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yourkdramaanalyst · 4 years ago

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MYSTIC POP-UP BAR REVIEW

• Introduction to the Drama

GIST:

Mystic Pop-Up Bar or 쌍갑포차 is about Weolju (played by Hwang Jung Eum), a spirit who is being punished by the heavens because of a mistake she made 500 years ago. To not end up in hell, she was offered to resolve the problems of 100,000 people and help them let go of their grudges. She opened up a cart bar where she hears the stories of her customers and help them out by visiting them in their dreams. Guibanjang or Manager Gwi (played by Choi Won Young) was sent to help her manage the cart bar. A month before Weolju's deadline, they met Kangbae (played by Yook Sung Jae), a customer service employer who can make people spill their problems and worries by being touched.

This drama is based on a popular web-comic Twin Tops Bar by Bae Hye-soo.

Hwang Jung Eum's last drama was in 2018 which made this drama her comeback. She is a Romantic-Comedy queen who is well known for her roles in She Was Pretty, Kill Me, Heal Me and Lucky Romance.

Yook Sung Jae is a member of the K-pop boy group Born to Beat or simply BtoB. He's famous for his roles in Guardian: The Lonely and Great God / Goblin and Who Are You: School 2015 (I still can't get over my second lead syndrome in this drama. I am Team Go Tae Kwang).

Choi Won Young was also in Kill Me, Heal Me with Hwang Jung Eum. He's been on many dramas like Hyena which was aired recently, Sky Castle and While You Were Sleeping. He also appeared a lot on the big screen.

• The Experience

When I watched the the trailer, it felt odd because it resembles Hotel Del Luna a lot. Even though, this kind of plot is already common among Korean series, the familiar setting, symbolism and elements are what made me think of Hotel Del Luna in particular. But no, Mystic Pop-Up Bar is not based on Hotel Del Luna at all because the web-comic was published in 2016, years ago before it aired on TV.

Here are some similarities and differences the two dramas have that I found:

1. Both the female leads are being punished for their sins and mistakes hundreds of years ago.

2. Both the female leads' goal is to help their customers resolve their problems. The difference is that Jang Man Wol focuses on the dead so they can ascend to heaven while Weolju helps both the living and the dead by entering their dreams.

3. Koo Chan Sung and Han Kang Bae. Both of these young and innocent men appeared to help resolve their cases.

4. The tree! The tree plays a vital role in both dramas.

5. The place of their business. Jang Man Wol has a fancy hotel that serves as a resting place for the dead while Weolju has a cart bar for people who have worries in life.

These are just some of my observations. I'm not implying anything. Both dramas have their own uniqueness.

Going back to my experience, I can say it was pretty good. I was actually busy these days, even so, I was still able to binge-watch the drama. I thought I wouldn't be able to catch up but I ended up watching more episodes whenever I finish one. It was a pretty short one since it only has 12 episodes so it was fast to watch. I finished it in 4 days (I started watching 2 days before the release of 11th episode), which was understandable considering I am busy and also binge-watching other dramas.

• Points that I Liked About the Drama

1. It is easy to watch because it is light, quirky, and funny. Almost every episode is fun to watch but not to the point where you are gonna mistake the genre for comedy. It is not overdone. The scenes and their funny dialogues are what I enjoyed the most.

2. The flow of the story was just right for me. It's not exhausting to watch. Some dramas were hard to watch at a particular time. For instance, boring ones are hard to watch in the afternoon because it makes me sleepy so I prefer watching fast paced aka. exhausting ones in the afternoon. However, with Mystic Pop-Up Bar, I can watch it anytime of the day.

3. The characters are likable. I loved the trio. Even the supporting ones are warm and endearing. Sometimes I would even look for them in some episodes, specially Samsin, the conception dream provider and Kang Yeo Rin, Kang Bae's love interest.

4. Not emotionally draining. I had worries when I watched the first episode. "What if it becomes too emotional whenever they help someone?" Not really. I don't even remember crying. Dramas with plots like this, Hotel Del Luna for example, it drained me a lot that I ran out of tissues to wipe my tears. That's not a bad thing at all, it only means it has impact. It's just that with Mystic Pop-Up Bar, I watched it at a time when I am already physically drained. So far it was bearable. And it feels more fresh that way. (Sorry, I keep comparing the 2 dramas).

5. I like its uniqueness. They showed some afterlife scenarios that are really interesting. One example is the way they deliberate when a person dies, whether you'll get reincarnated or turned in an insect. Another is the afterlife Olympics. It's a really funny episode.

6. There is a theme for every episode/ every case. For instance, the food that they serve for the day has a connection to their client. One more example is when they had a Romeo and Juliet theme for a client who is a writer. They even paid attention to details like this which was fun and appreciative.

7. So Chan Whee's guest appearance! I literally jumped when she appeared out of nowhere.

• Points that I Didn't Like About the Drama

1. Predictable scenes. Not everything, though. Maybe just half of it. Especially the first few episodes when the story revolves mostly on the people who have issues that needed to be resolved. Mainly because, as I already mentioned, dramas like this are already common.

2. It got a little weird when it was almost ending. There are sudden appearances that didn't seem important at all. Their timing of appearance seems off as well.

3. The motive of Kim Won Hyung was not that convincing for me. He just annoyed me but I didn't see him as the main villain.

• The Ending

I did not have high expectations when I started to watch the drama. I told myself that I will not get disappointed if the ending feels rushed because that's usually the case with short dramas.

The ending was fine, though. There were unexpected turn of events which I found interesting and made me nod my head and say "Ohhhh, that's why!" Even though the conclusion was lacking a bit, I didn't regret watching it since I had a good time.

I didn't cry while watching the entire drama but started tearing a little the moment I realized it already ended. When Dive by Jung Jin Woo started playing along with some scenarios from different episodes, I felt a little sad. I will miss the characters for sure.

However, just like other dramas, I had a lot of issues with this drama, too. Don't worry, these "issues" are mostly just observations, uncertainties and questions I have because sometimes, I get out of focus and I get confused, too. I will mention them below on the issues section which you should skip if you want to avoid spoilers!

• Final Thoughts

Would I watch it again? No.

Would I recommend it? Yes. I would recommend Mystic Pop-Up Bar to those who like light and funny dramas. This is also a good drama for those who just casually watch dramas and those who are beginning to explore the K-Drama world.

I am giving Mystic Pop-Up Bar a 7/10.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• Issues (MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!!)

1. The queen or the crown prince's mother's appearance and her remembering her past life is too sudden. It seems off and too convenient. She died fast, too. And her death was awful.

2. The group of evil thugs at the last episode. When did Kim Won Hyung gather all those spirits? That was so weird.

3. If Won Hyung could change his face as revealed in the last episode when he pretended to be Weolju, why did he bother possess his father in the previous episodes if he could just change into anyone he likes? So he could prevent his father and him meeting the same people at the same time?

4. For Weolju to not be sent to hell after knowing who Cinnabar is, Guibanjang made it so easy. Just a quick negotiations with Yeomradaewang and everything is smooth once again.

5. Did Yeorin figure out that they are not CIA agents after all? LOL. And where did she go after fighting the weird thugs during the last episode?

And that concludes my Mystic Pop-Up Bar review! I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this. I hope my personal thoughts and insights were helpful at all.

To more K-Drama Reviews! Cheers!

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sporadicreview · 4 years ago

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Skull boy and Valkyrie back at it again at Krispy Kreme

Skulduggery was one of those series I saw at school and thought, huh, bet that lameass school endorsed stuff sucks. So naturally, I decided to read the first book, to mock how poor the advert choices of my school were. What a fool I was.

Those books kicked my ass, and for years I was waiting for book after book, hungry for some more hot sorcerer action. It really drove my love for fantasy home, cemented with help from the Demonata by Darren Shan, and the big dumb world of Dragonball. Of course, I read them all as soon as humanly possible.

Then we got to the big finale, and suddenly, I was hit with a big old wave of completion. I had finished the series, and the whole series had been amazing. Absolutely great. Maybe one other person I knew had read it, and I quietly enjoyed reminiscing about it in my own little late-teen dreadlocked head. I was very fond of Derek Landy, he reminded me of myself. An older, irish, successful me. With a better sense of humour. And a better beard. And a better imagination. So not much like me. Crap comparison, really.

Anyway, so there I was, the other month, waddling down the high street with my poetry-and-gothic-literature infused girlfriend, when we decided to pop in waterstones and BAM! The display table stared at me, saying, "You dumb ass. You big idiot. Theres more of these books. Call yourself a fan?"

Screw it, let's cut to the review. I'm sure, like many, I was extremely Pleasantly (hawhaw) surprised to find out that Mr Landy had dumped some more Roarhaven on us all. But was it worth returning to?

Did the world of Valkyrie Cain still have more to offer? Could he continue after having such a rounded story arc closed?

You betcha!

Spoilers from here, but I'll try to keep them light:

Skulduggery Pleasant: Resurrection is a perfect drop back into the franchise.

A PTSD ridden and self-isolating Valkyrie is five years older, and Skulduggery manages to convince her to return to Roarhaven for 24 hours (ish), to help him on a case and to try to get her back into the detectives shoes.

While things heat up, some great insults are passed around, some snappy dialogue and some dumbass characters make their way into the fray. Omen Darkly and Beaky McBeakface provide some worthwhile comedy, while pushing the story in very interesting directions. While no one can replace the zombie duo of Scapegrace and Thrasher (who I HOPE will be visited in the following books), there certainly doesnt feel like there is a hole where familiar characters were.

Hell, Resurrection barely uses more than a handful of familiar characters, and opts to introduce to us a whole gang of unique and quirky naughties, and then another gang of other, slightly more douchey naughties in school uniform. We also see some cool names, which, as we all know is a good indication of Landy keeping his touch.

The story gives us a lot of espionage, more than before, and a few more key twists that add some spice to the sauce. The enemies are sneaky buggers, and the leader, Lethe, is a pretty awesome character with some awesome secrets, but I wont let you in on those. All I can tell you is that his magic is pretty damn awesome, and so is the concept of his suit and how it is used.

The humour is there, the action is there, the compelling characters and emotions are there. Skulduggery is on his usual top form, especially in the back end of the book when he talks shit with the naughty boys.

Valkyrie is... kind of there. While she isnt the entire badass balls deep sonofabitch that chats shit with the best of them from the first 9 books, there is a great reason for this. And it isnt done in a massively annoying and cliched way. I mean, she does still remember killing her own 1 year old sister, and there is a tiiiny bit of Darquesses insanity still playing with her brain. And shes had 5 years out of action. She comes across more mature, damaged, but still willing to return, and willing to have a laugh beneath the pain.

But we all know shes gonna be throwing bolts at some motherfuckers when this second story arc really gets going, lets be honest. There are a LOT of fun avenues we can go in this series, and Derek has not forgotten about the Shunters, and the universe where Mevolent still lives. Add that with the fact that the new villain is someone who had to be killed by Lord Vile in a SNEAK attack and we have some exciting shit about to go down.

You can definitely add this to your list of fantasy books to read, and I will be reviewing the rest of the books as I read them. Cant wait for her inevitable transformation into Thor x Charles Xavier with the amount of magic powers she now has (spoiler - its fuckin all of them), and for Derek Landy to continue giving the people that hit we all desperately crave.

It certainly feels like this will be a balls to the wall, strong continuation, taking the magic to new heights and exploring the world of magic in new ways, doing things even grander than before. Marvel has given Landy the greenlight to write their comics (The Black Order, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Secret Empire), which, if anything, makes me very excited for the future of his franchise.

Great return, with good restraint and everything we liked about the first 9 books.

Strong recommend for fans wondering if it's worth it. A good 8/10. Like a Lindsay McCartney vegan sausage

#skulduggery #valkyrie cain #skulduggery pleasant #YA fiction #review #fantasy #sci fi #bookreview

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baby-blossoms · 6 years ago

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Laughter

Pairing: Peter Parker x Reader

Word Count: 3,394

Summary: Reader is a mutant with shape shifting abilities, and reader’s parents are kicking them out of the house as soon as graduation passes, which is fast approaching. Reader is best friends with Peter, and fights along side Spider-Man during the night, neither of them realize it is the other, or that they are quickly falling in love with their best friend.

Warnings: Emotional Neglect from parents, light cursing, just emotionally unavailable/abusive parents

Blending in was kind of your thing. Ever since middle school, when kids started talking about how they wished they could change their appearance, you knew you were different simply because you could. You could change your appearance at ease and hadn’t realized not everyone could do it so effortlessly, it was then that you had figured out why your parents had moved you from school to school so often. They couldn’t keep up with the different appearances you would take, and it would look a little odd if a completely different child from the one the teachers had been seeing the whole year showed up to class, claiming to be you.

You learned that you were a mutant, and your parents forbid you from using your abilities the moment they thought you were old enough to process what you could do. They claimed you had to lie low, as not everyone would take kindly to you and your abilities. Apparently, the select few that wouldn’t take kindly to you included them. They were baffled as to how the mutant gene had been passed down to you, as your ancestors had been careful to never associate with ‘their kind.’ You knew they were right, you should lay low, but you still resented them for being so harsh and refusing to accept your abilities.

Blending in was easy for you, just remain the same every day and don’t risk even the smallest change, but it was the exact opposite of what you wanted, it was boring. Now you were in your senior year of high school and the laying low plan had kind of gone out the window, not to your parent’s knowledge. You stayed in hiding while at school but saw no point when out on the streets at night. Changing your appearance at will had incredible advantages, and you had saved countless men and woman from unwanted followers or attackers. You felt right doing it, like you were helping people with the very ability you were taught to suppress by parents who couldn’t stand to accept you.

You had made a new friend on the streets, Spider-Man they called him. He knew you as Morph, after the pink blob in treasure planet, much to his amusement. He was a kind person, though you assumed he was your age by the pitch his voice took when stressed. Spider-Man accepted you. He was the only person beside your parents to ever know about your abilities, though he didn’t know what you looked like, as you never let your appearance down.

“Watch it, extra.”

A high-pitched voice huffed, efficiently knocking you out of your own thoughts. You shook your head, not bothering with an apology, and quickly walked away, trying not to cause a scene in the middle of a hallway with the girl. You wondered why the hell she called other people extras, like she was the star in her own D-list movie and no one else really mattered.

Making your way to your locker, you entered your combination while listening to the people around you, most of them talking loudly about themselves, celebrity drama, new movies, or the latest viral videos. Only when a familiar voice passed by did you take an interest and turn to try and catch your friend’s attention, you seemed to have just missed him, losing sight of him in the busy hallway.

Slightly annoyed, you went back to collecting your stuff for your next round of classes. Eating alone in a tree outside was a common occurrence for you, if you climbed a tree and ate your sandwich up there, there was little to no chance of someone awkwardly asking to join you. You really loved the two friends you had, Ned and Peter, but everyone needs a little alone time, and they understood that. You were thankful for such understanding and wonderful friends. You always wondered how different your life would be if Peter hadn’t accidentally knocked you to the ground the first day you started school there. You hypothesized your school life would be a lot more bland without your two best friends.

The rest of the school day passed by slowly, Ned trying to show you memes, Peter talking your ear off about his internship, and you ignoring them both while you tried to get your work done. You were eager to hit the streets and shift into someone else, and you didn’t want the concern of AP Physics homework dragging you down. You were always eager to get your homework done so you could change. It wasn’t that you didn’t like yourself, it was that once you were a different person there were no consequences, and you had no insecurities of anyone judging you because they weren’t necessarily judging you.

After what seemed like an eternity, the final bell rang, and you booked it from the school, only stopping to give your parents the latest excuse to be out for hours. You insisted that you had to divulge into an intense study session with a girl who you had fabricated to be your imaginary best friend, for your parent’s sake. You didn’t want your parents having a meltdown at the reality of you only having two friends, both male.

You had named this imaginary best friend Petra, a name they thought was quirky and unique, while you laughed at their gullibility, Peter found it amusing to no end as well. You called out that you would be home very late, as the study amount was enormous, and you were always surprised when they simply accepted it and let you go, probably relieved that you were spending time with someone, and not annoying them at home.

You made your way to the city, taking a different appearance that you thought Spider-Man might appreciate. You climbed to your normal meeting spot, and waited, staring down at the city.

“I’m scared one day I’ll start talking to the wrong person, thinking it’s you.”

The familiar voice of your favorite superhero called from behind you. Laughing, you got up from where you were perched on the roof and started to walk toward him.

“Who else hangs out on rooftops at sunset?”

You asked, quirking an eyebrow. He laughed and shrugged, then gestured to the city.

“There are a lot of people and a lot of roofs in this city, so I’m just saying it’s bound to happen some day!”

You grinned, shaking your head at him.

“By the way,” he continued, “you chose an interesting look today.”

You wiggled your eyebrows,

“It was all over the news that you were partnering up Tony Stark, so I figured maybe you wanted to see a friendly face. Really, I’m hurt, am I not good enough for you anymore?”

You asked with an exaggerated pout. He laughed,

“You know you’re my first choice.”

He peered at you for a moment, cringing when you blew an over-dramatic kiss to him.

“Can you change?”

He asked, trying to convey his discomfort with having his mentor blowing kisses at him.

“Why? You don’t want to flirt with me like this?”

You taunted, shifting into a girl you had seen on the street earlier, laughing when Peter replied,

“Definitely not.”

You slowly grinned.

“Take off the mask and we could do more than flirt.”

You purred, winking at him. He shook his head, retorting quickly,

“Show me your real face, then maybe we’ll talk.”

You shook your head, laughing as you walked to the fire escape and started climbing down.

“How do you know I haven’t already? For all you know this could be the real me.”

He huffed,

“I have a feeling I would know. I could just help you down, you know that, right? You don’t have to take the long way.”

He called as he swung down to the ground with his web. Snorting, you replied shortly,

“Sorry, bugs kind of gross me out.”

The boy let out a fake laugh,

“That’s why you never stop flirting? I gross you out?”

You hummed when you looked down to find him standing at the bottom of the ladder, his arms open wide, as if to catch you.

“Why do you think I want you to take off the mask, bug boy?”

You asked, but his response was interrupted by a scream in the distance.

“Crap, I got it.”

He breathed, quickly swinging away. You frowned, hoping the girl would be okay. Your thoughts were silenced by an odd noise echoing around you shortly after he swung out of sight. Jumping from the ladder, you surveyed the area, trying to find whoever might be trying to scare you. The noise sounded again, closer to you this time, and you bolted in the opposite direction. Rounding a corner, you shifted into a man you had seen in a horror movie once, he had made your skin crawl.

Waiting patiently for your pursuer, you soon came to face a man of average height, holding a crowbar. He jumped away out of shock at the sight of the form you had taken, but you weren’t prepared for the man to recover from his shock so quickly and snap the crowbar against your jaw. Feeling the sharp pain, you cursed loudly and retaliated with a punch, then shoving him into a dumpster. Closing it, you found a discarded bike lock and didn’t hesitate to lock the man in while he screamed angrily and struggled to get out.

“Senior year, and I have to put up with this bullshit? What an asshole.”

You muttered as you delicately touched your jaw and felt a stabbing pain. What you didn’t realize was that Spider-Man was close by, surveying the scene in case you had needed help, it turned out the woman had screamed because she dropped her new iPhone minutes after activating it, and it had shattered.

Peter’s laughter at you shoving a grown man into a dumpster turned to a wince when he realized how badly your jaw must be hurting. You shifted into the girl from earlier, thankful that cuts and bruises didn’t transfer into the appearances you took. He watched you curiously as you brushed off the pain and found your way back to the fire escape, quickly making your way back to the rooftop.

Swinging back from rooftop to rooftop, he landed in front of you gracefully, placing his hands on his hips and tilting his head at you.

“What’s with the mom pose?” you murmured, walking to the edge of the rooftop, and plopping down, swinging your legs carelessly.

“Is your jaw okay?”

He asked, sitting down next to you.

“It’s fine,” you said, shrugging lightly, “couple of cuts and bruises is in the job description.”

He shook his head, and you imagined him to be frowning at you disapprovingly.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to look at it?”

He asked, touching your jaw lightly. You flinched away, out of pain and irrational fear. Your parents had never been the most affectionate in the world, resulting in you never really getting used to any form of contact.

“It’s fine, thanks. I’ll see you around, bug boy.”

You said, trying to relieve your embarrassment. Getting up, you waved an awkward goodbye and finally let yourself hold your throbbing jaw when you were more than halfway home. You tried to find an excuse as to why you were going to have an impressive bruise in the morning.

The excuse didn’t come, and it was like you thrust yourself into the gates of Hell the next morning. After a full five minutes of screaming from your father and passive aggressive comments from your mother, you were notified that a tracking app would be installed into your phone. You were to be home every day by 4:00 with no exceptions, or there would be consequences. Figuring that the punishment was fair, you went to school without a single complaint, gently rubbing at your bruise and wishing you had been smarter about last night.

The first odd occurrence of the day was catching Peter staring at you in multiple classes, more than he usually did. He then proceeded to whisper with Ned in the hallway while not so subtly staring again, making your heart stop for a moment out of fear that your own best friend was judging you. Sighing heavily, you quickly figured it was about the bruise and shoved some earphones in, ignoring your teacher throughout AP Physics.

You were getting tired of Peter’s staring issues and wished you had just changed your face for the day, so the bruise would be gone. Shifting would take too much energy after the lack of sleep you got from the throbbing pain in your jaw last night. You figured it would be weird if the bruise was abruptly gone from one class to the next, and that it would probably attract even more attention.

The bell for lunch rang, and you saw Peter start to inch his way toward you, probably to pester you, so you practically ran down the hallway. Easily climbing to the top of your usual tree, you did your best at hiding in the leaves and closed your eyes, letting yourself get lost in the beat of your music.

You almost fell off the branch when someone tapped your shoulder moments later. Catching yourself at the last minute, you ripped your earphones out and glowered at Peter, who was perched gracefully on the branch above you. You were baffled as to how he got up without shaking any of the branches and alerting you in the process.

“Peter,” you grumbled, squinting at him, “why have you’ve been staring at me all day.”

Peter flushed,

“I just wanted to know if you were okay…”

You paused your snappy remark, staring at him in confusion.

“We’re best friends, you could’ve just asked. You don’t have to stare at me all day when you can just ask.”

Peter’s face grew an even brighter red,

“I just figured I shouldn’t bother you about it.”

You played with the chord of your headphone absentmindedly, your gaze flickering away from him as you contemplated his response, finding many holes in his reasoning.

“So, you decided the one time I insist on being left alone was a good time to bother me about it?”

Peter’s shook his head quickly,

“No, that was just a good excuse to talk to you.”

You laughed in shock at the straightforward response, and he gave you an odd look.

“What?”

You asked, grinning slightly.

“You have a very distinct laugh.”

You shrugged,

“Yeah, maybe.”

Peter’s eyes darted away for a moment before returning to you,

“Do you want to hang out after school? We never hang out, really.”

You frowned, rolling your eyes when you remembered your predicament,

“I got grounded last night, I have to be home by four or I’m in a world of crap.”

You grumbled, and Peter immediately insisted on walking you home. You couldn’t help but agree, trying to hide your giddy smile from him, you had always had confusing feelings toward him.

Peter had walked you home, talking about different topics at basically 100 miles an hour, and you ended up listening to him rant about something you didn’t have the slightest understanding of, but found very entertaining either way.

Now you were sitting on your bed, staring angrily at a wall, and wishing you were anywhere else. Preferably on a rooftop, flirting with a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Escape was impossible to say the least, your parents insisted on checking on you every few minutes, worried that you might try to find your great escape. No, you didn’t plan that until around one in the morning, when you knew there was no way your parents could force their eyes open anymore.

Checking the house, you found them both sleeping soundly in their bed, and you eagerly slipped through a window, grinning as you ran into the city, headed to the nearest rooftop.

Your brilliant plan was apparently not as brilliant as you thought it was, and you soon found yourself stuck in the back of your mother’s car while she lectured you. The only mercy she had in her soul was to not tell your father, but she did insist that if she ever found you sneaking out again, you were on your own. You had shrugged, knowing you had less than a year to meet that fate either way, your father wasn’t going to house you a day longer than he needed.

So, you were back to angrily staring at a wall, wishing you were anywhere else.

The next day, you soon found that ranting to Peter and Ned was a much-needed relief, with every angry complaint, you felt like a weight was being lifted from your chest. You avoided telling them the specific details but huffed out all your frustration and concerns while you sat with them at lunch for the first time. When you sighed out your fears of being kicked out the moment school started Peter stared at you for a moment, then responding,

“We’re graduating in a few days, Y/N.”

Every single weight that had been previously lifted slammed back onto your chest in an instant. You stared back at him, utterly baffled at how quickly time went by, and frowning deeply, and shaking your head as Ned and Peter shot each other worried looks. The bell to your next class rang, and you threw away your trash and made your way to Government, overcome with a sense of dread. Peter and Ned caught up with you, both starting to speak at the same time before Ned took over.

“We were thinking I could ask my parents, and Peter could ask May if you could stay at our houses off and on, I mean we both have extra rooms and my parents adore you, and…”

Ned hesitated when you didn’t seem as enthusiastic as he expected. You smiled gently at them both, murmuring,

“I couldn’t ask that of you, and I can’t just move in with you both. I really love you guys, and I appreciate it, but I couldn’t. I’ll figure it out. I’ll buy a one-way ticket to the first place I see, and I’ll start over.”

Peter analyzed you for a moment,

“What if I can convince you before you buy the ticket?”

You scoffed and agreed, simply because you knew he couldn’t possibly manage to.

You were more careful about sneaking out tonight, waiting until the ungodly hours of the morning to make your great escape. You arrived on a rooftop in no time, having taken the appearance of a pretty girl you had seen in a coffee shop you passed by a few days prior. Sitting on the edge of the rooftop, you dangled your legs and waited, your dreams slowly crumpling as you thought about the inevitable heading toward you in just days.

“I was starting to think our romance had become too bland for you.”

A slightly distorted voice called from behind you. Turning around, you smiled when you found Spider-Man standing there.

“What’s with the voice? Really brings down the sexy scale.”

You said playfully.

“I have a sexy scale?”

He asked, laughing when you nodded.

“I don’t want anyone recognizing my voice.”

He stated simply, shrugging lightly. You accepted his answer, figuring you wouldn’t want that if you were him, and finally made your way to hug him in greeting.

You talked until you fell asleep leaning against him on the rooftop, waking to him gently shaking you.

“It’s sunrise.”

He whispered to you. You watched it rise for a moment with him, enjoying the serenity of the moment, then you remembered sunrise meant your father would be awake in just under an hour. You jolted, scrambling to get up.

“Thank you for tonight, I’ll see you later.”

You called, making your way off the roof and jogging home, Peter watching you go. You didn’t know the entire time he was slowly connecting the dots, feeling stupid for not realizing it was you hiding behind other’s faces the whole time. How had he not noticed your nervous ticks? How you always laughed the same no matter who’s face you might be wearing. How had he spent the past few years falling in love with his best friend, and never realized it?

You had walked across the stage and accepted your diploma, then your goodbye presents from Peter and Ned. They had both handmade friendship bracelets for the three of you, they weren’t the prettiest, but you loved them anyway, and vowed to never take them off. You couldn’t help but cry as you said your final goodbyes, promising to try and stay in contact and never forget each other.

Coming home to your father practically shoving a bag full of your clothes into your arms and insisting that he knew you could thrive on your own was no surprise. You nodded, having already accepted your fate, and quickly darted into your room to grab a large stash of money you had been saving since the day it dawned on you that your parents didn’t really want you. Sadly enough, that very realization had hit you a long while ago, but it seemed to work in your favor in the long run.

Your father looked infuriated at the sight of the old dented lunchbox stuffed to the point of needing to be duct taped shut, but he didn’t say a word and silently watched you leave. Your mom stood in the doorway, looking lost, but all you could manage to do was shake your head at her, disappointed that she didn’t even try to defend you.

Shoving your money into the duffel-bag, you hauled it over your shoulder and whispered a goodbye to your mother, then softly shut the door behind you. Your head started to throb, the back of your throat burning as tears started to form. Soon you found yourself furiously wiping away hot tears, making your way to the rooftop you had asked Spider-Man to meet you on.

“You’re beautiful.”

He said when he arrived, tilting his head as he slowly walked to you. You stared at him for a moment in confusion before coming to realize you had forgotten to change forms, and you couldn’t help but laugh. The laughs turned into light sobs as you realized you were never going to see him again. You were never going to see your best friends again, you didn’t even want to leave, and you had no idea what you were doing. Slowly arms wrapped around you, squeezing you into a comforting hug.

“How did you know?”

You asked, thinking you had been careful.

“You have a very distinct laugh.”

He whispered, squeezing you tighter for a moment before letting go. You stared at him, speechless for a few moments before slowly reaching to the parting between his suit and his mask. You looked to him for confirmation, and he nodded his head silently. All air left your body as you slowly slipped it off, and you couldn’t help but smile at Peter, bowing your head in slight embarrassment at crying so hard in front of him.

“Yeah… maybe.”

You mumbled, blushing as he cupped your cheek.

“Did you buy the tickets yet?”

You shook you head, confused.

“Then I still have time to convince you, right?”

He asked, almost breathless,

“What if I told you I spent years falling in love with you, and I wouldn’t be able to handle you leaving?”

A hopeful smile pulled at his lips. You laughed and brought him into a kiss, slowly breaking away to whisper,

“I think I’m convinced.”

You smiled and hugged him once more,

“I love you, Peter.”

You sighed, hoping you would never forget the feeling.

#Peter Parker x reader #spiderman x reader #peter parker fanfic #peter parker fanfiction #peter parker fic #spiderman fanfic #spiderman fanfiction #spiderman fic #fanfic #fanfiction #fic #marvel fanfic #marvel fanfiction #marvel fic #x reader #mutant reader #long fic

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cherry-valentine · 6 years ago

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Fall 2018 Anime Season

Here’s what I’m watching:

Golden Kamuy Season 2 is at the top of my watch list. Season one was my favorite show of the Spring season, and everything great about the show is still around. It still has some of the best characters around (protagonist Sugimoto being a personal favorite of mine) and the cast just keeps expanding to include more awesome characters, most of whom are incredibly charming even when they’re terrible people (like the simply adorable Edogai-kun, the obvious anime take on Ed Gein, who likes to hold flamboyant impromptu fashion shows to display the various outfits he’s made using human skin). The series has a weirdness to it that keeps things lively and unpredictable, but it’s all grounded by how very likable and down to earth all the characters are, even the antagonists who are capable of extreme cruelty. There’s also a subtle, poignant side to the story. The end of episode 17 had a powerful moment that left me in tears, and had some very thought-provoking things to say about soldiers returning from war. The animation isn’t the best around, and the art overall is a bit generic, but the story and characters carry the show with capable hands. The music is pretty neat too.

Tsurune is one of three sports anime I’m watching this season, all three of which feature sports I haven’t seen in anime yet and am completely unfamiliar with. This one is about archery, which is a much more formal and stuffy sport than I realized (or maybe that’s just Japanese archery). The show’s slow pace and soft color pallete make it this season’s “soothing feel good” show (there’s always at least one). There’s some lovely scenery, all of the characters are pretty (even the elderly teacher is adorable), and there’s not much in the way of hot blooded sports action. It’s still a pleasing show to watch though. There’s a trio of lady archers in the club who are just fabulous. I love their deadpan, snarky responses to the flirty guy’s attempts to get cute with them (when he mentions that seeing cute girls in their traditional archery outfits makes him want to do archery, one of them swiftly says, “We’re not here to motivate you to do archery.”). Episode two almost took a dramatic turn that had me excited, and would have given the show a unique, supernatural twist if it didn’t almost immediately turn again back to the standard plot line (the cool twist was actually just a misunderstanding, unfortunately). The core group of boys are cute but they have surprisingly little chemistry together, considering this is a series by KyoAni.

Run With the Wind is another sports anime, this one about track and field (I guess? I don’t really know anything about sports, I just know it’s about dudes running). The character designs remind me so much of Haikyuu!! that I had to check and see if it was by the same mangaka. Otherwise, this series is fairly different from most sports anime I’ve seen. For one thing, the characters are in college, not high school or middle school, so they have to balance the sport with things like seminars, job hunts, paying bills, and other responsibilities. This gives the show a very different vibe, in that these characters clearly have lives outside the sport. Another difference is that the majority of the team is made up of rank amateurs, many of them being basically blackmailed into joining. The point of the show ends up being about the experience of getting out there and running with your friends, rather than being focused on wins or losses. It’s a pretty refreshing take on the sports genre. The animation is fluid and the characters are surprisingly realistic. Definitely worth a watch.

Hinomaru Sumo is the last sports anime this season, and as the title suggests, it’s about sumo wrestling. It’s also the only one of the three that’s totally hot blooded and action-packed, with intense matches, crazy training sequences, and bitter rivalries. The art is suitable, with attractive, stocky male characters who hang out in those very revealing sumo belts. It’s interesting that the show portrays several different body types, all in positive ways. Some are more muscular while others look more fat. They’re all glorified in their own way, which is nice. Special mention should go to the music, particularly the energetic opening and ending themes. They’re unskippable. Of the three sports anime I’m watching this season, this one is the most fun and the one I look forward to watching the most each week. Even though it’s a more stereotypical sports anime, well, I like sports anime for a reason. I like the melodrama and the totally unrealistic moves and the numerous rival teams of quirky characters. So while it is refreshing to watch something different from time to time (like Run With the Wind), I’m still drawn to this sort of show. Near the top of my watch list.

Dakaretai (I’m not typing up that long ass title) is a guilty pleasure. It’s a yaoi anime that does very little to dispel the notion that yaoi anime is trashy fanservice for fujoshi and is insulting to actual gay men. Many of the worst tropes are here, including dubious consent, relationships that revolve around sex and nothing else, and gay men being portrayed in a predatory fashion. I know these are major problems in yaoi, but I can’t help enjoying the show. The art is great, with stylish character designs. The central relationship is probably very unhealthy, but I’ve seen a lot worse in yaoi and it’s at least entertaining to watch. The show also does comedy very well. Several scenes have cracked me up, with some of the best comic timing I’ve seen in anime in a long time. Yes, the show is problematic, but like with many other series in the past, I’m still enjoying it.

SSSS Gridman is apparently the anime adaptation of a 90‘s tokusatsu series. I don’t know the original, but I’ve watched enough Ultraman series to know that I enjoy tokusatsu and kaiju stuff, so this series should be right up my alley. Should be, but it’s honestly not as great as I hoped after watching the stellar first episode. If not for a couple of interesting characters, and some nifty monster designs, I would have dropped this series around episode four. The heroes are bland and have received practically no character development whatsoever, and the villain is insufferably annoying. She’s a type of character that’s inexplicably popular these days (a mean-spirited girl who talks and behaves in a cutesy way that’s supposed to make her cruel nature seem ironic, I guess), but I honestly find her scenes to be painful to sit through. The kaiju battles are nicely done, well-animated and exciting. The art in general looks great. I’m watching because I have a soft spot for tokusatsu and kaiju, but it’s near the bottom of my watch list.

Carry-Over Shows From Previous Seasons: Black Clover Banana Fish

Best of Season: Best New Show: Hinomaru Sumo Best Opening Theme: Hinomaru Sumo Best Ending Theme: Hinomaru Sumo Best Male Character: Ushio Hinomaru (Hinomaru Sumo) Best Female Character: None (sadly)

#Anime #Anime Reviews #Seasonal Anime Reviews #Anime Recommendations #Fall 2018 Anime #Hinomaru Sumo #Golden Kamuy #Text

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scared-aquarius · 7 years ago

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signs as dumb YA novel clichés

Aries: The Chosen One~ “This wasn’t how my life was supposed to go. When I turned 18, I wasn’t expecting to be thrust into the Underworld. I was gonna go to college, be a normal student and rush Sigma Phi Chiapet my sophomore year. But everything is different now. The prophecy has spoken and I’m going to go through a training montage and become really badass really quickly even though I was against being the chosen one in the first place but now I have a black belt after a month of punching bags of sand and now I’m ready to save the world. And guess what. At the end of the book............. I save the world.”

Taurus: The “you don’t know you’re beautiful until a boy tells you so / not like the other girls” average looking protagonist~ “Hi. My name is Tookiewisp Flowerspark. I’ve got mousy brown hair and bright brown eyes. I’m tall and thin and I don’t have boobs yet. I love to wear my worn out high top converse and skinny jeans. Maybe if I wore a dress, boys my age would notice me. But to be honest, I’m just not into girly stuff like most other girls are. You could say I’m different.”

Gemini: Crush throughout the entire novel turns out to be an asshole~ “He’d never notice a girl like me. He doesn’t even know my name!’ *sudden makeover transformation where she takes her hair out of a ponytail and takes off her glasses* Boy: ‘Wow, Winteria Snow. I never realized how pretty you were until you put on makeup and put in some contacts. Will you be my girlfriend?’”

Cancer: Instant love~ “That’s when a saw her, walking down the street. She was coming my way. Her hair blew in the wind like a majestic mane of gold. The way she walked made my heart skip a beat. I started sweating and I couldn’t stop my heart from racing. I stared at her as she walked past and I tried to say hello, but my words came out in a jumble. She gave me a weird look and walked away. It was at that moment that I knew I had fallen in love and found my soulmate. Also, by the end of this book she falls in love with me even though I basically obsessively stalk her throughout the entire novel and have no redeeming qualities.”

Leo: The Queen Bee~ "That's Brooke Richardsworth. She's the coolest, most popular girl in school. She’s got long, straight blonde hair and wears pink skirts, pink cardigans and pink headbands. Those are her two slightly less attractive friends, Chelsea and Paige. Brooke is also dating my crush. We used to be friends, but ever since I accidentally spilled my chocolate milk on her back in the third grade, she's done everything she can to make my life miserable.”

Virgo: Problematic parents~ “My parents recently got divorced, so now on the weekends I hang out with my dad, and during the week I hang out with my mom. It gets pretty tiring going back and forth after a while, but every other Saturday my dad (who is also a professor at a university) takes me camping and we roast hotdogs over a campfire which really makes up for it. Recently though, he’s been hanging around a new young blonde woman named Tamara Blake. He’s been spending all of his time with her. We haven’t even gone camping since they met!”

Libra: The improbable love triangle~ “What am I going to do? I have two boys who just got into a fight at school because they both are in love with me, average annoying weird superiority complex girl. On one hand, there’s Jackson- the brooding bad boy who wears leather jackets and rides motorcycles and treats me like garbage when he’s in a grumpy mood. Then on the other hand, there’s Theodore- the quiet sensitive one who reads books and drinks tea and I always catch him watching me from behind a bookshelf in the library! This is the hardest choice I’ve ever had to make in my life. I HAVE to choose one of them. But... who?”

Scorpio: The dystopian society~ “Hi, I’m Bland McBore. In our society, the rich and the poor are divided into two groups and all the rich people are evil and live in a city where there are floating vehicles and all the buildings are white marble and/or chrome, and all the poor people live in mud huts and have to eat bugs and also everything is a weird shade of gray to represent sadness or something. I am going to start a revolution and overthrow the government with the help of my two best friends and once we start to cause trouble with our rebellion, the leader who is probably an old white guy with a pointed beard will offer us riches that we originally fought against in the beginning but don’t worry we will heroically reject them and fight for equality and won’t stop until society is no longer divided. Also people will definitely die but it will all only be people we are conveniently close to. Me and my two best friends get to live until the very end because we move the plot forward.”

Sagittarius: Protagonist just moved to a new school~ “My dad got a new job so we had to move across the country. I’m really shy and quiet and dorky so I know that my first day is going to be horrible. The teacher will make me stand up at the front of the class and then I’ll cry because I’ll be thinking about my life in my old town. Then as I sit back down at my desk, the teacher will keep on teaching instead of addressing that one of her students is visibly upset and crying. Then, the boy behind me will tap on my shoulder and introduce himself- this boy will be the guy I keep as my friend until the end of the novel where, plot twist, he ends up being my perfect match all along.”

Capricorn: The Intellectual~ “My favorite past time is to go to this tree up on a hill where my mom is buried that is also conveniently in the middle of the woods but also within a short walking distance from my house. I go there and I just think. Not of a lot of kids from school do that these days. Everyone is so obsessed with the latest gossip or the latest trend that it seems like everyone forgot how to, well, think. Sometimes I wish I was like them. I wish I could turn off my brain and mindlessly walk around without a care in the world. But I can’t because I’m different and smarter than everyone else and I also like to read and I love the smell of old books and reading and did I mention that I also love to read.”

Aquarius: Really weird “quirky” names~ “Hi, I’m Ingridagelica Applewindbalmkettlefish and this is my story. I know, I know, my name is pretty strange. My parents picked it because they said that when I was born they knew I was going to grow up and do something really great and unique and they also said that it means “not like the other girls” when spoken in Latin.”

Pisces: The “nice guy” guy friend who turns out to be The One all along~ “I just can’t believe my crush won’t notice me! Tell me Carter, what am I doing wrong?” “Nothing, Skylightquia. If it’s worth anything, I think you’re pretty.... uh, pretty awesome, I mean.” *Skylightquia sighs and looks up at the stars from the rooftop they got onto somefuckinghow* “The stars are really beautiful, aren’t they?” *Carter looks at her meaningfully* “Yeah they are”

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paddypikala · 5 years ago

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April wrap-up

Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan

Finished on 1/04/2020

10/10

Sara Farizan doesn't disappoint. She has this amazing ability to make personal stories universal and serious things adorable. The book was really beautiful and I strongly recommend it, especially that it's not a very long read.

Dreadnought and Sovereign by April Daniels

Finished on 3 and 6/04/2020

9/10

The first book: A transgender superhero, a cyborg villain, a city in distress--a girl can't ask for more. The language and pace are on point and the book seamlessly blends together its two main topics, transitioning and becoming a superhero (metaphor alert). Beautiful! It gave me the feels since chapter one. I was afraid that the terf antagonist would be a little on the nose, but she stayed realistic (and remarkably annoying).

The second book: The first one was better. While it was still very interesting it talked way too much about magic (in a superhero book 😕), democracy, and the American way.

Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming

Finished on 4/04/2020

10/10

There is something eerily delicate about an adult man being vulnerable and talking about abuse, shame, Eurovision, eating disorders and fake boobs. It was much darker than I'd thought it would be, but in the end, it felt bittersweet rather than daunting.

Lumberjanes, vol.1 by Noelle Stevenson

Finished on 6/04/2020

8/10

It was childish, but cute. Looking forward to the next volumes.

Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand

Finished on 8/04/2020

7/10

That was... a lot. So many complicated characters, so many relationships and interactions, dark magic and unique mythology, and finally, a decent redemption arc. I didn't like Zoey that much, she sounded rude most of the time, but I appreciate the asexual inclusion.

Pszczoły i grom w oddali by Riku Onda

Finished on 8/04/2020

8/10

The Terracotta Bride by Zen Cho

Finished on 9/04/2020

8/10

So this is how you write a novella! A story about the Chinese afterlife, destiny, and sisterhood, it was certainly something I have never read before. The non-linear narration definitely keeps you on your toes.

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

Finished on 11/04/2020

8/10

Zombies + early America + badass girls. It's packed with action scenes, fights, and witty dialogue. Jane's voice and character are not only realistic (despite the crazy premise), but also unique - she's not just another fantasy protagonist. She's not the chosen one - just a girl protecting those she cares about and wishing to go back home, to her mother.

Autopsy by Donte Collins

Finished on 11/04/2020

5/10

It was... something? Man, poets can be so dramatic sometimes. Some parts of it were actually good, but some poems sounded a lot like those SNL High School Theatre Show sketches. A bit on the nose and too obvious. The cover was pretty, though.

The House of Impossible Beauties by Joseph Cassara

Finished on 17/04/2020

7/10

I finally finished reading this one. It was complicated like the lives of the main characters, it was dark and oddly uplifting, and in the end, it was sad. And it's not your usual novel, it was often difficult to follow--sometimes it focused on the details without giving enough context. I'm actually happy that I watched Pose before I read this, because otherwise I wouldn't understand what was going on.

The Gentleman Thief by Kate Gragg

Finished on 18/04/2020

8/10

The novella tells the story of a chimney sweep who can use magic, although only accidentally. He should clearly reconsider his career choices, since soot makes him cough, and coughing leads to unintended bursts of magic. And just like that, by accident, he turns money he stole for a dangerous mafia boss into a stack of potatoes and gets himself mixed up in some royal tournament mess. It was a ridiculously fun read that had me laughing since page 2, which is not what I expect of most books. Even despite the quirky world it was set in, it wasn't a difficult, high-concept fantasy book. Its light and funny tone reminded me of The Edge Chronicles--The Gentleman Thief was equally absurd, although not as complex. The book is filled with magic--the fun kind, not the dark kind. There was nothing predictable about this story, because it was too absurd to be predictable. In this world, everything was possible, and the author clearly took advantage of that fact. I'm actually glad I had a chance to read it now, after having read so many difficult books this week. It felt refreshing. After all, it's always nice to read a book that's pure fun, no emotional drama. And the characters! Lydia, the adventurous lady, in particular. I would love to read a story focused mainly on her. The only drawback of this story is that it finished too quickly. The ending felt a bit rush and I would enjoy about two hundred more pages of this book.

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

Finished on 19/04/2020

10/10

It's a good book, but also a difficult one. I haven't been this frustrated with fictional characters for a while. Sometimes, it was so difficult I could only read one chapter at a time, and that's why it seemed much longer than it really was. I need a break from heavy books.

The Toll by Neal Shusterman

Finished on 22/04/2020

9/10

Oh boy, I do have a sweet spot for omniscient AI systems which have learned how to love and care for a group of humans (wink wink Person of Interest wink wink). My experience with this series has been long and interrupted. I read the first book in November 2018, then the next one in one day in the middle of December 2018 and finally, today, I finished the last one. I must admit, I had to google some names, because I couldn't remember who was who. I've heard voices that The Toll is different than the two first books but in my opinion it was just as fun and even more sci-fi than the other ones. Who would have thought that I would care about feelings of an omnipresent machine? Well, I should have expected that. All rejoice!

Psy i demony. Ciemne strony Japonii by Alex Kerr

Finished on 23/04/2020

7/10

A realistic - or maybe even grim - look at today's Japan. Written with passion and brutal honesty, it's a screaming argument claiming that many things Japan claims to be are just a big, old lie.

Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman

Finished on 26/04/2020

9/10

This book is about a radical idea. Enter drum rolls. The idea is that most people are pretty decent. Can a book on history be sweet? Can it be hopeful? In this sweet, sometimes even cloying book, Rutger Bregman scans history in order to find proof that we are in fact not that bad of a species. That in cases of disaster or faced with tragedy, we don't think only about ourselves and that we come together to help the weakest. He refutes studies that were designed to prove that we're essentially evil, and finds hope and acts of decency in even the darkest moments of human history. It's a book written in a way that makes it easy to read in one sitting. And it was especially heartwarming to read it in this difficult time. I would like to believe Bregman's arguments. They are clear and convincing, and yet there is something so deep in me trying to question them. Is it because we remember the bad things that happens to us better than the good ones? Nowadays I hear of people coming together to make masks and protective gear for medical personnel, I hear about people delivering groceries to the elderly, and yet the only thing I think about is one community in my city trying get a doctor kicked out from her apartment, because they thought that she somehow threatens their safety. Maybe the book doesn't prove we're essentially good, but it at least proves that we're better than we think. And it's not that difficult to be a decent person. In the end, I'll take the Ten Rules to Live By Bregman offered in his epilogue over Harari's 21 lessons any day.

Only Words by Summer Kiska

Finished on 30/04/2020

7/10

It was a decent fantasy novel with all the right elements: magic, villains, cats, and insta-love. It was something I didn't expect, though. I thought it would be about a magical investigation agency--this is how I interpreted the blurb--but instead, the book was more about sibling rivalry and revenge. The idea was both simple and great--how can you do magic, let alone protect yourself against attacks, if you can only use a limited number of words? The book's strongest element were the characters--the villains were appropriately ruthless and brutal. Overall, It was a great read.

#wrapup #Wrap Up #wrap-up #wrapups #summer kiska #the toll

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shewhowrites-stuff-blog · 5 years ago

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This is the second chapter of one of my first novels. The story takes place in Seattle, Washington D.C. The main character is a 14 year old Jamaican ballerina who has been adopted by a white family.

It's Saturday morning, light streams in through the one window our dorm room has. The room is a total mess with clothes sprawled out on the floor, shoes randomly lying everywhere, chocolate wrappers, soda cans, and lots of other things. The result of the blast we had yesterday.

So I see, you're one of those girls! Henry's words haunt my conscience.

Which girls was he talking about? And what do I have to do with them? I suppose I'll never know.

"... don't turn your back on me, you!" Melissa murmurs in her sleep.

Somewhere in her mind, I think she's playing a video game, and losing. I am not sure what backs have to do with video games, but I do know that they're relevant to Melissa. She and I have been roommates since we were freshmen.

She was strangely the only white person in Pencey to steal a glance in my direction or do so much as to utter the six magic words that made her my best friend: "Hey, I'm Melissa. What's your name?"

I remember that day as if it were yesterday. In the loud cafeteria, plates chattering, people giggling, forks scraping bowls, full mouths wide open, the lonely dark-skinned Jamaican girl with a huge afro sitting all alone in the corner, a chubby white girl in waist high jeans, plaid shirt, and sneakers advancing towards her... Her red hair just spoke to me then. With her tan arm outstretched and a wide, bright smile across her face, she lured me into our friendship. I couldn't resist her special uniqueness (is that a word?). One thing I liked about her, besides the fact that she demanded attention, is that she respected my preference to not speak at first. A solemn hand shake, shy laugh, and slight nod was all it took for her to understand me. Even now that I am comfortable enough to speak, I still do that. And she understands. I walk over to Melissa's side of the room and gently tap on her shoulder. "Ash, turn the lights off and go to bed," she mutters. I giggle, she still thinks it's nighttime. Melissa tends to be grumpy right before she wakes up. "But it's 10 a.m. in the morning." I try to reason with her, placing emphasis on the word morning. She rolls over and stares with her bloodshot eyes wide open. "Oh my GAWD! I had a date with Charlie scheduled over half an hour ago." Who schedules a date at that time of day? And isn't fifteen to early to early to date? That's Melissa. Free-spirited professional social rule breaker. She claims nothing has happened and nothing will happen between them when I try and warn her. Anyways, she's not foolish; I can trust her... to some extent (that extent does not go very far). "You could tell him that you overslept." I advice her.

"Ash, rule number one of dating boys: don't show your crush the quirky side of you. Charlie can't know that about me. It's just the same as me telling him that I actually drool in my sleep -- utterly and irrevocably embarrassing!"

"Send him a text then, apologise, make an excuse, craft a lie, get creative... or just speak the truth." I say matter of factly.

"Like I said; I can't do that. I will have to make it up to Charls." She yawns and stretches, then she walks to the bathroom and starts getting ready to leave. I should probably do the same since my parents will be here in 4 hours or less. Our school's closing today, that's why we decided to have a blast yesterday. 30 minutes later. "No, mom. Okay. I can walk there myself. That's fine.--But I am not a baby." Melissa's standing at the door of our room speaking to her mom, well rather arguing whether she should drive here or not. They live in ___, a town which is 4 hours away from Pencey. Her mother driving here means waiting, and Melissa tends to be very impatient. Melissa sighs and expostulates, "That's great mom. Drive safely." Her mother replies with something I can't hear, then she hangs up. "Jeez, quite a drag. I'm going to have to wait for HOURS on end. Wanna go have a blast?" It takes me a few seconds to realize that she's talking to me. Either my eavesdropping or Henry's words had me in a trance. I smile and nod, my eyes feeling glossy. I was wondering when she would ask me that. Again, it's enough to let her know that I agree.

"Wait, what about Charlie?" I ask, feeling curious.

"Don't worry about him, I can send him a text. And you know, it's been a while since you and I had fun." She places air quotes on the word fun and winks mischievously. To anyone else, this gesture is covert, but to me, it's totally normal for Melissa to sound so ominous. It's another thing I love about her. "I have to change. And fix my bed. And pack up. And call my parents. And then I--"

"You don't have to summarise all of your tasks," Melissa interrupts my sudden excuses to stay back. "We've got the whole day ahead of us. Besides, your parents won't be here for the next 2 hours." Does it sound like we're arguing? Well, this is how we communicate. "My clothes are all dirty. What am I going to wear?" I ask myself out loud.

"My jeans, your sneakers and a t shirt. Simple." I frown. Melissa's clothes would be too big for me. Somehow, she talks me into it and I end up wearing a white baggy t shirt and light blue waist-high jeans, (it looks better than it sounds). Note to self: No matter how ugly your clothes may seem, never ever wear Melissa's. I might have said it's not as bad as it sounds, but it's not good either. I had to shower and dress in 15 minutes because Melissa kept nagging me to hurry up. She believed that the sooner we got out of here, the more time we would have to spend doing fun things. "All set." Melissa says after studying my appearance. I look around, expecting to see nothing but a huge mess, only to find that she cleaned it all up. I repeat: Melissa fixed my bed, stuffed my laundry in my laundry bag, threw away the soda cans and plastic wrappers, put the shoes in their compartment, and folded her own clothes. Considering that she's naturally a messy person, this is impressive. She gets up to all sorts of unusual things when she's excited. I just wonder where she's taking me and why it's gotten her so hyped up. She grabs my hand and says, "Let's bounce!" I didn't even notice her walking over. We're the only ones around, accept for the janitor, a few teachers, and the principal. Once our door is locked and checked, we saunter into the street. En le calle. That's Spanish for In the street. I learned it from a book I read when I was nine. Doesn't it sound fancy? Melissa stands on the pavement with her right arm extended, waving up and down like a flag, beckoning a none existent taxi. This is futile. "Why don't we call a cab?"

"Oh, I should have thought of that." She takes her phone out and dials a number. I don't bother eavesdropping this time. In 20 minutes, the cab has arrived. We spent the entire time staring at people passing by. It's funny how quickly people can come if there's food and money involved. In the yellow cab, an old lady with a lot of makeup and a church outfit is half asleep, the driver is playing soft jazz, (which makes me gag) and Melissa's on Pinterest. I suddenly wish that I had brought my phone. After a while, things get boring and I start wondering whether coming along was actually worth it. Just as I am about to suggest that we go back to Pencey and its high walls and loud cafeteria, we have reached our destination. Melissa pays before I can even think of it. Wow, I forgot to bring money, too. She cracks some joke about high school, which makes the driver release a forced laugh. It probably wasn't funny. She does that sometimes, trying to entertain people, and not succeeding. "Ash, where are you today? Wait, you don't have to answer to that." She's standing at my door, a look of concern on her face, clearly waiting for me to get out. I nearly prance my way out and fake a grin. "I'm in love. " I joke, my eyes falsely dreamy, then shut the door. The cab leaves. She nudges me in the ribs and takes my hand in hers. "That's so not you, Ash. Seriously, where is your head today? Earth. To. Ashley." She's obviously not buying this. "Mel, I am sorry if I have been mentally absent lately, but Hen- this boy, he said something... to me. About my personality."

"What was it that he said?"

"He said that he sees, I am one of those girls."

"The w word?"

"No, just that,--in his own words."

"You should have told me sooner."

"If I did you would probably eat him alive."

"You bet I would!" She exclaims. We're both silent for a moment. I can feel her genuine disappointment towards my delay.-- I usually tell her things right after they happen, but not this time around. I look down at my feet, she lets go of my hand and hooks her arm around me instead. "You know you can tell me anything, kiddo."

"I know, mother." It's only funny because she's ten months older than me. She laughs quietly, then louder, until her voice is a full-on forte (Latin for loud). Once she realises that I'm silent, she puts both of her hands on my shoulder, leaning against me. "Ash, it's fine. I don't mind." Then I laugh, really laugh. She stares at me blankly, as if she doesn't believe me. But then seconds later, she's giggling again, now we're both crazy. "Let's go. Remember, you had something to show me." I finally speak. Sometimes Melissa struggles to believe that I can talk. I do too. By now, you must have had enough hearing about Melissa and feel like putting down this book, but now I will stop. If you will, please don't get annoyed with the word Melissa; she's my best friend. In fact, she's my only friend. Perhaps I should start talking more about myself.

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colonreviews · 7 years ago

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Gilmore Girls

Written By Dalida Farias

December 2017

The CW channel is home to some of the best TV shows out there but Gilmore Girls has got to be one of the best ones yet. This quirky, tongue-biting, fun-loving show is filled with constant sarcasm from the two coffee addicts, Lorelai and Rory Gilmore (Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel). Lorelai is the 32 year old mom to her 16 year old daughter and I think that her being a young mom, makes the show so much more entertaining because they can relate more so each other and be closer than most teens are with their parents. Gilmore Girls is a unique show that shows such a close relationship between a mom and her daughter and I don’t think there is any other series like this.

The very first scene was confusing to me because Lorelai was at their usual diner, Luke’s Diner, and she ordered her coffee from Luke Danes (Scott Patterson). She was sitting alone waiting for her and then his guy hit on her not knowing she was a mom. Then Rory walks in, asks her mom to get her coffee and the same guy hits on her. LOL. I obviously didn’t know who was who when this scene started because Lorelai looked so damn young!!!! I guess that was why it was confusing for me.

There are 7 seasons in this heartwarming TV show. One fact to know is that Lorelai has a terrible relationship with her parents. She was wealthy but she was also rebellious. She had a boyfriend whom her parents loved but one night they got freaky and conceived a child. This child being Rory. Lorelai was only 16 when she got pregnant and she was so scared of what her parents were gonna say so she ran away from the upper east side of connecticut to the small town, Stars Hollow. She got a job working for a nice hotel while still raising a child. Being a single teenage mom who had no support system was incredibly hard and I believe that is why she is so close to her daughter. Rory is this insanely smart kid who deserves more than to just go to a regular public high school so Lorelai ends up getting her into the best school in Connecticut, Chilton. The only problem was that it cost about $2000 to get in. Because Lorelai wasn’t exactly rich, she had no choice but to borrow money from her parents. Her parents glady wanted to help Rory but of course, they wanted a deal. Instead of paying them back right away, Rory and Lorelai had to eat dinner with them every friday until Lorelai had enough money to pay them back. Rory was obviously excited to get to know her grandparents, but Lorelai wasn’t exactly too thrilled about it.

This show also has a lot of drama and romance. Rory, being so damn perfect, has THREE BOYFRIENDS whom she cheated on at one point. Her first boyfriend was actually perfect. Dean (Jared Padalecki) was supportive of her leaving to a different school and he made sure she was safe all of the time. Her mom loved him and he never did any wrong. Unfortunately, Luke's nephew came into town. He was the typical bad boy, scary on the outside but smart and loving on the inside. She eventually starts having feelings for him while still with Dean. Then later on when she gets into Harvard but chooses to go to Yale University after a while, she meets a NEW guy who is in her journalism class. He’s kind of weird and annoying, constantly showing off how rich he is. When she goes back home, she sees Dean and feels sad but he has a wife so they can’t do anything. I guess they still have feelings for eachother because she ends up losing her virginity to him. WHILE HE’S MARRIED TO A WOMEN and WHILE SHE’S STILL WITH HER CURRENT BOYFRIEND. It’s intense.

Anyways, this show overall was and still is one of the best shows ever. Reading it in articles or reviews does not justify how great Gilmore Girls is. You’d have to watch it in order to get the full ride. Each character has their own personality and there are so many plot twists that just keep you wanting more. I applaud the producer for creating such a marvelous show but sadly they had to cancel it due to popular demand. THAT DIDN’T STOP THE PRODUCER THOUGH. The show was officially cancelled in 2007 and many viewers were upset by the sudden ending so they made an entire epilogue in 2016. This sequel was not aired on CW but all four episodes were put on Netflix for anyone to watch. I think it was a good idea for them to finish and add more to the Gilmore story because you can never get enough of them.

Unfortunately, Edward Herrmann, the man who played Richard Gilmore as Lorelai’s dad, passed away back in 2014 at the age of 71. His passing has affected all of the cast members and production of the show but the producers felt that the show must go on. He will always be remembered.

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shewhowrites-stuff-blog · 5 years ago

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This is the second chapter of one of my very first novels, centered around a fourteen year old ballerina.

Melissa

So I see, you're one of those girls! Henry's words haunt my conscience.

Which girls was he talking about? And what do I have to do with them? I suppose I'll never know.

"... don't turn your back on me, you!" Melissa murmurs in her sleep.

She was strangely the only white person in Pencey to steal a glance in my direction or do so much as to utter the six magic words that made her my best friend: "Hey, I'm Melissa. What's your name?"

"Send him a text then, apologise, make an excuse, craft a lie, get creative... or just speak the truth." I say matter of factly.

"Wait, what about Charlie?" I ask, feeling curious.

"What was it that he said?"

"He said that he sees, I am one of those girls."

"The w word?"

"No, just that,--in his own words."

"You should have told me sooner."

"If I did you would probably eat him alive."

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