#I have to reference check an article also by friday | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

themagnuswriters · 4 years

Text

Writing a Muslim Character

The Mods of the Magnus Writers discord server and community are putting together a variety of resources for Magnus Archives fan creators; these have been collated from articles on the topics, our own experiences, and the experiences of the members of the Magnus Writers discord. These are definitely not comprehensive or the only viewpoints out there, and are by no means meant as a way to police fanworks, but as a way to support and inspire fan creators in creating thoughtful and diverse works. Please note that external links will be added in a reblog to outsmart tumblr’s terrible tagging system, so make sure to check those out as well!

This resource in particular was put together by Mod Jasmine: hi, all!

While there are no canonically Muslim characters in TMA, Muslim headcanons are common in fanworks—particularly for Basira, and sometimes Jon (which I love to see!). I have cobbled together this post from my own experiences to help support and inform fans in these areas, and as part of my diabolical plan to get more Muslim!Basira and Muslim!Jon fics to shove into my brain.

First, two gigantic caveats:

I was raised Sunni Muslim in Egypt, which is a majority Sunni Muslim country, and still live there. This means my experience will be very different from someone raised in a majority Christian country like the UK, and different again if they are not Sunni and not Arab.

I am currently ex-Muslim. This does not mean I bear any ill will towards Islam or Muslims, just that it wasn’t for me, and I felt it was important to be upfront about that. I’ll be linking to resources by practicing Muslims in the reblog to this post, whether to add to my opinions and experiences or provide you with a different opinion. I am not here to put my voice over that of Muslims, just to do some of the work so they don’t have to. Obviously, if any Muslims have any additions or suggestions for this post, I’m happy to accommodate them.

Alright. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get started with the basics of writing a Muslim character.

(Warning: this is absurdly, absurdly long)

Basics:

Muslims follow two main sources of religious instruction: Quran and Hadith.

The Quran is the holy book, considered to be dictated by the angel Gabriel to the Prophet Mohammed, who then relayed what he was told to his followers. It is composed of surahs, or chapters, which have individual ayat, or verses. There are no varying versions of the Quran, later additions, or anything considered lost in translation. Any Arabic Quran is considered to be the same text that the Prophet Mohammed relayed, unchanged. As a result, while Muslims can debate interpretations of the Quran (although that’s often still left to the scholars), none debate the actual words of the text.

Hadith, meanwhile, are the sayings or teachings of the Prophet Mohammed. Their validity can be disputed, as they were written by his followers after his death, and mainly depend on having several witnesses for a specific saying or situation. The more witnesses there were, the more valid the hadith is considered to be.

When in doubt or should there be any contradiction between the Quran and Hadith, Muslims will always refer to the Quran first and foremost.

Denominations:

The bigggest (but not only!) divisions of Islam are Sunni and Shia, and both of those have separate madhabs, which are the separate thoughts and stances of specific Imams. When writing a Muslim character, a good first step would be to decide where your character’s family might have come from, as that could help inform which denomination your character might belong to. This will in turn inform things like the beliefs they grew up with, how they pray, their holy holidays, and so on. Obviously, all denominations fall under the bigger umbrella of Muslim, but can vary in practice.

Background:

The intersection of culture and religion affects a character beyond which denomination they likely belong to, such as whether they call prayer salah or namaz, the foods they might associate with Ramadan or Eid, and their community’s stance on things like hijab and alcohol.

One thing to keep in mind is that being Muslim is not synonymous with being Arab and vice versa. Not all Arabs are Muslim, not all Muslims are Arab or even Middle Eastern. In fact, the largest Muslim country in the world is Indonesia. That said, depending on your character’s race and backround, there is the potential they may have faced Arab elitism or other strands of racism within Muslim circles. Please see the reblog of this post for an article about one Black British Muslim woman’s experience with racism.

And, of course, your character and their family do not need to have been immigrants at all. They or their family may have been converts instead. According to most Muslim schools of thought, all that’s required for a person to be Muslim is stating the shahada in Arabic, honestly and with intent. It goes, “Ashhadu an la ilah illa Allah, wa an Mohammadan rasul Allah,” which translates as “I bear witness that there is no god but God, and that Mohammed is His prophet.” Shia Muslims, I believe, have an additional section, but otherwise that’s it. Recite that in front of witnesses with sincere belief and that’s all you need to be Muslim.

Pillars of Islam:

These are the duties or cornerstones of a Muslim’s faith and considered to be acts every Muslim should strive for. What the pillars are can, I think, differ between denominations, with Shia Muslims having additional ancillaries as well (any Shia readers, please feel free to correct me!) but both denominations agree that the following are important:

Salah—prayer

Sawm—fasting during Ramadan

Zakat—giving a certain percentage of income to charity or the community

Hajj—pilgrimage to Mecca

In all cases, these are considered mandatory only for those who are able. A person who cannot perform hajj, whether due to not being physically able to or lacking the funds to travel, is under no obligation.

Prayer:

Prayer is performed five times a day while facing the Qibla, which is the direction of Mecca. Prayer is formed of units, called rak’at, which consists of a set of actions done in a specific order. The “How to Pray Salah, Step by Step” article linked in the reblog of this post provides fairly good prayer instructions for beginners, so check it out for details! These include bowing, prostrating, and reciting some surahs.

Each of the five daily prayers has a different number of rak’at, as well as its own name and allotted time of day, as follows:

Fajr, which means Dawn and can be performed at any point until the sun rises (two rak’at).

Dhuhr, which means Noon (four rak’at)

Asr, performed in the afternoon (four rak’at)

Maghreb, which means sunset and can be performed at any point until it’s dark (three rak’at)

Isha, performed at night and can be done at any point until dawn (four rak’at)

The specific time of prayer will differ day to day and place to place, according to the sun, but those are the rough timeframes for each. It’s generally preferred that a Muslim does their prayer on time, but in practice some Muslims find it difficult to wake up for Fajr, for instance, and just try to make sure they get a morning prayer in before noon.

On Friday, there is a congregational Friday prayer at Dhuhr in a mosque called the Jumu’a prayer (which, fun fact, literally means gathering and is also the Arabic name for Friday!). Only men are required to take part in the congregation, however.

In Muslim majority countries, the time for prayer is announced by the adhaan, the call to prayer, from mosques and in media. This won’t be the case in the UK, and the character will likely have to rely on an adhaan app or looking up what time prayer should be.

There are various requirements for a prayer to be correct, chief of which is facing the Qibla and purity. Before performing prayer, a Muslim must purify themself by performing wudu, or ablutions, which basically involves washing the hands, arms, nostrils, face, head, and feet a specific number of times using clean water. The way I was taught these must be performed in a certain order, and the person shouldn’t speak during or after until their prayer is finished. This may be different for others.

Wudu is considered valid until nullified by bodily functions such as urinating, defecating, vomiting, flatulence, or any sexual activity. For Sunni Muslims, it’s also invalidated by going to sleep. If none of these have happened, a Muslim can perform more than one prayer using the same wudu.

Notably, a Muslim cannot pray if they’re on their period, as they’re considered in a state of impurity.

Another important requirement is that a Muslim be dressed modestly for prayer. The general guideline is that Muslim men should cover the area between their navel and knees with loose, non-revealing clothing, and that during prayer it’s preferred that they cover their chests as well Muslim women should cover everything except their face, hands, and feet. This means that a woman who isn’t hijabi would still wrap a hijab for prayer. For nonbinary Muslims, I don’t think there are specific guidelines yet, although please feel free to correct me.

If praying at home, a family may choose to pray together. In this case, the male head of the household usually stands at the front and acts as Imam, leading the prayer. Other men will tend to be in front of or beside women, as generally women should not pray in front of a man. This is the case even, especially, if he is not praying.

Children aren’t required to pray, as they’re considered innocent and have no obligations, but may want to take part early on or may be encouraged to practice.

Praying is one area you’ll find denominational differences. For example, while Sunnis fold their arms in prayer, Shia keep their arms to their side, and while Shia Muslims make sure their foreheads touch a piece of clay or earth when they prostrate, Sunnis do not. If you write your character praying, keep these details in mind.

Fasting:

During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from Fajr (dawn) until Maghreb (sunset) every day. This means they abstain from consuming anything—yes, even water, cigarettes, and medicine. They should also abstain from sexual activities and cursing. Most importantly, they must have the intention to be fasting. This means that not eating and drinking because they were asleep for that entire period of time or just lost track and forgot does not count as fasting.

Generally, the idea is more to try to be more pious and avoid sin throughout the month. It’s thought that the shaytan (or devil) is chained up during Ramadan, so any temptation or sinning is a person’s own doing. The way I was raised, I was taught that sawm/fasting is invalidated by sexual thoughts and raising your voice as well. Many people also try to dress more modestly during Ramadan, with some women opting for looser clothing or a headscarf. Many Muslims will try to read the whole Quran during Ramadan.

After Maghreb, Muslims break their fast with Iftar (which means breakfast, hah) and have a late night meal called Suhour. Since the Muslim calendar is a lunar calendar, Ramadan is 11 days earlier every year. Depending on when Ramadan falls in the year, there can be barely any time between iftar and suhour in certain parts of the world, as the sun is up for so much of the day.

Given the length of time and difficulty involved, there are exceptions and allowances for fasting. A person is not required to fast if they are:

A child (up to puberty)

Ill or has a medical condition such as diabetes

Pregnant

Travelling

On their period

In fact, if they are on their period it will not be counted, even if they do fast. That said, sometimes people choose to fast while travelling anyway, as travel is less strenuous now than it used to be. If they’re crossing time zones they will have to consider which time zone they’re breaking their fast to. As far as I remember, it’s based on the time zone of the place they just left or started their fast in.

If an obstacle to fasting is temporary, such as their period, they’re expected to make those days up with additional fasting before next Ramadan. Otherwise, they are allowed to make up for the lost fast in another way, such as by donating money or feeding fasting people. Whether due to societal pressure (which is formidable in Muslim-majority countries) or out of consideration for others who are fasting, those who are not fasting for whatever reason may often choose to hide this and only eat in secret.

If a person forgets they were fasting or accidentally consumes something, it does not invalidate the fast , and as soon as they remember or realise the mistake they can have the intention to fast again and continue with their day.

While children are exempt, many families will start them off by fasting for half a day so they can build up to a full day when they hit puberty.

Ramadan traditions vary wildly from country to country and culture to culture, but generally it’s a time for family gathering and celebration. Often there are special Ramadan-specific food, drink, and decorations, and it ends with Eid ul-Fitr which has its own specific foods and celebrations. Basically, imagine if Christmas lasted a month. That’s how big a deal Ramadan is.

In my experience, the first few days are usually the hardest. Water is what I tended to miss the most, even if I managed to stay up long enough or set an alarm to wake up to drink just before fajr, followed closely by swearing. Anyone who drinks caffeine or smokes cigarettes will likely find abstaining from those more difficult than water. By the end of the month, though, it gets much easier and I often got to the point where I barely noticed. I will say, however, that the longest I’ve had to fast has been maybe 16 hours. A summer Ramadan in the UK would be more difficult due to the much later sunsets.

Halal and Haram:

Halal means “permissible,” while haram means “forbidden.” You might have heard these words in passing before, such as halal food, but they are used for many areas of life.

Things that are considered haram include:

Consuming, serving, or trading in intoxicants, such as alcohol

Consuming improperly slaughtered meat or meat from forbidden animals, such as pork

Extramarital sex

Tattoos

Gambling

Men wearing silk or gold

A Muslim woman marrying a non-Muslim man (although it’s fine for a Muslim man to marry a non-Muslim woman)

Being immodest

Modesty is expected of all genders, including men. If you’ll recall from the section on prayer, the general guideline for male modesty is that they should cover the area between their navel and knees with loose, non-revealing clothing. Note that for women, modesty does not necessarily involve wearing a hijab. There is actually a ton of controversy as to whether the hijab is a fard (requirement) or not, as described in the following section.

The Hijab:

To be hijabi takes more than just throwing on a headscarf. As a word, hijab means “barrier” or “veil,” and a hijabi person would be expected to cover everything except their face and the palms of their hands, and to ensure that their clothes are loose and non-revealing. It all comes from an interpretation of two verses in the Quran that many scholars nowadays agree to mean the hijab is required, and that some say actually call for a face covering as well, which is called a niqab.

This wasn’t always the case, however, and these days there is still the occasional controversial scholar (I remember a few kerfuffles coming out of Egypt’s Al-Azhar mosque recently) saying it isn’t and has never been required at all. At least in the Arab world, this is largely due to the wave of Wahhabism (which is a specifically fundamentalist interpretation of Islam) that’s taken over the region in the past half a century. Before that, the idea of a hijab being a religious requirement was less widespread.

I’m not here to argue who’s right or wrong, just to make you aware that the hijab as we know it today hasn’t always been considered a requirement for a Muslim woman. Most of the women of my family never wore any form of head covering, but more and more they are an exception rather than the norm.

The choice of whether to wear a hijab can mean very different things, depending on the surrounding culture. For instance, my grandmother, the strictest woman I have ever known, got married in a very cute sleeveless dress that went just under the knees, and when she grew older she wore a head-covering more as a cultural indication of age rather than any religious reason. In my generation, in a country with a Muslim majority, lack of visible signs of devoutness have become almost a class marker, with some upper-class women using their lack of head-covering as a sign that they are “more Westernized” or “modern.” And again, I want to emphasize that this is the case for my country only.

This will be completely different for Muslim minorities, where the hijab can become a symbol of pride and unity.

I will say that it’s very rare for women to be forced into getting veiled, whether in Muslim minority or majority countries. I’m not saying it never happens, just that it’s not the “oppressive tool of the patriarchy” outsiders sometimes think it is. Women may face some societal pressure, but by and large it is considered a choice and often an empowering one. In fact, I have friends whose families discouraged them from wearing a hijab too young and emphasized only taking the decision when they were sure they wanted to. If writing a Muslim character when you’re non-Muslim, I strongly suggest not trying to tackle the story of someone forced into a hijab, as there’s a lot of nuance there and it’s very easy to fall into harmful stereotypes. The hijabi woman who gets “liberated” and takes off her hijab is also overdone and harmful. Please don’t.

Everyday Life:

Muslims are not a monolithic entity, and some will be more devout or religious than others. There are those who will pray their five a day and others who only pray during Ramadan or Eid, some who don’t drink and some who do, hijabis who dress only in loose clothing and those who wear tight trousers or show some of their hair, some who have tattoos, and some who may date or even have sex before marriage. However, this isn’t a carte-blanche not to do research when writing a Muslim character, because even if they break a rule of Islam, they will be conscious of it, may be concerned about their community’s response to it, and in any case will be affected by it.

For instance, I know many Muslims who drink alcohol. Some interpret the text differently, saying that since the sin is getting drunk then they won’t drink enough to get drunk, just buzzed. Some only do it on special occasions or on vacation, saying they know it’s a sin but it’s fine on occasion and they’ll repent later. All of them would probably dive under a table if they thought their family was nearby.

For more opinions on Muslims and dealing with alcohol, take a look at the “Islam and Alcohol” article linked in the reblog of this post.

Here are things that a character who is a practicing Muslim might do or be concerned about in their day to day life:

Checking ingredients to make sure they’re all halal. This goes for things like food, drink, medicine, anything consumable. Things like gelatine capsules are only halal if the source of the gelatine is itself halal, for instance.

Keeping up with their prayers. With five prayers a day, some will inevitably happen while they’re out of the house. Some Muslims prefer to just group their prayers when they get home, but since it’s preferable to do prayers on time, others may try to pray while out and about This means considering the following:

Finding a bathroom for wudu. Part of wudu involves washing feet and the head, which isn’t feasible in a public location or if the person is hijabi and doesn’t want to unwrap and rewrap their hijab. In that case, they can generally wipe a wet hand over their socks and top of their head covering.

They may carry a prayer carpet or have one stashed in a convenient location, but it’s not a must.

Finding a clean and secluded place to pray. Generally, it’s not done to pray in a place where someone will pass in front of you, and a woman must also take care to pray away from men’s eyes.

Figuring out where the Qibla is. Luckily, there are apps for that.

If a woman is not hijabi, she would have to carry a veil and, depending on her clothes, something to cover up so she can pray.

If they’re hijabi, they’ll probably have to adjust or re-wrap their hijab throughout the day, depending on the material and their activities. This would typically happen in bathrooms or any other space that doesn’t include men, as they can’t reveal themselves to any men who aren’t of their immediate family. For more on the hijab, and the day to day realities of wearing and wrapping one, take a look at the links provided in the reblog of this post.

A Muslim woman may choose not to accept handshakes from men who aren’t family. She has probably considered how to deal with that potential awkwardness.

If they’re fasting, they might carry some dates or biscuits or something in case they need to break their fast while on the go.

If making plans, they might say, “Insha’allah” which means “God willing.” I was always admonished to do so to acknowledge the future is entirely within God’s hands.

If asked how they are, they might reply with “Alhamdullilah” which means “Thanks be to God.”

When starting to eat, they may say, “Bismillah,” which means “In the name of God” and when done eating may say “Alhamdullilah.” These can also be invoked silently.

As you might have noticed, Allah’s name is invoked pretty often. While it’s not preferable to swear using God’s name just to make a point (“Wallahi”), there’s nothing against it, really.

Fundamentally, an important thing to remember is that Islam is a religion of ease and not hardship. This is an actual Quranic quote. What this means is, it may seem like there are a lot of rules to keep in mind, but there are also a ton of allowances for when those rules aren’t feasible, just like the case for fasting above. Other allowances include how an elderly or disabled person who may not be able to perform the motions of prayer can pray while sitting in a chair or even lying in bed. If there isn’t any clean water to purify before prayer or if using the water would mean lack of drinking water, a Muslim can use dust or sand to purify, and if no dust or sand is available then they don’t need to purify at all and can simply pray.

This means that, say, if your Muslim Jon wants to pray while kidnapped by the circus, he can, even without being able to perform wudu, even without knowing where the Qibla is, even without being able to move or say anything at all.

For more day-to-day tidbits, check out the “More on writing Muslim characters” link in the reblog of this post.

LGBTQ Muslims:

Needless to say, Queer Muslims absolutely do exist, and their being Muslim doesn’t cancel out their queerness or vice versa. While there are Quranic verses that have been interpreted as condemning homosexuality, there are also other interpretations, and queerness has existed in Muslim societies for ages. There was a ton of homoerotic imagery among Abbasid poets during the Golden Age of Islam, for example.

However, modern-day attitudes can be difficult to get around, and queer Muslims may have difficulty finding their place in both Muslim spaces and queer spaces, the latter which often expect them to reject religiosity.

Although I am queer myself, I don’t feel it’s my place to speak for queer Muslims and their relationships with their communities beyond this, so I’ll let some queer practicing Muslims speak for themselves. Please see the reblog of this post for valuable contributions from queer Muslims about their experiences.

Miscellaneous:

This is mostly for all the random tidbits I thought up while writing this that didn’t fit anywhere else and also because I don’t know when to quit apparently, SO!

Allah is just Arabic for God. Muslims can and do use these terms interchangeably, such as saying “God willing,” instead of “Inshallah,” even in an Arabic-speaking country.

Also, God has 99 names! Just a fun fact for you there.

The Devil in Islam is pretty different from his Christian counterpart. Referred to as Iblis or Shaytan, among other names, he is not a fallen angel and there is no great revolt story, nor is he considered a root of all evil. Instead, he is a djinn made of smokeless flame who refused to bow down to Adam, as he felt he was made of superior stuff and not about to bow to a creature made of mud. His disdain for humanity is what has caused him and other shayateen/demons to try and tempt humans.

A person’s right hand is considered purer than their left, so it’s encouraged to always eat with your right hand. Unfortunately, this does mean left-handed people face something of a stigma—or at least that’s the case here in Egypt. My cousins, both lefties, both eat with their right hand, though they do everything else with their left.

Similarly, it is considered better to enter spaces with your right foot, though only the most devout are likely to think of this all the time. This is especially considered for entering a mosque or new home.

A Muslim might say or write “Peace be Upon Him” whenever the Prophet Mohammed is mentioned, written as (PBUH), and “Subhanuh wa Taala” when mentioning Allah, written as (SWT).

The Evil Eye is mentioned in the Quran as “hasad,” and considered to be a very real thing. This jealous or envious energy is considered able to ruin good things in your life, even if the jealous person didn’t intend to. There are some surahs that are considered good to ward against it, as well as incense, the colour blue, the number five, and the symbols of the nazar (which is a round, blue-ringed eye) and the khamsa (an open five-fingered palm, also known as the Hand of Fatima). The nazar, khamsa, and belief in the evil eye aren’t unique to Islam at all. What is unique to Islam is that a Muslim might preface a compliment with “Masha’allah” which means “As God wills it,” to ward off their own evil eye.

Much of the Quran in Arabic rhymes and is very poetic, which can make surahs easy to memorise by rhythm. It can also make recitations by a skilled reader very lovely.

#the magnus archives #tma #writing resources #muslim characters

4K notes · View notes

the-lightning-strikes-again · 3 years

Text

Website Advertising a Voltron: Legendary Defender Season 9?

If anyone hears about a Voltron: Legendary Defender season 9 coming out in December of 2021, the source of this information is a site called Whenetflix. Aside from the fact that the whole site looks like clickbait and is riddled with grammatical errors, the details therein also heavily contradict years of other articles and interviews about the show.

You can find the article in question here: https://whenetflix.com/voltron-legendary-defender

Here is a screenshot of what the article looks like:

Photo text: “The ninth season of Voltron: Legendary Defender is coming, with fans strives to see Bex Taylor-Klaus’s Pidge back in action. It will return on Friday, December 10, 2021 just similar time at 8th. All information about upcoming part created by Joaquim dos Santos below.”

There are several signs here to suggest that this article is suspicious and most likely just clickbait. If you read the description above, you can see how poor the writing quality is.

The errors continue below, starting with an all-new winner of a sentence: “Voltron: Legendary Defender TV series is a children Joaquim dos Santos.”

“Okay,” you might say. “So the quality of the source is a little sus. Couldn’t it still be possible that a season 9 is really coming out?”

You can be your own judge, but I am extremely skeptical for the additional following reasons:

1. The trailer embedded in the article is actually an old clip from season 8. The video first appeared on YouTube back in December of 2018. There is no new animated content for anything.

2. There’s a lack of official confirmation from any other source about a show renewal for s9, and there is no name even attached to this article.

3. The post-s8 comics by LionForge were hurriedly wrapped up after the backlash regarding s8. Only 3 volumes were produced before LionForge shut its doors to DreamWorks, suggesting there was a real business reason to not renew a license for a prestigious franchise. (source: https://geekdad.com/2019/05/lionforge-does-not-renew-voltron-license-ends-comic-series/#:~:text=LionForge%20Does%20Not%20Renew%20Voltron%20License%2C%20Ends%20Comic%20Series,-Comic%20Books%20Television&text=In%20a%20reversal%20from%20earlier,%2C%20while%20disappointing%2C%20is%20unsurprising.)

4. Speaking of confirmation from other sources: Netflix had agreed to only 78 episodes for the entire VLD show, and season 8 completed that contract. Numerous articles and interviews confirm this, stating that VLD had a predetermined contract ending with season 8, which also determines the budget to produce episodes. Here is only one of many such articles from the more credible Screenrant: (source: https://screenrant.com/voltron-season-9-netflix/)

Picture text: “When it was announced Netflix had renewed Voltron for a fourth season it was also revealed that the streaming network was committed to a 78-episode order for the series. With season 8's 13 episodes, that 78-episode quota has been fulfilled. It's unlikely, then, that Netflix will seek any more episodes of Voltron from DreamWorks, and instead will continue developing any of the other series currently coming to Netflix from DreamWorks Animation (see below).

Additionally, Voltron series creators Dos Santos and Montgomery are already moving on to new projects. Dos Santos has been tapped to direct the forthcoming Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse sequel, while Montgomery is in talks to tackle the Spider-Gwen spinoff. Still, it's hard to believe there won't ever be another Voltron series, just not anytime soon and probably not from the same creative team.”

So again, the only other sources we have about a Voltron season 9 consistently reiterate that there won’t be a season 9.

And finally, as the above article suggests:

5. Previous VAs and development team members mentioned in this suspicious article are already busy/contracted for other projects. For example, look at the IMDB page for Kimberly Brooks, which shows all the other things she’s involved with or still filming, but no mention of VLD in 2021.

Picture description: References to shows in-progress for 2021, but no mention of VLD.

In addition, on IMDB pages, VLD is still listed as complete, 2016 - 2018.

Conclusion

In general, I wouldn’t lose sleep over a VLD season 9 or hold my breath in anticipation of one. This appears to be a clickbait trick to prey on a snoozing fandom. I posted this message after checking the main “Voltron” tag on tumblr and seeing it flooded with some hype but mostly anxiety from a variety of other blogs.

I hope this info helps someone sleep easier tonight ;alsdjfs

#Voltron #VLD #Allura #Pidge #Lance #Keith #Shiro #Hunk #Zarkon #Lotor #Voltron Legendary Defender #Netflix #whenetflix

193 notes · View notes

systemposiitivity · 3 years

Text

welcome!

this is a blog aimed at systems and people with delusional attachments. you could request things like self care kits, advice, pronoun help, and playlists! please check out the information below for a more detailed overview!

────── 〔⚠︎〕──────

about mod.

this blog is run by mod izuru, the host of a system with around 30 alters. some alters of said system may help out at times, yet mod izuru will probably be most active here. i use he/vamp/gore pronouns, and it would be really appreciated if you could refer to me by those specific pronouns. i also run some other blogs, specifically certain roleplay blogs and a friday night funkin imagines blog. please do be aware that we don't support ninjamuffin99, though.

what can we do.

self care kits ;; we'll pick out 6 to 9 items dedicated to self care. please tell us about the things you are interested in, though! like weighted blankets, stuffed animals, stim toys, candles, etc. also please inform us about how much money you are willing to spend on each product, makes things a little easier! and don't be afraid to throw in things like your favourite colour, or other stuff like that! the more detailed, the better.

fashion boards ;; practically the same as the self care kits, but now with fashion! please tell the type of fashion and clothing you prefer, aswell as any possible preffered stores or clothing items. it would also be really appreciated if you could tell how much you are willing to spend on each article of clothing!

advice ;; basically just like it sounds. tell us a problem and we'll give you some advice! though please be aware we might not reply to certain asks if the content is highly triggering for us.

playlists ;; a list of 3 to 6 songs for you to potentially listen to! please specify what genre of music you like, though.

positivity ;; again, as easy as it sounds. just tell us a problem or struggle you have and we'll try to give you some positivity to help you back on track and to make you feel a little better!

pronoun help ;; give us a topic or person/object/idea and we'll try to think of some neo pronouns for that topic! just some stuff to add to your pronoun hoard.

pronoun validation ;; give us your name/nickname and pronouns and we'll refer to you by those pronouns, or just validate you a little with them :]

────── 〔⚠︎〕──────

dni.

homophobes, transphobes, any kind of lgbtq+ phobes. that includes terfs and transmeds.

basic dni criteria, really : sexists, racists, you know who i am talking about.

pro-ana blogs.

pro-shippers, anti-kin, anti-anti, anti-mogai

factkin, though factives are completely welcome.

if you affiliate yourself with cringe culture.

this list may be updated as we discover or remember more things.

extra.

this blog takes requests for all sources. we do not support all sources, and probably don't know about a ton of them, but we will attempt to take requests for all sources unless the request itself makes us uncomfortable.

also, this blog is solely meant for systems and people with delusional attachments, sorry!

#( izuru speaks. )#osdd #did #delusional attachment #d/a #da #psychotic #actuallyosdd #actuallydid #actuallyplural #actuallypsychotic #introject #fictive #factive

65 notes · View notes

kissinginkitchens · 3 years

Text

You Bring Me Home — Chapter One: Flightless Bird, American Mouth

a/n: I've been working on this story for mooonths now and I'm so excited to finally share it with the world! It's heavily inspired by Harry's Behind the Album mini doc, except I changed the setting to Hawai'i because I've personally spent some time there and as they say, write what you know! YBMH takes place in the period between One Direction's hiatus and Harry's first album/tour, but with that being said, this is entirely a work of fiction and some events don't follow the true timeline. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my little story, I hope you love it as much as I do! It will be updated every Friday at 5 PM PST. My inbox is open, so feel free to talk to me once you've finished reading! I'd love to hear from you :) Much love, Mel <3

Pairing: Hawai'i!Harry x Original Character

Warnings: swearing

Word Count: 5.5k

May, 2016

Harry watches LAX get smaller through the airplane window and visualizes all of his worries stuck at the terminal gate, their magnitude also diminishing as he takes flight. He sinks lower in his seat and skims through playlists on his phone when a nagging feeling at the back of his mind pulls his attention away from the screen. Looking up from the song choices, he spots a cell phone quickly lowered from his line of vision and a girl with flushed cheeks who quickly averts her gaze. Harry shoots a tight-lipped smile in her direction and goes back to his phone with a sigh. The days when he could roam the streets freely without fear of recognition—or worse, harassment—feel like an entirely different lifetime. He sometimes imagines that he’ll wake up back in his childhood bed as if the past five years had all been a dream, but he never does. In fact, his privacy and anonymity seem to dwindle with each minute of radio play that One Direction receives. It’s a bittersweet pill to swallow, but one he hopes will go down easier with some time in the Hawaiian sun.

His close friend and new manager, Jeff Azoff, had suggested the vacation as soon as the band privately agreed to take a hiatus.

“You’ll go home for a few weeks,” his voice had crackled through the speakers of Harry’s phone. “Visit your mom and Gem, lay low for a while until the smoke blows over,”

Harry mulled it over in his mind, eyes flickering over the rolling landscape outside of the tour bus window.

“Then what?”

“Then you go for a little vacation. The label offered to cover a house in Hawaii so you can start working on the album,”

“Alone?”

Jeff chuckled lightly on the other end before responding. “I mean, if that’s what you want,”

“No,” Harry corrected. “You and Tom should come. Mitch and Bhasker, too,”

“The dream team,”

“And there’ll be a studio there?”

“Yes,” Jeff started, almost hesitant. “But I don’t want you to think about that too much,”

“But you said the label—"

“I also said vacation. Look, Rob said ‘it will all happen in due time,' did he not?”

Harry twisted the rose ring around his finger, tracing over the silver petals and thinking back to his conversation with the CEO of Sony Music, Rob Stringer. Upon the proposal of his debut solo album, Rob had told him that the most important ingredient for a successful debut would be patience. The singer had agreed in the moment, but every day not spent in the studio felt like a test he hadn’t studied hard enough for.

“Yeah.”

“So you take the free vacation,” Jeff suggested. “You go out, live, get some writing material. Maybe mess around with some tunes. And then we come back to L.A. and get to work. But until then, I just want you to focus on taking it easy.”

So take it easy he had. Or at least he had tried to when he was back home in England. Harry quickly grew restless after what felt like the millionth awkward conversation with past friends and acquaintances, all of which eventually led to the topic of One Direction and it’s unexpected hiatus. After one month at home, his mind and journal were full of ideas for songs, things that he wanted to say before he lost his nerve. One night as he tossed and turned in bed, he shot Jeff a text, just two words that would kick off a three month getaway to the Big Island of Hawai'i:

I’m ready.

********

“Sounds great, I'll go put in your order.” Alani offers sweetly, trying not to overdo it with the customer service voice. After waiting on the family at her designated table, she heads back to the kitchen and finds her younger sister, Pua, crouched in the corner taking what appears to be a serious phone call.

“I don’t know, I just saw it!” Her sister cries in a hushed tone. “Where do you think he’s going?”

“Is everything okay?” Alani cuts in with concern.

Pua whispers into the speaker before bringing the phone to her shoulder.

“Harry Styles was just spotted on a plane this morning,”

“Who?”

“The guy from One Direction,” her sister explains with a hint of irritation in her voice. “The band who sings that song you secretly like, ‘Fireproof,'”

Alani vaguely recalls the melody, but she waits expectantly for Pua to elaborate. “And this is news because…”

“Because the band just broke up, so where could he possibly be going?”

"The unemployment office?”

Pua rolls her eyes and returns to her phone call while Alani envelops her in a tight hug.

“I’m just kidding!” Alani apologizes, squeezing tighter despite her sister’s attempts to break free. “I’m sure he’ll be living off of royalty checks until he’s, like, eighty,”

“Get off me, freak!” Pua cries out, finally breaking the embrace.

Alani clutches her chest and pulls out an invisible knife. “Ouch. I’m telling Harry you said that,”

“This is exactly why I don’t tell you things.” the younger sister huffs, storming out of the kitchen through the employee entrance where Alani’s best friend, Maleah, has just arrived.

“Looks like someone forgot to eat their Cheerios today,” she remarks, tying her curls into a high ponytail.

Alani shrugs and leans against the counter. “She’s going through something. Just discovered that boys in pop bands are, in fact, just regular boys.”

“Poor thing,” Maleah frowns. “We all have to learn eventually.”

********

The sky is a blend of cotton candy pink and burnt orange when Alani returns home from the café with a strawberry smoothie in tow. She empties the mailbox and sorts through the various bills and advertisements, but her stomach drops when she sees a familiar return address label. After a quick greeting to her excited dog who waits at the door, Alani bolts up the stairs and quietly shuts the bedroom door behind her. Breathe, she reminds herself before tearing into the envelope and discarding it onto the wooden floor.

Dear Ms. Hale,

We are very grateful to have received your submission to Rolling Stone magazine. However, we regret to inform you—

She doesn’t read the rest, slumping to the floor in defeat. The sixth rejection letter from Rolling Stone lies crumpled at Alani’s feet and she kicks it across the room with a frustrated grunt. She had worked for over two months perfecting her analysis of Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi and its allusions to the environmental impact of urban development in Hawaii. As part of her initial research, Alani had even traveled to both the Royal Hawaiian hotel in Honolulu, which is the famous Pink Hotel mentioned in the song, and Foster Botanical Garden that Mitchell referred to as “the tree museum.” She was certain that her effort and persistence would result in at least a consideration. The second third time's the charm! Maleah had joked watching Alani submit the piece. Six articles in the span of two years, each one facing the same rejection despite the increased effort Alani had put in over time. The fact that the rejection letter hadn’t changed over the course of the two years brings an incredulous smile to her face, and her stomach turns when she considers that the editors probably hadn’t even read her work, anyway. All that effort, she thinks to herself, all that time, for nothing.

“It will take time,” her favorite professor, Dr. Hudson, had reassured her three months after the Joni Mitchell article was submitted. “Every great writer faced countless rejection until that one piece. Yours will come. Keep your eyes open and your pen ready.”

Alani sighs and lifts herself off the floor, choosing to crawl into her unmade bed instead of slumping onto the hardwood. She hears a soft scratching at the door before her King Charles Spaniel, Freddie, pads into the room.

“Come here, bubs,” Alani whispers. He obeys and burrows into the duvet, giving her temple a gentle lick before nuzzling into the nape of her neck.

“You still love me, right?” she asks, voice cracking. “Even if I’m a failure?”

Freddie sniffs her ear in response.

********

“Right,” Harry says, his tongue peeking from the corner of his mouth as he reads the map. “No, left, sorry,”

“Do you actually know how to read a map?” Jeff teases, correcting the turn.

Harry pouts in response, his brows furrowing. “In my defense, we’re literally in the middle of fucking nowhere,”

“There are worse places to be,” Mitch pipes up from the back seat. “England, for example, where they say things like ‘litchrally’,”

“Very well said, Mitchell,” Jeff Bhasker adds with a fake British accent of his own.

Harry turns to his friends in the back seat with a finger pointed like an agitated mother. “If you lot don’t shut up, I’m gonna lead us to a volcano and push you in,”

“Where are we even going? I forgot,” Tom complains.

“To get food,” his manager responds from the driver’s seat. “I think,”

“Why can’t we just stop there?” Mitch asks pointing to a café pulling up on their right.

Jeff merges into the turning lane quickly without a second thought. “Good enough for me, I’m starving.”

“Sorry, H.” Mitch pats his friend on the shoulder.

Harry scoffs. “You’re the one who wanted poke.”

The Aloha Nui Loa Café is much more spacious than the exterior suggests, yet it still feels cozy. The walls are painted sage green and adorned with various local art pieces, as described by the plaques that accompany them. A skylight fills the center of the room with plenty of warm lighting, leaving the space along the walls in a bit more shade for an intimate feel. In one corner, a hanging disco ball leaves freckles of sparkling light along the walls where the sunlight hits, making the whole image very idyllic in Harry’s mind. As if he couldn’t enjoy the setting more, he hears the beginning of an Otis Redding song that he’s had stuck in his head drift through the restaurant speakers.

“Welcome in!” a voice calls, which pulls him from his survey of the room. His head whips to the source—a girl around his age with wavy, dark hair and honey skin. “For here or to go?”

Harry takes a hesitant step up to the counter. “For here,”

She smiles warmly and pulls some menus from under the counter. “How many in your party?”

“Five.”

“Great, follow me.”

Harry and his friends follow the waitress to the corner of the room under the disco ball and take their seats at the round table.

“My name is Alani,” she introduces herself, setting the menus down. “I’ll be serving you today. Can I get you started with some drinks?”

Harry continues scanning the restaurant while his group orders. His eyes land on the shirt that Alani is wearing, a white tee with the words “Enjoy Health, Eat Your Honey” in blue lettering that surrounds a picture of a cartoon bee.

“Harry,” Jeff says gently, catching his drifting attention.

The singer turns to his manager, who nods to Alani waiting with a pen pressed to her notepad. Harry feels a rush of embarrassment creep across his cheeks and he clears his throat to cover it.

“Just water,” he says, eyes glued to the menu. “Thanks.”

“You got it.” Alani nods, flashing a toothy grin at the rest of the group before turning back to the kitchen. Harry. Her mind repeats, finding a hint of familiarity, though she doesn’t know why.

When Alani arrives at the drink station, she finds her sister staring at her, mouth agape, while Maleah unsuccessfully conceals her laughter.

“What?” she questions, checking herself for any embarrassing stains or smells.

“You were—and he—” Pua stammers. “He was—and then he—”

“That’s Harry Styles,” Maleah translates, her voice hushed as she peers over her friend's shoulder.

Alani turns to steal a glance at the table she just seated, but Pua and Maleah latch onto her and shake their heads frantically.

“Don’t look!” her sister hisses.

Alani smirks, amused at their reactions. “No shit. That’s One Direction?”

Maleah snorts, clasping a hand over her mouth as Pua huffs. “No, dumbass! It’s just Harry. I don’t know who the other guys are,”

“But the blonde guy? That’s not—?”

“No!” Pua and Maleah giggle in unison.

“Okay, geez,” Alani relents. She manages to steal a quick glance at the table over her shoulder, immediately searching for Harry. Her eyes scan over the long, curly hair kept out of his face by a pair of white sunglasses that she had seen on Kurt Cobain once. All of his features are sharp and striking, from his pointed nose and defined jawline to the bright blue eyes. Or maybe they were grey? Alani wonders, trying to remember the exact shade. He doesn’t look anything like the fresh-faced teeny bopper she’d had in mind, the one from a music video her sister had shown her a long time ago. She would have never guessed that the What Makes You Beautiful singer had so much dark ink trailing down his bicep and forearm, though her knowledge of One Direction was very limited.

“What did he order?” Pua questions, her eyes wide.

Alani quickly snaps back to reality and resumes filling the drinks. “A water,”

“Oh my god,” Maleah swoons. “I’m never drinking anything else ever again,”

“I didn’t even know you liked him,” Alani teases with an eyebrow raised.

Maleah sneaks another peek at the table and catches her lower lip between her teeth. “I mean, I didn’t really think so either but look at him. What a fucking dream,”

Harry was objectively handsome, this Alani could admit, but she personally didn’t see the appeal and had a strong feeling that he was just like every other male celebrity. The fact that he hadn’t even bothered to make eye contact with her only served as further proof of what she knew to be true.

“Okay, well, your dreamboat is waiting for his water. So excuse me,” Alani winks, making her way back to the table.

The singer spots Alani returning out of the corner of his eye and the sight of her causes a strange flutter in the pit of his stomach that makes him want to duck for cover. Instead, he pulls his phone from his back pocket and pretends to be occupied with something on the screen.

“Okay,” she greets, setting the drink tray down. “I have a Blue Hawaii, a Mango Mama, two Loco Cocos, and a water,”

The group graciously accepts their drinks with a chorus of “thank you," but the only one under Alani’s scrutiny is Harry. He still doesn’t meet her almond eyes, and though she figured he wouldn’t, she can’t help the inkling of disappointment that washes over her. After taking their meal orders, Alani heads back to the kitchen, checking on her other customers along the way. Harry’s eyes follow her and he observes the way customers light up at her presence, indulging her conversation with laughter. He watches as she lingers by the jukebox in one corner of the room, a detail he had missed in his initial scan, and waits anxiously to see what song she chooses. Baby I’m-a Want You begins softly and Harry feels the corner of his lip curl ever so slightly. Good choice, he thinks.

********

“He’s still here,” Pua muses, peering through the tiny window in the kitchen door. It had been nearly two hours and the five men were still seated around their table cracking jokes and doing a lot of talking with their hands.

Alani doesn’t look up from her bowl of sliced kiwis, offering a hum in response. “And what do you want me to do about that?”

“Nothing,” Pua shoots back. “Don’t bother him,”

“What kind of girls do you think he’s into?” Maleah asks, attempting to peek through the window.

Alani shrugs, bored of the conversation and of thinking about Harry. “I don’t know, but I’ll bet he’s a real sucker for the ones who stalk him while he’s eating,”

“How does he make eating a salad look hot?”

“Can we talk about something else now?” Alani whines, poking holes in a lone kiwi with her fork.

Pua tosses a wet dish rag in her sister’s direction and cheers when it lands in her face. “Go see if he wants more water, he looks thirsty.”

“I already refilled it,” Alani defends. “Twenty minutes ago. I’ve refilled it a hundred times, I’m surprised he hasn’t peed his pants.”

I’m gonna piss myself. Harry thinks, his right leg bouncing to distract himself. He really wasn’t all that thirsty, but he couldn’t stop himself from finishing each glass of water that Alani placed in front of him. He really wasn’t all that thirsty, but he couldn’t stop himself from finishing each glass of water that Alani placed in front of him. Like clockwork, she would return to fill his glass almost as soon as the last drop had been drained, and so what began as a little experiment slowly turned into a bladder hazard. But if the trend was to be trusted, she would be back any minute and he wasn’t going to miss it; afterall, there were only so many ways to casually linger in a small café without making it weird. Unable to bear it any longer, he heads to the restroom and hopes that Alani doesn’t clear their table before he has a chance to see her again.

Harry pads down the back hallway with his eyes cast down at the floor, which proves to be a mistake when he walks directly into another person.

“Sorry!” they both apologize quickly, Harry’s palm taking purchase on the other person’s upper arm.

“I wasn’t paying attention,” he offers, finally meeting the dark, mocha eyes already looking back at him.

Alani presses her lips into a tight smile. “Me either,”

Harry’s heartbeat picks up when he realizes it’s her, and he isn’t aware of how close they’re standing until he detects the faint scent of kiwi on her breath. He takes a step back and rakes a hand through his hair.

“So I guess I’ll just—”

“Yeah, sure.”

Green. Alani notes to herself. His eyes are green.

********

Shortly after Harry returned from the restroom, him and his friends settled their bill and headed out. Alani cleared their table and her eyes nearly fell out of her head when she saw the hefty tip left behind. The word mahalo was also left behind on the receipt, underlined twice, and she wondered if it was his handwriting.

Later that night, she settled into bed with her laptop and hesitantly typed his name into Google. As she expected, countless articles about the split of One Direction emerged, most of them speculating what was next for each member. To her surprise, however, Harry’s name seemed to be mentioned more than his fellow bandmates as various sources labeled him “the next Justin Timberlake” and rising star of the group. Upon further investigation, she learned that the demand for information about the elusive Harry Styles was high, especially concerning any possible solo music. No news had yet been confirmed by Styles himself, nor anyone claiming to represent him, but she still wondered if his presence in Hawaii had anything to do with a possible solo project. Almost as soon as she thought it, Alani dismissed the theory in favor of the idea that he was most likely just taking a vacation. And from the buzz that she saw surrounding the news about One Direction, she couldn’t blame him.

The more Alani read, the more she wanted to know, and something deep down told her that his was a story worth telling. Of course, the only problem was that she had hardly talked to him, and there were only so many things she could say about the fifteen glasses of water he downed. There was no way of knowing if she would ever see him again, either, or if he was merely stopping in Hilo on his way to another island or somewhere else entirely. Alani sighed, thinking back to her most recent rejection from Rolling Stone. She knew that there was no possible way she would ever see or talk to Harry ever again, and even if she did, why would he bare his entire soul to a stranger? Still, she let her mind wander through the possibility.

Dear Ms. Hale, the letter would read, we are very grateful to have received your submission to Rolling Stone magazine and are pleased to inform you that your piece on Harry Styles will be featured in next month’s issue. Additionally, we would be honored to have you on staff, effective immediately.

It was far-fetched, Alani knew this, but she dozed off that night with endless ideas swimming in her head.

********

By the third day after his visit, the only trace of Harry is in Alani’s search history. She would have completely forgotten about him if it weren’t for her sister’s constant reminiscing and multiple attempts to rename the house salad to the “Harry Special.” As a result, a part of Alani’s thoughts periodically linger back to that day and the subsequent hours spent on Google that she’d rationalized as research instead of stalking. Somehow the knowledge that she’ll never see him again only adds fuel to the questions still burning in her mind, but a customer clearing their throat while she sorts menus below the hostess podium interrupts her thoughts.

“Welcome in!” She calls, standing. “What can I—”

She stops in her tracks, unable to believe her eyes. Harry blinks and waits for her to continue.

“What can I get started for you?” Alani tries again, hoping that he hadn’t noticed her shock. Luckily for her, Harry had been too focused on choosing his next words to register her mistake.

“What’s in the Honu smoothie?” he asks, mentally kicking himself for asking such a stupid question when the menu just inches above her head clearly spells it out.

Alani hums, thinking back to the times she had made the smoothie herself. “Kiwis, spinach, mango, avocado, and a hint of lime,”

“I’ll take one of those,” Harry says, reaching for his wallet.

Alani punches in the order with trembling fingers and nods. “For here or to go?”

“To go,”

Disappointment fills her chest. Sure, she hadn’t planned on seeing him ever again, but the fact that she did felt like a sign. If she wanted to take the chance, she’d have to do it fast.

“Anything else?” she asks, weighing her options while he skims the menu.

“No thanks.”

Alani makes the smoothie quickly, head spinning. She had spent most of the night after their initial meeting planning out exactly the type of questions she hoped to ask him and what kind of article she would write. She was used to writing about what she knew—artists and music she’d admired for years— but she figured that starting fresh with someone she hardly knew would be a good challenge. Not to mention that it seemed like just the thing Rolling Stone would jump for. Alani finally works up the courage as she finishes his smoothie, but when she returns to hand it to him and hopefully strike up a conversation, his ear is pressed to his cell phone. She holds out the drink and he graciously accepts, giving her a small nod as a “thank you” and rushing out of the restaurant.

Two days later he returns and is seated at the counter, typing away on his phone. Alani feels both a rush of optimism and annoyance at the universe for dangling his presence so unexpectedly. She starts heading over to him, but Maleah cuts in.

“Trade me?” she proposes, eyes wide.

Alani blinks. “Oh, I would but I—”

“Please,” her best friend pouts. “I’m leaving to see my grandparents in stupid California for two months. Who knows when I’ll get the chance to see him again?”

Alani sighs, but gives in, reluctantly exchanging Harry for the family of four seated by the window. A strange feeling settles into the pit of his stomach when he sees that she heads in the opposite direction after a hushed conversation with another waitress. He doesn’t know why she traded him for a different customer, but he takes the hint.

A week goes by without another sighting of Harry and Alani has permanently taken on the role of greeting hostess in hopes of seeing him again. Her heartbeat temporarily speeds up when she sees a long haired customer approach the door, but her spirits quickly fall when the face doesn’t match his.

Another week brings another disappointing realization that Harry might be gone for good. One rainy morning when the restaurant is quiet and only two customers huddle together in a booth near the back, Alani hunches over the hostess podium and doodles on a stray receipt— a sunflower, a crescent moon, and two hearts. The bell above the door jingles but she doesn’t look up, too absorbed in her scribbles.

“Do you serve coffee?”

The familiar accented voice stops Alani’s pen dead in its tracks. She lifts her eyes first to confirm, and then straightens up when she sees that her ears haven’t deceived her.

“Yes,” she swallows.

“Great. I’ll take it to go,”

She slightly deflates, but Harry thinks he’s reading too much into it.

“Actually,” he corrects anyway, just in case he isn’t. “I think I’ll stay for a while,”

Alani flashes a warm smile and nods in the direction of the counter. “Right this way,”

Harry sheds his windbreaker onto the back of the seat, revealing a black and white Rolling Stones t-shirt that makes Alani’s blood pressure rise. A sign, she thinks.

“What do you want in your coffee?” she questions carefully.

“Nothing,” he responds, shaking out his damp hair gently. “Or actually, uh, butter...if you have some,”

Alani blinks, not sure if she’d heard correctly or if there had been some transatlantic miscommunication.

“Butter?”

“Yeah,”

“Like the—”

“Spread, yeah,” Harry confirms. “It’s weird, I know,”

She lets out a light-hearted laugh and nods. “It’s a...unique request,”

“I thought the same thing at first,” Harry confides. “It’s not bad, actually. But maybe I’ve just been in L.A. for too long.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

She offers a polite smile and heads to the kitchen where the cook and two other waiters talk amongst each other. Alani is grateful that the restaurant is slow this morning because she knows that it means minimal interruptions to her time with Harry. To ensure this, though, she asks one of the other waiters to cover the podium and returns to Harry with his coffee.

“One butter coffee, free of judgement,” the waitress announces, setting it down.

Harry grins softly, stirring the drink with the spoon Alani provided. “You can judge, it’s alright,”

“I just wanna know why,”

The coffee had been part of a fad diet while on tour in order to boost Harry’s energy on stage and stay trim for the hundreds of photo-ops he would be a part of. He doesn’t know how to communicate all of this to Alani, however, not sure how much she knows about that part of him, so he shrugs and tells a simplified version of the truth.

“I read about this trend a while back, it's called bulletproof coffee. Supposed to get your energy up and I needed it for my job,”

“Which is…” Alani trails off, downplaying the knowledge that she had acquired from Google.

“I make music,” is all Harry says and he takes a sip of the drink to avoid elaborating.

“Anything I would have heard?”

He swallows hard and listens to the faint rumbling of thunder outside before replying. “Possibly,”

“Try me,” Alani challenges.

He narrows his eyes and takes another sip of coffee. “Why don’t you tell me something about yourself first?”

“What do you wanna know?”

Everything, Harry responds internally, though he reigns it in. “How you got into waitressing,”

Alani sighs, resting her elbows on the counter across from him. “There’s not much to tell, it’s a family business. What I really wanna do is write,”

“Music?”

“Articles. I’m studying Journalism at UH,”

Harry hums in response, filing the detail away in the back of his mind. “Sounds interesting. You ever publish anything?”

“Not yet,” Alani shakes her head gently, toying with the sleeves of her green University of Hawaii crewneck. “Hopefully soon, though,”

Harry racks his brain for something else to say, but before he can, Alani speaks up again.

“Is it my turn to ask something now?”

He offers a curt nod and stirs his coffee.

“What kind of music do you write?”

Harry chooses to be vague again. “Different stuff. Pop, usually. Been messing with some classic rock, though,”

“Explains the shirt,”

He peers down at the design on his tee and agrees. “Yeah, I guess so,”

“Do you like it?” Alani asks, her eyes begging to make contact with his again. “Writing music, I mean,”

“Yeah,” Harry confirms, tapping his spoon against the rim of the mug. “I really do,”

Alani’s heart pounds. This is her chance, a moment to finally secure her breakthrough piece. She doesn’t know how to approach it, so she opts to dive right in without looking back. The worst he can say is no.

“Can I ask you something else?”

“That’s cheating,” Harry teases lightly. “It's my turn,”

She pouts playfully, but obliges. “Fire away,”

Harry doesn’t know which question to ask first, but when he glances down at the crescent moon inked on her wrist, he decides to start there.

“What’s with the moon tattoo?”

Alani isn’t sure what she expected him to ask and wonders what purpose such a detail could possibly serve him, but she answers anyway.

“Oh, well,” she begins, tracing her index finger over the outline. “It’s kinda the meaning of my full name. It’s Mahealani, Hawaiian for ‘heavenly moon,'”

Fitting, Harry comments to himself. Every detail he learns about her makes him want to learn that much more, from her favorite foods to the last thing she thinks about before falling asleep. Studying her expectant eyes, he suddenly remembers that it’s his turn to respond.

“That’s cool,” is all he says.

Alani doesn’t know what to make of the faraway look in his eye, but she decides to pose her most burning question while he appears to be in good spirits.

“I know this is gonna sound totally out of the blue,” she starts, working past the lump in her throat. “But when you mentioned how you write music, I was just reminded of this assignment I’m working on in my class,”

Harry waits for her to continue, nursing his now lukewarm coffee.

“I’m supposed to write a piece about someone who I don’t know that well,” she continues. “You know, to practice our interviewing skills. And, well, I was just kind of wondering if you might be interested in helping me out—being the subject, I mean,”

Alani had every intention of telling Harry the truth, about how she really planned to submit the article to Rolling Stone in hopes of securing an internship before her college graduation next Spring. But as she started speaking, she quickly realized how it would come off: a complete stranger asking for personal information to submit to a well-known publication. She knew that there was a chance he would shut down and never return, so she lowered the stakes and hoped that this route would be less risky. Was it ethical? Alani hadn’t decided yet, but she would work out the details later. After six failed articles and two years of rejection, she saw a ray of hope and wasn’t going to let it slip away.

Harry ponders her offer for a moment, which confirms that she had recognized him. Normally he would be off-put by such a request, and to a certain extent he is, but there is something sincere in her voice that he trusts deep down. Before he agrees, however, he decides to fish around a bit to test her reaction.

“You know who I am,” he says gently. “Don’t you?”

Alani’s heart drops into the pit of her stomach, not sure what to say next. She hopes with every fiber of her being that she hasn’t upset him, or worse, ruined her chances, so she decides to offer some truth to throw him off her scent.

“My sister recognized you,” she explains. “That day you came in with your friends. I thought they were your bandmates at first,”

This lets Harry know that she isn’t a total stalker, which is comforting, but he wouldn’t have been minded if she were a fan simply engaging in conversation.

“Oh,” he laughs weakly.

“I totally understand if you say no,” Alani offers quickly, trying to smooth things over. “I just thought it was worth a shot. And that it might be more interesting than interviewing our produce guy,”

Harry decides to give her one last scan for any sign of insincerity. He’d always felt that his gut instinct was strong and it hadn’t led him astray thus far.

“An interview?” he clarifies.

“Just one,” Alani promises. “An hour, tops. And you can proofread all of it once I’ve finished, too.”

Harry waits a beat, already knowing his reply, but he wants to see how she will react to his silence. She doesn’t budge, almond eyes set and determined.

“Okay.”

next chapter

#harry styles #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles writing #harry styles x oc #harry styles fluff #harry styles fanfic #harry styles fic #ybmh #she's here she's here she's here!!!!!

102 notes · View notes

sopeverse · 3 years

Note

hi! first of all, i hope you’re doing okay. i totally understand if you don’t want to/have the energy to explain this, so feel free to ignore me. i’m trying to understand what’s going on in ireland? the news articles are very general and are talking about unionists/nationalists, which i can vaguely glean the meanings of. i was wondering if you could explain what’s actually happening?

of course! i understand it can be very daunting and confusing to those that don't currently live in Northern Ireland, but as someone who is currently experiencing everything first-hand, i'll try to explain it to my best ability.

for the past few nights rioting and violence has occurred in several places around Northern Ireland such as Belfast and Derry. these are two major cities that have wide communities of both loyalists and nationalists, meaning tensions were already quite high before this weeks violence. if you have trouble grasping these two terms and their meanings:

loyalist - primarily protestant individuals that oppose the idea of an united Ireland and remain loyal to England and the crown, trying to put an end to Irish nationalism in the north of Ireland. they can also be referred to as unionists.

nationalist - primarily catholic individuals that are supporters of a united Ireland and opposers to the British occupancy in areas of NI. they can also be referred to as Irish republicans.

first off, a bit of background information to help you fully understand exactly why people are rioting. around a year ago members of the nationalist political party Sinn Féin attended a funeral for the former IRA intelligence boss Bobby Storey, including deputy first minister Michelle O'Neill. strict limitations on social content were being set in place during this time due to covid and the spread of the virus, causing there to be a harsh backlash to their actions - further putting a wedge in the government as Arlene Foster refused to carry on with joint conferences.

this isn't the only reason for the increasing violence however, tensions have gotten thicker due to the success of Brexit, the UK effectively voting to leave the European Union. this involved the introduction of a border being erected between the north and south of Ireland. such a move breached the stipulations in the 'Good Friday Agreement, the treaty that mostly brought three decades of protestant-catholic bloodshed to an end.

this is a large part of the reason for the rioting. as part of the EU-UK negotiations on Brexit, it was agreed that Northern Ireland would partially remain in the bloc's single market, meaning goods sent over to Northern Ireland from Britain would receive EU custom checks at northern Irish ports - cancelling the need for checks between NI and the Republic of Ireland. this effectively draws a sea broader between Britain and Northern Ireland - loyalists arguing this undermines NI's role in the union.

despite the riots being carried out by teenagers and children as young as 12, it is believed that paramilitary groups (particularly the UVF) are inciting the violence. this is incredibly important if you know anything about Irish history, groups like this have has a hold on our nation for decades, using our children as puppets to achieve their goals and not caring for the blood that will be spilt during, all the while the police force stand idly by.

the PSNI also play a huge part in what is happening now and have always been an issue when it came to being impartial.. despite several nights of rioting in loyalist areas, petrol bombs being thrown nightly and innocent bystanders targeted, the police have done nothing but watch. however, only one of these nights was violence occurring in a nationalist area and the extremity of the rioting was next to none when compared to what had happened on the other side of the peace walls - despite this the police force was quick to bring out the water canons, further proving the institutional sectarianism they were brought up to believe.

when asked to speak on the violence and increasing tensions, our first deputy minister Arlene Foster didn't waste a second to condemn it by saying that it distracted from the 'real criminals' in Sinn Féin - shifting the blame and furthering the issue rather than making plans to restore peace.

i urge anyone reading this to educate themselves on Irish history to understand why the divide here is so strong. The Troubles never ended in Northern Ireland, and with people like this in power, it seems like the Irish people have no light for the future.

#✎ :: message board #anon #i’m not the best at explaining situations - especially ones this serious - but i hoped this help!#basically everything boils down to the troubles and institutionalised sectarianism #uk politics #riots #northern ireland #brexit #tw: violence #pinning this so people will be aware of what’s happening

69 notes · View notes

kidcore-cockatiel · 3 years

Text

Sweet Smile | Otto Octavius x FtM!Reader

reader pronouns are he/him :D!

TW: suggestive (future chapters could be more than suggestive, depends), minor alcohol and smoking references, age gap (reader is 23, doc ock is like 47)

AN: this is kind of a self projection :) im ftm and i only see she/her readers x doc ock on here so im putting in some representation :) also a lot of straying from the timeline (this is pre accident, but Rosie is already dead, also J Jonah Jameson is a teacher now lol)

Ch. 1

There was something special about him.

The way he glowed when he talked. His hands moved wildly and his smile was so warm. His eyes sparkled as he told his colleagues about his passion. The first time you saw him, you were running late for your earth science class. The one you were failing. Knowing if you were late again you wouldn't hear the end of it, you took a shortcut through the science building. But that face, it stopped you in your tracks. One glance was all it took. Every day that week, you detoured through this particular hallway of the science building, gawking at a certain professor you didn't know the name of. You could have sworn he looked your way once or twice, smiling that perfect smile. You wondered what it would be like to hug him, this man with large stature. Other things slipped through your mind too. Your fingers wrapped around his perfect brown locks, that mouth, what could it do? “No way!” you thought. This was so disrespectful of him as a professor, and him as a person. You knew it wasn't right, but you couldn't help but wonder. Friday came along, and you had to turn in your story for the school webzine. You had been head reporter for a few months now, thankfully Mr. Jameson, as crazy as he was, didn’t care about your slipping grades. He cared so much more about getting the scoop on a local legend, Spiderman. Mr. Jameson was convinced that Spiderman was a menace, but you thought he was pretty cool. As you entered Mr.J’s classroom, you heard his booming voice from across the room, “Y/N, GET OVER HERE!”

“Yes, sir?” you groaned. You hated when he yelled, and he always yelled.

“We need a major story Y/n, and you're just the guy for the job. Have you heard of Dr. Octavius? Well, whatever, he's a professor here and a wackjob of a scientist! He thinks he can harness the energy of the sun for a sustainable power source. Mad, I tell ya. I want you to shadow him all week. Get us a good story. Don't be afraid to dig into his personal life either. With all that science crap, we'll need juicy details to keep our readers interested.”

“Great,” you thought, “Following Mr. J’s whims again.”

“Yes sir”, you sighed.

Monday you had no classes. This was a good opportunity to figure out who the hell Dr. Octavius was, you figured. You went to the administrative office and asked for his room number. On your way there, you picked up a notepad and camera from Mr. Jameson’s classroom. Following the numbers on the buildings, you walked your way to the science building. You looked down the halls, checking numbers on doors, until you landed on the right hallway. It was that hallway. “Sweet, maybe I can catch a glance of that handsome professor.” your face warmed up. As you counted doors and plodded down the hallway, a thought crossed your mind. “What if it's him!?” You got closer and closer to his door, and the numbers got closer and closer to his room number. “No fucking way. I have to shadow HIM for a week??

“

“Oh god.” you muttered. There you were. Dr. Octavius’s classroom. His classroom. As you paused, blushing, staring at the door, it opened.

“Oh! Well hello there, can I help you dear?”

His voice was so gentle and warm.

You jumped in surprise and stared at him. Doctor Octavius. A name for the face.

“Are you okay?” His hand on your shoulder, his gaze locked on yours.

“Yes! So sorry! Doctor, I'm here to - um- write an article on you.” you fumbled with your words, your face increasingly red. Holding up your notepad you said “i hope that's okay!”

The doctor's look softened. “Dear boy, I’m a very busy man. I don’t have extra time for students.”

“Please Doc? I'm fascinated by your work. The power of the sun!”

Octavius couldn't resist talking about his passion project.

“In the palm of my hand.” He smiled his wonderful smile. “Alright kid, come in. I’ll give you 45 minutes.”

#doc ock #dr octopus #doctor octopus #otto octavius #doctor octavius #marvel #mcu

16 notes · View notes

mrsdeanwinchester19 · 4 years

Text

The Interview

Steve x reader

Word Count: 1.7k

Summary: The Avengers have interviews with a news outlet and it doesn’t go as expected

Type: Fluff and humor

Warnings: None

Author’s Note: This was inspired by the Jiminy Glick/Jimmy Fallon interview

The Avengers compound was almost completely quiet, Steve was the only one awake. He doesn’t normally stay at the compound anymore, preferring to stay at his house, but they got in late from a mission last night and fell asleep after taking his suit off. The only noise came from the drip, drip, drip of the coffee maker as he mentally tried to prepare for the interviews the whole team has today. Everyone had been assigned a journalist for a news outlet called The New York Sun. They were doing a piece on the Avengers, hopefully they won’t try to turn it into an exposé, but it’s not like they would find any information that isn’t already on the Internet after Natasha decrypted and released SHIELD’s files.

Bucky stumbles into the kitchen in a long gray and purple striped robe, looking like he just woke from cryo. “Good morning sunshine,” Steve jokes. Bucky glares at him before taking the cup of coffee that Steve had prepared for himself before walking back out. “FRIDAY,” Steve says to the air. “Set an alarm for everyone’s room.” He smiles slightly when the loud alarm starts blaring in all their rooms.

Sam slams his door open and looks around frazzled. “What the hell, man?” He clearly woke up thinking there was some kind of attack happening.

Steve simply shrugs his shoulders in response. “You need to get ready.”

Once everyone had gotten up and gotten ready, they all have a meeting in the common area. Tony orders them not to say anything the people don’t know about already, don’t say anything about each other, and definitely don’t talk about relationships or family.

The journalists are spread out around the compound, each in their own room, so Tony tells them where to go to meet their journalist. Steve goes into the conference room to see one chair turned away from him. When he closes the door, the journalist spins their chair around and sets their papers on the table. Steve is immediately struck by how beautiful the interviewer is. Long Y/H/C hair tumbling over her shoulders, bright Y/E/C eyes staring into his baby blues. She’s wearing a tight black skirt and a white blouse that Steve can slightly see her lacy bralette through.

“Steve Rogers, nice to meet you,” she says, extending her hand. Steve grips her soft hand in his rough one and shakes it. He can’t help but notice the lack of a ring on the hand he didn’t shake.

“Nice to meet you too Miss…” he trails off.

“Y/N.”

“Miss Y/N. It’s not often we do interviews, just press conferences,” he says, sitting down across the table from her.

“Well, normally I interview celebrities, so this is a nice change of pace,” she answers. Apparently Steve isn’t a celebrity in her eyes despite the fact that he’s a national icon and has been since World War II.

“What would you like to know?” Steve changes the subject.

“I want to know about your journey. I want to know how-” she checks her notes, “-Steve Rogers got to where he is today; but not too much detail because I don’t actually care. You were born where?”

“I was born and raised in Brooklyn-,” Steve explains, but she cuts him off.

“-Isn’t that wonderful? Poor Brooklyn or Newsies Brooklyn?”

“Uh, it was more poor Brooklyn.”

“Poor Brooklyn, okay. And I’m assuming from the grammar…limited education.”

Steve nearly has to keep his jaw from dropping at her audacity. To keep his mouth from opening, he clenches his jaw as she continues with the questions. He may not be a genius like Tony, but he’s smart. While Tony’s head is filled with ideas for inventions, his is packed with military strategies, fighting styles, and a lifetime of wise advice that the team never wants to hear. Then, at night, what takes over his mind is how embarrassing the Rappin’ with Cap videos about hot lunches and tooth decay are.

She continues before he has a chance to respond, “There are a lot of words you don’t say. Rumors are you don’t swear, is that true?” Steve nods his head in affirmation. “Why? Are you scared of saying the words or something?”

Steve sighs, used to this kind of response. “I just think it sounds unintelligent and unprofessional.”

“Ah, and with your lack of education you want to sound as smart as possible. So, moving on, you stopped producing weapons. You said ‘I’m not gonna do it anymore’. Why is that?”

“Yeah, that uh, that wasn’t me, that was Tony.”

“And you are…?”

“Steve Rogers.”

She gasps, “These questions are not- I’m not prepared for this! Alright, improvising. Here’s one, how are you alive?”

“I beg your pardon?” Steve asks, not quite understanding if she’s referring to his age or a certain mission he shouldn’t have come back from.

“You went into the ice. Human cells are mostly made of water. When water freezes, it expands. Your cells should have burst.”

“They think that the serum prevented it from happening. The doctors said that instead of the water in my cells expanding that when it got cold it clumped together and turned solid. I’m not a scientist though, that’s something you would want to ask Bruce or Cho, they tried to explain it to me.”

“Bruce isn’t a medical doctor, right?” she asks.

“Right. But he studied the serum, attempting to replicate it and now that I’m here again he’s trying to learn more about it. I was basically a pin cushion for him in the beginning, he took so much blood.”

“Alright, last question. I wanna ask you about your relationship with Bucky Barnes.”

“He’s a very good friend-“ Steve begins.

“Lover.”

“What?”

“Is he your lover?” she asks again.

“No, he’s just a friend; basically my brother,” Steve defends.

“Admit it in this interview, he’s your male lover!”

“You’re just trying to get a reaction out of me!” Steve says. He knows he shouldn’t let her rile him up at all, but he can’t help it when the entire interview has been to hold.

“I’m not trying to get a reaction.”

“Yes you are, you’re trying to get a reaction out of me by saying ridiculous stuff like this!”

“I’ll tell you the reaction that I’m trying to get over, I’m trying to get over the fact that I thought this was with Stark!”

“You gotta be shitting me.”

“Oof, Rogers, you kiss your wife with that mouth? Or should I say you kiss Bucky with that mouth,” she says.

Steve pulls at his own hair before walking out of the conference room. She’ll find her own way out. What the hell kind of interview was that? The questions were almost nonsensical, followed no pattern or sequence, and apparently she thought she was interviewing a different person. He’s been angered by interviewers before, especially when they try to work in “gotcha” questions, but never straight up insulted like this with the education comment. He’s not sure if the others are done with their interviews yet but if he needs to talk to them, he can text. He’s headed home.

You unlock your front door and drop your purse after closing the door. Before you even get a chance to turn on the light, a voice calls out. “Limited education?”

You jump a bit and put your hand on your chest. You look over to see a dark figure on the couch. He stands up and slowly walks over until he’s in the light shining through the front windows from the street lights. “I think you deserved it,” you say.

“Oh really?” he asks.

“Yes. Texting your wife that you’re getting in and then staying at the compound?” You walk closer to him. “I stayed up for hours worried that something happened to you in the last few minutes of the flight and you said I’m not allowed to call you during missions.”

“I’m sorry babe, my phone died and I passed out when I went to go take off my uniform. Can you forgive me?” he asks, wrapping his arms around your waist.

You look up at him then at his chest. “I mean, a massage would definitely help…”

He laughs. “I was about to ask the same thing of you, especially after FRIDAY showed Tony the full recording of my interview and then had an almost two hour phone call with me about it. He’s gonna kill me when he finds out the interviewer was my wife. Actually it’s gonna be when he finds out I got married and didn’t invite the team.”

“Well don’t worry about it,” you say, setting your hands against his chest and feel his strong heart beating beneath his skin. “He’ll understand since you two weren’t on good terms at the time. In other news, I wrote you a shining review about how you’re smart, selfless, brave, kind, and how sexy your ass is.”

He laughs and leans down to kiss you. The kiss is chaste but sweet. “We’re having dinner with the team on Thursday.”

It’s Monday today so that gives me only 3 days to mentally prepare to meet the people most important to him. “Are you sure?” I ask nervously.

“Of course! You already know Bucky and he loves you. I’m sure the rest of the team will too. Besides, how else will we explain the great article about me when Tony saw the interview.”

“Did you tell them they’re having dinner with you and your wife?” I ask. I have hung out with Bucky and Steve dozens of times. He comes over for dinner at least twice a week and he was the best man at Steve’s second wedding. Because Tony and Steve had been split apart, he really wanted Bucky at his wedding, even though he wasn’t fully recovered yet. I think Steve would’ve put him in a straight jacket had it meant he could be there. Bucky also wanted to be there more than anything, he was just terrified he would ruin Steve’s day. So after telling Bucky, you had a small, second ceremony that Bucky was able to attend, along with Steve’s Wakandan friends. We may end up having a third ceremony that the team can finally attend.

“Nope. I just told them team dinner on Thursday and they have to be there. But for now, how about we head to the bedroom and get reacquainted?” he asks, wiggling his eyebrows and biting his full lower lip.

“Yeah, you need to take care of your wife that you left alone for a week. Otherwise you’ll get an article about your secret addition to glazed donuts and soap operas!”

Taglist: @imanuglywombat

#Steve Rogers #steve x reader #captain america #the interview #fluff #Avengers #The Avengers #steve rogers x reader #steve x you #tony stark #Bucky Barnes

88 notes · View notes

faakeid · 4 years

Note

Ji "confession" written for Kyungsoo?

I wanted to talk about it in another post, but this will do with no problems.

First of all, I want to bring the lyrics and observe some points of it. Like how JI actively participated on the lyrics composition. It’s different from Spoiler, for example, that had other composers and neither JI or CY were involved (Loey also was credited in Confession lyrics). At the same time tho, there’s no much background or publicity about this fact of the story behind this song. Which is kind of a paradox, since JI participated actively on this process.

There was even a live JI did at 191229 where he mentioned a bit about revealing Spoiler to the public.At 2:53 he mentions how it’s totally different from Confession and is about to explain the difference when he, suddenly, stops himself and quickly finishes the livestream.

youtube

Another points that gets my attention while listening to Confession are:

It’s originally a very sexualized song (the title Favorite Position says it all lool), but it changed drastically with JI’s composition (although the stage is sort of sexual since he’s shirtless and all of that). In other hand, Spoiler gets more evident in terms of sexualization lyrically speaking, using terms like “let’s skip the conversation” and others that lead the characters to a sexual encounter and what may happen after that;

The fact Confession doesn’t use female pronouns to refer to the partner JI is singing to. You imagine he’s singing to a woman because he’s a man (which doesn’t invalidate the hypothesis of singing to another man but ok) and because there’s a backup vocal that mentions “girl” once or twice in the middle of the song. That’s it. Because the lyrics don’t talk about a girl at all. And he composed this song meanwhile, again, Spoiler wasn’t composed by him. Moving on;

It’s bizarre how, somehow, the composers of Spoiler seem to make a reference to Confession using this word in the lyrics “ What do you want, a frank character? I need your confession” (this part is written in English). The way it was put, it seemed to me like Spoiler was a remake of confession or a sequel, evidencing it more in a modern way of, perhaps, a temporary relationship between a man and a woman based more on sex. In other words, taking the ambiguous feel Confession left.

The lyrics itself

There are some people who interpreted the lyrics in their own way. That’s a positive thing about music: it’s open for different points of view. So some aspects may differ from what people said, but replying to your main question: yes, I believe Confession was written with KS in mind.

Points that make me think that:

Your poker face cannot be read

elegance pervades your whole body

Pilates makes gestures more elegant and harmonic

From Monday to Friday there's no way to find exit because I fall in love even more with you: It talks about how he’s involved through all this time, every day. Clearly a different process seen in a sexual gathering. Instead of feeling satisfied and go to someone else, the inverse happens here. There are new layers, more reasons about why he falls in love with the person;

I replaced the lie with a more exact and complete truth: JI accepts that he does feel a lot for the person, that’s why he said he replaced the lie (that he doesn’t feel anything) with the complete truth;

You don’t need to hide something inside your ego, take it off. The deeper secret is the feeling that changed you. Confess it all to me: the recipent feels the same and JI knows it. But, at the same time, doesn’t want to admit the feelings are mutual. It’s a deep secret the recipient needs to hide, probably because of his ego. JI wants the person to be open about it and admit his feelings. It shows how the song is not simply a “hello, I want u let’s fuck”. There’s more involved and we can interpret this relationship happens for a while to develop such feelings admist the life routine and boredom it brings to some people;

I just wanna know ya, time for confession. Time for confession. Hit yourself up: this part may pass the impression JI and the recipient don’t know each other very well. But it’s not true, When he says, “I just wanna know ya”, it’s because it’s estabilished the recipient hides his own self, his own feelings and makes harder for JI to fully meet the person he’s involved with. And when he says “hit youself up” it’s the way to mention how the recipient needs to make an action, to connect and contact first, say his name (as a way of aknowledgment) and confess;

Your voice is deeper than the darkness of the night: that is another key point that give away the fact this song wasn’t created with a female in mind. Even scientifically speaking, a female voice tends to have a higher range than a male;

An adult woman’s average range is from 165 to 255 Hz, while a man’s is 85 to 155 Hz (see sources). Men’s voices are generally deeper because the surge of testosterone released during puberty causes their vocal cords to elongate and thicken (source).

Besides, KS’s voice is well known for being low in both singing and speaking. Won’t show videos for that since it’s a well know fact already.

Your gaze is focused, as if you are looking for something, that’s all: some gifs I posted above show this side of KS as well hehe.

I still want your limp body. All I want is your love: another sentence that shows it’s not a casual relationship for JI. It doesn’t matter if the body is weak or getting old or if there are injuries along the way. He wants the soul, the feelings, the love from the recipient;

Wake up slowly. Don't worry, it's time to let it go. You don’t need make up: this sentence can be ambiguous, especially because it uses make up. Some people interpret it as a literal make-up and it could be the real meaning because it talked about getting older and the action of waking up. But it also may mean make up something or pretend and it also has base in what JI said before. So both meanings could be valid here (when looking for translations in other languages the meaning was surrounded by a literal make up but anyways). Embracing the idea of a literal make up is a poetic way to embrace imperfections. When we are around someone we love, we want to show the best sides of ourselves. A perfect face, flawless body and mental health in check. But JI accepts the recipient the way he is and wants him to do the same. Go to him the way you are, without restrictions or inibitions;

Come even close to me with your head up and feel sad right now: there’s a process going on here. The recipient needs to be vulnerable and get closer to the person he loves (in this case JI). But this person also needs to do it confidently (with the head up) and feeling sad, which means the recipient needs to accept his feelings even if they’re dark or if he wants to naturally hide them.It’s another clue that this process is not only sexual. On the contrary. There are many layers in this relationship and the song shows them all.

Coincidentially, I came across this article talking about KS’s voice and the person mentions in some occasions how his insecurity affects his performance If a vocal coach can notice his insecurity, imagine those who are close to him;

Baek also said once that KS needs to believe in his heart and not listen to what others think, which could show a bit this side of him (that matches the song accurately).

Come even close, I want more. Know what I’m saying, you know what I’m saying: again, the closure JI seeks is not only physical. It’s not only the body, the satisfaction, the sex. There are a lot of feelings involved from his part and he wants the confirmation they’re mutual, he wants the closure to the recipient. And ofc, the recipient knows it pretty well.

So, if I believe this song is about KS? Oh yeah 😜

125 notes · View notes

entamesubs · 3 years

Text

Yu-Gi-Oh! SEVENS Blu-Ray: Episode 5

Google Drive ONLY (for now)

Support us on ko-fi

Blu-Ray episodes will come out one at a time every Friday, until I’m done with the full first season (1-13).

The next episode should be up on September 3rd, barring surprise events. We’re out of the RR era and into tempsubs now!

--------------

Please use either MPV or MPC-HC to view the Blu-Ray episodes. I do NOT recommend using VLC.

Please check the post for episodes 1&2 to see why.

--------------

!! This is NOT a final release !!

Nor are any of the files on Google Drive. They will be polished and edited one more time before being put up on Nyaa. Stuff I decide on changing halfway through these episodes will eventually be changed for Nyaa release.

Until that happens, the Google Drive folder is more like a “final draft” than a finished product. I will not be going back to change font, styling, or certain wording until I’m done with all the other episodes first.

--------------

Extended Translation Notes

Typesetting changes

The same as my post on them here for episode 62.

TL;DR

Bahnschrift -> Gandhi Sans Bold.

Athelas -> Berlin Sans FB Demi Bold (for Luke)

White text, black outline, colored shadow for summoning chants for the sake of readability

Bakuro’s font is Lato Black. It’ll be the default font used for most summoning chants unless it’s a special or important character, in which case I’ll stylize it differently.

These are what the subs should look like:

If they don’t look like these images, please reblog or reply to this post with a comment. I’ll try to fix it before final release.

Minor wording changes “Rules” -> “Format”

They very clearly say “rules” in English over the course of this episode, but in the midst of translating this I realize that a more appropriate localization may be “format” because that’s what we would actually call something like Rush Duels in English.

Rather than “rules”, it’s very clearly a new “format”, which makes more sense for English speakers. When the final version is released on Nyaa after I’m done with everything here, I’ll probably scrub through previous episodes to switch “rules” to “format”, unless it’s fine as it is in context and makes sense.

You may see one or two “rules” in the subs for this episode; they were kept intentionally. Otherwise, we’ll mostly be using “format” whenever they refer to Rush Duels like this again.

Rush Dragon Dragears -> Striking Dragon Dragias -> Multistrike Dragon Dragias

So if you haven’t noticed, Dragias’ name has been on a wild rollercoaster ride since the start of this series. A lot of people are used to Dragears as it was the initial translation by YGOrg. This is not really wrong, by the way.

The reason why there is so much switching is due to localization. With the official release of the SEVENS Puzzles & Dragons collaboration event for global servers, we learned that the TCG name for Dragias is “Multistrike Dragon Dragias”.

This also backs up an earlier-released pillow set with English monster names, so you can expect to see “Yamiruler, the Dark Delayer” and “Prima Guitarna the Shining Superstar” in the subs after finalizations are made.

Why? Because I believe in using the TCG names as that is what people will be most used to once the game releases here in the West (and yes, it is coming). I have already been using TCG phrasing for various other terms, like “tribute summoning” instead of “advance summoning”, or “spell card” instead of “magic card”.

As we get more news on the TCG release of Rush Duels, I will be changing card names accordingly.

Light Bullet -> Light Blast

Some more minor Dragias changes. This is the name of his first attack. I felt like “blast” was a lot more accurate than “bullet” which is just the literal translation of 弾 (dan).

Bakuro’s lines

RoadRush:

“Rush Duels [have] got very shallow rules, where even I, who has difficulty remembering things, can remember them easily.”

Original Japanese: 「ラッシュデュエルは覚えたての僕ですら簡単に勝てるほどの底の浅いルールだとね｡」

This is just a straight-up mistranslation. Unfortunately, this is not what Bakuro said.

It should be something more along the lines of “Rush Duels are so shallow that even I, someone who’s just learned it, can grasp it so quickly”. Bakuro does not have a faulty memory.

覚える can mean “to remember” or “to memorize”, however its second definition is also “to learn”. What makes this definitively “to learn” is the presence of the ending たて (-tate), which is used to signify when it’s someone’s “just done” something.

In this case, Bakuro has “just learned” Rush Duels.

廃刊 (haikan) “ceasing publication”

When Bakuro is defeated, he says these words. Earlier in the episode, they were translated as “shut down”, but the word specifically means “ceasing the publication of some news or article” which also includes things like magazines.

The reason the subs say “report... over” instead of “ceasing publication” or “shut down” is because I just felt like it was a really weird set of words to say out of context. I instead opted for something that makes more sense in English, like Bakuro who’s just finished reporting from the scene, therefore “report over”.

--------------

For people interested in the raw BDMV vs encoded final video comparisons, click here. (Click the image in the center to swap between “raw BD” and “encoded”).

--------------

Credits

Translation, timing: entame Proofreading: angelthinktank (Yona) Encoding: PelvisBass

#yugioh #yugioh sevens #yugioh sevens spoilers #ygo sevens #entamesubs release #E005 #BD release

5 notes · View notes

bunnymcbunnister · 4 years

Text

SPN Season 15 Spoiler Sheet, update 8/31

Waited until that second trailer came out to post. I am LIVING with all this new content! Mind the disclaimer and check it out under the cut.

DISCLAIMER: This is gathered info from various sources. This is not confirmed information. Stuff in this WILL be wrong. Don’t take this too seriously. This is for fun. Also, if you use this info for another publication, please let me know as a courtesy. Don’t be a dick. It's all out there, but it hurts to see my same phrasing on other publications after all the work I’ve done to consolidate it…

General Info (oldest to newest). This is a blend of pre-COVID and post COVID, so some might change.

They are adding a whole extra day to filming to do the final scene. They will film the final scene last. (Implies logistics- lots of returning people?) PRE COVID SPOILER

In an interview, Kripe indicated that the series ending would have “peace” for Sam and Dean

Not much new at the TCA’s, but it was said it is “unlikely” Jeffery Dean Morgan will be back since his last appearance was such a good end note. There were some jokes about a Castiel spin off.

There will be a special tribute ep (Post COVID talk seems to indicate this will stil happen)

Misha will be in 15 out of 20 episodes this season (he’s missed 3 so far and I suspect will miss 14 and 16, unclear about 19).

Cas’ deal with the Empty may come up later in the season.

Jack will be a critical part of the ending of the show

Dean and Amara’s connection will be explored

There will be a bunker themed episode (MarySue article)

In one of his cookbook interviews, Misha used the word “we” several times when talking about the final scene of Supernatural. He said that would be the last scene they shoot. It seemed to imply that he was in the scene, but that could be open to interpretation.

JaxCon/Vegas Con spoilers:

Misha said the ending was “happier than he expected” but also had some sadness. He later used “sad and redemptive”

Misha mentioned that Claire will be mentioned on the show, but as of yet not appear.

Dean says the line “stop killing my people” (to god?)

Jensen said he doesn’t see how the story could continue past this season, but Jared said its more of “a see you later”

Misha confirmed he’s in the final scene, but he also indicated he had one week of filming left (total?) PRE COVID SPOILER

Al Cal posted a pic of a “thrown away” call sheet that seem to indicate Micheal, Lucifer, and a character named “Betty” interacting in the bunker. Unclear as to the validity.

There will be a flashback episode

Charlie (original flavor) will return

Filming will resume on Aug 18th. Per Canadian policy, they must quarantine for two weeks. Those quarantining seems to include:

Fairly Clear: Jared, Jensen, Jake Abel (Micheal), Rob Benedict (Chuck/God) Mark Pelligrino (Lucifer), Al Cal (didn't need to quarantine, but he is definitely on set)

Unclear/Rumored: Misha (he is being deliberately cagey), Osric Chau (Kevin- but likely for another project, he was a week ahead of everyone else) Jim Beaver (Bobby) flew to Vancouver on 8/26, so he could make it for the last couple days of filming with a quarantine

No idea: Shoshannah Stern and Ruth

Reasons Unlikely: Sam Smith (chemo treatment), Kim Rhodes (working at a camp during quarantine)

Jensen said sp 19 is more of a season finale, while 20 is a series finale. Repeated in interviews/livestreams.

Megan Fitz. complimented both Dabb’s and Glynn’s writing on twitter. Not sure if it is in reference to rewrites or the special retrospective that is planned.

Jensen indicated that the ending did change per COVID protocols. Unclear how much.

Misha is being very, very cagey about where he is. Some live streams seem to indicate he is not at home, but he has yet to confirm- his presence in 19/20 is hard to track. In an interview with Metaverse, he was in bed in a hotel looking space and you could see mountains in the background. He was not on set for the first week of filming, so he could be a week behind.

Misha has thrown around the words “final” and “what he <Misha> would have wanted” per Cas’ ending. “Sad/Proud” and “poignant” were also used.

The final episodes will premier October 8th. The finale will air Nov 19th in conjunction with an hour long special.

A trailer was released on 8/27. Scenes included:

A moving speech from Sam to Dean

(Possibly from 18) A teary conversation between Dean and Cas

Injured Dean being helped by Cas in the bunker

Jack breaking some cuffs/bring thrown into a wall/saying he has to kill god

Dean and his grenade launcher and a purple nightgown

Sam in a sweater vest getting a gun from under a pillow

A glimpse of a body with “Lust” written above it/a matronly woman (I think the villain from 14) saying “Boys”

Ghost Dean? Little Sam cutting off a hand

Some intermixed scenes from past episodes

A second trailer was released on 8/31. Scenes included:

A monologue from Billie about god coming to destroy the planet plus her banging on a bunker door (with her hand all gooey) and striking someone with her sythe

Jack continuing his speech about killing god but expanding that he has a ritual to do

Lots of red danger lights in the bunker/ 3 people getting tossed around in the bunker/Chuck in the bunker

Chuck saying he doesn't believe Sam and Dean can kill him

Young Sam and not ghost Young dean

Dean angrily driving the Impala then saying “its time”

Cas drawing his blade in front of an old truck to protect someone in a suit (Jack? I cant tell)

More Dean tears

A surprise appearance from Bobby

Some of the same scenes as before

Episode 15x14

Title: Last Holiday

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS: MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME – Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) discover a wood nymph (guest star Meagan Fey) living in the bunker who is determined to protect her family, at any cost. Eduardo Sanchez directed the episode written by Jeremy Adams (#1514). Original airdate 3/30/2020.

Written by: Jeremy Adams

Director: Eduardo Sanchez

Filming Dates:1/15- 1/24

Airdate: unknown- October 8th

Photos:

Promo:

Sneak Peak:

Castiel ? eh… I don't think so Jack ? yes

Guest stars:

Other Spoilers/info:

Misha mentioned being at an airport the first day of filming, maybe he’ll miss this one

The director shared a BTS shot with AlCal’s chair in the background. He also posted on that looked like the statues in hell. Lots of filming at the bunker. A few impala shots were shared as well.

In an EW article, a mysterious woman gives Sam and Dean every holiday they ever missed. Based on the title, I’m guessing this!

Episode 15x15

Title: Gimme Shelter

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Written by: ?? Davy Perez???? They seem to be keeping it under wraps for some reason

Director: Matt Cohen

Filming Dates: 1/27-2/5

Airdate: unknown. October 15th?

Photos:

Promo:

Sneak Peak:

Castiel ?yes Jack ? Yes

Guest stars:

Other Spoilers/info:

There was some filming done at the crossroads with only Misha.

Alex and Misha filmed together

It seems as if J2 didn’t film at all the first week, Misha filmed six or seven days, this is a Cas centric ep

Episode 15x16

Title: Drag Me Away (From You)

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Written by: Megan Fitzmartin

Director: Amyn Kaderali

Filming Dates: 2/6-2/17

Airdate: October 22nd?

Photos:

Promo:

Sneak Peak:

Castiel ? I think so… briefly? Jack ? not sure either.

Guest stars: IMDB credits Lisa Berry (Billie/Death)

Other Spoilers/info:

Alex got a cast of his face around the filming of this- so this ep or the one after

Looks like we get Dean in a robe!

They filmed at Rooster’s Sunrise Hotel for 3 days/nights

This might be the flashback ep

Episode 15x17

Title: Unity

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Written by: Meredith Gylnn

Director: Catrion McKenzie

Filming Dates: 2/19-2/28

Airdate: Oct 29th?

Photos:

Promo:

Sneak Peak:

Castiel ? yes Jack ? yes

Guest stars: Rob benedict and Emily Sparrow

Other Spoilers/info:

Chuck and Amara trailers were seen on set when filming in a garden

Jensen was in NOLA Friday, possible Monday

“Uriel” was around for filming (Post COVID update: Misha seemed to indicate that this was because the actor was nearby filming? Not sure if this is to cover up the spoiler or the truth)

Alex and Jensen filmed in the imala

Episode 15x18

Title: The Truth

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Written by: BOBO

Director: Speight

Filming Dates: 3/2--3/11

Airdate: Nov 5th?

Photos:

Promo:

Sneak Peak:

Castiel ? yes Jack ? yes

Guest stars:

Other Spoilers/info:

Misha and Alex filmed near the impala. J2 showed up later that night. This was the source of the “last time they all filmed on set” photo)

An really emotional scene was filmed with Misha and Jensen. Jared was definitely not there, but Alex was on the flight they took with Rich, so its possible he was too. This was revealed at a con in which the four of them were on a plane that had an in-flight problem.

Filming watchers saw a bro hug

Tape Ball posted a shot of field that looks like were dean came back from hell

Misha indicated this was his “favorite episode” in a recent interview

Episode 15x19

Title: Inherit the Earth

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Written by: bucklelimg

Director: John Showalter

Filming Dates:: 3/12-3/23/cancelled for COVID and then 8/18-8/27

Airdate: Nov 12th

Photos:

Promo:

Sneak Peak:

Castiel ? unknown Jack ? yes

Guest stars: Jake Abel (Micheal), Mark Pelligrino (Lucifer)

Other Spoilers/info:

Production shut down as a precaution for coronavirus on 3/13, two days into filming. It is scheduled to start again on Aug 18th.

Jensen indicated there might be some re-writes for this ep to account for COVID protocols.

When they started filming, they indicated they were on day two. So maybe they could only use some of the scenes they shot? Then they added an extra day all called it day 9. COVID protocols makes things take longer

AlCal was definitely on set.

Jake Abel is definitely on set, and he posted an instagram story with his trailer and Lucifer’s (Mark Pelligrino)

Some filming was done at a gas station called Showalter’s (name of the director) with Jared, Jensen, and Alex

Jake “Spoiler King” Abel filmed a video showing chairs for Jared, Jensen, and Alex as well as Rob Benedict (Chuck/God). They were filming near a lake with a mountain view (that looked similar to where Cas died in season 13)

Rob Benedict posted it was his last day in Vancouver, indicating we won't see Chuck past this episode? Or very very briefly in 20? Jake Abel posted a similar message, also baiting fans about Misha’s whereabouts

Episode 15x20

Title: Carry On

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Written by: Dabb

Director: Bob Singer

Filming Dates: 8/28- 911? (9/7 is Labor Day, not sure if that affect filming in Canada, or if the finale still requires an extra day. COVID makes things take longer as well)

Airdate: November 19th

Photos:

Promo:

Sneak Peak:

Castiel ? maaaaybe? Jack ? maaaaybe?

Guest stars:

Other Spoilers/info:

Misha is in the final scene, per pre COVID interviews.

Jake Abel used a “we” when he tweeted about getting back to work as soon as the virus scare ended, indicating Adam/Micheal would be part of the finale. He is quarantining, so this seems likely. Now looking like he was referencing 19.

Jensen indicated filming would take two weeks, longer than usual

#supernatural #spn spoilers #spn season 15 #spoiler sheet

97 notes · View notes