#also just makes you treasure how beautiful spanish is and it should hit better if you understand it vs the english subs yknow?

[young-dumb-and-vaccinated]

The Sommelier (Hannigram x Female!Reader) pt. 26

Hannibal, Will and y/n host a dinner to put an end to everything

@dovahdokren @deadman-inc-bikeshop @lov3vivian @wisesandwichshark @scpdragon

Trigger warnings: PTSD, violence

"Hannibal, baby," You called down from the wine cellar. "Which one pairs best with the paella?"

"A Spanish white!" Will interjected.

You rolled your eyes, then looked at his shelf full of Spanish whites. "Thanks, Hannibal."

"You're the sommelier, [F/N]." Will shouted back. "Go with your gut!"

"Verdejo it is." You said to yourself, grabbing the high-shouldered bottle from the shelf.

You returned from the cellar and headed to the dining room, where Will was dutifully setting the table.

"Well aren't you the perfect little homemaker?" You commented, making sure he caught you eyeing his backside.

Will playfully snatched the wine from your hands. "We can't all be the breadwinners, can we, Ms. Restaurant Owner?"

You laughed, looking around at your triple-income house and accepting a kiss from your Will. You put your hands on his shoulders and broke the kiss.

"You know Hannibal isn't going to let you attend one of his famous dinner parties in a flannel, right?" You warned him, lips hovering a few inches from his face.

"Two guests is not a dinner party." Will corrected you. "I figured you'd know this after six months but, baby, Hannibal is always overdressed for everything."

"Better overdressed than the other way around, my treasure." Hannibal said, standing in the threshold. "Why don't you go slip in to that suit I bought you?"

Will threw his hands up. "Do you two just live to gang up on me? You know I can buy my own clothes, right?"

You scoffed. "Babe, you spent your last paycheck almost entirely at Bass Pro Shops-"

"And then we spent the day workshopping new seafood dishes for the restaurant with the fish I caught." Will shrugged. "You don’t get to benefit from it then complain."

You put up your hands in surrender. "Fair enough."

"So I don't make an ordeal out of this in front of guests," Hannibal said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out two small drawstring bags and gave one to each of you. "Happy six months, my darlings."

"Six month anniversary presents?" Will laughed. "What are we, high school students?"

"Do you not want it?" Hannibal raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't say that." He mumbled.

You opened the bag and slid the contents into your hand. A beautiful solid white ring with ornate carvings tumbled out.

"It's beautiful." You smiled, sliding it on to your finger. "What is it?"

"A ring, my indulgence." Hannibal chuckled.

You narrowed your eyes at him. "Sure, but what is it made of?"

He hesitated for a moment. "Ivory."

"Should I be concerned that you somehow know both of our ring sizes?" Will asked, admiring how his fit perfectly on his finger. 

“I think you mean ‘thank you, Hannibal’.” You corrected him. “Even if it is a little uncanny.”

The doorbell rang. Hannibal threw a dish towel over his shoulder and pointed to Will.

"Go change." He ordered. "I will not have my guests seeing you in such an unsightly state."

"It's Jack and [F/N]'s friend." Will protested.

"Sure, I'll get the door." You said. "Gee, thanks [F/N], that would be so helpful!"

You opened the door with a smile.

"Agent Crawford!" You greeted, shaking his hand.

"Oh, please." He laughed. "Call me Jack."

"And this must be Bella." You said, offering his wife your hand. "Jack has told me all about you."

"So you're the infamous [F/N] [L/N]?" Bella accepted with a smile. "It's so nice to meet you."

Jack removed his hat and coat, then handed you a bag. "For you."

"You shouldn't have." You said, knowing immediately that it was wine. Then you pulled it out of the bag. Your eyes went wide and your jaw hung open.

"Holy shit you really shouldn't have." You repeated.

Jack shrugged and smiled smugly. "I pulled some strings in evidence. Figured you might want it."

You threw your arms around his neck, keeping a tight grip on the 1907 Heidsieck Monopole.

"Hey, do I get a hug?" Said another voice.

Charissa waved to you from the porch.

"Holy shit, hey!" You opened your arms. Charissa jumped into your embrace and squeezed you. She'd always hugged you tighter after seeing you half-alive in a hospital bed with your seldom-seen lovers at your bedside.

"Jack, this is my friend Charissa Rodriquez." You introduced. "She was the one who sent you the address."

"So you're 'tip', huh?" Jack's face lit up. "The FBI owes you a debt of gratitude, Ms. Rodriquez."

"Tip?" You said, looking at both Jack and Charissa.

"The address we received came from an obvious burner email." Jack explained. "We thought it was from Chase, so we arrived with a ton of backup anticipating an attack. Turns out we needed it."

Charissa shrugged. "I thought you could never be too careful."

"Well, intentional or not," Jack said. "You helped us a lot."

"You're Charissa Rodriquez?" Will said from the staircase. He wore a grey suit with a dark blue dress shirt that fit him scarily well considering he hadn't even tried it on.

"Enchanté, monsieur." Charissa said, eyeing him up with a hungry smile. "You must be Will."

"Down, girl." You crossed your arms. Your tone was playful, but had a slight threatening bite. "He's all mine."

"Not all yours." Hannibal corrected, entering the scene to finally greet his guests. "Agent Crawford, Bella, Ms. Rodriquez, welcome."

"Wow." Charissa said, dumbfounded. "I feel like I'm meeting a celebrity."

"Oh, surely the rumors unraveled after the old place went out of business." Hannibal answered. "There are far more interesting things to talk about than myself."

"Very few, but they do exist." Jack commented.

Charissa folded her arms. "Like the bartender who stood up to a psychotic cult leader and found two wonderful boyfriends to take care of her?"

"I've heard that one!" You added. "I hear she bought the restaurant for next to nothing after it became a stigmatized property."

Carissa narrowed her eyes at you. "I still cannot believe you told him."

You shrugged. "I think it all worked out."

Hannibal gathered everyone around the table and tasked you with pouring the wine.

"Surely you know why I've invited you here tonight." He asked, taking a seat at the head. "The high courts have ruled Chase's death a suicide."

"Cheers to that." Will said, raising his glass.

"Nobody actually believes it was a suicide." Jack clarified, trying not to look at you too obviously. "But the jury didn't want to dignify him with a proper homicide ruling."

Charissa glared at you, not trying to not be obvious. "Only one person at the table knows for sure."

You shook your head. "I hit my head really hard, the details are just not there."

"But [F/N]'s DNA was on the gun." Bella added.

"But not her fingerprints." Jack said. "It was saliva. We think he tried to choke her with his fingers before reaching for the gun."

"Did you ever find that finger?" Charissa said like it was nothing.

Jack, who was more interested in the paella than the conversation, shook his head. "Never."

Your eyes widened. You left the finger with the gun, you were sure of it.

"Must we discuss the gory details over dinner?" Will said, sensing your discomfort.

Charissa rested her chin in her hands. "Would you rather talk about your three-person couple?"

"I distinctly remember spitting the finger out." You insisted.

"We found so many pieces of bone in that room," Jack continued. "It's genuinely of far less concern than the dynamite lining the walls and bunker full of cocaine, stolen medical supplies and baby coffins."

"And the stained glass window made of human skin." You added.

"You know a case is fucked when a lost finger is of the least concern." Charissa commented.

"The important thing is that it's over." Will said. "He's dead and [F/N] is alive."

Bella smiled at you. "God really is looking out for you, [F/N]."

You forced a smile, telling yourself that Bella had the best intentions. But her good intentions revived Chase's voice in your head, which was a voice you'd spent the last six months trying to forget. You tightened your grip on your utensils to relieve some tension, but it didn’t work.

The table went quiet, waiting for Bella to realize her mistake. Will put his hand over yours and looked into your eyes. He mouthed the word 'breathe' and some similar affirmations.

Hannibal raised his head, knowing the light casting shadows on his face intimidated people. "Ms. Bella, we generally don't talk religion here."

She covered her mouth with her fingertips. "I'm so sorry, [F/N], I just meant-"

You put your hand up. "Please, just don't."

"The important thing is that [F/N] recovered forty missing women and reunited them with their families." Will said. "And there was no divine presence involved in that."

You smiled softly. "I'll drink to that."

"And you'll also be happy to know that the woman who assisted him in luring all those girls into the cult," Jack added. "She's looking at twenty-five to life without parole."

"What about the babies?" Bella piped up. "Weren't there, like, at least twelve newborns?"

"That's where the department of family and child services took over." Jack answered. "Whether the biological mothers kept them or put them up for adoption is out of our hands, but I do know each child was thoroughly examined and are all up to date on their shots."

"Seriously, though." Charissa interjected. "How do you misplace an entire finger?"

"It's one of the easier appendages to misplace." Hannibal answered, speaking with experience. "I heard it wasn't just the one that you couldn't find."

Jack looked up from his plate, confused. "Now how did you know about that?"

"The man took a 12 gauge bullet directly to the hand, Jack." Hannibal said with a small chuckle. "It's more likely you find no fingers than any at all."

"The bones will turn up somewhere." Jack said, resignedly. 

He just happened to say the word “bones” as you were glancing at your ring. 

You smiled a little too wide. “They just might.”  

[laufire]

Black Sails

Top 5 favourite characters: Max, Silver, Jack, Madi, and Flint.

Other characters you like: Mr. Scott, Anne, Miranda, Idelle, Eleanor, Billy, Eme, the Maroon Queen, Featherstone, Ms. Guthrie, Muldoon, DeGroot...

Least favourite characters: Rogers, Ashe, Alfred Hamilton and Richard Guthrie are my Most Disliked People lol. Dufresne and Hornigold can suck it too xD

Otps: Silverflintmadi, Flintmiranda, Maxanne + Rackanne, Maxanor. Don’t ask me to choose lol.

Notps: Eleanor/Rogers, Silver/Thomas. Though not with the ~passion I dislike other notps of mine -I just find the first depressing in canon and the latter tiresome in fanon *shrugs*.

Favourite friendships: Silver & Max & Jack; Silver & the Walrus crew (THE LOVE THERE), Idelle & Max.

Favourite family: Madi’s family >>>>>>>>. It’s not like there’s many options to choose from lmao, but even if there was, I’d still pick them. What a gr10 reversal of one of most hated tropes *-* (aka: having a character of color save or prioritize a white character at the expense of their own relatives, to the point where sometimes it even costs them their lives).

Favourite episodes: this is one of the shows I have most difficulty picking favourite episodes tbh. Every one in s4 (I still haven’t watched the finale... I should stop putting that off lol) has hit me where I live. Same with s3, really. s1 and s2 were less !!!!! but I’ve never disliked a single episode, so. Choices, choices. To pick one of each so far (minus s4 since I haven’t completed it): 1x03 (probably a... controversial choice, but it’s when I knew the show was something else), 2x10 (I love having my heart broken and this episode provided that. And I love seeing Max & co-winning and I got that too!), and 3x05 (the Silverflint!! Madi’s family!! Flint & The Maroon Queen’s scene! Flint’s visions! Max forcing Rogers to make a place for her on the council!! Max’s “I AM Nassau”!! Spoken Spanish that didn’t make my ears bleed!!!).

Favourite season/book/movie: s4. Each episode has been just. too much xD. So thematically perfect. I hope the finale feels like that too.

Favourite quotes: oof. How to choose. Max’s quote about refusing to make enemies of those one day she could call friends; her rant about Rogers sitting “in [her] fucking chair!!”; her speech to Anne in 4x08; Silver’s “I am no one from nowhere” quote; Madi’s about the “multitude of voices”; Jack’s “did I make up a lot of ground to catch you” speech; Flint’s “no daylight between you and I” (WHO SAYS THAT. IN *PUBLIC*. I swear it’s somehow the most indecent moment of the show. It overwhelms me xDD); Idelle’s quote about Max when she confronts Anne; Mr. Scott’s “only YOU” to Madi. I’d say those are my ultimate favourites.

Best musical moment: the intro. I love it.

Moment that made you fangirl/boy the hardest: Silver and Max’s interacting again in s4 made me lose it. Also, that Look between Max and Flint and Jack confirming later Flint had argued to kill her so she wouldn’t fuck with their plans anymore lmao.

When it really disappointed you: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

Saddest moment: me at the progressive erosion of Silverflint’s relationship -> DDD:

Most well-done character death: Eleanor’s, I’d say.

Favourite guest star: Idek what I’d count as guest star with this show... I’m going with Idelle. If she appears too much to be considered a “guest”, the Maroon Queen.

Favourite cast member: JPK. She blends so, so well with her roles? Sometimes I have an incredibly hard time remembering Max and Nora West-Allen are played by the same person, ngl xD

Character you wish was still alive: both Miranda and Mr. Scott, though the latter has an edge because I have the NEED of knowing how he would’ve acted if he was in s4.

One thing you hope really happens: that I get the time I need to finish my WIPs and that NO ONE, EVER, tries to do a spin-off/remake/ANYTHING like that with it xD

Most shocking twist: Mr. Scott’s reveal in 3x04, if only because it was one of the few major things I wasn’t spoiled at all about xD. But I love how it changes your perspective of his s1-2 storylines.

When did you start watching/reading?: a few months ago.

Best animal/creature: ... sharks xD. We owe them so much (if Silver’s parrot was canon here, well).

Favourite location: Nassau (aka Max’s Domain).

Trope you wish they would stop using: n/a. I love this show’s tropes and themes lol.

One thing this show/book/film does better than others: lots of stuff xD. Dialogue is one; deviating from expectations and archetypes is another.

Funniest moments: WHO’S BILLY. The Silverflintbones pseudo-triangle xD. Silver’s s1 antics.

Couple you would like to see: *coughs* I could’ve coped with Silverflintmadi going all the way xD

Actor/Actress you want to join the cast: Maggie Smith should’ve had a cameo ¬¬

Favourite outfit: one?!? Have you SEEN everything Max’s worn in season four?? Or Eleanor in s1-2?? Jack’s Iconique Looks?? *sighs* I suppose I have a soft spot for Max wearing red, so that.

Favourite item: “La Galatea”, the book Flint gave to Miranda as an apology. My heart :((( (not to mention it reminds me to my own original WIPs).

Do you own anything related to this show/book/film?: ................ the DVDs xD. They were a little over 20 bucks total and I gave them to myself for my birthday lol (I just don’t trust Netflix anymore and I don’t want to lose easy access to a HQ version the show, so fork it). I own the Treasure Planet DVD (which came along with a computer game), but I have no idea of where I put it. And I have a copy of Treasure Island ofc (that I want to re-read when I finish the show).

What house/team/group/friendship group/family/race etc would you be in?: my heart is with Flintmadi’s cause but my brain and need to win with Max’s team xD

Most boring plotline: eh. I didn’t much care for Blackbeard’s deal (though I felt for his death, because it was so fucking awful).

Most laughably bad moment: n/a.

Best flashback/flashforward if any: The Sword Flirting Sparring flashbacks ofc *-*

Most layered character: Flint and Silver ofc.

Most one-dimensional character: the one-note characters that are just there at plot devices. And of those with a little more relevance to our mains, Thomas is the least expanded-on by far *shrugs* (which doesn’t mean “poorly written”).

Scariest moment: Silver’s state when he thought he lost Madi. No wonder Flint was so worried tbh.

Grossest moment: putting aside the physically gross moments (of which this show has a few, lbr. It did not shy away from injuries, etc.)... I had my most visceral reaction to Rogers speaking with Madi. Like, fuck off dude xD. ALSO: Billy’s beard. Kill it pls.

Best looking male: Joshua was a dork and a cutie. Flint is so not my type but there are... moments xD. Same with Silver when he’s in a shippy context, even if normally I’m all ??? at his face lol.

Best looking female: now this one is a lot harder xDD. I always end up saying Max because... have you seen her. They style her so lovingly *-*. But really, which of these women isn’t absolutely gorgeous in their unique way.

Who you’re crushing on (if any): Anne. She reminds me of my ~first love lol (looks-wise at least xD). And I know I’d be drawn to her...  sunny disposition lmao.

Favourite cast moment: in my lurking over blogs to add stuff in the queue, I saw twitter exchange where Silver’s actor says Silver’s actions against Billy were revenge for the potatoes xD, and Billy’s replied he should’ve made him peel carrots, since he “likes their colouring”. LMFAO.

Favourite transportation: the Walrus, obviously. I’m sentimental :(

Most beautiful scene (scenery/shot wise): Charlestown in flames was hella pretty :))))))

Unanswered question/continuity issue/plot error that bugs you: n/a.

Best promo: I’ve seen a promo picture for s3 with Flint standing over a giant British flag on fire... very evocative.

At what point did you fall in love with this show/book: 1x03. I liked the previous episodes alone, but it was Max’s insistence of rejecting Eleanor’s help that took it over the edge. I’ve said before that although it made things harder for her in the short term, to me it showed how different and impressive a character it was and, knowing that things would go really well for her afterwards, made me see just how much promise the show had.

[journal-of-an-outlaw]

Price to be Paid - Chapter 13

The Next Big Step (AO3 Link) 

Words: 5,413

After Arthur walked away from you and the wagon, you stayed glued to the spot where everything had changed. 

Arthur Morgan had just kissed you. And boy, did he kiss you good. 

Your mind reeled from the shift your friendship had taken. Off in the distance you could hear him and Hosea talking, the low bass and the higher tenor tones resonating to your location. A laugh burst out, and you hoped all was well and forgotten The two had a long history, it certainly wasn’t the first time the younger man had acted out. 

Abigail rounded the wagon and found you smiling at no one and lost in your head. 

“YN, you okay? What’s going on?” 

“Jesus! Abigail, you scared me. Nothing, just looking out at the water.” You held your hand over your heart at the fright and wondered how you must have looked. 

Your friend just laughed softly and joined you leaning against the wagon, a cup of coffee steaming in her hands that she sipped quietly. It was nice to enjoy her company after all this time, for she truly was the reason you were there at all. 

“How are things? Jack liking his new books?” 

He was, in fact he had already gone through one and was hinting at Hosea everyday that he needed a new one. 

John had gone and done something foolish again that caused Abigail pain, and you wondered what everyone saw in him that gave him such high regards in camp. He was similar to Arthur in the sense he was raised by Dutch and Hosea, but his mistakes defined him and physically reflected with the new scars he sported from a wolf encounter back in Colter. 

“Good evening, everyone! How is camp on this here fine, fine night?” Dutch’s voice rang out as he entered the scene, returning from wherever his grand plan took him today. His white horse, The Count, was tied up next to Old Boy and John waved Abigail over. She squeezed your arm and left, and you watched Arthur approach Dutch with something in his hands. The towel moved, and a glimmer of gold caught your eye. Dutch enthusiastically clapped Arthur’s shoulder and swung his gaze around camp, looking for someone. 

“This, folks, is a win for today! See what faith in old Dutch can do? Our newest member, YN, has brought back a gold bar for the camp funds! That is some fine work you did with that treasure map!” Dutch promised to raise a glass in your honor later that night and you blushed at the attention. 

Arthur walked over to you, giving your hand a subtle squeeze. “I told Dutch it was all you today with them gold bars, and that the biggest one was going to camp.” His voice was a whisper, but you could feel his breath against your cheek as he leaned in. 

“You did not have to do that, Arthur. But thank you.” 

He smiled and sat down, radiating an energy you couldn't quite nail down. Fingers tapped the wood table in a happy rhythm that matched his leg bouncing just out of sight. You longed to cover his hand with your own but the whole gang was sitting nearby and you still weren’t sure how things stood in a public setting. 

It sure would be interested to see how this played out. 

As you lay awake in your tent that night, you tried to sort out your feelings from the facts. After years of abuse you had escaped the tight grip of your father and found a new life. Fact. The same man who stole you from that fate also stole your heart. Feeling. You had learned to hunt, be around new folks, defend yourself, and even fight a little. Another fact. Your father, a bad man with a badge and a drinking problem, was probably out there looking for you while also searching for the Van der Linde gang. Again, fact. Arthur Morgan was one of the most complex men you had ever met, and yet still strived to do good in a world that demanded something different from him. Probably feeling, but you put it in the fact column due to your personal bias. 

Sleep came easy after your mind was sorted, and the warm ball of energy never left your chest as you floated from dream to dream. 

A sweet surprise was waiting for you on your pillow once you opened your eyes. It was a small white flower with no scent, but stunning petals and a beautiful yellow center that matched a top you had recently made with Tilly. 

You emerged from your tent tenderly holding the bud in the palm of your hand and see Arthur leaning against the ammo wagon smoking a cigarette. As he noticed you approach he dropped the tail end of his smoke to the dirt and smothered the ends with his boot. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth but never made it all the way across his mouth. 

“Morning.” You stood next to him and admired the view out across the lake. Never an early riser, you enjoyed seeing what life looked like on the other side of your time frame. 

“What’s that there?” 

You giggled and held out the flower. “I’m sure you wouldn’t know, Arthur.” 

He reached behind him and produced a small glass jar just big enough to hold your new treasure. “Here, I won’t be needing this anymore and I think this should just about fit. There. Fresh as, well, a daisy.” 

A quick laugh escaped him as he handed you back the jar. He shook his head at his own joke and you rolled your eyes, but snuck in a quick kiss on his cheek before darting back to your tent with the glass. 

Grimshaw found you before too long and dragged you off to do chores. She often made a move as if she would hit you for your ignorance, but was smart enough to spot the signs that you had grown up with a parent who had hit you for fun and not just discipline. It only happened once. You had flinched away from her so hard and nearly cowered against the wall she froze, making a mental note to never lay a hand on you again. Damn the man who tried to hurt her girls. In her mind she was the luckiest mother alive and would fight tooth and nail for those she loved at camp. 

The usual suspects of Mary Beth and Tilly stood on either side of you while you cleaned the dishes for the week. Most of it was leftover bowls from the stew, but Sean had made some nasty meal that no one could figure out and took a lot longer to scrape from the plates. 

“Wish I knew how to hunt.” Mary Beth dragged a cloth left and right across a plate to no avail as she spoke. “It would be nice to be able to provide something. I like robbing and helping find spots, but would be so great to be able to feel powerful. Holding a big gun, some rifle or the like.” 

It was surprising to hear this from someone so soft, but it oddly made sense. “That’s why I like it. I can let you practice with my bow if you’d like sometime, Mary Beth. Takes a lot of work, though.”

She laughed, “No, that’s alright. I just like to wish about things. I’m so much more into books and writing, that’s my dream. To be a writer. Sit in a tall, covered chair in a clean office and write until I can’t think of any more words to say.” 

You nodded along. “Well the offer still stands, but I do see you more of a writer than a hunter,” you laughed. “You’d be good, do you have any writing I could read? Been through most of my books already. I need something new. 

“Oh! Maybe, it’ll need some harsh editing. Tilly’s real good and goes through my stuff before anyone else ever sees it. She’s a blessing.” 

Tilly rolled her eyes at the compliment., “Your stuff don’t need much editing, Mary Beth. Maybe a few words added here and there but really, YN, she’s good.” 

Tilly agreed to let you read the works only after she had finished editing and you were delighted. It was refreshing to not just discuss the latest job gone right or wrong and feel like you were just three women, living a normal and settled life. 

Once the dishes were washed you left them to dry in the sun. Grimshaw allowed this task to be passed on to mother nature at least, and you followed Tilly back to a table to join Javier. For once he wasn’t plucking a guitar, but instead laying out dominoes in await of Tilly’s arrival. 

“Ah, there she is! Ready to play, Ms. Jackson?” 

Tilly nodded and took the seat opposite Javier, leaving you to take one of the backless boxes. The two of them were quick and played differently than Hosea did. Tilly let no emotion cross her face which was calculating and quick. Javier was trying hard to mimic her. 

John walked over to stand and watch the game unfold. 

“What’s that star on your chest, John? Does that say deputy?” 

John moved to cover his chest with his arm but you lightly slapped his hand away so you could read it better. “It does say deputy! Now why in the hell are you wearing that? Dutch finally go off the deep end and get you working for the law?”

A small nod had the three of you balking up at the younger man. “Wait a minute, are you serious?” Javier asked incredulously. 

“We went and helped the local law up in Rhodes. We blew up a moonshine operation for one of those feuding families and made it back with these damn stars. Dutch and Arthur both have them, too, but it means we can’t cause no trouble in town. Have to be on my best behavior. “ 

Tilly laughed but covered her mouth. “I’m sure that’s difficult for you all, Mr. Marston.” 

John joined in the laughter and moved to get some stew. Javier spoke softly in Spanish and shook his head. 

“Do you ever miss your home, Javier?” You knew he had fled Mexico at some point in his life but none of the details. 

“Eh. My home is here now, with Dutch. Some days I do miss it more than others. It’s been awhile since I left Mexico, although I do miss the food. Handmade. A little spicy. Not this shit that’s been force fed down my throat for the past few months straight.” 

Tilly threw a domino in his direction as Pearson was walking by, but Javier showed no fear at the larger man. He puffed out his chest making Tilly laugh again. 

You rolled your eyes and decided to head off. “Anyone need to head to town?” They both shook their heads and you set off to find someone with a more adventurous mindset for the day. You were starting to get antsy with the same routine of waking up, doing chores, sitting by the fire, then going back to sleep. All that day Arthur had been doing something for Uncle so you still had unresolved feelings about your kiss the night before. 

Lenny ended up being your knight in shining armor. 

“YN! You ever learn how to fish?” The younger man called across the camp and waved you over. 

“Sure I did! Won a few competitions back in Blackwater, too. You know that big salmon hanging up in the general store?” He nodded, eyes wide and watching you. “I’m the one who caught it!” 

A beat passed before you realized he thought you were serious. “Oh, Lenny no. I was joking. Sure I know how to cast a line but making a fish appear on the other end is a skill I only semi possess.” 

He laughed and clapped your shoulder, handing you his spare rod. “Hosea wants something other than beef stew tonight. I mean don’t we all. Let’s go see if we can catch us some fish, hmm?” 

The small boat pushed off from the dock easy enough and floated out towards the middle of the lake. Camp got smaller and smaller, and you could feel yourself breathe easier knowing the air wasn’t so restricted around you. 

Lenny hummed a tune you didn’t recognize after sitting in the boat awhile. Both of you were relaxing as you cast the line out onto the surface of the water, watching it slowly sink down. 

“When did you learn how to fish, Mr. Summers?” 

The younger man thought for a moment. “Hosea actually taught me not too long ago. I thought I was fine but he called me shit. Made me cast over one hundred times that day so I never forgot. I was about ready to toss him in the river but I will say, I have not forgotten how to do it.” 

His smile was infectious. Lenny talked on about his fishing lessons and how Hosea used to get upset when Lenny talked down about himself. 

“Hosea is funny that way. I’ve seen him more than once go off on Bill, rightly so, or Sean. He tends to stay true to his small group. You know, Arthur and Dutch and John. They’ve been through more shit than I care to ever see in my life.” 

You nodded along to his story. Those men had a bond no one could chip away at, not even time itself. 

After awhile, the pile of fish was large enough that Lenny wanted to head back. You had caught fewer than Lenny but still enough to feel productive, and knew Pearson and Hosea would be proud. 

You reeled the string in but it wasn’t moving fast enough for your liking. The last few feet were taking too long so you leaned over to yank it in, tipping the boat slightly in your direction. 

“Careful, YN. Don’t want you having to swim back to camp now.” 

“Oh, I’m fine, just watch the -” The limit of your reach had been found as the boat finally tipped too far, launching you out over the wooden edge and headfirst into the water. The cold was a shock and water filled your ears and nose. You pumped your arms and floated to the surface, met by peals of laughter from Lenny in the boat. 

“I told you! I told you, girl, you fell right in!” 

“Really!” The situation was hilarious, you couldn't deny. But Lenny made no attempt at helping you up, mostly from laughing too hard. You glanced back towards camp and a few faces were watching you from a not too distant shore. 

You swam the rest of the way back just to spite Lenny wrong. It felt good to stretch and move in the water, even if it did end up being much further than it looked. Your clothes would take all night to dry but you didn’t care. You took the opportunity to lightly scrub at your face as well, being fully submerged in water for the first time in weeks. 

Lenny eventually met your soggy mess on shore and you punched him in the shoulder. Taking all the fish, you left him laughing away at the sorry sight you made. 

Pearson stared as you slammed the fish down on the table in front of him. “Dinner!” You barked, “Is ready to be cooked. Do you need anything else, Mr. Pearson? Or can I please go get changed?”

The man blushed a bit but shooed you off. Grateful to be in your own space again, your wet clothes were disposed of quickly. Damn Lenny. Damn fish. Damn boat. What a day. 

You emerged refreshed and feeling much better to find Arthur had returned for the day. He was speaking with Abigail but caught your eye over her shoulder, a wink meeting your grin as you approached. Abigail was deep in conversation so you let the two old friends finish up before watching Arthur approach you. 

Neither of you had spoken since the night before, and the memory of that encounter made your cheeks flood with heat. 

“YN, how was your day?”

“Wet,” you sighed. Arthur was silent for a moment until you met his gaze. “Lenny and I went fishing. I, well I fell in the lake. Soaked to the bone. Had to swim all the way back just to prove a point.” 

He laughed and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. “I’ll say it again, YN. You’re something else.”

You motioned over to a quiet corner of the camp. “Let’s go chat, Arthur. About last night.”

A dark cloud passed over his face. His thoughts turned to rejection and you leaving, having another person let him down and break his heart. He thought after months or building something solid that he could have a real chance and not just another heartbreak to add to his growing collection. Arthur was a man who wasn’t afraid of pain, but-

His internal monologue quieted down when your hand slipped into his and led him to sit on the dock. A sweet smile was soft on your lips; like a ray of sunshine breaking through the darkness he had so quickly spiraled down.  

“Arthur…” you hesitated. It was awkward to bring it up out of the blue, so you chickened out and changed the subject. “What were you up to today in town?” 

He looked slightly caught off guard but answered anyways. “Dutch had some plan to uh, look into these families. Went to scout them out. Ain’t nothing special.” Arthur scratched the back of his neck, his hat tipping forward slightly as he kept his eyes on you. 

“That’s...well, actually that sounds boring. You sat and watched people all day?” 

Arthur’s eyes crinkled as he smiled at your response. “When you put it like that yes, it is mighty boring. I’m ‘spossed to do it all week and report to Dutch.”

“Every day?”

“Every day.” 

You shook your head. “And I here thought chores around here were bad. Weren’t you warning me about the dangers of outlaw life? Robbing and killing and kidnapping? I spent my day washing dishes, Arthur Morgan. Washing dishes.” 

He laughed more openly at you now, shoulders shaking lightly. “Why don’t you come with me, then? It’ll be more entertaining than sitting by myself for half the day wishing I could hang myself from the nearest tree.” 

Finally the tension between you two had been broken and you decided to take your chance, heart fluttering ever so slightly.

“I would like that. I would like to spend more time with you, Arthur. You’re, ah, I mean I like, aw hell help me out here.” A bright red flush covered your cheeks and you no longer looked him in the eyes, instead using your hands to hide your face and the words you were trying to convey. 

You wanted to be with Arthur. If only you could convey that coherently. One kiss had you flustered like a little school child.

It wasn’t a surprising realization that you had come to. It didn’t tumble over you in one single moment or sneak up like a thief in the night. It took time and developed like a blossom, small at first but constantly growing the more attention it received. 

Tentatively you tilted your head to look at the silent man next to you. In all your conversations you had noticed Arthur never drew conclusions quickly and often wanted a moment to think. You granted him that as you admired the small stubble that had started to appear over the past few days. 

After a few moments he responded. “I don’t think you want to be with someone like me, YN. I...I am not a good man. Done bad things and don’t live a life someone like you deserves. I can’t say I don’t want to, but...I’ve been down that road before and see how people change and what the price is for being around.” 

Instinctively you reached out to grab his hand and wind your fingers through his. No one could see you as you sat on the dock, which suited you just fine.  

“Arthur, I’ve known bad men. I was brought into this world by one. I can’t have been the first to tell you that you ain’t a bad man, look at who raised you and who is around you now. You think Dutch or Hosea are bad? Think their badness passed on to you like some disease? That’s not how life works, Arthur. I wouldn’t be here with you now if that’s the only choice we had.” You paused for a moment, then rushed headfirst into the reason you wanted to talk in the first place. “And although it is hard for me to say, apparently, I do want to be with you, Arthur Morgan. I think you’re much more than the version of yourself that you’ve locked up inside that head of yours.” 

He squeezed your hand and smiled out at the horizon. “Guess you made your mind up, then.” 

“Guess I did. Do you…want...?” 

“Yes, I do,” he confessed, surprised at how fast the reply came out of his mouth. “Darlin’, I want that more than anything.” 

Arthur tipped your chin up as his lips pressed softly against yours. Your free hand grabbed his shoulder and bunched the worn leather as he deeped things and shifted one hand to the small of your back. A fish jumping nearby brought you back and you pulled back gently, looking up into those blue green eyes that now belonged to your man. 

“I hate to ask this, but folks around camp tend to gossip. Do you mind if we keep this to ourselves just for now? Not to hide it!” Arthur reacted to the look on your face. “Just...I don’t want to rush anything and they tend to do that.” 

“I understand, Arthur. I won’t tell anyone.” His mind at rest he helped you up from your seats on the dock and you walked hand in hand back to camp, until Kieran rounded a corner and you dropped hands, hoping he didn’t notice a thing. 

That night at camp Dutch wanted to break open one of the moonshine bottles he and John had procured from their attempts at being lawmen. The plan was to try and sell the rest back to those they had stolen from, but everyone figured they wouldn't miss one jug. The clear liquid smelled so strongly that only one glass made it halfway around the circle before needing to be refilled. And that was nothing to say of how potent the alcohol was. 

Down in the southern United States, liquor was made different. Sure you were Blackwater, born and raised, but this really took the cake. If you could muscle through the smell you would be knocked flat on your back in about three sips. 

Karen managed to finish half a glass by herself while Mary Beth and Tilly just watched, helping her once it turned and she began to throw up not too long after. Javier and Sean danced around the fire speaking a strange mix of Spanish and Irish that somehow they both understood. Bill grumbled and fell asleep sitting up. Charles opted out, heading off with Lenny for guard duty. Dutch and Hosea each had a small sip but soon went to bed. Mrs. Grimshaw was watching Jack while Abigail and John sat and enjoyed the festivities, having a small sip each. 

Sean was soon impersonating John’s drunk stumble and had the group in stitches. He had stumbled around himself enough to know how it went, but after one particularly large wipeout passed out and had to be carried off to bed by Arthur. 

“YN!” Abigail called you over to sit with her and watch. You had a few sips and had to watch your feet as you plopped down across from her. 

“How ya doing, girl?”

She raised her eyebrows in amusement at you. “Forgot you don’t hold your drink too well. Too many evenings in Blackwater I ended up half carrying you back home.” 

“I am fine! Just nice to be out in the cool air. It hot out to you?” You struggled to stay atop your seat as you giggled at her. “Want to hear a secret? Can’t tell no one, though.”

Abigail’s interest was peaked. “What you hiding there, YN?”

You leaned in close to her face and whispered, “Me and Arthur, it happened. I kissed him, and we spoke today about being together. It’s happening, Abigail.”

“You did not! YN!” A girlish squeal burst from her and you tried to quiet her down but with no luck. 

“Abigail! We want to move slow so we ain’t telling anyone, keep your voice down. You can’t even tell John yet.” 

A voice at the table started you, causing you to nearly fall over. “Gonna be hard to not tell me when I’ve been here the whole time, YN. Damn, that moonshine really did a number on you.” 

A flush filled your cheeks and you froze. “But I won’t say anything, except to Abigail who owes me. Pay up, woman, that was in my time frame.” 

Your jaw drops as you realize they had a bet going. 

“You two!” They laughed as you stood to go. “Think it’s time for me to head to bed.” 

Arthur intercepted you while you were on your way to your tent. “Jeez, YN, Marston said you had a few nips of that moonshine and to make sure you were okay.” 

You grabbed his arm to stabilize yourself, and admire the muscles that were formed just beneath his jacket. He chuckled when he saw what you were doing and, after checking the two of you were alone, pulled you closer to him. 

“It’s a chilly night, Arthur. Hope you’re okay in that big tent all alone.” 

He laughed again but kissed you on the forehead, murmuring something while his lips were pressed against your skin you couldn’t understand. He smelled like mint and tobacco leaves  again, and the scent lingered as you crawled into your cot to fall asleep, worn from the day. 

A few days later you headed off with Arthur to observe the Greys and the Braithwaites. Dutch wanted to wait after the first time just to avoid suspicion and not ruin the perfect picture he painted of the gang while working with the law in town. 

Arthur was right. It was boring. 

You counted the wagons that rolled by, you counted how many people greeted you, Arthur even began to describe the birds he had seen. It was a long few hours in the morning. 

Around lunch is when things got exciting. 

Uncle road up to your hiding spot, hollering about for Arthur. Eclipse had just munched down an apple he had given her as a treat, rubbing her nose and speaking to her in hushed, soft tones. Arthur had a particular way with horses, and they trusted him. Zeus let no one else even get close unless Arthur was nearby. 

“Arthur! Oh Arthur, you hidin’ up in these hills? I got a job and I need your help!” 

Arthur grumbled and threw the apple core to the ground and wiped his hands on his jeans. “What you telling about, old man?” 

“Howdy, YN. Am I interrupting something here?”

You shook your head as Arthur’s hackles went up, and laughed to cut the tension. “You have something for me too, Uncle? Or do I just have to head back to camp now that you’ve showed up and taken my source of entertainment away?” 

Uncle’s eyebrows shot up, but answered honestly. “Nah, Miss Moore, it’s a real job. I would ask you along, but we never rode together, no offense. I need Arthur to help me rob a stagecoach.” He stood proudly with his hands on his suspenders, chest puffed out. 

“Robbing coaches? What you need me for? Take Lenny.” 

“No!” Uncle started following Arthur as he began picking up your makeshift day camp. “I ain’t taking the kid out. Lenny’s great, but come on, Arthur! You know me, it’s a good tip! I swear.” 

Arthur rolled his shoulders as he responded. “Only good thing about this is I get a chance to leave you with the law. What’s this wagon carrying, anyways?”

Now that he had his attention, Uncle knew how to reel him in. “It’s a stagecoach coming into town that is completely unguarded for a stretch carrying payroll or something. Lots of cash, it’ll be easy with you, me, Charles, and Bill. Three strapping men can do it no problem.”

“So why you going then?” 

“Arthur!” You threw an apple at him lightly, and he ducked while laughing. Uncle watched the scene with a faint smile on his face that once Arthur caught sight of brought him to a halt. 

“Uncle, sounds like a good tip to me. You sure I can’t tag along? Learn how it’s done?” 

Arthur and Uncle both shook their heads. “Nah, YN. You head back to camp, ain’t too far. I’ll ride out with this lunk now and see you in a few hours. Shouldn’t be gone more than that.” 

Uncle excitedly mounted his horse and started off, leaving Arthur to give you a hurried kiss and head off quickly after him. You sighed and cleaned up the camp, attaching everything in a rucksack to the back of Eclipse. She bumped your hand with her nose as you gave her an oatcake and mounted up. Out of curiosity you sampled the small cake, but spit it out. How in the hell was that a good snack for a horse? It tasted like bland oatmeal. 

Arriving back at camp alone raised some eyebrows, but most everyone knew Arthur was off riding with Charles, Uncle, and Bill. 

“Hey, Mary Beth! How were things today?” 

The brunette groaned and rolled her eyes. “How do I hate Ms. Grimshaw? Let me count thee ways.”

You giggled, “So that bad, huh?” She looped her arm through yours and walked you over to the main fire where people had gathered. 

“We washed clothes all, day, long. My fingers are bare down to the bone, and look at these fingernails!” She fake fawned into your lap and held her hands out dramatically. “How was your day out with Arthur?” 

“Fine, we mostly just...stared at the people going by. It was not as exciting as I thought it would be. I think I counted seven carriages that went by, most just farm supplies or food. I started with the leaves but Arthur was about ready to turn to murder.” 

You chatted by the fire for a few hours, relaxing with folks and comparing books with Mary Beth. She finally released her grip on some pages she had written and you set them tenderly on you bedside for later. Tilly promised they were incredible and you couldn’t wait to gush with them about it. 

John came into camp and sat down at the fire as well. “YN. You know what’s taking those boys so long?” 

The time had slipped away so easily, you hadn’t even noticed that it had been hours beyond when Uncle promised to bring them home.

“Who were they robbing, John? Should we be worried?” 

He scratched his chin, thinking. “Uncle mentioned Leviticus Cornwall.” 

Behind him, Dutch approached and swore. “Cornwall? Dammit, Uncle. John, would you ride out and see if they need any assistance? We need to keep our appearance up as good, law abiding citizens and it’s hard to do that if we keep robbing the same damn man!” 

An idea struck you and you followed John through the dark over to the horses. “John. John! Wait up.” 

He turned to look at you over his shoulder. “Want me to tell something to Arthur, YN?” 

“Nothing I can’t tell him myself,” you swung up onto Eclipse and clicked your tongue before he could rightly react. “I’m coming with you. Now, let’s go find our boys!” And the two of you took off before anyone noticed John took an extra rider. 

[metalandmagi]

August Media Madness

Well, August may have sucked for me personally, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t keep track of all the media I consumed this month! And spoiler alert, I watched a lot of movies involving adorable talking bears. Although, I have a feeling that as soon as the fall television premieres start, I’ll be watching a lot less movies.

July’s media

Movies!

Dear Evan Hansen

Thank you bootlegs. This isn’t a movie, but I didn’t want to make a separate category for plays when I’ve only seen one this month. Anyway, if you haven’t heard of it, Dear Evan Hansen involves an incredibly anxious teenage boy who is tasked by his therapist to write motivational letters to himself. Unfortunately, Connor Murphy, an angsty boy who goes to Evan’s school sees one of the letters, takes it, and promptly decides to kill himself, with the letter still on his person. Everyone ends up thinking he and Evan were friends and that this letter was a suicide note that Connor wrote to Evan...and a beautiful fake gay relationship friendship was born. Call me basic as hell, but I’ve watched this show twice now, and listened to the soundtrack more times than I can count, and it’s turning into my favorite musical. There are so many important messages in it, and it takes you on a roller coaster of emotions. Every character does good and bad things, and no one is blameless or innocent...except maybe Zoe Murphy. If anything just listen to the soundtrack. 10/10

Night on the Galactic Railroad

Cats...on a mystical train...This seems like the kind of movie they would show you in film school. Very dull plot and characters with the themes being the main takeaway. What even is the plot of this movie? Darker, grittier, furry version of the Polar Express? Incredibly boring slightly more religious version of Over the Garden Wall? I just kept watching it because the main character looks like a cat version of Kagayama Tobio in middle school...cat-gayama. 4/10

Paddington

An adorable bear from South America travels to London and gets into all sorts of trouble with an English family. It’s very charming and sweet, and the aesthetic in this movie is on point, like Wes Anderson directed a children’s movie. This is one of those movies you hear about where everyone loves it, and you think it can’t possibly be that good, but then you watch it and you were wrong! So wrong! 10/10

Paddington 2

Naturally. This time an adorable South American bear goes to prison, and his family tries to clear his name. Again, A+ aesthetic and imagery, but I think I preferred the plot of the first movie a little more because everyone was all together. 9/10

Christopher Robin

Do you like Winnie the Pooh? Do you like jaded adults finding happiness in their lives again? Do you think the movie Hook had a good premise but was extremely long and kinda boring and could have been a better movie with a little tweaking? Well this is the movie for you! Christopher Robin has grown into an overworked adult, and his old friend Winnie the Pooh inadvertently helps him reconnect with his wife and daughter (and also his inner child) just by being the sweet, clumsy, dry humored bear we all know and love. I was so skeptical of this movie at first, and I was absolutely blown away by how funny and meaningful it was. 100/10

The Road to El Dorado

Two lovable Spanish con men named Miguel and Tulio are accidentally swept away on a journey to the fabled city of El Dorado, where everything is made of gold. Once they reach the city, the locals believe they’re gods due to an (un)fortunate series of coincidences, and the con men try to keep up the charade with the help of the best character in the movie, Chel (who I’m pretty sure caused an entire generation of lesbians’ sexual awakening). This is one of my favorite animated movies of all time and one of the reasons I wish Dreamworks would go back to their 2D animation days, where the visuals and music were just as stunning as 3D movies are now. This movie is a classic, and I desperately want a sequel! 10/10

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before

When Lara Jean thinks it’s a good idea to write 5 secret love letters to 5 boys that she’s had crushes on over the years, everything is fine until her little sister mails the letters to all the boys (because even a 6th grader knows Lara Jean is lonely and emotionally stunted as fuck). This is a Netflix original movie that was adapted from the book by Jenny Han...which I haven’t read, but now I really want to. Overall, this was super cute, but I wasn’t really crazy about the boys. They weren’t horrible people or anything, and they never pressured Lara Jean or made fun of her for being “innocent”, but they were just kind of bland. I’m much more interested in the other boys we didn’t see in the movie! But the family relationships were so heartfelt, Lara Jean’s fashion sense is AMAZING, and the acting/casting was awesome. 8/10

Summer Wars

I...don’t even know how to describe the plot of this one. A teenage boy named Kenji goes on a country holiday and pretends to date an acquaintance of his in order to impress her enormous family...but it’s really about an AI that becomes sentient and wants to mess up the world through this universal internet program called OZ that’s kind of like a mashup of Facebook and Second Life...but actually no it’s about family sticking together and using a Japanese card game to save the world…but apparently it’s got the same plot as the Digimon movie because they’re both directed by Mamoru Hosoda. Yeah...

Guys, I have a confession to make...this has always been my favorite Mamoru Hosoda movie. Everyone falls all over themselves saying Wolf Children is the best Mamoru Hosoda movie, and that’s great for them but it doesn’t even come in second for me. Summer Wars means a lot more to me personally because I come from a big extended family, and when I first saw this movie, I was blown away by how accurate the family dynamic was. There are so many characters, but everyone has their own personality. Not to mention the music makes the summer atmosphere so on point. And I’m not going to lie...I bawled like a fucking baby the first time I saw this movie. So anyway, I like Summer Wars more than Wolf Children, thanks for coming to my TED talk. 10/10

Atlantis: The Lost Empire

Unappreciated researcher Milo Thatch goes on an expedition to find the lost city of Atlantis.

Okay, there are two kinds of Disney fans in this world: Treasure Planet fans, and Atlantis fans. And I will support Treasure Planet as the best underrated vaguely steampunk inspired Disney movie until you can pry my 15 year old dvd copy away from my cold dead hands. But Atlantis is pretty good too. I could write essays comparing the two and why both of them should be successful but weren’t. My main problem with it is that the characters are great, but I feel like we don’t see enough of them, and as a kid a lot of the humor went by so fast that I completely missed it. Also the glowing eyes and spirits taking over the Atlantian princess’s body freaked me the fuck out as a child. NEVERTHELESS! This really is a great movie, with extremely well developed lore and well designed characters that chills me to this day. 8/10

Deadpool 2

The merc with a mouth is back, and man there’s so much going on in this movie I won’t even try to explain the plot. I literally had to go back and add this in because I was so into this movie when I was watching it that I forgot to write it down! Even though I really liked this sequel, I think I liked the first one better, just based on how much I laughed. There was so much going on plot wise, but it really seemed to work for this movie. There were also a lot of great new characters (Domino is my favorite character of the franchise now), but since there was so much stuff going on, a lot of jokes and plot lines were sort of hit and miss. Anyway, I’m sure everyone’s seen this one by now but just in case, I highly recommend it. 9/10

Books!

The Adventure Zone Graphic Novel: Here There be Gerblins by Clint McElroy (technically all the McElboys) and Carey Pietsch

Yeah yeah, for anyone who doesn’t know I’m Adventure Zone trash okay. TAZ is a DnD podcast where 3 brothers and their father create one of the most famous campaigns in history involving three idiot adventurers going on a quest to find a missing person and getting sucked into a much larger grand plan to protect the world. This graphic novel is a visualization of the first arc. I don’t even really like Here There be Gerblins all that much, and yet here I am. Oh well, the art was amazing, and of course I already knew the story. But it was kind of hilarious to see the name changes they had to make to some of the characters and places. I was a little disappointed that the ending was so rushed, and we don’t really spend time around the moon base before The Director is in our face changing the Lunar Interlude parts but whatever. 10 dead gerblins/10

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

When a disease that only affects children kills off nearly all the kids on the planet, the survivors are left with supernatural powers and are taken away to concentration camps in order to “protect” the public. I’ve been wanting to read this for a long time, and since the movie just came out I thought it was the perfect time. This is one of those books that some people adore and some people hate. I thought it was just okay. For everything that I didn’t like, there was something to make up for it. Personally, I felt that Bracken focused on the wrong part of the story. Everything takes place years after this disease has come, and I think it would have been more interesting to see everything from the children’s points of view when this disease was first starting. I would focus on each different character as a child and how they wound up in their respective camps. Oh well, there’s way too many pros and cons  that I could delve into, but you like the YA dystopian genre then I say go for it. I didn’t like it enough to read the other two books (not yet anyway). 7/10

TV Shows!

Camp Camp

You know how there are summer camps that specialize in science, or acting, or space, or whatever? Yeah Camp Camp is about a summer camp that throws literally everything you can think of into one summer camp. If you don’t believe me, just listen to the theme song. Seriously though this is one of the best shows I’ve watched all year, but boy howdy this is not one for young children. It’s like Gravity Falls and Rick and Morty had a baby! Anyway, the characters are both surprising and hilarious. David the camp counselor (voiced by Miles Luna) is genuinely likable when you think he’d be the most annoying person on the planet, and the kids are so accurate it’s scary. Also Yuri Lowenthal is in it. And Griffin McElroy has a recurring role where he plays A GHOST! I’ve never been into Rooster Teeth stuff, but they have a winner with this one. 10/10

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

After her husband leaves her, Midge Maisel gets super drunk, goes on stage, and gives a hilarious rant about her relationship at a small comedy/talent club and somehow gets sucked into becoming a rising comedian as a woman in the 1950s. It’s good. Great acting pretty funny, but Midge and her agent/manager Susie are the only likable characters. Everyone else just kind of...sucks 8/10

Voltron Season 7 (spoilers)

Okay, I know everyone had mixed feelings about this season, but I did come out liking a lot of it. It had a lot of flaws (I really thought it would be Shiro’s season, and man was I wrong), but this is the sort of thing we can’t really judge until the last episode of the series is finished. I like to think of the positives: the action was amazing as usual, HUNK IS GETTING MORE AND MORE DEVELOPMENT EVERY SEASON, I refuse to believe the team introduced Adam just to have him killed off immediately so he’s still alive in my mind, we get to see everyone’s reunions with their families, the lost in space episode was cool, and say what you want about the game show episode, but I loved it! There were a lot of good things so it was easier for me to look past the...not so great aspects of the season. 7/10

Galavant

A musical comedy mini series involving a renowned medieval hero named Galavant on a quest to rescue his ex girlfriend from her “evil” husband King Richard. But maybe she doesn’t want to be rescued. Well, that’s just the first season. It’s best to go in knowing as little as possible. I remember liking it when it first came out, and it’s still pretty cute...but sometimes I feel like it’s trying too hard. A lot of the music isn’t really...memorable, but the characters are likable so it’s still worth the watch. 8/10

Disenchantment

Speaking of medieval comedies...Princess Bean doesn’t want to get married, mystical elf Elfo doesn’t want to live in an enchanted forest where everyone is happy all the time, and Bean’s personal demon Luci just wants to watch people suffer. Honestly, I wasn’t very into this show at first, but something compelled me to just keep watching, and by the end I was totally into it! This is one of those shows where you think there isn’t going to be a plot, but then the last few episodes come up and smack you in the face! 7.5/10

Round Planet

A documentary parody...mockumentary...satire...That’s really not a great way to describe it. It’s a nature documentary with funny commentary. I like nature shots and animals so I liked it, but there’s a lot of tangents and running jokes and British references that sometimes don’t land. Oh well, if you like unconventional documentaries, just watch it. 8/10

Honorable Mentions

DnDnD: I don’t think I’ve ever talked about this podcast before, but there’s a DnD podcast made by Practical Folks (aka the Drunk Disney youtube channel). It’s pretty good! I want an Adventure Zone crossover now!

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: Every time I think I’m out, it pulls me back in. I finally got the DLC and spent most of this month playing this freaking game AGAIN!

The Heathers soundtrack: I finally listened to the Heathers musical soundtrack...and I didn’t love it. There are some good songs in it, but overall I’m unimpressed. And I never could really get into the plot, I’ve always thought it was really weird and over dramatic.

Legendary by Stephanie Garber: I’m about halfway through this book, which is the second in the Caraval series. And it’s pretty good! More on that next month.

[childofthemoon86]

@weekofhetalia Day 6: Mermaids/pirates

The Drowned Rose

Pairing: none Characters: America, China, Turkey, Estonia, Denmark, Prussia, England (mentioned). Rating: K+ Word count: 2445 Cross posted on FF.net Summary: A rumour of a lost pirate ship is all it takes to set a rag tag group of unlikely friends on the hunt for sunken treasure. But out in the deep blue sea, just what will they find? After all, no one really knows what just might live in the endless black…

“We’re close, I can feel it.” Alfred grins excitedly as he looks over the displays, watching the changing sonar graph for even the smallest object below. “You say that about every dive.” Spinning on his swivel stool, Al blinks up at the man leaning up against the cabin wall. Yao Wang, the supervisor and project manager for this little excursion, frowns down at him. “This time’s different,” Al insists, “it’s definitely here, it’s just gotta be.” “Humph, it better be, or this is coming out of your pay.” Yao huffs. This’ll be their sixth dive of the area, and Yao is far from pleased with their lack of progress. “Ah, lay off him.” Sadık calls as he comes in, “He’s got spirit, and out here that counts for more than you might think.” “Yeah!” Al proudly agrees, glad to have the backing of their lead historian. “None of that will matter if we don’t find anything.” Yao counters. “Just wait, you’ll see.” Al frowns, before the beep of the sonar grabs his attention. He spins his seat around, eagerly looking back to the graph. But, as a diver, Al’s no expert in reading the bright oranges and whites that form fuzzy shapes against the blue background, not that that stops him trying. Rather that job belongs to their navigator. “Is it the ship?!” Al cries at the strange block shape on the graph. Sitting at the other side of the console, Eduard leans over, only taking a second to scan the graph before deciding, “Could be a smaller wreck, but not the one we’re after. It’s far too small, and the depth is wrong.” Sagging at the false alarm, Al slumps a bit in his seat. “Chin up kid,” Sadık says, “if it’s out there, we’ll find it.” Turning to Eduard, he adds, “how much farther to our search zone?” “We should be entering it any minute now, right Mathias?” At hearing his name, the energetic blond up front gives a thumbs up, steering the boat out to the deep waters. “We should be over the drop riiiiight abouuuuut… now!” On cue, the sonar graph starts to change, showing the sudden increase in depth to the sea floor, and hopefully, the wreak they’re all looking for. “Look sharp boys, we’ll be heading down soon!” Gilbert shouts from the bow, getting the his and Al’s dive gear set up. “Now all we gotta do is cross our fingers.” Sadık grins, leaning over the controls to stare out at the open sea before them. X It all started with a rumour. As a salvage diver, Alfred makes his living recovering all sorts of lost or destroyed wreaks, but his favourites have always been sunken ships. There’s just something eerily beautiful about dropping down into waters so deep and dark, that only his flashlight can show him the way, to find the untouched remains of once grand seafarers. He’s been on hundreds of dives, and helped bring up everything from lost WW2 planes, to sea mines, to cargo containers. But ship wreaks have always had a special place in his heart. So when working on a dive in the Caribbean, and he over heard a rumour of a lost pirate ship, he just had to get in on it. Getting a team together was the easy part, he’s made more than a few crazy friends willing to go on a possible wild goose chase with him. Convincing Yao to dedicate the resources needed however, that was the hard part. He needed proof that this ship existed, and might still be out there. And who better to help him get it than his good friend Sadık? “A lost pirate ship huh?” The man parroted, quirking a brow at Al over his desk. “Yeah, you think it’s the real deal?” “Hmm, could be, plenty of pirates ran those parts in 15 to 1800’s. Know who’s it might be?” “Not a clue.” Al grins, “all I heard was it was an English ship, and apparently it had some sort of super important, stolen treasure on board when it sank.” Chuckling, Sadık shakes his head at the young man across from him, “Don’t they all?” But before Al can say anything more, he nods, “Alright, I’ll look into it.” And that was how Alfred and his rag tag team now find themselves searching the wide blue expanse far from the coast of the Caribbean. After several  weeks of research, and a few rough guesses on  location and time frame, Sadık came through, and with a bigger pitch to Yao than even Al could have hoped for. “I think we might be looking for the Blood Rose.” Sadık grins broadly, only to be met with blank stares from the rest of the group. “And what’s that?” Yao huffs. “Only the single most prolific pirate ship of the early 1600’s. Reported to have been responsible for sinking over 100 naval ships, both French and Spanish, committed upwards of 70 raids in more than 8 countries, and captained by one Arthur Ignatius Kirkland, a man arguably more blood thirsty than Red Beard himself.” Al, Gil and Mathias’s eyes all light up at the description, even Eduard seems intrigued, but Yao is a hard man to impress. “And?” He taps his foot impatiently, staring Sadık down. “Heh, always about the profit, right Yao?” Sadık smirks, “Well how’s this take your fancy?” Flipping open a rather old and tattered log book, he points to a page filled with writing. “This is a list of all the items stolen from a Spanish fleet transporting, among other things, silver and gold medallions from the New World back to Spain. And here we see it’s listed as having been attacked by an English ship. The date coincides with the last known sighting of the Blood Rose, before she mysteriously vanished eight days out to sea.” As Yao reads over the cursive script, the others can slowly see him being won over. “That’s a lot of gold.” He murmurs, blinking as he reads further down the page. He then frowns as something catches his eye. “Escalas de sirena? Mermaid scales, really?” he asks, pointing to the strangely circled item. Shrugging, Sadık gently closes the book. “All sailors believe at least some myths, why not Mermaids?” Choosing to ignore the strange item, Yao finally makes his decision. “Well what are you all just sanding around here for? Go pack, we’ve got a wreak to salvage.” X The beeping of the sonar brings Alfred out of his daydreaming to blink down at the screen. Lifting Al’s arm out the way, Eduard looks over the screen, before smiling. “Looks like we’re got a hit.” “Is it our ship?” Al asks, suddenly back to being full of energy. “Hmm, the size is right and it’s in the right place.” Eduard nods, adjusting the read out to get a better look, then turning to Al, “Only one way to find out.” “Sweet! Mathias, park us right here!” Al cries, jumping to his feet. “Way ahead of you!” The man laughs back, idling the engines. “Finally.” Yao sighs, finishing off his tea. Rushing to pull on his gear, Al hurries to join Gilbert on the stern. With oxygen tanks checked, wet suit snugly in place, and cameras at the ready, the pair waste no time in jumping in. Once off the boat, Gilbert leads the way down, following Eduard’s instructions to the suspected wreaks location. It’s an easy routine for both divers, but they also know they still have to be careful, anything could go wrong, and at these depths, pressure is their biggest danger. They continue on down, the dappled light from above quickly dying out as they encounter a shoal of fish being chased by dolphins. They both pause for a moment, Al turning his camera to the frenzy for a few shots of the rare sight, but time is against them here, so they carry on down, into the endless black below. A light mounted to their caps and one on their chest light the way, until finally, after a near twenty minute dive, they reach the seabed. All manner of fish and crustaceans scuttle away at their presence, Al even spots an octopus swim past, but none of that is what their here to find. Following the directions of the sonar, they swim onwards, keeping to the sea floor as they look for anything man-made to point them in the right direction. “You should be coming up on the structure now.” Eduard’s grainy voice crackles in Al’s ear, filling him with excitement as he hovers by Gil’s side. Then, finally, after weeks of searching, they find it. A huge man-of-war styled frigate sitting on it’s side, half resting upon a bed of rock and the centre of it’s large hull caved in. But they can’t be certain until they see the name. Not wasting a second, Al powers forward, heading for the broadside, where he know’s he’ll find what’s left of it’s name. While Al gets to work, Gil turns his camera to the wreak, transmitting the images back to their boat. “Holy shit.” He smirks, “Even if this isn’t our wreak, this is one hell of a find.” “It sure is.” Sadık’s voice crackles back in awe. “Gil!” Al shouts needlessly into his mask, “It’s her! It’s the Blood Rose, we found her!” Coming over to join Al, Gilbert dutifully films the uncovered name for the rest of the crew to see. In large fancy print, the mostly faded red letters spell out the ships name, even if it is half covered under coral and sea creatures. Though the ship has clearly seen better days, now mostly rotten at the bottom of the sea, it’s once grandeur is clear to imagine. But none of that interests Yao. “What are you two just floating about for?” The man snaps, crackling in their ears, “Get to work! I want to know everything this wreak has to offer.” Both divers roll their eyes at their boss’s demand, but they do as told anyway. This time it’s Al who takes the lead, carefully surveying the opening in the hull, before going in. Gilbert hovers close by, acting as Al’s early warning in case of danger. Who knows what’s made it’s home in here, sharks especially they have to watch out for. It takes some time, as they manoeuvre their way around broken beams and rotten floors, down to reach the cargo hold. It’s not like in the moves, where gold glints and shines back at them the second they’re in, rather they have to go looking if they want to find anything of value. In a wreak like this, the goods might not even be in the ship anymore, possibly having been lost in the sinking, now scattered across the seabed. If that’s the case, they’ll be lucky to find a single coin or two. Not to mention, Alfred’s least favourite part, all the skeletons. “Wah!” He jumps, flailing around as he comes face to face with a skull sitting beneath a beam. Laughing Gil swims past him, picking at the few remaining bits of cloth still covering the bones. “Kesesesese, never gets old.” “Oh shut up.” Al huffs, moving on. Seems they’ve found the crew, no doubt having been trying to save the ship from going down. But them all being in cargo hold is unusual. “Hey Gil, you see what I see?” “Hmm?” Looking over, Gil frowns at the sight before them. “If the ship had this much damage to it, why’d all the crew head here?” Dozens of skeletons clutter the very back of the hold, not where the damage is, but where a number of crates sit piled together. “If I had to guess,” Gil smirks, “I’d say they were trying to save whatever’s in those boxes.” Both divers know a jackpot when they see one, and, as much as Al hates skeletons, that doesn’t stop him from getting to work moving them out of the way. But unseen by the pair, a shadow watches from within the black, eyes trained on their every move. Tossing the bones to the side, they quickly uncover one of the crates, but it’s seized shut with years of rust and rot, making it impossible for the pair to open. Down here any way. Instead, testing the weight, and deeming it able to be moved, they make their decision. “Oxygen is getting low,” Gil sighs, “Mathias get ready for pick up, we’re coming back.” “And we got a present to boot!” Al laughs as the pair begin the long swim to the surface, crate carefully carried between them. “Good,” Yao crackles, “hurry back now.” “Will do.” Though they say that, surfacing is just as precarious as the rest of the dive, and both of them know they can’t rush it, not if they don’t want to get the bends. As they leave, the shadow trails after them from a safe distance, but it does not depart the ship, head tilting as it watches them take the box away, until both are nearly out of sight. Once gone, the shadow worms it’s way back through the ship, to bones scattered with little care. A strange whine escapes it at the sight, before gently reaching, it picks up a skull, holding it close in a strange hug as it moves to set it back atop one of the crates. By the time Al and Gil surface a short distance from the boat, both Sadık and Mathias are eagerly waiting at the stern for them. They swim over, lifting the box up to hand over first, before climbing on board. “Ahh…” Al sighs, flopping back across the floor the second he removes his tank. But he doesn’t lie about long, as Yao is quick to order everyone around. “Jones get up, your leaving a puddle. Beilschmidt I wan’t you ready to dive again as soon as possible. And Adnan, I-” “Want the crate open, yeah, yeah.” Sadık waves Yao off, doing his own inspection of the box first. “Aha!” He cries, “Look, there’s still a partial print of the Spanish navy on here. We’ve definitely found something stolen from them. While he gushes over the discovery, photographing the symbol for his records, Mathias returns from the cabin, looking a bit too happy to be wielding a crowbar. “Give me that.” Sadık laughs, “can’t have you destroying artefacts now.” Together the group gather around, all holding their breath as Sadık slips the bar in, and counts, “1, 2, 3!” Cracking the lid open, he hurriedly slides it back to reveal…

[joncrawford]

Best of COVID-2019: (Late) 2019 End of Year Wrap-up

Even though we’re well into 2020, most of us would probably swallow a pill that makes us forget the year so far. With a new job, I got too busy to do an end-of-year wrap-up of my picks for the best albums, movies and shows of 2019, so assuming you’ve swallowed your Hindsight Pill™ (get it?, cause hindsight is 20..ok, fair if you stop reading now) here’s my take on the best music, movies and shows of 2019. Maybe you’ll find something to make the rest of quarantine a little better.

ALBUMS

Remind Me Tomorrow by Sharon Van Etten on Spotify

It’s hard to find a better album this year. It’s heartfelt, gentle in places / wild in others, it pushes her sound forward from her more folky records of the past and gives us the opportunity to gaze into this sensitive she-hulk of an artist’s soul.

Favorite Track: Jupiter 4 - Jupiter 4, a song by Sharon Van Etten on Spotify

Lux Prima by Karen O on Spotify

This concept album by Karen O (“Yeah Yeah Yeahs”) and Danger Mouse (“Broken Bells”, “Gnarls Barkley”) can best be described as a record composed by badass feminine superhero from the future who has a nostalgic fascination with soundtracks from 70s European love story films. It’s phenomenal. The chord progressions are unusual and interesting. The vibe is consistent throughout. It’s a great record to listen to intentionally or a perfect soundtrack to a day outside with friends.

Favorite Track: Nox Lumina - Nox Lumina, a song by Karen O, Danger Mouse on Spotify

Lana Del Rey - “Norman F*ing Rockwell“ (censored for my mom)

I get it. You stopped following Lana after “Summertime Sadness”. She’s not your jam. She’s vapid. There’s something about her appearance that you don’t like (Didn’t she get her lips done?). She doesn’t make serious music. Here’s the thing though: You’re f*cking wrong (censored for mom). LDR is one of the most prolific songwriters and performers we’ve got. This artist has evolved with each album and the songwriting keeps improving. This is her best album to date. The lyrics take on deeper themes than her prior records and any ego on previous submissions seems to have been replaced by a general comfort in herself and the discomfort of her experiences and relationships (fictional or not). This is also her release with the lightest touch. She’s not pushing the LDR persona anymore, she’s being herself — take it or leave it. It’s her, your little Venice B!tch (censored for mom). Hi, mom!

Favorite song: Venice Bitch, a song by Lana Del Rey on Spotify

Phoenix by Pedro The Lion on Spotify

This is my favorite artist’s first studio album in 15 years. (!!!) It’s not technically fair to say that because he released several color records in the interim. As a largely one-man show, the DNA was very much the same. But this is a true return to form for the the man known as David Bazan that I’ve been following carefully for 20 years and have seen live too many times to count.

This is a concept album (most of them are) about his experience growing up in Phoenix, AZ. But it’s more about growing up than about Arizona. I got goosebumps and watery eyes the first time I listened carefully to the lyrics of “Yellow Bike” which tells about the experience of getting your first bicycle as a little boy around 1990. For me, this was the apex of my childhood. Absolute freedom and the ability to easily join any pack of desperado bike kids.

The album hits hard with the catchy hooks, introspective lyrics, challenging topics and excellent production & instrumental performances only using standard rock staples like guitar, bass and drums (with a couple quick appearances of an organy synth).

Lyrics, melody & a great beat. This is a fantastic rock album.

Favorite song: Yellow Bike, a song by Pedro The Lion on Spotify

WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? by Billie Eilish on Spotify

Much has been written about this wunderkind. You know her. It’s a great album. She has a promising career ahead of her.

Favorite song: when the party’s over, a song by Billie Eilish on Spotify

SOUND & FURY by Sturgill Simpson on Spotify

This album slays. It’s a badass rock album. If you don’t know Sturgill Simpson, he’s technically a country act… BUT! He’s entirely rejected the conventions of modern country with its shallow lyrical content, right-wing dog whistling and computer-assisted faux harmonies. He sings about psychedelics, his problems with religion and also covers 80s synth-pop in country ballad fashion. Well, forget all that for this record. It’s a banger. This record sounds like Waylon Jennings was cloned 100 years in the future and brought back just to record a ZZ Top album. Major leap for this artist. One of the best of the year.

Favorite song: Make Art Not Friends, a song by Sturgill Simpson on Spotify

ANIMA by Thom Yorke on Spotify

We’ve had a complicated relationship with Thom Yorke’s solo work. As the lead singer of Radiohead, we’ve had to give deference to literally anything with his name on it. But his prior solo works have waded into the avant-garde and we’re entirely listenable in a casual way throughout. This has changed. This record is a masterwork. In fact, it demanded a beautiful short film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (“The Master”, “There Will Be Blood”) released on Netflix earlier in the year featuring no dialogue and Thom and his wife is choreographed love affair starting during a mundane commute. My favorite track is the most peaceful and introspective on the album.

Favorite song: Dawn Chorus, a song by Thom Yorke on Spotify

Fear Inoculum by TOOL on Spotify

It’s TOOL’s first album in 13 years. WHAT. It’s fantastic. Worth the wait? Hell no because that’s too long to wait for almost anything. There are people with Snapchat accounts that weren’t alive when “10,000 Days” came out (2006). 728,000,000 people (presumably, all TOOL fans) died since their last album. I can’t, in good conscience, condone the deprivation of 3/4 of a billion people like that. But it’s SO good. This is metal for people that don’t like metal (I don’t really like metal).

Favorite song: Pneuma, a song by TOOL on Spotify

Screamer by Third Eye Blind on Spotify

I may be literally this bands only fan still paying attention, but I don’t care. They’re still writing fantastic tracks. This was one of my heavy-hitter bands in high school. I learned every song from their first two albums on the guitar. Then I stopped paying attention for like 13 years. In 2016, I ran across a new single by the band and went in with a lot of trepidation. Most bands from your high school years should probably leave it there. There's nothing worse than a band desperately trying to stay relevant with weak ass releases well beyond their shelf life (cough Goo Goo Dolls –– They've put out 4 albums in the last 10 years. 🤦‍♂️) But then I heard Third Eye Blind's pro-Black Lives Matter track “Cop vs. Phone Girl, a song by Third Eye Blind on Spotify” released in 2016. Go back and listen to that one. It's not only catchy as hell, but it's got a gut punch of a message about how shitty is it to be a well-meaning black student in a white-dominated power structure that's supposed to be a safe place like school.

Well 2019’s “Screamer” doesn’t disappoint either. It’s all the same energy and hooks of the band’s early sound with an updated feel and sensibility that still feels like a relevant rock album. All the same things you came to Third Eye for in the past is right here waiting for you on “Screamer”. I know I’m gonna get some flack for this one, but…shut up.

Favorite song: Ways, a song by Third Eye Blind on Spotify Bonus points if you catch the “Outside Lands” ref.

i,i by Bon Iver on Spotify

Short review for people who know how to pronounce the name correctly: It’s a Bon Iver record. Listen to it.

Longer review: It’s pronounced “Bone ee-VAIR” based on the French bon hiver, meaning “good winter”. If this is news to you, here’s a nugget from an interview where the main figure in the band explains it:

When I was living up north I wrote a letter. I’d come across a story about this Alaskan town that the people, the first snow of every year, they come out of their houses and gather in town square. They hug and kiss each other and they say “Bon Iver.” I was like, “whatever that is, that’s cool!” … Then I found out how it’s spelled and it was sort of disappointing. I didn’t like how it looked. It didn’t have any emotion. Looking at it didn’t make any sense. I wanted to look at it and feel something. It was sort of a compromise. I sorta wanted it to be like “Bon Iverre,” sort of like how I saw it, but that didn’t look good either, so I just decided to chop off the “h.” Bon Iver | Pitchfork

OK, now that you’re caught up. I guess you haven’t been paying attention, but Justin Vernon or Bon Iver (DBA) is one of the luminaries of the music industry. This grammy-winning dude-band has collaborated with Kanye, Jay-Z, James Blake, Travis $cott, Poliça, Ani DiFranco, Vince Staples, Eminem, Bruce Hornsby and more. But if you need me to explain any of this to you, do yourself a favor and go back and listen to his other 3 studio albums. Every one of them is treasure.

Favorite Song: Hey, Ma, a song by Bon Iver on Spotify This song makes the top 5 of all the tracks he’s released.

MUSIC - Honorable Mentions

Amyl and The Sniffers by Amyl and The Sniffers on Spotify

Two Hands by Big Thief on Spotify

I vs I by Alex Ebert on Spotify

Face Stabber by Thee Oh Sees on Spotify

Infest The Rats’ Nest by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard on Spotify

MOVIES

Hail Satan? (Hulu)

JustWatch

Hilarious look at a group trying to make Free Speech really free.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Duh. Also I got low-key obsessed with cults after I watched this.

MONOS

Incredible Spanish language drama about child soldiers in South America. Great acting by unknowns.

Green Book -Duh

Duh. Won an Best Picture.

Parasite

Duh. Won Best Picture.

Joker

Duh. Won life.

Greener Grass

JustWatch

The weirdest movie I saw all year. Bizarre and hilarious. Written by the two actresses who star.

Apollo 11

INCREDIBLE documentary about the first moon landing mission featuring a ton of footage I’d never seen and assembled into such a magnificent narrative. You feel like it’s happening in real-time today. The last time mankind was united around one hope.

SHOWS

The OA - Season 2 (Netflix)

This was one of the most beautiful creations I’ve seen. Epic followup to the first season which seemed like an impossible act to follow. Netflix canned the show, but there’s still hope it will get a resurrection through another venue.

Watchmen (HBO)

This is a sequel to the critically acclaimed graphic novel from the late 80s. You should read the novel first. As stated two sentences ago, this is a sequel set 34 years after the events of the novel.

The Boys (Amazon)

This is the first realistic superhero story. Why have we always assumed that those with superior or supernatural powers would be intrinsically good and seek to served mankind? Regular humans don’t even act like that toward each other. In this world the soops are like paid athletes and are secretly total pricks. Well made and begging for a second season.

Chernobyl (HBO)

Haven’t seen this? What is wrong with you? It’s in the top 5 highest rated shows of all time on IMDB. One thing I’ll note is that it did a good job separating the characterization of the soviet people from the soviet government. The everyday soviet people in the story came out looking like heroes while the government lived up to its reputation. It made me a lot more curious about soviet history which has led me to other movies, books and Wikipedia rabbit holes. Watch this for the historical value, at a minimum. It’s not as gory as you might be afraid it is.

Love Death + Robots (Netflix)

I love sci-fi and I love weird animation so this just brought it home for me. The episodes are often short and sort of feel like Twilight Zone episodes, each with their own mini narrative or moral lesson. Each episode is made by a different creator or team, so the variety is part of the curb appeal. Great binge material.

[lovetheangelshadow]

N'Pressions: Mutant Busters

I’m not going to lie here. When it comes to toilet humor, it’s a 50/50 for me. I’m not against then by no means, heck same goes for innuendo jokes, but more often my common response is a groan and looking at my non-existent watch waiting for it to be over. Personally there are a lot of shows with the gross out humor as its main stichk that I’ve just glossed over. But looking at the visuals of this show in my Recommend feed on Netlfix, I felt I’d be fair and give this show a try: Mutant Busters.

Trying to find information about this show is a bit tricky since my Spanish is rather limited. From what little English informstion I could find, Mutant Busters is an animated show part of a Spanish toyline from Famosa/Planeta Junior. The toy design is certainly amusing. The very simplified design reminds me a lot of those vinyl figures that are everywhere. Basically if Funko Pop decided to make an action toy line; these would be it. The humans have the same general body design with a few adjustments here and there but with different printings on to make them into different characters.

The backstory for this toy line is that there was a great cataclysm caused by a Giant Fart that split the world into the shape of a giant butt. The surviving humans reside on the right cheek while the mutants reside on the left cheek. Pretty much from these few lines alone you know what you’re in for. I mean, one of the mutant body types is a giant butt faced golem with thick arms and shoots lethal farting projectiles. And the mouth is…well I don’t think the fledglings would get it right away but now that I’ve thought about it, the mouth is…oh dear gods. Wow, Spain, gotta give you credit on that one.

Anyway, fighting the mutants is La Resistance (they had already printed the cards) led (sort of) by self-proclaimed treasure hunter Jim Rubik alias Sheriff; called so because of the star he wears that is deceased brother gave to him. One day he finds a mysterious mineral and tries to sell it at the local bar, but the mutants cross the dividing chasm to obtain it. The mineral is then stolen by Shooter, a gun toting thief who is obsessed with video games and tends to use gaming lingo when talking. Shooter tries to sell it to gangster leader Brutux but they are ambushed by mutants and the mineral is absconded with by soon-to-be-love-interest Vegan Su and her younger brother (who is black for some odd reason) B.P. Sheriff, Shooter, and Brutux chase the pair down into a fortress where they discover the mineral, Morphinite, is needed to create a cure for the mutations. But to complete the cure they need specific vegetables (and fruits) which are rare these days and thus must travel all over the world to find them. Thus La Resistance is born (or reborn as we learn this wasn’t the first team). Along the way they must deal with Wart and his colossus minions along with other wild mutants while trying not to kill each other.

Yeah it’s pretty much a straightforward plot. All currently 52 episodes are about ten minutes long and usually follow into one of three categories: stories that move the plot forward, filler but some nice character episodes, and…ugh clip shows. Yes birds and bats, they have clip shows for a toy line…and there are at least FIVE of them. I could be off but I know there’s at minimum five. And honestly they really are not necessary. It’s not like, oh say Power Rangers, where it’s the plottiest of plots; all the episodes do recaps and will typically have at least one or two lines of dialogue saying where they’re at now. They really really didn’t need to be here.

So visual wise, like I said, is very simplified with that vinyl figure look. Just a little note here: for those who say this show is outright disgusting and whatnot CLEARLY haven’t watched the gross out shows of the 90’s (Ren & Stimpy and Garbage Pail Kids, anyone?). No really, this stuff is pretty tame compared to that stuff. And remember by talking about how toilet humor is a hit or miss with me? I honestly feel the show would have been better served if it had been scaled back. And not because of the jokes themselves, but rather it becomes…well…stale. Okay so there is this one running gag of our main protagonist Sheriff farting a lot; like either he initiates the farts himself, or propels by fart, you get the idea. But oh gods, does it get overused and very repetitive. Farts are not inherently funny. You need some build up or unexpentantcy, just something to add to it. Hell that’s half the humor they use in the show. Why not have someone else have some of the fart jokes once in a while huh? Variety is all I’m asking here? Wait, I’m asking for variety in a toyetic show around gross stuff. Michael, I need my brain adjusted!

So our cast of La Resitance which is a nice diverse cast. And by diverse I mean assortment of interesting characters that we follow. While the plot mostly centers around Sheriff, we still get a mostly solid supporting cast even if they don’t get as much background context. Interestingly enough from what info we do get, the Big Fart happened fairly recently-or at least in the last decade or so. They don’t give the characters ages but we know Shooter did almost get married once before the cataclysm soooooo I’m wagering late twenties early thirties?

Also both Shooter and B.P. have quirks to their dialect. Shooter is a major video game addict so he’ll often make references like “Player One” or “Let’s move on to the next level” and so forth. Thankfully it’s not game specific so if you don’t know like a specific video game it’s alright. And he doesn’t use it all the time. Most of the time it’s during action sequences. As for B.P. yeah he talks in rhyme. All of his dialogue is in rhyme. And yes there is that rap scratchy tune often in the background when he talks. Yup, black rhyming rap dude whose specialty is weaponry. Totally not stereotypical at all. But…I can understand what the heck he’s saying and it’s not annoying! Do you know how many times I’ve wanted to shove a spare Noctina head on characters with “quirky” and “cool” lingo? But yup, I give this one a pass. Funny enough, if he’s off guard he talks normal. It’s pretty rare and usually involves when someone is hitting on his sister.

Ah but let us not forget about our villians of course. And oh yes these are your card-carrying theatrical sort naturally. Our main villain is Wart, a little purple meatball thing obsessed with taking over the world and beauty products. Later he drags his sister Verruca into the fold though she is lazy and prefers to just watch soap operas all day. Oh yeah there is a running joke of a show called Tears and Tribulations: a soap opera with 1000+ episodes. I guess soaps were the only media left after the apocalypse. That and cat videos. Sorry Twinkies. There are also the colluseses: Gloom, Horor Kal, Cyclop, and Leviaton; but they mostly made commentary about the humans and don’t do much villain wise. Most of the mutant designs are recolors of about four monster body types: butt-face, zombie slug, evil ET, bloated caterpillar, and bald sasquatch. Granted they at least try to give each recolor some unique traits, but still. It’s a common thing I’ve seen in CGI shows like this; especially action shows. I get it, it takes a lot of work to rig up new models and whatnot. It’s just one of those minor nitpicky things that bugs me with monster designs. And don’t think you’re off the hook either, Digimon. Nevertheless, I hope we get something new in the upcoming Alien Mutant Invasion Arc.

So what do I think of the show personally? It’s a cute fun little thing to kill an afternoon with. Not really something I see like a big fandom growing around, but it’s still entertaining. Even with all the swearing and fart jokes they cram in there (yeah they say hell and damn a lot), I didn’t find the show overly offensive for children. It’s no masterpiece of young entertainment, but I’ve seen worse…so much worse. In all honestly I think Mutant Busters should be taken for what is rather than what it isn’t. All and all, it’s quite basic stuff meant to advertise the product. I enjoy it and sure some of it can get rather tasteless, it’s each enough to overlook and not going to spoil the whole product. I’d recommend at least giving this a try. Like Larry Leviaton says at the end of the season (yeah they actually give their own review at the end of the story), I give it four out of six slices. You get what you expect and it’s still pretty satisfying.

I’m Noctina Noir, and I’m one Nox of a Nobody.

[1dimagineclub]

AU Dirty Harry Imagine  🚫 WARNING 18+ PLZ 🚫

[AU = Alternate Universe, Y/c/e = Your color eyes, R/L/N = Random Last Name, Y/L/N = Your Last Name]  ** Harry as Marcel **

“Unusual You”

You walked into high school rather quickly to meet up with my friends. Well if that’s what you can call them. They’re cool kids, you guess but sometimes you couldn’t stand them. They can be so damn mean when they want to be and you hated it. As you turned to corner to head to your locker which was your normal hang out, you saw two of my so called “friends” Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne laughing at someone.

“Hey (Y/N).” They yelled at you laughing. “Look who we found trying to shove a note in your locker.”

Before you could say anything they moved out of the way and standing in front of you was an embarrassed Marcel. Marcel Styles that is. He’s what people would call the class “nerd”. The way they treated him pissed you off. They acted like they were so much better than him and they weren’t.

“Leave him alone guys.” You whisper-yelled. “What did he ever do to you?”

“He’s such a dork (Y/N).” Louis laughed ripping his backpack off his back and throwing it across the room.

“He really is.” Liam chuckled taking off his thick glasses, throwing them over his shoulder. “What a loser. He actually thinks he has a chance with you.”

“Cut the shit guys.” You screamed pushing the two of them away from Marcel. “I mean it.”

“What the fuck (Y/N)?” Liam questioned. “Why are you sticking up for this nerd?”

“Because you guys are being assholes.” You yelled getting in his face.

Just as you were going to pick up Marcel’s glasses, he spoke up and said, “Don’t worry about it (Y/N). You don’t have to stick up for me.”

“Marcel.” You whispered biting your lip. “I want to.”

“Just drop it (Y/N).” He screamed at you making everyone turn to watch you.

You bit your lip and watched him grab his things and run away from you guys.

“You guys really need to grow the fuck up.” You yelled pushing each one of them against the lockers.

“What is your problem (Y/N)?” Louis asked brushing his shirt off. “What all of a sudden is so great about Marcel?”

“I’m just sick and tired of the way you treat him.” You began shaking your head. “We’re 16. I think it’s about time we all grow up and put this shit behind us.”

“Whatever.” Both boys said in unison before walking away.

You turned towards your locker and placed your head against it, letting out a loud sigh. You were sick and fucking tired of their antics. Marcel was a sweet guy. He’s in your English and Math class, so he’s helped you a couple times. You couldn’t help the frown that curved your lips when you thought of how he snapped at you a couple minutes ago. Why would he yell at you when all you were trying to do was help him? You shrugged your shoulders and began to open your locker. When you finally got it open and pretty pink envelope fell out and onto the floor. You smiled to yourself when you saw your name written across the top. You knew that handwriting anywhere. This is what Marcel must have been shoving into your locker when your asshole friends caught him. Before you could open the note, you heard the first bell ring. You quickly grabbed your books and headed to your first period. You had Spanish and god forbid you were even 30 seconds late. So you threw his note in your bag and ran to class. You let out a happy sigh when you walked in and saw a substitute teacher. You took your seat and pulled the note from your bag. You opened it rather quickly and excitedly. You pulled out two pieces of paper and unfolded them. You looked down at all the writing and began to read it to yourself.

“My Dear Sweet (Y/N),

I know we haven’t spoken much except for in class when we were paired up to work on those projects but I just wanted to say how beautiful you really are. I hope you know that. But something tells me you don’t know. I watch you (Y/N). (Not in a creepy way I swear) I watch you when you think no one is watching. I know that your favorite color pen is blue and when you don’t have one, you find someone who does and begs them to switch. I know your favorite color is (Y/f/c). I see you wearing it all the time. I also noticed the ring you wear on your right index finger every day has that color in it.”

You paused reading for a quick second and looked down at your ring. He hit the nail on the head. You let out a soft exhale and continued to read on.

“I love your eyes my sweet (Y/N). You have the most beautiful (Y/c/e) I’ve ever seen. I could get lost in them for hours. I love the fact that you always have your favorite chapstick with you and when no one is looking you’re always re-applying it, just in case. I watch you even more closely when you are with your friends. I watch the way you act with them. You love them but deep down inside you wish there was more to them. You wish they would be more like you. They don’t deserve someone as perfect as you (Y/N). Nobody does. You’re a treasure and that’s how you should be treated. You’re beautiful, even more so when it sunny outside and the raise bounce off your gorgeous complexion. I’m mesmerized by you (Y/N). The things I would do to you.”

You had to put your letter down when you saw Ashley (R/L/N) leaning over to your desk.

“Whatcha reading (Y/N)?” She asked as you picked up your book and placed it over the note.

“Nothing. Nothing at all.” You smiled.

“Is that your little love note from the nerd boy, Marcel?” She questioned as a couple people around her laughed.

“And so what if it is?” You snapped, pissed off. “Don’t be jealous because no one writes you love notes.”

A couple of the girls around you started laughing as you sassed her.

“I don’t know what’s gotten into you today (Y/N).” She began clearly flustered. “But this thing you’ve got going on with that nerd had better stop or else.”

“Or else what?” You yelled a little too loud. “You’re gonna kick me out of the group? New flash Ashley, I don’t get a flying fuck anymore.”

“Well you should.” She yelled right back at you. “Because I can make or break you for the rest of your junior year (Y/N). Is that what you want? To throw away your social life for some nerdy boy with no friends?”

“I’d rather be friends with Marcel than with a bunch of assholes like you guys.” You screamed slamming your fist down on your desk.

Before you could say anything else, the substitute teacher walked over to your desk and spoke up, “Okay ladies that’s enough. Miss (Y/L/N), what seems to be the problem?”

"She.” You began pointing at Ashley, “needs to mind her own fucking business.”

“Oooh big words from the nerd lovin’ bitch.” She laughed.

Before you even know what took over you, you pulled your hand back and slapped her across the face. The entire class gasped and so did your friend as she grabbed her cheek.

“That’s it Miss (Y/L/N).” The teacher yelled. “Go to the Principal's office. NOW!”

“Gladly.” You said picking up your books and heading for the door.

Before you left the room you made sure you still had your letter from Marcel. When you walked out into the hallway you made sure to slam the door behind you as loud as you could. Angry tears filled your eyes as you stalked to the office. You were so pissed off you couldn’t even breathe. How dare your “friends” treat him like such shit. Who the fuck did they think they were? They weren’t better than him. He was so sweet and kind to everyone no matter who they were. If anything he was much better than any of them. You opened the door to the office tears now streaming down your face.

“Can I help you Miss (Y/L/N)?” The secretary, Miss Valentine asked.

“I got sent to the Principal's office.” You murmured with a hiccup.

Just then the door opened and out walked Principle Horan walked out.

“I was expecting you Miss (Y/L/N).” He spoke a little harder than you expected, walking closer towards you.

He noticed your face and his tone and face immediately changed. He did the only thing he knew would calm you down and wrapped his arms around you in a big hug. Mr. Horan really loved and cared very much for the kids. You cried into his shoulder not being able to hold it anymore.

“Shhh.” He whispered rubbing your back.

“They’re so mean.” You whispered.

“Come on.” He began leading you into his office.

Once inside he closed the door and helped you into the chair. He walked around his desk and sat down in his own hair.

“Want to explain to me what exactly happened?”

You nodded your head and told him the whole story. Once you were finished the tears stopped but they were replaced with a huge amount of anger.

“They’re just so fucking mean to him.” You began. “And he did nothing. I don’t want to be involved with people like that.”

“Well here’s what I can do for you (Y/N).” He began sitting back in his chair. “I can make sure for the day, considering it is Friday, that you and Marcel will be protected. I will let all your teachers know what is going on and have them make sure you and him are left alone. And on Monday I will deal with his bullies. How does that sound?”

“Thank you so much Mr. Horan.” You smiled. “I owe you one. Big time.”

“It’s not a problem (Y/N).” He smiled back. “I think it’s very honorable that you’re standing up for him. He has like no friends in this school at all. More people should be like you.”

“It’s just not right.” You began. “And when I was younger, I had no friends and someone stood up for me and we’ve been best friends ever since.”

“Who is it?” He asked.

“You wouldn’t know him.” You sighed. “His name is Zayn Malik and he moved away right before high school. But we still talk and text almost everyday. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without him.”

“He sounds very nice.” Mr. Horan smiled.

Just then the bell rang letting you know that first period was over.

“You’re free to go Miss (Y/L/N).” He smiled getting up and walking towards the door to open it. “I’ll make sure to let all your teachers know what’s going on for today.”

“Thanks again Mr. Horan.” You smiled hugging him tightly. “You’re the best.”

He laughed as you let him go and headed out of his office. When you walked back into the hall there was a guy standing against the wall. A smile curved his lips and he made a beeline for you. You knew who he was, as a matter of fact, the whole school knew who he was. He was the one and only Edward Styles. The senior Edward Styles mind you. Every single girl in this school wanted him. You stopped rather quickly when he stood in front of you. Your eyes traveled up his body taking in his appearance. He was wearing a pair of tight black jeans that hugged him exactly in every place they should with a pair of brown, worn boots. His chest was covered in a plain white t-shirt and his hair was perfectly curly. No wonder all the girls wanted him. You were brought back to reality when you heard him say, “So you’re the girl my brother always talks about?”

“Excuse me?” You questioned taken back by his comment.

“I’m sorry.” He smiled an award winning smile before continuing. “My name is Edward Styles. My younger brother is Marcel. You and I actually have Spanish together.”

Your face turned a bright red color those words left his lips.

“I thought you looked familiar.” You nodded.

“I think that was really awesome of you to stick up for my brother.” He smiled down at you. “Not a lot of people would. He doesn’t have a lot, if any friends.”

You bit your lip hearing those words leave Edward’s mouth. You were trying hard not to cry again for the guy you knew next to nothing about.

“Well I’ve been in his shoes before and someone stuck up for me so..” You began. “I wanted to. Plus it’s the right thing to do.”

“He has such a big crush on you (Y/N).” Edward laughed as you blushed even more. “I swear you are all he talks about. And trust me when I say, he talks about everything. Your pretty eyes, your perfect hair, your smooth and sexy voice.”

Before he continued to speak to you, he leaned in and placed his lips next to your ear and said, “I even hear him sometimes late at night, moaning your name in pure ecstasy. You and I both know what that means (Y/N). He loves to pleasure himself while thinking about you.”

A small whimper left your lips when Edward pulled away. He had a shit eating grin on his face.

“I just wanted to let you know.” He winked as he started to walk away.

“Thanks.” You mumbled still too shocked to talk much.

“Oh by the way...” He began turning back around to face you. “Make sure you finish reading his letter. I promise it gets better.”

Your jaw dropped and before you could muster up a response he was gone. You turned on your heels and headed towards the library. Your heart felt like it was pounding out of your chest and your cheeks were a bright red color. You had no idea Marcel felt so strongly towards you. And what the hell did Edward mean by ‘I promise it gets better?’ As soon as you entered the library you took a seat in the corner of the room. You pulled the letter out and began to read it once again.

“I would do things to you that you could never even dream. First I would love to kiss your full lips. I can just imagine how they would feel against mine. Running my hands through your hair while my tongue explored your mouth. I can almost hear you moan while one of my hands runs down your side and underneath your shirt. I would wrap my hands around the hem of your shirt and take it off watching your hair fall over your bare shoulders. I would throw your shirt across the room and place my lips against your shoulder. I would make sure I bite down on your collar bone just to hear you whimpered underneath me. I would reach my hands around your back and unhook your bra letting your breasts fall out into my waiting hands. I can just imagine how the must feel. I would take each one of your nipples between my fingers and roll them around. I want you so bad (Y/N). I would do anything to have you even if it was just once. But back to what I would do to you. I would then dip my head and take one of your now hard nipples in my mouth.”

You stopped reading when you heard someone clear their throat. You looked up and saw a pair a gorgeous green eyes rimmed with a thick pair of glasses.

“Hi Marcel.” You smiled.

“Hi (Y/N).” He whispered rubbing the back of his neck. “How are you?”

“I’m good.” You nodded moving your bag so he could sit next to you. “Wait, what are you doing here?”

“I had to talk to you.” He began sitting next to you. “And you mentioned once that you had a free period during second. So I came to find you.”

“So are you telling me you’re skipping class Marcel?” You asked cocking an eyebrow at him.

He blushed a deep shade of red and said, “Yeah, I guess I am.”

“Wow Marcel, I didn’t know you had it in you.” You giggled. “You little rebel you.”

“Very funny.” He said as a smile curved his lips.

“So what did you want to talk to me about?” You asked turning to face him.

“I just wanted to apologize for earlier.” He began looking down at his hands. “You were sticking up for me and I yelled at you. I’m so sorry (Y/N).”

“It’s okay Marcel.” You began placing your hand on top of his.

He looked up at you as you began to speak again, “I’m sorry my friends are such assholes. You don’t deserve to be treated like that. I did what was right.”

“But still.” He began trying to pull his hand away. “You being nice to me is only going to hurt you in the long run (Y/N). I don’t have any friends and if you keep talking to me then you won’t either. “

“I’d rather talk to you.” You began lacing your fingers with his. “And I don’t care if I lose all my friends. I’ll still have you right?”

“You would.” He nodded running his long thumb over the back of your hand. “I would always talk to you.”

“Then that’s all I need.” You smiled as he watched you closely.

“But I’m nothing.” He began to speak, tears filling his green eyes. “I don’t have any friends, I’ve never had sex, hell I’ve never even kissed a girl before. I’m not good looking or anything. Why me?”

“I think you’re adorable.” You smiled running your free hand up to his face to wipe his tears away. “You have such a big heart. You’re so funny Marcel. Every Time we’ve worked together in class, my face hurts because you keep me laughing. And I’ll tell you a secret if you promise never to tell.”

“I’d never ever tell.” He whispered.

“I’ve never had sex either.” You began looking down at your hands. “I’ve had a boyfriend but he never kissed me. Everybody thinks because I’m popular that I’d been with everybody in this school. But I haven’t. My boyfriend cheated on me with one of my friends. I guess I was never good enough to kiss.”

“He’s crazy.” He whispered putting his fingers under your chin and turned it so you were looking at him. “If you were my girlfriend, I would have kissed you with in the first five minutes. You’re so beautiful (Y/N).”

“Thank you Marcel.” You whispered with a smile.

He leaned in and you knew this was it. When you guys were inches from each other the bell rang signaling that second period was over. You both closed your eyes and let out a sigh.

“Let me walk you to class.” He began grabbing your books.

“I’d like that.” You smiled grabbing your book bag.

“I’m sorry.” He mumbled as you walked towards your third period class. “I shouldn’t have tried.”

You cut him off and said, “Stop Marcel. It’s fine. I wasn’t going to stop you.”

“Really?” He asked shocked.

“Really.” You smiled as you arrived at your class.

He handed you your books and gave you a small smile. He looked over your shoulder and put his head down. You looked to where he was looking and saw Ashley and your other friend Tina (R/L/N) watching you both closely.

“Ignore them.” You began running your hand down his face.

“I’ll see you in fifth period?” He asked looking into your eyes.

“I’ll see you then.” You smiled standing on your tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

Everyone in your class gasped in shock but you didn’t care.

“Bye Marcel.” You smiled before turning around and walking into the classroom.

You sat down in your seat and everyone’s eyes were on you. Ashley walked over to you as you took your book out of your bag and said, “Wow you really are a nerd loving bitch are you (Y/N).”

Before you could say anything your teacher Ms. Smith spoke up and said, “Ashley is there a problem?”

“No ma’am.” She whispered giving you the stink eye.

“Then I suggest you sit down and leave Miss (Y/L/N) alone.”

You looked up at the teacher and she nodded at you. A smile curved your lips as class began. You couldn’t believe everything that has happened so far today. Class flew by and before you knew what was happening the bell was ringing and it was time for fourth period. You gathered your things and made your way to gym before Ashley and Tina could say anything to you. Once you got to gym you quickly changed into your gym clothes and headed into the actual gym. You rolled your eyes when you saw Liam and Louis heading your way.

“What’s up (Y/N)?” Liam asked.

“What’s up guys?” You asked with a soft smile.

“We just talk to Ashley on the way here.” Louis began laughing. “She told us a funny joke about how Marcel walked you to class and you kissed his cheek. Funny right?”

“It’s not funny.” You began. “She was telling you the truth.”

“What?” They both yelled making everything stare at you three.

“Shut up would you.” You whispered.

“Why the hell would you kiss him?” Liam asked.

“Because he’s sweet.” You smiled thinking about how he almost kissed you in the library.

Before the boys could say anything else class started and they left you alone. Class once again flew by because you guys were playing soccer, something you loved. Before you knew it, the bell was once again ringing and it was time for fifth period. You quickly changed back into your regular clothes and ran as fast as you could to fifth period. A smile curved your lips when you saw Marcel sitting next to your desk. You sat down next to him and he looked up.

“Hi (Y/N).” He smiled leaning closer and placing a soft kiss on your cheek repaying you for earlier.

“Hi.” You blushed forty five shades of red.

After that class started and you were paying attention to the teacher. About a half hour later the bell rang and it was time for lunch. You stood up and turned to Marcel. He usually just stayed in class and ate when he got home. But not today. You stretched out your hand to him and he looked up at you.

“Come to lunch with me?” You smiled.

“I don’t think that’s a very good idea (Y/N).” Marcel began shaking his head.

“I don’t really care.” You laughed grabbing his hand and pulling him up. “I’m starving and I want you to eat with me.”

“If you’re sure.” He began and you nodded.

Without another word the two of you walked down the hall towards the cafeteria. Once inside all eyes were on you. But you didn’t care. You pulled Marcel to the line with the french fries and nuggets.

“Are you hungry?” You asked pulling out your money.

“A little.” He blushed.

“We can share.” You smiled grabbing the food.

He grabbed the drinks and you two headed out to find a place to sit. You found an empty table and sat down. Marcel sat across from you and he bit his lip, “(Y/N) everybody is staring.”

“Who gives a shit.” You shrugged. “Let them.”

As the two of you ate Ashley, Tina, Liam and Louis walked over to your table. You knew shit was about to go down.

“Why are you sitting with him (Y/N)?” Ashley asked.

“Because this is a free country.” You began looking up at them. “And I can sit with whoever the fuck I want.”

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Liam asked.

“I’m sure.” You smiled looking over at Marcel who was clearly uncomfortable. “Now please leave.”

Before you knew what was happening Liam and Louis were holding you down.

“Get off me!” You screamed.

“Sorry (Y/N).” Tina laughed.

You looked up at her and her and Ashley took their full lunch tray of spaghetti and dumped it over your head. Everybody around you was laughing and you could feel the tears coming. Marcel stood up and for the first time you heard him raise his voice.

“Leave her alone.”

“What are you going to do about it bitch boy huh?” Louis asked pushing Marcel.

“Get away from my brother.” You heard someone yell. “NOW.”

The whole lunch room turned to see Edward Styles walking towards you and Marcel.

“You think this is funny?” He screamed in their faces. “Picking on people because they are sticking up for my brother?”

“We had no idea.” Liam began.

“I don’t give a fuck.” He yelled. “Stay away from my brother and stay away from (Y/N). Do you understand me?”

“Yeah.” The four of them spoke putting their heads down.

Marcel walked over to you hand gently pulled all the food off your head.

“I’m so sorry (Y/N).” He whispered tears streaming down his face. “This is all my fault.”

You couldn’t say anything because you were too busy crying. You had never been so humiliated in your life. Just then Principle Horan walked into the cafeteria. He walked over to the three of you and Edward spoke up, “I’m taking these two home.”

“That’s fine.” He nodded. “You three are excused for the rest of the day.”

“Our stuff is still...” Marcel began but Mr. Horan cut him off.

“I’m already on it. I will keep all your stuff in my office until Monday.” He began looking at Liam, Louis, Ashley and Tina. “You four in my office right now.”

The four of them bowed their heads and walked off. He bent down to your level and spoke, “I’m so sorry (Y/N). I’ll deal with them.”

You didn’t say anything just nodded your head.

“Come on.” Marcel said picking you up bridal style. “Let’s get you home.”

Everybody around just watched as Marcel and Edward walked out of the school with you. The walk to the car was quiet considering Edward was a senior and he got to park in the school parking lot. Once at the car, Marcel put you in the back seat and went to shut the door. You grabbed his hand and spoke for the first time since the incident saying, “Please sit with me.”

Marcel looked over at Edward and Edward nodded as he jumped into the driver's seat. So you pushed over a little bit and Marcel climbed in next to you. Once the door was shut you buried your head against his chest and he pressed a kiss to your forehead.

“(Y/N) where do you live?” Edward asked after a couple minutes of silence.

“I don’t wanna go home.” You whimpered holding onto Marcel tighter. “Please don’t make me go.”

“You’re more than welcome to come over our house.” Edward began looking at you through the mirror.

“Thanks.” You whispered.

“I’m so sorry (Y/N).” Marcel began whispering in your ear. “I should have never went to the cafeteria with you.”

“It’s okay.” You started looking up at him. “I wanted you to come. I just can’t believe what they did. You’re such a sweet amazing person. Who cares if I want to be friends with you?”

From the front of the car you heard Edward began to chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” You questioned.

“You just got covered from head to toe in food and you’re more worried about how they treated Marcel.” He laughed. “You really are something else (Y/N).”

Before you could say anything Edward pulled into their driveway and Marcel was getting out of the car. A woman in her late forties came out of the house looking at everyone like you guys had five heads.

“What happened?” She asked.

“Mom, this is (Y/N).” Harry began. “She got into it with a couple of bullies and she needed a place to go.

“Oh of course.” She smiled at you. “It’s nice to meet you (Y/N). Go ahead Edward, go show (Y/N) to your room.”

“She’s actually not here with me.” Edward smiled as his mother’s eyes got huge.

“She’s with me.” Marcel piped in wrapping his arm around your shoulder pulling you closer.

“Well.” Their mother smiled walking over to you. “Welcome.”

“She stood up to the bullies who were making fun of Marcel.” Edward began slamming his door shut. “And they poured their lunch on her.”

“Thank you so much for standing up for my son.” Their mom began tears streaming down her face.

“I would do it again in a heartbeat.” You whispered softly. “You have two amazing sons Mrs. Styles.”

“You can keep this one Marcel.” She said as everyone laughed.

“I plan on it.” He whispered placing a kissing against your temple. “I’m going to bring her upstairs so she can shower. We’ll be down when dinner is done.”

“Of course.” His mom nodded. “You two have fun.”

Marcel blushed as he led you into the house. He quickly led you upstairs to his room and shut the door.

You heard the click of the lock as you looked around.

“Your room is awesome.” You said turning around to look at him.

“Thanks.” He smiled taking out a pair of boxers and a t-shirt. “These are for you. You can take a shower to get yourself all cleaned up.”

“Thanks Marcel.” You said looking down at your feet. “Where’s the bathroom?”

“Right this way.” He stated opening a huge door.

You figure that was just a closest but boy were you wrong. His bathroom was almost the size of his room. He had a huge two person shower and a massive bathtub. You bit your lip thinking of him taking a bath.

“Use anything you need.” He began making you jump out of your skin. “I’ll be in my room if you need anything.”

You nodded your head and just like that he was gone. You quickly stripped your clothes off and turned the water on. Once the water was warm enough you stepped in the huge shower and just let water wash over you. You thought about today as you stood under the water and you had no idea how things got so crazy. After a couple minutes you looked around and grabbed the shampoo. You slowly worked it through your hair as your mind started to wonder. As you turned so your back was against the water you imagine what it would be like to have Marcel in here with you. When all the shampoo was out of your hair you turned around and noticed his shower head was detachable. You bit your lip looking around before reaching up and taking it off the wall. You placed one of your feet up on the side of ledge of the shower and moved the shower head down your body. You closed your eyes as Marcel clouded your mind. As the strong jets from the showerhead massaged your clit his name slipped past your lips in a soft moan.

** Meanwhile **

Marcel heard a knock on the door so he walked over and opened up for his brother.

“Where did (Y/N) go?” Edward questioned his eyes scanning the room

“She’s taking a shower.” Marcel explained as his brother’s eyes got huge.

“Why are you still out here?” He whisper yelled.

“I don’t want to just barge in there.” He began shaking his head. “I can’t do that.”

“She likes you Marcel.” Edward began with a smirk. “Now you go in there right now…or I will.”

Marcel’s eyes got huge and before Edward could even take a step, his glasses were off and on his bed. Edward smiled before walking towards the door saying, “Enjoy your first time little bro.”

Before Marcel could respond the door was shut, so he quickly walked back over to it so he could lock it. He took a deep breath and quickly undressed. Once he was naked, he walked towards the bathroom and as quietly as he could, pushed the door open. When he stepped in, he had to bite back a moan. He could see your shadow in the shower in front of him and he was already hard. As he shut the door the hair on the back of his neck stood up when he heard you say his name.

“I’m so fucked.” He thought to himself.

But what he heard next was like a punch to his gut. He heard you moan and whispered his name again. He slowly walked towards the door of the shower and his eyes got wide when he looked in. He couldn’t see what you were doing before because of the steam but he had a full shot of it now. Your head was back, your eyes closed and you had the shower head pressed to your clit. He needed you. So he quickly opened the door and slipped in behind you. He wrapped his arms around your stomach but you didn’t even jump. You just leaned against his hard body and moaned, “Fuck Marcel.”

“Here pretty girl.” He purred next to your ear, placing his hand over yours. “Let me help you with that.”

You let go of the showerhead and he took over. With his long fingers he spread your lips open wide and placed the showerhead directly against your clit. You let out a loud groan and he placed his lips just underneath your ear. You placed both hands on each side of the shower as you began to move your hips back and forth.

“You like that (Y/N)?” He whispered.

“Feels so good.” You whimpered. “Fuck Marcel. Fuck yes, I’m going to cum.”

“That’s it (Y/N).” He began licking your ear. “Cum for me. I want to see you come apart.”

That was all it took. Your whole body began to shake as his name let your mouth like a vicious curse. He bit down on your earlobe as your orgasm rocked your body. As you came down from your high, he pulled the shower head away from your clit and placed a kiss to the side of your neck. Once you were done, you took a deep breath and turned around to look at him.

“You’re so gorgeous (Y/N).” He whispered. “That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“I want you Marcel.” You began. “I want you so bad. Take me.”

Before you could say another word he reached around you and shut the water off. He quickly opened the shower door and stepped out. He grabbed a towel for himself and handed you one. The two of you wiped off and when you were finished he took you by the hand and lead you back into his room. Once inside and right next to the bed he pulled you close to him.

“I’ve been waiting to do this for so long.” He whispered running his fingertips down your face. “I’m going to finish what I started in the library.”

You nodded and he bent his head down covering your lips with his. You were in heaven. The kiss was everything you dreamed of and more. He ran his tongue over your top lip as his teeth sunk into your bottom one. You went to moan into the kiss but when you did his tongue swept into your mouth and began to play with yours. As your tongues danced, he ran his hands up and down your body stopping when he found your breasts. His fingers found your already hard nipples and he began to pinch them. You pulled away from the kiss and moaned, “Fuck Marcel.”

“Does that feel good (Y/N)?” He asked.

You nodded and he dipped his head down taking one of your nipples in his mouth. You ran your fingers through his hair grabbing onto the ends and moaning when you felt him sink his teeth into your skin. You threw your head back in ecstasy, letting a whimper fall from your lips. Before he could move to your other nipple you pulled him up your body back to your mouth and crashed your lips together. You turned him around so the backs of his legs were against his bed. You pushed him down slightly so he was sitting down on the edge of the bed. With one last peck to the lips you pulled away from him and dropped to your knees in front of him. He rolled his eyes into the back of his head and let out a soft moan knowing what was coming next. You smiled at him as you pushed his legs open, taking his hard cock in your hand.

“I’m going to make you feel so good Marcel.” You whispered with a wink.

“I thought you never did this before?” He asked watching your every move.

“Just because I’ve never done it...” You began licking the head of his cock. “Doesn’t mean I haven’t watched videos of other people doing it.”

“Such a dirty girl.” He moaned as your lips slipped around his cock.

You started off slow with just the head in your mouth bobbing up and down. Even though you didn’t have much of his cock in your mouth, he was still moaning like crazy so you must be doing it right. As you got more used to the feeling of his cock in your mouth and on your tongue you pushed your head a bit further down, taking more of him in your mouth.

“Jesus (Y/N).” He moaned wrapping his hands in your hair. “Such a slut for my cock aren’t you?”

“Mmm hmm.” You moaned around him, vibrating.

“Go ahead (Y/N).” He whimpered pushing your head further down. “Take more of my cock.”

You relaxed your jaw and pushed down as far as you could go. He let out a loud moan as his cock twitched in your mouth. Your name left his lips as his orgasm took over his body. He kept your head in place not letting you move as he came down your throat. When he was done, he slowly let go and you pulled off his cock. You made sure he was watching when you swallowed everything he gave you. You watched him as his laid down on his bed, his head resting on his pillow near his headboard. He turned his head to look at you and he said, “Come here (Y/N). Come and sit on my face. I want to taste your sweet pussy.”

You let out a soft moan before climbing onto the bed. He stood up and put one foot on each side of his head. You grabbed onto the headboard and slowly began to lower yourself getting closer to his face. Once on your knees he stuck his long tongue out of his mouth waiting for you. You bit your lip and finished so your pussy was around his lips. He began to flick his tongue back and forth, up and down your clit. You let out a loud moan and his hands found your hips. He lifted you up slightly and said, “Come on (Y/N). I want you to ride my face.”

He pulled you back down before you could say anything and you began to move your hips back and forth on his face. You let out a loud groan when his tongue slipped inside your slit and you decided that’s what you wanted. So you moved your hips up and down sending his tongue deeper and deeper with every movement. You could feel your orgasm creeping up so you wrapped your fingers in his hair and pushed his face as close to your pussy as it would go, sending his tongue so deep inside you, you could feel it hit your g-spot.

“Fuck yes Marcel.” You whimpered. “Yes right there.”

He smiled against your pussy and began to flick his tongue against your g-spot. You threw your head back and closed your eyes, screaming his name as your orgasm hit. His hands moved from your hips to your breasts, pinching your nipples again, which only made your orgasm that much better. As you rode out your orgasm he cleaned you up with his tongue making sounds that made you want to cum again. Once you were finished his hands found your hips again and he flipped you over so he was on top. His lips found yours again for a heated kiss and you moaned when you tasted yourself on his lips. He pulled away from the kiss and pressed his forehead against yours.

“I need you so bad (Y/N).” He whispered. “Are you okay with this?”

“More than okay.” You nodded biting your lip.

“I will try and go as slow as I can.” He began watching your face. “The last thing I want to do is hurt you my beautiful girl.”

You let out a sigh relaxing your body and nodded letting him know you were ready. He wrapped his hand around his own cock and lined it up with your entrance. He teased your slit with the head of his cock and you let out a moan.

“You’re so beautiful like this.” He smiled as he began to push in.

You held onto him tight as he pushed further in. Tears filled your eyes and you whimpered slightly at the pain.

“I’m sorry.” He stopped and kissed your forehead.

“Just keep going.” You whispered biting your lip as hard as you could. “And when you get there just give me a minute to adjust.”

He nodded and continued to push further. The tears that filled your eyes were now slipping down your cheeks.

“I’m all the way in.” He whispered.

“Just give me a minute please.” You cried trying to relax.

“Take as much time as you need.” He said leaning down to kiss you softly.

You wrapped your hands around his neck and kissed him back. This kiss was different from the other ones. The others were full of desire and lust. This one was soft and filled with nothing but love. As you kissed, he moved slightly to change the angle of the kiss and he pushed further inside you. You gasped and he got nervous.

“Fuck I’m sorry.” He mumbled.

“Marcel.” You began closing your eyes. “It’s okay. You can move now.”

He looked down at you and asked, “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” You whimpered. “Please Marcel. Fuck me now.”

That was all the motivation he needed. He slowly pulled out before pushing all the way back in. You arched your back off the bed and moaned.

“Fuck.” You cried. “Feels s-so good.”

He began to move his hips faster and while his hands found yours. He laced your fingers together and pressed his lips to yours in another kiss.

“I’m never letting you go.” He whispered his hips still moving. “I’m keeping you forever.”

“I don’t want to go anywhere.” You smiled brushing his hair behind his ear.

“I’m so close.” He moaned. “I need to go faster.”

You nodded your head as he picked up speed. You bit down on his shoulder so you wouldn’t scream too loud. Not wanting to cum without you his rough fingertips found your clit and he began to rub figure eights. You clenched your walls around his throbbing cock and he moaned, “Fuck yes. I gonna cum (Y/N).”

You nodded and you felt his cock twitch inside you. Feeling him come apart inside you and his fingers working your clit was enough to send you over the edge. He rocked his hips as your orgasms took over the both of you. As you two came down from your high he slowed down his movements and pulled out of you. He collapsed next to you on the bed and the two of you looked up at the ceiling.

“That was amazing.” He whispered after a couple minutes of silence.

“More than amazing.” You smiled turning towards him, resting your head on his chest.

He wrapped his arms around you and placed a kiss on your temple before saying, “I meant what I said you know.”

“What about what happened today at lunch?” He asked rubbing your back.

“I don’t care.” You began kissing where his heart was. “You’re all I need.”

“You’re something else (Y/N).” He smiled. “I’ve never met anybody quite like you before.”

“Ditto.” You nodded.

The two of you laid there in comfortable silence before you both blurted out of nowhere, “Unusual You.”

You both laughed but it was cut off by a knock on the door. You two looked at each other panicked and you ran into the bathroom. Marcel grabbed his boxer and went to the door. He took a deep breath before answering the door. When he did he saw Harry standing there with a half smile on his face.

“What’s up Eddy?” He questioned trying to be cool.

“If you guys are done fucking like rabbits.” Harry began with a chuckle. “Dinner's almost ready.”

Marcel turned 10 different shades of red before nodding. Edward turned to go back downstairs before he said, “Oh and Marcel. Don’t worry. I won’t tell mom.”

[inb4vaughn]

The Soaring Golf Song Of Montana’s Spanish Peaks

Mountain golf is a genre all its own, but mountain golf of the caliber conjured by Tom Weiskopf at Spanish Peaks Mountain Club in Big Sky, Montana, is on a whole new level, literally and figuratively.

Not that it’s the highest track in elevation in America, in Montana or even in its neighborhood — the Yellowstone Club one ridge away grabs that distinction, and the Jack Nicklaus-authored course art Moonlight Basin a few miles to the north, on the other side of horizon-hogging Lone Mountain, comes close — but in terms of making the most of challenging terrain, and creating a hole-to-hole experience that immediately leaves you wanting more no matter what your score, Spanish Peaks reaches some rarefied air indeed.

And don’t let the fact that’s a private club deter you, at least in the short term. With several luxury rental cabins available to the public through the 2019 season, and the under-construction, high-end Montage Hotel set to offer guests course access come summer 2021, golfers who find their way to the soaring peaks of southwest Montana, about an hour’s drive south of Bozeman and not far from the West Gate to Yellowstone National Park, should plan to spend a day immersed in Weiskopf’s handiwork.

Spanish Peaks Clubhouse

At least four things will come to mind as you take the winding, rising road from the village at Big Sky to Spanish Peaks Mountain Club.

The 360-degree sweep of mountain beauty is truly and undeniably awe-inspiring

This place is hopping with home construction — though not one handsome structure interferes with the golf experience or ventures that overbearing, “hey, look at me” ethic found at more than a few private golf enclaves throughout America

Perched perfectly between the front nine below and back nine above, the clubhouse complex is as luxury-meets-rustic welcoming as any comparable structure in the modern American West.

There are smiling member faces everywhere, and they’re not all of a certain, uh, advanced age. This a family club and development through and through and multi-generational enjoyment is encouraged if not expected.

In fact, during a round you’re liable to see mom, dad, kids and a grandparent or two loaded into a couple carts and heading for one of Spanish Peaks’ coolest perks: A “Snack Cabin” loaded with refrigerated drinks, pint-sized hot dogs and snacks ranging from classic candy bars and chips to fresh fruit and health-conscious protein bars. There’s one on the front, one on the back, strategically placed to serve a half-dozen holes, so there’s no excuse for getting parched or letting hunger pangs interfere with even one swing.

The first hole at Spanish Peaks

Then again, hunger or thirst have a tough time competing with the sheer joy of just being there to follow Weiskopf’s muse, to let his best mountain course’s seductive song of “polished seclusion” carry you through every swing, good and bad, with gratitude.

“I like playing fast, but I would never object to being held up all day at Spanish Peaks,” said Mike Fish, a visitor from Syracuse, New York enjoying his first extended foray into the Montana wild — not only for golf, but for hikes around Big Sky and in Glacier National Park, several hours’ drive to the northwest. “I will treasure this round. It’s special.”

Special enough, indeed, to be rescued from a 2011 bankruptcy filing on the heels of the worldwide economic collapse, which laid many a fledgling golf club low. After closing for a couple seasons to round up partners with the cash, clout and foresight to keep this Weiskopf wonder from disappearing into the woods forever — including a collection of founding members; Michigan-based Boyne Resorts, which owns the entire Big Sky resort complex; and Montage Resorts, which now owns the course itself — Spanish Peaks returned in 2013. It’s been adding members and racking up raves ever since.

The 17th hole at Spanish Peaks

But what makes the course itself so special, other than its rugged, God-given setting?

For one thing, among modern architects, Weiskopf has always been known for giving his layouts a certain pacing and rhythm that draw the player in right away, asking for his or her best game until the last stroke and throwing in a few features that, in lesser hands, could sink into gimmickry.

At Spanish Peaks, for instance, he designed the 18th hole with alternate greens — it’s a par 4 to one, par 5 to the other. In either case you’ve got to keep your downhill, half-blind tee shot short of a broad ravine choked with greenery and tall grass — tricky at plus-6,000-feet above sea level — and clear it with your second shot. That could be a simple (maybe) flip wedge to the short green or a big decision to the long one, which hovers on a small cliff with the hotel rising in the distance behind it: hit a lay-up to a relatively flat lie or just go for it with a hybrid or fairway metal? It’s a common quandary on many a par 5, but ol’ Tom manages to give it a little extra pucker factor.

The course’s other three par 5s are just as tasty in their own way, including No, which boomerangs around a long, narrow lake to plateau green, and No, 11, which, at around 230 yards from the members’ tees, narrows to just a few yards between a bunker and piney outropping — negotiate that bottleneck and the green is there for the taking with a well-placed baby draw.

The second hole at Spanish Peaks

So where is the trademark Tommy W. drivable par 4? That would be No. 17, which tips out at 342 yards, translating to about 305 at elevation for a single-digit player. He puts one bunker right in landing zone, of course, but it’s also an apt aiming point. What the hell — if the wind is favorable, pull the dog and give ’er a go.

But it’s a par 3 that seizes “signature hole” honors. No. 15 is a heart-stopping, suitable-for-framing mountain tableau that just happens to have a broad, inviting green in the foreground. It plays downhill with a water feature left, trees right and behind and the soaring, serrated edge of the Spanish Peaks themselves soaring into the distant horizon.

Might want to take an extra deep breath before pulling the club back here, friends. And when driving down to the green, take a moment to appreciate the way Weiskopf mirrors the shape and line of those mountains on the course’s sculpted scapes. “You might call it peak, or peek, symmetry,” said Mike Fish. He’s right both ways.

In fact, playing this course is a lesson in that brand of man-in-nature symmetry all too few of us experience enough. Every step, swing and breath is a blessing.

Clearly Spanish Peaks has mastered the language of mountain golf, backed by a crack maintenance crew that can bring every hole back to midsummer form within a few days of a freak snowstorm, and even has the chops to erase, overnight, the dance-on-the-green tracks of resident elk.

Fish marveled at the conditioning, and what must be some impressive technology behind it. “I’m guessing there’s a subtle, world class drainage system that each spring prevents the winter snowpack from destroying the manufactured artwork blending in beautifully with Mother Nature’s sloping canvas,” he wrote in an e-mail several weeks after his round there. “How many miles of drainage pipes must be involved?”

And how many miles on the road or in the air is a trip to Spanish Peaks worth? As many as it takes.

•••

If you have time to add rounds at The Reserve at Moonlight Basin (also private but accessible via onsite lodging) and Arnold Palmer’s public Big Sky Golf Course while you’re up there, all the better. But start at Spanish Peaks Mountain Club, and do so while the sun is still high in the sky. By late September, Big Sky’s collective mind turns to winter sports (Big Sky boasts North America’s largest expanse of skiable terrain), and the snow may even be flying by then. By mid-October the golf courses bed down until May at the earliest. (Remember, the course will be closed to the publicly in 2020 only, then available when The Montage opens.)

Bozeman-Yellowstone International Airport is served by Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue and United Airlines, with direct flights from several large cities including Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.

Reservations/Information:

www.spanishpeaks.findyourbigsky.com

The post The Soaring Golf Song Of Montana’s Spanish Peaks appeared first on Golf Tips Magazine.

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[spring-lion]

Good morning! (Good night for you?) Omg, I think I'm going to cry :_ I want to keep in touch with you, too, and I hope we can meet in person one day! I will surely give you a big hug too! ♡ About the anon, I always doubted because I thought if I went off anon that "interest" would dissappear a bit because now, I'm just another reader of yours! But now I know how special I am to you, so maybe we could change IGs or kakaotalk? Idk >

Ho+ maybe we could talk more about each other and feel more comfortable since it would be just a chat between us! Only if you’re comfortable, ofc!! I don’t want to pressure you ;; and about the languages, yes! That’s why I love them so much! There are words and expressions so deep and beautiful you can only fully understand them if you know the meaning and not by a translation!! ;; About my drepression, thank you so so much, I hope you can get better as well

+ Min Yoongi and his lyrics, too. When he released his mixtape, more specifically that one song where he talked about his mental illness, I actually cried rivers because I related a lot and idk, I just love him so much ;; About my dream, thank you for taking it seriously and giving me your truly advice, I’m really touched! And I know there are other ways to be a musician, and that the Korean industry is really tough and difficult, but when I think about doing another thing, I just can’t (+)

+ imagine myself being happy. I imagine myself training so hard my muscles hurt and my throat is sore, sweating a lot and looking at myself in the mirror, and I see myself being happy. I imagine myself on stage and I imagine myself being happy! I want to be able to inspire people with my music, to give them hope and happiness. I believe music can save lives, because it saved mine, so I want to be able to do that, too. (+)

+ I used to feel bad and even cry a year ago because I thought that this would be impossible being a non-Korean person, but I try to think that there’s a first time for everything and that if I show all the passion I have in my heart, I can do it. I used to be a bit confused because one of my passions is learning and I think it will be difficult to train and study a career at the same time, and I’m also concerned about the money because I don’t really have much, so I’ll try to think a solution +

+ to that! But sometimes I’m confused, too. Because I don’t want to give up my education, but studying in Korea is something hard and there’s a lot of pressure in getting good grades, and as a person with depression and struggling to get good grades I’m scared. And that is something that makes me think sometimes if I could really do it. Again, thank you so much for giving me your advice, it really means a lot to me ♡ (+)

+ and wow, wanting to learn the Bible in its original languages is really cool! I believe you can do it!! And white colored animals are truly fascinating, yes! And the arctic fox is such a beautiful animal ♡ My favourite is the barn owl (lechuza in Spanish!) because I had one when I was a child, but it died… :( and that is a beautiful place! I hope you can find one soon! My favourite place would be a very dense forest, with super tall trees and a magic aura around it. Just like +

+ the ones in fantasy movies! I find myself at home when I’m in a place like that. It’s very relaxing and beautiful ♡ and yes, now I remember! I think you told me your bday but I tend to forget dates, I’m sorry ;; and woa, you’ll be in your twenties soon! I will be sixteen this year, hehe. And now, my answer to your questions for today! I stan both girl groups and boy groups and my bias groups are Monsta X, Seventeen, ToppDogg, Oh My Girl, Dreamcatcher, Loona and Pristin ♡ (I really like +

+ WJSN too!) My bias are Changkyun (he’s actually my ult bias, hehe), Hoshi, JinE (OMG), and I don’t have biases for the other groups! I love JinE because she’s such a beautiful, strong woman! I love Hoshi because he’s so hard-working and imaginative, I love his voice and his choreographies are so beautiful! And last but not least, I love Changkyun because he’s so amazing. I love the way he sees life and his personality is so warm and beautiful >

Hello Mae! That’s sad :( I was telling you about Bangtan, that I still love them but their new fans really throw me off so I don’t listen to them anymore, but that I still love them and Yoongi specially a lot!! And I’m proud of them. My question for you was something about what type of music do you listen to apart from kpop, i think!! Sorry for the bother ;;; -your lovely anonie

Yay! I do have an instagram but not a kakaotalk o.o” But I’m sure we can work something out if you direct message me! :D

Yes, I completely understand you about the language thing that things tend to be lost in translation if you don’t really know the language itself :/About the mental illness and Min Yoongi, I hope you get better too! And I also cried a lot when Yoongi released his mixtape last summer … it only made me love and treasure him even more! It really affirmed his place as my ultimate bias lol. I really don’t think that anyone can replace him up there because he just means so much to me …

Of course, I would take your dream seriously! I think that everyone’s dreams should be taken seriously because it truly is a part of them! I am glad that you continue to think about your choices, so I trust that you can figure it out one way or another someday on your own :)I’m happy that you liked my advice!

Oooh! A place like that is very pretty! That place actually reminds me of this really beautiful Japanese short film called Into the Forest of the Fireflies’ Light or Hotarubi no Mori e in Japanese. It takes place in a forest just like that, and it’s a really beautiful yet heartbreaking story! I recommend it! I actually want to write a story like that someday!

Wow, sixteen you’re so young ;___;I feel so old turning twenty now, haha xDYESSSS!!! I stan both boy and girl groups, too! Bangtan is my absolute favorite because their music has done so much for me over the years, but I really love Monsta X and Seventeen, too! I also love Pristin, WJSN, and Oh My Girl, too, hehe xDYour biases and your reasoning for loving them is so beautiful, too! I think it’s cool how people become attached to different people for different reasons!And I completely understand about the Bangtan thing! There will always be questionable people among a fandom I’m afraid :/I just can’t seem to stop loving them regardless in my case lol xD

As for the answer to your question: I listen to some Japanese pop and Filipino pop as well, lol. I also listen to American music as well, of course, bc I live in America. I tend to like soft, ballady songs, but I also like songs that are exciting, danceable, and hard-hitting! I also love music from musicals and Disney movies! I think I just love OSTs in general bc they really bring a lot into shows and films! Outside of film and shows, I am also interested in theatre, specifically musical theatre. I haven’t been listening to much other than kpop, so it’s rare that I listen to anything else, honestly. But I know that there is good music out there, and if I like it, then I like it! :D I’m sorry if that’s not a good answer, it’s just that my taste is very wide as well.

Again, don’t worry, you are never a bother! I love you a lot!My question for you is: How would you define yourself in three fictional characters, and why?

I hope you have a great day!

[trashposts]

10 Bucket List-Worthy Things to do in Panama

Panama is so much more than the canal. In fact, it’s not only a bucket-list worthy destination, it’s also one of the hottest vacation destinations according to The New York Times. Despite this high-brow shout out, a Panama vacation is actually affordable. Most exotic vacation spots of this caliber come with a hefty price tag so you’re in luck. The breath-stealing turquoise water and sugar-white beaches set against lush verdant vistas is spectacular. Better still, it has the perfect weather–it’s between 70-90 degrees Fahrenheit all year long. Panama is rich in culture and folklore (it’s soaking in it, actually) and boasts beautiful mountains and highlands. There are numerous historical sites from a rich past as an international crossroads that, if you’re into that, you can dig into. Panama also has seven living native cultures and a chic, Miami-esque cosmopolitan capital city, Panama City, with non-stop nightlife. If you’re thinking about going on a Panama vacation, here are some things you’ll definitely want to consider. Truly, this amazing country is a tropical gem that will imprint on your heart and soul long after you’ve come home. It’s definitely a place to visit while you’re still living and breathing here on planet earth.

1. Honeymoon in Playa Bonita. When it comes to making lifetime memories, saying “I do” in Playa Bonita is everything you’ve ever dreamed of: it’s an idyllic, tropical paradise. If tying the knot is on your radar, Secrets Playa Bonita Panama Resort & Spa offers a variety of excellent wedding and honeymoon packages. Imagine your ceremony on the beach set against a backdrop of teal waves, snow white sand and majestic mountains with full access to a luscious spa, tons of water sports, tantalizing gourmet cuisine–and oceans more. Sweet, huh? (It’s like movie star cool.) It’s just 40 minutes from Tocumen International Airport and 20 minutes from the Panama Canal. So if you’re thinking nuptials, it’s a gorgeous destination. Plus your friends and family will love having the excuse to take a Panama vacation.

2. Explore the San Blas Islands. Located in the Northwest of Panama facing the Caribbean, the San Blas Islands are a group of islands in the archipelago de San Blas. There are 378 islands with pure white sand and waving palms in this area that span about 100 square miles. It’s one of the best places to immerse yourself in the rich culture of the Kuna, or Guna–the indigenous people of Panama. On the larger, more inhabited islands, there are tribe members stationed who are warm and welcoming and they’ll let you use the island for a nominal fee for the day. You can also rent boats to sail around these waters. January to May is the dry season; however, all this means is that the days toggle between cloudy sunny. Nevertheless, most of these islands are scantily inhabited so you can enjoy some quality unplugging time. When you’re putting together your itinerary for your Panama vacation, you’ll want to include the San Blas Islands. Think of it kind of like Lost, except without the drama and no airplane debris clogging up the beach. It’ll be a blast.

3. Play in Playa Blanca. Like Playa Bonita, this spot is rockin’ with great stuff to do. When planning your Panama getaway, make sure to stop by Playa Dorada Beach, where you can dip into the water and work on your tan. The beach is pure ivory sand and delicious. Near by you can also take an aerial tram ride in Gamboa where you might spot birds, monkeys and sloths. Not too far away you can go bird watching on Pipeline Road in Soberania National Park. You can get great deals at the Riu Playa Blanca (it’s all-inclusive resort so you get everything you want, too). When you’re reveling in paradise during your Panama escape, you don’t want to miss Playa Blanca.

4. Hit the Azuero Peninsula. This area is where you’ll get a true taste of Panamanian culture. It’s four hours from Panama City, but well worth the travel time. The eastern shore, bordered by the Golfo de Panama, is the most developed. However, the whole area has a rich history that dates back to pre-Columbian indigenous groups. In fact, the towns still reflect Spanish charm with red-tile roofs and ornate ironwork that graces the Spanish-colonial houses. The towns to check out are Chitre, Las Tablas and Pedasi, where you’ll find churches, plazas and much more that are snap-worthy. Just outside of Pedasi is Isla Iguana, where you’ll see gorgeous white sand beaches. It’s a magical place where you can swim and tan, as well as get your scuba and snorkel on.

5. Go All Outdoors at Bocas del Toro. An unspoiled archipelago on Panama’s North Eastern Caribbean coast that Columbus discovered in 1502 A.D., Bocas del Toro is buzzing with aahsome fun stuff to do al fresco. The island, comprised of nine main islands and 52 cays, boasts coral reefs, waterfalls, rainforests and five beaches–of these, Starfish, Red Frog Beach and Zapatillas Key are the most beautiful. Speaking of pretty things, there’s great snorkeling (lots of colorful fish), surf access and lush mangrove trees all around. You can also take zip line canopy tours, plus a cave tour where you’ll see stalactites, stalagmites, bats and other cave-dwelling animals. After all of this outdoorsy stuff, take a water taxi to the Aqua Lounge for a cocktail, kick back and chill. These are the kinds of super fun days that only a vacation in Panama can deliver.

6. Plant Yourself in Portobelo. Now a laid-back fishing village, Portobelo was once the greatest Spanish port in Central America. Mules once carried Peruvian gold and Oriental treasures to Panama City via the fortresses here. Though destroyed by English privateers centuries ago, many of these fortresses still stand and villagers have built their homes amidst them. The Iglesia de San Felipe has a statue of the black Christ and draws thousands of pilgrims a year on October 21 for Festival de Cristo Negro (Black Christ Festival)–it’s one of the country’s most vibrant celebrations. The beaches, which you have to access by boat, are also great locales for diving and snorkeling. After a day of getting historical and exploring the ocean, grab a bite at El Palenque, and relax at this beautiful spot by the luscious blue water. Being able to dig into history and on the same day, ogle the creatures of the deep, are what make Panama so incredible.

7. Party During Carnival de Panama. So you want to do Carnival, but don’t want to trek all the way down to Brazil? No problem. Just book a Panama vacation. In this happy country, it’s celebrated with the same revelry and abandon as in New Orleans or Rio de Janeiro. Celebrated in Panama since the early 1900s, the party begins four days before Ash Wednesday. The colors, costumes, food and music are scintillating and the people are down for partying. But be prepared to get sprayed by water canons, a carnival tradition. The best city in Panama to experience all this revelry is Las Tablas, a town about 130 miles west of Panama City. The atmosphere is more folkloric–you can see a traditional rivalry between “high street” and “low street” costumes and floats. Time to partay, True Beach Lovers. Start planning your very festive trip to Panama now.

8. Cruise Around Gatun Lake. This body of water was damned to create, yes, the Panama Canal.  Even though it’s man-made, it’s flourishing with all kinds of wildlife. Fishing is big here and catching Peacock bass is what you’ll want to go for. Monkey Island is well worth the visit where you can feed the human-like mammals-howler monkeys-grapes. Take a boat ride from Panama City and you can see three-toed sloths, otters, birds and crocodiles. It’s crazy wild and fun–something no Panama vacation should be without.

9. Dive into Coiba National Marine Parks. Situated in the Gulf of Chirique off Panama’s Pacific Coast, Coiba is comprised of 38 islands (including Coiba Island). It’s a world-class dive site where you’ll descend into blue, pristine waters that is teeming with fish–more than 800 species of marine life, in fact. Think of it this way: take the number and size of the fish you might have seen elsewhere and double that. This is how magnificent the fish-ogling here is. Suit up. Take the plunge. It’s something that will make your Panama vacation, and memories, more than magical.

10. Peruse the Panama Canal. But of course, right? The Eighth Wonder of the World. The most famous thing probably ever that has come out of Panama. So, think about it: if you’re traveling all the way down here for your vacation, why not give this historic, engineering marvel a look-see? The best place to check this out is in Panama City at the Miraflores Locks. Here, you can see vessels travel the last section of the canal and its locks, which fills with water to lift and lower huge ships until they reach the Pacific. (Pretty cool, huh?) There’s a visitor center with more goodies, too: a theater, three observation terraces, snack bars, a restaurant with a view of the canal, gift shop and four exhibition halls. This is an once-in-a-lifetime excursion that every Panama vacation should include.

So, does your bucket list now include Panama? Thought so. Right now, you can get $100 off with a promo code, plus an additional $200 off when you fly Copa Airlines, which equals $300 off TOTAL. To get this amazing discount, you must call 1-800-915-3162 and ask for promo code PANAMA300. One of our Beachologists can set you up with a more-than-perfect Panama vacation pronto. If you want to browse our wallet-friendly vacation packages to the Caribbean and Mexico on your own, we’ve got oceans for you to explore right here. Remember, life is short.  Put a Panama vacation (or any of our vacation packages) on your bucket list.

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The Best Mother-Daughter Getaways Around the World

Want to plan something fun for your mom? She deserves it. Skip the flowers, it’s time for an upgrade! After everything that she has done for you, make this the year that you treat her to a special getaway.

I moved to Cape Town earlier this year, basically on the other side of the world from my mom, and I miss her so much– especially with Mother’s Day right around the corner. She recently came out to Cape Town to visit, but as soon as she left, I was busy thinking of where our next Mother Daughter getaway could be.

From a cooking class in Barcelona, to wine tasting in California, to a yoga retreat in Bali, there’s endless options to pamper the special woman in your life.

Here are my all-time favorite mother-daughter getaways around the world!

– Wine Tasting –

Napa Valley: Is there any better way to bond with Mom than spending time over a bottle of wine? Napa Valley is the ultimate spot for giggling over glasses and finding your new favorite wine.

South Africa: I am totally head over heels for my new home country and its incredible wine region. My mom and I took a wine safari up Table Mountain, and it was such a great experience. Be sure to check out Stellenbosch too– it’s easily one of the world’s best wine regions.

Temecula: I couldn’t leave out my hometown! Full of family-owned wineries, Temecula Valley is one of California’s greatest treasures, and just down the street from where I grew up. You can find more than fifty wine varietals in a laid-back and fun environment.

Croatia: One of the most underrated areas of Europe, Croatia has incredible wine and flawless beaches. If you are looking for sun, fun, and vineyards, get to the coastal region of Istria.

– Enjoy High Tea –

London: High tea has been a tradition since the nineteenth century, and there is an endless array of amazing places to go for cucumber sandwiches and a proper English cuppa. From five-star hotels to quaint cafés, London has it all.

Bangkok: When you think of Thailand, high tea probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind, but there are some incredible internationally themed high teas around the city. Think Moroccan tea with French macarons.

Sydney: Have you ever seen a ten-page tea menu before? Welcome to Sydney! This is the perfect city for a mother-daughter getaway. Look out over the harbor, sip the finest exotic teas, and nibble at a scone.

Dubai: Dubai is the ultimate luxe city. Go for high tea on top of the world. In the world’s tallest atrium at the Skyview Bar in the Burj Al Arab, you’ll have the view of a lifetime.

Madrid: Go for a Spanglish-style high tea at any one of the cafés dotting the city. You can easily pass a lazy afternoon listening to Spanish guitar and sipping tea in one of the city’s many lush gardens. Check out my Madrid guide here!

– Plan a Spa Day –

Bali: Does your mom work hard? Then she deserves an escape to Bali! This tropical paradise is definitely one of my fave spots on the planet to indulge and treat myself.

Québec: There’s nothing like working up a sweat during a long day out on the Canadian ski slopes and then unwinding in a world-class spa like the Scandinave Spa in Mont-Tremblant.

Cancun: For a cheap and cheery spa break that’s just a quick flight from the United States, this is the place to go. And, while you can find great prices in Cancun, there are also five-star spas that will make you feel like a pampered goddess.

Palm Springs: California is full of amazing spas, but few can compete with Palm Springs. With natural healing mineral waters and a stunning mountain backdrop, the city is full of yoga retreats and luxury resort spas.

– Take a Cooking Class –

Chiang Mai: Whenever I travel, I make it a priority to check out the local food. It’s especially fun in Asia because the local food is often very different from what you find at Asian restaurants across the Western world. Thailand is one place that’s worth visiting for the food alone, and Chiang Mai is a perfect spot to find some cooking tips.

Tokyo: Did you know that it takes ten years to become a proper sushi chef in Japan? Your mom and you can learn a trick or two from these guys! I took a cooking class with Traveling Spoon, where locals teach you traditional dishes and show you the way through the markets– it was such a cool experience!

Barcelona: Get a local guide to take you through the vibrant markets of Barcelona, teach you the secrets of Spanish cooking, and show you why food is at the heart of Spanish culture.

Tuscany: Who doesn’t love Italian food? Forget about ripping open a bag of dried noodles and dumping on a jar of sauce. It’s time to learn how to cook like an Italian grandma.

New Orleans: Think American food is boring? Then you’ve never been to New Orleans! This city is a world unto itself with a culture and culinary scene unlike anywhere else.

– Go Camping –

Iceland: Traveling Iceland in a camper van is definitely one of my best travel memories, and I’d love to do it again with my mom. This breathtaking country has a natural beauty incomparable to any other place you’ve visited.

US National Parks: The United States is full of so many amazing national parks, like the Grand Canyon and Yosemite. When you’re from the United States, it’s easy to forget how geographically diverse and dynamic the country is. Take your mom for a camping adventure to fall in love with your homeland all over again.

British Columbia: Our neighbors to the north have so much to offer. From the vivacious cityscape of Vancouver to the spectacular mountains of Whistler, this province has it all. Enjoy a fun city break, and then pitch a tent in the mountains.

Galapagos: A nature lover’s deam come true, the Galapagos Islands deserve a place on every traveler’s bucket list. Far away from it all and without all of the distractions of modern life, this is an ideal spot to reconnect with your mom.

  – Go Scuba Diving –

Indonesia: Did you know that Indonesia is made up of more than 17,500 island? It’s a beach lover’s paradise, and the beauty of Indonesia isn’t limited to its shores. Once you’ve dived beneath the surface, you’ll see a whole other world.

Oahu: I don’t need to tell you that the Hawaii Islands are awesome. If you can pull yourself away from the beauty above sea level, do it; the sea life is truly unforgettable.

Bimini Islands: Just fifty miles from Miami, the crystal clear waters off of the Bimini Islands are the best spots in the Bahamas to go diving. Whether your mom loves diving or is thinking about taking the plunge for the first time, she’ll love it.

Maldives: On top of having some of the best beaches on the planet, the Maldives has incredible diving. You’ll see whale sharks everywhere, and there are turquoise waters as far as the eye can see. Watch my diving video here!

Belize: A massive sinkhole off of the coast of Belize, the Great Blue Hole is widely considered to be the world’s greatest spot for scuba diving. I stayed at Hamanasi Dive Resort and it was the perfect divers’ oasis.

– Hit the Beach –

Brazil: Brazil is home to some of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen! Plan a getaway for Florianopolis.

San Diego: Maybe I’m a bit biased toward my hometown, but I think the beaches of San Diego can hold their own among the top coastlines in the world.

Costa Rica: With lush rainforests, dramatic volcanoes, and picture-perfect beaches, Costa Rica is a dream beach vacation.

Bahamas: What could be a better way to treat your mom than a Caribbean beach getaway? Head to the Bahamas for a guaranteed good time and an unforgettable bonding experience.

British Virgin Islands: With year-round perfect weather, the British Virgin Islands is another place in the Caribbean that you have to see.

French Polynesia: From Tahiti to Bora Bora, French Polynesia is absolutely heavenly. Go beach hopping, and make memories with Mom that you’ll cherish for a lifetime.

– Take a Yoga Class –

Bali: On top of having dream beaches, Bali is one of the best spots in the world to go on a yoga retreat. Whether you are an old pro or a total newbie, you’ll have an incredible time.

India: Home of yoga, India is a must-see for any yogi. Take Mom to the southern city of Mysuru for a yoga retreat that she will never forget.

Costa Rica: It’s not all about the beaches! Costa Rica is also a top stop for mastering your headstand while looking out onto paradise.

California: Famous for its yoga retreats and new age vibe, Ojai is famous for its yoga sessions and the Ojai Music Festival in June.

– Shopping –

Los Angeles: Whether you want to go thrift shopping or hit up the ultraluxe stores of Rodeo Drive, Los Angeles is the place to go for a Mom-and-me shopping day.

Dubai: A mecca for shoppers, Dubai is the place where you can buy anything and everything. Grab some gold from the vending machine, and check out some of the most ostentatious sites in the world.

Paris: Is there anything chicer than a shopping trip to Paris? Treat your mom to some haute couture and a few selfies on the Champs-Élysée.

London: Another European favorite, London is the place to go for fun shopping. Get Mom a souvenir from Harrods, and then shop Oxford Street until you drop.

SHOP my favorite Mother’s Day gifts!

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The Best Mother-Daughter Getaways Around the World is a post from: The Blonde Abroad

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How Your Shopping Habits Influence What Designers Make

Shoppers aren’t just shoppers anymore. They’re design influencers. (Photo: Trunk Archive)

Most shoppers know that retailers are watching their every move: what they’re searching on store websites, what they’ve bought in the past, and how much money they’re willing to spend.

But clothing companies don’t just want to know how they can sell you something their designers have dreamed up; they want to know exactly what you’re looking for and then design it. 

In a marked shift from how trends and clothing reached shoppers in the past few decades, retailers are now using shopper data to decide how to design clothes, which sizes to provide, and how frequently they should be restocking. And, thanks to the ever-growing impact of social media and online shopping, data collection is happening everywhere, from upstart clothing brands to mall anchor stores, both online and in-person.

Why? It’s all because shoppers want what they want when they want it — now. 

“If you don’t give consumers what they want, they’ll go somewhere else,” Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst at analytics firm NPD Group, told Yahoo Style. “The sphere of influence has shifted. We’re no longer looking at stores or the designers as a point of entry to what’s important; we’re looking at what influencers are telling us or what trends are showing us.”

Data dictates design

For startup clothing company MM.LaFleur, whose inventory is aimed at professional women in their mid-20s and beyond, the design process directly accounts for customer feedback and data. Because the nascent company primarily sells “Bento Boxes” (a set of items curated by the brand), the reliance on user data is paramount.

MM.LaFleur said it keeps a “constant feedback loop with customers” through feedback surveys or direct calls with its shoppers, all to rework existing products so it keeps its shoppers coming back. For example, the company has modified its popular Tory dress twice, based on what customers say they want: It has added a zipper guard and fabric to the bust, shifted the neckline, and so on. An even more dramatic evolution for an MM.LaFleur product is the Sarah dress, which has evolved six times based on shopper preferences.

As a result, the company said it’s grown 300 percent year-over-year since it launched in 2013, noting that 40 percent of its customers come back within three months of their first purchase, a figure that’s “far above industry-standard,” said Tory Hoen, editor in chief of MM.LaFleur’s blog, the M Dash.

A designer works in Zara’s factory in Spain. (Photo: Getty Images)

Some stores collect data qualitatively. Zara, the world’s largest retailer, solicits feedback from its store managers across the world based on conversations they have with customers, which influences how the company designs new products and redesigns its most popular items.

In one instance, Zara’s Spanish designers consulted with American store managers, flying them to company headquarters to work on sketches. Based on those discussions, 25,000 of the same black women’s wrap coat for winter were designed, produced, and shipped worldwide.

Where’s the data coming from?

Trend forecasting firm Worth Global Style Network, more commonly referred to as WGSN, helps mine data for retailers across the world, to better help them determine how and when to stock items using its proprietary data tool, WGSN Instock. 

Recently, WGSN interpreted data that underwire bra sales were down slightly to mean that the uptick in feminist marketing made the “humble bra” a “noticeable retail victim” this year.

“Flamboyant feminism deflates bra,” WGSN declared in its Instock trend report in January. “Going braless or wearing more relaxed styles has become a subtle but discernible finger up to the patriarchy, and Valentine’s marketing this year showed a discernible shift towards self-gifting in line with the feminist mood sweeping popular culture.”

This screenshot, from WGSN’s January report from Instock, shows the demand for a traditional underwire bra is down this year. (Photo: Courtesy WGSN)

And just as WGSN isn’t the only company to keep retailers on top of trends, social media isn’t the only treasure trove for retailers searching for what shoppers want to buy. Online shopping site Polyvore tracks the items shoppers search for, then delivers that “Polydata” to fashion editors and its own social media channels. It also shares information on top-searched categories each season with retailers. (Disclosure: Polyvore’s parent company is Yahoo.)

That search data can sometimes bring unexpected trends to the surface, influencing what you see in stores. Polyvore spokesperson Ellen Cohn reports it saw a “surprising” early spike in searches for swimwear in January, compared with the same searches one year earlier. Specifically, searches for “nude” swimwear jumped 145 percent, high-leg one-piece swimsuits increased 99 percent, and neoprene swimsuits rose 48 percent. Polyvore then shares related metrics to retailers, specifically about how their products and advertisements perform on its site.

Is data enough?

Data is so important that major companies have done away with their creative heads altogether in favor of data-driven strategies. In 2015, struggling retailer Gap eliminated its creative-director positions across its companies, including its namesake brand and Banana Republic, going so far as to call its creative directors “false messiahs.”  

Relying too intensely on data, however, isn’t a be-all and end-all for retailers eager to convert customer preferences into sales.

Katie Smith, senior analyst at retail analytics firm Edited, said, “In recent years many retailers lost sight of their customers and had their whole businesses go astray,” precisely because they were too focused on what the data told them, ultimately ignoring what makes their clothing unique.

“Consistently iterating on what works will limit the scope of a retailer’s offering. Repeat runs are great for the core offering, but healthy retail needs high levels of newness and that balance can’t be found in reworking the hits,” Smith said in an email. “Retail has to take some risks too — do things that challenge and educate the consumer.”

Read more from Yahoo Style & Beauty:

How Michelle Dockery Ditched ‘Downton Abbey’ for Sexy Pinstripes

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Jenna Dewan Tatum’s Very Specific Reason for Working With Jennifer Lopez

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and @YahooBeauty.

Alexandra Mondalek is a writer for Yahoo Style & Beauty. Follow her on Twitter @amondalek.