the West-Flemish dialect by copying what the boy said, namely “Moe’en julder ok ‘n flyer ‘ennen?”. This dialect is known for blowing their ‘g’ and ‘h’ so that they sound similar, conjugating their 'yes’ or ‘no’, having double subjects, seemingly swallowing some letters, among other things. It’s one of the most confusing and difficult dialects for the Flemish to understand themselves.

Oopsie: When Aaron asks Amber if she needs a drink, Britt and Sander are dancing right behind him. When she answers and walks away, they’re suddenly gone, only to be seen again when Moyo walks over.

Nod to the OG/Wink to other remakes: The ‘call your girlfriend’ kiss, duh! 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Jana is wearing one white contact lens.

°

Vrijdag 08:43

Perfect parallel: 

Sander searching for coffee first thing in the morning earlier this episode and him pouring a cup before any task in this clip.

Sander’s “Maybe I’m scared that I will never find someone” here and Robbe’s multi-layered “I’m so happy that I found you” in the last episode.

Oopsie: When the boys walk to the recycling spot, the lighting changes from sunny to clouded to dark in a matter of seconds.

Funny coincidence: Sander referring to his relationship as ‘ups and downs’, probably similar to his experience with bipolarity.

Wink to other remakes: An almost kiss near trash, remind you of certain Italian boys?

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Amber delegating tasks, but doing nothing herself. Robbe smiles for a few milliseconds, because Sander touched him. The flash of panic in Robbe’s eyes afterwards.

[peaceoutofthepieces]

Sink Or Swim

tag list: @cleocc @feeling-kinda-so-so @hopelessromanticvirgo @dreamy-slytherin @adora8 @lockerfivethreefive @painfully-oblivious @poeticinemaa @jjustonemorething @saraben00 @wedarkacademia @coolguyssyndrome @hischbabe @suckerforsobbe @tayspots @starmansander @theah0lt @zoenneforever

~^~

Wednesday, 10:57

Song: lauv, Troye Sivan - i’m so tired

Jens can’t wait to get home. No, that’s not right. He has no particular interest in going home. He just can’t wait to be done with classes for the day.

He has to manage another hour or so, and then he’s free to go. Right now, he’s lingering with the boys by Moyo’s locker in the few minutes between classes, resting his head against the metal with his eyes closed. He’d had the worst night’s sleep and his head is splitting and Aaron’s loud cackles aren’t really helping. Robbe’s soft giggles mellow it out, however, and Moyo’s antics are usually enough to drag a smile out of him, so he endures. It’s better than sitting in any of these classrooms for longer than he has to.

Robbe pokes his side and Jens lolls his head around to look at him. Robbe smiles softly. “You okay? You look tired.”

“I am tired,” Jens admits, shrugging. “Bad sleep. I just need to start doing my assignments on time. Nothing to worry about.”

A tiny crinkle forms on Robbe’s brow, like he disagrees. “You know if you ever want help with anything, you can ask. I’ve been told I’m actually a good study partner.”

“I don’t think anatomy is what I really need to be studying and I don’t think Sander’s opinion counts,” Jens raises his brows.

Robbe shoves him and blushes. “I was talking about Yasmina.”

Jens mock gasps. “Does Sander know about this?”

Robbe smacks him over the head and Jens whines a complaint, stepping away. “Okay, okay, I concede, don’t, I have a headache.”

“Excuses,” Robbe jokes, but he gives his arm an apologetic squeeze. Jens raises his hand with a questioning flick of his brows. Robbe rolls his eyes, but nods and braces himself. Jens cuffs the back of his head.

Jens smiles. “You wanna come to the skatepark after?”

Robbe gives him an apologetic smile. “I promised I’d meet Sander for lunch, so I can’t go right after. But maybe later? You could go do your homework for an hour and then meet me?” he suggests.

Jens narrows his eyes at him, then settles back against the lockers again and shrugs. “Can’t do homework. Headache. Need fresh air.”

“You’re a mess,” Robbe shakes his head, smiling fondly. Jens doesn’t need anyone to tell him that. He’s fully aware. “But I still can’t meet you until later.”

Jens sighs, but it’s what he had expected. He’d be surprised if Robbe didn’t have plans with Sander. He understands it, he does. During his relationship with Jana, she’d monopolised a lot of his time. He knows that it’s different for Robbe, that Sander is not only his current loving boyfriend but his first meaningful relationship. More than anything, he’s proof that Robbe can now truly be himself, and Jens has never seen his friend at peace the way he is with the blonde. Jens doesn’t think he’s ever felt that peace. He’d thought, maybe. But looking at Robbe and Sander, that isn’t like him and Jana. Even before their problems.

So, he understands. If he had a Sander, he’d skip out on his friends every now and again, too.

And it’s not like Robbe has completely ditched the Broerrrs, or Jens. He’s still their Robbe. Even when he does abandon them for Sander, on a lot of occasions both boys then end up joining them. It’s as nice for Sander to have them, Jens knows, as it is for Robbe.

“Okay, fine,” he relents eventually. He shifts the textbook in his grasp and uses it to hit Aaron’s shoulder, causing the other two boys to look at him. “What about you two? Skatepark?”

“I can’t, man, Amber wants me to take her on a date,” Aaron shrugs.

Jens rolls his eyes. That’s a subject he isn’t going to touch. That’s another new coupling he’s just had to accept. Amber doesn’t quite enjoy joining their outings the way Sander does, so it’s not quite as easy. “Okay. Moyo? You don’t have anyone to ditch me for, right?”

“Not in the gross, lovesick way these two do, but yes in that I need to go home and watch Izzy.” Moyo grimaces apologetically as Jens groans. “Sorry, man. You can take some of my stash with you if you want, though?”

Jens closes his eyes for a moment and lets out a breath. It’s fine, he tells himself. It would’ve been nice to hang out with his friends and take a break for a while, sure, but he also likes going by himself. He nods, accepting Moyo’s after, reminding himself to find him after school. He is, admittedly, running out of anything to smoke. He hasn’t been smoking as often lately. It doesn’t seem to have the same effect as usual, but it’s better than nothing. At the least, it might help him sleep, and it’s something he’s capable of doing on his own. He likes having time to be on his own and find some peace and let himself think.

He’s been thinking too much, lately.

“Hey.”

The sudden voice startles them all. Jens looks around and immediately comes face to face with a smiling Jana, teeth on show and fringe perfectly straight. It’s a recent addition that Jens had noticed instantly, had stopped himself from asking about, had berated himself for paying too much attention to. It’s been almost two years since they broke up. Jens shouldn’t still be thrown by a new hairstyle. It’s none of his business. It doesn’t matter what he thinks.

He notices Amber, Luca and Zoë with her, Amber sidling up to Aaron and placing a kiss on his cheek as Luca wrinkles her nose, making Zoë stifle a laugh. Before he can force out a response, Robbe is cheerfully greeting, “Hey,” and moving forward to accept Zoë’s kiss on the cheek. “Everything okay? Where’s Yasmina?”

“Last minute revision for a biology test,” Zoë says. “Don’t you have that too?”

Robbe raises a hand to his face and curses, and Jens laughs at him as Zoë ‘aw’s apologetically, biting back her own amusement. Robbe flips Jens off with a sigh and turns back to Zoë, shaking his head. “And what did you all want then?”

“We’re just here to pass on information, as usual,” Zoë shrugs.

“Good information?” Jens raises a brow.

“Party on Friday,” Luca shrugs, clapping her hands. “Very rare event.”

Robbe giggles quietly and Jens smiles, shaking his head. “Whose party?”

The girls share a look before Jana eventually says, “Luka’s.”

Jens very purposefully does not stiffen or scoff. He doesn’t roll his eyes. He doesn’t do anything that would indicate the pure discomfort and distaste that swims through him at just the sound of the name, right out of Jana’s mouth. He doesn’t care. It’s not his place to care.

They’re all looking at him anyway.

He raises a brow. “So...when is it?”

“Ah,” Jana blinks, then looks at Zoë where she stands under Robbe’s arm.

“Senne and I usually show up a little after ten and it’s already in full swing,” she shrugs. Then she smiles, reaching up to pinch Robbe’s cheek. “Of course Sander is welcome too.”

“Of course Sander’s welcome, they like Sander more than us,” Moyo rolls his eyes. “Seriously Robbe, you could’ve gotten your boyfriend a lot earlier and we might’ve actually been popular.”

Robbe protests, “Sander only talks to Senne and he’s interacted with Luka like, once.”

“And he instantly fell in love,” Aaron adds dramatically, hugging Amber to his chest and making her laugh.

“Hard not to, with that hair,” Jana nods.

Jens heaves a sigh, fanning himself as he says, “And that everything else.”

They laugh as Robbe shoves him again, almost sending his textbook tumbling to the floor. Jana reaches out to steady it amidst her giggles and keeps her easy smile when she meets Jens’s gaze. It makes it easy for him to return it. It used to be so easy, with Jana. He’s trying to get there again. He’s really really trying.

Luca eventually interrupts to ask, “So, everyone’s coming then?”

“Yeah, of course,” Robbe smiles, and that’s that, because they aren’t going to say no to Robbe.

“Nice.” Luca grins, already turning to ask Amber, “Who else have we left to invite?”

“You have friends other than us?” Moyo teases, fake-shocked. Luca flips him off and otherwise doesn’t respond.

“We still have to invite Noor and Britt, and Lucas maybe?”

“Definitely,” Luca nods, grin returning. “Come on then, let’s go see if we can find them if we take the long route.”

Amber pecks Aaron’s cheek and asks, “Are we still on for after?” She waits for Aaron’s affirmation before shooting them a bright smile and heading off after Luca. With a pat to Robbe’s arm from Zoë and a little wave from Jana, they follow.

Moyo instantly turns his attention to Jens. “Since when is she back with Luka?”

Jens purses his lips, shaking his head as he shrugs. “Since at least that party at the weekend I guess. Why should I know? It’s probably not what she’d tell me about if she was talking to me anyway.”

Moyo raises his hands apologetically and turns back to his earlier conversation with Aaron. Robbe takes the opportunity to turn back to Jens, gaze vaguely inquisitive. “I thought you and Jana had been talking more again. I knew there was kind of a bump there for a while over the summer but it wasn’t a big deal, right?”

“Yeah, we have. Nothing’s wrong with Jana. That doesn’t mean I have to know everything that’s going on with her.”

“I know that, Jens,” Robbe says gently. He does that even more than he used to, now. Employ that soft-spoken tone, and use it to probe and question in a way that’s subtle and non-pushy. “And you know it’s okay to still be upset by it?”

The late bell rings and Jens once again pushes himself away from the locker, hiking his bag further up his shoulder. “There’s nothing to be upset about,” he shrugs. “I can’t be any later, I’m already behind in this class. Text me if you can come to the park, okay?”

He barely gives Robbe time to nod before starting off down the hallway, closing his eyes briefly as the pounding returns to his temples and makes his ears ring. He’s brushing Robbe off, yes, but he also means it. There’s nothing to be upset about. Jana dating someone now has nothing to do with him. He’s had time to get well over that and move on. She can date or hook up with whoever she wants. Sure, it’d probably be better if it wasn’t Luka, but Jens has no say in the matter. It has nothing to do with him, so he has no reason to be upset. Not about Jana.

He just kind of misses having someone as his. He just kind of wants someone to talk to who doesn’t have their own partner as their number one. Who actually wants to listen and talk to him. Someone who isn’t Moyo, who just wants to smoke with him most of the time, or Robbe, who always has Sander in the back of his mind, or Jana, who was obviously right about being better without Jens. He just kind of wants to talk to someone like him, is what he understands he’s feeling, even though he isn’t sure what that means. He isn’t sure what he’s like.

He just feels a little left out right now, is all. A little behind.

He’s just a little stuck.

[quaintqueer]

I don't know what you think about labels, maybe you are the kind of person who watches shows like Marie Kondo where they organise people's houses and put sticky labels on everything so that you can easily identify the contents. Maybe you're the kind of person who does not like to be labelled or stereotyped. Maybe you prefer to be just yourself.

I have had a very complex relationship with labels and identity. You could say that I started off on the wrong foot. My mother went to a Baptist church on Sunday morning and a Charismatic/Pentecostal hands-in-the-air, shouting and screaming, spiritual warfare kind of church on Sunday night. And my dad had his Holy Communion as a kid and then went to mass on Easter and Christmas.  So to begin with my labels were numerous and incongruent which did cause some issues for younger Zoe.

And I want to share with you about where God has led me through the understanding of this topic. I am not entirely sure where to start and I'm not sure how vague to be here but let's just say that at least the draft will be an explicit and partly chronological one.

12 year old Zoe I went to church most Sundays with her family and she was very very lucky to have a wonderful Christian friends in her life and at this point the label attached to her as a daughter was the unproblematic child and at school she was the sweet and friendly member of the God Squad or Singing Christians depending on how you asked. But those were the kind of labels that existed around that time.

What happens though to 12 year old Zoe is that she falls madly and instantaneously in love with her best friend. And almost immediately she thinks ‘am I in love with this girl? that must make me gay.’ And being a part of the circles that I was in a fairly conservative Christian family and a fairly conservative Christian School with Christian friends in that Christian school, I said ‘absolutely not. I don't want to have to deal with that.’ I was never hateful towards gay people in general I just thought I just didn't want to deal with it myself. My mum and I had had conversations about it when the plebiscite happened, and whenever we spoke about it, it was very much about ‘the gay people’ as opposed to anyone we knew or loved, let alone a Christian person, and so this whole gay thing wasn’t really thought about. Ao a few times over the next 2 or 3 years so I would ask, ‘am I in love with this girl’ And I always concluded ‘no no no you can't be in love cos you're not gay’.

By the time I’m about 14, I’ve been awoken to all different kinds of social justice movements, I took sociology, I’m going to save the world. THe labels I proudly wear are things like left wing, passionate, an ally to many different communities, in particular the lgbtq+ community.

Zoe at one point goes ‘frick frack, I'm definitely in love with this girl’. and because of the way that this world really loves labels, this was completely synonymous in my mind with being gay. My first response was probably because I'm bisexual so now that is an importand confusing label Zoë is wearing. I have somewhat fond somewhat mortifying memories of sitting on the Shinkansen, the bullet train, from Tokyo to Kyoto next to my dad doing every single ‘Am I gay’ quiz I could find online. Throughout this trip to Japan, I’m really testing the waters and every single younger woman I saw I was like ‘Is she cute? Am I attracted to her? Would I kiss her?’ and so that experience made me very nervous because I had still grown up with the mindset that if people were gay it was ok but they weren't Christian. And I was a Christian, so I just ignored it really. And this turned into a time of me hypersexualising sll of the boys that I had ever thought I had a crush on. I can quite confidently say that I didn't actually have a crush on many of them, I just thought that that was something that I should do. So there was a lot of ignoring this feeling.

We then reach year 10, 2020, a glorious year. In the first Lockdown, I finally caved and downloaded Tik Tok. The thing about Tik Tok is that it comes with its own world of labels, and I really would enjoy the kinds of conversations about what side of Tik Tok you are on. I loved that your For You Page automatically gave you certain labels to wear as a Tik Tok user, and I loved that those applied to real life. I quite quickly ended up on gay Tik Tok, among other things. I was also very firmly on Black Lives Matter Tik Tok, on disablrf Tik Tok, on Indigenous Tik Tok, so on and so forth. But much of my content was about the lgbtq community and this opened a ahole can of worms. I, at this time, carried a lot of shame for my attraction to women. For a bit of a backstory, I had been so severely heartbroken by this girl - not by her own intentional actions, I think that she was never going to feel about me the way that I felt about her and that was not her fault - but I was so seriously heartbroken that not only did I hold this moral shame but also this like emotional shame of my attraction to women. I felt like it was not a good thing morally and it didn't feel good emotionally because I had to still been really hurt about this girl and I have never really gotten over that. So for the first time on gay Tik Tok, I saw queerness and same-sex attraction as a positive thing not only in terms of ‘hey look these are women loving woman relationships that are working well’ but also ‘whether or not you're dating someone, queer identity is good for you and it's fun to talk about’. And as a type 4 on the enneagram, I love to feel special - not to say that I fabricated these feelings or that any queer person is queer for attention - but I think a big part of me felt validated or special because of my feelings and my queeness. It was like a new club that I could join. And so the labels that 15 year old Zoe wears largely consisted of queer. We had it dropped bisexual a little bit because at this point I was not sure if I like men at all and so we identified as queer or sapphic or bi or lesbian or gay - many of these words along with the left wing, Pro Black-lives-matter, pro-feminism, pro-lgbtq+, anti-colonialist anti-capitalist etc. etc. And I don't want to demonize any of those things - they are not at all negative things, I'm just painting a picture of the different labels that I wore.

Through out starting to come out to my friends and existing for longer periods of time not only on gay Tik Tok but now really searching all through the Internet for more LGBTQ+ identity - as I tried to confirm my traction for women, as I tried to decide about my attraction to men, about what label I should wear, and what it's like being in the LGBTQ+ community different, spaces where we interact, different identities and labels and experiences of queerness. So I really tied myself to this identity and it is I think so much because of the way the world sees labels as I said and so my first response was ‘well if I like girls I must be gay and if I'm gay I must identify that way and that has to be the most important thing about me’ because all the people I was seeing online really loved being gay. They were proud of their identity in their queeness. In the world as much as I think that we like to think we’ve got this ‘your sexuality or your gender identity doesn't matter. Gay and straight and bi and pan and whoever you are, we’re all human’, I think it often the world does like to draw those lines on both sides. Within queer communities there was - obviously ironically and satirically - this heterophobia honestly. (I'm joking!) But there was a real pride in this identity of whichever specific label you wear as well as the wider lgbtq plus label which led me to believe my sexuality was who I was. And that proved really quite awkward because I knew that my church and my family and many of my Christian friends believed that same sex marriage and romance was sinful. Because of the strong connection between my identity and my sexuality, if my sexuality was sinful, that meant that I was inherently and completely sinful and I didn't like that. It wasn't a fun feeling. After all of the years of learning about God’s gift of grace to us, kind of I lost in the crevices of my mind and whenever I thought about God I was met with feelings of shame and fear and dread and resentment sometimes even anger and I grew to be so despairing.

Eventually I tried the various progressive Christianity movements that teach that ‘God doesn't actually say the being gay is a sin, the Bible is pro queerness and don't even worry about it, God made you exactly the way that you are and he loves you the way that you are, go forth and have that lesbian relationship that you so desperately want’. But that never really sat right with me. It brought up other questions of ‘well if the current translation of the Bible says things like marriage is between a man and a woman, God made man and woman, any sex outside of marriage is sinful, or even the parts that say that ‘homosexuality is sinful, or man lying with man in certain translations, is sinful what happened to that part of the Bible?’ And of course I heard the response about how at the Bible was written by man and not by God and that it is fragile and can be manipulated and basically King James ruined the whole Bible when he wrote that translation and you don't have to listen to it. But that really didn't work for me. If that part of the Bible had been mistranslated how could I know that the rest of the Bible hadn't been mistranslated? If words like homosexuality weren't in the original text and they had been added there or mistranslated how could I understand the words like grace and love and hope and patience and kindness and peace and righteousness and holiness and justice? What if they were mistranslated? What if the whole Gospel was not how it was written in the Bible because the Bible was man-made? Pretty immediatelyI decided I couldn’t really understand a Christianity where homosexuality is not a sin because Christianity is written in the Bible and the Bible says that quite clearly. I believe that the Bible is directly the Word of God, that it is perfect, that the way that it is translated - obviously different translations vary - but that it is right from God’s mouth so imediately was like I can't believe in it Christianity where homosexuality is not a sin and so I've got to pick Christian or Gay.

And I didn’t want to choose Christian because I had this point has grown quite fond of being gay and I mean, I was truly just attracted to women, right, like I wanted a girlfriend and so I tried really hard to ignore God. I was still going to church, twice or three times a week and all that, and I could not shake the existence of God. I knew God existed. I knew that He created the world, that He was good and that they was the thing called sin that separated us from him. I knew that sin led to death. I knew that He had sent His Son to bridge the gap between himself and sinners. I knew that Son was Jesus and that He died on the cross and he rose again and I knew that if you believed in him you would spend eternity with God which was a really good thing. I could not shake those feelings, all those beliefs, and I absolutely praise God for that. I'm so beyond grateful that God did not leave me, even when I hated him and resented him and felt so much anger towards him. Praise Jesus!

All this left me thinking, well some people could go to heaven, but God hates me because of my feelings. He does not want me part of His kingdom if I'm gay. I can't ever go to heaven because I'm a sinner, and sinners don’t go to heaven. I truly don't know where all my years of learning about the grace of God had gone. This led me to a really distressed position, probably one of the lowest ever my mental health had been. I was just not coping and I ended up being kind of forced to tell my mum. I don't really want to say too much on this part of the story but by the middle-ish end of year 10 I ended up coming out to my mum and she told my dad, ‘cause I refused to do it myself, and then I got a therapist. Finally, now that my mum knew, I could ask her what I had so desperately wante to ask her - if she could please buy me some books about being gay and Christian. And so she did. And I slowly but surely started to read them, I started to read my Bible more and I started to really search for what it meant to have faith trust in God’s grace and not in your own work, not in your own actions or thoughts or words. The first book I got in particular was really hard to read it was based more on specific Theology and not on personal experience and I needed that foundation in what God really said because I had just had conversations with my mum and she had reminded me ‘God is real and he loves you and he sent his son to die for you and that is an option for you as much as it is for anyone else, your queerness does not separate you from Christ's death and resurrection’. There is a wonderful bible verse that became very important to me at this time. Romans 8, the very end of the chapter, says ‘for I'm convinced that neither death not life neither Angels not Demons need of a present or the future and or any Powers neither height nor depth nor anything else in All Creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our lord.’ So with this in mind, I decided that I could trust God and now I just needed to learn how. so I worked away through different books, through different parts of the Bible, praying really hard, searching online and asking really hard questions to some really awesome Christian women in my life, and asking God to reveal to me exactly what he thought about me and about queerness and so eventually we get to the present moment. I by no means know everything that I wish I knew, but now I can say that I wholly trust God with my next life - I trust that he has the power and the strength and the holiness to overcome even my sin which sometimes feels like the biggest there is. and I trust him with this life - that life with him is so much better than any lesbian affair I could ever experience.

I want to personally apologize to any one who the church or the world has ever made believe that they are somehow exempt from God’s love because of who they are or what they've done or how they’ve felt. That is false. There is no one that does not sin, no one that is not inherently separated from God. And there is no one who is too far from Jesus' power to be saved from that sin. God is bigger than your sin, I promise you.

I want to take this time to mourn for the lives lost and the joy and peace forfeited because of the way people who claim to know God treat queer people. I'm sorry if you have been made to feel less than because of the church. In the process of overcoming of guilt and shame that I have felt over the year, one more verse that I found really important. 1 John 1 says that ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.’

So for me, I don't identify with my sexuality. I don't want to say that I'm straight now, that's not really true. but my sexuality is not what makes me who I am. I am a person fearfully and wonderfully made by God and I am a daughter of God in Christ. I am not ashamed of my feelings. I do think that it is worth mentioning that an attraction or a desire or an impulse is not the same as a sin. The Bible tells us that Jesus himself was tempted in every way and the Bible also tells us that Jesus is blameless and never sinned. And so I think it's worth the clarification that same-sex attraction or anything like that is not sinful itself and also that being gay is never worse than anyone else's sin, and it is never ever bigger than God.

I just want you all to know that there is nothing that you have done that makes you exempt from God’s love for you, to know that he is trustworthy, that the Bible is trustworthy, and I encourage you that your value is inherent as a person made in God’s image and that with Jesus, you can have identity in his son alone. When he sees you, he sees the goodness and perfection of Jesus if you believe in him.

[chappedandfadedvds]

Oct 24th, Saturday 16:23

„Come on, it was funny! Don’t be embarrassed. Well maybe a little bit.“ Moyo teased and jumped out of Robbe’s way, as he tried to punch the shoulder of the laughing teen. It would have been only a very light smack, nothing meant to actually hurt, as he saw his best friend shaking his head smiling, after he only hit air. A certain hint of sincerity though had swung in its intent.

„I personally think it was very endearing when perfect boy Sander postet an apology this afternoon, calling your snoring very quiet and cute.“

„I’m going to kill you!“ Robbe yelled, after Moyo, who was quick to grab Jens’s board to escape their circle, skating down the path by the water. For a Saturday afternoon it wasn’t as busy as expected, giving Moyo enough space to wind through the groups of people enjoying the view hours of sunshine. Jens tried to pet Robbe’s head, who swiftly ducked out under his fingers in time , fixing his hair, and pulling a face.

Jens kind of had to agree with Sander, having had shared a bed and room with Robbe over a decade for various sleepovers. So he tried his best to bite his tounge in order to keep another joke from slipping out.

A decade, huh? Jens found himself a bit surprised by that realisation. But it held true as he would turn 18 soon. They have been best friends since the first grade. How lucky were there to still stick around each other, he thought.

„Dude, I wish Amber would call my snoring cute, she usually pushes me on my side, to make it stop. You are so lucky.“ Aaron said, trying to make Robbe feel better, in the only way Aaron really could. Jens sympathised with his best friend, he probably would be embarrased too, if someone posted it into the group for everyone to see. Sander wasn’t one to keep private regarding their relationship. As long as it wasn’t really serious.

Jens definitely didn’t need to worry about it anytime soon. Since Jana and him had broken up, over a year ago, he hadn’t slept over at a girls place, leaving rather soon after, if they actually had had sex. He simply kept to one-night stands. Only two girls being exceptions to that unspoken rule. Just lasting for a couple of weeks each, thus really not worth mentioning. It always ended when they wanted more than fooling around. And that was when Jens knew that he didn’t want them at all. To add to that for almost five month now he hadn’t seen anyone, only hooking up at parties a couple of times, keeping it to that night, mostly drunk and sometimes high too. And that happened perhaps every two weeks, he realised now a little worried.

It’s not like he didn’t want a relationship, especially watching Robbe and Sander, or Zoë and Senne. He just wanted someone were it would actually work from the start. Or someone he felt was worth sticking to.

But Jens had so much other stuff going on in his life and especially his head. He lacked any motivation to put effort into a relationship. It sounded so exhausting to him to persue one. He barely had time for his friends of late. But no one seemed to notice or to mind. Robbe had Sander, and Aaron had Amber, and Moyo, well Moyo had picked up dance classes, and had his little Brother to take care of. If they had noticed, they haden’t brought up the topic with him yet. Jens was secretly very relieved of it, not knowing how to start to explain his situation. He didn’t even knew himself what exactly was going on. He would rather not think about the future too much. Not at all, if possible.

„Earth to Jens. Can you hear us?“

He looked over, not having realised that his gaze had shifted towards the water behind them. He tried to put his focus back on his friends, where Aaron waved a hand in front of his face.

„Sorry, still tired, short night.“ Jens apologised caughtoff guard, not lying, but not giving away his train of thoughts from a moment ago. He yawned to make a point and could have sworn that Robbe briefly squinted at him worried, but was smiling and clapping his back in sympathy a second later.

„Sander woke me at 10, because he was too bored after staying up all night, so I kinda get it.“

„Yeah no worries, we all saw the insta post, you did this morning, no one is holding that against you. Eight-year olds are cruel. When my cousins stay over, they wake me at seven sharp. Every. Single. Time.“ Aaron explained acknowledging as he glanced at the backpack towards Jens feet. Really inconspicuous. Jens rolled his eyes amused.

„Right! There was something. You brought some crêpes as promised, I hope? I’m so hungry.“

„Oh yes, me too!“ Robbe joined Aarons excitment and as if Moyo had listened in to their conversation, he rolled up on his board that moment.

With a dramatic sigh, to prove a point, Jens crouched down to open his backpack and pull out a big plastic box. „Here you go.“

Within seconds the container was opened and his three friends happily chewed away, while Jens checked his phone. There were a couple of group messages, as expected. Some sort of double date was arranged between Zoë and Senne, and Luca and this new guy she started dating a couple weeks back. Mats, Maxim, Mathis... He couldn’t quite remember, but something along these lines. He was sure, she would break it off soon enough. So why bother to remember his name anyway.

Just as he was about to put his phone back again, a new text popped up.

Mom 16:46 : My headache is growing. I have to lay down. Can you pick up Lotte from Olivia’s at 6? I’m so sorry..

Jens 16:47 : No worries, just finishing up with the broerrrs and the video. I’m as good as on my way. Sleep well!

[engelkeijsers]

Hey please don't drown yourself, I'm here to help keep you occupied! I love rankings so please rank your top 10 scenes in the whole skamverse! 😊❤️

tw: suicide mention;

i was so confused when i read "don't drown yourself", cause i totally didn't connect the dots and wondered for a hot minute where did you get that idea from. then i read the tags from my previous posts again and i noticed i said "i'm gonna be downing myself again" or something like that, so you just misread baby ❤ don't worry, i'm not suicidal or anything (i mean, i have the toughts but i don't think i could actually do it and even if so, it definitely wouldn't be by drowning myself). but thank you so much, it's really nice to know that someone actually cares, i love you 🥺🥰 and by downing myself i meant like lying in my bed for a few days and just crying and sleeping, so like nothing very serious really

ranking;

at the start i just want to say that this was one of the hardest things i did lately (it took me about an hour (and another hour to write it all down in here) lmao talk about devotion to a show). i decided not to include españa, since i still haven't finished and felt like it would be unfair to include it until i do :/

(but if i did include it, in the ranking there would be also clips like: when nora cheered eva after she broke up with jorge, lucas spotting cris kissing joana on her party and going 👁👄👁 while cris is just like 🥰🤷, cris coming out to amira and the "photo", the girls being there for eva after the meme shit started happening and cris being ready to FIGHT after she found out it was viri who took the picture) 👀👀

my top 10 skamverse scenes:

1) evak's first kiss; the most iconic thing to ever happen, the absolute blueprint of every other s3 remake made. i've watched this scene a lot of times and i still go 😮😪 every time i rewatch it. the power that that has-

2) hotel clips in wtfock's season 3; no, i'm not talking about the shower scene. i'm talking about what happened after that. i know they're actually like two (or even three) seperate clips, but they carry the same thing so i decided to get them together for this ranking. i appreciate henrik and his acting in the og really much, but willem ds absolutely killed it. the first time i watched these scenes i was like holy shit the whole time, cause he was just incredible. the eye movements, the lip trembling, the feeling of wanting to escape your own body; he nailed it all

3) wtfock's o helga natt and minute by minute scene; i love how they decided to mix these two clips from the og and make it one. the whole scene was just amazing; the music, the acting, everything about it. not gonna lie, i sobbed the whole time

4) evak's parallel universes talk; again, the og took something as simple as a talk between two people in love, just speaking what they're thinking at the moment and made it so iconic, intimate and fragile. the way they joked a little and kissed, being all goofy with each other and then with the time, the scene became more and more serious. i love it with my whole heart, so great

5) ralph opening liv's laptop and seeing the "was i drugged" page; spectacular, show stopping, amazing, wonderful- that's all i can say. this clip just got me by my guts and decided to never let go. before i watched the season i told myself i wouldn't cry, not this time (while watching a noora's season i always break at some point and i decided not today satan). well, it was going well, really well actually. and i didn't cry. well, not until this clip came. it was just perfect; the acting from both of them was really really great, the whole thing was just wow

6) martino's coming out to gio; i have no idea how many times i actually watched this clip, but it's definitely a lot. i love the whole thing; martino waiting until elia and luca left gio alone, martino coming up to gio and asking what he was doing later and if he wanted to come to his place and hang out, them playing fifa, giovanni knowing something was up and waiting patiently until marti was ready to share, non è una ragazza, gio goofing around asking if it's him and letting martino know it's all okay, him pausing the game and immediately knowing who martino was talking about... i am soft and crying, your honor. "it's the guy that gave you my headphones at the gym" it wasn't a question, he knew it was the guy. then after martino explained the whole thing, gio grabbing him by the neck as always and that way letting him know they can be physical with each other just like before and him being gay doesn't change anything. i'm getting tears in my eyes just by thinking about this scene, it's just perfect

7) the bench talk & share the love clip; yes, another skam italia one. ones, actually. i tried to pick one, i really did, but i just couldn't. they are both amazing (in different ways) and both deserve this place in the ranking

8) eva's break up speach in the og; do i even have to say anything? she was amazing and i was so proud of her at that moment. you go queen, i'm by your side

9) zoë telling the girls what has happened between her and senne's brother; from all the remakes i watched, this one grabbed my heart the most. i loved how all the girls had different reactions; yasmina was furious, clenching her fists and that "if he did anything to you, i swear-", jana being just genuinely sad and crying for her... i admit, i cried with her

10) the spectrum clip in skam italia; if you don't get which one it was – it was the one in which ele asked edo to stay and say they were made for each other (or something like that, i don't remember the exact words) and him just leaving her there (and eventually coming back). the music did a lot, but giancarlo and benedetta's acting bought me completely there. i cry every time i watch it

i've made also a list if honorable mentions for myself (so i wouldn't feel bad about the clips i left out frim here lmao), but you asked about the top 10, so here it is! thank you again for the question ❤

[theskamlibrary]

75 dates in the Skam Universe Masterpost

Thank you so much for everyone who participated, we had a total of X dates in the Skam Universe. We are so grateful for every content creators who put such hard work and shared it with us, you are the backbone of this fandom and the ones who make it worthwhile. 

Support your content creators! Reblog their posts, give them feedback, comment, share the love.  

FIC

Cliché by @catloves3 {WTFock - Zoë Loockx/Senne De Smet - 497 words}

written for (fun)fair

Senne, Zoe, Jana, and Luka at a funfair.

*****

click by @butforwardiscalling {Skam Italy - Niccolò Fares/Martino Rametta - 1613 words }

written for shooting photos 

niccolò has a camera. martino is his preferred model, willing or not.

*****

Cheats and Prank Wars by @toobaddiane {Druck - Matteo Florenzi/David Schreibner - 2507 words}

written for prank war

It’s the summer after their first year in university started and the boys are just lazying around. After an episode of Brooklyn Nine Nine gives Jonas an idea, they engage in a harmless prank war. What could possibly go wrong when someone is super competitive and their boyfriend is their teammate?

Or Matteo and David are teammates in a prank war and David is a competitive jerk.

*****

I think I like my eyes by @ayellowcurtain {Skam France - Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant - 1026 words}

written for building a pillow fort 

*****

shut up and kiss me by @orpheuscris {Skam Espana - Cris Soto/Joana Bianchi - 3441 words}

written for study date

Joana and Cris have been at odds nearly the entire time they've been sitting next to each other in class. So that’s why it’s such a surprise when one day, near the end of the semester, Cris invites Joana over to her house to study. And why she’s even more surprised by herself when she accepts.

*****

show me the things (that you believe in) by @softdemaury {Skam France - Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant - 6329 words}

written for at home movie night

“Guess there goes your movie, then.” Lucas says while they’re sitting down at the kitchen table.

“Wait, you didn’t organize this to get out of watching that damn thing, right?” Eliott squints his eyes at Lucas, raising his fork in an attempt to look threatening.

Lucas laughs, “You think I’d do that? Of course I didn’t. We’ll just watch it next time, no big deal.”

or

5 times Eliott fails in making Lucas watch 10 Things I Hate About You and the 1 time Lucas takes the matter into his own hands

*****

Future Little Koala by @youleavebehindmemories {Skam Italy - Eva Brighi/Giovanni Garau - 2697 words }

written for wedding 

It's basically Giovanni and Eva at the wedding of Marti and Nicco with glimpses into Gio & Eva's future, domestic life! (as well as background moments from others)

*****

Feels like Love by @tunonseisolonico {Skam Italy - Niccolò Fares/Martino Rametta - 2602 words }

written for karaoke 

“Come on, Marti! Let´s go and sing a song, the two of us!”

“You for real?!” Marti immediately exclaimed, being full of doubts.

He couldn't help but got flashbacks in his head, thinking back to Silvia´s 80´s party, him sitting close to Nico on the couch, Emma on Nico´s other side. Niccolò asking them to sing a song with him, Marti already refusing to do so back then.

“Of course, I´m not joking!”

“Well, sounds like it. No, I´m not going to sing a song with you!”

*****

come with me, my love (to the sea of love) by @lepetitepeach {Skam France -Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant - 4816 words }

written for aquarium

there’s a small touch of wonder to everything that lives in the ocean

*****

critter cottage by @spacekardemomme {Skam France - Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant - 1546 words }

As he walked further into the room, he watched the rise and fall of eliott's chest, the way his hair is messily sprawled along the pillow, a few strands scattered across his forehead and cheekbones.

this is who i’m meant to spend the rest of my life with

*****

Yearning for more than a blue day by @modestytreehouse  {Skam Norway - Even Bech Næsheim/Isak Valtersen - 3723 words  }

written for brunch date 

He really should leave while Isak is still asleep and spare him the awkwardness of waking up beside Even. Spare himself the shame when Isak recognizes him.

*****

Kings of the cargo hold by @evakuality {Skam Norway - Even Bech Næsheim/Isak Valtersen -  3029 words}

written for cruise // art created by @hjertetssunnegalskap1 

“You’re early,” a voice says, a breathy, stuttery quality to it as its owner pants into the room behind Isak, the clatter of his feet loud as his footsteps echoes off the metal of the walls. “I was supposed to be here before you.” “What is all this?” Isak gestures at the table laid out in front of them. “Well, you agreed to eat with me,” Even says, his unfairly gorgeous blue eyes lit up as he stares into Isak’s soul

Aka, the one where Even gets extra as he prepares for the perfect moment with Isak.

*****

sens de la vie by @livvyblxckthxrn {Skam France - Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant - 2809 words}

written for museum date

a little dive into all of those instagram pics and stories

*****

det betyr jo alltid noe, det gjør jo det by @pagnilagni {Skam Norway - Even Bech Næsheim/Isak Valtersen - 8722 words }

written for apple picking // in Norwegian // translation in English by Bolomapa

Han står oppgitt ute på den overgrodde plenen og ser på epletrærne. De er gamle og krokete, har altfor mange greiner, de henger for tett sammen under den tette trekronen, tynget av røde epler tett i tett, de skulle vært tynnet, sa naboen, og treet skulle vært beskåret, han sa det et par uker etter at han beskar sine egne trær. “Men det er for sent nå, sevjen stiger, treet kommer til å blø i hjel. Du får ta det neste år i stedet”, hadde han sagt, mens han klappet ham faderlig på skulderen.

Han ser på epletrærne med den modne frukten, en mengde epler har falt ned i natt, mange flere enn i går, han burde plukke dem nå, han burde absolutt det. Men hva skal han med dem, lurer han på, en fortvilende klump i magen spør ham om svaret på det, for han aner ikke, å bruke en kilo epler er greit, kanskje to, han kan vel bake to eplekaker, men alt dette, det må være hundrevis av kilo, hva faen bruker folk dette til?

*****

You’ll never believe how ice cream helped this man to get a date by @nofeartina    {Skam Norway - Even Bech Næsheim/Isak Valtersen - 3333 words }

written for ice cream 

If it wasn't for Magnus, Isak would never have ended up at this ridiculous hipster ice cream place. But then again, he never would have met that ridiculously cute ice cream guy, either.

Sometimes it really pays off being a good friend.

Or 5 times Isak buys ice cream for Magnus and 1 time Even buys it for Isak.

*****

come and fade me by @ho1ogram {Skam France - Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant - 3957 words}

written for grocery shopping

And no matter how many times he repeats the same lines over and over again till he runs out of reasons to support why dating should be banned (it's a lie; Lucas will never run out of reasons for this purpose, he just gives in to the looks the boys - or Eliott - throw at him) that his friends understand his struggles, his pleas for them to stop. And always, like clockwork, he ends in having them set him up with an unknown guy.

or, Lucas is tired of going on dates after dates with guys that aren't Eliott, and Eliott has a few tricks up his sleeves.

*****

Thousand spires and thousand bridges by @hjertetssunnegalskap1 {Druck - Matteo Florenzi/ David Schreibner - 46352 words}

written for vacation // art by @hjertetssunnegalskap1

In this world, Matteo and David met during Abitur back in Berlin, just like in the canon story and they made sandwiches and almost kissed at the neon party, but David backed out, Matteo did the same and.... nothing more happened.

Now they are studying in Prague. Matteo thinks he lost his chance with David a long time ago. What David thinks, nobody knows.

*****

it's nice to have a friend by @livvyblxckthxrn {Skam France - Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant - 6592 words}

written for rollerskating

5 times eliott and lucas definitely were not on a date, and one time they were

*****

to all who come to this happy place, welcome by @tawmlinsun {Skam France - Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant - 4703 words }

written for disneyland // art by @cottonsdraw

"eliott demaury, you just passed your bac. what are you going to do now?"

"i'm taking my boyfriend to disneyland!"

*****

Super Smash Bros by @thegirlnooneknows5 {Skam France - Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant - 11672 words}

written for video games // playlist

“Okay. Pretend I’m a customer. Sell me this game.”

Eliott's smile was determined. “You ever had a customer you wanted to throw into the wall?”

“Countless.”

“Knock-Out X lets you live that fantasy.” He pulled the game off Lucas’ lap and held it up. The thought of Eliott’s hands so close to him coloured Lucas’ face pink. Eliott continued, “Just imagine if you could throw that customer into a wall and leave with no scratches, bruises or consequences. And look super badass while doing it.” “Seriously, though. You’re going to love it.”

-Or, a Striking Vipers Elu au in which they fall in love through a virtual reality game because love transcends all

*****

Coffee, Gay Gurus, and a Dance by @amyriadfthings {Druck - Matteo Florenzi/David - 1242 words}

written for coffee date

Good things happen over coffee. David & Matteo visit a veritable Berlin cultural institution and learn how to swing dance. Gay Gurus in action. Bonus gay gurus to appear eventually.

*****

Small Things by @probablydaydreamingg​ {Skam Italy - Niccolò Fares/Martino Rametta - 3232 words}

written for concert

Martino gave Nico two tickets for a concert as a graduation present. A cute date ensues.

*****

Hedgehog, on the rocks by @flying-elliska {Skam France - Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant - 4635 words}

written for drinks

Lucas's boyfriend just left him, two days before he has to go to his cousin's wedding, who just so happens to be marrying the town billionaire, and his friends are all otherwise engaged...

So as he arrives alone, he heads to the bar for some liquid courage.

Turns out the bartender isn't having a great evening either. So he embarks Lucas in a creative quest to find him the perfect beverage...

...

It's not a date yet. But there's still time...

*****

If I Should Fall Behind by @irazor {Skam Norway - Even Bech Næsheim/Isak Valtersen - 14732 words}

written for fancy dinner // art by @lovethem2121

The plan for tonight had been crystal clear. Stay close to his best friend, and steal her away if needed. Hold her hand through the ordeal of meeting Noora again for the first time in years. Then Even shows up – and suddenly, nothing goes the way it was supposed to.

Or: 3 times Isak didn't know what to say to Even, and 1 time he did.

*****

Fontainebleau by @hallo-catfish {Skam France - Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant - 12770 words}

written for camping

Lucas, let’s go camping, Eliott says, and with a vision of perfect quiet and green leaves unfurling before his eyes, Lucas agrees without even looking up from his problem set.

*

The summer after Lucas' first year in university, Lucas and Eliott take a weekend trip to Fontainebleau. 

*****

Under Starry Skies Above by @fille-lioncelle {Druck - Matteo Florenzi/David Schreibner - 7197 words}

written for weekend getaway 

Matteo and David have been feeling a little dejected, so Matteo suggests they get away for a weekend trip.

*****

Lost & bound by @hjertetssunnegalskap1 {Skam Norway -  Even Bech Næsheim/Isak Valtersen - 16397 words)

written for bicycle date

Even has been in a bicycle accident and he has lost his memory of the past three years. However, Isak gets a shock when Even tells him that they’re bonded soulmates, and expects them to be a couple.

*****

Così fan tutte by @hallo-catfish {Skam France - Chloé Jeanson/Lucille, Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant - 14070 words}

written for opera

Lucille goes to the opera. It’s another double date.

*****

ART

➔ @hjertetssunnegalskap1 : X - X

➔ @cottonsdraw : X

A TOTAL OF 196,241 WORDS HAS BEEN WRITTEN FOR THIS FEST, CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU TO ALL THE PARTICIPANTS! 

[hufflepuff-ish]

The Skam 11 questions tag (don’t quote me on this, I just wanted to give this a title lol)

rules:

always repost the rules

answer the questions given to you by the one who tagged you!

give 11 questions

tag 11 people

Thank you @hufflepuffsh for tagging me babe x (lowkey would love to know your answers to my questions but don’t want you to be tagged twice lol)

1. Which remake/og sqaud do you think you would personally fit into the most? 

This is such a difficult question, oof. So I’m shy, but I’m also a good listener, and I try to be supportive of my friends, sometimes I’m more with myself between my own shell but I also like loosening up and having fun. I think because of that my answer is Skam NL’s squad (honesly maybe it’s just because I’m biased lol). They’re so accepting and loving, and I feel like their general energy is similar enough to mine (but way cooler), so I think they’d just accept me as I am and they would be easy for me to get along with.

2. What is your favourite remake and why? 

Skam NL. S2 was definitely a journey and I didn’t like all of its aspects, but I just love the dynamics between the characters, the aesthetics, the music choices, the cinematography, and the characters are probably the closest to my heart out of all the remakes.

3. What is objectively the best remake and why?

Probably Druck. They have great actors, they make changes but still keep the main issues of every season, their have great music choices, their social media team is great and that’s just what comes into mind.

4. Opinions on each of the girl squads? 

SKAM NL - where do I even start??? I love each one of them soooooooo much. I love them all together even more. I don't even need anything, just give me scenes of then together and I'll be thrilled. (GIVE US A THIRD SEASON). Each girl is really her own character and they definitely stand out to me when compared to the other remakes.

SKAM ITALIA - I have a complicated relationship the squad. I love them but it feels like I’m watching a group of college girl. Silvia isn't a character that I like too much, though the actress is cute. I like Eleonora, but that's pretty much it. My favorites are probably Eva and Federica (I relate a lot to Fede because of her looks). They have a good dynamic, though not as much as the Italian boy squad. They maybe feel a bit less close in my opinion. Also, the writers always make me feel like Federica is only there to give them information on stuff and make a joke here and there, so if they would have put more thought and effort into her character maybe it’d feel like the squad is more,,, real if you will.

DRUCK - hi, I'm controversial on main. I... don't really care for them as a squad?? They're cute but I don't feel much of a connection to them (as a squad), or to their friendships. No idea why. I do find them interesting as individual characters, though and seeing them happy at the end of s3 was great. I'm definitely excited for s4.

SKAM FRANCE - s4 ruined them for me. I liked Emma in s1, Manon was always nice in my opinion, Daphne was getting on my good side in s3, Alexia has always been one of my favorites in this remake, and Imane is absolutely great. Then their friendship got ruined. But, if I'll ignore s4, they were a squad that I enjoyed watching and I really felt like each girl had her own thing, and that they were more of a group of random girls brought together than the og squad.

SKAM AUSTIN - I honestly love them more than I realize. Their friendship has a lot of growing to do, but I loved the scene when Grace confessed to them about Daniel's brother. Within the squad I probably like Jo's relationships the most, partly because she's my fave and partly because she just has a really loving heart. The other girls aren’t may favorites out of all the remakes but they have a warm corner in my heart.

SKAM ESPANA - They’re my Spanish babies. I love them and they just seem like this cute and cool girl squad. They’re not perfect and there are definitely things to come, no matter who’ll be the main of s3, but they love each other a lot and I think that they’ll grow together as individuals. 

WTFOCK - I'm not the best person to talk about this remake because I missed like half of s1, but whatever. They remind me a bit more of the og squad, and I love the friendships between Hanna and Zoë, and Zoë and Yasmina. I don't really like Luka, I can't really explain why but she doesn't really feel as part of the squad to me, and Amber is just okay. 

5. Favourite hairstyle out of all the remakes? (this includes any hijab styles of the Sanas)

I love Cris with her hair in a low ponytail, and I love the half up hairstyle that Skam NL uses a lot. When it comes to hijabs, so far my favorite was Sana’ s in the og’s s4 when it was a bit loose under her chin because it really fit her well.

6. Who do you think from og/remakes would have a youtube channel and what would they post about? (not including hei briskeby or lucas rubio’s yt channel)

Liv could totally have a music youtube channel because I feel like that’s realistic to starting musicians these days.

I can see the Italian boy squad having a youtube channel where they post vlogs and pranks lmao.

Sam could totally have a beauty channel where she does hauls and stuff.

Basile would have a youtube channel for pranks and magic tricks (idk why but I can really imagine him doing magic tricks????? lmao)

7. Pick someone you think is underappreciated from og/remakes and explain why you think they should be appreciated more.

Hmmmmmm another difficult question. I’m going to ignore the fact that I’m only supposed to mention one character.

The balloon squad - they’re honestly the most refreshing Muslim representation that I’ve come across because they’re just this bunch of dudes who run a hilarious youtube channel and love to have a good time. I love them SO MUCH and I wish we got an Elias season so we could get to know them better. Highkey my favorite boys from og Skam.

Federica - I probably talked about it enough times but she’s so underappreciated. The actress (Martina) is gorgeous and Federica is a ray of sunshine that the fandom tends to ignore. Also, I want to know how she knows so much about almost everything that’s happening in their school.

Shay - She’s definitely the most underrates Isak. Hopefully s3 will happen and she’ll be the main, so she’ll be more appreciated. Personally, I’m on the fence about how I feel about Shay, but I would watch the hell out of her season and getting more music from her, Marlon and Tyler would be amazing!

8. Favourite outfit/clothing item?

Isa’s green scarf, and honestly, any scarf/coat that the og girl squad wore because they always seemed fluffy, warm, comfortable and had pretty pastel colors.

9. Which character do you think is most similar to you?

Physically, it’s definitley Federica in terms of height and her and Hanna in terms of body size. Aside from that, the characters that I feel I'm most like are Hanna, Martino and s1 og Eva. The three of them are pretty simple, dare I say “””boring”””, and that’s how I see myself, lol. Also, Martino has this keeping things to himself things that he does and I relate to the hell out of that. Hanna has a really soft and nice vibe, which I think can be said about me haha.

10. Do you like the Eva season (season 1)?

Yes! The more remakes I started watching, the more I realized that I actually really like s1 because we get to see the girls becoming friends, and there are a lot of iconic scenes in s1 (Noora dragging William, the girl squad fighting with Chris’ girlfriend) and I learned to appreciate Eva’s journey to becoming her own person.

11. (Insert your own question that you’d like to answer!) Which representation do you think Skam should show other than the existing ones?

I don’t remember if I ever posted about this, but I would LOVE to see a Jewish character in one of the remakes. I think this idea can have so much potential (and I’m part Jewish so I’m biased) because there are really interesting things that could be discussed and shown - anti-Semitism from what I know is becoming more popular again and I’m always waiting to see if one of the remakes (especially Skam France, Skam Austin and Druck) will discuss it, and a Jewish character could have a really interesting relationships with the Sana character and they could have great conversations about the expectation from them and that judgement they get from people inside and outside of their religion.

My 11 questions:

If you could create an ultimate girl squad, who out of the skam universe would be in it and why?

If you could change one thing in each remake, what would it be?

What is one plotline that you wish to see in a remake of your choice? (go wild lol)

Which side character would you want to have their own season?

What do you wish the fandom would appreciate more in each remake? (could be a season, a character, a scene, anything)

If you could create a crossover between the og/one of the remakes and a movie/tv series/book, what would it be?

A crack ship that you wish would happen?

Is there a character that is very different from you/you never thought you would like, but you ended up loving?

What is your favorite friendship? 

Do you read any og/remakes fanfiction and if so, do you have any favorite fanfictions?

Would you have preferred if Skam worked a bit more like Skins did, in terms of every character gets a full episode from their pov instead of an entire season?

I’m tagging: @lonelyfridays , @matteohnah, @feelinsorad, @amystylezz, @eliottlallemant, @xxviii-xi-mcmxcviii, @lil-milkovich, @spockhasfeelingstoo, @miaundalex, @pampammmxum, @vnesshudgens, @promisethestraz but of course only if you want to and if anyone who’s not tagged wants to answer these consider yourself tagged!

[baked-potatoes]

Review - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

January 8, 2019

*spoilers included*

Directors: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman

Starring: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld

Distributing Studio(s): Sony Pictures Releasing

Runtime: 117 minutes

Rating: PG

US Release Date: December 14, 2018

Synopsis: Bitten by a radioactive spider in the subway, Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales suddenly develops mysterious powers that transform him into the one and only Spider-Man. When he meets Peter Parker, he soon realizes that there are many others who share his special, high-flying talents. Miles must now use his newfound skills to battle the evil Kingpin, a hulking madman who can open portals to other universes and pull different versions of Spider-Man into our world.

I’m going on a Golden Globes film review tangent, AKA awards season buzzy movies! Expect some reviews of Best Film nominees from the Golden Globes and SAG nominations. I’m still on the fence to review Bohemian Rhapsody, partly since it’s been a while since its release and also since I have a particular bias towards it that would color my review. I did promise to review the winners of best picture (BR did win, surprisingly), so Green Book and Roma are definitely going on my list.

Enjoy my review of the movie that won “Best Animated Feature Film” at the 2019 Golden Globe Awards!

I have to say, this was, above all, a very refreshing take on the Spider-Man cinematic universe (that’s what I’m calling it). Most focus on the recognizable and relatable Peter Parker that we’ve grown to know and love from the Silver Age of the 60′s. But this movie really changed that expectation and gave audiences a funny and relatable take on the Marvel Multiverse.

Voice Acting and Screenplay

These characters had every opportunity to sound cheesy and contrived, or shallow and awkward characters, but the voice actors who took on each role shone through and made each character their own. Shameik Moore plays a biracial, not-dead-family Miles Morales, and it’s these two aspects that contribute to a rounded character. They don’t define his very existence (as some films use with heavy-handedness), but from his mother giving him kisses in the morning like many relatives do, to an emotional spiel from his dad about (a very complex) Aaron Davis’s death, these little details gently influence the plot and make a character you can’t help but root for. This ingenious young man who intentionally fails a test to get out of school is brilliantly portrayed and reminiscent of that Silver Age of comics, when superheroes became more human and more believably flawed. He undergoes a moving hero’s journey to fight amongst his inter-dimensional comrades and defeats the villain in splashes of color-- and this is where his character falls a bit flat with the screenplay during the final fight. It really was a fun and exciting fight, punctuated by those nostalgic comic book “booms” and text boxes, but although they give Kingpin a little sympathy, I feel like it’s not quite right. Well, it brings a huge amount of nostalgia to the movie, and it’s pretty badass.

However, I will give credit and say that Kingpin killed Morales-universe, charismatic, and new mentor Spider-Man (Chris Pine) within the first 15 minutes or so. Yes, there are multiverse Spider-Men so the gut punch isn’t as rough, but the ramifications for his death are real in his universe. Mary Jane (Zoë Kravitz) is devastated yet stoic as a mourning wife, and later on, she makes another powerful, somewhat bittersweet moment with another multi-faceted character in the multiverse.

And then, the other Spider-Man incarnations? Wonderful. We have Spider-Gwen, a seemingly typical Badass with a Past (I’m coining these expressions now) played very sympathetically by Hailee Steinfeld. We have John Mulaney playing Peter Porker (some of the best chaotic pig humor in the movie), Kimiko Glenn of Orange is the New Black playing Peni Parker (a bubbly, Sailor Moon-esque stereotypical anime girl who’s a wonderful crowdpleaser), Nicholas Cage playing a noir, near-emo sort of crime fighting Spider-Man (whose cape, as Miles notices, always blows dramatically in the wind). 

And we come to the central multiverse Spider-Man, Peter B. Parker (as he notes tiredly), a depressed, middle-aged shadow of his former self. And once again, it could’ve been clichéd to another stereotype, yet uniqueness is what defines this movie. Jake Johnson plays this well. Peter B. Parker is wry and capable, but also exhausted and defeated. He narrates his life almost derisively, in that semi-humorous tone that defeated people feel when they’ve lost something in their life. When he comically stutters in front of Miles-universe MJ, he looks regretful yet reflective, wishing for something that he could’ve saved. It provides another soulful look into his character. 

The story is a little bit by-the-numbers hero’s journey (expected in PG), but with this wealth of character development and clever fourth-wall jokes, it stands out in its story. Like I’ve said so many times, these characters could’ve been very obvious cliché buddy-cop stereotypes, but they’re well-rounded, mysterious characters that I could definitely explore in a sequel. Happily, Sony is making one!

Cinematography, Animation, Soundtrack

Some of the best sequences in this film reminded me a little of Black Panther, I’m not going to lie. I mean it as a huge compliment. This film’s cinematography was painstakingly created and brought to life by 140 animators, the biggest team Sony has had for a feature animated film. It shows so incredibly well. And the decision to animate backgrounds in smoother ones (one frame per action) and characters in twos (two frames per action) creates a quirky comic book feeling to the movie. The animation styles vary between Peter and Peni Parker, obviously, but that specific unconventional stop motion strategy (most movies use ones for characters and twos for backgrounds) feels like flipping a comic book all the way through, complete with hilarious yellow text boxes and bubble letter onomatopoeia. 

And back to that Black Panther comment: why does Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse remind me of that? It’s the slow motion, brilliantly captured shots of Miles realizing what he can be and taking that leap of faith into the streets as the camera flips upside-down and “What’s Up Danger” plays. The result? As taken from the script, “he’s rising.”

What a film. What an atmosphere. The result is something I’ve never quite captured in any other superhero film. It’s not meant to be brutal or bloody or Superman-esque epic: it’s spellbinding and it knows what it is.

I could go on and on about this film and what a pleasure it is to watch, but I think I’ve said a lot. This is one of the most exciting animated films I’ve watched.

Summary and Rating

9.5/10 : Hot !

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man:_Into_the_Spider-Verse

[biofunmy]

10 best shows, from ‘Locke & Key’ to ‘Little Fires’

CLOSE

TV is starting off its new decade with “Little Fires,” primetime karaoke and the one-and-only Al Pacino. 

Broadcast networks, cable channels and streaming services are debuting new TV shows to try to start the year off right, and in the glut of content, 10 rose to the top right away. Some have A-list stars (Pacino, Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington, Daniel Radcliffe), while others feature young kids you’ve never heard of before. Some are comedies with elaborate musical numbers, and another focuses on the trauma incurred by the Holocaust.

Their common theme: Even remakes or adaptations feel like something we haven’t seen before. And considering that the new decade will bring us more TV than ever, it’s always refreshing to find something that genuinely surprises. 

Jane Levy as Zoey in “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.” (Photo: Sergei Bachlakov/NBC)

‘Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’ 

NBC, preview Jan. 7 (10 EST/PST), premiere Feb. 16 (Sundays, 9 EST/PST) 

This sweet musical comedy has a slightly out-there premise that somehow works. Zoey (Jane Levy, “Suburgatory”) weathers an earthquake in an MRI machine and comes out the other end with the ability to hear other people’s thoughts through song. Someone who needs help? He or she sings The Beatles’ “Help,” complete with coordinating dance moves and instrumentals that only Zoey can see and hear. Levy’s charm – with help from an angelically-voiced supporting cast including Skylar Astin, Mary Steenburgen, Lauren Graham and Peter Gallagher – helps sell the concept, and there’s plenty of potential for the series to grow.

Sidney Parker (Theo James) and Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams) in “Sanditon.” (Photo: Simon Ridgway/PBS)

‘Sanditon’

PBS, Jan. 12 (Sundays, 9 EST/PST) 

Jane Austen’s final, unfinished novel is brought to life in this miniseries, created by Andrew Davies, who brought us Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy in the 1995 TV version of “Pride and Prejudice.” Based on just a few dozen pages of the author’s writing, “Sanditon” introduces a new Austen heroine, Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams). Miss Heywood learns her own naïveté after arriving at the burgeoning seaside resort of Sanditon, a place full of capitalist intrigue and romantic scheming. As usual in an Austen story, Charlotte has a male foil worthy of her wits in Sidney Parker (Theo James), and a trusted female confidante, Miss Lambe (Crystal Clarke), Austen’s only black character. 

Ben Mendelsohn as Ralph and Cynthia Erivo as Holly on “The Outsider.” (Photo: HBO)

‘The Outsider’

HBO, Jan. 12 (Sundays, 9 EST/PST)

Stephen King’s 2018 novel is the basis for this horror murder mystery series starring Ben Mendelsohn as a detective investigating the horrific murder of a young boy in a small Georgia town. All signs point to high school baseball coach Terry Maitland (Jason Bateman) as the killer, but other evidence indicates he might have been miles away during the attack. The traditional detective/murderer narrative quickly gives way to a much creepier, more layered supernatural story. The cast also features the great Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet”), whose character offers a more nuanced take on the case. 

Eshan Inamdar and Priyanka Bose in “Little America.” (Photo: Apple TV+)

‘Little America’

Apple TV+, Jan. 17

This episodic anthology series from the husband and wife duo behind “The Big Sick” (Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon) revolves around the lives of American immigrants. Each episode tells a different immigrant story, all based on real people featured in articles in Epic magazine. The short, subtle installments cover issues surrounding immigration, from deportation to undocumented status, but it’s not just about political buzzwords. The series paints deeper portraits of its subjects’ lives, which include the world of competitive squash, baking chocolate chip cookies and taking an Alaskan cruise. That all the episodes are based on true stories lends the series an emotional punch that only sometimes borders on mawkish.

Awkwafina as Nora in “Awkwafina is Nora from Queens.” (Photo: Comedy Central)

‘Awkwafina is Nora from Queens’

Comedy Central, Jan. 22 (Wednesdays, 10:30 EST/PST) 

If you’re missing “Broad City,” Comedy Central has found another millennial-themed series to fill the hole in your heart. Awkwafina, a standout in comedic films like “Crazy Rich Asians” who earned rave reviews for her more dramatic turn in last year’s “The Farewell,” brings her considerable talents to this sitcom about a listless woman in her late 20s living at home. If you’re not a fan of Awkwafina’s comic style, this isn’t the show for you. But her brash, raucous humor feels like a natural fit for Comedy Central. 

Daniel Radcliffe and Karan Soni in “Miracle Workers: Dark Ages.” (Photo: TBS)

‘Miracle Workers: Dark Ages’ 

TBS, Jan. 28 (Tuesdays, 10:30 EST/PST) 

Swapping a corporate version of heaven for the stink and swords of the Dark Ages, this sequel to last year’s “Miracle Workers” puts the same cast in new roles and a new setting. There’s not much relating “Dark Ages” to the original series other than the sly comedic tone (period and modern jokes about medieval executions, nuns and worthless college education abound). But the actors, including Steve Buscemi, Daniel Radcliffe and Geraldine Viswanathan (“Blockers”), are so good together that it doesn’t matter. 

Connor Jessup as Tyler and Emilia Jones as Kinsey in Netflix’s “Locke & Key.” (Photo: Christos Kalohoridis/Netflix)

‘Locke and Key’

Netflix, Feb. 7

Despite its roots in many different fantasy and horror stories, “Locke and Key” – based on the comic books by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez – is its own distinct beast. Three siblings move to their family’s creepy, ancestral house after their father is murdered, only to find it filled with supernaturally powered keys and a malevolent force. Part haunted house story, part family drama and part murder mystery, “Locke” is instantly gripping, with a downright deliciously cackling villain and compelling kid actors trying to be heroes.

Rob (Zoë Kravitz) in “High Fidelity.” (Photo: Phillip Caruso/Hulu)

‘High Fidelity’

Hulu, Feb. 14

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Hulu offers a gender-flipped adaptation of Nick Hornby’s novel (previously made into a 2000 movie starring John Cusack) starring Zoë Kravitz as Rob, a New York record-store owner who recounts her top five heartbreaks. The series retains the film’s narration, but spins things forward to expand the story. Changing Rob’s gender and making her bisexual also gives the series more relationship dynamics to explore and drama to chew on so it doesn’t feel like simply a rehash of a perfectly good movie.

Al Pacino and Logan Lerman in “Hunters.” (Photo: Christopher Saunders/Amazon)

‘Hunters’

Amazon, Feb. 21

Al Pacino comes to the small screen for this hugely ambitious series executive produced by Jordan Peele. “Hunters” follows a diverse group of Nazi hunters in 1970s New York City as they uncover a network of hundreds of the war criminals living in the U.S. who are conspiring to bring about a Fourth Reich. Also starring Logan Lerman, the series is gorgeously and evocatively wrought and devastating to watch. “Hunters” swings between thriller and horror show, and is as gruesomely violent as its concept would indicate. But it also doesn’t get lost in that violence, and finds emotional truths in its depiction of the long tail of trauma from the Holocaust.

Mia Warren (Kerry Washington) and Elena Richardson (Reese Witherspoon) in “Little Fires Everywhere.” (Photo: Erin Simkin/Hulu)

‘Little Fires Everywhere’

Hulu, March 18

Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington anchor this series based on Celeste Ng’s best-selling novel about two families in 1997 Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights, Ohio. Witherspoon is perfectly cast as Elena, the ultimate 1990s-era working mom, with rigid, conservative ideas about what she wants from her kids, her husband (Joshua Jackson) and her seemingly idyllic community. When wandering artist Mia (Washington) and her daughter Pearl (Lexi Underwood), move into Elena’s rental property, the two women’s lives (and their children’s) intertwine. Their cultural values clash instantly, and the audience is left wondering how they might relate to a crime committed in the very first scene. The series brings its picket-fence world to life in excruciating detail, and pits two heavy-hitting actresses against each other, to great effect.

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[hopetofantasy]

Culture, parallels & meta - S3 E2

Zaterdag 10:21

That’s character: In this scene, they’re again establishing some of Robbe’s insecurities. We already know from previous seasons that he often feels like the third wheel, keeps to himself, lets people walk all over him or apologizes a lot, so that they don’t hate him or abandon him (like his dad did). But this scene takes it even further: he doesn’t want to be a burden. Not with stuff like his friend’s party mess, so he cleans up as early and fast as he can. Not with taking food that doesn’t belong to him, so he chooses to not eat anything instead. 

Perfect parallel: Zoë mentioning “Especially the pasta” in this season, because Milan stole her pasta at the beginning of hers.

Surprise bitch, guess who? Milan’s one-nightstand appears to be ‘Georgy Chtchevaev’, a close friend of Jonathan Michiels (Viktor) and other cast members. Small, small world.

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Robbe’s expression at the end reveals how he longs for something like Milan has, but then realizes he might never have/want that. (Internalized homophobia is a bitch, y’all!)

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The guy pulls out strawberry yoghurt from ‘Colruyt’ out of an almost empty fridge along with a spoon, from the cutlery drawer. Robbe’s gaze keeps lingering a tad too long on the half naked boy in their kitchen.

°

Zaterdag 14:43

C is for culture: 

“Hey, I’m working here” - Teens are allowed to get a student job, as long as they’re at least 15 years old and completed the first two years of high school. The rules around how often they may work, has changed a lot during the last decade. However, nowadays, they’re allowed to work at a lower social security tariff as long as they don’t go over 475 working hours per year. Otherwise, they’ll have to pay the normal amount or even taxes if they surpass a certain income limit.

“No, I was just shopping” - C&A (Clemens & August Brenninkmeijer) is a Dutch chain store of origin with approx. 1,500 stores in Europe. They mostly attract older generations, as their style is seen as a bit old-fashioned and classic. That’s why their popularity significantly dropped in recent years, causing closures in some cities. - A smart move of putting product placement in a youth tv series.

Perfect parallel: 

Robbe pulling a t-shirt off the rack to get Noor’s attention in this episode, him using the same tactic with a sweater in the last episode.

Noor sitting on a reluctant Robbe’s lap to kiss him here, Robbe happily straddling Sander to kiss and talk later on.

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Robbe again faking that he likes Noor’s sexual advances.

Lost in translation: Robbe’s mom texting him “Ziet ge mij niet graag?”, which could literally be interpreted as “Don’t you want to see me?”, but in this context it actually means “Don’t you love me anymore?”.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: In case you didn’t catch it, Robbe is making a double joke with the t-shirt - saying that Noor is sexy as well as repeating the song on the store radio. Jana’s look at a disheveled Noor reveals that she knew Robbe wasn’t just ‘trying something on’.

Bonus: This season uses a lot of mirrors to reflect Robbe’s emotions and inner turmoil. Even his relationships with Noor and Sander are mirrored within the season itself: he never liked what Noor did for him (waiting outside the school, making out in public, going next level) and he was amazed at Sander doing the same. Mirrors are the perfect way of showing how Robbe has two faces: his ‘straight’ public persona and his struggling inner ‘gay’ self.

°

Zondag 19:59

That’s character: Zoë’s mom behavior is at full force here. When she spots her friends, roommates or boyfriend in difficult situations, she jumps to the opportunity to make them feel better. She instantly defends them, provides a shoulder to cry on, gives advice, feeds them when needed, tries to figure out what they’re feeling, ... Sometimes giving some tough loving too. Zoë just has that caring nature of her own. This probably stems from the fact that she missed out on parental figures and wants to feel needed as a compensation.

Perfect parallel:

Symbolism! Robbe walking away from his mom’s room in a cold-looking hallway, because he’s not comfortable (yet) with the situation. And him walking towards Sander’s room in a warmly lit hallway, since he’s at peace with what’s happening with his love.

Zoë asking Milan if he’s “Playing hard to get?” in this situation, Milan asking Robbe if his clothes say “Hard to get or playing hard to get?” later.

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Robbe analyses what Milan is doing with his partner, not really sure how to feel about it.

Nod to the OG: Zoë stating “The only thing you can do now is just be there for her and yes, that you have to wait”, sounds oddly familiar to the minute-for-minute speech by Sonja.

Funny coincidence: Milan making out heavily with his boy in front of Robbe and his salad, might look like a nod to the ‘Right in front of my salad’ meme.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Robbe’s other (thicker) coat is hanging on a hook in the hallway. Senne’s “If I had have known that, I would have tried harder” indicates that he probably had to retake a year in high school, because otherwise he’d been a student in uni earlier on. 

°

Maandag 16:27

C is for culture: “Kwak en Boemel kwamen binnen” (= “Kwak and Boemel entered”) - Robbe is referring to two side characters in the Belgian comic books ‘Jommeke’, who are homeless, lowlife criminals. The main protagonist in the series is the 11-year-old boy ‘Jommeke’. He is clever, honest, brave, loves adventure and is recognizable by his distinct blonde bowl cut. It’s one of the best-selling strips in Flanders, besides ‘Suske and Wiske’. 

Perfect parallel: Jens’ first time suggesting toothpaste to jerk off happens here in S3, but he repeats it again during wtFOCKDOWN. 

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: The boys questioning why Robbe didn’t go all-the-way with Noor yet.

Lost in translation: Noor saying “Is dat een eik? Want ik zie veel eikels hier!” has completely lost its meaning when translated. ‘Eikels’ means ‘acorns’, which come from the ‘eik’ (= ‘oak tree’). But ‘eikels’ also means ‘assholes’. That’s why she’s pointing out the oak tree, to diss the boys that they’re actually ‘eikels’. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Again, the very subtle hint at the beginning that Sander was at the skatepark - checking Robbe out. Robbe pulls the middle finger at the boys hollering. His skateboard has a ‘World Industries’ sticker on it. 

°

Dinsdag 14:56

Perfect parallel: 

Robbe arguing “A whole weekend on a trip with people you don’t know?” against Noor coming along in this episode, his flirty affirmative answer to Sander’s “Like a weekend trip with strangers, right?” in the next.

Amber and her match making skills again! First, she tried to set herself up with Senne in S1, then Jana and Zoë with Max in S2, now Luca with Aaron in S3. 

Lost in translation: “Ik denk niet dat ze daar goesting voor heeft” - ‘Goesting’ is a typical Flemish word for anything that has to do with desire, preference or willingness to do something in any context (work, food, activities, sex, ...). That’s why Aaron answers him with “I had a different impression on Friday”, taking the “I don’t think she has ‘goesting’” in a very sexual way.

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: The real reason why he doesn’t want Noor to join the trip, is him not wanting to fake his attraction to her. Except Robbe isn’t willing to admit that to himself yet.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Luca has braces!

°

Woensdag 12:21

Perfect parallel: Noor’s “And then you haven’t even seen the men yet” as a rebuttal to Moyo’s comments about art school girls in this episode, Robbe meeting the beautiful art boy Sander in the next. 

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Robbe just doesn’t see the appeal in watching women dance, since he’s not attracted to them. But the guys don’t get why he says ‘no’ to the recital.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Noor is greeting Britt with a hug in the background. Moyo kisses the dance recital flyer right before going outside. 

°

Donderdag 07:21

C is for culture: Robbe is making a sandwich with choco spread and speculaas cookies. ‘Speculaas’ (’Biscoff' in English) is a spiced shortcrust biscuit with origins in the Netherlands and Belgium. It’s typically baked for the ‘Sinterklaas’ and Christmas celebrations. Though, it can be eaten as a treat to accompany coffee, thee or ice-cream as well. 

Perfect parallel: 

Zoë saying “I think you’re not used to eating healthy” earlier this episode and Robbe making sweet sandwich at the breakfast table, confirming her statement here.

Milan taking revenge for Zoë on a sleeping Senne in this episode, him helping Robbe prank Moyo for being homophobic in a later one. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Milan’s breakfast is a banana. Senne pulling Zoë into their bed, without her spilling the coffee in her hand.

°

Vrijdag 18:02

Perfect parallel: Luca dissing Moyo’s sexist statements with “Do you actually have a girlfriend? ... I understand why” earlier, her saying “Moyo, then you better take a good look at it, because it will be the last time you’ll see that room” here.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Zoë and Jana hugging each other outside. Luca giving Moyo a clear wink after dissing him. Robbe didn’t expect Noor to sleep with him in the bunkbed, as his face falls when she says she will.

°

Vrijdag 22:04

C is for culture: "It isn’t because he isn’t here...” - The reason that Senne couldn’t join their trip to the seaside, is that he doesn’t have a fall break. Universities usually start their school year a week later than university colleges, so they’re the only ones who don’t have a vacation at the end of October.

Perfect parallel: Robbe looking at drunk Noor with a sad expression of “Why can’t I just love this girl?” in this episode, him looking at a sleepy Sander with a face filled with love in the last episode.

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Robbe trying to pry Noor’s hands away from his body.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Senne responds with “#metoo” as a joke, referencing the movement and him missing Zoë. Her face freezes for a few seconds to indicate that she is indeed jealous. Robbe’s little wink at Luca. 

[dutch-bts-army]

Eng-Trans AD newspaper article BTS

Title: Fond of Korean boyband

Karaoke. Odd sounds sound at the Hallyu camp in Austerlitz, where fans swoon over the boys of the group BTS. And where a crash course in Korean is really appreciated.

Organiser Natasja starts the karaoke with ‘Eoseo wa bangtaneun cheoeumiji’. When the first notes of the rapsong Tipsy from the Korean Supreme Boi and Rap Monster sound from the speakers, the contestants are still staring a bit hesitantly into space. As soon as Natasja starts up the chorus, everyone begins to clap along to the beat and there are Korean sounds coming from their mouths.

At Hallyucamp, fans of Korean culture and pop music, shortened by experts to K-pop, can meet and learn more about the country together.

This year marks the fourth time a cabin from the Paasheuvelgroep in Austerlitz is dedicated to the Asian country. During the camp adolescents aged 14 to 28 play games and build up a friendship through their shared interest.

Jamae (16) is sitting on the edge of her seat and is humming along to the first song of the karaoke night. “At school I have 3 friends who also listen to K-pop. They’re the only ones who get the inside jokes. It’s dope to be surrounded now by people who love the same thing and to whom you don’t have to explain the jokes”, says Jamae.

She laughs and chats with the Belgian Zoé (16). Together with Zoë she’s travelled 2 hours to get to the camp. “It’s more than worth it. In Belgium such camps don’t get organised. I feel like I already make friends for life. Everyone is so nice!”

She liked the crash course Korean the best. “Because of that, my pronunciation at karaoke is already a little better. I’m definitely going to practice more during summer break.” 

Asa (15) is singing Catch Me at the top of her lungs, her favorite song from boyband Up10tion. “That was the beginning of where I am right now. Because of Up10tion I started to love K-pop. I also listen a lot to BTS. I definitely have a bit of a crush on the singer Jeon Jungkook. I even have a cardigan with his photo on the back!”

She doesn’t find it hard to sing along to karaoke. which is subtitled in Korean. Although she isn’t happy with her score at the end of the song: 20 out of 100. “I mostly see it as a challenge. I know the songs pretty well, because I looked up the lyrics often. Some I’ve known for 3 years. But I do mostly sing phonetically.”

It’s really the music that connects the contestants of the camp. Quincy (20) is swaying along to the beat of the music. He hasn’t decided whether he’s also going to sing. “I sing all day long. Inbetween activities we dance and sing along together. That’s what makes this camp so much fun. Everyone is doing their own thing and nobody laughs at you for what you’re doing.” Just an hour ago he was dancing with another group to a different BTS song.

Organiser Natasja created Hallyucamp with other fans of Korea. 10 years ago she got under the spell of Korean pop music. “During that time I’d meet with other fans at the station. It’s cool to unite young people who all have the same interest yet are still so different from each other. It feels like one big slumber party.”

[thegleerealworld-blog]

Welcome to The Real World house, RAE! We are very excited to have RAVEN MOORE here at the Real World house. Don’t forget to send in your account within 24 hours and make sure to re-read the rules and check out the navigation so you know what tags to track! We can’t wait for you to join us.

BEHIND THE SCENES:

Name: Rae. Age: 21. Timezone: GMT+1 Activity Level: 6-7/10; right now I don’t have much to do for a few more weeks, so I can be on at least a few hours of the day, but in less than a month classes are starting up and I still have no idea what my schedule will be like so I’d say I could probably be on for at least an hour a day, if not more. Previous Accounts: Removed for privacy. Triggers: Removed for privacy. Anything else?: Removed for privacy.

READY, SET, ACTION:

Character Name: Raven Veronica Moore. Date of Birth: August 8th, 1991. FC: Zoë Kravitz. Connection: They used to be good friends back when they lived on the same street, but come high school and Raven moving districts, she wasn’t quite interested in keeping that friendship. Sure, they might have been great friends, but Raven had no time to spend on inconvenient arrangements. Constant texting turned into short, bi-monthly exchanges and then to birthday wishes Raven never replied to. Sexuality: Bisexual. Occupation: Translator. Current Location: Los Angeles, California. Three Positive Traits: Adventurous, individualistic, resourceful. Three Negative Traits: Stubborn, idealistic, untidy.

Biography:

When your parents enroll you in three different language classes before you can even speak your native language fluently, there’s really only one thing on your mind: words. And it’s not that Raven doesn’t like that her prime interest stems from the lack of choice she had when she was five, but every now and again she’ll think of what her life could have been had she been able to choose her own extra-curricular activities.

Whenever she spends too much time fretting about how just maybe she could have been a great accountant or a famous dancer, it all comes down to one thing: she isn’t. At twenty-six, she’ll be the first person to tell you regrets are simply not worth it. She has connections for job opportunities once she’s ready, freelancing gigs left and right, a trust fund to rely on if all else fails and her life couldn’t get any better if you look at it from the point of financial stability.

What happened in the past and what doubts she had about any decisions she might have made are meant to stay there for a reason.

Before she’ll want to settle down and find herself a job, however, she wants to have one last bout of pure fun and joining the Real World crew this season seems the way to do it. She’ll be the first to say reality TV shows are dumb and ridiculous, but as long as she’s doing what she likes, how could it be a waste of time?

She’s in no hurry to let responsibilities rule her life, so she’ll have as much fun as she can while still writing it off as productive in her book. No one ever said the road to career stability and a fulfilled adult life wasn’t paved with killer parties and an abundance of alcohol.

Para Sample: Removed for privacy.

YOUR FIRST CONFESSIONAL:

WHY ARE YOU AUDITIONING FOR THE REAL WORLD?

My brother actually suggested it as a joke, but I’m up for a challenge when presented with one. It’s a great way to meet new people, make a name for myself – I see no downside to it, really. I also know it’ll be a lot of fun to live with complete strangers.

WHAT AND WHO ARE YOU LEAVING BEHIND BACK HOME?

My parents and my brother, a few good friends. No significant other, no pets. Unfortunately for the latter, if I’m being honest, but it does leave me with no cat to worry about while in the Real World. I’m not one to miss material things too much, but I did just get a new TV for my living room that I hope will still be in one piece when I get back home.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO GAIN IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS IN SAN FRANCISCO?

I don’t like going into anything with high hopes, so I’ll just say I would love to gain some new friends. And a little recognition wouldn’t hurt, either.

WHILE ON THE REAL WORLD, AMERICA IS WATCHING YOUR EVERY MOVE. WHAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU WANT TO SAY TO THE VIEWERS AT HOME?

Try to watch and learn, yeah? Emulate the experiences at your own responsibility, though.