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back-and-totheleft · 2 years ago

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Oliver Stone is late. It's been almost 40 minutes since we were supposed to meet on Zoom and I'm still waiting for him, afraid to step away in case he appears. Did he forget about our meeting? Did he change his mind and decided not to be interviewed? Or did I maybe send him the wrong link?

"I'm sorry," he apologizes immediately upon connecting, "I'm on vacation in Italy with my wife. Too much pasta, too much ice cream, too much everything. I completely forgot that we were scheduled to speak. I'm sorry you had to wait."

I don't tell him this but for the opportunity to interview one of the greatest filmmakers of the 20th century, I would be willing to wait much longer than 40 minutes.

Stone is, after all, the man who wrote "Scarface," who won his first Oscar for adapting "Midnight Express" to film, and two more for "Platoon" and "Born on the Fourth of July." He directed "JFK" and an array of provocative films such as "Salvador," "Wall Street," "Talk Radio," "Natural Born Killers," "The Doors," "Nixon," "U Turn," and others that have become an integral part of American cinema of the 80s and 90s.

I speak with Stone, who is turning 77 in September, ahead of his arrival at the Jerusalem Film Festival where he will be awarded a certificate of appreciation and present his new documentary, "Nuclear Now," which argues that nuclear energy is the solution to fight climate change.

"I'm very much looking forward to visiting Israel," Stone says, "I've visited it several times in the past, and I'm coming back because I'm curious. I received a very nice invitation from the festival. They wrote to me that they want to give me a lifetime achievement award. I don't see it as a political thing. It is given to me for the films I've made. It comes from a place of deeper critical and artistic appreciation of my work, and I'm happy to share it with the Israeli and Arab audiences, and with anyone who comes.

"I visited Israel 20 years ago. I came to film a documentary called 'Persona Non Grata', which dealt with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I interviewed Shimon Peres and [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu. It was crazy because during the conversation with Netanyahu, a bomb exploded further down the street and everything became very dramatic. I also interviewed [PLO leader Yasser] Arafat and the al-Aqsa [Martyrs'] Brigades. Then I almost got stuck in Ramallah. The Canadian ambassador managed to get us out of there at the very last minute, a second before a siege began. Lucky, because otherwise we would have been stuck there for a month."

Q: Your father was Jewish. Growing up, was Jewish culture present in your life?

"I was raised in between. My mother was Catholic, and my father was Jewish, but they decided as a compromise to raise me as a Protestant. They put me in Sunday school very early on. So no – I never had any knowledge of Judaism. My father was a tough man and he hated the Old Testament. Well, maybe 'hate' is a bit of a strong word, but he didn't find any use for it and thought it was bull***. In my opinion, it's actually a very exciting and historically interesting book. We studied it in Sunday school."

Q: Do you keep track of what's happening in Israel politically?

"I don't really know or understand what's going on there. It seems that Netanyahu is doing the best he can, but he has undoubtedly chosen some strange partners. Fundamentalist types, I would say. I can't say that I have respect for these people."

Q: As we speak, tens of thousands are protesting against the government. There's talk of a civil war. So perhaps you should bring your camera along.

"Oh no. Last time I almost got stuck in Ramallah. Don't tell me I might get stuck in Jerusalem this time. What are the protests about?

Q: About democracy.

"I see. Democracy is beautiful, beautiful and important."

"I'm coming to Israel because of my films"

The decision to invite Stone to the Jerusalem Film Festival garnered a lot of criticism in the media in recent weeks due to the director's several controversial statements throughout his career, such as statements viewed as antisemitic he made in 2010 while promoting his documentary miniseries "Oliver Stone's Untold History of the United States."

"I am not an antisemite," Stone clarifies firmly when I tell him that many in Israel still remember his remarks. "I was never an antisemite, and I don't think the things I said were antisemitic. I apologized for the things that were said, and various Jewish organizations in the US cleared me of any guilt."

Q: You said at the time that Hitler was misunderstood and that Jews control the media.

"It sounds really terrible when you say it like that, but it's out of context. If you watch the documentary series I made – 12 hours long – you can see exactly what I think and say about Hitler, Germany, and World War II.

"But most people haven't necessarily seen the series. Most people feed on headlines and soundbites. The series speaks for itself. It provides a very interesting and unorthodox view of WWII, among other things. So what else do you want me to say?

"I'm coming to Israel because of my films. I'm not coming to make a documentary about the ongoing political bull***, that's not my goal here. I'm an older man. I'd rather talk about other things, and not degrade my career by bringing up things I said In the past. I prefer to talk about nuclear energy."

And indeed, "Nuclear Now" is very different from what one would expect from Stone, both due to the subject and the direct and matter-of-fact tone used to convey the message.

According to Stone, he became interested in the subject after reading "A Bright Future" by Joshua S. Goldstein and Staffan A. Qvist. Stone originally thought to adapt the book to film, but eventually decided on a documentary approach.

"As I see it, the matter goes beyond parties, countries, and continents. Conservatives, liberals, Republicans, Democrats, Right, Left – this is relevant to everyone. There is a clear conclusion that nuclear energy works, and that it can be a solution to the climate crisis. Many years ago we foolishly turned our backs to something that works.

"We show in the film how nuclear energy was shunned. We deal with the reasons why people are afraid of it – Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Chornobyl disaster; the horror films produced in the 1950s, with all the monsters created as a result of radioactive radiation: 'The China Syndrome' with Jane Fonda, 'Silkwood' with Meryl Streep, and of course the HBO series, 'Chernobyl', which shows an exaggeration of what happened.

"In movies, nuclear energy is never a good thing. From the beginning, people made the wrong connection between nuclear bombs and nuclear energy, but the two are so different. It's a glaring lack of understanding of the matter."

Q: How come?

"Because even if you don't believe in global warming, I would argue that nuclear energy is the cleanest and most effective type of energy we have. This is not to say that solar energy and wind energy are not effective, because they are. But they don't work all the time, and their hours of activity are limited. Nuclear energy works around the clock. You can't do that with the other energies. For example, in winter, when there is no sun or wind, the substitutes used today are methane or coal, and methane is one of the largest pollutants. It's a terrible solution. The oil companies love it, of course."

Q: And what made you make this movie specifically now?

"I'm older. I have children, and hopefully grandchildren soon. What will happen to them in 2050? The world is spending trillions of dollars on renewable energy, but according to the reports coming out in 2020, when we started working on the film, carbon dioxide levels are still rising. So we're not doing enough, it's not working. The change is not big enough. The world needs to shift its consciousness. Nuclear energy should be put back on the agenda, it should be encouraged.

"We were in Davos last February. All these important people, sitting there on the stage talking about the future of the world and blah-blah-blah. They never talk about nuclear energy. Why?"

Q: Do you think humanity is ready for such a shift in consciousness?

"Yes. Radioactive radiation is a fact and a part of life, and we should stop being afraid of it. There is radiation in dental clinics and is part of cancer treatments. It is all around us whether we like it or not, and we have to accept it. President Eisenhower praised nuclear energy. Kennedy also supported it. It was already on its way to happening. In the 1970s we aimed to make America a nuclear nation by the year 2000. But as we show in the film, the oil and coal companies lobbied against it. They tried to say that any amount of radiation is harmful to us, but that's not true, it's been proven. The film is about facts, not opinions or theories.

"I like to compare nuclear energy to Cinderella. She's the ugly sister who stays at home and cleans the floors, while her sisters go out and have a life. Then one day we all find out that Cinderella isn't ugly at all, she's actually beautiful. That's how I feel about nuclear energy. It's a misunderstood topic that got a bad reputation undeservedly."

Although he hasn't made a feature film since "Snowden" in 2016, Stone has been very busy in recent years. Besides "Nuclear Now", which premiered at the latest Venice Film Festival, two years ago he released "JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass," a documentary that brought him back to the conspiracy surrounding the assassination of Kennedy, 30 years after the monumental feature film he directed on the subject.

Stone also took advantage of downtime during the pandemic to write a fascinating memoir titled "Chasing the Light" about the struggles, disappointments, and successes that characterized the first decade of his film career.

"It was very easy and fun for me to go back in time to write the book," he says. "It gave me an opportunity to step aside for a moment and step outside of myself. It allowed me to examine my life as a philosopher. As a writer, you look at the things you've done in your life and examine yourself. You think about the meaning of your actions. This is the Socratic method – to look for the best way to live. That's what I try to do. I don't always succeed, but I try."

Q: Your book ends with you winning an Oscar for "Platoon," based on your experiences as a soldier in Vietnam. Are you planning to write the rest of your story?

"Yes. The book ends when I'm 40 because so many things happened to me until then. I would like to go back and tell the story until the end because it's a piece of a story. This book is about the dream, about the person who dreamed it, and about the first great fulfillment of the dream, that happened with the release of 'Platoon' and 'Salvador.'

"I wanted to show the reader that there is a lot more to this business than success. I wanted to write about the lessons I learned. To tell how each of these films was made and how difficult it was to make them. There was nothing more difficult than making these two films.

And of course, there are also all the scandals and stories surrounding the 'Midnight Express', 'Conan the Barbarian', 'Scarface' and 'Year of the Dragon', which I wrote for other directors. I saw so much along the way and felt like I had a lot of insights into life that I wanted to share. I tried to be as honest as Ron Kovic was in his book, on which I based the movie 'Born on the Fourth of July.'

Q: Almost all the films in your filmography were very difficult to make. There is no way they would be produced today.

"I agree with you that the atmosphere today is very different. My breakthrough happened when Reagan was in the White House, I was part of the reaction to it. But even so, during my career, there were more films that I wasn't allowed to make than films that I was allowed to. So maybe I became too dangerous at some point ".

Q: And yet, you have directed at least 20 cult films.

"I was very lucky, I guess. But these days it's so expensive to make movies and market them. That's why most movies have to be blockbusters, and those movies can really be very boring and repetitive. The Fast and Furious franchise, for instance. How many car crashes can we watch? Or the 'John Wick' movies. Keanu Reeves kills 400 people there, and you don't believe anything he does. It's so easy for him to kill people. It's ridiculous."

Q: I'm sorry, but how is that different from the movies of Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 80s?

"True, I guess you're right, but don't compare me to them. In ' Natural Born Killers' I made a satire. I had to say it over and over again because people didn't understand. The murders in the movie were ridiculous and intentionally extreme, like in a cartoon. The idea was that America was going crazy and that the media makes the violence sensational and a major news subject. I started to notice it with the OJ Simpson trial and all kinds of other cases that happened at the time. But I never made a movie with that kind of violence again."

Q: You've known many successes during your career, but also some painful failures. When you look back at the films you've made, are there any that you feel didn't get the fame they deserved?

"Many of them," Stone says, laughing. "I think 'Alexander' is one of my best films, but people weren't ready to accept it and it received very harsh reviews. In my opinion, undeservedly so. I released another version of it in 2007, which lasts three and a half hours. There were places where it was successful, mainly in Europe, so they didn't forget it. But in the English-speaking world, it was scorned and it wasn't fair in my opinion. It obviously hurt a lot.

"I really like 'Heaven & Earth', which I think is a beautiful film, but no one has seen it. I also really like 'Talk Radio' and 'U Turn' – a kinky and crazy film. I think 'Any Given Sunday' is a classic football film.

"The movie I made about the events of 9/11, 'World Trade Center,' didn't do well either. They said I was conservative, and all the attention was directed to 'Flight 93,' which presented a complete fantasy because nobody really knows what happened on that plane. But my film was authentic and showed the truth behind what happened. It was very difficult to make.

Professional and personal scandals accompanied Stone throughout his career and became one of his hallmarks early on. Over the years, he has also been accused of racism, misogyny, historical distortions, the glorification of serial killers, and a fondness for conspiracy theories, and the list of people he has clashed with in Hollywood is endless.

However, in recent years most of the criticism directed at him is related to his unusual affection for Russian President Vladimir Putin. In 2017, Stone directed a four-hour documentary series, which consisted of interviews with Putin, and the result was severely criticized due to the director's forgiving and flattering attitude toward the Russian leader.

"I hear a lot of criticism from overconfident people who say, 'Stone got old and went completely crazy. He used to make good movies, but at some point, he took a wrong turn.' All this sh**. That's what people want to believe about me. But it's too early to tell whether I'm on the right side of history or not. History is still in the making."

Q: A year and a half following the invasion of Ukraine, do you still believe Putin is a great leader as you said before? Or has your opinion changed?

"Putin is protecting the interests of his country. The conflict needs to be understood in a different way. If you don't recognize that the NATO alliance threatens Russia's territory, you ignore reality. He is in a difficult position because many Western countries are facing him. To tell the truth, I am surprised by the lack of understanding and the lack of empathy toward Russia. Very surprised even."

Q: You said in an interview once that you hated dictators and thugs. But in your political documentaries, such as the ones about Putin, Fidel Castro, and Hugo Chavez, you seem to be drawn to them. How do you explain the contradiction?

"There's something very important to understand in this context. The reason I went to talk to these people is because they all stood against the imperialist policy promoted by the US. I didn't go to them to interview them about what was going on in their backyard. What interested me was how they stood against this empire, against America. That's my perspective."

Q: I'm also very curious to hear about your prediction with regard to next year's presidential elections in the US.

"The upcoming election will be the craziest election we've ever had. I don't know what's going to happen. Biden has become very militant and is under the control of people who are worse and no less crazy than the fundamentalists in your government."

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Q: Do you think there's a chance Trump will return to the White House?

"Yes. I don't support him and I never voted for him, but like Netanyahu, the fact that he is so attacked and hated only ensures that he will get more attention. Because a lot of people are really tired of the so-called mainstream media. Anyway, we have become a polarized and broken country and that's a real shame. The American Civil War was 150 years ago. What's happening now looks similar. I think the problems started in 2000 when George W. Bush was elected. I don't think he was elected legally. I had a feeling that evening that something strange was happening. Since then everything has been messed up."

Q: To sum up, would you ever make a film about Netanyahu?

"As you know, I have already interviewed him before. But no, I would not make a film about him. He does not fit my profile. He is very much in favor of the American empire. Trump played into his hands and gave him everything he wanted. It is Biden who stands in front of him and confronts him on vital issues. It makes me laugh to see how these things work sometimes. We live in a world that no longer has black or white. Only shades of gray remain."

-Yishai Kiczales, "Oliver Stone visits Israel – and speaks his mind," Israel Hayom, Jul 16 2023

#oliver stone #judaism #israel #nuclear now #jerusalem film festival #persona non grata #benjamin netanyahu

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dreamycarat · 5 years ago

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Gallery Of The Fading Ones

Title: Gallery Of The Fading Ones

Characters: Photographer!Jaemin, Dancer!Renjun, NCT Dream

Summary: Na Jaemin decides to photograph a dancing butterfly for his next gallery, knowing that the season is about to pass soon.

Genre: Friendship, love, slight angst

Words: 7745 words

October 2019; The Angel Who Paints Galaxy

Pictures speak volume.

Nothing but the photos captured on Jaemin’s camera can describe how it is possible for an angel-like figure to appear among the hospital volunteers. With the soft piano melody accompanying the man on the centre of the small stage, he paints a galaxy full of bright shining stars with his graceful limbs. Hands forming a circle in front of his chest, he twirls a few times in a rhythmic pace before he lowers his upper body and extends his right leg high in the air, into a full back split. Jaemin swears he can see white blinding wings spread from the back of the figure, but his camera doesn’t agree with him.

The cheers the dancer receives from the audience don’t match the ethereal beauty of the world he takes them to in his dance routine. At second thought, Jaemin thinks the man doesn’t get enough acknowledgement for his talent- which explains why the Korean drops the camera in his hands and gives the dancer a deafening round of applause a few seconds after the cheers fall silent. All heads turn to his direction and before he knows it, he looks like a ripe tomato in summer.

Renjun pauses his step down the stage to find the source of the late applause, and their eyes meet. He flashes a big grin to the embarrassed man before he shifts his eyes somewhere else, containing his laughter at how red Jaemin looks.

Jaemin lets out a big sigh of relief as the emcee comes to his with a few remarks from the fantastic performance Renjun and Chenle hold. He shakes him head in disbelief, giggling at the incidence few seconds ago. He makes a mental note that a Jaemin in complete awe should never be allowed to appear in public. What a shame to his professional image…

Jaemin takes a quick preview on the photographs he managed to take during the performance, and one conclusion is made – The dancer is, indeed, an angel.

“Thank you,” an unfamiliar soft voice rings in Jaemin’s ears. “That’s quite of a… loud round of applause.” A hint of amusement is laced in the man’s honey-like voice. Renjun gives the taller man a shy smile as he turns around with a big Canon camera in his long fingers. The Chinese notices the picture displayed on the device – it’s him, black hair, with the brown plaid shirt and black slack pants, forming a split.

“Mind if I take a look?”

Jaemin somehow forgets to breathe. As if all the oxygen in the world is suddenly depleted, his lungs stop asking for more air. To be more exact, his brain is on the ‘pause’ mode. Perhaps it’s the way the smooth voice matches the angelic face of the man in front of him. Or perhaps it’s the absence of gap between them when the other person steps closer to see the photo in the camera. Either way, Jaemin is not used to the erratic heartbeats he is experiencing.

“Can I?” Renjun looks up to meet Jaemin’s eyes.

The photographer swears he sees the galaxy in those round eyes. It’s the same galaxy Jaemin sees through the man’s performance when he decorates the stage with stars and orbits through his short limbs.

“I guess I’ll take your silence as a yes,” the dancer says again.

The warm fingers wrapped on top of Jaemin’s send a jolt of electricity down his spine and hit him with a sudden wave of realization. His hands tremble as Renjun hold both his fingers and camera steady in those tiny hands of his, and Jaemin confirms that the man is indeed from heaven. It makes no sense how a complete stranger has the power to make his heart race with such unfamiliar comfortable kind of warmth.

“I look quite good here,” the shorter man chuckles, releasing his hands from the camera.

“You are,” Jaemin replies under his breath. It is more of a mumble, something that isn’t supposed to be heard by the man before him, but Renjun is quick to reply with a sly “I know.”

“And you take beautiful pictures,” the man compliments.

Jaemin’s daily happiness meter reaches the maximum level at the praise. Even if he is a world-famous photographer with various achievements, it feels different to be acknowledged by an angel with invisible wings.

Jaemin doesn’t know how to respond verbally, so he plasters a small smile on his face. God seems to be saving him from making a fool out of himself even more when the green hair man who played the piano during Renjun’s performance calls the dancer. They speak in a foreign language Jaemin doesn’t understand as he stands frozen in between them. The pianist is all grinning the whole time, eyes forming cute crescents as he tells a story or something. A tall, broad figure of a younger man then appears out of nowhere, eyes on the excited man.

“Do you want to get some ice cream after this?” The man with the tag ‘committee’ pinned on his shirt asks, voice deeper than the ocean.

The green-haired man steals a quick glance on Renjun before the dancer nods and pushes him towards the committee. They speak Mandarin, Jaemin realizes, when Renjun shouts the word ‘jiayou’ at his friend.

“You speak Chinese?”

Renjun raises an eyebrow. “You speak Chinese too?”

The taller man shakes his head.

“I’m Chinese, that’s why,” Renjun offers a brief explanation.

“But you speak good Korean? Like… I don’t hear any accents or anything.”

Renjun turns to Jaemin with an amused face. “It’s because I came here when I was 14.”

“Oh…” Jaemin mouths before the conversation meets a dead end. At times like this, he resents himself for being an introvert because today is his only chance to talk to an angel, but here he is, by the window in a hall full of cancer patients, hands holding the camera, eyes straight into the dancer’s, but mouth sealed, not knowing how to continue the conversation.

“My late mother was treated here. She used to sit on the front row, right opposite of the centre of the stage…” Renjun points at the empty chair. “She used to cheer for me so loud after every dance,” he giggles, “it was quite embarrassing.” The giggle stops and after a few seconds, Renjun gives Jaemin a soft gaze. “You kinda remind me of her.” His voice lowers before he laughs it off. “But it’s a good thing, no worries. It’s just that… If you were to ask me, I would suggest you clap at the same time of the audience, not after everyone has finished clapping.”

Jaemin breaks into laughter. “I’ll definitely remember your suggestion, sir.” At the mention of ‘sir’, he realizes he still doesn’t know the name of the beautiful person he’s been talking to.

“I prefer ‘Your Majesty’ instead of ‘sir’, but since you take great pictures, you get to call me by my name…”

Renjun’s soft voice is drowned by the high note from the trot singer on the stage.

Jaemin squints his eyes to read Renjun’s mouth. “Say again?”

“Huang… Renjun.” The pronunciation is so Chinese that Jaemin has a hard time to follow along. Upon reading Jaemin’s awkward face, Renjun mentions his name again, making sure Jaemin repeats after him. He finds the Korean struggling to pronounce his name cute, he won’t lie. Although his Korean name is much easier, he prefers his Chinese name. After all, it’s the name his mother gave him.

After a few trials, Jaemin finally gets the pronunciation right.

“You owe me a dance because your name drains my energy,” he dramatically cries, a hand wiping off imaginary sweat on his forehead.

Renjun flashes him a confused look before his lips curl upwards into a pretty smile. “Sure,” he shrugs. “That means you’ll have to see me perform in Seoul Plaza next month for my graduation.” His eyes light up at the thought. “Give me your number. I’ll text you the details.”

Jaemin fishes for his business card in his pocket, and when he hands the rectangular piece to the Chinese man, the man straight away reads what’s written on it.

Na Jaemin, an award-winning photographer based in Seoul.

“Photographs are impressive storytellers…” Renjun coughs. “Interesting.” His eyes then fall on the quote on the bottom of the card. “Let the pictures tell your stories…” He looks up. Upon the eye-contact with Jaemin, he carefully asks, “Do you think you can tell my story to the world?”

Jaemin blinks.

“It’s nowhere near great, but I’ve always wanted to be known as a dancer, even if it’s just for a brief moment.” When the taller man is lacking any response, Renjun scratches the back of his head. “It’s okay, forget I asked that,” he laughs it off as his face turns red.

“N- No,” Jaemin stutters, “I’d love to!”

It feels as if an angel falls from heaven for him, and he is willing to use all his luck in the world for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with the beautiful dancer that paints galaxy.

November 2019; Dia De Los Muertos

For the first time in forever, Jaemin is having second thoughts at capturing Renjun’s solo performance on the stage. It’s not that he doesn’t want to, but a big part of him wants to enjoy the beauty of the hard work Renjun puts into his self-made choreography. Renjun even gets him the most strategic seat among the audience as he requested, emphasizing the importance of the right angle and lighting. And here Jaemin is, right in the middle of the front row, with a large camera in his hands. He clutches on the device tightly as the lights are switched off. Only the fairy lights outlining the stage shine as a guide for the performers, before it gets total dark.

The drum beats once, followed by the strumming of the acoustic guitar. The spotlights focusing on at the stage are switched on, highlighting the troop of performers on the stage with synchronized steps. Jaemin’s eyes are quick to catch the familiar small build of the Chinese man at the side of the stage before he makes his way towards the centre, leading the other 20 dancers in the performance. Jaemin is too busy clicking on the snap button of his camera, adjusting the angles and focus every other second to even be immersed into the story they’re telling through their bodies. The only thing at the back of his mind at that moment is to capture the photographs that will do justice to Renjun’s angel-like moves.

Click. Click. Click. Click. Click.

Through a series of steps, Renjun then disappears at the back of the stage as the other performers take the stage. With the camera still glued on Jaemin’s face, he scans the whole stage, looking for any signs of Renjun. What surprises him is when the lights are switched off, leaving a spotlight at the centre of the stage. The dancers are on their knees, pointing to the only lighted area as an angel in white from neck to toes falls slowly from the ceiling.

There, supported by the strong wire, is Huang Renjun.

He looks ethereal.

The satin white shirt that hugs his abdomen in such a sultry way as his arms spread like a butterfly’s wings, as if he is enjoying all the attention on him. He closes his eyes, lips slightly parted, chin tilted. His ebony black hair completes his look in every way possible. He stills in his position for a good minute before he finally opens his round eyes. Among the sea of audience, the man in baby blue coat on the front row catches his attention. The big lens the person is holding sends thrills to Renjun’s spine as he takes a deep breath and spins mid-air.

The audience gasps.

Like a whirlwind, he twirls with such delicacy again and again, until his feet finally reach the cold stage. The music stops. Lights off. The sound of an arrow hitting a target then echoes in the hall. A few horrified yells come from the stage as the spotlight focuses on Renjun. He suddenly falls backwards in calculated steps. Red inks are smeared all over the silky white clothes and before anyone knows it, the curtain falls.

Jaemin is in complete awe. He doesn’t realize he hasn’t been breathing until his lungs burn from the lack of air. He lets out a deep cough and pants, catching his breath.

What a performance! And it’s just the first performance of the night!

Jaemin enjoys the rest of the performance with an easy heart before his phone lights up with a message from Renjun.

I’m up next. I hope you’ll get your aesthetic shots from your seat. Good luck!

Jaemin scoffs. Renjun is the one who needs good luck, not him. He’s just sitting in his seat comfortably with a camera in his hands, about to take pictures of an angel who paints galaxy with his limbs. Luck is already on his side.

The curtain opens with the first strum of the acoustic guitar, revealing Renjun at the centre of the stage, with a spotlight on him. He has his back facing the audience as he sways to left and right lifelessly, according to the downbeat melody. Petals of marigolds cover certain parts of the stage, creating a trail which ends with a frame of a woman’s picture on the altar at the side of the stage. He looks small compared to the big stage, but he conquers it with his powerful yet elegant movements, still back facing the audience. And when he finally turns around, he shocks everyone with the absurd makeup on his face.

Jaemin zooms in.

Renjun’s face is all white, decorated with a few flowers of blue, pink and purple all over his forehead, cheeks, and chin. Tiny yellow petals surround both of his eyes, encircling the dark brown eyeshadows. The tip of his nose is black. His lips are drawn as if they are stitched by a black thread. He looks like a skull, overall, but a magnificent one.

The other instruments join right after, violin and piano making up the beautiful Mexican-themed music. Renjun’s limbs hit the notes each time, bringing the audience to the afterlife. He dances around the trail of marigolds, expressing his sadness and longing for someone. For a brief second, it reminds Jaemin of Renjun’s mother. He did mention that his mother was suffering from breast cancer before she died 3 years ago. Perhaps that is the reason why the feelings he radiates from the choreography are raw and suffocating. His face says it all.

And when the music comes to an end, Renjun falls on his knees, defeated, still stuck in the afterlife he’s in. He pants hard. The beads of sweats are obvious through the lens, rolling down Renjun’s sideburns like a stream. He shuts his eyes, chin tilted, as the audience cheers for him.

It hits Jaemin that Renjun doesn’t just paint galaxy on the stage.

He paints life, too.

After the show finally ends, Jaemin waits for Renjun outside of the hall, eyes skimming through the photographs he captured. The proper lighting does justice to his pictures, and not to mention that Renjun looks extremely dashing the whole night with his white costume that compliments his black hair. And the most important thing is the expression Renjun wears on the stage – he seems as if he belongs there, as if he was born to tell stories through his body movements.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Renjun runs towards Jaemin with a knapsack hanging on his small shoulders. He has erased the skull makeup, and now he looks like an angel again. “Do you want to grab something to eat before we part ways? I’d like to hear your feedback.”

Luck is always on Jaemin’s side, and he is sure he will have to pay for the interest later.

They stop at a chicken restaurant. Renjun orders a lot because he says he hasn’t been eating since morning, but Jaemin knows the Chinese won’t be able to finish them later.

“So, how was it? Did you enjoy the show?” Renjun asks, eyes light up from excitement.

Jaemin only speaks compliments, as if it’s his mother tongue. He loses count of how many times he utters the word ‘wow’ but he’s glad the man before him looks pleased with his comments. The wide grin he pastes on his handsome face at every praise fills Jaemin’s heart with such warmth.

The grin somehow fades gradually when Jaemin asks about his inspirations for his solo performance. The Chinese then takes out his phone from his pocket and types out something. After a while, he shows Jaemin the screen. Pictures of people in aesthetic skull makeup fill his eyes. They remind Jaemin of the makeup on Renjun’s face during his solo dance.

“Dia De Los Muertos… Day of the Dead.” As Jaemin scrolls the screen, Renjun continues, “It’s a national holiday for Mexicans. It is believed that spirits of the dead visit the living during the celebration.”

The waiter then interrupts to serve their food and after she leaves, Renjun adds, “I was watching Coco the other day. And I thought, ‘oh, why not do a performance based on this story?’ so I did some research regarding the culture and walla, there goes the performance.”

Jaemin passes him the phone as the Korean mutters, “Oh, I see. I thought it has something to do with your mother, I’m sorry.”

Renjun places a fried chicken on his plate before he flashes Jaemin his teeth. “You’re not wrong, honestly. I do think of my mother when I was on the stage. I put her picture in the frame on the stage, if you notice.” He chuckles darkly. “And for your information, today, 1st November, is the Day of the Dead. That’s why I even put some efforts in decorating the stage with marigolds. They say marigolds will guide the spirits to their altars with their scent and colour.”

“So, your mother is there, too?”

“I guess,” he shrugs. “I’d like to believe that she’s with me on the stage, watching me perform in front of the audience.” He takes a sip on his hot green tea before he adds, “I personally think that believing in such things help me gain some confidence.”

“You don’t feel like you deceive yourself?”

“No, because I have faith in it.” He takes another sip. “You see, Jaemin, belief is such a powerful tool to enhance yourself in any aspects. You can do everything if you believe.”

Jaemin nods and smiles.

Turns out Renjun’s mind is as beautiful as his appearance.

December 2019; The Bee Among The Flowers

Ever since Jaemin agreed to tell Renjun’s story to the world, they have been spending their free time together. Be it at a playground near Renjun’s house, at the studio where Jaemin works on his upcoming exhibition, at the streets, anywhere, really, Jaemin is always ready to snap Renjun’s pictures as he shows the photographer his new choreography. Sometimes he does ballet, some other times he performs contemporary dance, but currently he is into yangge. It’s a Chinese folk dance he learned when he was 5, and somehow, he wants to showcase his culture to the Korean. He is proud of his nationality, and Jaemin finds him adorable whenever he talks about his culture.

They are currently in the middle of a snowy park full of red camellias. Renjun performs some slow yangge moves that highlights the gracefulness of his arms as the camera focuses on him. Jaemin circles around him for the perfect shot as the dancer remains unbothered. His eyes are glued to his fingers, creating magic in the heavy snow. The fluorescent yellow shirt he wears under the thick black winter coat reminds Jaemin of a bee, but a beautiful one. The one that outshines the flowers, that catches people’s attention with its vibrant colour.

“Are the shots good? Or do I have to perform them again?” Renjun rubs both of his hands together, creating some heat to keep his bare hands warm. “It’s freezing though,” he says as a matter of fact before he coughs a few times.

Jaemin checks the photographs he took and grins. “They’re perfect,” he ruffles Renjun’s hair. “Let’s get something to eat and you can view the pictures in the meantime. I’m unoccupied today. My day is all yours today, Your Majesty.”

Renjun scoffs at how Jaemin uses his unfunny joke during their first meeting but he doesn’t complain.

Their friendship develops over time, and they get even closer when they know they are of the same age. While Renjun is a little too friendly and talkative, Jaemin is the opposite. The taller man always takes his time to speak, as if he is contemplating the right things to say in a situation. And fair enough, he always says the right things. For example, when Renjun feels like his moves are not smooth enough, Jaemin will always say he does great, if not amazing. And to prove his statement, he will always show his pictures.

“Pictures don’t lie,” Jaemin always says.

Renjun often notices the way Jaemin observes his pictures to the smallest details to finally call them a perfection. And he is true – they are all perfect. They never fail to put Renjun in a complete awe, no matter how many times he sees Jaemin’s work. But Jaemin is much more than a skilled photographer. He is passionate in what he does despite confessing that he doesn’t have a specific goal in life. He is committed to his work. And the most important thing is that he is a cute ball of sunshine that lights up Renjun’s life when things get hard.

Perhaps Renjun is attracted to the new things he discovers about Jaemin every day.

Jaemin, to Renjun, isn’t just a photographer.

He is the Sun among the dark clouds.

January 2020; The Confession

Each second is fleeting. Capture well the moments, they always say, because they are evanescent. They are temporary, while pictures keep them alive. Jaemin makes sure to bring his camera everywhere he goes, especially when he meets Renjun for fun. The thing about Renjun is that he is a wonderful model without having to try so hard. His pose, expression, and gaze – everything is perfect. He can easily be a world-class high-grossing model, if he’s taller. But Jaemin is glad he is not, because or else, he won’t be asking for Jaemin to tell his story.

“Perfect,” Jaemin breathes.

Renjun takes a good look at the recent picture and beams like a child. “You’re amazing!”

The picture highlights Renjun’s sharp side profile as he stares at the stars above them. Everything behind him is a blur, but the colourful lights of the city can still be seen. It feels as if he is among the stars, with the city becoming the galaxy in the picture.

“Let me take your picture,” Renjun looks up. “You always snap my pictures. And I think it’s such a shame that a person this good-looking doesn’t have photos of him in his camera.”

Jaemin giggles and shakes his head. “Nah, it’s okay.”

Renjun makes his puppy eyes and pouts. “Please…”

The next thing Jaemin knows, Renjun is already in between his arms as he teaches the settings to the shorter man. He only points out the important things such as focus before the Chinese pushes him away with a simple “I get this.”

Jaemin stands awkwardly, facing the camera. He plasters a small smile on his face which looks a little too forced to Renjun’s liking.

“Pose like a model, Mr. Photographer!” Renjun instructs.

Instead of listening to the direction, Jaemin looks even more awkward.

“Okay, let’s do it your way,” Renjun says under his breath before inhaling a large amount of air and raises his tone. “Na Jaemin, smile as if you’re seeing the most beautiful person in front of you.”

And it works.

Within a millisecond, Jaemin flashes his sweetest smile to the camera- or to be more specific, to the person behind the camera. He looks like Snowball from The Secret Life of Pets, but cuter.

Renjun clicks the snap button a few times, not wanting to miss the beautiful smile on Jaemin’s face. “There you go,” he hands Jaemin the camera. “Send me these pictures later, okay?”

Jaemin raises his eyebrow at the sentence.

“I deserve to have this masterpiece I took for you,” Renjun shrugs.

The night is calm when the clock strikes 1.30 in the morning. Both of them lie on the grass of the park in the middle of the city, eyes fixed on the ocean of stars above them.

“I’m glad I met you,” Renjun speaks, breaking the comfortable silence between them. “At least now I tick off one of my things-to-do-before-I-die.”

“And what is that?” Jaemin turns his head right and lands his eyes on Renjun’s pretty face.

“To have someone tell my story,” the Chinese answers. “I was thinking of a writer, actually. An autobiography about me? Hahaha…” he laughs at the thought. “But I’m no one compared to the billions of people in the world. I’m just a dancer who is yet to run a dance academy. I’m all alone in this world, without a permanent job.” He squints his eyes. “Oh my God, how sad is that?!” Renjun dramatically cries, jolting upwards. “Now I sound pathetic.”

Jaemin giggles at the sight. “No, you’re not.” Jaemin doesn’t continue his sentence right after, which makes Renjun think as if he’s lying. The truth is the man is contemplating whether he should confess all the truths his heart sees or not. But he doesn’t want to be taken differently.

“You’re an aspiring dancer, if you ask me,” Jaemin finally says after a few moments of silence. He props himself up and sits. “I think you’re an amazing painter as well.”

Renjun makes a surprised face at how the taller man suddenly mentions his hobby, only to realize that he means something else.

“You paint galaxy and life with your movements so effortlessly. I find that amazing.”

The dancer coughs. “I did put a lot of efforts in dancing, in case you don’t notice it.” He coughs again. “But… thank you. I’m honoured you see it that way.”

Jaemin nods, eyes pinned on Renjun. With the snow falling on his face, he looks ethereal, even when he’s laying still. Jaemin thinks Renjun is the most beautiful when he stares at something a little too long, as if he is immersed in his ocean of thoughts.

“I have something to tell you,” Renjun turns to his left and meets Jaemin’s dreamy eyes. “Promise me you won’t see me differently after this.”

Jaemin’s heart races. Adrenaline rushes throughout his whole body as he gulps, nodding slowly at the promise. His lips pursue tightly.

“I-�� Renjun coughs a little too hard. He fishes for his handkerchief in his pocket and covers his mouth. The moment the velvety piece of cloth is removed from his mouth, Jaemin sees a bright red spot tinted on it. It’s blood coming out of Renjun’s mouth from the rough cough.

Worry takes over Jaemin as Renjun continues coughing. He wheezes every time he breathes in more air and coughs. It’s not the weather anymore, Jaemin knows. It’s something else…

“I have oesophageal cancer.”

Jaemin tries to hide his surprised face, but he fails miserably.

“You promised me you won’t see me differently,” Renjun shakes his head.

In no time, Jaemin’s trembling hands pull Renjun into a tight embrace. When he is out of comforting words to tell, he hopes the sudden affection is enough to radiate some strength to the man. He caresses Renjun’s short hair gently, afraid if he’ll break with more force.

Later that night, Jaemin promises to let Renjun perform on his upcoming exhibition.

February 2020; The One That Shines

Photographs keep the expressions alive, but videos exist to keep the moments alive. While the simplest details are barely appreciated enough in videos, photographs come in handy in capturing a change of expression. Even though Jaemin prefers pictures over videos, he will not deny the fact that he will miss seeing Renjun’s graceful moves later when time steals him away. For such reasons, he hires a professional videographer to specifically record Renjun’s special performance on his exhibition. The video is for future purposes, just in case.

He wants to keep as many memories as possible with Renjun while he still has the chance.

“Do you think I’ll do well tonight? I haven’t been performing in front of a lot of people for a few months now… I’m a little nervous.” Renjun shakes his whole body, trying to ease off the rushing adrenaline throughout his body. “I mean, what if I mess up?”

“I know you’ll do amazing, Renjun,” Jaemin pats his back. “And you won’t mess up. But even if you do, I’m sure you’ll be able to recover from it in a speed of lightning.” He says from experience. He watched how Renjun never stopped dancing to the beats, even if he landed on the wrong position. He saw the passion in Renjun’s eyes through the mirrors surrounding the practice room. He knew how great the performance Renjun would deliver, because he is Huang Renjun, Jaemin’s favourite dancer in the whole world.

“And Renjun…” Jaemin breathes. “I believe in you.” He pulls the shorter man into a friendly hug. He can hear Renjun’s fast heartbeats, loud and clear in his ears. When they pull away, Jaemin stares right into the sea of stars in Renjun’s eyes and his lips form a small smile. “You can do everything if you believe.”

There is something magical in Jaemin’s words that Renjun can’t quite point out specifically. Perhaps it’s the way he means every single word he speaks, or perhaps it’s the way he is very straightforward with his choice of words. Either way, his words ignite a spark of hope and strength in Renjun’s heart.

“Thank you.”

To Renjun, those are not two common words. There are indefinite meanings behind them, and he means each and every one of them, whichever applies. The phrase holds significant values and Renjun hopes Jaemin understands the rich meanings behind it. He hopes Jaemin feels the sincerity from his fragile heart.

And Jaemin knows.

From the soft gaze that holds the galaxy, Jaemin knows Renjun means more than a simple ‘thank you’. It is ‘thank you for letting me have this golden opportunity before I die’. It is ‘thank you for making my wish come true’. And most importantly, it is ‘thank you for believing in me’.

“Now, go show off your talents to the world.”

As Renjun makes his way towards the centre of the gallery, the lights dim. Melancholic piano notes accompany his baby steps, alerting the visitors that a breath-taking performance is about to start very soon. With all eyes on him, he takes a deep breath and stands tall, feet pointed in the new ballet shoes Jaemin bought for him. He starts with pirouette before he turns his whole body elegantly in a series of chains and jumps with a perfect 180 degrees split, arms spread like a butterfly’s wings. After he lands on the marble floor, he extends his left foot forward to perform a pique, followed by a beautiful arabesque. He repeats the steps several times. And each time, Jaemin swears a new star is painted on the galaxy. He then performs some versatile fouettés, dropping some jaws from the audience. Each turn is on beat, and Jaemin thinks it is unfair how Renjun is not listed among the wonders in the world. When the dancer ends his 7-minute routine with saut de chat, a big round of applause echoes through the four walls of the exhibition gallery.

Renjun finds Jaemin with his camera from the corner of his right eye and he turns his head, meeting the lovely gaze the photographer sends him. Jaemin shows a proud thumbs up as he mouths, “You did great.”

Renjun shines the brightest when he dances, and it shows. He outshines everything, including all Jaemin’s masterpieces hung on the walls. He stands out in the most beautiful way possible because he believes, because he has Jaemin’s unbreakable faith in him.

And that is simply why Jaemin is the Sun.

March 2020; Of Life, Goals, And Death

While photographs keep the moment frozen, time passes by. As if it has the wings of an eagle, it flies so fast. With Jaemin being busy editing the countless pictures of Renjun he took for the past five months, chasing the unknown deadline, Renjun spends most of his time in the hospital. From chemotherapy, to surgery, to chemotherapy again, the man is doing his very best to survive. He will survive. He believes, and Jaemin believes too.

Sometimes, however, things get rough.

As the coughs worsen, burning his dry throat, he wishes he can cut off his oesophagus. He suffers every second of the day, hopes crushed, replaced by a silent plea to die. The pills kill him inside more than he can remember, but at the end of the day, a video call from Jaemin helps pick up the shattered pieces of hope and faith.

“I’m sorry I can’t visit you again today.” Low, Jaemin’s voice is, filled with a lace of regrets. He takes off the hat he is wearing, revealing his messy hair. “In case you need to hear this for the thousandth time, I miss you.”

A small smile appears on Renjun’s pale face.

“By the way, I’m half-way done with your photographs!” the Korean beams. His tired eyes light up with rays of excitement. The dark circles under his eyes become apparent every day, but he reassures Renjun that he is getting enough sleep. Renjun notices he is wearing the same blue shirt he wore yesterday, but he is feels guilty to point that out. The thing is he feels like a burden because he knows Jaemin is working extra hard to make his wish a reality.

“Why do you put yourself into so much trouble for me?” Renjun manages to say, voice cracks here and there. “Just forget it, please. I don’t deserve your time.”

Jaemin pouts. “You deserve the whole universe, Renjun. You truly do.” Jaemin places his phone against his monitor as he pushes his chair backwards, grabbing something from the corner of his studio.

“Look,” he shows a printed picture of Renjun during his graduation performance to the screen.

In the photograph, Renjun extends his right arm above his head, chin tilted. The passionate desperate eyes make him look as if he longs for something he cannot reach. The spotlight on him adds the dramatic effect to the picture. Before he knows it, Jaemin states that it seems as if he is reaching for the Sun.

It is amusing how Jaemin puts it in a way Renjun has always felt about him.

“It’s one of my favourites,” Jaemin flashes him a smile. “I miss seeing you dance.”

Renjun looks away. Tears well in his eyes at the sentence because truth be told, he misses dancing too. He misses the way his mind brings him to travel to a fantasy world whenever he listens to the beats. He misses the sweats that sometimes stick his bangs to his forehead. He misses the endorphin he experiences after every successful routine. He misses the round of applause he always receives from the audience. And most importantly, he misses the amazed grin on Jaemin’s face as he hides behind the lens.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to.”

Renjun’s tears fall upon Jaemin’s apology. He quickly wipes them away with the hem of the sleeve. “You never have to apologize, Jaemin,” he replies, facing the camera.

Oh God, he misses seeing Jaemin face-to-face.

“Will you put that on hold?” Renjun suddenly asks.

“Why would I?” Jaemin shakes his head. “Look, Renjun, we’re on a deadline.” His eyes mirror his fear, lips tremble. “I- I know you’ll survive…” he pauses. “But just in case…” Jaemin blinks a few times. “I’d like to do what I can to make you happy.”

“Spend time with me.” It is more of an instruction compared to a suggestion. “It hurts like hell right now. Everything is overwhelming. At least, if I have you by my side, I think the chances for me to survive will increase.”

Jaemin stares at the camera for a good minute before he nods.

“As you wish, butterfly.

May 2020; A Beautiful Transition

Renjun reminds Jaemin of butterfly metamorphosis, except that after the fourth stage, it turns into an angel. Jaemin doesn’t think the Chinese suits to be a caterpillar, because he resembles a butterfly already. But a caterpillar will have to digest itself to transform into a more beautiful version of itself.

In other words, it requires suffering for one to truly transform into a better shape.

With the chemotherapy and all, Renjun is now too weak for the world. His tiny build seems even smaller. He looks barely alive, except for his dreamy eyes. They hold a thousand messages Renjun wishes to tell Jaemin, but too bad they will be buried together with him.

Jaemin can see it coming. From the weaken grip of cold bony hand he’s holding to the forced heavy breathing that’s getting slower at rate, he can see it coming clearly. The end is near, he can sense it. “It’s okay…” He whispers under his breath. “It’s okay…” For some unknown reasons, only the two words are able to roll off his tongue. Perhaps those are the words Renjun needs the most at times like this. Perhaps he needs to know that it’s okay for him to leave Jaemin now, that the brown-haired man will be doing fine after a few days, weeks, months, or years. Perhaps it’s just Jaemin who’s running out of words because his mind can’t process what’s about to happen. He can see it coming, but he can’t see it happening so… slow.

The death he imagines is quick and easy – the kind of death that happens in a blink of an eye and before you know it, he’s gone. He never imagines he will be able to witness the pain Renjun has to bear when his soul is leaving his body. He never imagines he will get to listen to the wheezes of the forced air into Renjun’s failing lungs.

“It’s okay…” he says again, with a small smile masking his fear. “Don’t worry.”

The look in Renjun’s eyes softens as they fall onto Jaemin’s worried face. The older man gathers all his strength to reply the smile before his eyelids shut on their own. His breathing shags. His fingers, however, search for Jaemin's. The Korean intertwines their fingers at the cue as a wave of sorrow hits him at how their fingers are of the perfect fit for each other.

“I’ll be fine…” Jaemin speaks through the lump in his throat. The rawness of his voice is apparent. “I’ll hold the exhibition. I’ll tell the world your story.” he exhales. “I won’t let you die.” The hot crystals welling in his eyes fall like a stream, each drop hits their intertwined fingers. “I’m sorry,” Jaemin wipes the tears away with the back of his other hand, “I don’t mean to cry. I don’t mean to make you worried. I’m sorry.”

The grip tightens a little, as if Renjun is telling him that it’s okay.

“I know,” Jaemin creeps a smile, “We’ll be fine.” The man leans forward and presses his lips gently on Renjun’s forehead. “You can go now,” he whispers with a heavy heart. “Go to a beautiful place where you’ll re-join the troop of angels, the place where you truly belong.” Another peck is left on his nose. “I love you, butterfly.” And finally, he places the softest last peck on Renjun’s chapped lips. “Till we meet again, my dancing angel. I love you.”

As if it’s a cue, Renjun takes a sharp breath with a sudden jolt.

On 30th May 2020, 3.14 in the morning, an angel spreads its wings to make its most-awaited way towards heaven.

1st November 2020; Gallery Of The Fading Ones

Na Jaemin is an award-winning storyteller; except he replaces his voice with stilled photographs. The beauty that takes his breath away, the feelings he experiences from behind the lens – they are all being described in a series of printed pictures under the exclusive frames with small clumps of marigolds on all four corners. The golden colour of the frames fades gradually, coupled with the dimming lights with each section of the exhibition. On the last section, the petals of marigold fall off as the frames turn cream under the warm orange hue. It is the whole concept of the exhibition – The Fading Ones.

“Why ‘The Fading Ones’? Can you please elaborate?” The famous reporter with the tagline “Haechan, 37.5% viewers rating” asks, holding out the microphone right in front of Jaemin’s chin.

Jaemin pauses for a while. His eyes are glued to the electronic device he calls friend in front him, mind processing the rehearsed sentences to this expected question. “Ah…” He lets out a disappointed sigh. The words he prepared the night before are too formal, he realizes now.

The reporter notices the beads of cold sweats under the half swiped up bangs of the photographer. He then gestures at the cameraman to put the camera off. “It’s okay. Take your time,” he ends the sentence with a small laugh. “It has been what? Almost 9 months now? Since your last exhibition…” Haechan pats Jaemin’s back in a friendly manner, considering that he has been covering every photography exhibition Jaemin showcases for the past 4 years.

“It’s not that, actually…”

The thing is the wound deepens more than his expectation. The immeasurable longing for the person who inspires him the concept leaves him breathless, as if a rock is pushing against his chest. The nights he spends tearing up over his loss are hard to describe with words.

“I— I just— Okay, let’s start again, shall we?”

Jaemin forces his face muscles to creep up a small smile as Jeno, the cameraman, sets up the camera once again. He shakes his whole body slightly, loosening up the string of tension around his 177 cm figure. Haechan checks on his condition one last time and as he exhales deeply with a nod, the camera starts rolling.

“Hi, everyone! Welcome to Haechan’s corner with 37.5% viewers rating! And today, we are thrilled to show you this magnificent photography exhibition from the pride of South Korea, the one and only, my favourite photographer, Na Jaemin!”

The camera then zooms in to Jaemin’s face.

“I heard that the concept of this exhibition is The Fading Ones.”

Here it comes.

“Can you please elaborate a little bit about the concept? Why did you choose the concept? What inspired you? Or who inspired you?”

Jaemin’s lips feel dry. Once the microphone stops in front of his mouth, he throws his sanity away and stabs the bleeding imaginary wound in his heart. A name – that’s all it takes to break his inner strength down. Renjun; A simple Chinese name of two syllables rolls off his tongue smoothly. He emphasizes the ‘r’, pronouncing the name as if he is a native Mandarin speaker.

“Renjun…” he repeats after himself. “Renjun…” His tongue seems desperate to sound the name again. “The concept, the whole gallery, everything is inspired by him.” Jaemin steps aside, revealing the picture of a Chinese man in brown plaid shirt and black slack pants, right leg extending into the air, forming a complete split. His hands spread widely, giving off the image of a butterfly at first glance. His face hangs low opposite of the hospital tiles, but a hint of small smile can be seen on his reflection. It is the photograph that takes his breath away every single time. It is the photograph that introduces him to a magical world painted by Renjun. It is the photograph that holds all his luck in this world.

“The Fading Ones refer to the time limit we have in our lives,” Jaemin continues, eyes straight into the camera. “Just like how time fades away, we do, too.” His eyes steal a quick glance on the photograph of Renjun surrounded by flowers opposite of him. “But the right person will leave their footprints in our hearts forever, even if they fade away.”

Haechan’s eyes soften.

“Where is he now, if you don’t mind?”

Jaemin’s lips curl upwards slowly. His eyes glisten with crystals, which he tries so hard to blink them away. “Somewhere beautiful…” He manages to speak before the lump in his throat blocks his voice from coming out. “I’m pretty sure it’s a place surrounded by the stars and the galaxy, as he dances all day long until he’s exhausted. It’s a place where everyone will worship him for his talent.” The image of Renjun twirling comes across his mind. “In other words, I think he’s in heaven, being placed among the angels.”

Haechan pauses. He exchanges looks with Jeno before he turns to Jaemin and asks, “Any last words for Renjun? He might be watching you from above.”

Jaemin has a lot to say, but Renjun already knows everything. The Korean looks down. That is when he notices the petals of marigolds covering the whole floor of the exhibition. His heart stops for a second as a sudden wave of realization hits him hard.

“Dia de los Muertos…” he breathes. “It’s today, 1st of November.”

“I’m sorry?”

It’s Day of the Dead. With photographs of Renjun everywhere around the four walls of the exhibition, combined with the marigolds on the floor, Jaemin is sure he has summoned Renjun to this promised exhibition.

“Renjun is here with me today,” Jaemin’s face lights up. “Renjun…” he calls out, “Thank you.”

He hopes his photographs are enough to show that it is not just a simple ‘thank you’. Those two words hold thousands of significant meanings behind them, just like the pictures he took.

#jaemin #renjun #renmin #renjun imagines #jaemin imagines #nct dream imagines #nct dream #renmin imagines #renjun scenarios #jaemin scenarios #nct dream scenarios

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wonderfulworldofmichaelford · 5 years ago

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Psycho Analysis: Liev Schreiber Birthday Special - Sabretooth, Kingpin, and The Storm King

(WARNING! This analysis contains SPOILERS!)

Liev Schreiber is quite an actor, one that I think it is sadly easy to overlook despite his talent at portraying villains or other morally dubious characters. From his integral role in the Scream movies to his later numerous villainous roles, he manages to show himself as a rather skilled and versatile actor, particularly in regards to the latter; Schreiber is easily able to slip into playing a villain and deliver a fantastic performance… most of the time anyway.

The date I’m posting this on (October 4, 2019) is his birthday, so we’re going to take a look at three of his biggest villain roles to date:

Sabretooth from X-Men Origins

The Storm King from My Little Pony: The Movie

Kingpin from Into the Spider-Verse

The first is a great villain trapped in an awful movie; the second is an awful villain inside a fun and enjoyable movie; and the third is a great villain in an outstanding movie.

Motivation/Goals: Sabretooth is, in short, a psychopath. The guy lives for the thrill of battle, and is never satisfied unless he has someone to kill. He’s a predator, using the numerous wars he and his half-brother Logan fought in throughout history to sate his appetite, but it was never enough. Vietnam is when he really lost it, and soon after that his relationship with Logan became tarnished, leading to their numerous conflicts throughout the film. It’s rather simple, yet it’s effective. This is what we want from Sabretooth after all, a bloodthirsty, murderous psychopath who crosses every line imaginable and who just really wants to make Logan as miserable as possible.

The Storm King is kind of approaching dominating Equestria as if it were a business venture, complete with merchandise. Beyond that, he’s a bit of a one-note evil overlord, with none of the complex motivations and characterizations of the other antagonist of the film, Tempest Shadow. He’s just here for some quick laughs and to be the final boss in the third act.

Kingpin has my favorite motivation out of the entire lot: once when he was battling with Spider-Man, his wife and child walked in, and in fear and horror they fled, driving off only to be struck by a truck and killed. Kingpin then shoveled as much money as he could and hired the likes of Doc Ock and Green Goblin to help create a giant dimensional portal all so he could be reunited with his family. It’s such a tragic motive that adds layers of depth to Kingpin, and ultimately makes him an interesting foil for Miles, who decides to continue fighting so he can live up to those he loses (Peter and his uncle) while Kingpin cannot accept his loss or his responsibility and so decides to damn everyone else in his desperate struggle to undo the damage he himself caused.

Personality: Sabretooth is easily the most simple of the villains, in that he is just a completely unrepentant monster who revels in the fact he is a vicious, remorseless killer. Normally a villain like that would be boring and generic… but this is Sabretooth. This is what we want out of him. Add in his brotherly banter with Wolverine and his single-minded desire to ruin Logan’s life at every turn, and he just ends up being a really fun and engaging take on the character, with Schreiber injecting just the right amount of soft-spoken sadism and menace to make Victor Creed pants-crappingly terrifying.

Kingpin is a sleazy, scummy mob boss. He’s another seemingly simple character, but his design really helps show what kind of guy he is without telling us. This iteration of Wilson Fisk really plays up him being a mountain of a man, with him being a hulking behemoth with a very bulky design. Despite being a normal human, he looks like the kind of guy who could kill a superhuman with his bare hands. Despite all this, he does have sympathetic (but, and this can’t be stressed enough, not redeeming) qualities, such as his love for his family and his single-minded desire to be reunited with them. Of course, this desire is what leads to most of the troubles in the film, so he does show the dangers of that sort of careless and reckless pursuit of a goal is a bad thing, no matter how noble it seems.

Final Fate: The Storm King is the only character out of these three with a clear-cut fate, and it goes a long way to redeeming how bland the character is due to how out-of-place and dark it seems in the world of Friendship is Magic. In short, he is turned to stone, and his statue is allowed to drop to the ground, where he shatters into pieces. By all accounts, he is dead, a fate that seems to befall all terrible Friendship is Magic villains (cough Sombra cough).

Kingpin is the most open-ended, as after Miles stops him and in true Spider-Man fashion strings him up for the police. This does open up the door for Kingpin to appear again, which is a plus. The final showdown beforehand is a lot more interesting. The beatdown he gets from Miles, where Miles gets up from the pummeling that killed Peter and delivering a confident “Hey” like his uncle taught him right on Kingpin’s shoulder, sending him flying back to shut down his dimensional portal really is an awesome moment for the film and Miles in general.

Sabretooth… it really is impossible to say. He apparently makes it out of this film alive, but Schreiber’s Sabretooth is so disconnected from the one who appears later in the timeline (mostly on the token that Schreiber’s take is actually good and memorable) that it’s impossible what to say happened to him. Further muddying the waters is the numerous canon retcons to the timeline as shown in films like Days of Future Past, which altered the timeline in baffling ways such as causing people to be born earlier than they would have been, and then there’s the deleted idea for his cameo in Logan… Really, there’s no telling what exactly Happened to Victor Creed, as the X-Men series is such an utter mess.

Best Scene: Sabretooth has a few, such as the awesome opening montage where he and his brother fight through multiple wars, but perhaps the best part is when he and Wolverine team up to kill that awful thing pretending to be Deadpool. The real Deadpool would beat them to the punch much later in Deadpool 2, but hey, at least he knew what had to be done when he had the chance.

Kingpin’s is almost definitely the scene where he kills Peter, which shows him going through a shocking amount of emotion, but there’s also the flashback to his family’s demise or even that moment on the train where he becomes a lifetime achiever in the Pontoffel Pock Awards by screwing up in every conceivable reality imaginable and disturbing an entire multiverse worth of his family in his quest to murder Miles. Few people screw up on that epic of a scale.

The Storm King… I don’t know. He’s kinda scary in his final battle? Maybe when he plays with the sun and the moon? Nothing really stands out for him super well, because quite frankly he is massively overshadowed by Tempest Shadow, who has the honor of getting the villain song of the movie. And let me be completely frank: if you are a villain in a musical, and you don’t get a song, you suck. Period.

Best Quote: For Sabretooth, it has to be this quote that really sums up who he is: “I'm not your friend. I'm an animal, who dreamed he was a man. But the dream is over. And the beast is awake. And I will come for you without mercy, because it's my nature.”

Kingpin is a little trickier, because Wilson Fisk is a man of actions, rather than words; I feel like he doesn’t have too many great quips, but he has a plethora of awesome actions. However, I DO enjoy his intro, where Schreiber just kills it with the delivery and establishes Fisk right off the bat as one hell of a crime boss: “Doo-be do. Doo-be do. Yub-yub, doo-bee do, doo-bee-do. Watch out! Here comes the Spider-Man! You like my new toy? Cost me a fortune, but hey, can't take it with you, right? You came all this way. Watch the test. It's a hell of a frickin' light show, you're gonna love this.”

For Storm King… well, this is kind of a funny line: “Here's the deal. I'm in the middle of a big rebrand here. "The Storm King" is tracking, well, as "intensely intimidating", but you know what? I need to back it up. You know what I need to back it up with? A STORM! THAT WOULD BE GREAT! You promised me magic that could control the elements, and right now, I'm holding a what? A branch. A twig. Bleh!” Kind of a reach, but I think he does have some decent comedic moments here and there, and his initial, er, phone call with Tempest is charming enough.

Final Thoughts & Score: These guys are really all over the place, but I think they really showcase Schreiber’s talents very well, as well as how to use him effectively.

Sabretooth is easily the best villain out of this bunch. While X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a terrible, bloated mess of a film, Sabretooth is one of the few redeeming factors, with Schreiber turning in a wonderfully terrifying performance as Logan’s arch-enemy. It’s frankly insulting they never had him come back to the franchise, because he was certainly far more deserving of a comeback than someone like Jennifer Lawrence. At least with Schreiber it was clear he cared about the character, which is more than can be said for whoever played the original Sabretooth (a character who is not even worth a Psycho Analysis; there’s just nothing to talk about there).

Really, the only major issues with Sabretooth are the fact that he’s in the bottom of the barrel when it comes to the X-Men franchise and the writing doesn’t do him many favors, but Schreiber is just acting his butt off to the point where it doesn’t matter, he’s selling it, he’s giving us the Sabretooth even the “better” first X-Men movie couldn’t deliver, and he seriously earns that 9/10. It should come as no shock that his take on Victor Creed is the one thing besides Ryan Reynolds fans truly love about the film.

Contrast the Storm King, who is just a depressing waste of potential. The prequel comics set him up to be something far more fascinating than what we get in the movie; he goes from a silly yet cunning overlord to a comical goober who barely gets any screentime, accomplishes half of his evil actions offscreen, and just leaves very little impression on the audience. Not helping is that he is by and large one of the biggest idiots ever seen in the Friendship is Magic franchise, backstabbing his own loyal followers for no good reason and basically playing with his hand revealed. It’s pretty telling that his henchwoman Tempest Shadow is the one who gets the villain song of the film (which, as I’ve pointed out, is a sign that he really, really sucks as a villain) and who is far more memorable, enjoyable, and interesting.

All that being said, I do appreciate the sentiment of the character, and I do like that Schreiber did it so his kids could watch something with him in it that wouldn’t make them scared out of their minds, and I don’t necessarily think Storm King is one of the most horrible villains ever or anything – he’s just boring and a waste of potential. I’d say he just barely makes it to a 3/10, and that’s mostly because he does have some amusing moments and how bad he is is offset by Tempest Shadow being such a fantastic antagonist; if she wasn’t in the movie, he’d easily be a low 2 and a lot less forgivable. That does seem kind of weird, but I think with a villain like Storm King where he’s just a simple goofball being played by a talented actor isn’t so bad as long as there’s an actual, serious antagonist. It doesn’t exactly make him any better but it keeps him from sinking to the rating of soomeone like Jared Leto’s Joker.

Kingpin is, quite simply, fantastic. I love his design, I love his motivation, I love how he just commands the scene when he walks into the room. This guy is just peak villain design, story-wise and design-wise. Some have taken umbrage with the fact that Kingpin is the one who got to kill Peter rather than a more personal foe like Norman Osborn, but frankly I like that they took a unique approach and decided to utilize a more unexpected foe of Spidey’s.

I think what’s best about Kingpin is just how they manage to make him a rather tragic and pitiable figure despite all the evil he does. Normally it would be a tall order to make the man who murders Peter Parker a tragic figure, but somehow the film manages, showing him to be a bitter, broken man desperately clinging to the tiny hope he could ever see his family again by destroying the dimensional barriers, no matter the cost. And if someone tries to tell him otherwise? Kill ‘em. Obviously this doesn’t excuse his actions, and the movie thankfully never pretends to, but I like that they made this Kingpin such a rich character in his own right, continuing the trend of Kingpin always being given a fantastic performance. Much like Sabretooth, Schreiber really earns the 9/10 with this fantastic vocal performance and just how impactful and even proactive Kingpin is in the story. He gets two major deaths to his name after all.

Liev Schreiber is such a fascinating actor, one who I think is so often overlooked and ignored. While he certainly is typecast as villains fairly often, I think it’s safe to say he excels at those kinds of roles, and he always manages to inject something unique into his roles. You wouldn’t confuse any of these three villains for each other after all.

#Psycho Analysis #Liev Schreiber #Sabretooth #X-Men #X-Men Origins: Wolverine #My Little Pony #Friendship is Magic #The Storm King #Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse #Kingpin

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anistarrose · 6 years ago

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This is Your Last Ride Ever, Forever (TAZ Amnesty x Balance)

Summary: Ned meets the Grim Reaper, who’s surprisingly encouraging of breaking the laws of life and death to stop the apocalypse.

Word Count: ~2100

Warnings: (canonical) major character death, character undeath, canon-typical violence

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19192672

A little Amnesty/Balance crossover to help cope. (Title is from Lifetime Achievement Award by Lemon Demon!)

***

The stars are beautiful, and then they’re gone…

And then, they’re replaced by a million spiraling lights, dancing above a serene blue sea.

Ned doesn’t join them, though. He feels anything but serene — no, he’s the roaring ocean that’s torn up and whirled around by a cyclone. He’s the weight that turns the storm deadly as it batters away at the harbor, as it rushes in to drown anyone who thought they could trust the sea.

But even now, he refuses to accept it as the end of the story.

Where’s Dani? Where’s the gate?

Am I dead? I can’t die yet, I still haven’t warned anyone that the shapeshifter was after the goat…

I still haven’t finished cleaning up the mess I made…

It’s ironic, perhaps, how close he came to leaving them just a few hours ago when now he’s so desperate to return — but really, there’s no excuse for him not to have seen this coming. Every time Ned thinks he’s lost it all, thinks he’s hit rock bottom, he’s proven wrong and finds himself sinking lower and lower — so why should this time have been any different?

A jagged rift slices through the air just a few feet in front of him, and he dives towards it without thinking. He’ll do anything to get back to them even for the briefest of moments, anything to warn them —

Appearing out of nowhere, a scythe swings in a broad arc, binding the rift shut before coming to a stop just inches away from Ned. He can feel the power emanating from it with a instinctive certainty he’s never before had about magical objects, and he knows in the back of his mind that one touch of that blade will banish him to the furthest depths of the afterlife, from which he might never see Kepler again even if he spent a whole century struggling to climb back out.

The figure holding the scythe is cloaked in black robes, their face obscured, and something tells Ned that missing him with the scythe was a calculated choice, an intentional choice. That if they’d meant to strike him, they would have, and that would have been the end of that.

But the scythe-wielder — a humanoid, somewhat stout figure with sparks of red electricity dancing all across their sleeves like static electricity — doesn’t make any further move to attack, and instead procures a book from within the folds of their robe. It floats in the air alongside their head, flipping through pages all on its own as if assigned to search for a particular entry.

“Look, bud, I don’t really want to send you to the Eternal Stockade,” the figure addresses him, voice masculine and tone surprisingly casual. “You look pretty disoriented, and I can’t really blame you — but you did just try to make a break for it, and if it turns out you’re a repeat offender, I can’t in good conscience let you keep hanging around in the low-security sector.”

He says all of this in such a matter-of-fact tone that Ned is left at a complete loss for words. Of all the visions of the afterlife he’d ever entertained, none of them had been so full of… bureaucracy.

The pages of the book come to a standstill, and the figure raises a skeletal hand up towards his shadow-obscured face, allowing Ned to catch a glimpse of something reflective — adjusted glasses?

“Let’s see here… Edmund ‘Ned’ Chicane, human, only one death — good for you! — at age sixty-three. You’re good to go, then — just don’t try anything like this again, or I’ll have to lock you up.”

Ned finally manages to collect himself, and choke out a few words. “You’re the Grim Reaper, aren’t you?”

The specter approximates a shrug. “Well, not the Grim Reaper. There’s three of us, for one thing, but… well, I guess it’s a pretty accurate description aside from that.”

Another thing Ned had never imagined was that death incarnate would be so willing to make casual conversation, but the realization gives him all kinds of hope. Escaping prison — and supernatural prison, at that — would be a daunting task, but just talking his way out of a bad situation? That, he could do.

“Well, you know, Mr. Reaper, if I may call you that — I’m a huge fan of yours, loved you in ‘The Masque of the Red Death!’ And I would really hate to throw a wrench in the operation you have set up here, but…”

The reaper’s book vanishes in a plume of smoke, and his grip on his scythe tightens. “Okay, I think we both know what you’re playing at here, and let me just warn you now — even if I did want to let you go, it’s not my decision to make. I already told you I wasn’t the only reaper, and even if we all agreed to let back into the world of the living, the Raven Queen would never sign off on it. Flattering me isn’t gonna get you anywhere.”

“But I need to get back!” Ned blurts out. “I made a mistake, a whole pile of mistakes, and I need to fix them — there is an entire planet, an entire world in danger because of me! The apocalypse is impending for a whole world of innocent, sapient creatures, and hardly anyone knows the truth of it! Hardly anyone can stop it, except me and —”

The reaper flinches at the mention of a world in danger, but Ned doesn’t notice because the words, the confessions, the pleas are now pouring out of his mouth too fast to contain. “Except me and the rest of the Pine Guard, but I left them without doing nearly enough to help, to make it up to them — so I need to get back, just for a few hours! Just to make sure they’ll be alright! To warn them, and — and to say goodbye, because they and Kirby were still the closest thing I ever had to a family…”

He’s oblivious to the enchantment the reaper has cast, compelling him to speak the truth — because if telling the truth meant getting back to Kepler, meant saving the world and in particular the Pine Guard… then not even Ned Chicane would dare to lie.

“Just a big, weird, dumb family of cryptids and magicians and park rangers and crazy old men trying to stave off the apocalypse together! I can’t abandon them now, I can’t —”

“Shh.” The reaper holds up a hand. “Shh, it’s alright. I just need to check something, okay?”

With his scythe, he cuts a small tear in the dimension, edges of the rift glowing a vibrant green. Yet the inside of the gash shows nothing but a churning storm of dark purple clouds that cover the night sky, blotting out the stars as the wind roars and howls like chained beast straining to be free.

“Yikes. It really does look apocalyptic in there. Tell you what, Ned…”

In the shadowy void beneath the cowl of his robe, a devious smile lights up. “Legally, there’s nothing I can do to help you. But if it just so happened that Edmund Chicane was an unnaturally skilled necromancer, who overpowered me and stole my scythe to slip back into his own plane of existence… well, he’d need a corporeal form to be much of a help to anyone, but surely someone of his skill level could reanimate his body without any help from me whatsoever… I’m sure he’d be in a good position to avert the apocalypse, in that case.”

“Thank you,” Ned whispers, but the reaper quickly raises a finger to his lips.

“Don’t thank me yet,” he replies. “Really, you should know… a stunt like that, it’s gonna earn you a lot of prison time. I’m gonna have to bring you back here eventually, and when that happens, a bunch of folks are going to want you locked up in the Eternal Stockade. I can try my best to get your sentence mitigated, but… the Stockade’s not a nice place, even if you’re only in for a few decades.”

“I don’t care. I’ve done prison time before.”

The reaper nods slowly, and with a flick of his scythe, he tears a longer gash in the air, widening the small rift he’d opened before.

Before he steps through, though, he waves a hand across his robes, and stands still for a moment as they melt away into… a plain white shirt, battered denim jacket, and faded pair of blue jeans, worn by possibly the most mundane-looking middle-aged man Ned has ever laid eyes upon.

“Now, Mr. Reaper, I realize that I’m deeply indebted to you,” Ned says, “but that said, what on Earth are you wearing?”

“Can’t walk around looking like a skeleton if I’m gonna sneak over to your dead body and resurrect it,” the reaper answers. “And just call me Barry, by the way.”

***

Kirby is speeding across Kepler in a stolen car with a screaming goatman buckled up in the back seat, and none of it feels real. Street signs and traffic lights pass by in unidentifiable blurs, but he doesn’t dare take a hand off the steering wheel to wipe his tears away. His knuckles are white, and the old station wagon’s engine is groaning from the exertion —

The four-armed figure of pure white light springs down onto the car, and a spiderweb of cracks spreads across the windshield. Kirby slams the brakes on instinct, and Billy lets out an anguished bleat as his head collides with the back of the driver seat.

“Fuck!” Kirby shouts as two of the figure’s arms jab in through the windshield, grasping at thin air at first but stretching ever closer to him, and he fumbles with his seatbelt and flings the door open. “C’mon, goat, we gotta run!”

“Duuuuuck!” Billy bleats, flailing his arms nowhere near his buckle as Kirby opens his door. Somehow, the seatbelt has gotten twisted all around his horns, and he won’t stop jerking his head around long enough for Kirby to untangle him.

“Stay still, please stay still, we don’t have any time —”

Billy’s head abruptly jerks up, and his slitted eyes fixate on something just past Kirby. “Nedddddd!”

“Ned’s not gonna be able to help us anymore,” Kirby chokes out. “Please —”

A firm hand lands on Kirby’s shoulder, and his blood runs cold as he realizes he can make out a white glow in his peripheral vision. The figure squeezes tighter and tighter, dragging him back from the car and away from Billy —

He hears the satisfying swish of a blade swinging through the air, and the figure’s grip goes limp. He collapses to his knees, and around him, tiny particles of light drift through the air, winking out one at a time like lightning bugs.

Behind him, a familiar voice remarks: “Got here just in the nick of time, didn’t I?”

Immediately, Kirby staggers to his feet and whirls around. “You — you died! I saw it on the drones! How —”

His voice cuts off, as his brain begins to process what his eyes are seeing.

Ned is smiling slightly, but it’s not that fake showman’s smile that he always wears at the Cryptonomica. No, today his smile is confident and determined — and just a little bit melancholic, too, in a way that someone who doesn’t know Ned as well as Kirby does could easily miss.

But then again, maybe Kirby doesn’t know Ned as well as he thinks, because Ned is currently wielding a giant ebony scythe with a long silver blade, and standing above the glowing, bisected body of the four-armed figure. Even as it disintegrates, it’s clear that it was sliced in half at the waist by a single clean cut.

And perhaps most damning of all is Ned’s shirt — ripped and bloodied just above the stomach even though the bare skin shows no sign of a wound, and the body as a whole shows no signs of being dead as an injury like that should surely mean.

“What happened to you?”

Ned’s smile widens, and the melancholy immediately drains right out of his expression as he launches into his familiar “storyteller” mode.

“To put it succinctly, my friend, I met Death and we struck a deal! He’s a surprisingly helpful fellow, you know — he did wear a truly unconscionable amount of denim, but there’s no accounting for taste.”

***

(Thanks for reading, feedback/reblogs are welcomed as always!)

#taz #taz amnesty #taz balance #ned chicane #barry bluejeans #kirby taz #billy taz #taz spoilers #taz amnesty spoilers #rosalia writes fic

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classyfoxdestiny · 4 years ago

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'Amitabh Bachchan does bully a lot'

‘He will keep saying, ‘I won’t do it,’ but he still comes and does it; that’s part of who he is.’ ‘He is certainly a prankster.’ ‘He is a director’s delight.’

IMAGE: Director Arun Sheshkumar with Amitabh Bachchan on the sets of Kaun Banega Crorepati. Photograph: Kind courtesy Arun Sheshkumar/Instagram

Arun Sheshkumar has been directing Kaun Banega Crorepati for seven years.

“The TRPs are saying it all. Viewers are back,” says Arun, talking about the reception to the latest season ofn KBC.

“For Mr Bachchan, the beauty of KBC is that he gets to meet the common man. He gets to know their stories in their own words, gets their reactions instantly. That’s what makes it very special for him. As a result, his energy has increased fourfold over the years. When we take a break of about 6-8 months between seasons, he’s looking forward to the next shoot,” Arun tells Rediff.com Contributor Prateek Sur.

You’ve been directing KBC for over half the show’s life. How has your life changed since you took on KBC?

I think life has been pretty good.

It changed for the better after KBC.

It is one of the most professional shows on Indian television in terms of the shooting process. It is up to world standards.

It is great to be associated with the show.

Every director dreams of being a part of one big show in his life and, for me, that happened with KBC.

I had done almost all the properties across non-fiction in Indian television. My parents would ask me, ‘When are you going to direct KBC?’

It was more like a status symbol within my family and friends’s circle. After that day came, there was no looking back. It’s a great feeling.

What’s your first memory of meeting Amitabh Bachchan for KBC?

There is a little story that dates back to a seven-year-old Arun Sheshkumar who is a mad, mad fan of Mr Bachchan. In fact, my study room was full of collages of Mr Bachchan’s magazine cutouts. I was a typical fanboy. I still have those photographs with me.

My friends too were mad fans of Amitabh Bachchan. Every October 11, we would wait outside his bungalow from 7 am for a picture, for that darshan he gives everyone on his birthday.

A couple of years later, I became one of the privileged few who got a chance to meet him on his birthday every year. I used to give him flowers. He used to send a note thanking me for the flowers and for reaching out to him. Then, one day, I actually got the chance to actually work with him at an event. I was stumped!

Finally, when KBC came along, it was a dream come true even though, by then, you’re a much more seasoned and mature person.

Now, you’re in the director’s chair, so the command is different. Yet, it was an absolute pleasure. It took about 30 to 60 minutes to break the ice with him and it took a couple of days for us to get comfortable with each other.

Till then, he was being directed by Siddharth Basu on KBC. One day Mr Basu told Mr Bachchan that he was going to hand over the reins; that was the kind of introduction I got.

The respect came right there and my work, I believe, has earned me more respect over the years. Mr Bachchan calls me Arun and that itself is a lifetime achievement. It’s like winning a national film award.

IMAGE: Amitabh Bachchan shoots for Season 13 of KBC. Photograph: Kind courtesy Amitabh Bachchan/Instagram

It’s Season 13. Are there any additions to the game format?

Every year, we try to reinvent ourselves. This time, there are two changes. The fastest finger first round has changed completely. And the response we have got for the revamped process after the initial episodes aired has been brilliant. People have loved the new format.

Earlier, those competing in the fastest finger first round had four options that you needed to present in the correct order. Needless to say, you needed to be the fastest to do so.

The pressure to answer in the right order in order to reach the hot seat was too intense. We felt a lot of people were not getting the right opportunity to reach the hot seat.

The new format levels the playing field for contestants who are not technologically savvy.

This year, we have returned to the original format of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Season 1, which too has changed over the years. But the original fastest finger first format was on Mr Siddharth Basu’s mind for the longest time.

In the format we are using now, contestants have to answer three rapid-fire questions. Whoever answers correctly, in the least amount of time, will reach the hot seat.

As far as the set goes, we haven’t disturbed it too much.

We have retained the classic set, but we brought in more technology like augmented reality.

We now have LED flooring with an AR mapping projection system, which gives you the illusion that it’s a well.

We’ve also got a virtual ceiling.

So, a lot of technology has come in.

Will the ‘audience poll’ lifeline return this season?

We had discontinued this lifeline last year.

But now, the audience is back and so is the audience poll.

After all, that is one of the USPs of the show.

What sort of changes have you made to the shoot process, considering the current pandemic situation?

There is nothing that has changed since last year; that was our test run as we were shooting in the midst of the pandemic.

The only difference, this time, is that the audience is back.

We have ensured that everybody who comes onto the set is vaccinated. RT-PCR tests are done, antigen tests are done; everybody is tested on a daily basis.

Social distancing is strictly maintained. We all wear our masks.

The audience is watching from a distance.

We’ve got bucket seats for them. They’re seated in an appropriate manner so that there is zero interactivity among them.

Last year, when we were shooting amid the pandemic, we were very lucky that we didn’t have a single case, unlike other shows.

This year too we’re hoping it will be the same.

IMAGE: Amitabh Bachchan promotes KBC, Season 13.

Considering Amitabh Bachchan is almost 79, is the unit following any special Covid-related precautions as far as he is concerned?

Yes, we have to. He is extra fragile.

Mr Bachchan is the most protected personality on the set. He has a separate entry-exit door, which we introduced last year.

He is always up and running and a super fit man, but we want to be extra cautious. We don’t want anything to go wrong because of us.

His rooms are isolated. Even if the team wants to chat with him or brief him, we do it through a glass screen.

He’s completely guarded. All Covid practices, including social distancing, are in place.

Is it difficult to shoot in this ‘new normal’?

I won’t deny it. It is suffocating. It is difficult.

But, as they say, life has to move on. This is the new normal and we have gotten used to it now, but it is uncomfortable.

We all crib. We don’t like the partitions in between us. Even when the team is having lunch together, there are partitions on our tables.

We can’t have interactions with our fellow crew members.

But all these precautions are for our safety.

We are hoping this will go away soon. Most of us are double-vaccinated. I am. So is Mr Bachchan. And many people in our crew. But we are still taking all the precautions that are required.

Amitabh Bachchan is known to be a director’s delight. Are there any instances where you and he don’t agree and you have had to put your foot down?

Very rarely. He is a thorough professional and he has seen more Deepavalis than I have. He knows exactly (what needs to be done). He is a no-nonsense person. He trusts his director.

If I tell him, ‘Sir, we have to do this in this way,’ he does resist sometimes and say, ‘Why do you want to do it this way? Let’s continue to do it this way only.’

But if I reason it out well, he does agree and do what I say.

He does bully a lot. He will keep saying, ‘I won’t do it,’ but he still comes and does it during the take; that’s part of who he is. He is certainly a prankster. At the same time, he is a director’s delight.

You ask him to be at a certain mark and, even without seeing the mark directly, he hits it perfectly. That’s a great help to the cameraman as we shoot in a multi-camera set-up.

IMAGE: Amitabh Bachchan on KBC.

When the show began, Amitabh Bachchan often spoke of being uncomfortable because, for the first time, he had to be himself on screen. How much has he changed as host over the years?

For Mr Bachchan, the beauty of KBC is that he gets to meet the common man. He gets to know their stories in their own words, gets their reactions instantly. That’s what makes it very special for him.

As a result, his energy has increased fourfold over the years. When we take a break of about 6-8 months between seasons, he’s looking forward to the next shoot.

We’ve all become like an extended family to him.

Apart from that, when it comes to work, he’s a professional and knows what he’s doing.

What has got added over the years is a lot of emotion on his part. He looks at KBC as his property and has become more personal.

He has started opening up a lot more. He started speaking a lot more. He has started sharing anecdotes.

When it started, KBC was purely a quiz show. When and why did you decide to focus more on the contestants’ backstories?

I deny this completely.

To be honest, you’re not the first one asking me this question.

KBC was originally a quiz show and will always be a quiz show. It’s a show where you can win money. It’s a show about sharing your knowledge. It’s also a show that entertains its audience not just with general knowledge questions but also by telling stories.

Over the years, television has evolved. There is so much content available in the market.

In KBC, we are just getting to know the contestants better. We are not telling them ‘Talk about this’ or ‘Do this’. They are doing it on their own.

They are asking Mr Bachchan their own questions and sharing their personal stories on their own. You know there is no structure to that.

What we are basically telling the viewers is that this is the person’s background, this is their life, they have reached the hot seat because of luck or hard work and they are here to win the game with their knowledge.

This is purely because we want the viewer to connect with the contestant, get associated with the contestant’s story and relate to it. It’s still the same plate that we are serving; probably, the items are arranged a little differently.

Is there anything that’s sacrosanct and will never change?

I think the uniqueness and the classic look of the show and the way that Mr Bachchan conducts it… that’s never going to change.

Those are the two strong pillars of the show.

The way he asks a question, the way he locks the answer, the way he looks into the eyes of the contestants… that’s all him. He owns it and we don’t want to ever change it.

Then, there’s the look of the show which is identified (everywhere).

I would like to give credit to the music of the show as well.

Even though we re-did it two years ago with Ajay-Atul, we retained the signature tune. We just added new instruments to it. It boomerangs and you associate yourself with that sound.

These three things will never change.

IMAGE: Amitabh Bachchan in the first season of KBC.

When KBC began in 2000, there was a boom in Indian television. Do you think television has changed since then? Have audiences grown with time?

Television is evolving. There is so much competition that everybody, including the viewers, is trying out different things.

Due to restrictions during the pandemic, there was a point in time when television shows had to take a break and were not able to shoot. So many viewers moved to OTT platforms.

But television has its own unique appeal. People did come back to watching their daily soaps and their non-fiction shows. The TRPs are saying it all.

Yes, viewers do like newer things but they like their old favourites as well. How much we evolve, the core has to be maintained. And if the core is right, the extra frills really don’t matter to the viewers.

I’m saying this from experience.

This is what I’ve noticed in my 22-year stint in television — the core must be the same. It does not disturb the viewer when you add or subtract frills. But the moment you start changing your core drastically, it puts off the viewers. People tend to switch channels then.

Lastly, you’ve worked on some of the biggest non-fiction shows. What does it take for a show to become popular?

A lot of hard work.

Whenever my friends, relatives or acquaintances return from watching a shoot on the sets, the first thing they say is, ‘Oh, it just takes half a second to switch channels if you don’t like something, but there’s so much hard work that goes behind putting this up.’

There’s a lot of hard work that goes into the making of a show. Don’t judge a show in the first 30 seconds. We are trying our best to entertain our viewers with the best entertainment, information and knowledge.

There’s a lot of pain involved. Then, there’s also luck.

We don’t make KBC, the contestants make the show. They make it interesting. That’s why every episode is so different. And every season is so different.

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kmn247m · 5 years ago

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reflection

A strange old year with the highest highs and the lowest lows I've ever experienced, along with some very important life lessons/curve balls thrown in. I would've said it's been an awful year; however a friend of mine said not long ago that "it hasn't been a bad year, it's just been a year where bad things have happened". True.

In reality, and despite the magnitude of said bad thing that and all that came with it, this year really has been for what of a better word... great. And so... reflection. Thursday 7th February I was at a charity quiz with a few of my work colleagues. I had a missed call that from 'Dad' that I couldn't answer during the quiz so left it with the intention of calling him back when I got home. "He's probably drunk anyway" I thought. Sure enough the quiz ran late, I got home and went straight to sleep. No call back. Friday 8th February I was out for a friend's birthday party. I still remember being sat on the bench in the smoking area of Outback when I received a message from Dad's best friend sending me their condolences. I remember thinking "I know I'm drunk but what is this guy talking about, surely he has the wrong person, Dad only tried to call me last night" but my mind wouldn't settle so I referred the message to family... suffice to say absolutely nothing and nobody could've prepared me for the call that followed. The next 30 minutes or so was a blur but I do remember inconsolably crying whilst two friends had to effectively carry me out of the door because despite my best efforts my legs just would. not. work. Cue the following morning which is met with not only a hangover but incomprehensable emotion, and the question "well what the fuck do we do now?" The week that followed was again like nothing I've ever experienced and nothing I could prepare for. A funeral I never expected to plan. A goodbye I only got to say once and it wasn't perfect because I wasn't ready. More tears and sleepless nights than I would ever care to admit. Guilt, overwhelming guilt for not answering the phone call during the stupid quiz, not calling him back, not speaking to him more often in general. What kind of daughter was I? Unanswered questions. Was he alone? Was he happy? Did he know he was going to die? What would I have said to him if I'd have known? Is it better that we didn't know? It's difficult to think about these things, but the only one certainty and saving grace that came out of such a horrible time is love. Love to and from my entire family. Relatives from everywhere that made every effort to be there. The hugs, the laughs, the tears, the countless cups of tea, the way that we managed to fill the entire pub for the wake and all stories and memories shared were ones of love. No hate. The love and strength shown by my sister in an attempt to shield my brother and I from the 'adult' details of planning a funeral - the expense, the undertaker, everything. The love shown by my friends. In the weeks post-news I felt so empty. They sent flowers, messages of support, love, ralleyed around me and made sure I was never unwillingly alone and that I could talk about it if I wanted. A few people in particular who I'm sure know who they are without being mentioned.. but I also found comfort in people I never expected, and in retrospect, lost it in people I would've expected it from. I came to the sad realization that time and life and people do not stand still because something bad has happened to you. Some days you forget you’re even sad and then you’ll receive a reminder in the worst way and that’s something you have to live with. Although sometimes you wish it wouldn't, you have to get up for work in the morning, you have to speak to people, you have to deal with your day to day life because it will not wait for you.

And with that came the following.... Success. A distinction in a diploma module that I typed up the coursework for on the boat on the way to Dad's funeral. I submitted it a day after my return not expecting anything from it, and landed the best marks I'd ever achieved. Shortly followed and largely topped by being awarded Young Achiever of the Year by the Isle of Man Insurance Institute. Easily my biggest achievement to date! Next... More love. In a very unexpected human that I didn't ever imagine I'd meet, but as fate would have it I decided to go out that night and there he was. Fast forward 7 months and he's been my boyfriend for 4 of those months. He is my best friend, myself in male form, knows me better than I know myself, is my voice of reason, my biggest fan and everything inbetween... Memories. I had the trip of a lifetime this July. I visited Rome, Nice, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Krakow and Budapest. I experienced albeit sweltering heat, ate some of the greatest food, and witnessed some of the wonders of the world in these places. I discovered things about these places I would never have known otherwise, but also discovered things about myself. I hate to sound cliché in saying that I found myself while I was away, but I really really did. But the memories did not stop there. There have been fantastic nights in, nights out where we drank gin and stayed up dancing to stupid songs until 4am; my first ever trip to London; Christmas with Lewis and my family was incredible; and I'm looking forward to celebrating the New Year, welcoming 2020 with all its fresh ideas and plans and new memories....

Lessons. Before this year I'd probably cringe at any quote I saw relating to "don't take anything for granted" or "never go to bed on an argument" etc. you know the ones. But I've come to understand the true value of these statements and will never be ignorant again. If I were to give anyone advice based on what I've learnt this year, I would be this: - Pick up the phone call. Or better yet, pick up the phone. It may be an unknown number, it may be a nuisance call, it may be somebody calling in a crisis, or they may have just been calling to say hello. Pick it up. If you can't, call back at your earliest opportunity. Even if nobody calls you, call someone - a distant relative - or send somebody a message to let them know you're thinking of them once in a while. It goes a very, very long way. - Love unequivocally and whole heartedly. Every single person that you surround yourself with is worthy of all of your love - there are no limits to how much you can give. The world truly is a more beautiful place when there is love around. - Let go of the small stuff. So someone said something to annoy you that one time - so? Will you remember in a week? I'm not saying you shouldn't argue, and by all means if something offends you then please please make it known.. but to be blunt, ask yourself this - if they died unexpectedly tomorrow, would you hold it against them? If the answer is no, be in a mood with them for an hour or so and then just let. it. go. Say sorry even if you're not. Make peace and live in it. And last but not least, do not take anybody or anything for granted. Here I go, saying it. But it's true. If not for any other reason, so you don't end up like me, living life sad and full of guilt at the wastest opportunities I had to spend time with my Dad, when I would give anything in the world right now for 5 more minutes with him. Too often in life we mistake kindness for weakness and play on people to get what we want. We assume we have all the time in the world, when really it can (and sometimes does) end tomorrow. So, as a parting message, a rule for us all to live by. A beautiful day begins with a beautiful mindset. When you wake up, take a second to think about what a privilege it is to simply be alive and healthy. The moment we start acting like life is a blessing, I assure you it will start to feel like one. 2020, I am ready for you.

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stellacarrierscriptstories · 8 years ago

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Stella Carrier Script Stories Law of Attraction Edition Script 36 and Memoirs of My Future Higher Self In A Heaven Afterlife Part Eleven

Stella Carrier Script Stories Law of Attraction Edition Script 35 and Memoirs of My Future Higher Self In A Heaven Afterlife Part Eleven

Start time of beginning both script stories and future higher self; by somewhere between 1139 pm to 1143 pm

Completion time of the scripts and future higher self memoir by to 1150 pm

I preface by making it clear that I am definitely not telling anybody how to live, Rather I am doing this for my own writing passions and spiritual creativity/spiritual evolution, as a healthy and constructive spiritual and creative art therapy outlet for the various dreams and desires that I discovered can be channeled into artistic writing therapy. Additionally, I am following both my intuition and logic in doing what I consider this activity to be fun/exciting as I have a strong instinctive feeling that this activity ties into my destiny andor life purpose in various ways that I may only fully understand after my current lifetime. Last but not least, this activity actually helps boost my spirits and allows me to practice my creativity and writing dreams in all areas of my life for both present and future.

Stella Carrier Script Stories Law of Attraction Edition Script 36

December 19, 2017

I Stella Carrier am so excited. The time period is now December 16, 2017 and I have reached my savings target goal of 2599 dollars after taxes. Both my husband and I have also achieved success at our current jobs at the University of Maryland College Park. We work different jobs but both multiple and several customers as well as multiple employees are happy with our work. I Stella Carrier am also happy to report that I have also reached my target weight of 137 pounds by December 1, 2017 as well

Memoirs of My Future Higher Self In A Heaven Afterlife Part Eleven

November 8, 2170

Dear 36 year old Stella Carrier living on earth during your current incarnation. As your future higher self from this time period, I as your future higher self want to remind you to be humble when it comes to the positive sign you saw earlier. I know that you are striving to be your best in this regard but I had to put it here for reasons you are going to understand by the year 2025 or sooner. I want to call positive attention to what you noticed in the Virginian Pilot article, one of your main female spirit guides gave me permission to tell you that it is ok for you to acknowledge that connection between what you wrote earlier in your law of attraction scripts and what you noticed in the article later on. This was one of the positive things that you can mark as a win even though I am also here to remind you that your life is getting better each day and you are also being gifted with the ability to turn even challenges into beneficial opportunities and ladders towards what is considered the good life or happier life. Go ahead and write in ahead of time some of the things that you did write but leave the space blank for that for right now but allow yourself to fill in within 18 hours or less of this posting

What I Did Write-To Be Updated by 6 pm or sooner tomorrow

Future lifetime image of 500 years or less from now to also be updated by 6 pm or sooner tomorrow

Future Dreams To Be updated by 7pm or sooner tomorrow

Resources

Whatever happened to "high speed" passenger rail service from Norfolk to Washington?

· By Jordan Pascale

https://pilotonline.com/news/local/transportation/whatever-happened-to-high-speed-passenger-rail-service-from-norfolk/article_08a6d8c6-f646-5f18-8753-daaed0e57c52.html

Resources

Less than 3 to 4 hours ago, Luxurious song by Gwen Stefani played on iheartradio less than 25 minutes after I was thinking about the song, note to self see if it is on a certain amazon music playlist by 6pm or sooner today.

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Affirmations

I mark a new beginning in the book of my life and wisely use the free time I have been giving to rest and tune even deeper into various aspects of my life-spiritual, athletic goals such as walking more, balancing my writing time with some online courses I have enrolled in etc.

I am in the process of becoming more cool,level-headed, and wise when it comes to how I conduct myself around my current work colleagues and future coworkers as I am now logically and intuitively aware that some of them may follow me to where I may reside within 7 years from now or less regardless if I am a private sector andor a government/military worker/employee.

I am well provided for. I live in an abundant universe.

http://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/stage-names.php#.WTqvpOvyucw

http://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/dimension-names.php#.WXs6PVWGOcw

Resources and Affirmatiohttp://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/destiny-awoken-names.php#.WXs611WGOcwns

My psychic abilities expand each day.

I am creating heaven on earth.

I Call Upon What I Imagine To Be The Influence of Benevolent Spirits From the Heavenly Realms, my higher self, and my celestial spirit ally team for creativity in both my writings and all other areas of my life both present and future

Affirmations I am creating heaven on earth. I am learning to be in the right place at the right time at all times. I am learning to live all areas of my life in alignment with my divine life purpose for both the present and future My psychic/intuitive abilities, creativity/imaginative abilities, and my ability to tap into my wisdom are expanding each and every day. https://www.orindaben.com/pages/rooms/affirmations_room/ I am a healer through my words, thoughts, and deeds. I am aware of the messages my guide is sending me. I receive impressions from my soul and higher self. I am magnetic to my higher good and it is magnetic to me.

My imagination becomes more powerful each day

imagination power quotes

http://awakenthegreatnesswithin.com/50-inspirational-quotes-on-the-power-of-your-imagination/

“Imagination should be used, not to escape reality, but to create it.” Colin Wilson

“Your imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” Albert Einstein

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams, and live the life you have imagined.” Henry David Thoreau

“Use your imagination to fly to a world of prosperity, abundance, and success.” ATGW

“Reality can be beaten with enough imagination.” Mark Twain

“Imagination creates reality.” Richard Wagner

“True change takes place in the imagination.” Thomas Moore

imagination affirmations

https://www.brucelee.com/podcast-blog/2016/10/19/15-affirmations-part-1-memory-subconscious-mind-imagination

3rd Affirmation: Imagination “Recognizing the need for sound plans and ideas for the attainment of my desires. I will develop my imagination by calling upon it daily for help in the formation of my plans.” “Creative intuition opens the wellsprings within man, activates the inner light, and is free and limitless.”

http://bmindful.com/affirmations/imagination

Beneficial ideas and solutions are now revealed to me from my imagination. I now discover beneficial ideas and solutions from my imagination.

My imagination overflows with great writing ideas.

I am so happy and grateful for the power I have with my imagination. I am a wonderful imaginative creator.

Imagination archangel

http://www.drstandley.com/angels_samandiriel.shtml

https://www.inspiredabundance.com/affirmations/my-imagination-is-an-asset/

I invent a story. Creative writing exercises introduce me to new worlds and characters. My life becomes more interesting. I immerse myself in the arts. I find inspiration in paintings, sculptures, and music.

Today, I use my imagination to broaden my insights and experiences. I dream up new things and put them into action.

Luxurious by Gwen Stefani

Glamorous by Fergie feat. Ludacrais

Won’t Back Down by Tom Petty

Great Spirit

Spirits by Strumbellas

Shake it Off by Taylor Swift

People Are People by Depeche Mode

Don’t You Worry Child by Swedish House Mafia

Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons

The Middle by Jimmy Eat World

The Voice by the Moody Blues

Feel Good Inc. by the Gorillaz

Say Youll Haunt Me by Stone Sour Together by Pet Shop Boys Strange Love by Depeche Mode Winning Steak by Glen Hansard Move Ya Body by Nina Sky Roc Me Out by Rihanna A Certain 'Je Ne Sais Quoi' by the Pet Shop Boys Come Baby Come by K7 A Modern Love Affair: This Renovated $23.5 Million Paris Mansion Is a Sight to Behold http://robbreport.com/shelter/homes-for-sale/renovated-paris-mansion-rue-crillon-market-23-5-million-2727057/ You Know Pineapple and Pearls Serves Snacks and Drinks on the Patio, Right?https://www.washingtonian.com/2017/08/14/pineapple-and-pearls-serves-snacks-and-drinks-on-the-patio/ GW to Recognize Career Achievements of Eight Alumnihttps://gwtoday.gwu.edu/gw-recognize-career-achievements-eight-alumni https://scs.georgetown.edu/programs/70/master-of-professional-studies-in-public-relations-and-corporate-communications/career-outlook 5 Residential Developments with Unique Experiential Amenitieshttp://robbreport.com/shelter/spaces/slideshow/5-residential-developments-with-unique-experiential-amenities-new-york-miami-los-angeles/ https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/special-offer?utm_source=US_SocialMedia&utm_medium=SocialMediaAdvertisingFacebook&utm_campaign=142763 TV Preview: 9 takeaways from the “The Last Ship” season 4 premierehttp://gazette.com/tv-preview-9-takeaways-from-the-the-last-ship-season-4-premiere/article/1609121 Look Inside 12 of the Coolest Houses in Washingtonhttps://www.washingtonian.com/2017/08/08/look-inside-12-coolest-houses-washington-residential-design-awards/ Things to Do in DC This Week (August 14-16): Summer Restaurant Week, Free Shakespeare, and A Little Night Musichttps://www.washingtonian.com/2017/08/14/things-to-do-in-dc-august-14-restaurant-week-esperanza-spalding-sondheim/ Saturday October 6, 2018 and for Sunday October 7, 2018 https://www.virginia.org/ThingsToDo https://www.berrylook.com/en/outerwear-88/ matt damon chicken diet https://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/matt-damon-losing-60-pounds-role-all-chicken-breast/ Damon, who normally weighs around 190lbs, got down to roughly 139lbs to shoot the film, according to the AMA. “I had to run about 13 miles a day, which wasn’t even the hard part. The hard part was the diet,” he revealed. “All I ate was chicken breast. It’s not like I had a chef or anything, I just made it up and did what I thought I had to do https://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/matt-damon-losing-60-pounds-role-all-chicken-breast/ https://www.huffpost.com/entry/i-lost-weight-vanessa-rabb_n_2972663 I Lost Weight Vanessa Rabb Wanted to Join the Military and Lost 70 Pounds 4/24/2013 845 am/Updated December 6, 2017 I start by jogging on the treadmill and then running daily. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/i-lost-weight-vanessa-rabb_n_2972663 the diet christian bale used to lose weight https://www.businessinsider.com/extreme-weight-loss-and-gain-movie-roles-2015-1#matt-damon-put-on-30-pounds-for-his-role-in-the-informant-10 Tuna and Apple Diet Christian Bale Bale's daily diet consisted of consuming vitamins, running, and eating an apple and can of tuna a day. https://www.businessinsider.com/extreme-weight-loss-and-gain-movie-roles-2015-1#matt-damon-put-on-30-pounds-for-his-role-in-the-informant-10 https://www.inquisitr.com/1608434/christian-bale-weight-loss-diet-helps-him-to-lose-63-pounds-in-four-months/ https://www.inquisitr.com/1608434/christian-bale-weight-loss-diet-helps-him-to-lose-63-pounds-in-four-months/ https://www.huffpost.com/entry/i-lost-weight-vanessa-rabb_n_2972663 https://www.thatskinnychickcanbake.com/tuna-cranberry-pecan-salad-sandwich/ https://wellnessmama.com/1738/apple-walnut-tuna-salad/ https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/3-ways-drawing-more-will-make-you-smarter-even-if-youre-terrible-at-it.html 3 Ways Drawing More Will Make You Smarter by Jessica Stillman https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/3-ways-drawing-more-will-make-you-smarter-even-if-youre-terrible-at-it.html https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/this-is-what-a-great-book-does-to-your-brain.html?cid=landermore What A Great Book Does to Your Brain by Jessica Stillman https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/this-is-what-a-great-book-does-to-your-brain.html?cid=landermore https://www.inc.com/quora/this-is-what-motivates-warren-buffett-to-keep-working-hard-even-though-hes-a-billionaire.html https://www.inc.com/quora/this-is-what-motivates-warren-buffett-to-keep-working-hard-even-though-hes-a-billionaire.html https://www.navy.com/careers/purchasing-supply-logistics https://www.navy.com/index.php/careers/food-services-hospitality https://www.navy.com/index.php/careers/mass-communications-photography https://www.kayak.com https://pilotonline.com/business/biz-buzz/article_f8afccf4-c5bd-11e8-bc66-2752679fb065.html Open Table Restaurant by Elisha Sauers https://pilotonline.com/business/biz-buzz/article_f8afccf4-c5bd-11e8-bc66-2752679fb065.html songs for me to keep in mind; Black Dog by Led Zeppelin,Turn Me On by David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj, Hands in the Air by Timbaland feat. Neyo, Animal by Leppard, So Alive by Love and Rockets, Lovin You by Robert Palmer, Infatuation by Rod Stewart, Saturday by Basshunter, Addicted by Saving Abel, Sexy (1981 Rehearsal) by Rod Stewart, Lovesong by the Cure, Just Like Heaven by the Cure, Shake it by Metro Station, Everything I Wanna Do by Nickelback, Magic by Robin Thicke, I Was Made For Lovin You by Kiss, Sensitized by Kylie Minogue, Love Affair by Kylie Minogue, So Hott by Kid Rock, I Feel You by Depeche Mode, Insatiable by Darren Hayes, Candyman by Christina Aguilera Link that I saw this morning about public relations by 1044 am Saturday October 6, 2018 eerily (in what appears to be a spiritually synchronistic way) less than an hour after I told my husband that I need to consider pursuing a career in public relations to brush up on my writing skills. However, I humbly understand that I am fortunate to have the University of Maryland College Park food services job that I am charmed/lucky to have. Additionally, even I commit to studying public relations, carry out my intent to study public relations I am humbly aware that it might be at least 1 to 2 years andor more before I would potentially qualify to work in public relations unless I rejoin active duty navy in that timeframe. A person even with just a high school degree can have a job working in something public relations related in the U.S. navy provided that they are requesting said job at the right place andor the right time, a similar thing for qualifying to be a culinary specialist in the navy, a person straight from high school can train to be a culinary specialist where even in the current environment I am blessed to work in more than just a high school degree andor even college is sometimes needed just to even come close to being a kitchen cook in training. However, I believe that Tim Malloy has benevolent good intent in publishing this article.https://www.gijobs.com/public-relations-jobs-for-veteransWhy You Should Consider A Career in Public Relations Put Your Communication Skills To Use in a Public Relations Job by Tim Malloystorytelling idea;at least 130 men and women of various ages from 23 to 83 who work in both military andor civilian public relations are interviewed and generously share with others the steps they took in becoming public relations specialists in an ebook and book published by the year 2020 andor sooner. https://www.gijobs.com/public-relations-jobs-for-veterans I Stella Carrier connect to my heaven higher self and heaven spirit ally team of multiple heaven worlds of divine love and divine happiness both offline and online in all areas of my Stella Carrier life for both present and future. Both my husband Rusty Ridler and I Stella Carrier experience success and prosperity in both our personal and professional lives in all areas our lives both offline and online for both present and future. I Stella Carrier channel and manifest the creativity, wisdom, love energy and intuition energy of multiple heaven worlds of divine love and divine happiness via both offline and online in all areas of my Stella Carrier life to create heaven on earth, love, and happiness through my storytelling writings words actions thoughts decisions actions choices and more that benefit both myself Stella Carrier and others who interact with me Stella Carrier both present and future. I Stella Carrier manifest a 155 pound andor thinner body by November 1, 2018 andor sooner and I Stella Carrier save at least 1800 dollars or more after taxes by December 1, 2018 andor sooner. I Stella Carrier become more intuitive, imaginative, and wiser in all areas of my Stella Carrier life for both present and future while also manifesting good luck, good fortune, passion, fun, excitement and resilience both for myself and others who interact with me Stella Carrier both offline and online. I Stella Carrier and my husband Rusty Ridler experience a passionate, loving, and celestially beneficial marriage for at least the rest of our current lifetimes for both present and future both offline and online. I Stella Carrier deliver self confident and passionate customer service and both self confident and wise job performances that benefit many customers and the following more people at my Stella Carrier University of Maryland College Park food services job both offline and online; Rob Fahey Robert Fahey, Kevin Williams, Cindy Bolden, Natalie,John, Marlo, Jerome, Maui Unique, Wil, Justin, Kaya, Eden, Daphne, Joy, George Gomez, Mary Maria Rachel Shalaya Juanita, Mariela, Justinia, Meghan, Francisca, Yarnell, Courtney, Rob, Steve, Nicole, Sara, Shiree, Shirley, Femi, Guylinda, Jorge, Julio, Maria, Solomon, James, Simon, Melissa, Berta, Daphne, Joy, Alyssa, Whitney, and many more people both present and future. creative fiction storytelling idea approximate time 138 am to 139 am creative fiction storytelling idea completion time parts from script 34 39 year old Willie Norman has a sleeptime dream where she is transported straight to the portal and realm that Oscar Berry took her to where she viewed the mirrors. However, this time Willie Norman gets to see the 2 mirrors titled military outcome for American born 39 year old Virginia Potter The first mirror is titled 39 year old Virginia Potter as a navy culinary specialist (military cook andor military chef) In this mirror Willie Norman views how Virginia Potter finds out about the different types of foods to watch both within what is popular in the military community and outside the military across the private sector and government populations. As a result, Virginia Potter's financial net worth reaches 5 million dollars after taxes by the time she celebrates her 41st birthday. There are more images for Willie Norman to see in the 39 year old Virginia Potter as a navy culinary specialist yet something tempts Willie Norman to look at the mirror titled 39 year old Virginia Potter as a mass communications specialist (public relations) In this mirror Willie Norman views how Virginia Potter also makes over $500,000 dollars after taxes in early 2000s money from the skills she learns as a navy public relations specialist (mass communications specialist) to promote her fiction books even though she wrote them via pennames by the time she celebrates her 40th birthday. However, Willie Norman also views some caveats/blessings for Virginia Potter; Virginia Potter's work as a mass communications specialist brings her an abundance of promotion and job opportunities including selection from her job as an enlisted E-5 into becoming an enlisted to officer public affairs officer via the newly created navy second chance prior enlisted officer program put into place for prior enlisted men and women who are at least 35 years old andor older. However, the caveat is that Virginia Potter's work places both herself and her husband in a situation where a financially prosperous Virginia Potter fortunately is also a creative money provider for both herself and her husband which silences even the most socially popular men and women who spread some creative fiction stories of their own of Virginia Potter being some type of gold digger. Virginia Potter intentionally allowed that creative fiction rumor circulate even when she intuitively knew how to silence that gold digging rumor peacefully. However, Virginia Potter allowed even her most creative critics circulate the creative fiction because she intuitively figured out that such a rumor actually was providing intuitive and creative energy for her to manifest her career goals, her body weight and money goals, and her goals of residing wherever she wants regardless of what others thought quicker because of the goal. Additionally, Virginia Potter intuitively figured out that such a goal allowed all the supporters and admirers she has to love her for the personality that she truly has regardless of what others thought. However, the caveat is that the extended time away contributes to Virginia Potter's handsome and amazing husband being tempted by multiple professionally accomplished women where on the plus side the marriage between Virginia Potter and her husband stays intact. However the caveat is that one of the mistresses of her husband comes to Virginia Potter one day in front of one of her navy bosses and boldly declares and admits that the 2 twin red haired girls who look to be around 5 years old she sees before her are her husband's. Willie Norman intuitively sees that Virginia Potter must be open minded for she herself has been living a very wild lifestyle discreetly from the general public. Rather, Virginia Potter is wondering how much child support money that she is going to expected to pony up to her husband's mistress as Virginia Potter intuitively sees through the twin haired girls eyes that the mistress is telling the truth and is going to expect her to help her husband pay the child support money for the twin girls now that she can easily afford the money as a public affairs officer. Virginia Potter also counts herself lucky that her unconventional married love life is one where she is fortunately able to be secretive about it successfully. Willie Norman sees that fortunately the marriage between Virginia Potter and her husband is still intact as a navy culinary specialist in the navy culinary specialist mirror. Additionally,both Virginia Potter and her husband enjoy a voluntary child-free existence where both parents and child-free couples alike are open minded and understanding of their decision. However, the life as a navy culinary specialist has Virginia Potter working a great deal of hours even though her marriage is long distance free. Additionally Willie Norman sees both Virginia Potter and her husband living very wild lifestyle sexually speaking involving other consenting adults with Virginia Potter being more wild and uninhibited than her husband as a navy culinary specialist compared to her being more conservative in public as a mass communications specialist with Virginia Potter being a resourceful money provider for both herself and her husband and even paying for his schooling encouraging him to attend some type of training to become an intelligence officer. However the caveat occurs in the type of partners they secretly choose. Virginia Potter's husband has a taste for the danger in selecting women both who are wealthier than both Virginia Potter and her husband but who like to confront Virginia Potter in public if they sense that she has something to do with the amount of time they see her husband when only her husband decides this despite their perception. Sounds innocent enough until a socially prominent wife of one of her boss's friends boldly confronts Virginia Potter at work in front of the bosses caring little about Virginia Potter's coworkers having her be the talk of the workplace because she freely allows it. Virginia Potter's choice in partners are just as risky as her husband's as a navy culinary specialist. Her most recent partner that kept her company when McKay chase was busy is a civilian who was a former navy coworker which sounds innocent enough because this allows more discretion. Additionally, Virginia Potter learns alot about herself more than she expected which gives her a boost and gift talent in romantically attracting whoever Virginia Potter romantically wants, many of the men that would be simply creative sleeptime dream fantasies who now want her in her waking life as a navy culinary specialist residing in a military dominant area. Virginia Potter is even successful in maintaining discretion in her unconventional married life. However, the caveat is that Virginia Potter is currently romantically juggling at least two other men in her life with successful and secret discretion who have at least 2 to 3 andor sometimes more girlfriends mistresses at a time in addition to Virginia Potter. Because Virginia Potter is married both men admit their dating life to Virginia Potter and they even help Virginia Potter intuitively give her ideas that help and enhance her married life with Virginia Potter's husband and also creative intuition ideas that enhance both her personal and professional life. For instance, one of the men gave Virginia Potter an idea for a creative fiction story that she found discovered yesterday has attracted the attention of 44 Hollywood script agents, actors, actresses and directors who want to select the creative fiction play for one of their films and to offer Virginia Potter at least $800,000 dollars after taxes upfront in early 2000s money. The second male love gave Virginia Potter an idea for a vacation spot that gave Virginia Potter both intuitive visions in her sleeptime dreams and waking life that has been a profitable stock market investment adding $80,000 dollars after taxes to her money net worth in the span of just 2 days. This all seems innocent enough because the affairs are conducted in secret even with the other women who are dating the 2 lovers of Virginia Potter fully aware of her presence because one of Virginia Potter's male lovers has a picture of her in his home and keeps it there regardless of what others say and the second male lover of Virginia Potter was inspired by the other male lover to leave pictures of himself in Virginia Potter's home knowing full well that she would keep them and thinking outside the box by keeping some music, magazine, and book collections of Virginia Potter's successfully convincing her after they would make love to keep them knowing that Virginia Potter can easily afford duplicates. This career and money success that Virginia Potter is enjoying as a navy culinary specialist while successfully juggling her married and career life the longer she is alive sounds charmed and with good luck and good fortune. However the caveat comes in when a number of the women either connected to the male lovers that Virginia Potter has made love to andor both women andor secret male admirers from her Virginia Potter's professional andor personal life wisely and creatively follow Virginia Potter to a multiple number of her workplaces in the military dominated area of Hampton Roads Virginia Beach Norfolk Virginia area some of them even from the previous place that Virginia Potter resided in before relocating. Virginia Potter actually manages to make the best of multiple men and women who know her following her in a happy way by going ahead and extending her stay at some of the Hampton Roads Virginia navy workplaces whenever possible with the caveat of Virginia Potter intuitively realizing that she also must keep an open mind to extending on the various navy aircraft carrier ships whenever the wisest to follow her creative intuition, which navy aircraft carrier life is also a soap opera in itself even with Virginia Potter now being more popular and more sought after in both her career and personal life.

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oakmd · 8 years ago

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professor oak’s rp plotting cheat-sheet!

Want new-and-exciting plots for your character? Long to reach out to more of your followers, but don’t know where to start? Fear not! Fill out this form and give your RP partners both present and future all the of juicy jumping off points they need to help you get your characters acquainted.

Be sure to tag the players whose characters YOU want more cues to interact with, and repost, don’t reblog! Feel free to add or remove sections as you see fit. Template here.

Mod name: :v OOC Contact: Tumblr IM; but if we’re mutuals I’ll give you my discord! I have Skype too, but I don’t really use it much.

WHO IS HE:

Professor Oak is a renowned Pokémon Professor most notably known for his invention of the Pokédex, his Welcome To The World of Pokémon! lecture / documentary and his extensive research surrounding the relationships between pokémon and people. He’s a very recognizable icon in the pokéworld; it would be impossible not to know who he is.

Alternatively, while he’s mostly known for being a scientist, he has wide recognition for his Pokémon poetry. He also does regular recordings with DJ Mary at Goldenrod Radio Tower.

The Professor resides in Pallet Town, Kanto, in one of the world’s most impressive laboratory reserve - stretching across acres upon acres of land, built entirely to replicate all types of pokémon’s natural habitats and terrains.

As a former pokémon trainer ( as well as Kanto Champion ), he has one grandson, Gary Oak, who is also former pokémon trainer, but is now currently on the path to becoming a Scientist himself, specializing in fossil revival.

Points of interest:

My portrayal of Professor Oak is mostly anime-based. This means I do not consider game function as canon or as character trait (ex. Professor Oak forgetting his grandson’s name. I have heard this joke enough to last me a lifetime, please Don’t™.) However, I include some elements of the manga/game, I guess, but usually only to fill in the many gaps untouched in the anime. With that being said, Green / Blue / Red and even Daisy do not exist. I have exceptions of interactions with some people, but it does not fall under my Main Canon and is more of some weird, blended AU, lol.

Professor Oak is a 50+ year old man. On top of that, a parent and a grandparent. Because of this, most of the time ( not always ) he will naturally be more intuitive and perceptive to situations than a younger muse might be. He has had many, many life experiences to draw from that he applies to current context; empathizing and offering advice comes easy. With that being said, please communicate with me if I’ve crossed a line with this; I won’t take offense!

Professor Oak has interacted with legendary Pokémon. See: Celebi, ft. Suicune. Professor Oak is not immune to... strange occurrences. He’s interacted with the legendary pokémon Celebi ( and Suicune ) when he was a young boy. However, I portray this muse as someone that has seen much more ( of the unexplainable, not necessarily legendaries ), yet appreciates them within the comfort of his own privacy.

Professor Oak has very high public status! While the man certainly lives his life as a regular person, his life is anything but. Hailing from Kanto and living peacefully in Pallet Town, Samuel’s demeanor is very humble, but his Net Worth is one of the highest, given his important influence, multi-faceted popularity and on-going relevancy among the citizens of the poké-universe. It goes without saying that he has made some of the most important contributions to the field of science and world of pokémon, but he is also sort of a pop culture “idol”. His name is attached to hundreds of awards, recognitions, lifetime achievements, entertainment achievements. Whatever there is to do, Professor Oak does it all: Scientist, Writer, Artist, Humanitarian, Pokémon Professor, TV Host, Radio Host, University Lecturer, Motivational Speaker, Activist, League Advisor, Parent. There is nothing he won’t dive into if it’s for the greater good. List of Awards: here.

What they’ve been up to recently:

*POST-CANON. Same ol’, same ol’. Professor Oak has many years left in him yet! You can still find him on his happy little hill in Pallet Town doing what he does best: giving trainers their starters, and babysitting those same 9482536 kids under his care. Including, but not limited to all the 3948357927682294 pokémon he and - everyone’s favorite personal assistant son - Tracey Sketchit share responsibility for. His life will pretty much be the same, as it has been; the perks of being old and well-adjusted. *I use ‘post canon’ loosely. My default timeline is ongoing with the show itself, but since time never seems to progress, I’ve taken it upon myself to lazily assume some years have passed since S1E1 ( hence why I say Oak is 50+ rather than actually 50 ).

MULTI-VERSE. If you are a non-pokémon muse, Professor Oak will happily accept that you’re simply not someone from his universe. As mentioned above, stranger things have happened to him. Because of his own experiences, he’s very open-minded about the possibilities the universe has up it’s sleeve. I like to think of his corral and his lab are portal spots for the unknown to materialize. Maybe a point deep in the mountain and forest terrain. Or perhaps from the forest ( between Kanto and Johto ) where Celebi dwells. This concept isn’t necessary to follow for the multi-verse, just a suggestion! TL;DR Let Professor Oak be your away-from-home grandpa, he has lots of Experience™.

Where to find them:

DEFAULT VERSE. There are a lot of places to find the ever-active Professor Oak. However, the top three most common places are: his research lab ( corral included ) in Pallet Town, Kanto, Goldenrod Radio Tower, and Celadon University. Because he is so famous, he can be anywhere, though. Whether it’s doing charity work, raising awareness, doing lectures, being a guest at internships, working with media across regions, visiting other pokémon professors, being on a much needed vacation, traveling for work. Pretty much, wherever your muse is, I can find a reason for Professor Oak to be there.

POST-COLLEGE. I don’t actually have a ‘verse’ for this but it takes place shortly after Samuel finishes grad school and takes position as Kanto’s Pokémon Professor. He’s the first one to reside in Pallet Town. The lab itself is still under renovation; he’s moved back home after being away for years at school, and still trying to mourn the loss of his fiancé. He’s a single father, struggling to balance work and parenthood, but he gets by. ( Further down this timeline, about thirteen years later, he suffers the loss of his children, and becomes the guardian of his grandson, Gary Oak. )

To find Professor Oak is the other ‘verses’ from the Offered / Desired sections, just ask.

Current plans:

Keeping busy. Professor Oak is a very goal-oriented person and although he finds relaxation necessary, he also prefers to be active. His hands are always full running the biggest pokémon lab, but he’s always throwing himself into new projects of all kinds of varieties.

Travel and meet new people. Ever the social butterfly, the Professor is always welcoming new faces to his growing list of companions. Although his reasons for traveling are no longer for becoming a Pokémon Champion, he finds that there are plenty of things he hadn’t quite noticed or appreciated before. It’s interesting to see how some things have changed, and for others, how they’ve stayed the same. It’s all for business purposes of course ( mostly ), but coming full circle provides closure for memories he’d only reminisced about for years after he graduated from college.

Supporting Gary. As his grandson begins his journey in the field of science, Professor Oak prioritizes helping him adjust and giving him the support he needs.

Otherwise, the plans depend on what your muse brings. :O

Desired interactions:

Retired Oak! Literally everything is the same except he’s wearing tropical shirts and jorts. B^) Alola cruise, anyone?

Alzheimer’s Oak! LISTEN, I KNOW.. ... .. Game-mechanic jokes aside, lmao - I have no real excuse. It just hurts so good. ;^(

Grandpa Oak. I’m sure raising Gary and Ash was nothing but and Experience™.

TRACEY. MY PURE ASSISTANT SON -

College. What goes on in college, stays in college. College timeline: here.

Celebi, Again! Starring... Professor Oak! B^) Swapped into the body of his younger self. How does he fix this? Calamity ensues.

Dr. Fuji, Who? No, Professor Oak isn’t part of Team Rocket but he did get roped into helping them create MewTwo with the desperate attempt to also bring his family back to life. Did I rip that from Dr. Fuji? Yes I did, and I don’t care, let me live -

Team Rocket? Or, alternatively, he does work for Team Rocket with this ridiculous concept that he was blackmailed into working for them post-grad because of his unremarkable intelligence and promise. While his public face is the friendly Professor Oak everyone knows and loves, his lab holds darker secrets, the darkest being that he could no loner resist their persistence in making him comply, after they staged his children’s death as an innocent car accident. : ) ... Anyway,

Persistent Press. Be annoying and invasive. Start scandals. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Unrequited. Get rejected by the notorious man himself. He will be gentle.

Agatha. How dare you,

CROSSOVERS!!!

Offered interactions:

Are you a Pokémon Trainer™ or some other kind of pokémon-specializing person ( pokémon watcher, photographer, breeder, ranger, etc. )? Ring up your Professor when Officer Jenny arrests you for something he told you not to do in the first place so he can judge you with a proper scolding. For the others, show him your talents and skills! If you’re not a Kanto Trainer, I’m sure one of the other Professors can send you his way, either to drop something off / pick something up / for general help, etc. and he’s always excited to meet his colleagues’ kiddos. Also excited to see others contribute to the world of pokémon in some way! He loves pokémon and humans interacting!

Are you a Pokémon Professor? Doctor, Nurse? Let’s gather ‘round and be stressed about Ash our reckless trainers. But also drinking and karaoke! Pokémon Discourse™. Camping retreats. Boring, obligatory conferences. Peer Review. Or maybe you just need a little advice from one of the pokéworlds more experienced Professors! Unless you’re Professor Rowan - in that case you’re BFFs that get into shenanigans nobody would ever believe.

Are you a Science Major? Limited internships available for college students.

Do you live in Pallet Town? Hi, neighbor! B^) Professor Oak ( and Tracey ) most likely talk to you in passing, should it occur. ( Please message me about pre-established relationships first. ) Common places include, the mart, post office, movie theaters, etc.

Summer Camp? Boom, Professor Oak has summer camp for the kiddos at his corral.

Are you a big idolizer of Professor Oak? Lucky for you, there’s more than one way to be a fan! You can reach him via fanmail, @’ing him on social media, finding his personal phone number from some sketchy fan forum, hogging up the radio show hotline, stalking his schedule to make each appearance panel, hovering outside around his lab, stealing candid photos, bombarding him in public with intrusive questions, shoving your notepad out for an autograph... You can even be one of those weird people who try to proclaim your love to ‘celebrities’ too old for you that you know little about. Who knows what this poor man will do?

Are you into Traditional Kanto / Johto? You may share the same passions if you’re into calligraphy, ikebana, haiku, tea ceremonies, etc.

Are you a Celadon University Student? Feel free to talk to your Intro To Pokémon ( or Pokémon Sociology 101, etc. ) Professor about anything unclear about assignments, to offer questions or concerns... or try to make excuses for not turning in homework and being late, you lazy student. :T Doubles as an Unofficial Guidance Counselor to said students even though that’s not his job - but he can’t help it, he’s a parent before he’s a Professor.

Are you a child associated with Make-A-Wish Foundation? Professor Oak offers terminally-ill children the opportunity to choose their starters, and spend time with their favorite idol. : (

Are you affiliated with the media? All press can inquire about guest speakings, giveaways, promotions, advertisement deals, interviews, volunteer work, hosting/co-hosting, etc. and Professor Oak will get back to you at his earliest convenience. This INCLUDES those working at Goldenrod Radio Tower!

Are you a business person? Politician? High-Profile Celebrity / Figure? Meet Professor Oak at a Gala! Or any other formal event. Feel free to offer business negotiations, inquire about his residence, or other sketchy things. :v

Are you affiliated with Kanto’s Pokémon League? Albeit not as recently involved as per usual, he’s an advisor, so he and your muse are at least associates, if not more.

Are you one of the developers that helped with the Pokédex? Nerds will be nerds.

Do you know Samuel from his days prior to being Professor Oak? Whether it be from childhood, training days, or college, they all matter. ( I’m aware this is highly unlikely because nobody RP’s old pokémon muses, but with that being said, I’m open to interacting with kids / grandkids of the aforementioned. )

Are you Team Rocket a villain? Have you reached your Kidnap-A-Scientist quota today?

Current open post/s:

I had very few, but I’m too lazy to look for them. Plotting is probably better. /gestures to this post

Anything else?:

Threading is not limited to this list. I’m always open to more ideas!

I’m not sure what the huge difference is between the Desired / Offered interactions -

You don’t need a pokémon verse to interact with me!

Your muse does not need to idolize Professor Oak to interact with him.

CROSSOVERS.

Tagged by: i stole this from @undinaes

Tagging: Whoever sees this!

#this is way longer than i thought it could possibly be #please read it theres something for everyone i swear!!!#do your research ▸ [ PSA. ]#through the years ▸ [ hc. ]

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