#I love a solo cinema trip

[unclefungusthegoat]

Napoleon time woooooo

[soulprompts]

IDEAS FOR A DATE! ( A PROMPT LIST! )

now before i give this list, i want to address two things: 1) i'm enclosing a list of reasons for people to go on dates, because i want to, and also because there's some very good reasons for dates, and 2) i plan to write another list that's not as modern and contemporary, for my historical and fantastical and science-fictionally minded angels! for now, bon appetit: remember, your muses might be undercover, on a blind date, on a first date, matched online, a platonic date, trying to make other love interests jealous, like there are so many reasons, don't be shy, and DON'T ADD TO THIS LIST.

[ LEARN ]: the sender and receiver attend a class together (e.g. for cooking, baking, dancing, pottery, etc.) for a date.

[ ARCADE ]: the sender and receiver decide to visit an arcade together for a date.

[ DRINK ]: the sender and receiver meet each other at a bar for a date.

[ SANDY ]: the sender and receiver go to the beach together for a date involving strolling, a picnic, swimming and watching the sunset!

[ STRIKE! ]: the sender and receiver meet at a bowling alley for a date to practice their bowling skills.

[ MORNING ]: the sender and receiver decide to meet for a breakfast date rather than a dinner one.

[ FOREST ]: the sender and receiver take a weekend break in the woods, staying in a lovely cabin surrounded by nature.

[ TENT ]: alternatively, instead of finding a cabin to stay in for the night, the sender and receiver pack their tents and head out for a camping trip instead.

[ POPCORN ]: the sender and receiver opt for the classic date option of going to see a movie at the cinema together.

[ CAFÉ ]: going for a more relaxed option, the sender and receiver arrange to meet up for coffee and cake at a local café for a date.

[ MUSIC ]: finding tickets to their favorite band's concert, the sender and receiver head out for the night to listen to them play.

[ BICYCLE ]: the sender and receiver mount their bikes and head off to cycle in the countryside together.

[ DUO ]: the sender and receiver set up the bluetooth speakers and dance together in the peace of their own home to the sounds of their favorite songs.

[ DIY ]: the sender and receiver are about to go out for a date, but instead end up staying at home to complete a DIY project together.

[ ESCAPE ]: the sender and receiver attempt to solve an escape room together for a particularly exciting date.

[ COMMUNITY ]: the sender and receiver visit a local fair, festival, market or parade together for a date.

[ PLUS ONE ]: the sender and receiver put on their glad rags and attend a very fancy and prestigious event together.

[ WINNER ]: the sender and receiver set up a game night (card games, board games, video games, etc.) at home for their date.

[ GELATO ]: the sender and receiver head out to the best ice-cream parlour in town for a cold and sweet date.

[ SPEED ]: the sender and receiver go to a go-karting track for a particularly competitive date.

[ HIKE ]: the sender and receiver lace up their hiking boots and head out to a scenic hiking route together.

[ SADDLE UP ]: the sender and receiver take the reins and head out for a scenic horseback riding session together.

[ UP ]: the sender and receiver take an unforgettable ride in a hot air balloon for a date.

[ SING ]: the sender and receiver find a local karaoke bar and take turns singing solos and duets together.

[ PAGES ]: the sender and receiver find a cozy library-café and spend an enjoyable date reading books and drinking coffee together.

[ CHEF ]: deciding to stay in for the evening, the sender and receiver decide to make dinner together in the comfort of their own home.

[ HOLE IN ONE ]: the sender and receiver find a nearby mini-golf course and decide to play a few holes together.

[ MOVIE ]: the sender and receiver pick a few movies to watch for the evening and curl up on the sofa with some snacks to watch them together.

[ PAST ]: the sender and receiver go to a museum or an art gallery together to see the displays and get to know one another better.

[ CLUB ]: the sender and receiver get dolled up and go to a very popular and newly opened nightclub together.

[ PORTRAIT ]: the sender and receiver get canvases and paints and begin to paint one another at home, leaving plenty of peace and quiet to get to know each other.

[ AIM ]: the sender and receiver get suited up to go for a paintballing session together.

[ OUTSIDE ]: the sender and receiver get their nicest blanket, their favorite refreshments, and head out to a park for a nice relaxing picnic.

[ ITALIANO ]: the sender and receiver attempt to make their own pizzas at home together.

[ DINNER ]: the sender and receiver go to a nice restaurant together for a dinner date.

[ ROAD ]: the sender and the receiver embark on a long but worthwhile road trip together.

[ ROWING ]: the sender and receiver get into a rowboat together and guide the boat down the river.

[ QUICK ]: the sender and receiver meet one another for the first time at a speed dating event.

[ ROLLER ]: the sender and receiver put their roller-blades on and hit the rinks together.

[ RELAX ]: the sender and receiver head out to a luxurious spa resort together for some well-earned rest and massages.

[ COMFORT ]: the sender and receiver transform their home into a makeshift spa and give each other facials and massages for the evening.

[ STARS ]: the sender and receiver stretch out on the rooftop/lawn/back of a truck etc. for a night of star-gazing together.

[ WALK ]: the sender and the receiver go out for a nice, relaxing stroll together to see the sights.

[ POOL ]: the sender and receiver go out to the pool, beach or lake for a swimming session together.

[ SHARE ]: the sender and receiver split the evening in half to teach one another a skill that they're particularly good at (e.g. the sender teaching the receiver how to paint, etc.)

[ QUIZ ]: the sender and receiver go out together and find a local pub that's hosting a table quiz event, which they decide to enter.

[ AWAY ]: the sender and the receiver decide to indulge in a long vacation somewhere that they've both wanted to go for a long time.

[ BREAK ]: in the spirit of compromising, the sender and receiver book a nice quiet weekend break together.

[ SIP ]: the sender and receiver book tickets for a wine tasting event in a local vineyard.

[ SAIL ]: the sender and receiver go out on a yacht for the evening.

[sapphicbookclub]

Author Spotlight: Jenna Jarvis

Although club members got to read it a little earlier, Jenna Jarvis's Ride With Me is now available for everyone! To celebrate the release, check out Jenna's essay on writing about road-trips and the outlaw below.

Ride with Me is a queer romance about a pair of disaster bisexual sisters-in-law who take a long drive west across the United States together. One is trying to run from her marriage, the other trying to have her great American road-trip. It’s my first non-fantasy book, but in many ways it felt very familiar for me to write, since Digging for Heaven was also, in its way, about travelling with someone. I love nothing more than a good road-trip story. In fantasy, all my favourite sections of the Song of Ice and Fire and The Lord of the Rings or more recently N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth series were the ones trapping two or more unlikely characters together for the duration of a journey. I loved reading about how they deal with the mundanity of putting up with another person for an extended length of time. Comedies like A Goofy Movie, Little Miss Sunshine and Are We There Yet? delighted me as a kid and gave me a love for stories about people only talking about their problems after reaching boiling point. It can be easier to talk seriously when in motion, and these films hinge on that. The famous Ladybird scene of our titular character throwing herself from her mom’s car to avoid further conversation with her is often on my mind when writing car dialogue.

There’s a lot of things that have mythologised the United States for me. It's inescapable, omnipresent as a cultural hegemony with a history and mythos invented in full performative view of the world. Their road-trip stories are inextricable from the aesthetics of the western, and the long and loaded history of going west to reinvent yourself: enmeshed with the colonial legacy of manifest destiny. To celebrate the legacy of the solo gunslinger canonised by the movies is to ignore the black and brown bodily reality of the cowboy, and the question of who becomes memorialised or pitied when living beyond the grip of “society”. With his camp imagery and post Brokeback cinema impression the cowboy has become a popular queer hero. But as with most things in American history whiteness is still critical to that image, and that extends to the movies playing with the image of the outlaw going west.

Thelma and Louise’s Thelma spend much of the end of the film in a t-shirt emblazoned with the confederate flag. The Devil’s Rejects has Otis quote white supremacist Charles Manson. In To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, a dream of a queer comedy about three drag queens in an impractical car, race is an absolutely cutting and often jarring wedge between the characters and to a lesser but key extent between the film and a modern audience. The Blues Brothers both uplifts and pushes from the centre its black characters, the plot pointless and voiceless without them and yet never very interested in them. Supernatural ran for fifteen seasons from the Bush administration, its characters driving around their country unchecked executing those more outside of society than themselves. Throughout the series they are regularly assumed to be white supremacists. None of this theming, to me, reads as incidental, even if it wasn’t intentional on the part of the various creators.

But road-trips always feel hopeful too, at least while they’re still moving. They’re romantic, in a sense of riding off into the sunset with a Just Married sign (Just Married being another hugely influential movie to me, I’m sorry to say) – but also to leave alone, as to an extent both of my characters feel they’re doing at the beginning. The act of driving at all is empowering: the act is proof you’re of age, and deemed trustworthy by society, and bold enough to control a dangerous vehicle (can you tell I can’t drive). It’s the fantasy of getting away from it all, of maybe never returning to where you came from. It’s the opening/ending of Showgirls, it’s the high midpoint of Barbie, it’s the hysterically cutting twist of Gone Girl, it’s a cross-genre favourite focus for an endless number of songs.

I’m probably going to keep writing road trip stories forever, because they’re some of my favourite ways to make characters interact with each other. But as with any genre or structure I approach, it helps to keep in mind what’s come before, in both an inspirational and damning sense. So many of the images that sing to me that I wanted to write about here are also coming from a symbology of American capitalism and individualism – the highway and car, or in this case, van - over lands forcibly emptied of their indigenous people. That haunts most stories tackling them, and remembering those ghosts felt critical even when writing a light-hearted rom-com.

For more on the complicated queer history on the cowboy check out Kaz Rowe’s video on it which I was trying really hard not to completely plagiarise here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0AOwdODmMA

[woonierkiz]

 *. ⋆  WELCOME TO W00NiE CiTY ! FIRST DESTINATION, BOOKSTORE

FIRST STOP ! ヤ MAPLE STREET by mayor jake sim

BURN THE MEMOIR ! smau . . . ( on hold )

PRECIS, Jake Sim skipped his violin lessons to hang out with his friends, and they suggested going to Starbucks. However, he doesn't know how to order a drink at Starbucks. But when he saw this cute barista, he couldn't stop stuttering and making up a weird combination of a latte. When the barista asked for his name, he thought she was making a move. So, he gave his number instead! 

GENRE — smau with written chapters, second-hand embarrassment moments, idiots in love.

SECOND STOP ! ✦ CANDY STREET by mayor jungwon yang

VALENTINE BY VALENTINA ! mini smau . . . ( upcoming )

PRECIS, Valentina, the new solo artist of Ador, runs a mini show where she gives a gift to strangers for a gift on Valentine's and accidentally runs to Jungwon, whose dancing her song cupid at the hallway.

GENRE — idol au, smau with written chapters, second-hand embarrassment moments, fluffy fluff, crack, idiots in love.

THIRD STOP ! ♡ CORNELIA STREET by mayor niki nishimura

BEAT THAT ALLEGATIONS ! smau . . . ( ongoing - on hold )

PRECIS, Niki Nishimura finally found his only soulmate, the one who will respect and see him as himself, who you can be yourself, and makes him smile and shines his day whenever they see them. They finally got the courage to be themselves on screen but people find them just friends. They are exhausted from people telling them they are just best friends, They need to beat the best friend allegations.

GENRE — fluff, idol au, verrry slight angst, crack

BUTTERED POPCORN ! mini smau . . . ( upcoming )

PRECIS, Niki Nishimura was watching avatar 2 in the cinema dressed up like a criminal since he was an idol but didn't notice that his idol crush happened to be his seatmate at the cinema and ate his popcorn and thought it was hers. That night he found out who ate his popcorn after seeing the same person trying to eat in the hallway while re-watching avatar 2 across their dorm room.

GENRE — smau with written chapters, fluff & crack

THE SLAP ACCIDENT ! mini smau . . . ( upcoming )

PRECIS, Niki Nishimura was known as the class clown & infamous delinquent but he was more known as the person who secretly like yn the loud introvert of their class, however niki accidently slap her ass & thinks that she was rei, his best friend.

GENRE — smau with written chapters, fluff & crack

( you cant tell how much i love cornelia street so much )

FORTH STOP ! 𓆩♡𓆪 CUPIDS STREET by mayor heeseung lee

LAST, FIRST, SECOND TO MY HEART ! smau . . . ( upcoming )

PRECIS, After being transferred to Decelis academy and trying to change a new lifestyle, however, a rumor started to spread that the rugby player Lee Heeseung was your boyfriend. Your life becomes hell as you become tramped with many obstacles as this rumors wildspread and even reaching you family, the fact that your mother wants to bring Lee Heeseung along for the summer as you become panicking and agree and give her affirmation to bring him—the fact you never talked with Lee Heeseung about these rumors.

GENRE — smau, fake dating, written chapters, slow-burn angst, fluff, bullying

 *. ⋆ DiD YOU ENJOY THE RiDE ? SECOND DESTiNATION, SUPERMARKET

FIFTH STOP ! ▽ ANGELS STREET by [redacted]

PRECIS, █████▒▒▒▒▒█████████████▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ⋘ ᴛʀʏ ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ... ⋙

. . . the bus has run out of gas ! please wait for a while until we proceed our trip !

ria's tablet ! i love interacting with you all, and seeing just little comments made my day. Unfortunetly, i wasn't able to update. I have test coming up, hope you all understand ♡ don't be afraid to like or reblog my post it honestly a boost to see someones work got reblog !! THANK YOI

[ranseltoska]

"I kinda think I am becoming the adults in the little prince book. Living a mundane life and mediocre one, not having any dreams, sparks, or passion at all, don't even know where to go and what to look for. Such a walking shell without a soul."

This is my entry when I turned older on my birthday last week. I don't know what to feel, I don't know what to expect, I don't know what will change. I just feel like I always in this staying a float phase, not flying and trying to not drowning myself. But as I go through my personal memories last year, I feel like whatever phase I am in I am doing quite a good life, somehow.

Starting the year with exo performing together again, win a giveaway to eat at gelora baik for free, go to solo to spend day with alifa, trying new place like bakmi gandhok, bakmi bersahadja 77, warung bahtera. Solo trip with mbak flos. Watching someday or another day and reading gadis kretek. Learning english translation seriously.

On february, trying new places again; ceria cafe, cinema bakery, wm berdikari, dragon hot pot. Watching jalan yang jauh jangan lupa pulang with ilak. Coming to arin's wedding with andri. Strolling around prawirotaman; tjemara noodle, art and craft space, tirtodipuran link, kebun buku, lawson. Having my first job ever. Moving from my favorite place on earth.

The march, going to pasar wiguna and reunited with isma. Watching suzume. Meet kak fira, mas danish, and dek al. Trying por aqui and the iconic.

Fourth month, trying to open jastip. Bukber with cece. Trying gudeg bromo, ayam gulai, golden geisha, nanamia pizzeria, tous ler jous. Going home. Spending ramadhan with people at home. Celebrating eid with extended family. Meet geng8. Vacation to Malaysia with ayah, bunda, kak qi, and adek. Seventeen release FML album.

May. Going back to jogja. Start journaling for fun. Trying sophie's sunset sunset library, cuena coffee, bungah, nasi teri gejayan. xyz coffee. Going to jogja beauty fest with mbak flos. Watching spiderman across the spiderverse.

The next month, join noraebang with mbak flos. Meet aliya, oma, and tante erna. Visited by mom and dad. Trip around jogja, solo, and pacitan with them. Meet kak fira's family again. Celebrating eid adha. Going to dongeng kopi and watching staar syndrom, onde mande, elemental force, the childe.

July would be a month full of reconnecting. Attending kak dika's wedding. Meeting firda in solo; going to loske, tfp, uma yumcha dimsum, pasar gede. Visiting alifa; patjar merah and lokananta. Having a day off; trying mie sapi banteng, dongeng kopi, warung yanto, cosan. Going to bantul to try sena cafe, meet sagita at jnm bloc, eat kazu ramen. EXO's comeback. Going to rumah miguni with mbak flos. Celebrating wonwoo's birthday. Watching barbie, my precious, and smugglers.

August. I am becoming the full timer in my work place. Going to toko buku nathan and trying ness donut. Watching the moon and head over heels towards do kyungsoo. Parting ways with some friends. Having a barbecue party with team.

This is the special month. I am coming home and gathering with families. Having spirited journey and doing umroh. Cutting of all the connection with real world, praying, worshiping, spending time with my favourite support system in Allah's house. Spending a week at Turkiye, road trip all over it. Spending time with myself and my loved ones. Listening over and over to Pengantar Purifikasi Pikir and Expectation. Reading Loki Tua

October, coming back to jogja and working again. Watching petualangan sherina, iu's golden hour, killers of the flower moon, and cobweb. Noraebang here and there with mbak flos. Seeing blooming season in this city.

November. Getting closer to farah. Reuniting with ilak. Going to bakmie 88, sintesis, kedai ketjil, fore, gyoza sutra, roti jala tanah melayu, baked me to the moon. Watching budi pekerti, love reset, past lives. Learning making beads with farah. Attending JAFF. Meeting lots of cool people. Watching lots of good movies; la luna, sugarland, jatuh cinta seperti di film-film, perfect days, gadis kretek talkshow, women from rote island, and monster.

The last month, my favourite December. Ending JAFF; watching Fallen Angels, attending the closing ceremony with Andri, watching 13 Bom di Jakarta. Evaluation with the team. Going to mie ayam grabyas, hotway chicken, homeground crsl, makmur chicken. Taking a day off to explore prawirotaman; my little warung, house of zaw, kebun buku, lakaey, and walking around kota baru. Finishing reading what you are looking for is in the library and watching the boy and the heron. Meet vika, trying kopitiam, journaling together. Watching live viewing seventeen follow the tour in cinema. Early christmas and birthday dinner with mbak flos at francis pizza and cheese cake cafe. Working in a very packed store during christmas till new year's eve. Celebrating my birthday; cleaning the room, going to periplus to buy a gift for myself, visiting dear eleanor to taking picture of my older self, journaling. Spending the last day of the year in work with a full heart. Meeting mbak flos' warm and beautiful family.

See, it's not a bad year after all. Of course, there are lots of tears, mental breakdown, fears, worries, and hurting myself and people around me. But you gotta experience lots of things, spend your days with your loved ones, going to places you never go before, eating lots of good food. Making connection with people. Buying and collecting lots of cute stuff. Enjoying lots of good films, music, books, and another form of art. So maybe this mundane and mediocre life, is good enough.

[larrysballetslippers]

MY (first listen) FITF THOUGHTS

Here you will find my direct live reaction to the greatest album of all time. I wrote it down in my notebook, so it's transcribed here. I will show you the pics, but don't even try reading, it's a mess. I might add some second listen thoughts in the future.

The Greatest

Great opener, just hits so good in the core.

The violins were like so unexpected but so nice.

Live will smash.

Written All Over Your Face

"The atmosphere is so COLD" (I loved the high note I think)

LARRY bc LARRY

THE FUCKING BASS!! Matt my angel

Ooooh wow oooh

Jonas Brothers vibes?

Bigger Than Me

You know I will shake my ass to this forever.

"I don't hear them anymore" FAVE (favorite lyrics of the song)

Fits great on the album up to now. (IT DOES BB)

Lucky Again

Fireproof's big sis. Yeah I have heard the leaks, deal with it. (I was full of energy still... poor bb)

"Cinema" has my heart. (I love the change)

OOH AHH

THE BASS and DRUMS

That riff at the second verse omg, synths? (Still don't know)

Boy I am so whipped for his voice.

Face the music

Guitar OMG Intro OMG

"YOUNG", "REALITY" (lyrics haha)

OMG OMG. What is this genre? MCR? No omg, ummm ( don't know what I wrote there)

Bbg? Stunts? This is quite gay?

Chicago

It's slow?????

Mummmm? (You will see me lose my mind hahha)

OH? My heart omg! This is giving soft rock this is just omg

THE Fucking chorus

I know it's not that, but it gived me unrequited love vibes.

VIOLINS

All This Time

Oh? OMG The jump scare

Omg? Yes king, whisper in my ear

That lift! Road trip vibes.

What is this about?

Damn that lift is just wow

Christmas vibes hahahha sorry

Not my fave but so cool.

OOMS

Change up from last song but not that abrupt. (I liked the transition)

"I am only half of what I think I could be." Yes king, me too, quarter maybe. (Lol I was just vibing here)

The bridge has my heart

Banger.

Headline

Oh love that (intro)!! Dancing in the moonlight??

Groovy omg love

Road trip vibes

"Shortest forever"? High school babe?

Writing playlist yep (so great for writing)

Saturdays

Oooh love that intro

I'm a simp for Louis' voice (who would have thought?)

The guitar riff PAIN

PAIN. PAIN for 1.20 minutes already.

AAAH "Some things change"

That BASS that comes in

VIOLINS (it will get worse my girl)

I'm pretty stable today (mentally), but DAMN

WTF!!

Louis bro? The fuck? Have mercy

Don't end like that. Don't do that to me

Silver tongues

This after.... (Saturdays), bro

Talking in the next song. I'm overstimulated

SIBWAWC

Oh no (she says before clicking on the song)

Oh? "Yeah"? Okay?

I froze for a sec

Omg omg omg

Omg I have no words (omg apparently)

"Surrounded by light"? (me stunned)

Oh my

"ARE WE ME OR ARE WE YOU"... wow omg

Common People

Lou, I'm overstimulated, please don't hurt me? (Poor bb, you will cry)

Ah, oh no

Oh no

Oh no no no "oooh"

Oh my heart

Fuck! The bridge/end OMG

The guitar solo, don't, I, please, omg

Angels Fly ♡

Oh no

Please no

FUUUCK

... well... I'm done... Give Louis a Grammy, give him the world... I'm crying this... I can't (the chorus really killed me if that wasn't clear)

Holding Onto Heartache

How am I supposed to move on. Louis please make my ass shake.

Oh no, okay? Oh.... love the guitar. Summer (vibes)

Oh? Lyrics... he's a god.

He oooh's in this album

Road trip vibes again

OH, the bridge... boy help me. Fucking good.

TTWLG

Love love

My friends' exact words... pain (a lyrics)

LYRICS

"OOHH AAHH"!!!!

FUCKING VIOLINS (I have clearly lost it here)

I CAN'T ANYMORE. Mom pick me up, Louis is hurting me.

Well... I'm done now... what now?

[itsagutthing]

23, 33, 43?

23. how do you feel about chilly weather?

i love slightly chilly weather as long as i'm dressed appropriately and have a hot drink to sip. i cannot stand being even slightly too cold and is one of many reasons why i wouldn't survive any end-of-times natural disaster situation!

33. the last adventure you've been on?

i spent ages trying to decide what qualifies as an adventure... i went to see the third man on film at an old-school cinema last week! and a bigger adventure was a semi-solo trip to london last winter

43. what's your take on spicy foods?

i love them but unfortunately my acid reflux does not :(

ask me questions!

[fukutomichi]

Aaiiight! Time for my Rings of Power gigantic post. It’s been IONS since I’ve written one so here we go. Warning: IT’S LONG!

Okay, where do I begin. 

It’s somewhere around October 2001, I’m this tiny 10 year old middle school kid and I see a giant poster of a movie coming up in front of our local cinema. Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. I don’t even know what it’s about. But something about this poster just PULLED me in and made me FEEL something. It’s the giant promo poster with the Argonath and above them with giant letters “The legend comes to life”. 

December comes in and I’m BEGGING my parents to let me see this movie, I don’t even care about x-mas presents, just let me have some ticket money and let me see it with my friends. My first “solo” cinema trip without my parents. And they did.

It’s one of those cinema experiences where it changes your life forever. I still remember it like it happened yesterday.

Fast forward the beginning of 2002, my dad finally caves in and gets me and my big brother access to the internet for the first time. Dial up of course. Good old early 2000′s. And where do I and my big bro first go web searching? The official movie site to download some wallpapers, screensavers and icons. You can’t imagine the excitement! 

And then we find the forums. Whoa, now I wanna to read what other people from around the world say about it.

At that time, my english was basically at “self taught” level from movies, games and music. Luckily my big brother was there to fill in the gaps that I was missing.

You can’t imagine the whiplash shock that I had when we found comments about people not liking Fellowship of the Rings at all. I ask my brother “Why are they not liking it?? “Wow Frodo is a misscast” ‘Nothing like the books at all” “No Tom Bombadil??”, “Why is Arwen the one saving Frodo that’s not in the book” 

“This is not LIKE THE BOOKS” “THIS IS NOT TOLKIEN” 

The books. Do we need to read the books for this? Are we missing something? Everyone we knew had a perfect time with the moves and this was something completely new that we were reading about which was confusing.

My brother decides to look for the books to read them. I choose not to. I wanna experience the rest of the trilogy now just I started out. Completely unaware of the books.

And what an experience it was. THE MUSIC! The entire cast of actors!! GASPED when Gandalf shows up in Fangorn forest, cried like a baby with Haldir died, cheered as hell when Gandalf saves the day at Helm’s Deep, cried AGAIN at Sam’s speech...and was gross sobbing at “You bow to no one”...the entire cinema was sobbing.

Were all the people in the cinema books readers? Doubt it. Did it even matter? Not even a little. Were they the best movies you can experience on the big screen? Most certainly. I mean, sweeping the Oscars tells you something.

After all the hype had passed from the movies, I thought it was time to give the books a shot. Start from the beginning. The Silmarillion. Big mistake. This is more like a history book than an adventure book? But I did read it. The Hobbit. Okay this is much better. And then the trilogy. So now I see which parts they missed, skipped. changed. but how COULD they even cram everything in?? They would need 5 movies for all of this. Needless to say. even after reading the books, my feelings for the movies never changed. No, they were not like the books, but they FELT like Tolkien.

I was hopping they would manage to make the Hobbit too. Which they did eventually.

Then years after comes the article were Christopher Tolkien absolutely trashes the trilogy. WHY? People are literally becoming fans of the books BECAUSE of the movies!! Me included. I figured maybe it was money, maybe some deal that wasn’t honored? At that point I was much more mature on that subject and my feelings were made up, I both loved the books and the movies. Book adaptations to movies are just that. They can vary from each other, take out or leave out parts, change names or places. As long as they FEEL like they’ve come from the same source.

Years pass and rumors start flying around that T.V studios are fighting for the Tolkien rights, I thought huh, maybe some opinions have changed towards adaptations at Tolkien’s house? Or just money lol.

This is after the Hobbit movies were done and left some people “eh” about them. Me? When you take a look at the book and imagine making 3 movies out of it, I knew they were gonna try to cash in with them as much as they could. I was fine with them. Some of the original cast is gonna be back, probably for the last time and P.J was doing them! What could go wrong right? Probably too much CGI? (¬_¬ )

Anyways, Game of Thrones set a HUGE bar for fantasy shows now. Even after that dumpster fire of a Season 8. I still haven’t watched the last two episodes of it. OF COURSE studios are gonna fight for the biggest fantasy I.P there is! With TONS of lore still not adapted. 

The first rumor is the Adventures of Young Gandalf and Aragorn, Cinematic Universe Marvel Style. Who pitched thiiiis?? I WAS CRYING LAUGHING! Who was pitching sexy Gandalf?? And just a couple of weeks ago, we finally found out it was Netflix!! OF COURSE IT WAS THEM!! Talk about dodging a bullet! 

Next, was a rumor of a complete reboot of the trilogy. Now that a bold move. Dangerous. Batman you can reboot all you want. But the trilogy? THE TRILOGY? Turns out it was HBO, and if you looked at what’s happening at their house right now, I wouldn’t trust them for a bit. It was smart of the Tolkiens to not let them touch the triolgy while it’s still a giant part of today’s pop culture. Not yet.

And then comes this weird rumor of some guys pitching a prequel. Uhhh, for Aragorn and sexy Gandalf, again? Nope. Waaaaay back prequel. The Second Age. Huh, okay. Not a lot to go in from there? Then they go “with filling in the gaps”. Now, wait right there. Please don’t go the “unfinished text” route, don’t pull a D&D “Danny kinda forgot about the ships” please god no. USE THE BOOKS!! And then they say they don’t even have the entire rights for the lore. They have only 6 pages worth of material to work with.

Game of Thrones still fresh SALTINESS rushes in me and my mind is made.

That’s not Tolkien then. And my skepticism was turned on.

In the end, it was Amazon with Big Boy Jeff who got the rights and their 2nd Age pitch. Of course it was him with all the fuck you money in the world. The savior of The Expanse, The Boys and Invincible with their big F U to Marvel, Reacher and Jack Ryan for all the manly men, Good Omens for Gaiman fans.

In the meantime, HBO goes, wait a minute, we have a prequel too! Here’s House of the Dragon. ASOIAF fans can just groan and keep trashing the last season all they wait, HBO is still doing it, even after that disaster.

So now we have TWO giant fantasy shows coming up and I have little to no feelings towards both. And for the most part everyone else as well. 

Soon promos start rolling out, casts get introduced.

And THAT’S were things start to shift. 

I remember my first reaction “THAT’S gonna be Elrond?? HIM? Baby Ned Stark?? Excuse you, but my Hugo Weaving COULD NEVER!”

There are times when I forget what the internet is filled with, and the period we live in. It’s not the innocent times of dial up. And I should have known, I SHOULD have known, where the hate is gonna go towards first. 

The people of color.

There were no other complaints other than that, when the official story and the cast with their roles were introduced. BLACK ELVES? BLACK DWARVES?? THAT’S NOT TOLKIEN!! WAAAAA!!

I was not surprised, coming out of what was happening with the Star Wars fandom and the dude bro fans, but I WAS SURPRISED that THIS was happening within the Tolkien fandom. Since when did it became like this? The fuck? (←_←)

I suddenly became aware that I haven’t been in contact with that fandom IN YEARS and that the same dude bros have infested even that part. 

House of the Dragon also starts facing the same problem with their cast and promos. BLACK VELARYONS!! WAAAAAA!!

Nobody had any strong thoughts about these shows at first. It only started AFTER their casts were announced.

And now both shows don’t have a good footing because of dude bros crying with just a few months before their premiers.

July 2022 rolls in and the trailers for both shows drop. Rings of Power IMMEDIATELY catches me with the music, BUT STILL I’m being held back by those “fill in the gaps within the text” quotes. 

During a meet up with friends we talk about Comic Con finally happening live after the pandemic. We’re discussing about what big panels are gonna be up. House of the Dragon and Rings of Power come in discussion. This silence falls around us and we start going around. “That last GoT season sucked ass, how are they gonna pull this off” “Uhh those Hobbit movies were kinda meh” “These are just cash grabs” “Streaming Fantasy Wars”

Nobody that I’ve known in my life has a problem with people’s skin. That’s not how I’ve been brought up in my life. Not my circle of friends. The core problem with us now falls in “What if they’re just shit stories”...But how can we know if we don’t check them out first, right?

After the pandemic kinda mellowed down, there was this giant hole of misery in my group of friends for something NEW to experience and maybe to watch something not so dystopian but, something that gets people excited and a little hopeful. 

Tolkien fills the spot just right.

So I made some free time for one Saturday and decided to watch the Rings of Power SDCC panel. I needed more info for it.

15 minutes in and suddenly I felt that feeling when I saw that first promo Fellowship of the Ring poster. I FELT THAT FEELING.

And that’s the start of my shift.

Here’s a little post I made immediately after I watched the panel and my mind was FINALLY made up!

The cast was visibly giddy and excited, nerding out with their tales about their first encounter with anything Tolkien related. Some were movie fans, some HEAVY book fans, GAMING FANS?? WHAT?? Maxim Baldry telling his story about playing War of the Rings IMMEDIATELY transported me back to me and my big brother playing the shit out it it as well. The cast? These guys are fans. Certified fans. The show runners on the other hand, knew exactly what they wanted and they even said “We’re gonna take this slow this first season” so slow pace it is then. Don’t mind that at all! Love a slow burn! Question after question you could VISIBLY tell this was something that was gonna be made with love and appreciation towards the source material. 

This made me realise that I have almost become the person that I was reading on the forums all those years ago.“Not like the books”. Did it matter to me that they didn’t follow the books accurately all those years ago? Hell no. Does it matter now? HELL NO! It’s an adaptation! ADAPTATION! And I wanna see if its good! Game of Thrones REALLY did a lot of damage to me with that last season, not letting me take a chance at all.

House of the Dragon rolls out first, and what do you know! People like it! I mean where else are people gonna get their soft porn and gore galore in a fantasy setting on TV. And so the dude bro’s go quiet on that one.

The Rings of Power finally roll out their first two episodes. 

For me, the excitement that night is through the ROOF, but there’s STILL that little “they are gonna just rush things and cash in the money” thought going on.

Meanwhile, dude bros are LIVID! Amazon just cashing in, RUINED the lore! Absolute crap! Suddenly it’s only about cause it’s on Amazon. These same people were singing high praises when Jeffy boy took the rights for the Expanse so they can finish up the story cause apparently he was a huge fan. This is the best sci-fi show that has ever graced the TV. Their words. But now this LOTR series that has people of color in it, Amazon automatically bad. Good Omens season 2 coming up soon and people are beyond excited. It’s on Amazon. You see my point. They needed to mask the racism somehow so they picked “jeff rich bad”. Jeff is still a piece of shit, but he certainly didn’t write, direct, act, produce this entire series from his ass alone. He just threw money on it.

So I’m not gonna lie. Those first 20 minutes had me worried.

LOOKS BEAUTIFUL!! But holy shit they were just POWER BLASTING with the prologue!!! They said they were gonna go slow!?!

Then the 20 minute mark passes. 

And the show begins.

Settings are being introduced, characters are entering the scenes, lines are being spoken. This is it. 

THIS IS IT!

MOMENTARILY my hobbit biased ass goes for the harfoot storyline. But the moment Khazad-Dum enters the scene, DISA AND DURIN enter the scene, I’m just over the moon. FINALLY!!! WE GET DWARVES LIKE WE SHOULD!

I’ve never been more glad to be proven wrong when it comes to Elrond. The showrunners said “Give me kind as summer” AND BOY DID HE OUTSUMMER THE SHIT OUT OF THAT ROLE!!  Robert Aramayo, I’m so sorry for ever doubting you. You ARE Elrond Half-Elven. (ಥ﹏ಥ)

Galadriel having a long arc till she gets to be the Lady of Lothlórien?! I wanna know what happened!  Morfydd Clark! *chef’s kiss*

We’re not discussing Halbrand. Charlie Vickers you little shit.You did great!

NUMENOOOOOR!! HOLY SHIIIIIT!!! Who would have thought that a certified LOTR meme like Isildur would become such a soft character in the show. Titanium plot armour, but you still wanna see him make it. I wanna see MORE of MIRIEL!! Pharazon was such a good cast too!

Make Lloyd Owen the official voice of all the Tolkien material. Audiable versions. Everything. A++ casting for Elendil.

Talk about Audible, who would have thought that the Sandman’s Richard Madoc in that version is gonna be also be here playing the Stranger?? And with my harfoot bias comes the Stranger bias, visibly on my blog lol. God, what a performance by Daniel Weyman, we were always on the brink of “It’s gotta be HIM right? IT’S HIM RIGHT?”...well, ISTARI BAYBEEEEEH!! Grey, Blue, doesn’t matter!!! (ง ื▿ ื)ว i’m kinda leaning on olorin tho but i’m also conflicted cause i wanna go to the far east ugh

What can I even say about Arondir and Bronwyn. The softness, the angst. And then Theo enters the picture. I did a whole 180 on his character which took me off guard!! LET THEM BE HAPPY!!

UNCLE BENJEN AS ADAR!! The orc storyline.The one were you get a moral dilemma and it WORKS! In his own twisted way, he’s right? ლ(ಠ_ಠ ლ)

THE MUSIC! Now this was the final deal breaker for me. I’ve always loved Bear McCreary ever since I’ve gotten my hands on the BattleStar Galactica OST when the series was still running. I was sure Lucasfilms was gonna scoop him up for one of their next big Star Wars movies cause he has a certain flavour with themes and motifs. And I was sure he was gonna end up there. But no. I’ve never been more glad to see this man compose for Tolkien’s world. I LOVE THIS SOUNDTRACK! And my favorite track? Is the one that he talks in an interview that he was most scared of releasing. The Numenor theme. God I love it so much. It almost starts like a distant memory of a forgotten place. And then it builds, it builds to JUST MAJESTICALLY BLAST YOU INTO THE SOUL! Do I have to mention how Plea to the Rocks made me cry the first time I heard it? I was holding it, holding it, Sophia Nomvete lets out those crushing vocals AND I WAS A PUDDLE OF MESS!! The Stranger’s theme is my number 3 fav theme cause it’s just pure magical waltz bliss until it GOES OFF!! ISTARI BAYBEEEEEH!! The rest of the cast also sings?? This Wandering Day?? Certified gross sob bop!

I can go on FOREEEEVER nitpicking the goodies this show has to offer. But it’s time for some of the baddies too.

They NEED to get help with writing. The foundation is there, but they gotta up the game especially when the actors have such good chemistry with each other! GET HELP!! 

I get there’s gotta be some plot holes left cause duh, but some are just gaping so large, I’m thinking that’s gotta be intentional. I do realise that with limited rights given to them, they gotta work around somehow. HOPEFULLY that changes for S2.

Obviously we got very little time with Gil-Galad and Celebrimbor, but I know that’s gonna change as the story progresses. The same also goes for the Numenor storyline, with Kemen and Earien, which as we know, it’s not gonna be a happy one.

But in all honesty, I can’t WAIT for season 2. I can’t wait to see some new cast news. I wanna see some Celeborn casting soon!! We need to know where’s that silver clam at!!

So looking back now, this show really suffered from all the early crying of “THIS IS NOT TOLKIEN WAAAAA” AKA just straight up racism.

This show is a love letter to Tolkien. THEY UNDERSTOOD THE ASSIGNMENT. 

The got the music right, the characters right, the settings right, the themes right. IT’S ALL THERE! 

This feels like Tolkien to me. And that’s all that matters. ♡

And hey, if along the way it turns out into another GoT S8 dumpster fire, I would have no trouble dropping it like it’s nothing. That show took 10 years from me. Don’t need to know how it ended. It was just plain bad at the end.

But for now, The Rings of Power is good. House of the Dragon is good. There should not be rivalry at all cause in the end, fantasy fans are eating good, regardless. 

Now I can officially start the hiatus period till Season 2 drops. Expect lots of gif sets coming up. I got my templates ready, my extended versions ready, broken PS version that crashes all the time, ready.

I love this show. ♡( ◡‿◡ )

[fatedreamsend]

The journal of Anise Greenleaf, Entries #23 and #24

[Note from Anise's player: I started this as a writing experiment waaay back near the start of the campaign as a way to try to explore Anise's character a little and give her some backstory from before the started. I hand wrote it in an actual journal because I thought it would be fun. These are scans of the journal.]

Back to Entry #22

Transcription below the cut:

6/25/2003

Well that was exhausting.

I love my family. I truly do. But the shop is just so unfathomably small compared to our house in Sherwood. I feel as though I've spent an entire week tripping over my siblings.

I did have a great deal of fun though. I miss them now that they've left.

There was a the day that mother and Cypress and Uncle Heath kicked out all of us "children", even Buck and Beech, so we went round London and had fun. We went to see Big Ben and the Tower of London and the British Museum. Buck complained the whole time so we eventually also went to a cinema. I still do not see the appeal over live theatre or even a book. However, the movie about the talking fish searching for his son was quite heartwarming. The siblings seemed to like it at least.

While mother was manning the shop she managed to sell all of my stock, at marked up prices, to some mages from Clock Tower. Then she declared that I didn't have time to make more potions so I should just close up shop for the next few days. So I did, after protesting at great length.

The next day we left the boys to do their own thing and mother, Fennel, Holly and I went out. We naturally went clothes shopping. We all agree that the current "trendy" fashion is pretty hideous, but Holly looked cute in every single thing she tried on.

The day after we all went to the beach. That was part of the reason we'd gone shopping, to find cute swimsuits! Naturally, Buck disappeared nearly as soon as we got there. It was quite fun, thoguh the beach here is soooo crowded. And a little disgusting. At least the gulls are friendly.

I did meet someone, though. On the beach. I was taking a very intentional solo walk and I noticed him just lying there, looking close to passing out. Turns out it was heat exhaustion, but I was able to help him before it got serious.

His name is Nathaniel and he is on vacation from Ireland. Didn't even try to hide his ears. I think he's a little older than Buck, but elf ages...

Anyway, he offered to buy me drinks in exchange for "saving his life". Unfortunately I can't just ditch my family to "hook up" with someone, so I told him it wasn't necessary. He tried to g gave me his phone number but seemed very put out when I told him that I do not own a phone. I did give him the address of the potion shop. I hoep he stops by, he is quite handsome and very charming.

And as Buck would say, I'll never get over Freddie if I don't try.

6/30/2003

Natty is very charming and kind and hilarious and handsome and has a very nice body and is, um, a very generous lover

and he was only on vacation for a week

why do I do this to myself

What do I even want? Honestly? It's not like I have time for a relationship with how busy the shop is. But I miss feeling wanted. I miss having someone to talk to that isn't related to me.

I miss having good sex too there I said it

He did give me his address and told me he'd send me postcards since I was a "weirdo without a phone". If he actually does write I'll be happy. I really did like him.

I wish Freddie would write.

On to Entries #25 and #26

[livingthepeacefullife]

Empty Chair

Sitting alone I wonder

What’s it like to have a half

A half that

Wants you

Loves you

Supports you

Hugs you

Kisses you

Knows you

Sometimes I get tired

Tired of empty chairs

Solo cinema trips

Meals for one

At times like that

I wonder what it’s like

To have a half person

Then I remember that half people don’t exist

And I’m a whole

All by myself.

[lulupen2023]

Bells' secret diary 3/7

Thank for reading the previous parts, the cuteness goes on *O* Summary:

What if Matthew kept a secret diary since his very first meeting with Dominic till the birth of Muse and all its consequence? And what if said diary wasn’t just about music? This work participates to the 'FirstApril' challenge of the group @Non solo Sherlock - FB multifandom events group

Teignmouth, Il Den, 15th June 1992 Hi Diary. yes, I know, I'm terrible, I have started so well that it seemed I had to write to you every day and instead… 

Look, how late I get back to you. But I have my reasons, you know? First I had to clarify what was important to write to you. And, I admit it, I was a bit overwhelmed by events, I lived days so intense that they left me excited, satisfied, but too tired to share them with you.

But now, thanks to this fresh air that can only be breathed in this park where we skipped lessons countless times (and then I didn't tell you, but that fateful day after school it was right here that I asked Dom if he could give me guitar lessons), I felt like picking you up again. Maybe it's also because Dom isn't here, he's gone on a family trip, he does it every now and then, he's very attached to his parents. Unlike me, he has parents who love each other very much, but I'm happy for him. How do I know all this stuff about him? Because since the day of the audition Dom and I have bonded so much. At first we only saw each other for the guitar lessons that he still gives me from time to time, even though he says I've made such remarkable progress that I'll soon be teaching him something. And then for rehearsals with our band, me, him and One, Two, Three, because I told you I wouldn't bother learning their names... and I did right, you know? They left because they weren't motivated enough, they walked out on us without beating about the bush and now we've been rehearsing for a few weeks with Four, Five and Six,… and if I call them that, you already know why.  

But I wasn't talking about them, I've already wasted way too much ink on these pages for them, let's get back to the really important stuff. Dom and I started looking for each other quite frequently: me offering to walk him home from school or vice versa, a movie coming out at the cinema that we both want to see, so we end up going to see it together, me inviting Dom to my place to let him listen to some of my records, him doing the same… and from his grandmother to his sister, I don't know which of that family is the kindest to me,I get a very warm welcome every time, but even in my family  everyone dotes on him, me first, haha. And when we can't see each other physically, we have very long phone calls, talking about anything, even before writing to you he called me, but since he wasn't at his house he had less time to dedicate to me and I understand that. Last month, on May 1st to be precise, after exactly one month of going out, I banished any kind of fear or shyness. I took him aside and told him clearly: 'Dom, I think that now you are my best friend.' There was a moment of silence on his part, as he looked at me seriously in the face and I was already completely desperate, fearing that I had run before I could walk, that I had frightened him in some way.

But then do you know what he did? He smiled at me, hugged me tightly and replied: “Oh, Matteh, if you hadn't said it I would have. You're my best friend too, but I don't think that, I know that for all intents and purposes.” 'Matteh', he had never called me that... I like that he has his own way of calling me, now I want to find one too. So, do you understand, dear Diary? I not only have a regular band, but I also have a best friend, the most special one there could ever be.

And then that hug… something moved inside me… I mean, he and I are very physical, we love contact with each other very much, whether it's to play a joke or when we need some affection… but so close… he had never held me like that before and it was such a beautiful feeling.

Uh, it's true I left you with a nice unfinished business… would I be able to write a song? Well, the answer is yes, and more than one, it's like having opened a Pandora's box: I can't stop myself anymore and I pull out a bit of everything, from the rabid, even better if stuffed with swear words that are so cool, haha, on the verge of nonsense… and all with a mad rhythm, which Dom handles beautifully… and it goes without saying that Dom approved my songs with unprecedented enthusiasm. Only then I also tried something more serious, reasoned and, bloody hell, it scares me to dig so deep into my soul and find out what comes out of it. But it is one of those fears that fascinate me. Not even Dom has read those lyrics, for now they remain where they are. However, during these days there was also an event that is certainly important to me, my birthday. And Dom knows me so well by now, he knows my mom's passions that he passed on to me too, so he gave me a Ouija board. Not that I didn't already have one... or ten, but I appreciated it so much, even more because he wanted to have a séance with me, even if he was pissing himself off with fear!

We summoned a spirit, I asked him if we are going to be the most amazing band on the planet and he replied: 'Soon'.

Who knows if he's right, in my opinion he is and time will tell, time that I can't wait to spend with Dom as soon as he gets back from his trip. Uhmm… I just re-read you and I have the feeling that I’m naming Dominic a bit too much. At this point, I really hope Dom is gay, because maybe I am becoming gay. Great, now I also want to write a song about him.

Notes:

I pwomise some time-humps , also because this challenge asked for no more than seven entries...

[itskatepaddington]

On the art of doing things alone

Doing things alone doesn’t come naturally to everyone.

Some people are content with their own company, and some people have it a bit harder when it comes to chilling with themselves. Some are incapable of doing anything alone, ever, and I can’t really blame them. After all, time spent on your own allows your thoughts to run crazy - as a highly anxious person who mostly likes her own company, I struggle with that, too. It’s not fun when you get stuck in your head, especially when it starts to have a heavy impact on you. And being independent is a blessing and a curse, really, but that’s a topic for a whole new piece of writing. But a lot of our attitudes around doing things without others have to do with what we see other people doing and how we've learned to live by gleaning at others. What if other people think I’m a loser? Will it actually be fun if I do it alone? 

A thing that my anxious brain learned when it comes to my leisure time and has a long way to go to learn everywhere else: no one cares as much as you think, and it’s for the best.

As an avid cinemagoer with several cinema memberships, I tend to watch a lot of films. Very often that means I want to watch things that others aren’t that keen on. I know my friends' tastes: I will ask if they want to come along if there is something that I feel they would like, or that they told me they wanted to see. But a lot of the time, I’m not shy to make five cinema trips on my own if there are some weirder or smaller films that others aren’t really into that I want to see, or to stack a day full of films on my own. Or to take a whole holiday to go to a film festival to seek out the films I maybe wouldn’t have a chance to see otherwise, which I have been known to do. 

Cinema is probably the least social of activities in the traditional meaning of the word. It is communal; you’re in a pitch-black room with many other people to appreciate a film. But it never struck me as something particularly social. Your attention is going to the work of art on the big screen anyway, you can’t (and really shouldn’t, cause if you do, you’re annoying) talk to others. And it’s lovely to have an informed conversation about a film afterwards if you enjoyed it. But is it really social in the same way that other group activities are, so it was rather shocking for me to find out that a lot of people wouldn’t go to the cinema if they had nobody to go with. 

How did I come to this conclusion? It all starts in the dark. I worked in the cinema when I was at the university, and the abundance of films I could see for free proved to bring me so much solace. As a girl without any support network at the time, I often went to the cinema to fill up my time, and I fell in love with it so deeply that I can’t imagine not paying back the debt to what it brought into my life for as long as I get to be on this planet. It picked me up so many times. It saved me.

That was when I discovered that a solo cinema trip is best for those days when you want to be among people, but you also feel like your soul could spill over and create a mess to clean up - an uncomfortable mess, sometimes. You buy a ticket, you sink into the seat, the lights go down and you’re ready for an episode of escapism served just for you - alongside everyone else who chose to be here and will likely laugh and cry at the same moments. At the cinema, it’s really easy to push that thought about everyone judging you out of your head.

What about things that are more overtly social activities? You can do them alone, too, but if you’re an overthinker, it may initially be a bit harder. Then again, you never know how much fun you’re gonna have until you go. And I have made the choice not to go before - and every time I regretted it royally. 

There is a band called Wolf Alice, who I wanted to see in concert several times. I’d really liked their music for a long time: I even had tickets to their shows, twice. So why haven’t I seen them yet? The first time, I had a row about going to the show with my boyfriend at the time, who couldn’t care less about going and decided to stay home instead of going on my own. The second time, I was set on going alone, but another guy that I was then seeing wanted to do something else. What could I do? I ditched my own plans in favour of what he wanted to do. Girls, listen up: boys are temporary, but gig memories are eternal. Go to that concert. I will certainly do that next time Wolf Alice tour. And let me tell you about one of the first times I did just that. 

It was early 2014, and Reading and Leeds festival was putting on the lineup of the century - or so my 19-year-old-self was convinced. Arctic Monkeys have just released AM, The 1975 made a lot of noise with their self-titled debut. Paramore was going to play a set, and so would Vampire Weekend, Imagine Dragons, The Hives and blink-182 as well as Queens of the Stone Age. CHVRCHES. Bombay Bicycle Club. The Courteeners and Metronomy and Temples and Peace and Hozier and Circa Waves and so many other acts I was listening to and super excited about were making an appearance. It was my music taste for years to come condensed into three days; I was desperate to go, but it was my first year in a new country, and finding friends who were into the same things proved a bit challenging. I was insecure about my English since someone made fun of my thick accent, and that stuck with me. That was why I rarely spoke unless spoken to or comfortable around someone, too.  I constantly felt stupid when what I wanted to say got dislodged between what I had in my head and what came out of my mouth in my attempt to express it. My self-esteem was at an all-time low. It wasn’t happening just yet.

The money was tight, too - I was a student begging for extra shifts at my part-time job to pay the rent and sleeping on a bunk bed in shared accommodation - but I just got a tax refund. I made a quick budget in my head: I figured that if I got cheap train tickets, ate one huge portion of chips a day and smuggled vodka in somehow, I could probably go to the fest and survive, and perhaps even thrive. But I was worried about going on my own. Music festivals are social events as well as places to appreciate music; and while cinema is easier to go into and lose that self-awareness, it’s technically way harder to do that when you are in a crowd of people divided into groups. I was a girl on my own, was that really safe? How would I entertain myself while waiting for the bands to come on if I had no one to talk to? Would I look like a massive loser? With generalised anxiety disorder in particular, these are real questions that you come up with on a regular basis that cloud your judgement and make you feel really horrible. 

I bought the ticket. I packed. I went. I saw most of the bands that haven’t clashed with others. Nothing horrible happened - I was sensible (mostly) and took good care of myself. I still ended up eating that one portion of chips a day, though, cause I spent all my money on getting there. Even if anyone thought I was a weirdo for going to a festival alone, nobody turned around and told me that straight to my face. Who would even pay this much attention to a stranger when blink-182 was putting on the biggest bloody show of all time?! Going to that festival is one of my cherished memories, and I think I would have regretted it if I hadn’t gone. I was going to gigs plenty of times on my own since and enjoyed them as much as those I attended with my friends. 

Two years later, the year was nearing its end. At that point in time, I haven’t travelled much. The first flight I ever got onto was to move to the UK to study. The focus for my life this far was on surviving and going places was never in the budget - we’re not even talking long-haul or exotic. But my circumstances have changed a little; I graduated and got a job. For as long as I remembered, I wanted to go to Paris, too. I signed up for alerts on some last-minute travel websites and looked at those religiously. One evening when I opened my alert, I saw an opportunity.

Click. Click. Done. No way back now.

I was going to Paris the following weekend, then. And it was incredibly short notice; my boyfriend at the time couldn’t ditch the shift, so I was going to do it alone.  

It felt freeing to be in a completely different city on your own, seeing all these things that you’ve once learned about in French classes at school. For someone with so little life experience, it felt like one of the most precious things that happened to me this far. 

I rarely got on public transport - I walked around the city, taking in everything I always wanted to see. I went to Montmartre and paid respects to Jim Morrison and Chopin at Pere-Lachaise. I took a stroll down les Champs-Elysees to see if there actually was everything I needed there. I sat down drinking wine at some smokey bar. I attempted to exercise my rusty high-school French and ordered milk instead of coffee by accident. I took a selfie with the Eiffel Tower and spent several good hours at the Louvre looking for Mona Lisa (really small, and always surrounded by people it appears!). I ate the most banging crepes of my life. 

And if I hadn’t gone, the New Year promise I made to myself a few months later probably wouldn’t have happened. 

I went to Amsterdam with friends later that year, and that only fed my hunger to see a little more of the world. I was back to working part-time again, so I figured I could potentially travel within my budget. The problem was, my boyfriend at the time would have trouble getting hours at his job if he was to be too picky, and he tended to get quite annoyed with the short notice nature of finding a good travel deal. He couldn’t possibly join me on all of these trips, but he was fine with me going on my own if I wanted to. 

Having discussed that, I figured out that European city breaks were within my reach. So as the year was about to start, I made a promise to myself: I want to visit a different country a month over the year. And frankly, I surprised myself with how quickly I managed to get really organised to make that happen. I’d booked cheap flights, hostels and coaches, and managed to do it with little money. I decided I would make a trip a month, the destination relying on cheap flights and accommodation I could get. And out of the twelve trips that I made that year, eleven were made all on my own. 

It can appear scary to travel on your own, especially if organised travel and package holidays aren’t your thing. But being on your own gives you so much freedom to choose what you really want to do. When you plan any activity with other people, you need to reach a compromise regarding what you want to do, or what pace is best for everyone to be moving at. To do anything different is dictatorial and selfish. And don’t get me wrong, it’s fun to travel with others, too; it’s a different kind of experience that is just as enjoyable. But on your own, you can make choices on the spot according to how you’re feeling, or plan it out to cater to yourself if you want to. You can spend three hours relaxing in one place, breeze through it in ten minutes, or not even go in at all. And if you spend at least some time thinking about what you’d like to do and throwing together a schedule that you’re not obliged to follow by all means, you don’t get lonely - there’ll be people around you. 

So, want to go paragliding with the people from that booth that you’ve just spotted? Hell yeah, go paragliding. Feel like booking a cheap hostel on a boat instead of something regular and possibly more expensive? Do that. Hungry and craving something specific? No problem. Feeling like a gig? Of course, who’s playing and where? And boy, did I perfect my airport security and packing light routine that year!

So this is a note to my anxious brain, really. Life is too short and we’re all mortal. And after all, you just don’t know. Plus no one pays as much attention as you think they do. Anything telling you otherwise is your anxiety. You will never regret doing a thing on your own, but you may come to regret anything you haven’t done because you were that little bit too scared. You will learn, and maybe eventually it will become so natural that you won’t have a problem doing it at all.

[lifestylelaguna]

Mood: I Can Buy Myself Flowers and Treats at SM Megamall!

Posted by SM SUPERMALLS

4 February 2023

We’ve got the perfect destination for indulging in self-love, too. Here, we’ve zeroed in on the sweetest treats you can find and access at SM Megamall so you can MEGA-size your celebrations this szn of hearts, regardless of your relationship status. (Soak up more V-Day vibes from SM here!)

Scroll below for our sweet list!

Chill with a good flick

Where: SM Cinema Director’s Club | Located at 5/F Mega Fashion Hall

No date? No problem. Treat yourself to a solo movie trip and don’t scrimp on the comforts: At SM’s Director’s Club, you get access to plush leather seats, in-house butler service, and an exclusive menu just for guests. Some February picks for you: BTS Yet to Come, Spellbound, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Catch movie schedules and book your tickets here. You can also win SM gift cards that you can use at SM Cinema (good for the whole barkada!) by answering our V-Day movie quiz.

Get bejeweled

Where: Pandora | Located at UG/F Megamall Expansion Building.

PSA to all the single ladies and gents: Don’t wait for a bae to put a ring on it and just do it yourself! There’s plenty to love from Pandora’s Valentine’s Collection—a.k.a. bling that are pretty reminders that true love starts from within. Some of our favorites: the Sparkling Wave Ring (get one or all colors!), Pandora Moments Studded Chain Necklace and Bracelet, and the Two-Tone Padlock Splittable Heart Charm.

 

Satisfy your sweet tooth

Where: Gram Café and Pancakes and Apéritif Cafe

Located at 3/F Mega Fashion Hall (Gram Café) and 3/F Megamall Building A (Apéritif Cafe)

Sit down and enjoy your own company while savoring the sweetest treats—at an IG-worthy café, no less. You can’t go wrong with a stack of Premium Japanese Pancakes, ₱385, from Gram Café, famous for their fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth goodness. Or you can head on over to Café Aperitif to get your fill of European treats—from Italian coffee made with Sicilian beans to creme brulee cups, gelato, and cakes. Don’t forget to grab one of their signature graze boxes to go!

 

Turn up the self-care

Where: Bangs Prime Salon | Located at 5/F Megamall Building B. Contact via (+63) 908-819-6204 or (+632) 8721-3493

Be the star of your own K-Drama—leading man/lady optional. Get a new haircut at the country’s leading Korean hair salon, Bangs Prime Salon by Tony and Jackey, and watch your life unfold like your favorite romantic series! Haircut prices range from ₱300 to ₱1,500, while hair color starts at ₱1,500. Visit their website for the complete list of services and to book an appointment.

 

Go on a (guilt-free) shopping spree

Where: Mango, Pull & Bear, Sunnies Face 

Located at 2/F Megamall Building B (Mango); 2/F Megamall Building A (Pull & Bear); and 3/F Mega Fashion Hall (Sunnies Face)  

Give in to your whims and spend your hard-earned money on things that spark joy! You won’t run out of style options from Mango and Pull and Bear, whether you’re looking for trendy ensemble or a timeless piece. Don’t forget to make a beauty stop at Sunnies Face and stock up on cult-favorite makeup like their Fluffmatte lippies.  Shop our V-Day-ready picks here: Pocket tweed jacket, P5,995, and Button shirt dress, P3,295, Mango; Casual chunky sole trainers, P1,995, and Double zip belt bag, P1,295, Pull and Bear; Fluffmatte in Major, ₱445, Sunnies Face.

Take yourself out on a fancy date

Where: Astons Specialties Philippines I Located at 4/F The Atrium

Table for one, please! Make a reservation at a restaurant you’ve always wanted to try and order all the best food. Our reco: Go for a filling meal at Singapore-famous steakhouse Astons Specialties Philippines, now here in Manila. Order a medium rare steak—try their Prime Sirloin, ₱1,099, or the Prime Ribeye X'tra Cut, ₱1,699—and pair with a glass of wine for a truly festive meal.

Go ahead and buy yourself flowers

Where: Holland Tulips  | Located at UG/F Megamall Building A

Pull a Miley and go out and buy yourself your favorite flowers—because why not? Make it an event by really planning your bouquet: Scour Pinterest for inspo, pick out the blooms yourself, and take your time creating a beautiful arrangement that’s worthy of you. Whatever it is that makes you happy—do it. Because (if we haven’t told you enough today), dasurv mo yan. Want more ideas on how to treat yourself with love and live your best life? Stay updated on the latest news and mall happenings by checking out the What’s New section of the new SM Supermalls website and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Be sure to check out the mall entry guidelines and updates on mall hours here before dropping by.

You can also shop via the SM Malls Online app or call the SM Customer Care hotlines via 8876-1111, 0917-876-1111 or 0908-876-1111 for pickup and delivery options. 

[ccosmicwanderer]

2022, thank you for being so amazing to me. 💜

oh what a year it’s been.

no matter how big or small, they’re all worth mentioning, so i’m gonna sum up all the things that i loved about this year:

- finally leaving 25 behind

- incredible new seasons from Euphoria & Stranger Things

- weekend trip (that was long overdue) to England with my dad and sister

- first time spending the weekend camping at a festival, had the pleasure seeing HAIM, girl in red & Phoebe Bridgers live

- concerts concerts concerts!!! was also lucky enough to see Billie, Lady Gaga, Clairo, Angel Olsen and Aly & AJ this year (+ meeting A&A!)

- developed an addiction for tomatoes

- started liking tea (and made my people proud because of that)

- finally getting headphones

- dropping my new iPhone for the first time at the A&A concert, after it was just chilling on stage

- formed a band called The Space Invaders who have barricade spots secured

- a chaotic busride to the Lady Gaga concert, which was honestly one of the most fun nights this year

- also having a shoot after the LG concert outside the venue, not giving any shits

- cinema dates with my girl, where Nope was definitely the movie that fucked up our minds

- spending the weekend at a cabin in the middle of the woods at my friend’s internship, for ✨free✨

- usual swim sessions at my old internship, for ✨free✨

- stargazing by the sea at night, finally being able to use my self created playlist “to the stars”

- going to my beloved themepark twice, one free day included

- Avril Lavigne, one of my teen/childhood queens, dropping my favorite album of the year (bringing back all the ‘00s nostalgia, she never dissapoints)

- learning lots of Swedish words, finally expanding my vocabulary

- loving myself more and made some really huge steps when it comes to growth etc.

- and last but not least, booking a solo trip to Sweden, last minute (one week before to be exact) which i’m so proud of and look back at with so many amazing memories. truly the highlight of my year.

- ps: the Billie Eilish concert was a day before leaving for my trip, also planned very last minute

i can’t wait for all the beautiful things that 2023 will bring. 🤍

will share some photos from this year, moments that i loved, in the next posts.

[onceuponathreetwoone]

Ticket booked for Endgame...

...I can’t wait! Or can I? Do I even want to watch it? Or do I just want to live in my Endgame heartbreak free world of denial forever?

[s1ncewelastmet]

it’s been almost 4 months since i moved here and my days now have a familiar constant rhythm. time moves fast, the days bleed into one other and i still can’t quite believe that this year is almost over. i’ve started thinking about the future again and things i want. i want to go on that road trip i’ve been dreaming about, i want to live abroad again, i want a series of passionate love affairs, i want to be by the sea for a while, i want to live in a commune, i want to be free, i want to get back into learning spanish, i don’t feel like choosing a career quite yet despite the endless external pressures… maybe i simply won’t be a career person and instead do lots of little jobs, i may not earn much but at least i won’t feel trapped, i want to not be so afraid of asking for what i want, i desperately want to be able to go to Barcelona next month, i don’t want to feel obligated anymore, i don’t want to feel ashamed of choosing a different path to the majority of my peers, i want to experience love again but first of all start with myself, i want to continue going on solo cinema trips because that’s one of the most wonderful habits i acquired this year