#French adventure short film

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

[thatgirlonstage]

Re: whether or not Miles actually has the real Mona Lisa: while it being the real thing does provide greater commentary I propose to you that the painting being fake unlocks the potential for a short film about the horrified and pissed off Louvre employees who can’t believe they’ve been asked to turn over The Mona Lisa to this guy scrambling to put together a fake and hide the real one. In terms of the commentary, you can even have your cake and eat it too, if the French government agrees to loan it out bc billionaire corruption and so it’s the average museum employees lying through their teeth to the government and risking felony offenses to protect the art.

My proposed cast of characters:

1. The elderly curator who’s forgotten more about da Vinci and renaissance art than most people learn in a lifetime, was mentored by a dude who smuggled art out of France to hide it from the Nazis and the second he sees the request from miles is like “M. Laurent did not get shot in the leg by a Nazi shithead for me to simply hand over Joconde to this idiot, he would crawl out of his grave and murder me himself and he would be right to do so”

2. The art conservation and repair expert who has worked on the Mona Lisa personally for the past decade, knows her better than just about anyone else in the world, one of probably like three people alive who’s allowed to actually touch her, comes across as high strung and business like but has the deepest and most genuine love for the art pieces and is fiercely dedicated above all else to the idea that art belongs to EVERYBODY, that her job is not the preservation of art for art’s sake but the preservation of art for future generations to see and fall in love with just like she did

3. The 18-year-old who was supposed to be here on an internship except The Covids Happened and now they’re in a bizarre employment limbo where they are sort of still interning but the actual job is not at all what it was supposed to be. Enthusiastically anarchic and socialist and almost concerningly Down For Crime

Together they have to team up for a mini heist-like adventure to convince Miles Bron and the French government that they are handing over the real Mona Lisa while engaging in shenanigans to keep the real thing safe and hidden

[stayconnecteed]

🪐˓⠀˚⠀hold on tight⠀@⠀han jisung.

synopsys: it's the birthday of the twins in the group and the usual plan is to celebrate it at the amusement park. everything was going as always until they got to the roller coaster and noa had to sit alone. thankfully, the rules say that everyone who has no one to go with will be paired with other single ones. that was how han jisung ended up screaming and squeezing the hand of an unknown pretty girl who he quickly caught feelings for.

SEE MORE.⠀⠀⠀⠀10 . 5 k words⠀⠀skz mlist.⠀⠀series mlist. 

⠀⠀⸺⠀⠀pairing ★ han jisung x f!reader.

⠀⠀⸺⠀⠀about ★ original characters guide.

⠀⠀⸺⠀⠀genres ★ idol au, found family, angst, fluff & smut ; love at first sight, strangers to lovers, friends to lovers, idiots to lovers, not really enemies but end up lovers, friends with benefits to lovers, polyamory. also, boy x boy subplot with original characters.

⠀⠀⸺⠀⠀hold on tight's warnings ★ first chapter! full into the spanishverse! this is the beginning of an amazing adventure, and there are practically no warnings. just jisung's anxiety. it will be his pov, so you know what to expect. mmm, and then fluff. lots of fluff, because he's afraid of heights and noa isn't. also, it's pretty clear ( me thinks ) but everything is in english minus the italics text - that would be spanish or korean depending on who's talking.

⠀⠀⸺⠀⠀author's note ★ hehe, hi lyra, happy ( late ) birthday!! i told you i was going to try and finish this by 14th y por mis cojones que lo intenté akshjaskd. you deserve it. hope you still like it by the end of it, and all the waiting was worth it <3

Everyone knew that the moment Jisung pulled on his hood and picked up his phone, his social battery was below zero. Unfortunately, at the moment he had no hood to hide from the rest of the world, and his anxiety told him that unlocking his phone screen for anything other than taking pictures would make him look terrible. He was wearing a custom-made black Balmain suit that felt soft against his skin, he was surrounded by strangers who were surely more famous than he would ever be, and there were hundreds of cameras pointed at him, waiting for his reaction to every outfit on the catwalk he'd been invited to.

Well, at least he wasn't alone. He had his manager, Jaehyun ーalso known as his older brotherー, sitting right behind him, Felix chatting quietly with another guest three seats to his right, and he knew that their leader was somewhere in all the chaos, also displaying an extroversion that overwhelmed Jisung. He couldn't understand, no matter how many years he had been witnessing it, how the two Australians in his Kpop group could strike up a conversation with anyone outside of them with such ease. And it wasn't even that he envied them for that ability, he just stared at them in horror and prayed that the panic wouldn't show on his face. But he had travelled all the way from Seoul to Madrid just for this, so he had to leave a good impression.

Stray Kids was starting to grow in fame, even if he wasn't really aware of the magnitude, and apart from music, his company wanted to explore other fronts. They were going to shoot a sort of short film by the end of summer, with one of the songs from their second comeback in the year as the soundtrack, and in addition to advertising, they had been considering the world of fashion for some time. The Louis Vuitton brand had snatched up his sunshine twin almost instantly, showering him in French clothes and affection, just as Versace had done with Hyunjin. It seemed that Fendi wanted to see how Bangchan's image would look in their campaigns, and it was rumoured that they wanted to make them international ambassadors.

He was grateful that Balmain had chosen him, of all the idols in the industry, to represent them in this collaborative event between Balenciaga and Zara for the winter campaign. He knew it had been an amazing opportunity for the group, and for him as an artist, but he hadn't been given the option to refuse, and perhaps it was that lack of choice that was making his perspective on the situation so negative. He was almost thirteen hours away from his family, his boyfriend, the rest of his band, in a place he knew nothing about, and every second he allowed himself to think about it, his heart pounded faster against his chest.

‘First time?’ whispered someone to his left, causing him to startle.

Jisung narrowed his eyes, focusing his gaze on the girl he had greeted nervously as he had sat next to her, in the seat assigned to his name. Her locks were slicked back and parted in the middle, all defined lines and gleaming aura, though the rest of her long hair fell down her back in a smooth cascade of chocolate-coloured strands, and her gaze was fixed on him, expectant, as if she couldn't help but let the almond shape of her eyes acquire that sharp edge. He merely nodded, smiling the closest thing to a gentle grin, his curved lips making hers reflect a more enthusiastic copy.

‘Me too!’ her shoulders twitched as he heard her poorly masked giggle, and for a moment he feared that the people around them were going to tell them off because of the easy, melodic way the laughter left her glossy lips. It was evident that she was a girl who caught attention without even being aware of it.

And then he realised that they were both speaking Korean. He frowned, because he knew that most of the people in the audience were Spanish ーand she certainly seemed to be, with her tanned skin and foreign accentー but the level was pretty good. He turned slightly towards her, knowing that they had been photographed together already, and approached her, leaving a respectful distance between them, clearing his throat.

‘Are you from here?’

‘More or less,’ she replied, leaning towards him, as if she were telling him a secret. ‘I'm from Spain, and I live here, but I'm from a town to the south, down at the bottom of the map.’

‘Oh,’ he murmured, his mind blank.

‘From your reaction, it's as if I've spoken to you in a completely different language’ she giggled.

‘The truth is, it's my first time in Spain,’ he told her, smiling more confidently, as if making small talk with that nice girl distracted him from the rest. ‘It's been from the airport to the hotel, from the hotel here and not much more.’

‘I can imagine,’ she whispered, nodding. ‘When I arrived in Madrid I felt the same way, but it's a city that has its charm. I got to know it through my uni friends, who taught me a bit about it. If you want, I can give you a tour.’

Jisung opened his eyes wide in surprise and gave a quick glance at his manager, in case he had overheard them. Maybe he'd gone too far in talking to a stranger, he had to find a polite way to turn down her offer without making her feel bad, and he had to do it fast, because staring at her with that look on his face wasn't a good idea.

‘Huh... The truth is... Well, I…’

‘Hey, it wasn't obligatory to accept the offer’ she soothed him, resting a hand on his arm gently, ready to remove it if it made him uncomfortable. ‘My best friend always tells me I have no filter, which is hypocritical because she acts the same way, but I'm sorry if it was too much. Do you want us to introduce ourselves first?’

He saw her smile as he nodded slowly, his heart still trying to escape from his chest, feeling the warm palm of her hand through the expensive black suit. But it was all right, wasn't it? She was a nice girl, who had a clear problem with trust ーof depositing it in total strangers, that isー but who apparently had no bad intentions whatsoever. And he was in a room full of people anyway. Nothing could go wrong.

‘My name is Abril’ she said, bowing his head slightly, ‘I studied at EID, the European Institute of Design, I have a little silly vlog acc on You Tube and I really like make-up and Paris.’

‘I'm Jisung’ he replied, mimicking the bow. ‘Han Jisung, and I'm an idol, and... well, huh…’

‘Nonono, you're doing it wrong,’ she corrected him, denying firmly. ‘I know you're an idol and what brand you're representing. That's usually known to anyone who's been slightly informed. Introduce yourself for real, like I have.’

‘Like you?’

‘Mm-hm,’ she made eye contact with him, and indicated the beginning of the sentence. ‘You're Jisung, you come from…’

‘Oh, yeah,’ he nodded, already more enthusiastically, understanding where she was going. ‘I'm Jisung, I live in Seoul and I'm a Kpop producer and singer. I like music a lot, anime, and watching documentaries.’

‘See, a fantastic presentation,’ she said, clapping quietly, but with a big smile on her face. ‘So it's your first time on a modelling catwalk.’

‘And yours,’ he replied, unable to bite his tongue. ‘Can I ask you a question?’

‘Of course’ Jisung realised that they were fully turned towards each other, and that with how focused he was on the conversation he had stopped stressing over the myriad of thoughts that anxiety was sneaking into his mind.

‘If you're from here how come you speak Korean so well?’ his frown was furrowed, lips forming an adorable pout, and she found it endearing because it was the same gesture her best friend used when she didn't understand something.

‘I like to listen to Korean music,’ she replied, hoping she didn't scare him off, ‘occasionally’.

‘So you know who I am?’ he asked, his leg starting to move up and down.

‘I know what group you belong to,’ April said, her smile taking on a relaxed, casual gesture. ‘And I know you're not the boy with the foxy eyes, or the one with the freckles, which are the most recognisable.’

‘Oh,’ Jisung murmured, exhaling a relieved sigh that he didn't know he was holding back. ‘Jeongin and Felix.’

‘Yes, that was it’ he heard her crystalline laughter again, ’I saw him around earlier, he came looking very handsome.’

‘Louis Vuitton is doing an awesome job with him, and they're very nice and attentive’ he explained, cracking a smile at the thought of his best friend. ‘He's been very welcomed, and our fans love it.’

‘No wonder,’ April replied, nodding, ’Louis Vuitton has a very good reputation.’

There was a pause, and Jisung looked away from the Spanish girl, suddenly self conscious. She knew who he was, not because she was a fan but because she had studied the guests at the event, but he didn't know her at all and it was starting to become less of a problem to talk to her and more a reason to feel bad. He wasn't good at starting a conversation, and he doubted that in a situation like that asking her about her favourite colour was the best approach.

He opened his mouth, determined to ignore the anxiety bubbling in his chest, but let all the air in his lungs escape as soon as the lights dimmed. His manager tapped him gently on the shoulder, alerting him that this was the first sign that the catwalk was about to begin, and the insufferable twitch of his knee going up and down uncontrollably became present as soon as the murmur in the room died down.

He had barely had time to talk to the girl, Abril, and just when it seemed he was finally able to make a friend of his own, he was interrupted. He wasn't even able to concentrate on the introduction to the event, on what songs were playing as the first models came out. All he could think about was how sweet she had been to him, and how unresponsive he had been in return, even the impression he must have made on her, and all the phrases he would have said if he could go back in time.

But then he felt April's soft hair brush against his arm, her bright eyes still following one of the girls around the stage as she whispered excitedly about how much she loved that specific outfit. And somehow, all the voices in Jisung's head quieted down a bit. He cleared his throat, as if he could reset the reaction he'd had, and tried to locate the model she was talking about, offering his opinion on the jumper she was wearing.

It didn't take long for them to start gossiping, choosing a classic one-to-ten point system to evaluate the clothes, whispering numbers to each other between models, slyly pointing at them to discuss outfits. Jisung had a good time. He didn't feel judged when April made him giggle and his laughter sounded slightly louder than it should, and he didn't worry about the image he was giving, even when Felix gave him a look full of affection when he saw that anxiety hadn't crept up his chest until it choked him.

Even as the catwalk came to an end, and the CEOs of each fashion brand came out to greet the audience, Jisung was still glued to the girl, clapping but exchanging murmurs, and asked her to accompany him outside, to the small terrace hidden from the eyes of the people and Stays on the street, to say goodbye. Or meet Chan and Felix, whichever made her feel more comfortable.

‘Actually, I have to take a taxi home,’ said the brunette, clutching her small bag with both hands. ‘I have to get there before the pizza delivery guy.’

Abril's laughter at the joke Jisung hadn't understood hung in the air, the Korean's face turning somewhat serious. After nearly two hours with her, maybe letting her leave so quickly didn't sound so good to him.

‘Maybe we can drop you off at home,’ he proposed, forgetting to glance at his manager to confirm that he could do that.

‘No way, don't worry,’ she replied, resting a hand on his arm. Her smile was genuine, and Jisung wondered if she really didn't care if she had to pay for the taxi or if she was just saying that to avoid compromising him. ‘It's right here... huh, well, near here. And my friends are waiting for me.’

Jisung looked at her, letting her know with a raised eyebrow that precisely because it was nearby, even if it wasn't, it was no problem for them to drop her off.

‘If your fans see me get into your car, my public career is over,' she added, this time with a compelling reason.

Jisung deflated, knowing she was right, and gave her an apologetic smile. Maybe in Spain the fans weren't as controlling as in other countries, but there were freaks everywhere, and a photo taken out of context could ruin her life and force him into hiatus.

‘Anyway,’ Abril continued, averting her gaze, but letting him notice the mischievous glare that didn't promise anything good, ‘if you're going to stay longer in Madrid, the tour offer still stands. Signing whatever NDAs it takes to make you feel safer, just as a friend showing you around town.’

‘For real?’ 

Jisung saw that as possible. It wasn't the first time they had attended events in other countries and seized the oppotunity to visit the city or go out with friends. It wouldn't be anything they hadn't done before. Even his company could run Abril's digital footprint if they didn't trust her. The city looked very nice, and he knew he wouldn't be bored with her. He could even invite Chan and Felix and introduce them.

‘Tomorrow is the birthday of two of my best friends,’ Abril explained, making calculations with one finger, counting days in the air. ‘We're going to Warner's, which is an amusement park very close by. I know Lucas won't mind if a few extra friends join us. And then I think we're going to Murcia for a couple of days, but you can join us. We're good people, I promise.’

And he knew she wasn't lying. A soul as pure as hers could only get along with people just as fantastic. The plan sounded good, and even if his managers wouldn't allow him to travel with strangers, they couldn't deny them a visit to an amusement park, so he was going to be able to see her the next day. That was enough for him.

‘I'll have to consult about the trip,’ he announced, taking a breath of air to pretend he didn't feel guilty about making decisions without the input of his hyung and his sunshine twin.

‘Mm-hm,’ she murmured, nodding. It was fair, she understood that.

‘But I'll see you tomorrow at the Warner.’

‘Oh my God, that's fantastic!’ she exclaimed, tightening her grip on the young rapper's arm, her touch warm in the Spanish capital's night breeze. ‘If you need anything, text me on Instagram!’

Before he could react, the girl threw her arm around his shoulders, pressing him against her body in a light embrace, and hurriedly said goodbye, unlocking her phone screen to check the time and blurting out a string of what sounded like really aggressive insults in Spanish. Jisung believed that Spaniards dined very late if they pretended to have pizza at eleven o'clock at night, but he himself usually made himself ramen if he got home past midnight from the studio, so he couldn't say anything about it.

He saw her white lace dress flutter behind her as she walked down the stairs to the main entrance and disappeared into the crowd, but he heard a loud whistle followed by an unmistakable ‘Taxi!’ in a strong, musical Spanish accent, so he assumed she would have gotten a ride the first try.

He turned towards the inside of the building, looking for Felix's unmistakable blond hair, which would be the easiest to spot in the midst of the people, and waited in his corner for his friend to get lost in the area Jisung was in. The staff would wait for all the guests to leave the venue before starting to collect chairs and decorations, but a few people with the organisers' branded clothing and name badges were already guiding the stragglers to the entrance.

Jisung felt that it would be an opportune moment to pull out his phone, and at least try to contact Chan or his brother to let them know where he was. After giving a couple of rather competent directions, it was Jaehyun who succeeded in reaching him, and Felix who greeted him with a pat on the shoulder and his eyebrows going up and down suggestively.

‘That's a rather childish reaction when you consider I'm a taken man,’ he commented, before the blond could say anything.

‘That wasn't why,’ he protested in response, the high-pitched whine catching in his throat. ‘But you could share her number around the group or something, in case anyone's interested.’

Felix laughed at his own words, as if he had told a joke, and Jisung rolled his eyes playfully. He shook his head, giving Felix up as impossible and turned to his leader when he called his name.

‘Did she know us?"

‘She's a Kpop fan, but not Stay,’ he explained, getting defensive. If they had been the ones sitting next to Abril, they probably would have introduced her by now and been close friends. ‘I wish you guys had met her, she has that responsible little girl aura in her.’’

He saw Felix frown, but ignored it. He thought it was a fairly apt description, but it was true that it was a little strange if you hadn't interacted with her. It reminded him a little of the way the blond himself lit up the room he was in, and made you feel special when he gave you his undivided attention. But he couldn't ramble on about what description to use for his new friend. He had more important things to think about.

His priority was to figure out how to introduce the subject of meeting up the next day without causing rejection out of mistrust. Because he knew that no matter how much he could inspire Felix's enthusiasm, the final say would rest with Chan and Jaehyun, his manager, who were directly responsible for him, especially overseas. And while Jae answered directly to Division 1 (and sometimes their mother), Chan would primarily look out for his safety. And Jisung had to admit that it didn't look very safe.

‘Jae hyung, do we have plans for the next few days?’

‘A scheduled visit tomorrow to the Bernabéu stadium for Chan,’ he said, trying to recall the trip schedule from memory. ‘But nothing else. Do you want to add anything?’

‘Can we go in the afternoon to the Warner?’ continued Jisung, waiting for that pause when the question would sink into their heads before they asked what that was.

But they didn't have to. Felix grabbed his arm, his eyes wide with excitement looking up at him, as full of excitement as Abril's had been when he'd told her they'd see each other tomorrow. He knew Felix wouldn't let him down ーwhat had surprised him was how quickly he had reacted.

‘What is...’ began Chan.

‘Do I  want to know what Warner's is?’ interrupted Jaehyun, crossing his arms.

‘It's the amusement park in Madrid!’ exclaimed Felix, doing all the work for him. ‘Can we go? Please, please, please?’

Chan narrowed his eyes, recognising Jisung's gesture of faux innocence, but decided to keep quiet, leaving the decision in the manager's hands. For a few moments the four of them were silent, and Jisung could count his heartbeats in the time it took Jaehyun to contrast pros and cons. Felix had his eyes closed and his fingers crossed, and at the sight of that the manager could only exhale a defeated sigh.

‘I'll take care of getting the tickets,’ he murmured, hiding a smile at the excitement of the younger ones.

Unable to sit still, Jisung fidgeted once more in the seat of the tinted-window car he felt he had been in all day. It was five o'clock in the afternoon, and although Seoul would soon start to cool down, Madrid was still at a temperature he wasn't used to. It was very hot, and having to wear a mask and a hat to avoid being recognised only made his long-sleeved clothes more uncomfortable. He was looking forward to getting to the amusement park, but sometimes his only wish was to get to the hotel and take a cold shower.

The night before, he had made a video call with Minho, telling him everything he had experienced, from the tense moments to the sweetness of the lovely April. He had listened for quite a while until Jisung realised he had no idea what time it was in Seoul, and when the dancer told him not to worry, that it was worth listening to him talk about his day, Jisung hung up on him, because he knew Minho would answer a call from him even if he was very busy. He believed there were limits.

For example, when he found out that it turned out that eleven o'clock at night in Spain was six o'clock in the morning in Korea, and he was almost certain that he had woken Minho up.

But he hadn't been able to sleep, too excited about what would happen the next day. He had been up late watching videos on YouTube, and by the time he realised he could look up Abril's account it was already one o'clock in the morning. The long plane flight had messed up his sleep schedule, and he didn't really feel tired, so he started watching his new friend's latest vlogs.

He browsed through the covers of all the videos, guided by the images, as the titles were of no use to him ーhe didn't understand them at allー and ended up watching one from the previous week, which featured the logo of his band. As it started, an upbeat tune began to play while the intro was shown: figures of celebrities with the effect of being cut out of paper appearing and disappearing against a light background, and then the same words he had seen as the title. With one difference, however, the small addition of the name of the event he had gone to earlier that same afternoon.

And then April appeared, this time with her hair in a bun, though just as tight, and began to speak. It took Jisung about forty seconds to realise that he didn't understand a word she was saying. He snorted, suppressing a smile, and stopped the video, praying that there would be Korean among the subtitle options. As he searched for it, he found himself thinking that this was probably what all the international Stays were suffering from with their group's content. He should talk to Division 1 to make sure there was a variety of language options before uploading their videos.

When he pressed play, Jisung understood what the Spaniard had meant when she said she had researched which celebrities would represent which brands. The video was basically about that. She had a roulette wheel with the main fashion brands, all invited by the organisers, and throughout the twenty minutes of her explanation he talked about what the event was going to be like, and who she would meet once inside. At the mention of Prada, Valentino and Gucci, Jisung remembered seeing the people Abril was talking about. But the minutes passed quickly, enchanted by her voice, until he realised that she had left Fendi, Louis Vuitton and Balmain for last.

’The new addition to Europe is the three members of Stray Kids coming to Madrid,’ he had heard her say, as the group photos they had taken for Maxident appeared on his screen. ‘It's rare for a Kpop group to show so much interest into send so many of their members to fashion events, but we're thrilled to welcome them.’

Abril had given a short summary of how the Korean music industry worked for those who had no idea, and then had objectively detailed what role each had in the group and which brand had invited them. Jisung had liked the professional and open way she had introduced them, and once again he understood why he had felt so comfortable with her. She made you feel welcome, listened to. She made you understand without making you feel dumb. With one warm look you knew you could trust her.

So he had told Minho, before he noticed he was falling asleep again.

But at that moment, in the car, after a busy morning in which he'd been late for his gym session with Chan and then they'd walked around the city before visiting the stadium of his hyung's favourite football team, it was too hot. He rolled up the sleeves of the oversized jacket he'd bought before the trip once more and turned to Felix, leaning his head against the backrest with a huff. The blond, who had his phone in his hands as he played some Genshin, made an acknowledging noise, leaning against Jisung.

’We're getting close, Ji,‘ his manager said from the passenger seat, picking up on his uneasiness.

He didn't reply, too abstracted to notice that Jaehyun couldn't see him nod. He fiddled with his own phone, removing and replacing one of the corners of the case, deciding if it was a good idea to text Abril. He didn't have an individual Instagram account, even though more than half the members were considering creating one, and he didn't know if they'd let him use the group one for something like this. He hadn't discussed it with anyone, that he wanted to meet the girl at the Warner, and not knowing if it would look bad to his friends made him think too much in his head.

He wasn't even listening to the distracted answers Felix was giving Chan, when the older boy asked him about what kind of attractions they would find, which ones he was most excited about. He went into the Instagram app he had almost unused, then turned off the screen. He looked for Abril's username, which he had memorised from her Youtube videos, then turned off the screen. When he turned it back on, the search box had gone blank, so he had to type it in again. But when he finally had her account in his hands, he had to turn it off again. He wanted to contact her, but somehow it felt wrong.

And then he noticed Felix giving him playfully with his head on the shoulder, as if he didn't have to curl up slightly to do it, as if he were a kitten, and heard him say ‘Do it.’

He didn't even notice the way his own heart stopped, thinking he'd been caught committing a crime. He glanced at Felix fleetingly, his wide eyes colliding with his best friend's soft gaze, and snuck into the Spaniard's private messages, hoping his coy ‘Just arrived at Warner's, where are you? Jisung’ along with the blue symbol next to @ realstraykids indicating his authenticity would get Abril to see it as soon as possible. And then he took refuge in Felix's embrace, the two of them entwined like the hands of two lovers, answering Chan's questions with renewed energy.

Jaehyun escorted them to the entrance of the huge amusement park, letting them wander along the cobblestone paths once he displayed the tickets he had gotten the day before online, and Jisung tried to calm himself, not to look at his phone, to enjoy a moment with his friends. He let Felix, to whom he was glued by their linked arms, guide them to the first attraction, which had a short queue. Chan began to ramble on about the memories the pictures in the place brought back, and Jisung took a breath of air as he took in every person who passed him.

By the time Felix got his attention, Jisung had already had a heart attack for every straight-haired brunette girl he'd seen, and the touch of his best friend's hand in his arm brought him back to reality, to the spinning mugs with Scooby Doo decorations, and to his leader's terrible jokes about how it was a betrayal to be there without his own Mistery Inc. gang's dog, Seungmin. He closed his eyes to relax a little before the ride got started, and then had to hold on to Felix and his manager, looking for support that he could only find on the edge of the giant cup they'd been stuffed into as it began to spin.

It was fun, he thought. And then he let out a shaky laugh, hearing Felix's excited shout to his left, followed by one from Chan in front of him, and stopped thinking. He didn't need to. Not as long as he could rest his mind and fill his memory with moments like this.

And for a while it worked, leaving Scooby Doo's Tea Party Mystery and heading straight for the bumper cars themed on the Joker movie. The park was huge, and what was most striking was the continuity with which people were screaming. It was all conversation and laughter and screaming all around him, until he realised that he too was laughing with his friends, and talking. And he'd be screaming too, he thought to himself, when Felix pointed out all the roller coasters surrounding the hotels and the smaller attractions. The blond was going to want to go on one, probably the one that looked the most dangerous, as soon as they let him, even if he ended up passing out.

And Chan was going to let him go on one, even if it made Felix so dizzy, because it made him happy. He'd say it would be better if he could ride along with him, and that would leave Jisung alone, because Jaehyun refused to participate in crazy ideas like that. 

So after leaving with sore knees, but with his adrenaline pumping, he had resigned himself to it. They used the map they had been given at the entrance to get to the queue for the Stunt Fall, the star of the park, and after fifteen minutes of pent-up nerves, they found themselves first in line at the entrance to the roller coaster. Chan went first, Felix behind him, following the directions in English from the staff, and Jisung waited for them to come back for him.

‘Are you here alone?’ the boy asked him, in a rough accent.

Jisung nodded, his throat suddenly dry, and he began to regret it as he saw that he was being taken to the opposite area where Felix and Chan had been placed. But he said nothing. It wasn't worth it. He didn't feel able to formulate a sound, anyway. His vocal cords were as tense as the muscles in his shoulders, and if the girl in the seat next to him noticed as the staff secured the harness to his body and the belt to his lap, she said nothing too. Jisung closed his eyes and tried to swallow, highly attentive to the remaining people before the attraction was full and they could begin.

‘First time?’ he heard from behind him, as he watched the same staff member lead the couple who had waited behind his friends and him to a spot further down the queue of seats.

‘First time?’ the girl repeated, this time in English. Jisung turned to his left all too quickly, utterly convinced he was experiencing a déjà vu. This time he didn't need to squint his eyes to focus in the dark, but to make sure that the girl he had failed to greet nervously as he sat down wasn't Abril. She didn't really look anything like her, her skin slightly paler and her hair chaotically curly and much darker, but she was the owner of a similar smile. Wide, kind, luminous.

Jisung nodded again, too overwhelmed to do anything else.

‘Not mine,’ she said, as if it were a matter of pride. ‘Whenever I can I come with my friends. It's pretty awesome, but you don't have to be afraid of safety. Nothing's going to happen to you, I promise.’

‘Huh..., thanks.’ he muttered, taking another breath of air.

‘Do you want me to distract you for a bit?’ the girl asked, tilting her head to the side, her hands clasped in the harness, ’Or would you rather I leave you alone?’

Jisung was grateful to be able to choose. It gave his brain the feeling of being in control over something, even if before she finished uttering the second question he was already ready to say yes to the first. He would give anything to pretend he wasn't about to die.

‘A..., a distraction wouldn't be bad, actually,’ he managed to whisper, his words achieving to soften his travelling companion's sharp gaze.

‘Mm-hm, I'll tell you things then,’ she warned him, as if Jisung could back out at any moment. ‘You can interrupt me at any time, or tell me things yourself if you like. Did you come alone?’

‘No,’ he replied, glad to be able to focus on something other than the way the harness was digging into his skin. ‘I came with two friends, but we got separated.’

‘Oh, you didn't see the sign.’ she sighed, frowning as if the information really hurt.

‘What sign?’

‘We didn't see it the first time we came either,’ the girl recounted. ‘While you're queuing to get on, there's a sign that says if you don't have a partner to share seats with, they'll put you with someone who doesn't have one either. That's why they put you with me.’

‘You came alone?’ asked Jisung.

‘Nope,’ she said, smiling. ’I also came with my friends. But there are five of us. One gets dizzy so she goes with the one who doesn't have phobia to highs. And of the other three, last time Lucas went alone, so this time it was my turn. My name is Noa, by the way.’

‘Jisung.’ he spoke, more cheerful. ‘The same thing happened to me. Felix gets dizzy, so he can't go alone. And I wouldn't be much help either.’

‘It's all right, Jisung,’ said Noa, savouring every syllable of his name, ‘you can be helpful to me. Sometimes I need to squeeze someone's hand when the curves are too pronounced. If you need it too, we can make a deal.’

It sounded good. He knew she would gain nothing and that she was proposing it because he was probably so pale he looked sick. It was him who needed to be able to anchor himself to someone so he wouldn't get too overwhelmed, or dizzy, or faint, like Felix. Noa was already being helpful herself, and he would be eternally grateful - it was either trust her or ask the boring boy from before to get him out of there and let him put his feet on solid ground. For a moment he even wondered if she was so kind to all the rookies they put next to her when she went alone, or if he had been an exception.

‘I'd like to make the deal,’ he confided, putting his hand in front of them.

She took it, and Jisung's breathe hitched, feeling Noa's soft palm against his. ‘I promise to hold your hand very tightly and let you know what's going to happen so you won't be caught by surprise.’

‘I promise not to let go of your hand, and to hold it a lot tighter in response,’ he said, finally smiling, letting the air that had caught in his throat come out shakily.

They did not separate their hands once the deal was done. Instead, Noa rested them in her lap, humming whatever song was on her mind, giving Jisung a chance to observe her. She was tan, not as dark as April, but a caramel shade that made the light freckles on her cheeks blend in with the wrinkles that formed in her eyes when she smiled. Her hair was in a high ponytail, but the curls spilled over her bare shoulders like cascades of coffee. The top she wore was red, flashy, with a straight across neckline that clung to her chest, crossed by a black belt pouch.

He let his gaze wander until Noa's voice brought him back to reality, ‘There's a minute left, maybe you should put your hat away, so it doesn't fly off.’

Jisung hadn't thought of that. The clothes he was wearing were loose, just the way he liked them, and he hadn't brought a backpack. All his belongings were with Jaehyun, as were Felix's and Chan's, so he didn't know where he could leave it. Noa probably saw the doubt in his eyes, because with her free hand she reached up to his head, murmuring a quiet ‘May I?’ and waiting for a nod before taking it. Jisung watched her fold it in half and tuck it as best she could behind her back, shoving it between her skin and the secure grip of her bra. His cheeks flushed red when he noticed, but he said nothing, letting her settle back in.

She flashed him a smile and he grinned back, leaning back against the seat, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He felt Noa's hand give him a friendly squeeze, and even though fear was beginning to build in his chest, nerves rising in his throat, vertigo clouding his mind, he was able to return the squeeze, stroking the back of Noa's hand with his thumb.

And when the ride started, Jisung began to scream.

Once they returned to their point of origin, silence fell. It lasted only a few seconds before trembling sighs and adrenaline-fuelled screams began to sound, reactions that gradually ranged from euphoria to relief. Jisung would consider himself in the latter group, his heart pumping blood at full speed, if he wasn't too busy trying to figure out if all his limbs were still part of his body. His chest was rising and falling in hurried movements that looked too much like terrified hyperventilation, and he was still holding Noa's hand as if his life depended on it.

She belonged to the first group, however. She was a little dishevelled, taking big breaths of air, but her eyes shone with the intensity of someone who had just experienced a great adventure. Jisung wanted to memorise that vision, but he felt a tingling on his skin that made him uncomfortable, so he tried to close his eyes and think of something else. The worst part was over. He should have informed himself before going up, because he certainly wouldn't have set foot on the Stunt Fall if he knew it had a free-fall section of at least fifty metres, but at least he'd been lucky enough to get the ride with Noa.

While he had been screaming, yelling out phrases in Korean and English, thinking that his heart was going to burst out of his chest at any moment and that he was making a fool of himself in front of a beautiful girl, Noa had warned him that the worst moment was coming, and to close his eyes tightly. He had reacted two seconds too late, and by the time he saw the void opening up before him, even though he had curled up in his seat, his imagination had done the rest. It felt like the longest moment of his life, and he couldn't even recover before the ride played another trick on him with a section where the seats spun on their axis and he ended up upside down.

He didn't know whether he wanted to curse Felix for his love of roller coasters, or Abril for mentioning Warner.

He had to check if she had replied to his message. The reminder of Abril's presence at the park hit him like a bucket of cold water, knowing he'd left his phone in his brother's hands and would probably murder him if he found out, and he tried to get up, not realising he was still strapped into the seat by the harness. The restraint caused him to become even more distressed, his hand still numb but gripping Noa's tightly, and he gave her a frightened look.

Noa realised immediately what was happening, and slid her hand from his gently, holding it by the back to leave a quick caress. She removed the safety bar that had allowed them to hold on to something during the trip, and undid her harness before jumping down to the solid ground and starting to undo Jisung's. She removed buckles and loops quickly with the speed of someone who knows how they work, taking Jisung by the arm and escorting him to one of the less crowded corridors nearby. Jisung let himself be guided, his gaze blurring and his chest constricting his lungs, preventing him from breathing normally.

Jisung was losing control of the situation, and being aware of it made him feel even more overwhelmed. The heat wasn't helping, and even though the shirt he was wearing was quite thin, because he could feel Noa's hand on his arm, it clung to his skin with sweat. His legs were shaking, though whether it was his anxiety or the effect of the roller coaster, he didn't know, and he was shivering. The high temperature of the park, with all the people everywhere, seemed to grow by the minute, and Jisung thought it was very likely that he would pass out right there and never be able to return to Korea. No one would find him, no one would come looking for him.

‘Hey, Sung,’ Noa murmured, rubbing his arms, ’can I call you Sung, mm?’

Jisung nodded, eyes closed tightly, concentrating on his breathing. It seemed silly to him that he was having this reaction once it was all over and not when he had no idea what the journey might be like. It didn't make sense. And he knew that focusing on how pathetic he felt wouldn't help this attack to end quickly, but he couldn't help it. All the tricks he knew would disappear, his mind a blank, when anxiety began to bubble up in his chest and he wasn't in the comfort of his room, or with one of his members.

‘Listen, you're doing great, okay?’ he heard again, and tried to focus his gaze on her eyes, trying to distinguish where the brown started and the green ended, losing himself in the depths of her pupils, ’but I'm going to need you to breathe with me, yeah? Do you think you can do that?’

Jisung processed her words, frowning at the insistent dizziness he felt swirling in his temples, nodding again. He could do it, he wasn't losing his mind. He had to do it so he could apologise properly. A girl like Noa didn't deserve to have someone like him spoil a nice May afternoon with her friends. So he pretended that the shiver that crept over his skin had been from anxiety and not from her when he felt Noa's hand slide down to rest on his chest.

He also chose to ignore the way Noa touched him, all gentleness and decency, giving him the sweetest of looks, as if she'd done that routine many times before. Anyone with anxiety who had someone to lean on at times like that was very lucky, but having Noa was a gift. She didn't make you feel like a burden, instead she distracted you enough to make you think it was a team effort. That was why his breath caught in his throat when he felt one of Noa's fingers brush against the skin of his chest, unintentionally slipping through the hole between two buttons.

She seemed not to notice, too busy ensuring his well-being, and continued with her rehearsed choreography. She took the hand that hadn't been abused by the trip, grasping him gently by the wrist, and rested it on her own chest, slowly raising it with a breath, urging him to do the same. Jisung closed his eyes, feeling more clearly how smooth the skin of her collarbone was, soft and delicate under his guitarist's fingertips, and forced himself to mimic the calm rise and fall of her chest. 

No words were exchanged, none were needed, until Jisung felt sane enough to look at her again. They were only inches apart, arms locked and intertwined, her hands in his, and though he could only hear his heartbeat thudding in his ears, he felt her own mirroing his quick race beneath his fingers.

Noa had beautiful eyes. Not only that, but the smile she offered hid an accomplice that made you want to follow her wherever she wanted to take you, and for a moment, Jisung wanted to. But he couldn't. He was trapped, between the wall and her hands, between the wall and her gaze, and he didn't want to run away. Every second he spent memorising all the intermingled shades of mahogany and forest green in her irises, and when he realised that he hadn't once taken his eyes off hers, he was shocked. Jisung was incapable of holding eye contact for more than a few seconds with anyone.

‘That's my girl, now kiss him!’

The spell broke as soon as Noa processed those words in Spanish, and Jisung's body moved a little closer to hers as she pulled away slightly.

‘He was having a panic attack, you moron,' she whispered, her low, strong tone contrasting with the gentleness of her hands against his skin.

Then Jisung snapped back to reality, his chest rising and falling more calmly, and he located the boy who had spoken. He had been cracking a rascally smile until he had heard the word panic - which was not so different in Spanish than it was in English, Jisung had been able to understand - and now he was approaching with a concerned gesture towards them.

‘Do you need ice? Do you want us to find you somewhere cooler?’ he asked, still in the language he didn't understand, dividing his attention between Noa and Jisung.

‘Use English, please,’ she asked him, leaving warm caresses on the back of Jisung's hands absently, ’he's a foreigner and it's not polite to gossip without him knowing what we're saying.’

Then she turned to him, giving him her full attention again, and said, ‘Remember I mentioned my friends earlier?’

Jisung nodded, remembering every word he had exchanged with Noa.

‘This is Lucas,’ Jisung turned to the boy, who had left a safe distance between them, waiting for instructions from the girl. His hair was disheveled, as if he'd just taken a nap, and all chestnut brown except for an unruly blond highlight in his fringes. ‘Her twin sister is the girl who gets dizzy that I told you about. She also has anxiety, so he asks if you need ice or a cooler place.’

‘Huh, thanks, Lucas..., Noa,’ Jisung's gaze flickered between one and the other, suddenly nervous. He wasn't used to that kind of attention, it made him uncomfortable to a certain extent. ‘I'm better now.’

‘Oh,’ Noa murmured, taking a step back and pulling her arms away from him. Jisung wanted to follow them, to place them back on his body, to keep feeling her touch on him. He repressed it. ‘Of course.’

‘I'm grateful, really,’ he repeated, as if that wasn't enough. Noa's gaze had flashed with pain at his rejection, and Jisung had hated it. ‘But I should go, my friends...’

‘Right, of course,’ she repeated, taking a step backwards, towards Lucas, like two planets orbiting on the same axis. ‘I understand, they must be worried.’

‘I didn't mean to...’

‘Hey, we made a deal,’ she reminded him, forcing a smile onto her rosy lips, ‘we've already gotten off the Stunt. Glad I could be of help.’

The deal was to hold on tight to each other, Jisung thought. And now she was letting him go. That wasn't part of the deal.

‘We could always get the groups together...’ Lucas wanted to propose, resting a hand protectively on Noa's shoulder.

‘Jisung!’

His heart skipped a beat at the sound of his name. Behind Noa and Lucas was Abril, smiling as if her life depended on it, also slightly dishevelled but with the same cheerful vibe that characterised her. She had stood halfway, having recognised his slim figure and his dyed ash-blonde hair, and Lucas had turned around quickly, frowning.

‘You two know this one?’ he'd said, receiving a smack from Noa for continuing to use Spanish, ‘Are you swapping me for him? On my own birthday?’

‘We're not, dummy,’ Abril said, and Jisung found it odd to hear her voice a softer tone, using English to communicate and not the Korean they had spoken in the previous evening. ‘This is the boy I told you about yesterday, Han Jisung.’

‘Ahh,’ pronounced Noa, placing him in her memories, ’the nice guy from Balmain. I hadn't actually caught the name, sorry.’

‘That's okay,’ he said, shrugging, processing that Noa and April knew each other. For a person who wasn't used to Korean culture, understanding how names worked or being able to remember one must have been difficult. For him, their Spanish names were.

‘I still don't get it,’ Lucas interrupted.

‘You were drunk yesterday,’ Abril reminded him, reaching their level and bowing her head slightly in respect. Jisung did the same. ‘You made a terrible joke, let me remember... Oh, jamón serrano. Ham in English. Ham, because of Han. He's one of the members of the group that Carla likes.’

‘Carla is another one of our friends, but she didn't come today,’ Noa informed him.

Lucas made an affirmative noise, indicating that he already remembered, and was about to make a comment about it, searching for the right English words, when another shout was heard from behind him. Again an acquaintance shouting his name. This time his brother. Jisung grimaced, and turned slowly, avoiding making eye contact with him, and turning directly into Felix and his hyung, who were trailing after Jae and relaxed as soon as they spotted him.

‘Hey, hey, hey, hey,’ Lucas exclaimed, stepping protectively between him and the other three, ’do you even know each other?’

Jisung paused for a moment, wondering to whom the question was addressed, but before he could explain who they were, or even gazing at Abril fro help, his brother stepped up to Lucas, facing him, and replied in slurred English, ‘I'd like to know if you know him at all, because he's obviously my little brother.

The tension could be cut with a knife, and Jisung shifted uncomfortably under the incredulous stares of Felix and Chan, who couldn't believe they had just witnessed their manager's words. Jaehyun never let his emotions, and especially anger, spill over into his actions. Never. But before Chan could jump in to try and sort out the misunderstanding, Abril and Noa burst out laughing behind Jisung's back.

‘Lucas, he looks an awful lot like Jisung,’ Noa said, stepping forward with her hands in the pockets of her baggy jeans, her face still holding an almost uncontrollable laughter.

‘It's actually kind of surprising that you didn't notice,’ April chipped in, tilting her head to the side, trying to stifle her smile behind Noa's shoulder.

Jisung saw Lucas blush, mumble an apology to Jae, who accepted it with a nod, and step back so that Jisung could approach his friends. The first to move closer when Jisung was near enough was his brother, putting his arm around his shoulders and asking him in Korean if he was okay. He explained that he hadn't been, but thanks to the girl he'd been sitting next to, he was feeling better now. Noa smiled at hearing her name, and Jisung found himself smiling back, adding that she had been the perfect rollercoaster companion.

‘I'm glad you had someone up there,’ Jaehyun stated, looking up at the ride, which had started up again, and feeling guilty for not getting on with his little brother. ‘Are you going to introduce us to the fashion girl and her friends?’

Jisung blinked, confused, thinking that Jae's next action as manager would be to say goodbye and send them back to the hotel, but he nodded and turned to the three Spaniards.

‘Guys, this is my brother and manager Han Jaehyun,’ he began, resting his hand on the one Jae had on his shoulder, ‘then there's Lee Felix,’ he continued, letting the blonde flash one of his brightest smiles, ‘and Bang Chan hyung, our leader.’ Then he turned to his friends, and prayed that he pronounced the Spanish names correctly. ‘Abril I met yesterday on the catwalk, because she was sitting next to me. Noa was the one who saved me just now, and made me survive Stunt Fall,’ he shared a smile with her and then paused, glancing at the third member of the trio, and finished the introduction, ‘and Lucas, huh, the friend who thinks I'm jam.’

‘Ham,’ he corrected him, ‘Yummy, Spanish ham.’

‘They're the ones on the albums Carla buys,’ Abril explained, turning to Noa and Lucas. ‘Stray Kids, the ones she had saved up for the concert in Madrid and couldn't go to because it was cancelled due to covid.’

Noa nodded, as if she already knew all that information, but Lucas was too busy staring at Chan.

‘Luc, that's creepy,’ Abril said to him. ‘Stop, please.’

Jisung saw Chan blush slightly at the Spaniard's attention, but he didn't say anything. He couldn't tell if he was uncomfortable or nervous, but he knew that Lucas's nonchalant nature was shocking him a little.

‘It's just that he rings a bell, but I can't place him,' he explained.

‘Oh, I know!’ exclaimed Noa. ‘It's from the Korean reggaeton music video! He's the one who plays the bodyguard!’

‘Korean reggaeton?’ asked Chan, confused.

‘Maknae on top’ replied Abril, and their leader raised her eyebrows in understanding. ‘Carla, our Stay friend, teaches them Kpop songs if they say things is Spanish or have a Latin beat.’

‘But Lucas recognises Chan because there was a time when you kept playing the video over and over,’ Noa informed, smiling half-sideways, waiting for Abril's poorly suppressed alarmed cry at being exposed.

‘I'm a Seventeen fan, shush,’ she confessed. ‘Besides, they sure don't like talking about this stuff.’

‘Oh, we like knowing that people enjoy our songs, don't worry,’ Felix said, smiling, enjoying the chaos. ‘I'm the one who says ‘Felix Navidad’ in a song called Christmas Evel.’

‘And your name is Felix,’ Lucas spoke, letting out a laugh, ’It’s genius, I love it.’

‘Jisung and Chan are the ones who compose and produce all their songs,’ Abril added.

‘And Changbin,’ Jisung added.

‘And Changbin,’ Abril repeated, apologising with a smile.

‘Oh my God, enough with the work talk,' Noa interrupted, stretching her arms and rotating her wrists, as if standing still for too long bothered her. ‘Do you want us to show you around? We can even go back to Madrid, if you want.’

The three of them looked at Jaehyun automatically, as if waiting for an answer, and he tried to keep a straight face, crumbling the moment Felix tugged at his shirt sleeve, taking advantage of the effect of his adorable pout. Jae shrugged, deflating like a balloon as he exhaled a tired sigh, and Chan put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

‘You know what the limits are,’ he said, in Korean, looking at Jisung, as if he were to blame for everyone's enthusiasm. ‘And that you don't know these people. They can be fans, they can be stalkers.’

‘Han-nim, if I may,’ Abril interrupted in her soft Korean voice, approaching slowly and timidly, as if she didn't want to get Jisung in trouble. ‘It's true that I'm a fan of your work and I know the Kpop world, but we're not sasaengs. I can give you my word, and speak on behalf of my friends, we simply want to leave a good impression of your first visit to Spain. If you don't trust me, I can show you the content I do on my social networks, and Noa's, even tell you what the rest of them are doing or documentation that certifies that everything I've said is true. Nothing proposed is with bad intentions, we just want to have a good time because Jisung is a wonderful person and I would like to share my time with him and let him meet my friends.’

Jaehyun stared at Abril for a good time, a battle of hard, unmoving brown gazes between the older brother and the Spaniard, who was also an older sister, and then held out his hand.

‘I'm going to need you to sign confidentiality contracts, but it works for me,’ he pronounced slowly, his chest warming at the joy gradually visible on Jisung's face. ‘You're a sincere and kind girl, I respect and admire that.’

‘Thank you very much,’ she replied, accepting the compliment with a bow.

Felix hugged Jisung, excited, but Jisung waited to see the way Noa's eyes lit up when Abril translated her and Lucas what she had just spoken to his brother in his own language. He liked Noa. He liked the way the corners of her eyes crinkled when she smiled, and the soft curve of her arms when she held them close to her body. He liked the tendency she had to rotate her knees and wrists from time to time, or the mischievous turn her smile took when you least expected it. And he liked knowing that there were still a lot of details about her to discover.

Lucas whistled, drawing everyone's attention, and said, ‘I'm guessing the manager's going to need three more NDAs.’

Jisung turned, and saw three more people approaching. He assumed they were more of Noa's friends, and she confirmed it as soon as she noticed Jisung's questioning glance at her. One of the girls was undoubtedly Lucas' twin, with blonde hair falling down her back and the same grin. The only boy, also blond, had tattooed arms, and was pacing a step behind them, lost in thought. The other girl, approaching with a phone in her hand, and the terrifying look of an angry mother, was a Latina in a pretty sundress. And she was the first to open her mouth.

‘Oh, you must be so full of yourselves!’ she exclaimed, in Spanish, not realising that there were more people with them. ‘Get off the Stunt, disappear and then give no sign of life! I don't know what you want the phone for! You always have it in your hand but you never use it when you actually have to use it!’

The blond boy at her back cleared his throat slyly, and the soft noise seemed to snap the angry Latina out of her mindset. She interrupted herself, almost swallowing all the words she had been about to blurt out, and looked up at Jisung, her gaze softening instantly and curving her lips in a welcoming gesture.

‘Sorry, I didn't see you.’

‘In English, Nea.’ pointed out Lucas, voice still, knowing when to goof off, picking his battles wisely.

‘Oh, in English then,’ she repeated, switching languages. ‘Sorry about the show. It's just that they disappeared and we couldn't find them.’

‘That's all right,’ Chan pronounced, before anyone could say anything.

‘Who... are you guys?’ she asked, and Jisung knew the mom attitude wasn't a facade, because all her friends seemed to gather around her like chicks chasing their mama duck.

‘Jisung,’ Noa began, ‘the boy Abril met yesterday, sat next to me in the Stunt because they were uneven. Chan and Felix, along with him, part of a Kpop group, and Jaehyun,’ she paused looking at Jisung's brother, waiting for his approval so she knew she had pronounced it right, ‘is his manager. And Sung's older brother.’

‘Oh,’ said the blonde girl, still sheltering next to her twin brother, ‘welcome to Spain.’

‘She is Isabel,’ introduced the Latina, stepping forward and indicating with her hand the names of the newcomers, 'my name is Atenea, and this is Miguel.’ The tattooed boy waved his fingers in greeting, then folded his arms and stood behind Atenea, as she clapped her hands in the air. ‘I'm sure you'll have time to memorise them all. Any friend of my girls is a friend of ours, and that means you are already part of the group. I assume you've invited them to show them around town, right?’

Noa nodded, and Atenea smiled softly at her.

‘I can take care of talking paperwork with the manager while you tell them about the twins' birthday plans, in case they want to join,’ she told Noa, and Jisung smiled when he saw her and Abril give each other a sneaky high-five. If their group dynamic was even the slightest bit like theirs, he knew his older brother and Chan would consider her an equal. She was the force keeping all her menaces in check.

‘I know a food stand that is perfect to grab something to get over the Stunt Fall impression,’ Lucas said, starting to walk, Abril after him, and waited for Noa and Jisung to follow. ‘Your friend Felix is still a little pale.’

Jisung smiled, knowing that his sunshine twin would appreciate a sweet drink to recover from the faint, and also the nice detail from the Spaniard. He took a quick glance back, checking that Chan had found a spot next to Atenea, and that Jae was trying to communicate with Miguel ーit seemed that neither of them knew much English. Felix, who was indeed still a bit pale, had approached Isabel, who had fallen a bit behind, and had just whispered, ‘Happy birthday.’

He could get used to it.

© stayconnecteed 2024 ★ do not copy, translate, repost or share this work as yours on other platforms ! consider leaving a comment or reblogging.

[ricciardosheart]

Starry Serenade on the Riviera - cl16

pairings: Charles Leclerc X female (gf! reader)

Charles, with a sparkle in his eyes, entered their home holding a bouquet of (Y/N)'s favorite flowers. The room seemed to brighten as he approached her, a playful grin dancing on his lips. "Hey there, beautiful," he whispered, presenting the flowers.

The Mediterranean sunbathed Monaco in a warm embrace as (Y/N) nestled into the comforts of their shared home. The gentle hum of the waves drifted through the open windows, providing a harmonious soundtrack to her peaceful afternoon. Little did she know, Charles Leclerc, the Formula 1 sensation and her adoring boyfriend, was orchestrating a surprise that would transform this ordinary day into an enchanting tale.

A gasp of delight escaped (Y/N)'s lips as she accepted the bouquet. "Charles! What's all this?"

"I thought we could use a little break," he revealed, his voice laced with excitement. "How about a special date on a yacht?"

Her eyes widened with anticipation. "A yacht? Seriously?"

Charles nodded, the mischievous glint in his eyes intensifying. "I thought we could spend the day cruising along the French Riviera, just you and me."

A radiant smile adorned (Y/N)'s face. "That sounds amazing!"

The next scene unfolded on the deck of a sleek yacht, elegantly cutting through the azure waters of the Mediterranean. The sun played hide-and-seek with the clouds, casting a golden glow that danced on the waves. The couple stepped aboard, greeted warmly by the captain, who saluted Charles with a knowing smile.

The yacht set sail, leaving the coastline of Monaco behind. Charles and (Y/N) found themselves alone, surrounded by the vast expanse of the sea. The air was imbued with a sense of adventure and romance as the yacht gracefully sailed along the French Riviera.

On the deck, a table awaited them, adorned with fine linens, silverware, and crystal glasses. A private chef, part of Charles's meticulous plan, stood ready to craft a culinary masterpiece. The couple indulged in a feast of fresh seafood, delicate flavors dancing on their palates, while the sea breeze carried the scent of the ocean.

As the day unfolded, the sun began its descent, painting the sky in hues of pink and gold. Charles and (Y/N) settled into plush lounge chairs on the yacht's deck, wrapped in blankets against the cooling breeze. The sky transformed into a breathtaking canvas of colors, a testament to nature's artistry.

Charles, ever the thoughtful planner, produced a tablet for a private movie screening. The yacht became their own floating cinema, surrounded by the tranquil sounds of the sea. Laughter and the soft murmur of waves intertwined as they enjoyed their favorite film, the screen competing with the mesmerizing spectacle of the sunset.

The atmosphere was nothing short of magical as the yacht sailed through the twilight waters. The couple, lost in the beauty of the moment, reveled in the serenity of the French Riviera at dusk.

With the movie credits rolling, Charles suggested a change of scenery. "How about lying down to enjoy the stars?" he proposed, a gleam of excitement in his eyes. They found a cozy spot on the yacht's deck, blankets pulled tight around them, and looked up at the night sky.

The stars above sparkled like diamonds, casting a celestial glow over the couple. Charles pointed out constellations, weaving stories in the night sky. (Y/N)'s heart swelled with gratitude for the extraordinary day and the extraordinary man beside her.

"I've never experienced anything like this," she confessed, her eyes reflecting the luminous beauty around them.

Charles, his gaze fixed on the twinkling stars, replied, "There's nothing more special than sharing moments like these with you."

Under the cosmic embrace of the French Riviera's night, Charles and (Y/N) lay hand in hand, creating memories that transcended time. The yacht sailed on, leaving a trail of stardust on the Mediterranean, etching their love story into the fabric of the universe.

[alicerovai]

I don’t know how many of you here are familiar with Disney ducks - maybe some of you know I’ve been drawing them as human beings for a while - but I *have* to share this absolute GEM with you all ‘cause this is a trailer for a fucking MOVIE based on my own character designs CAN YOU BELIEVE IT BECAUSE I STILL CANT. My french friends are doing an AMAZING job and we’re SO near to see it ready to be lunched!!! They’re now launching a crowdfunding to find the money to FINISH it and OMG please just watch this trailer IM IN LOVE WITH IT!!! 😭😭💕💕

Link to the crowdfunding here if you want to support it: https://www.kisskissbankbank.com/en/projects/retour-a-la-case-memoire-le-live-action-sur-picsou-donald-cie 👇👇👇

[voltaspistol]

Hey everyone, it's your friendly neighborhood gold star mental patient here with secondhand therapist advice.

For those of us with a lot of anxiety who tend to get "stuck" trying to take in ALL of the information because your brain is desperately looking for the "AHA!" moment that will make the brain gremlins go away?

That information ain't out there as of the evening of November 6th.

At least not yet.

And if your brain is operating in crisis mode, you will be tempted to say and do things that might hamper rather than help.

Now might be a good time to look through your game and movie backlog to find a title that will help you "come up for air", so to speak. Something that will allow your brain to stop making cortisol & adrenaline, because right now? Your ego is basically doing that I Love Lucy bit where she works in a chocolate factory. That shit is not good for your brain, not good for your body, not good for whatever we have left that passes for a soul.

It doesn't free you from the obligation of getting involved in your community.

It just gives your brain some time to process some things in the back of your mind while your conscious mind takes a break. Here's some suggestions to start: ✅ Lord of the Rings (Not the recent show, the ones from the early 2000s) - The obvious choice which I think a lot of people will be gravitating towards on their own. ✅ Tank Girl (Movie, 1995)- If you need your story of overthrowing tyranny to be filled with swear words, sexual innuendo, and high levels of camp along with a decent 90s soundtrack, this might get you pumped enough to organize. ✅ Amelie (Movie, 2001) - A comfort watch if you feel alone and isolated. If you are too scared or too shy to run headlong into a formal political action group, this french film documents how small, creative acts of kindness and justice can make the world just a little bit better. It will renew your faith in humanity a bit. ✅ Disco Elysium (video game 2019) - A sprawling choose-your-own adventure set in a post-war capitalist dystopia alternate reality. Soothing for those of us who have made apology tours after losing our shit, illuminating for those of us who struggle with intrusive thoughts, and compelling for everyone who likes those stories where reality and unreality are a bit wobbly and elements of the fantastical seep through in unexpected ways. It doesn't have much to do with current events, but maybe that's what you need right now. ✅ Hades (game, 2020) - A game all about being stuck in hell, and fighting to get out, and although you get help from allies along the way, you're the one who has to do the dirty work. If you need some lessons on resilience and a compelling story besides with lots of interesting characters (including non-cis romance options!) and you want to get revenge on an oppressive father figure, try it on for size. ✅ Superliminal (2020) - If you need a high-end creative physics-based puzzle game that is light on story and operates on dream logic that relies heavily on linear perception just to distract you? This one is short but will have you distracted long enough to let your brain breathe a bit. ✅ The Room (2014) - For low-end systems and mobile devices, this is basically an elaborate digital puzzlebox, like one of those fancy desks with lots of hidden drawers. Atmospheric but not scary.

Also, don't discount the obvious ones: Cat videos, re-watching beloved old shows, guilty pleasure music etc.

You are not helping anyone, not even yourself, by doomscrolling until something goes --SNAP!-- in your brain.

Come up for air, give your brain metabolize the nasties, and THEN you will be able to strategize. Though for obvious reasons, now is not a good time to go back to old addictions like World of Warcraft. The idea is to take a break, NOT to drown in old waters. This list is not comprehensive, obviously, please add your own in reblogs

[kustas]

Do you have reccs for "ugly" art (manga, comics, movie, etc.)? Thanks for the Tekkon recs btw I really liked it

That really depends on your own personal media landscape and what your definition of "ugly" is! As a random example, I've seen many people call ONE's art ugly because of the wobbly linework when I think it's lovely. Ugly could also mean something a bit shocking/crass in its themes. Etc, etc... I'm going to go with the definition of "something that's a bit jarring to look at or go through" here :)

Disclaimer: a lot of these tackle sensitive topics, sometimes for fun and not always tastefully. If there's themes you really can't handle in media, do your research before looking into them.

Manga

I keep recommending yes because it rules but Dorohedoro and its scratchy messy art and gore galore. talking about the manga exclusively here the anime is too polished for my taste

God's Child (Kami no Kodomo): tbh this one is for the art only I hated the writing. very gruesome & unique looking short story

I hesitate to recommend this one because it's edgy as hell but I shan't lie I had a lot of fun with Hellsing. it's "bad" in the same areas as something like berserk but unlike that one it does not take itself seriously

if you liked Tekkon i strongly suggest trying out more stuff by its author (saying this with immense biais). the most ugly/messy thing i've read of his, which isn't a lot because i find his work very delicate, is No. 5 which i would less describe as "good" than "very compelling to me". i also recommend this wonderful essay tearing it down

Comics (non JP)

FLEEP: a short story about a man who wakes up in a phone cabin seemingly encased in concrete. one of the comics i always recommend for its length and storytelling. (link leads to the artist's website where you can read it for free!)

The Astonishing Exploits Of Lucien Brindavoine: a young artist gets drafted in the first world war and goes through a series of almost supernatural adventures. beyond the adventure book aspect, a harsh criticism of nationalism/patriotism that's still awfully relevant

Animation

Ruben Brandt: Collector: a psychiatrist suffers from strange art related nightmares ruining his life. his clients, a bunch of high profile criminals, decide to help him fight off his demons by organizing one long vacation where they steal every painting involved. extremely unique visually, a fun heist movie with thriller elements.

Junk Head: goofy post apocalyptic movie about a man on a quest to save, who keeps losing sight his goal because cartoony violence episodes have his head tumble into new lows, literally. this is, perhaps, one of my favorite animated films ever, it's earnest and fun and lovingly crafted. very unique of a watch

The Apostle: freshly escaped from prison, a thief is on a mission to find treasure hidden by his old cellmate, and finds himself stuck in an ancient village who's strange looking elderly inhabitants are way too insistent on his stay. classic spooky folktale with its millennial curses and foreboding warnings, it's also a nice peek into the culture of Galicia and old world medieval weirdass catholicism. you can buy a DVD on their website

MKFZ: dumb as hell high adrenaline animated B movie with excellent animation. there's a plot about alien living undercover in fantasy california but you don't watch this kind of film for the plot. fair warning this is adapted from a french comic so of course, it's crass and racist

Blow to the Head - Lightning bolt: awesome music video (YT link)(warning for flashing/strobing lights if you're sensitive to that!)

Canon Fodder: from the Memories omnibus film. little slice of the life of a fantasy war obsessed industrial nation

with its new movie on the horizon, it's a great time to get into Mononoke, despite traditionally pretty visuals its got a unique style and gets pretty offputting

Live action cinema

7:35 in the morning: short film about the fear in improvised musical numbers where you don't expect any. it's on youtube in bad quality

The Draughtsman's Contract: an artist is hired by a Lady to draw several vistas of her house, in exchange for money, good drawing condition, and the Lady. follows a good hour of cunts in powdery wigs being awful to each other for their own gain. if you're into dark humor it's a good test, otherwise it has a really satisfying murder mystery to follow too.

Three Kings: during the gulf war, a group of US soldiers decide to steal Hussein's gold for themselves under the mighty standard of kuwait's loot repatriation. extremely caustic take on good ol murican international politics. i was shocked at how far it goes and it's express, low budget treatment which i did not expect from a hollywood film. the movie tires itself fast and becomes less good in its second half but the it's opening acts are interesting

Delicatessen: a sliver of humanity survives in an old timey stone building in the middle of nothingness on top of a functional butcher's shop. gossip follows the arrival of a new roommate. how does one even maintain a butchery in a no man's land? weird film with a unique(ly goofy) take on the post apocalyptic genre

Other

For traditional artists, I like the works of Beksinski (<3), Schiele, Giger. For modern artists Oleg Vdovenko (heavy gore warning for that one), Jeff Simpson

I'm less a fan of the MV and live performances they got infamous for than their music proper but I really like the band Cardiacs, who's judged by many of my friends to be extremely hard to get into lol.

[christian-oc-tournament]

Please vote based on the picture AND the description!

Andre Caron [Swashbucklers of the Magic Kingdom @apieters] - Disney OC

Andre Caron is a swashbuckling young man from the French District of the Magic Kingdom (The Magic Kingdom is basically the world of "The House of Mouse"--all the Disney movies are just that--movies--and the characters have lives outside their movies, although those movies tend to be "fantastic retellings of real-life events" and there is something magical about those Storybooks from the older films...). He is the best friend of the swashbuckling tyrannosaur Chris Carnovo, and together the two of them are the fight choreographers of most of the Disney movies we all know and love ("Peter Pan" was their big break). As a kid, Andre always wanted to be a Knight of the Magic Kingdom, one of the highest honors for valor that could only be won by risking one's life in service of the Royalty of the Magic Kingdom or in the service of a sufficiently large number of people. As an adult, Andre is prone to brooding and melancholy, haunted by his memories of the great civil war known as the Reign of Terror and its leader, Tristan L'Hermite the Black Knight. He is often emotionally cold or short-tempered, prone to biting sarcasm and even fits of rage, yet when the chips are down he will always follow his best friend, Chris Carnovo, off on his galivanting adventures. The two of them complement each others' weaknesses with their strengths. If Chris is impetuous and rash in his zeal to go on an adventure and help his friends, Andre is more strategic and usually has a contingency plan to get his friend and himself out of trouble. Chris, in turn, is Andre's emotional rock, tempering the young man's irritability and sometimes even calling forth the battered remains of Andre's instincts to be a Knight. Andre is ultimately driven by a deep sense of chivalric loyalty to certain people. Chris is one. His childhood friend, Princess Cinderella, is another. The cathedral of Notre Dame and those who dwell within (the Archdeacon and Quasimodo) hold a special place in his heart as a devout Catholic. But perhaps his greatest sense of loyalty is reserved for Queen Sarabi and her family. At the very end of the Reign of Terror, Sarabi--then pregnant with Simba--was about to be killed by Tristan L'Hermite on the steps of the altar of Notre Dame cathedral, when Andre saved her life. The two of them were the only witnesses to the death of Tristan L'Hermite and the end of the Reign of Terror, and on that night Andre swore an oath of loyalty to Queen Sarabi, to her unborn cub Simba, and his lineage. That oath will drive much of his actions in the events of the present day...

Anwedd [Songs of the Fallen @ethanjhake]

A lonely ghost trapped between life and death, she’s been haunting Ryphl, the only person able to see her, since he was discharged from the Children's War.

[frozen10fanzine]

Frozen Through the Years

Yearly Spotlight: 2022

Written by @secretsofthestorymakers

In 2022, some further expansion of the Frozen franchise came through other Disney properties.

Frozen characters were included in the story of Disney Mirrorverse, an alternate universe/crossover role playing game featuring many Disney and Pixar characters. In July, the Disney Wish cruise ship sailed for the first time, featuring Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure. This immersive character dining experience brings guests into the world of Frozen with a royal dinner to celebrate Anna and Kristoff’s engagement.

In books, 2022 brought new editions of both La Bibliothéque Rose series and the Histoires d’Arendelle books, two series of fairly short stories written in French. In July, Polar Nights - a chapter book set after Frozen II - was released. It explores the story of one particular myth in Arendelle and what happens when the past comes back to haunt Elsa and Anna.

As it had been several years since the release of Frozen II, and as the 10th anniversary of the original film was approaching, fans wondered what could be next for the franchise.

Stay Tuned for More

👆🏻 Click above if you want to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Frozen. The due date is April 12, 2024.

We look forward to seeing your memories ❄️

[boghermit]

Pointing Out the Historical Inaccuracies (and Some Accuracies) of Ridley Scott's Napoleon 🤓

The only interesting parts of this film are the costumes, and maybe one or two music tracks. The rest of the movie is just awful. The story can hardly be called a story. It's just miscellaneous boring scenes duct taped together. None of the characters are developed beyond a single trait, if that. A period this broad shouldn't have been crammed into a movie this short. I honestly wouldn't have disliked the historical inaccuracy so much if it had been sacrificed for the sake of a good narrative, but this is bad. Even if you don't know about the era enough to nitpick it, I wouldn't recommend this film to anyone.

TL;DR go watch Waterloo or The Duelists instead.

Accurate Historical Details

There were some minor details that made me perk up like, "Ah, yes! It did happen like that!" The rest of the movie is so inaccurate that these details stuck out.

Napoleon tugged on peoples' ears as a sign of affection. You see this in the movie with Tallyrand and Josephine. He also did this a lot with his soldiers, which we don't see in the film. In fact, he doesn't interact with his soldiers much at all in the film.

The French fired a 101-cannon salute after Napoleon's first son was born.

Napoleon famously bumbled at the Coup of 18 Brumoire, and his brother Lucien had to step in to direct the French grenadiers.

It's contested whether or not Robespierre actually shot himself in the jaw, but I think at this point it's mostly accepted as truth? In any case, someone screwed up his jaw before he was arrested.

The British loved publishing political cartoons about Napoleon, including cartoons of him being cucked.

Joséphine did actually meet Tsar Alexander shortly before her death. I didn't know about this one and was happy to learn something new.

The depictions of line and square formations were okay.

Historical Inaccuracies

This is, in spite of its budget, one of most historically inaccurate pieces of media I've seen on the era, and on top of that it isn't even good.

There is so much historical context omitted from this film that I feel like anyone who doesn't have an interest in the time period will have NO idea what's going on. You are never really given the how and why of history other than "the Europeans are fighting and also Napoleon is there."

The overall characterization of Napoleon is just bizarre. Napoleon was smart, egotistical, ambitious, hot-tempered, and had a magnetic charisma and human charm that inspired a kind of blind loyalty in his soldiers. This is why he was so successful - and so dangerous. Napoleon never feels threatening or sinister in this film. He's just kind of there, slouching and sweating and mumbling under his breath as history unfolds. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure does a better job of depicting Napoleon than whatever the hell is going on here.

Napoleon was not present at the beheading of Marie-Antoinette.

He didn't have his horse shot out from under him at Toulon, and he didn't send gore-spattered cannonballs to his mother, as far as I know.

The movie casts a younger actress to play Joséphine de Beauharnais, but Joséphine was actually older than Napoleon.

I'm pretty sure that Napoleon didn't find and return the sword of Joséphine's ex-husband, although there is a legend stating that he attempted to confiscate it and was persuaded by Joséphine's son to return it.

The French army never shot their cannons at the Pyramids in Egypt. They also didn't loot the Pyramids, although they participated in a lot of heinous looting elsewhere.

Napoleon didn't leave Egypt because he found out he was being cucked by his wife - he'd already known about that for some time. He left Egypt because the campaign was failing and because the political situation in France was becoming untenable.

Jacques-Louis David attended the coronation of Napoleon, but didn't start his studies for the painting during the coronation itself. (At least as far as I know.)

The lake scene during the Battle of Austerlitz is a bit of a legend, but probably not true. The gigantic lake was more likely a series of shallow ponds, if it existed at all.

Napoleon did not lead cavalry charges, and he sure as shit didn't lead cavalry charges at the Battles of Borodino or Waterloo. In fact, Napoleon infamously sat a safe distance away while watching the bloody Battle of Borodino unfold.

Napoleon was not exiled following the Russian campaign. He was exiled after the War of the Sixth Coalition, in 1814.

Joséphine died in 1814, when Napoleon was still at Elba, not in 1815.

Trench warfare and scoped muskets were not used at the Battle of Waterloo.

Napoleon never met the Duke of Wellington.

That's uh. The cut version of my complaints.

[rosequart]

animation is cinema: a primer

there's been recent discussion about animation and how it should be treated as "real" cinema and "real" art for all ages—which is true! but these social media conversations typically only touch on already popular animated films in the U.S.

i've briefly listed what i consider the best international animated films of the past 10 years as a "primer" for people who want to get into more animated movies around the world, beyond well-known directors like miyazki and moore.

there's enough variety in art direction and plot that there's something for everyone: family friendly, war dramas, romantic comedies, horror. anyone is free to add their own recommendations in the reblogs. movies are good! watch them!

boy and the world (o menino e o mundo, 2013)

adventure/family. a boy leaves his small brazilian village and discovers the industrialized city. uses collage alongside traditional animation to tell a story about globalization and capitalism that children can understand. PG.

flee (flugt, 2021)

documentary. follows a boy's escape from afghanistan to denmark, incorporating archival film footage of the time. balances the realities of war and immigration with pockets of levity and warmth. PG-13: warnings for war, human trafficking, implied sexual violence.

josep (2020)

history/drama. a dying military policeman remembers his encounter with catalan artist josep bartolí in a french concentration camp after the spanish civil war. changes art styles depending on the time period. not rated: warnings for war, sexual violence.

loving vincent (2017)

history/drama/mystery. a man retraces vincent van gogh's steps before his death. some truly beautiful art direction, each frame an oil painting. PG-13.

marona's fantastic tale (l'extraordinaire voyage de marona, 2019)

drama/family. follows the life of a little dog and the various people she meets. an eclectic and mesmerizing animation style, paired with a great original score. not rated: warning for animal death.

night is short, walk on girl (夜は短し歩けよ乙女, 2017)

comedy/romance. a college sophomore goes on a series of surreal encounters with the local nightlife, all the while unaware of the romantic longings of her classmate. a unique, simple art style that gets increasingly surreal as the story progresses. PG-13.

the tale of the princess kaguya (かぐや姫の物語, 2013)

drama/historical fantasy. based on the 9th century folktale where an old bamboo cutter discovers a little girl in a stalk of bamboo. beautiful use of watercolor, limited backgrounds, and simple ink strokes to complement a devastating story. PG.

the wolf house (la casa lobo, 2018)

horror/fantasy. a young woman takes refuge in a house in southern chile after escaping from colonia dignidad. surreal use of stop-motion animation that utilizes an entire house: painted walls, moving furniture, paper mâché, and more. not rated: warnings for body horror, general horror elements.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Friday, September 13th

XANDER: No, it's just... this Malcolm guy? What's his deal? I mean, tell me you're not slightly wigged. BUFFY: Okay, slightly. I mean, just not knowing what he's really like. XANDER: Or who he really is. I mean, sure he says he's a high school student, but I can say I'm a high school student. BUFFY: You are. XANDER: Okay, but I can also say that I'm an elderly Dutch woman. Get me? I mean, who's to say I'm not if I'm in the elderly Dutch chat room?

~~I, Robot... You, Jane~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

cherry lipgloss by sapphistically (Buffy/reader, not rated)

Oblation by The_Crazy_Knight (Buffy/Giles, E)

[Chaptered Fiction]

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Shadowed Suspicion, Chapter 341 by madimpossibledreamer (Ensemble, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure crossover, T)

Don't Swerve, Chapter 9 by thisyearsgrrl (Buffy/Faith, E)

My (love) Kill, Chapter 3 by witchywriter3 (Buffy/Spike, G)

Book Stew! Chapter 5 by MGAllan (Michael (from Gingerbread)/Lance (from The Pack), G)

After Life, Chapter 5 by Alwaysandforevermylove (Buffy/Faith, E)

A-Z of Sex, Chapter 1 by KatyAmberAuthor (Buffy/Giles, E)

Soul Mate Magic, Chapter Three by emma-m-black (Giles/OC, 18+)

Out of this World, love..., Chapters 7-8 by Miss Kitty (PG-13, in French)

The Neighbor's Point of View, Chapter 130 by the_big_bad (Buffy/Spike, PG)

Little Light, Chapter 7 by Melme1325 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Way Beyond Chaos, Chapter 1 by Girlytek (Buffy/Spike, R)

Wallflower, Chapter 24 (complete!) by Girlytek (Buffy/Spike, R)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Manip: MerMade For You by Claire (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Lego: my custom Lego Buffy the Vampire Slayer by buzzlymuzz

Artwork: Collage #160 by thedecadentraven (Buffy/Spike, worksafe)

Collage: Spike by thedecadentraven (worksafe)

Gifset: Buffy/Cordelia by lovebvffys (worksafe)

Fanvid: Andrew Wells | Puppet Boy [slight flash warning] by homoeroticvillain

Fanvid: Spike/Buffy - The Albatross by DarkEleni

Fanvid: Andrew Wells | Puppet Boy [slight flash warning] by homoeroticvillain

Fanvid: Don't Stop Me Now [BTVS Season 6 BLOOPER REEL] by Aurora Edits

Fanvid: Buffyverse by juliaroxs241

Fanvid: willow and tara | i know the end by editsbysarahx

Fanvid: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2 Opening Credits (Charmed Style) by Rotten Lemonade

Fanvid: Buffy and Spike - Are You That Somebody By Aaliyah by Naki-a Littlejohn

Fanvid: Buffy and Spike - Bang Bang By Ariana Grande by Naki-a Littlejohn

Vidlet: hello kitty | buffy summers | mep part by DreamingWithDragons

Vidlet: Buffy summers || legends never die || by CaptainSwann

Vidlet (untitled) by cupcakexmeow (Buffy/Spike, Buffy/Angel)

Music: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER THEME SONG / ‪by JETT Fighter Drumming‬ (age 12 )

Acting: Anya's Monologue by Skyler Brown

Song: Something to Sing About - Singing - by Sparkly Rainbow Kaz

Song: Rest In Peace - Spike - Once More, With Feeling - Buffy - Singing by Sparkly Rainbow Kaz

[Reviews & Recaps]

Video: Top Grumps - Buffy The Vampire Slayer by Nerdy Up North

Video: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 4: Episode 7 - The Initiative by The Cheshire Kiwi

Video: Our Love of Buffy The Vampire Slayer PART 1 by It Crept From The 80s

Video: Buffy 2.15 Phases by Jen Katz and Ryan Something

Video: Buffy Vs Charmed | An Observation of Unnecessary Comparison by They Call Me MR. G

Video: Buffy S02E22 "Becoming (Part 2)" Spoiler Review by LGRN - Entertainment

Video: Sleeper-Slayer Sunday by Jane Talks Buffy

Podcast: Showtime S7 E11 Buffy and the Art of Story by Lisa M. Lilly

Podcast: BwB 609 - Point Insertion [Smashed] by Beer With Buffy

Podcast: Tales of Music and Film Season 8 Episode 8 Buffy The Vampire Slayer Take Two by Tales of Music and Film Hosted By Christian Taylor

Podcast: Tales of Music and Film Season 8 Episode 9 Angel by Tales of Music and Film Hosted By Christian Taylor

Podcast: The Quintessential Buffy The Vampire Slayer by Sure Look Sure Listen Podcast

[Search & Recs]

Fic search: Actor spike fic lost by YummyCookies333

Vid rec: Anya Jenkins | Why? [Character Study.] by HostilePoet17 recced by IceStorm22

Fic rec: The Devil's Elegy (Buffy/Angel, M) by coalitiongirl recced by I Will Remember You Marathon

Fic recs: favourite Spuffy recs by userttpd

Vid rec: Charles Gunn - The Loss and Recuperation of the Self by Honeycutt Videos recced by umbralsong

[Community Announcements]

Buffybot and Gilesbot, sitting in a tree… by Buffyverse Kinkmeme

[Fandom Discussions]

Buffy saying “I just wish my mom was here” really falls flat by canary-prince

Rewatch thoughts and questions [Shells, Underneath] continued by multiple posters

Two comics artists who've worked with Joss have died this week by Skippcomet

What happened to the parents in Buffy? continued by multiple posters

Podcast : "Alyson Hannigan Reveals Her #1 Hidden Theory About Me" by Klaus Kartoffel

Spikes justification for not reuniting with Buffy from the episode Harms Way by wtffu006

If I were her relatives, I’d request a refund from the funeral home by Jade_Pratt953

Anyone else believe that the police/coroner/hospitals knew about the undead Americans? by CountChocoula

What is your favourite single scene in the Buffyverse… by tommywest_123

Which ep would you choose [to watch for 24 hours straight]? by No-Jaguar8044

On S2 - watching for the first time and loving it! Will it continue with this quality? by RedRxbin

So I watched a theatre show called Buffy Revamped by CaptainZir0

Your Own Buffy The Vampire Slayer Episode Concept? by Big-Restaurant-2766

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

Video: Buffy The Vampire Slayer | Full Q&A | For The Love Of Fantasy (London) 2024 by Monopoly Events

Video: Anthony Stewart Head interview, Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Regis and Kathy Lee (with Tom Arnold) by Cleverkio

Video: Episode 364: Interview With Julie Benz by Don't Go Out There Podcast

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

[pastamansta]

A List of Stop-Motion Feature-Length Films You Probably Haven't Tried.

If you’re anything like me, stop-motion animation is something that you’re sick of hearing about, because it’s always the same fucking recommendations. I took the time to browse over Wikipedia’s “List of stop-motion films” and do what I could to create a list of stop-motion feature-length films that might be worth a watch and that you haven’t constantly heard animation brats cream themselves over. Obviously, this list is not perfect, it’s mostly based off of the films I was able to find generally high reviews for on Letterboxd, but this list will contain nothing from Aardman, nothing from Laika, nothing from Wes Anderson, Tim Burton, or Henry Selick, but will contain at least a handful of things you haven't heard constant chatter about. These films are also fully stop-motion, so nothing from Ray Harryhausen or Jan Švankmajer either. Oh, and no shorts or television, obviously.

I will go ahead and put the following eight as films that aren't as frequently referenced in "best stop-motion films of all time" articles, but will find their ways into conversations about stop-motion without much difficulty;

René Laloux's "Fantastic Planet" (1973)

Will Vinton's "The Adventures of Mark Twain" (1985)

Adam Elliot's "Mary and Max" (2009)

Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson "Anomalisa" (2015)

Claude Barras's "My Life as a Zucchini" (2016) [French]

Phil Tippett's "Mad God" (2021)

Dean Fleischer Camp's "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On" (2021)

Guillermo del Toro's "Pinocchio" (2022)

If you haven't seen those eight, I'd take care of that first. Now, we hit other stuff.

Lotte Reiniger's "The Adventures of Prince Achmed" (1926) [German]

Wladyslaw Starewicz & Irene Starewicz "The Tale of the Fox" (1937) [French]

Ivo Caprino's "The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix" (1975) [Norwegian]

Piotr Kamler's "Chronopolis" (1982) [French]

Chris Taylor & Mark Hall's "The Wind in the Willows" (1983)

Dave Borthwick's "The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb" (1993)

Stanislav M. Sokolov & Derek W. Hayes's "The Miracle Maker" (2000)

Christiane Cegavske's "Blood Tea and Red String" (2006)

Jan Balej's "One Night in One City" (2007) [Czech]

Stéphane Aubier & Vincent Patar's "A Town Called Panic" (2009) [French]

Fernando Cortizo's "The Apostle" (2012) [Spanish]

Chris Sullivan's "Consuming Spirits" (2012)

Paul Cowan & Amer Shomali "The Wanted 18" (2014)

Jan Balej's "Little from the Fish Shop" (2015) [Czech]

Takahide Hori's "Junk Head" (2017) [Japanese]

Michael Mort's "Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires" (2018)

Cristóbal León & Joaquín Cociña's "The Wolf House" (2018) [Spanish]

Paloma Baeza Niki, Lindroth von Bahr, Emma De Swaef, & Marc James Roels's "The House" (2022)

That's what I've got for the time being. If you can recommend a feature-length, majority stop-motion film that's not Aardman, Laika, Wes, Burton, or Selick, I'd be more than happy to look it over and see about adding it to the list. Enjoy.

[suchamiracle-does-exist]

Dear @faisonsunreve thanks for the tag. This was definitely a time taking task but so much fun to do. A true time travel to your watching history. To my surprise there are three French films and three Tom Hanks films included. 😄

A few comments about certain choices.

Favorite film of all time: The Thief of Bagdad (1940): The jewel of the film is Conrad Veidt’s insane Jaffar dressed up with the turban.

Best script: Some Like It Hot (1959): The story about two antihero musicians trying to make a living and avoiding gangsters by dressing as women and joining a female band and traveling to Miami is still unique to watch.

Favorite poster: The Empire Strikes Back (1980): Memories from the childhood. Darth Vader’s perhaps a little too epic posture promises you an emotional adventure and that promise will be fulfilled.

"I’ll watch it some day": Napoléon (1927): @missholson and I were introduced to this 6-hour biopic of Napoleon and we were stunned by the shots of the twenty-minute triptych sequence, where widescreen panorama is made by projecting multiple-image montages simultaneously on three screens. Blu-ray is waiting on the shelf.

Big personal impact: Elvis (2022): I wasn’t prepared for the narrative where female gaze and male vulnerability are allowed and validated.

You like, but everyone hates: Angels & Demons (2009): Don’t know today’s reception but when it was released the film was heavily criticized by the critics and the audience. I like both this and The Da Vinci Code (2006), but having more convincing characters, plot and hold for the entirety makes it better than the first one.

Underrated: The Ninth Gate (1999): Polanski is a very contradictory director for his sexual abuse charges, therefore it feels shameful to admit liking his films or considering his films to be valued. Many find Gate as a dull thriller. The film doesn’t rely on jump scares or gore but the mystery around the occult books and the things you can’t see. 

"Why do I like this?": Bachelor Party (1984): This is my favourite question of them all. I discussed with @faisonsunreve about on what basis you should answer this and does it reveal your true movie taste. The 80’s crazy comedy is a silly and out-dated genre and that is why the films of this era fascinate me. Bachelor Party is full of lame humor and over-the-top characters. Yet the storyline is versatile and entertaining. Young Tom Hanks embodies the past. 

Great soundtrack: La Cage aux Folles (1978): Ennio Morricone has said first he has to understand the film, the images, the story and the director’s intentions before starting to compose. I would like to know his study for Folles, because the soundtrack has such a humorous, characteristic and warm sound. 

That cinematography: Furiant (2015): I was balancing between Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) and La double vie de Véronique (1991), but this short film stands out with the way the rural landscapes, the dimly lit rooms and the unspoken moments are visualized (and edited) by the producer, director, writer, cinematographer and editor Ondřej Hudeček.

Criminally overlooked: Angélique film series (1964-68): Yes, you could put almost any Conrad Veidt film here, however I chose this. I have been fond of Angélique films since I was a child. These spectacles tell the story of Angélique in the time of King Louis XIV of France. Romance, adventure, scheming with breathtaking soundtrack and costume design, beautiful Michèle Mercier in the leading role and the flashy way of speaking French offer us an exquisite interpretation from the 60’s. 

Favorite active director: Peter Strickland: I have seen only The Duke of Burgundy (2014) and Flux Gourmet (2022), nevertheless his style of using the aesthetics of Italian genre films and the intimacy he creates is just heartwarming.

Anyone who wants to make their own version, please do and let me know. 📼📀📦🔦

[silveragelovechild]

I’ve just rewatched “The Mysterious Island” (1961), based on a novel by French author Jules Verne. It’s set in the 1860s and tells the story of several Union soldiers who escape a Confederate prison via a hot air balloon. A fierce storm transports them to a remote and “mysterious” island in the South Pacific. There they help rescue two women, passengers of a boat that sunk in the same storm.

Things get interesting when they encounter several giant animals on the island - crabs, chickens, and even bees. All of them were achieved via the amazing effects created by Ray Harryhausen and his team. They holdup surprising well for a movie released over 60 years ago. Today, in a similar movie, the effects would be done via CGI. But Harryhausen’s stop motion effect feel so much more fresh and visceral.

The music for the film was done by Bernard Herrmann, Harryhausen’s frequent collaborator. The music is appropriately adventurous and dramatic.

The only effect that doesn’t stand the rest of time is the volcanic eruption at the climax of the film. It’s clearly a model and the lava doesn’t have the “weight” of liquid rocks.

Outdoor scenes were filmed on the Catalan coast in Spain, with indoor filming occurring in England. The overall design is pretty good, especially Captain Nemo’s ship the Nautilus.

The cast is mostly English, with three exceptions. Nemo was played by Czech actor Herbert Lom (best know for playing Inspector Dreyfus in the Pink Panther films); Gary Merrill (who divorced Bette Davis only a year earlier); and Michael Callen, a young actor popular on Broadway and films in the 1960s.

Callen is a prime example of how the perception of men has changed over the years. Callen plays the heart throb and is shirtless in most of the movie. But by today’s standard he looks incredible skinny with no muscle tone.

I particularly like Michael Craig who played the castaways leader. I thought I’d seen him in some old TV westerns but nearly all of his credits are British.

The two women are played by Joan Greenwood as Lady Fairchild and Beth Rogan as her niece Elena. Greenwood has a very artificial sounding voice and I thought her dialogue may have been dubbed over by another actress (it wasn’t). About half way into the movie, Rogan switches from a long dress with petticoats into a very small and revealing leather tunic. It’s so short that her underpants are frequently revealed as she runs across the beach.

I saw “The Mysterious Island” via TUBI, a free streaming service. There were occasional commercial but not as intrusive as broadcast TV.

[fibula-rasa]

Favorite New-to-me Films—April ‘24

(listed in order pictured above, L to R)

READ on BELOW the JUMP!

They Came to a City (1944)

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In a thought experiment about post-war Britain brought to life, nine strangers from different backgrounds are spirited away to get a glimpse at a socialist utopian civilization. Their reactions are, as expected, varied.

A film adaptation of the J.B. Priestley play of the same name, They Came to a City isn’t thoroughly translated into something cinematic. The sets are visually interesting, but the film never escapes stagey-ness. Regardless, it’s an interesting film worth watching for its candor on social/political attitudes in Britain in the 1940s and the great character writing and acting. (BTW, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Googie Withers give a performance that’s any less than stellar.)

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Love in the City / L’amore in città (1954)

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This Italian documentary anthology dives into love, in many forms, in the city of Rome. Six directors each give an angle on life in the city. Carlo Lizzani provides a portrait of the lives of sex workers. Michelangelo Antonioni profiles women who attempted suicide over love gone wrong. Dino Risi captures a fleeting glimpse of dance hall life. Federico Fellini goes farcical, recounting a story of a “werewolf” applying to a marriage agency. Francesco Maselli and Cesare Zavattini share a sympathetic narrative of a mother who abandoned her baby. Alberto Lattuada provides a satirical look at men ogling (and harassing) women on the street. 

As with all anthologies, the quality varies. Fellini’s segment was unsurprisingly my favorite (the same happened with Spirits of the Dead (1968)). I also deeply appreciated Antonioni’s tackling of such a sensitive topic and Maselli and Zavattini’s attempt to give a more humane spin on Caterina Rigoglioso’s story.

(If you live in the US, the film might be free to watch on kanopy with your library card!)

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Two Monks / Dos monjes (1934)

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When a new monk arrives at a monastery, he is unexpectedly attacked by another monk with a large crucifix. The other monks try to get to the bottom of this insane and seemingly random act of violence and uncover a tragic story of romantic rivals.

Stylistically, Dos monjes doesn’t completely live up to the outstanding gothic-expressionist monastery scenes—the bulk of the film recounting the monks’ past is shot and constructed less adventurously. However, I do think that the execution of a single story told from two different perspectives was strong.

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Scenes of the Occupation from Gaza (1973)

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Edited together from footage shot by a French news crew, Scenes is a short documentary on the conditions in Gaza following the devastating events of 1967. While an important film historically, it is short and very specific in its subject, so I can only properly recommend it in its historical and political context. That is to say, this film might be lost on you if you aren’t already well-versed or currently educating yourself in the history of Gaza and Palestine. More information about the film can be found on the Tokyo Reels website (info in English is on pages 19-20, the rest is in Japanese and Arabic).

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Poplar Tree / Тополя (1996)

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Gorgeously stop-motion animated under the direction of Valentyna Kostylieva, Poplar Tree interprets the Taras Schevchenko poem of the same name. It’s a short story about a woman coping with lost love when those around her wish her to move on.

There is a lovely digitized copy on the Ukrainian animation channel, with no subtitles. However, an English translation of the poem is available here. If you read the poem first, you’ll be good to go!

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Night of the Seagulls / La noche de las gaviotas (1975)

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A doctor is assigned to a small, seaside village, but when he and his wife arrive, the welcome they receive is ice cold. The doctor and his wife, with the help of their assistant and an abused disabled local, uncover a tradition of sacrificing young women to an undead, demon-worshiping cult of Templar knights.

Night of the Seagulls is technically part of a series, but the films don’t have an overarching narrative, so it doesn’t matter if you’ve seen any of the other films. I have a penchant for supernatural stories that have to do with the sea, so years ago, with no context, I watched Ghost Galleon (1974). My feelings on that film were mixed, but I saw others online recommend Seagulls as the best of the series. I did like this film more, but my feelings are still mixed. A lot of the scenes with the disabled villager are rough to watch and his character on the whole could have been handled much better. The special effects makeup for the skeleton knights was fantastic. I appreciated that the doctor does not dismiss his wife’s concerns off-hand, which is atypical in this kind of story. I also liked how imminent the threat was—the demon knights are already here, so what are the outsiders supposed to do?!

Unique use of crabs.

As an aside, I was struck by how many similarities Seagulls had with the Thriller episode “A Place to Die” especially as they came out within a few months of each other!

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Hercules in the Haunted World / Ercole al centro della terra (1961)

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Hercules’ betrothed, Dianara, has been overtaken by dark forces. Her only hope is for Hercules, his best buddy Theseus, and their new friend Telemachus to travel to the underworld and capture the stone of forgetfulness. However, it’s Dianara’s own guardian, Lico, who is behind the plot.

Maybe my favorite new-to-me film I watched this month, Bava’s Hercules is a colorful nightmare and Christopher Lee is pitch perfect as the villain.

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The Sisters / Le Sorelle (1969)

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Diana, on the verge of a nervous breakdown, decides to visit her sister, Martha, at her home in the country. They haven’t seen each other in years, and we learn quickly that their relationship is extremely sordid and neither has dealt with the psychological or emotional consequences of that. It does not end well for either of them.

This was a genuinely strange movie. All things considered, I do think The Sisters would have perhaps worked a bit better/been more meaningful if they were not biological sisters but rather just grew up together (which at points I thought might actually be the case). Great execution of the awkwardness and tension around the men in the film, Martha’s husband and Diana’s suitor, and their slow realization of how profoundly messed up Diana and Martha’s past was. The film touches on so many heavy topics, I don’t freely recommend this. I didn’t even enjoy it, but it was such a unique film, I’m glad I checked it out. It’s definitely going to stick with me!

That said, The Others / Le Altre (1969), which Alessandro Fallay also worked on, I do recommend freely. That one is a sweet dramedy about a lesbian couple in Rome trying to have/raise a baby—essentially the polar opposite queer film to The Sisters.

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Slayers: The Book of Spells / スレイヤーズすぺしゃる (1996)

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Also: Slayers Excellent (1998) & Slayers: The Motion Picture (1995)

The Book of Spells is an anthology/OVA set of three adventures of Lina Inverse and Naga the Serpent, her companion and/or rival, depending on the day. In “The Scary Chimera Plan,” Lina tries to avoid getting chimerized by a crazed wizard, but gets ten extra Nagas for the trouble. In “Jeffry’s Knighthood,” Lina and Naga accept a job as bodyguards for an anemic prince with notions of becoming a knight. In “Mirror, Mirror,” Lina and Naga uncover a rogue magician’s plot to find a long-hidden magic mirror that creates mirror-image dopples of whoever gazes into it.

We watched a whole mess of Lina and Naga movies/OVAs this month. I’ve only seen some of the Slayers TV show and so only really knew about Naga via osmosis. Now, the sound of eleven Nagas laughing in unison will live forever in my nightmares.

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As always, if any of these films catch your eye, but you need specific trigger/content warnings, don’t hesitate to ask for them!

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This past month the blog quickly took on a Natacha Rambova theme.

The research I did for my closet cosplay of Rambova, raised so many questions for me about the production and release of her independently produced film, What Price Beauty? (1925), that it became the subject of my next installment of Lost, but not Forgotten.

Cosplay the Classics: Natacha Rambova

Lost, but not Forgotten: What Price Beauty? (1925)

This unplanned theming also informed what gif and still sets I made:

Salomé (1922) 

[This one I actually gif-ed for reference for my upcoming cosplay of Nazimova, which my generous supporters on ko-fi and amazon have made possible! Nazimova cosplay is coming up as the next installment of Cosplay the Classics!]

Camille (1921)

Why Change Your Wife? (1920)  

Forbidden Fruit (1921)

Twilight Q: Time Knot: Reflection (1987) 

[This one had nothing to do with Rambova BTW]

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As for this month, I hope to highlight some silent stunt spectaculars as I finish putting together the pieces for my Salomé cosplay.

Happy viewing!

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