#and trying to assert their unnecessary opinions about him

[alwaysxyou]

.

[kittysarchive]

Pro's and con's of dating Enhypen

warnings- none? hyung line rn

Heeseung pro's

Heeseung is really good at multi-talented! this could mean many things but one thing for certain, he loves dancing with you, singing to you or with you and may even make a song for you!

Heeseung is also laid back so you can get pretty comfortable and lazy with him. This means fights should be rare in your relationship, as who would start them?

He is also a great listener! With his laid back personality and being a great listener, he is always there for you to talk about your worries or even if you want to share something funny. Heeseung is also very understand g so don't ever feel like no one gets you because he does.

Heeseung con's

Heeseung can be hard on himself so while this may not be a con, he will need extra support if he is stressed or feeling overwhelmed. Again this is never a bad thing but compared to his mostly laid back personality, an s/o who is good at comforting or at least's understands would help him get through his rough patches.

Heeseung can sometimes want his own time so when he goes quiet, he just wants to be left alone like chill on his phone or even watch a show by himself.

Jay pro's

Jay is outgoing and confident so this can not only mean that he is fun to be around, but because he knows himself well, this can create a secure relationship because he is mature.

Jay also has a good fashion sense! He knows when to be lazy and wear daggy clothes but he really knows how to dress up. This can be seen as a con as it's not only good when to know what to wear, but he is whilling to help you pick out matching outfits!

Jay con's

Jay's strong personality could lead to fights and/or arguments because of his strong opinions and ideas.

He also has a 'fiery' personality. Mostly seen as his assertive side, this turns into a con as in arguments, it could become intense.

Jake pro's

He is so sweet! Jake is such a green flag cos he is so sweet, caring and so so so warm! Jake truly loves you and Jake is also very affectionate.

Jake is a pet lover. It may be a pro? For those who have pets or don't but still love them, then it'll be a pro! Not only does Jake have his own dog, Layla but he is so soft towards every pet.

Jake con's

Jake can be shy and reserved at times which is all fine, but when you first start dating or on your first few dates, it could be awkward. It won't take long for him to open up to you, but he could be painfully shy on the first date.

As most of us are, Jake is an over thinker. Because of this, he could cause unnecessary worry or anxiety in the relationship.

Sunghoon pro's

Sunghoon is calmmmmm so whenever your in a stressful situation, Sunghoon will be able to handle it with showing minimal panicking.

He is so loyal! Not only will he make you feel cherished in the relationship, but he will care for you so well. Sunghoon truly loves you, so he will make you feel safe and cherished in the reltaionship.

Sunghoon is pretty athletic so that could mean many fun dates! Such as ice skating, snow boarding to even going swimming. Sunghoon would love to try new things with you, and as someone who is athletic, he could make you feel safe while you try these new things.

Sunghoon con's

Sunghoon has his own way of showing you his love, and because his is not very expressive about it, it could become a con. With him being reserved, he struggles to open up so an s/o would have to be patient with him.

Sunghoon can be pretty quiet and introverted. So, a talkative s/o may struggle since Sunghoon has his quite moments.

[columboscreens]

heya. i was wondering what your favorite columbo episodes are where columbo knows who the killer is really quickly and then spends the rest of the episode putting the thumbscrews on and teasing them to hell and back. any suggestions?

whether you think of columbo as an eldritch supernatural entity or a regular human guy, a lot of people assert that he always knows who the killer is right off the bat.

i'm of the opinion that he forms very strong hunches based on early clues, but doesn't make certain assumptions until more evidence accumulates. there's a lot of boring legwork that we don't see simply because columbo is a good show that tends to avoid unnecessary exposition, and the episodes do have to fit within 70-90 minute timeframes. but there is rigor with which he gathers information, forms hypotheses, and tests them. he can have his convictions shaken, even if only temporarily. he can be led completely astray as seen in columbo cries wolf. he's not perfect.

sometimes though, columbo is indeed so intuitive and the murderer so stupid that the man slam dunks his person of interest in minutes if not seconds. here are a few standouts to me:

rx murder: a baby-faced columbo watches as a man enters his residence after a long trip without his wife and doesn't even say hello to her. columbo, an ardent Wife Lover, cannot comprehend this and immediately skewers the man for it.

oh, you didn't love your wife? couldn't be me

etude in black: local genius alex benedict leaves big fat flower at scene of crime for columbo to spot immediately.

okay this is actually embarrassing. you fucking fool. imbeclie. rube

suitable for framing/double shock/greenhouse jungle/death hits the juckport: how many times can insufferable dickhead nephews kill their rich uncles. and vice versa.

mind over mayhem: ten minutes flat. real know real, cigar smoker know cigar smoker

candidate for crime: columbo rides nelson hayward's ass immediately, emphatically, and unrelentingly merely because the light was off in his garage. especially satisfying episode since hayward is a politician and annoying as fuck

swan song: columbo collects some eyebrow-raising evidence at the crash (cash?) site before he's quite literally told who the murderer is by johnny cash's insane squirrel-munching brother-in-law

when some guy just does your job for you

troubled waters: robert vaughn's errant pillow feather in a sterile sick bay immediately solves the case for columbo, who, funnily enough, met him before he'd even killed anyone. the rest of the episode is just us fawning over columbo sweating in a crisp brown polyester hawaiian shirt while LARPing as sherlock

very nice shading on these warmups sir. but why'd ya drawr em so tiny

try and catch me: columbo has read an agatha christie book

murder under glass: slimy french chef who arrives to the scene immediately when called by police seems wholly unconcerned about having shared a meal with a poisoned man and thus implicates himself expeditiously

[brsb4hls]

Kinda ranty iwtv review ahead.

When I finally got the chance to watch iwtv I found it meh. Which was weird to me, I was so excited about it.

Been trying to find out why for over a week.

I think I figured out now what I didn't like.

1. A small thing, the music. It didn' fit the scenes and simply sucked.

2. The atmosphere. The show kept the gore but ditched the gothic part of that horror genre imo.

This might partially be due to the fact that the act of blood drinking is pretty much de-mystified in the show. First, it's not a stand in for sex anymore, since there's actual sex. Not a bad thing per se of course, but different vibes.

Secondly, the "experiencing the whole life of a human via their memories when drinking their blood" part obvi couldn't really be put into the show.

3. Daniel. What the hell. Ok, there's the aged up thing, I could live with that. But due to his newly constructed history with Louis, Daniel is missing the wonder, scepticism and in the end downright horror when confronted with an actual vampire.

He's just sassy, bitchy and judgemental all the time, which kinda shapes how Louis in those scenes is presented to the audience.

There's not even respect, like, basic respect for another being who's guest you are. Feels totally off.

(Also I personally love book-Daniel and Armands relationship, so kinda miffed I wont get that).

4. The biggest point: Lestat's and Louis' relationship. There are multiple factors here.

First, the beginning. In the books Lestat was drawn to a deeply depressed Louis with a death wish.

Show Louis attracted Lestat by being assertive and very clear of his boundaries (if you take the most positive spin on his confrontation with his brother).

That sets off an entirely different dynamic. Also, show Louis pretty much has his shit together given the circumstances. He has to run his buisiness while being surrounded by bigotted racists and he's managing kinda well. (Until he rightfully explodes).

He also seems to turn to drinking animal blood not out of guilt or shame, but reason.

It's more like blood is blood and less clean up that way.

Louis doesn't huddle in the sewers, bawling and hating himself while munching on pest rats.

Which interestingly makes show Louis much more likable, because, ngl, book Louis took my last nerve. I was relieved to get Lestat's perspective in the second book, which was much more entertaining.

So, show Louis is likable and relatable, which changes the dynamic. In addition to to that Claudia becomes his sworn ally, so those two built a front against Lestat.

(Rightfully so, Lestat treats them like shit.)

But it divides Louis and Lestat further.

Plus by making Louis more self confident and assertive, it actually feels worse that they added that horrible scene where Lestat beat him up and dropped him (totally unnecessary btw, he was hovering above the ground in the first or second ep already, it was clear he could do that).

It felt like building the character up to tear him down more if that makes sense.

There are things I did like though:

*Like I said, I actually like Anderson's Louis more than book Louis, just not in that combination.

*Sam Reid does an amazing job as Lestat, everyone already knows that of course, and there's just no arguing here.

*Both actors have crazy good chemistry (which yeah, would be even better if not for the changed dynamics, I mean, they're pretty much end game in the books, they should work well together).

*Armand is perfect. He is ridiculously gorgeous while also appearing very calm and collected with a side of creepy. Which is exactly how Armand should be given the way he is described in the books (he's not 17 in the show, but I still think he's a great choice).

All in all it's not a bad adaption, it has some great scenes and I will keep watching, I'm just not blown away by it.

I would love for people to add to this, since it's probs a more unpoplular opinion, so discussion is always interesting.

Also, full disclosure, I ditched my Anne Rice books years ago, so I might remember stuff wrongly, please point that out to me.

[youlackconviction]

Don’t you guys keep using Loki’s trauma to justify attempted genocide

ok anon lol since you kinda referred to me as a collective i decided to gather up some responses from other 2011-2013 LOKI defenders just to demonstrate the common threads running through our opinions on this.

here's mine: justify means "to show or prove to be right or reasonable" or "declare or make righteous in the sight of god" so actually i don't think that's what we are doing? i've not seen any OG-LOKI defenders attempt to make the argument that LOKI SHOULD have turned the bifrost on jotunnheim, or that it was the responsible/correct action to take. in fact it was thor himself who tried to assert that the frost giants should be killed because it was the reasonable and fair response to the actions of the three giants who entered the vault. what we do is explain why it happened. why he made that choice. what drove him to behave in such an out of character manner and so contrary to basic ethics or morals. explaining the causes of a thing is not the same as claiming the thing was right and proper to do.

@theawkwardavenger I'm pretty sure Loki does feel guilt at what he did to Jotunheim. He grew up with an internalized racism towards Frost Giants like all other Asgardians, so naturally when he learned that he himself was a Frost Giant, his first response was well erratic. But he knows what he tried to do and it's clear that he's guilty. No one is saying that it is justified. @spacepastry Loki’s trauma is not a justification of attempted genocide and in my personal experience I have never seen anyone excusing the fact that he was trying to kill his own race. It’s very clearly shown via the (somewhat flippant) narrative that Loki is in the wrong there. Everything that happens to Loki in Thor 1 is a result of a lot of factors that have happened to him prior that we don’t see, but are very very clearly alluded to (him being neglected in favor of Thor, being othered by Asgardian society, his inability to fit into the idea of what a traditional Asgardian Male looks like, etc). This does not at all say that Loki’s trauma (tho very real and very valid) excuses his actions on Jotunheim. Everything he did came from a place of pain and anguish and a need to approve Odin. Asgardian society cherishes warriors and he was committing a very Thor-Like act (see the very beginning of the movie) in an attempt to show Odin that he is a true Asgardian and not like the ‘horrible, evil frost giants’. His trauma is not a justification, but an explanation.

@nikkoliferous again, explaining ≠ excusing. no one is saying what he did was right, we're saying it was the result of a very specific set of extenuating circumstance and is not reflective of his true nature. and we're saying that he gets treated very differently by the narrative and a lot of fans than hero-coded characters who have committed equal or greater offenses. much like Loki, the inequality and hypocrisy is the primary source of our anger. or at least it is mine. I would argue that the trauma of learning the truth about himself was the proximate cause of the attempted genocide, with his cultural conditioning and history of abuse and neglect being contributing but secondary factors. because the whole point of Thor 2011 was that Loki and Thor were intended to contrast with one another. Loki was an outlier in his culture in terms of his disposition towards unnecessary violence, bc if he hadn't been, there's no contrast. and that's central to the story being told.

@lotus-eyedindiangoddess "justify" is different from explaining anon, none of us actually said that his genocide is good actually but explaining where it came from and the real monster that created it. We keep trying to say that hey! Don't treat your kids shitty and thinking genocide is good, so that they won't go ahead and do it to prove themselves to you! Trauma is the explanation, not the justification and if you conflate the two anon, that's solely on you. and here's some more responses from some discord users who didn't provide their tumblr handles for me to link:

user1 genocide is totally great, actually. ESPECIALLY if Loki does it. it is 100% morally correct (extreme sarcasm here definitely intended) also us saying genocide is a culturally acceptable way of dealing with enemies on asgard =/= us saying it's in any way justified or morally correct. just that asgardians don' think it's terrible and another thing: jackasses like the anon above are all "aren't you the guys justifying his genocide with his trauma" and then go on like "thanos had a point, actually, best father 10/10"

user2 First, there's a difference between approving, justification, forgiveness and understanding, and they don't always come in a package. Second, I would put the attempted genocide more on the curb of his upbringing and the overall mindset than the trauma, even though it was what fueled the scale of the response. I feel like I'm gonna argue semantics at this point, but I'd say the direct cause was the fact that they were at war - a war that Thor restarted due to his recklessness. And Aesir mindset seems to be completely fine with responding with total extermination in those cases (vide: Dark Elves), so those two alone make me fully believe it wasn't an entirely surprising response. The fact that Loki of all people went for it - despite being shown as the one going for the peaceful, "let's talk this through" solution before - I put on the curb of his entire life being turned upside down a couple of hours earlier.

user3 I think you covered it nicely. All i could contribute is rage, being stunned by the ask and annoyance.

make of it what you will anon, i think it's pretty clear what fans are intending when they defend LOKI in regards to the jotunnheim genocide topic.

[movedtodykedvonte]

What if the four lords + miranda meet their otherselves from an alternative universe where they act like a real family?

Like, AU!Miranda is a huge sucker for her children. AU!Alcina and AU!Karl are one of those siblings that kind of do everything together and spend the most time with each other. AU!Salvatore is out-spoken and his opinion is valued very highly by his siblings. AU!Donna goes around messing with everyone like a feral child while her 3 ft doll desperately tries to stop her.

Just the complete opposite of their current dynamic, that would be hilarious.

you are just asking for the 2p au of the lords. Like this meeting would be super sad. Imagine meeting up with the happier more emotionally stable version of your family, that genuinely cares for each other and try to think of something funny about that. (I'm not trying to sound mean, like the initial disgust may be funny)

Mother Bitch Miranda

Disgust, confusion, and annoyance. The whole purpose of gathering these false children was for Eva, did this version just throw her aside?

Would pull this version aside privately and ask what is going on, what is the goal of all of this useless and unnecessary family stuff. This version is like "Dawg I mourned and moved on, got new kids, peep the drip."

Miranda can't believe it, but is aware of how happy these versions look, including this version of her. There's the look of a mother who has lost, yes, but this Miranda also has the look of a mother who has healed

This should be a sign that this version of her has healed and she should follow in her footsteps, but Miranda convinces herself that this version of herself settled/replaced Eva to fill the void (kinda true but in a kind way) and goes even harder into her work

Has the nagging feeling how she treats her lords is too harsh but then remembers that it's all for Eva and that is enough justification

Alcina Dimitrescu

Mother loves them all? Equally? This won't do! She's supposed to be the favorite and she's not happy until she is!... Although it looks nice to see how caring Mother is to them

Mother never hugged her or told her she was doing great like this mother does. Can't help but stare whenever she sees these displays done to her counterpart

Avoids this version of herself as she makes her feel insecure and

She acts disgusted at her and Heisenberg being so friendly, practically finishing each other's sentences, but this Karl is very respectful and well-kempt, it makes her envious.

Feels like she is even less worthy of Mother Miranda as this version doesn't have to try and still gets adoration, so it must be her

Donna + Angie

Literally, I can only imagine Donna being super happy in this situation, like another Angie? Another person who loves dolls? This is epic! It's like one of her plays but bigger!

She thinks the other her is super hyper but she's used to Angie so it isn't weird. Let's Angie play with this her while she talks with the new calm Angie

Donna is marveling at the family dynamic as it's all she's ever wanted. She tries not to be envious but can't help but mention that she wishes her versions were this caring.

Wonders if she should start being more outgoing and wild like the other her as it seems to be making her happy (also she wonders if it'll fix her family :c)

Sees the whole meeting and experience as fuel for her "If my family was nice" doll plays and makes little dolls of counterpart Donna and Angie so she doesn't forget

Salvatore Moreau

Bewildered that counterpart he looks the same, has the same limitations and stature, yet is so highly revered by this version of the family.

Also, don't get me started on how bad he feels after seeing how Mother openly praises and congratulates this Moreau on the most basic achievements. If he did feel like an absolute failure before, he definitely feels like one now.

He would see this Moreau as better and be afraid to talk to him as he is ashamed to be considered the same as someone with such a status with ANY version of Mother

The other version of him initiates conversation and tells him he needs to be assertive, not take their shit! Moreau is certain he'd be gutted if he tried that

Would be genuinely depressed and reclusive for a while after because he saw how nice his life could've been, even after the mutations and he stuck with this.

Karl Heisenberg

Absolutely hates this version of himself, his family, everything! Everyone is so mushy and lovey with each other. He can't believe they are all falling for this Miranda's tricks so hard/willingly

Until he sees how caring and motherly this Miranda actually is, especially when she complements this version of him and hugs him like he's her newborn who she is protecting from the world, but is in fact the same age as he is.

Then there's Donna and Moreau who aren't damaged and actually happy without being delirious/in denial. And Alcina acts like a big sister to this Heisenberg, protective and only playfully condescending. He had always secretly wished Alcina acted this way more when he was first abducted.

He always wanted a kind big sister and a kind mother who made sure she knew everyone knew she loved her kids and just a normal fuckng family. He wants to be angry at this Karl for having it easy but he knows non of his woes are his fault.

Contemplates pretending to go along with his Miranda's family bit for a second before disgust settles in. Then he works overtime trying to build up his army having seen what things could've been if Miranda wasn't such a bitch.

May post about this au more, it feels popping. Gonna call it the "Motherly Miranda au" if that's not already taken.

[literaphobe]

i love your opinions go on

i think in mcc red rabbits battle box all of them were right about some stuff and wrong about some stuff (ultimately it doesn’t matter and isn’t like any major flaw on any of their parts bc it was a live event they played in front of hundreds of thousands and they r all best friends) but the one who was the most correct was george and the least correct was bbh and this was mostly because of the leaf staircase he made and defended making in round 8 of battle box

not because it was necessarily wrong to make a leaf staircase but upon review it was so unnecessary especially because they were getting wooled every round so time was very much of the essence and even if someone had gotten knocked off it would’ve been faster for them to partially leaf block back up the four block high platform with ladders at the sides (it could be hard to understand if u don’t see it visually) and the likelihood of dream sapnap and george three of the best pvpers in the event needing a well constructed staircase to get back up faster than they would’ve on their own was low like it might have been a good idea on another team that was at less risk of getting wooled with players less capable of maneuvering around but not… dream team

also ifl watching this vod bbh is like. its hard to tell bc he’s always so like. Not cursing. so its harder to argue with him than it would be with someone whos saying GO FUCK YOURSELF!!! but rather he’ll be like fine i was partially wrong! but you see if you understand why i wanted to do that i was right. And you were wrong. And even if he was like fine i was wrong! He’d go back and talk about how he was feeling in the moment and how bc of that he wasn’t wrong for wanting to do what he did. but in a way where he doesn’t say suck my dick so its just so hard to fight against that and dream and punz were literally telling him why something he did was just a bad strategy (aka the leaf staircase) over and over again and it took him so long to relent and be like fine it was a bad strategy! staircase for life 😊 LIKE ?!,!.!;!/&:/!:?3

i also realized (BTW NONE OF THIS IS /NEG ITS JUST FUNNY) bad’s whole thing during that battle box was like as he said like whenever he did something and he failed and died he’d immediately think that the team’s entire strategy wasn’t working and that they should change the whole thing and so that was why he kept saying ‘we need a more decisive strategy’ however he would just like usually wind up doing no damage/start trying to take more action/combat the enemy once all his teammates were dead and it was honestly like. the whole thing was an amalgamation of a bad map for flanking, miscommunication, them getting wooled almost every round, and like i won’t lie bad should not have been taking the punch 2 bow for as many rounds as he did bc he was missing so many shots and barely doing damage and he should’ve told george to take it but george was taking THE FUCKING EXTRA LEAVES bc george is rarely assertive when it comes to battle box kits and just takes what people tell him to take/what people don’t want

honestly im so glad that in mcc22 when dream offered george the stone sword after a couple rounds george acknowledged and asserted that he liked the crossbow more so dream continued taking the stone sword like yasssss growth im so proud of all of them

[laranjatoranjalaranja]

Academic writing advice inspired by Umberto Eco’s ‘How to Write a Thesis’:

Planning

Determine primary sources/bibliography.

Determine secondary sources/bibliography. 

Find title.

Brainstorm a table of contents with as much detail as possible (with chapters, sections and even paragraphs and sub-paragraphs - see How to Write a Thesis’ own table of contents as an example at the end of this document) (if the first drafted table of contents is good enough, it will not be necessary to start the writing from the beginning).

Do a first draft of the introduction.

Note-taking and research

Use Google Scholar to make sure you do not miss important sources.

Keep the table of contents in mind when researching and take notes of which sources could go where.

While note-taking, differentiate which parts could be used as quotations from the ones that are simply important for the argument.

Eco underlines the importance of what he calls reading sheets, which can be understood as your notes on your readings. According to him, these should contain:

information about the author if he is not a well-known figure;

a brief (or long) summary;

they should mostly consist of quotations (accompanied by all the corresponding page numbers)

any commentaries you might want to add;

an indication of which part (or parts) of your table of contents the information mentioned belongs to.

Keep reading sheets on primary sources (which should be the longest) separate from those on secondary sources (which should only be 1-2 pages long).

In the end, re-read the notes and color-code all the different parts according to where they would fit in your table of contents.

Writing and editing

A good place to start would be by redrafting the introduction.

Define every key/technical term used/mentioned unless indisputably obvious.

General writing tips:

keep sentences short;

do not be afraid to repeat the subject twice (ex: Roberta went to the shop (...) Roberta bought carrots and tomatoes);

avoid excessive details;

avoid subordinate clauses (orações subordinadas);

avoid vague language;

avoid unnecessary adjectives;

avoid the passive voice.

While drafting, write everything that comes to mind. Leave the editing for the end.

Use your tutor as a Guinea pig. Make them read your first chapters (and, progressively, all the rest) well before delivery is due. 

Ask for as much feedback as possible. Ask colleagues, friends and/or family to read your work. They will provide you with more diversified feedback, as well as allowing you to know if your writing is clear to anyone.

Stop playing ‘solitary genius’.

Don’t insist on starting with the first chapter. Start with what you know best and feel more comfortable writing about, then fill in the gaps.

Leave time for editing and try to take at least a one or two days long break in between writing and editing. 

Do not forget to fill in the gaps. When you revisit your writing, go through it with all these writing tips in mind as well as a conscience of what your most common mistakes are.

Use Hemingway in the final editing phase.

Quotations and footnotes

Since there are two kinds of sources (primary and secondary), there are also two kinds of quotations: either we quote a text which we will interpret, or we quote a text which supports your interpretation.

Some quotation rules to know:

“Quote the object of your interpretive analysis with reasonable abundance.”

 “Quote the critical literature only when its authority corroborates or confirms your statements. (...)  when quoting or citing critical [aka secondary] literature, be sure that it says something new, or that it confirms authoritatively what you have said.”

“If you don’t want readers to presume that you share the opinion of the quoted author, you must include your own critical remarks before or after the passage.”

“Make sure that the author and the source of your quote are clearly identifiable.”

“When a quote does not exceed two or three lines, you can insert it into the body of the text enclosed in quotation marks. (...) When the quote is longer, it is better to set it off as a block quotation. In this case the quotation marks are not necessary, because it is clear that all set-off passages are quotes, and we must commit to a different system for our observations. (Any secondary developments [like the quote’s reference] should appear in a note.) (...) This method is quite convenient because it immediately reveals the quoted texts; it allows the reader to skip them if he is skimming, to linger if he is more interested in the quoted texts than in our commentary, and finally, to find them immediately when need be.”

Some footnote rules to know:

“Use notes to add additional supporting bibliographical references on a topic you discuss in the text. For example, ‘on this topic see also so-and-so.’”

“Use notes to introduce a supporting quote that would have interrupted the text. If you make a statement in the text and then continue directly to the next statement for fluidity, a superscript note reference after the first statement can refer the reader to a note in which a well-known authority backs up your assertion.”

“Use notes to expand on statements you have made in the text. Use notes to free your text from observations that, however important, are peripheral to your argument or do nothing more than repeat from a different point of view what you have essentially already said.”

“Use notes to correct statements in the text. You may be sure of your statements, but you should also be conscious that someone may disagree, or you may believe that, from a certain point of view, it would be possible to object to your statement. Inserting a partially restrictive note will then prove not only your academic honesty but also your critical spirit.”

“Use notes to provide a translation of a quote, or to provide the quote in the original language.”

[peachsayshi]

Chapter 10 - Intimate (2)

Tags: Friends with Benefits, Angst, Fluff 

Summary: Gojo uses you to relieve some of his stress after his little argument with your best friend, and poses a question that catches you off guard.

A/N: this chapter was a bit difficult for me to write and I think it's because it turned out to be sort of a filler chapter! Also, please excuse any errors - I am definitely posting this half asleep lol! but I am really excited to share the upcoming ones! I initially said that this was going to be 25 chapters but I outlined the rest of the story and there will be more! Hehe I do plan on doing the few extra one-shots in the end, so I hope you enjoy.

- - - 

“Tell me you’re mine…”  

You blushed at the thought of Satoru’s words, painfully aware of the knot that tightened in the pit of your stomach which then tugged at your lungs, slowing your breath. You reached for the seasoning packets, ripping open the colored wrappers to prepare the ramen broth. You watched as tiny circles began to form from the bottom of the metal pot, bubbling it’s way to the surface. You could hear the shower still running from your bathroom, a bit relieved that Gojo was taking his time because you wanted to bask in the few precious minutes you had to yourself to try and quieten your racing thoughts.

You couldn’t focus on the task of preparing dinner because the word “mine” slipping from Gojo’s lips in a feverish claim was playing on a loop in your head. The way his tone darkened with urgency when he held his body close to yours sent goosebumps to run up your arms. You couldn’t figure out where the possessive streak came from or why he felt the need to assert his dominance over an act that should not have been as intimate as it felt. You folded your arms over your chest, subconsciously pinching your skin as you tried to ignore the way your heart skipped a beat.

There was a difference when you made your own personal comparisons in the safety of your mind versus Gojo bringing it up in the bedroom. Somehow admitting your confession to him made you feel vulnerable and his reaction didn’t make it any  better, appearing to be competitive about the entire situation.

That doesn’t make any sense, why would he care? you wondered.

You never actually paid attention to how Gojo felt about your ex-boyfriend. For the most part he’s always been nice to him. Although the two of them weren’t the closest of friends, they seemed to get along whenever you all hung out together. You never would have anticipated that Gojo would be…

Jealous of him ?

That he would resent him?

Honestly, you didn’t even have an explanation for what it could possibly mean.

“ Pay attention…”

Gojo’s voice startled you, you didn’t even realise he was standing right behind you until you noticed him reach his arm forward to reduce the flame, stopping the water from bubbling over the pot.

“Whoops! Lost my train of thought for a second...” you lied, refusing to look in his direction in the hopes that he wouldn’t catch you blushing.

“That’s a safety hazard, you know?” he teased, still standing dangerously close behind you as he reached for the dry noodles himself and placed them into the pot. “You need sharp eyes when cooking otherwise you’ll end up having an unnecessary accident.”

A nervous chuckle escaped you as you circled to face him. Gojo had borrowed one of your black silk scarves, using it as a makeshift blindfold since his own was now tumbled between your bedsheets on the floor. You could smell your coconut and hibiscus body wash off him, the scent combining with the residual cologne on his clothes. An easy smile spread across that handsome face, his relaxed demeanor contrasting the state he was in when he first knocked on your door.

He’s your friend, you reminded yourself. What happens in the bedroom doesn’t mean anything…  

It shouldn’t mean anything.  

“Whatever you say, sensei ...” you chirped, burying your wayward thoughts. “Why don’t you grab those mats and I’ll bring these over to the table”

You assembled the two bowls, adding a little extra broth for Gojo because you knew he preferred it that way. Meanwhile, he had placed the two mats on the opposite side of the dining table, taking care not to disturb your work set up.

“Here you go,” you said, as you slid the bowl in front of him while he took his seat.

“Thank you!”

At first you both sat in silence, Gojo was responding to a few unanswered text messages but you were studying him with curious eyes, waiting for him to give you an explanation for his sudden visit.

“ Sooo, you want to tell me what that was all about?” you asked.

“That being?”

You waved your chopsticks in the direction of your bedroom, raising your brow before replying, “That being the sequence of events that just transpired…”

“ Stress relief ...” Gojo explained in between bites as he casually tucked his phone back into his pocket.

You thrummed your fingers against the warm bowl in your hands, fidgeting with the chopsticks in the other.  “Well, I’m glad I could help you unwind, I guess...”

He flashed you a wicked grin, “Me too, because I need a repeat of the show...”

“I can’t look at you when you say that,” you remarked, focusing your attention onto the noodles and growing shy at his comment.

“Am I embarrassing you?”

“A little…”

“I don’t understand why, that was fucking hot ...”

Your face burned, the heat radiating all the way to the back of your neck from his words. You cleared your throat as you rolled your eyes at him, desperately trying to brush off his statement in a cool manner. You could feel the knot in your stomach, the thoughts you were having crept back into your mind as you tried to hush them away.

You decided to shift the conversation away from the bedroom and back to Gojo instead. If he wasn’t so flustered by his own emotions, you might have accepted his excuse of needing to relieve stress but you knew there was more to the story.

“Did something happen at work?” you questioned.

Gojo chuckled to himself, “It’s funny how you won’t even acknowledge my compliment... ”

“Are you really going to make me pry a proper answer out of you?” you huffed, and he could hear your annoyance in your tone.

Gojo wished that he didn’t have to get into this particular part of the conversation with you, knowing full well how it was going to bring down the mood.

“No, nothing happened at work,” he said with a sigh, “I was with Rina. She asked me to stop by her shop…”

You knitted your brows in confusion, “That’s kind of random.”

Gojo nodded his head, “I thought so too. She initially told me that she wanted to get my opinion on some new items she was dropping for her menu. Turns out I was only there because she wanted to know how long you and I have been sleeping together for…”

You choked at his statement, his nonchalant words nearly going over your head.

Gojo kept eating, unphased by your reaction. “Need some water?”

“Y-yes…no, ugh, nevermind …she asked you how …”

“ How long you and I have been fucking… ” Gojo replied, flicking his index finger back between you both to fully clarify his statement.

The knot in your stomach cinched, a wave of nausea swirling in your gut as you placed your chopsticks down.

“How... how did she even find out? ” you whispered to yourself as you slumped against the back of your chair.

“She saw us at the park.”

“ Oh .”

You and Rina have both had your fair share of arguments before but sometimes when her emotions got the better of her, Rina’s outbursts often came with her sharp tongue. Over the years you had to explain to her that her words carried more weight than she thought, and in turn she became more conscious around you. However it suddenly dawned on you that Gojo might have been on the receiving end of Rina’s unfiltered anger.

You covered your face with your hands, groaning with frustration. “What did she say?”

“ Hmm ?”

“What did Rina say to you?”

Gojo shrugged his shoulders, “don’t worry about what she said to me. I know she didn’t mean anything by it...”

“But you were upset when you got here…”

“Let’s clarify something, Rina was upset because she was hurt. I was just annoyed by the situation. There’s a difference...”

You wished he would take your conversation a little more seriously and not brush it off with such ease but sighed knowing full well that Gojo wasn’t going to tell you what exactly happened which meant that Rina must have said something deliberately hurtful towards him.

“ I’m sorry… ”

“Why are you apologizing?”

You picked up your utensils, “For dragging you into this unnecessary drama I started. I should have just told Rina what was going on between us…”

Gojo paused after slurping a noodle, “well, why didn’t you tell her?”

“She’s been overprotective recently… ” you explained, not wanting to get into the details that the reason was purely based on your break up and how terrible you have been about getting over it. “I knew that if I told her about our arrangement she would analyze me to death over it and I didn’t want to deal with that…”

“Fair point,” Gojo acknowledged with a hum.

His short responses unsettled you, and you found yourself overcompensating to make up for it. “I’ll talk to her and smooth things over and I’ll make sure she apologizes for whatever it is that she said to you. She shouldn’t take her frustration out on you just because she was upset with me...”

Gojo nodded his head but you could clearly sense that he was not in the mood for any serious conversations right now. Taking himself out of this particular topic, Gojo quickly changed the subject after you made your last statement.

He kept the rest of the chat lighthearted, distracting your worries by telling you little anecdotes he had about his co-worker, Nanami. You suddenly found yourself giggling when Gojo revealed that he practically stalked Nanami for an entire day just so he could force the man to hang out him.

“I feel bad for the poor guy, you completely terrorize him,” you stated, clearing the table once you were both done eating.

You made your way over back to your kitchen where you rinsed off the bowls before placing it in the dishwasher. “You’re free to hang out if you want,” you offered, noticing Gojo get himself together as he was preparing to leave.

“I think I distracted you enough for tonight,” he replied.

You walked him to the door, following in line with his long strides. Just as he was about to reach the handle of your front door, he stopped before turning to face you.

“You don’t owe anyone an explanation about what is going on between us,” he stated, his voice low and serious.

You blinked a couple of times in surprise before parting your lips to respond, “I know I don't owe anyone an explanation but I know what Rina’s feeling and the only way I can see myself fixing this problem is by telling her everything. We never keep secrets from each other and I would probably be equally as hurt if she chose to hide something from me too... ”

Gojo pressed his lips together, navigating the words floating in his mind before reaching his hand out to touch your fingers.

“I get it but I just…”

“ Just ?...”

He exhaled, “I don’t want you overthinking anything between us, okay?”

“Don’t worry, even though we are terrible at sticking to our own rules, I am fully aware of where we both stand…”

You notice the relief wash over Gojo’s face as he slips his fingers away from your touch, “Good, because I like what we are doing.”

“I-I like it too…” you replied almost instantly, your heart racing at your own admittance.

The sorcerer left you a bundle of nerves when he said his goodbye. The knot in your stomach made its presence known, twining itself around your insides as you couldn’t escape this foreign emotion that seemed to have infiltrated your body.

*** 

CHAPTER 11 - FRIENDS

[mod-kyoko]

Hello there! My apologies if this has already been requested, but how about Shuichi’s fluff alphabet?

heya, mod kyoko here! of course you can! thank you so much for the request!

your fluff alphabet is down below ⬇️

caution, the picture below may strain your eyes!

⚠️⚠️⚠️

♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧

shuichi's fluff alphabet!

a - activities (what do they like to do with their s/o? how do they spend their free time with them?)

shuichi would enjoy calm, serene activities, like a walk through the park, on a beach, or sitting in the library. however, if you wanted to go somewhere rowdy, like an amusement park or concert, he would still enjoy it. honestly he would put up with nearly anything for you. if you're a rowdy person in general, he wouldn't mind you dragging him all over to do exciting things. in fact, he would find it refreshing!

as for everyday things, he prefers just being in your company. reading a book together, dining together, having deep conversations.

b - beauty (what do they admire about their s/o? what do they think is beautiful about them?)

for shuichi, appearance doesn't matter nearly as much as what's on the inside. that being said, he would admire the optimism in you, or your tenacity. he would appreciate an s/o who can be mature when needed, but also silly. shuichi just thinks your entire personality is beautiful, really.

although, he does love your eyes, too. he would stare into them as you're talking, making sure you know he is listening intently to whatever you're saying. he loves the way your face lights up when you smile or get excited. those are the things that he finds most beautiful about you.

c - comfort (how would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack?)

shuichi never really had to deal with something like this before, so he kind of just goes based off how he would want to be treated if he was in your place. at the first sign of your discomfort he will ask if you're okay. then he will ask if you need some space. if you say yes, he will leave, after assuring you that if you need something you can come get him anytime.

if you want him to stay, he will ask if you need a hug. he will wrap his arms around your shoulders and pull you close to his chest, resting his chin in top of your head. the one thing shuichi always wanted to hear was "everything will be okay," so he makes sure to tell you that as well. he hates to see you sad, but tries to act as calm as possible so his calmness will hopefully spread to you.

d - dreams (how do they picture their future with their s/o?)

he definitely sees you as a permanent person in his life, and he isn't too worried about where you will be in the future, since he mainly focuses on the present. however, sometimes he fantasizes about marrying you. he imagines what you would look like the moment he proposes, in your wedding dress, eating cake together.

if you dont want to get married, that's fine too! it has never been a huge goal or dream of his. plus, as long as you're together, marriage isn't too important. it's just a name change and a certificate, right? other than marriage, he does think about having children with you. he often wonders what they would look like, and how great of a parent you would be to them.

e - equal (are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?)

shuichi sees the two of you as completely equal. your thoughts and opinions are just as important, and he always makes sure to include them. he isn't a very dominant person in general, so he would either be passive or somewhere in the middle. he can be assertive when needed, though. shuichi won't let anyone be toxic toward him, including his s/o. but that would be the only time when he would assert himself over you. other than that, he would never allow himself to speak over you or act like he is the "better" person.

f - fight (would they be easy to forgive their s/o? how are they fighting)

if you were ever to fight with shuichi, it wouldn't be over a petty argument. in those situations he tries his best to listen and apologize, then do his best to fix it. however, if it's a really big fight, he has a bit more difficulty holding himself together. at first, he would cry a little bit. then he would get frustrated. though, he would never ever resort to violence with you. while he might say things he will regret, he tries his absolute hardest not to hurt you.

however, shuichi can and will stand up for himself if need be, he isn't a complete pushover. *little headcanon tangent here*: if you happen to be arguing and he spots toxicity or ab*sive behavior, he will call you out. he is working on self worth and knows what he deserves. good for him :)

g - gratitude (how grateful are they in general? are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?)

shuichi sometimes gets caught up in his work and doesn't really see all the things you do for him. but when you're gone, he starts thinking about all the things you do. even small things, like bringing him tea when he is working, or dabbing his forehead with a wet cloth when he is sick. it is easy to not notice all the little things someone does for you, but shuichi is a thinker. if he realizes he maybe hasn't expressed his gratitude enough lately, he will immediately start giving back.

to express his gratitude, he will either tell you outright how thankful he is, or make a gesture. he will probably offer to do all your chores or treat you to dinner wherever you want. he makes sure to do this often so you never forget that he loves you and what you do for him.

h - honesty (do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? or do they share everything?)

there are only two types of things shuichi would hide from you. one would be some guilty pleasure of his that he has been made fun of for in the past. he tries hard to avoid the judgement of others, even his s/o. the other would be something he thought would potentially hurt you, or something unnecessary for you to know (i.e. he overheard someone talking behind your back). he doesn't like getting involved with drama if it doesn't concern him, and he doesn't want you to waste your time on those petty jerks. plus, he genuinely doesn't think it is something you would want or need to know.

other than that, he tries his hardest to tell you the truth all the time. he knows from firsthand experience how detrimental lying can be to a relationship, and he cherishes you way to much to jeopardize it.

i - inspiration (did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? like trying out new things or help them overcome personal problems?)

this one is a big yes! you gave shuichi a reason to make self improvements! before you came along, he didn't realize he had such room for change (the good kind). for example, shuichi didn't realize his self worth until you started expressing your love for him. he finally realized he needed to recognize his worth and what he deserves.

after you entered his life, he went around asking the smartest people he knew for advice on how to be his best self. he thought that if he was going to have someone important close to him then he needed to be at tip top shape for them. you're very special, so of course he would want to be the best partner he could be. his friends mostly told him to try to keep an open mind, listen to others, but most importantly to take time for himself. he took this advice wholeheartedly, not just for you, but also for himself.

j - jealousy (do they get jealous easily? how do they deal with it?)

it's perfectly normal for their to be a small amount of jealousy in a relationship. shuichi is human, of course he gets jealous sometimes. he tries to shove it down, which of course isn't very healthy. when he bottles too much up inside he tends to get a little cranky, and might hole himself up in his room. but he would never think about taking it out on you.

when he gets like this he attempts to calm himself down before expressing his thoughts to you about it. he'll do breathing exercises or drink some tea and read a book. it helps him a lot to be alone in a quiet environment in these times. once he is back to his usual self he will laugh it off with you.

k - kiss (are they a good kisser? what was the first kiss like?)

now, shuichi was definitely not a genius first time kisser. he just decided to go with what felt right. your first kiss probably took place after the two of you got together, maybe a few weeks or days into the relationship.

you were talking about something that you really enjoy, and as he watched your eyes light up with excitement as you talk about your favorite thing, he realized this is the moment when you're most beautiful to him. as soon as you finished talking he looked at you with a serious yet adoring face and asked if he could kiss you. when you said yes, he slowly leaned forward until your lips met. he wasn't really sure of what to do with his hands, so he just grabbed yours. when it was time for the kiss to escalate into something more, he listened to his gut. you were probably the one to initiate the makeout session by nibbling his lip. he was all for it of course, just a bit nervous.

now he is a natural! doesn't take him much thought what he does with his hands, lips or tongue. you are a very lucky person, s/o. ;)

l - love confession (how would they confess to their s/o?)

shuichi put a lot of thought into this. however, he didn't rely on his friends for this one. although he always goes to them for advice, he wanted this to be all him. he also didn't want to be embarrassed in front of everyone in case you said no.

the confession happened while the two of you were alone, either in the dining hall, library or outside. you weren't hanging out, you just happened to be in the same place at the same time. so he thought this would be a good opportunity. he cleared his throat, not to get your attention, but to try to avoid his throat closing up due to nervousness. he would then say something like:

"hey, y/n, i was hoping to talk to you about something." as soon as he got your full attention he would start rambling on about how he admires you. he would compliment your ultimate somewhere in there, before finally getting to his point. after clearing his throat again, he makes his best effort to look you in the eyes (though that is pretty difficult for him), and says it. "i like you, i think you're very sweet, and i want to get to know you more." when you told him the feeling is mutual he actually started freaking out internally. of course he tried to keep himself composed on the outside though. (babyyy ahhh)

m - marriage (do they want to get married? how do they propose? what would the marriage be like?)

he wants whatever you wants honestly. marriage isn't a need for him, but don't get me wrong he would absolutely love it too. anyway, the proposal would be fairly traditional. he would spend a great deal of time picking a ring, definitely worrying if you would like it. once he is sure he found the one, he would buy it and immediately start thinking about where to propose.

he would end up choosing a place that isn't too public but still somewhere significant to the both of you. he would definitely wear something nice too. it's kind of important to him that there aren't people around, because you know that can potentially cause problems. plus, this is a you and him thing, not for anyone else! finally, once you're alone in a quiet spot, he would get down on one knee. "s/o, you're the most important person in my life. you inspired me to become my best self. i am so ready to spend the rest of my life with you, devoting myself to you and only you."

domestic life with shuichi is amazing. you never really notice how different he acts around you versus others until you live together. you both balance chores, go together to get groceries, etc. somehow you make the boring and mundane more exciting :)

n - nicknames (what do they call their s/o?)

shuichi doesn't seem like one for pet names at first. further down the line, though, they would grow on him. he originally just called you by your name, or a shortened version of it. Then he started to use babe, honey, dear, because it seemed like you were enjoying it. his least favorite pet name for you is babe. he really likes sweetheart and love. overall, pet names aren't his sort of thing.

as for him, at first he would just like to have you call him saihara. now, he wouldn't admit it, but he goes really soft when you call him baby! if it's you, he will let you call him anything to be honest.

o - on cloud nine (what are they like when they are in love? is it obvious for others? how do they express their feelings?)

although he isn't one to brag about his s/o to others (in fact he actually prefers to be pretty private about his love life), it is quite obvious to everyone that he is in love. they can tell because he seems happier, and more talkative. miu even said that he is "glowing." :)

of course it's even easier to tell when he is with you. you can see his true feelings in his eyes when he is looking at you. you can feel his true feelings when he kisses your knuckles, when he leans his head on you. You can hear them when he expresses his love for you verbally every day. He expresses his love in many ways, even in small gestures that might be overlooked, like making an effort to not wake you up if he has to get up before you, or organizing your mess.

p - pda (are they upfront about their relationship? do they brag about their s/o to others? or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?)

as i said before, shuichi isn't very comfortable being open about his relationship. the most he would do in public is hold hands or hug. he won't necessarily brag, but he will answer polite questions like "how are you and s/o doing?" with pride. he is definitely proud of you, even if he doesn't make a point of telling other people. he tells you, which is what is important.

q - quirk (some random ability they have that's beneficial in a relationship)

his ultimate! shuichi's talent as ultimate detective allows him to be very perceptive and smart, not to mention mature. this is good for relationships since he can tell when your behavior changes, which he can then ask you if something is wrong. his maturity and knowledge as a detective allows him to make rational decisions even under pressure, like if you're in a heated argument. he knows how to diffuse many different stressful situations because of his critical thinking skills.

r - romance (how romantic are they? what would they do to make their s/o happy? cliché or rather creative?)

shuichi isn't one for romance clichés, but he hasn't had much experience with this kind of thing, so that's what ends up happening anyway. other than the occasional bouquet of flowers, necklace (if you wear jewelry), or snacks, he doesn't give gifts much. he thinks love can't be bought with money or gifts (hear hear). of course he gets you gifts on anniversaries and birthdays and holidays, though.

s - support (are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? do they believe in them?)

of. course. he believes in you, and he is more than willing to help you achieve your goals, whether that be directly helping you with a task, or just giving advice. if he isn't tired or busy with work, he will do anything he can to help. shuichi is actually really invested in your goals. we all know he likes helping others, and he would most likely receive a sense of pride after seeing you accomplish something whether on your own or with his help.

t - thrill (do they need to try out new things to spice up your relationship? or do they prefer a certain routine?)

to an extent, shuichi really enjoys routine. but, like any person, he would get a little bored without occasional exposure to new things. he asks you to take him out to do something interesting at least once a month. his favorite new thing was going to a pottery store and learning how to make things out of clay. it was super satisfying to him to make something artistic. i might even say it was therapeutic for him. he also really enjoys going to art museums! this man has a natural affinity for art. it gives him a sense of serenity.

u - understanding (how good do they know their partner? are they empathetic?)

shuichi knows a heck of a lot about you, mainly because he loves listening to you talk about yourself. he often asks you questions so he can learn more, too. he genuinely doesn't mind it. he enjoys falling asleep to your voice as well! as for empathy, he tries his best to understand your feelings. he often asks himself how he would feel in your situation, and that helps him a lot with empathy.

v - value (how important is the relationship to them? what is its worth compared to other things in their life?)

shuichi knows well enough to put his own health, mental and physical, over anything else, even you. however, other than that, you're probably at the top. maybe even more so than some of his friends. he loves you and appreciates you very much! honestly, his life would be so different without you and he doesn't know what he would even do.

w - wild card (random fluff headcanon)

he likes to dabble with cooking (just imagine shuichi in an apron oh wowwww).

he is a bento box lover! he will often make you them with different ingredients each time to see what you like most, and just to experiment with flavors. he is really good at it too, everything he makes for you is homemade. he takes a lot of pride in it, especially when you enjoy them! (he would be overjoyed if you made him one so you could eat together. <3)

x - xoxo (are they very affectionate? do they love to kiss and cuddle?)

while shuichi isn't the most affectionate person ever, he does love it. when the two of you are alone he will often lean his head on your shoulder, grab your hand. if he is reeeally in the mood, he loves to make out with you. his touches are usually slow and sensual. he will hook his arm around your waist, lovingly caressing your body, or rub his thumb on the back of your hand. all of his affection is displayed thoughtfully and with care.

y - yearning (how will they cope when they're missing their partner?)

for the most part, shuichi likes alone time. but, if you're gone for a long period of time, he will get a bit grumpy. sometimes it will be noticeable, but not always. if he misses you that much, he will busy himself with a book, hangout with a friend, or just fantasize about you. whether he relives old memories or creates fake scenarios in his head, that is a great way for him to cope when you're gone.

z - zeal (are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? if so, what kind?)

if you were having any kind of relationship issues, shuichi would definitely try to salvage it. however, there is a certain extent to what he would do to save it. but don't worry, he doesn't give up easily. he will give your relationship what it needs to thrive. a break, space, communication. these are all important to him. of course he doesn't want to lose you. i see shuichi as someone who won't take any bullshit, either. he will try his best to fix it.

♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧

this concludes shuichi's fluff alphabet! i hope you liked it. i'm sorry if it is a bit long, i tried to condense it just in case.

have a great day!

-mod kyoko <3

[just-a-poor-boy-queen]

In his second book, Phoebe actually confirmed that he, Jim and Joe were intentionally excluded in the making of Freddie’s legacy. A not-so-vague @ Jim Beach? “In my first book, I said that when Freddie died, his ‘family’ took him back. His blood family. But I would now like to withdraw that assertion and replace it with another which is that his blood family were allowed to take him back only temporarily, only to deal with the despatch of his earthly remains. In the last chapter..” (1/3)

“.. I pointed out that the creation of the Mercury legend had begun on the day of the funeral by the very obvious separation of friends and family. Up until that point, Freddie had always referred to the four of us at Garden Lodge, Jim, Joe, Mary and myself, as ‘the family’ but it slowly became obvious in January and February of 1992 that three of us, Jim, Joe and myself, were, as ‘the family’ unnecessary to the creation of the Mercury legend. I now realise that no one..” (2/3)

“can have two families and, with no focus and nowhere to gravitate, friends seem to slip away so easily. This process was fortunate, not for the friends or either of the families but for the unseen others. It was essential for those suddenly in charge of what was to be made ‘the legend’, that no one extraneous should have any involvement and therefore leave the myth-making process as uncomplicated as possible. Total control of the legend-making process was essential.” (3/3)

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

Oof, wow. I haven't read Phoebe's second book as yet, so this is new to me.

Firstly, fuck the homophobia. It is so apparent. This actually aligns with what Jim wrote in his book about the eviction and the erasure the garden lodge boys faced. It also aligns with Shawn (or Shaun) Matthews' (a guard at GL) account on queenzone. They were honestly treated like shit, it's so clear. And it makes me so mad on their behalf. The heterowashing is something that's still being done, via that film and the docs.

Beach did have a huge role in this, I feel. In Matthews' account, he specifically named him, and said that all the guards were asked to not interact with the boys or something, and after the end of their tenure, they were asked not to speak about anything. I mean, yeah, that could've been for the press, and as Phoebe said, they were trying to make the legend process as uncomplicated as possible, but that doesn't justify the other shit Matthews saw whilst being stationed at Garden Lodge.

I said this somewhere recently (can't remember where because I've been ranting and shitting so much since yesterday lol), but it's so ironic that these people who were responsible for making the legend of Freddie Mercury, a gay man who died of AIDS, organised an AIDS awareness concert, but were being actively homophobic towards an AIDS patient and a man with HIV at the same time. And by they I again mean Beach and co. (I don't think the rest of the band were involved in this, just to be clear). They clearly patted themselves on the back, whilst treating those who Freddie cared about, who took care of him day and night, like shit.

This quote by Phoebe is also ironic, because now he seems to have changed his opinions on a lot of things. But that's an entirely different discussion, haha. And a pretty long one.

[avenger-hawk]

Hi you have a great understanding of Sasuke's character and awesome blog. Could I ask you for tips on how to write Sasuke right in fanfiction? When I try I never seem to get him right

Hello and thanks Anon. First of all, y’all don’t get offended if I’ll destroy some of your fave tropes in fics...I don’t judge ppl writing what they want in their fics, it’s their own fic so ofc they write what they want and how they want it and if they have fun with gay-uncle-Izuna, CEOItachi and sluttySasuke good for them...but when ppl impose their OOC Sasuke (or Nar or Itachi&co) as the real thing, and boy if they do....well. Nope.

Anyway I replied to similar asks here, here and here, so I’ll copy-paste some parts. My Sasuke tag. More Sasuke meta. More headcanons. More essays tag.

Sasuke is not dominant. He’s not bossy. He’s not assertive. He’s very passive in relationships and he values individual freedom, his own and other people’s. Ppl mistake his determination in pursuing his goals with assertiveness but it’s a totally different thing. He never makes the first move with ppl, unless he has a goal and he needs them, and even when he needs them, like Taka, he never imposes his will on them. He first freed them then he asked their help for his own goal, saying that he would accept if they refused. He never imposed himself on his brother (a child wanting his big brother’s attention is not being dominant, it’s natural) and he never did it on Nar or anyone else.

Sasuke is not selfish, he is the most selfless character in the whole series. He respected people, he didn’t see himself above them. He didn’t see himself as a genius or anything. He worked hard because he had a low self esteem, he was always compared to Itachi and he always lost. He was humble enough to ask others’ help, like asking N*ruto how S*kura was able to climb the tree with chakra in the beginning, or asking Team Taka’s help to find Itachi, asking Kakashi to make him stronger and following Orochimaru for more strength. And during all these, he was thrown in his face parts of the tragic truth about Itachi and his clan and he always had to get back on his feet and fight more. His world crumbled so many times on him and yet not only he reacted but he always was able to help those around him. Not with big words like N*ruto but really, freeing Orochimaru’s prisoners, Taka, and earlier protecting his team from Gaara, protecting N*ruto from Haku, and later proitecting N*ruto from Kaguya and then protecting the whole world from her, protecting Itachi’s ideal, his sacrifice from those who threatened to make it useless. He was ready to become the world’s only enemy to keep them together, following what he thought Itachi had taught him indirectly.

Sasuke is neither possessive nor jealous. He never showed any sign of possessiveness or jealousy towards anyone. He protected Taka and N*ruto. He defended Itachi’s name, unlike too many like to think: when he threatens Danzo to stop talking about Itachi it’s not because he’s jealous but because he doesn’t want that bastard to talk shit about his perfect brother, especially cause that bastard was the reason of his ruin. He was defending his name from an enemy and it was pure and selfless, not possessive at all! Proof of this is when Hashirama praises him instead, Sasuke is happy. He likes people to speak about his brother in a good way! When they were children Itachi always dismissed Sasuke who pouted but never got really angry or jealous at Shisui for example. And at the end of the fight vs Kabuto he aknowledged Itachi’s resolve to leave even tho it broke his heart to lose him again, and he let Itachi go with the saddest face but the utmost respect.

Sasuke is not arrogant. He has a low self-esteem. He was raised in the shadow of his genius brother, he suffered for his father not noticing him, he later developed an inferiority complex towards N*ruto as well because of his quick progress, compared to his own that he perceived as slower and not enough (that’s why he joined Orochimaru). When he brags it’s not because he’s the bragging type (aka N*ruto, Kiba &co) but it’s because he’s either making fun of N*ruto, since they were rivals/friends (not to mention it’s a shounen trope) and, even more so, because he is proud of his achievements. He worked so hard always and when he created a jutsu or smth he says it. Because he has low self esteem but he’s not socially awkward or shy or whatever (see later paragraph). So he is proud of his own results. (which is also a very TE thing, for those who care about mbti stuff).

Sasuke doesn’t value his life much. This is a result of his low self-esteem, which leads to poor sense of self-preservation (to prove that he’s strong, like when he was a genin and he trained so hard,and later to pursue his goals, for which he’d give his body to Orochimaru and his life over and over). Also he is so determined to achieve his goals that he’d do anything for them. He was ready to die on many occasions in canon for this and even later, after the ending, he’s seeing himself as a tool. Also, he never really got over the sense of worthlessness first caused by his father and then by Itachi’s words the night of the massacre. Not in a real life trauma-like thing, but as a way to see himself. this means that all those stereotypical rocking back and forth, cutting, whatever behaviors are not like him, who always got back to his feet and lived, although not for himself but for his goals.

Sasuke is not bitchy or spoiled. If he was he would have a great self esteem, and he clearly showed to have a very low self esteem instead. He never made anything about him actually, as all his goals were about others, his family, his brother, and so on. He was the one who did better teamwork in team7 actually, and he protected his friends and comrades, not to mention he freed Orochimaru’s prisoners and fought for the village and its people. How is this spoiled or bitchy, and btw, bitchy ppl do get offended and he never paid attention to offenses towards him, only towards his brother.

Sasuke is neither the haughty élite type nor the shy/socially anxious/‘emo’ type. He is neither Neji nor H*nata. He is aloof, he is always lost in his own thoughts and he doesn’t care about socializing because he wants to become strong, because he cared more about his family and goals, because he cared more about their opinion than the opinion of classmates. He valued strength since the beginning, being raised the way he was raised, so he valued the praise of strong people and not of the others, unlike those who seek praise from everyone. On the other hand his being aloof doesn’t mean he can’t have normal interactions, and the fact that he doesn’t use honorifics doesn’t mean he has socialization problems. Only that he doesn’t pay attention to these things anymore. He was always pragmatic, and after the massacre he became pragmatic to an extreme level, cutting off all unnecessary things, manners included. It doesn’t mean, though, that he doesn’t respect some people (=those he deems strong. Including Team Taka). He just shows it through actions.

Sasuke is not se/xually aggressive/dominant/whatever. He is too busy with his own goals to have se/xual or romantic thoughts (unlike other characters both male and female, not just Karin but also S*kura, Ino, and ofc N*ruto). I wouldn’t define this being asexual tho, because their universe is not ours and I’m sick&tired of all the real world/Nar universe parallels. He’s passive in relationship and on many occasions he showed indifference to se/xual anything, not disgust. Just, it wasn’t his thought. Because he is on a different wavelength. So even when he told characters to not be so close to him or smth, he didn’t move away, he just told them, which kinda proves my point once more of how passive he is towards ppl and relationships, he just lets them be. On the other hand, aceSas is better than hornydominantSas that is so OOC it hurts, be it with Itachi, Nar, S*kura or whatever other girls/boys.

Most MAIN characters didn’t understand/didn’t try to understand him. The ones who understood him more are unexpectedly not his friends. Not counting Taka ofc.

Sasuke is passive. He is the yin and N*ruto is the yang. In case this isn’t clear. It’s canon. Kishi used a yin/yang parallel for him and N*ruto, so while N*ruto is yang/sun/warm/ positive/active/male principle in nature/masculine, Sasuke is yin/moon/cold/negative/passive/passive/female principle in nature/feminine. Passive doesn’t mean weak. It means receptive, adaptable, flexible, which Sasuke is, since he’s the one who adapted his life and goals to new events, truths and changes, unlike most others who just kept going their own way no matter what (see N*ruto or Itachi). Many see him as assertive because he faces every situation in a very determined manner, taking actions and deciding everything independently. But being an independent thinker has nothing to do with being assertive or passive. I say he’s passive because he actually always reacts to what life (or Itachi) throws at him, every time. His reactions are quick and strategic, so it’s easy to miss this, but still, again, Itachi or N*ruto actively engage the environment and life, and influence other people, not Sasuke. He’s also passive with people, in relatioships. He never seeks anyone unless it’s for practical reasons, he only reacts to them approaching him. And he reacts in a very calm way, quite mild compared to how determined and detached he is, considering that a lot of characters invade his personal space or more, in the whole series. When he chases after Itachi it’s because he’s his younger brother and it’s natural for them, and mostly because Itachi set up his life so that he would focus on him, still it’s Itachi who is assertive, and he reacts in return. He makes a deal with Orochimaru, to obtain strength and give him his body in return. When he forms Team Taka, before asking their help, he first gives them freedom and only then he asks them to join him, making it clear that he won’t force them if they’ll refuse. He gives them something before asking something in return. This is not just a passive thing but something more because he is not selfish, like I said before.

Sasuke is an independent thinker. Unlike other smart thinkers like Itachi or Madara, to whom the story associated him, Sasuke was kept in the dark about many things, so he developed his own view of the world later, but when he did it was original and unique, just like his fighting style and strategy.

Sasuke is private about his thoughts and feelings but he’s also honest about them. Itachi is mysterious and not honest about his feelings, not him. He is aloof, it’s different. Just because he doesn’t trust many people and he’s lost in his own thoughts it doesn’t mean he is a shoujo mysterious character lol.

Sasuke is goal oriented. He does whatever it takes to achieve his goals. He would have given his body as a vessel for Orochimaru, not caring about what would happen to him, as long as he could have his revenge. He would have lived an eternity in solitude so that the world would have lived in peace. And, again, his goals are never about himself.

Sasuke wanted to die after he killed Itachi, but then when he woke up and was told the truth he had another purpose, and so he lived on.

Sasuke admires and respects strength but he’s not power thirsty. He wanted to become strong because he wanted to be worthy of Itachi and his father, than because he had to avenge his clan, then he had to avenge Itachi. It’s because he had low self-esteem and was selfless that he sought power. He wanted to be beside his father and brother, not to surpass them, actually. It’s Itachi who talked about surpassing.

Sasuke is very smart and logical, but he is easily manipulated with the right arguments. Like using Itachi, or appealing to his low self esteem, his feeling of worthlessness, his emotions. Because people who are logical are actually not emotionless. In fact they have a hard time controlling their emotions when they feel strongly, and this can be seen clearly every time Sasuke loses control. He becomes more impulsive than N*ruto who instead gets calmer, because he’s more in touch with his emotions (lol ofc he is, everything is always about his own emotions and feelings). Sasuke puts his feelings and emotions aside to reach his goals, he acts logically and pragmatically, he observes, makes plans, finds the better ways to do things, no matter how hard or dangerous for him they are. He has logical arguments even though they appear ‘crazy’ to other characters, and it’s sad to see how in the end he was belittled by N*ruto, as if his arguments were meaningless, they were not addressed at all, just deemed wrong, not with counterarguments but with illogical emotion based words that just made him feel unstable, as it happens when you have logical arguments and they tell you ‘you’re just depressed, you don’t get things right’.

In the end, he was tamed into submission. He was defeated, put in jail, isolated, guilt tripped and berated because of his ideals and goals, denied the justice he rightfully demanded.

All these can be observed directly. Others, more subtle things about him I wrote here, towards the end of this long post.

[masterthespianduchovny]

I may have made a post about this before, but I truly struggle with Scully/Other stories, which is why I tend to stay away from them.

I always have to spoil myself because usually it follows the logic that Mulder should be lucky Scully choose him in the end. Which, to be honest, is viewer logic and not Scully logic.

Typically these S/O have Scully "empower" herself and "take back her life." She sees how much she gave up and Mulder needs to earn her or not fuck up and risk losing her.

And it's like...Scully wouldn't view any potential relationship with Mulder that way, IMO, even if she broke up with someone to be with Mulder. Her relationship and feelings for Mulder are so special and sacred to her. Scully knows he messes up and can be an ass at times, but his heart is there.

Although Scully can stand her ground with Mulder, when it comes to her feelings she'd definitely be vulnerable no matter how much she improved her life. Being with Mulder is a big step and I can't imagine her viewing him like that: Don't fuck up, Mulder, or I'll leave you in a second flat.

She'd definitely have her boundaries and express her expectations with Mulder, however, this "you better be lucky I chose you, Mulder" Scully that many writers have Scully believe, totally takes me out of the story.

It also doesn't mean I want to read about Scully dating assholes either. I guess some people in the fandom want to prove that Scully can have it all and the perfect guy, so her being with Mulder is a choice and not her only option. But it gives, "I can do better, but I choose you, Mulder; be lucky I didn't stay with the other guy."

I like my Scully's conflicted not because she has the perfect guy, but because as much as she enjoys this man, there is something about Mulder she can't shake. Something about Mulder that she has to see through. I like her considering staying because she's scared of what her and Mulder can be.

Sure there are other interpretations of Scully and I'm not saying my opinion is the right opinion, I'm just always miffed when I read "Mulder better be lucky" interpretations, especially because that's not the Scully we saw.

This is where Scully taking back control of her life comes in, however, Scully taking back control of her life would also likely be her being forward and honest with Mulder about her feelings. Nervously telling Mulder how she feels and saying, "Well...I believe you feel the same. I want to be with you, Mulder. I think we've waited long enough."

Scully doesn't have to say to Mulder she could be happy with another man because it's unnecessary and Mulder likely already believes that. This is not about what she left behind or hypotheticals with other men, this moment, her revealing her feelings to Mulder, is about what they can have and finally putting their cards on the table.

I know people want Scully to have an option (all while loathing the same for Mulder, which is honestly weird because he's more isolated than her), but I don't mind it because Scully didn't want options, she wanted Mulder. However, I don't think she pined over Mulder, I believe Scully was in a place where she wasn't interested in actively dating and she didn't understand the full scope and complexities of her feelings for Mulder. Their relationship was intense, confusing, and unconventional. It takes time and perspective to understand those types of relationships.

We see Scully put her career and Mulder first when she declines another date with Rob to go listen to a professor talk about paranormal shit on her off time. Scully dated, but she wanted to be challenged by her career, which top priority. At the same time, she was so intrigued by Mulder, she allowed him to seep into the crevices of her personal life and career ambitions. She wanted him to trust and invest in her and exposed herself to him, which in turn made them become entangled and lost in each other.

Scully finding out she had cancer understandably sent in her in a tailspin. Mulder had consumed so much of her life, personal and professional, that he cannot differentiate where his ends and hers begins. This is when Scully becomes annoyed and uncomfortable about the lack of concrete boundaries. How dare he make assumptions on her life? But most importantly, she starts thinking about her legacy and the mark she left not on the world, but in Mulder's life. He says she's important to him, but she doesn't even have a desk. He bosses her around (their power dynamic is more complicated than that because they operate as partners and implicitly hand over the reigns when necessary).

She got too comfortable and let her guard down and needs to rebel to assert her power. Mulder instantly went from the bad boy to an authority/father figure when Scully realized how smart, capable, and sane he was. She placed a title on him that he didn't ask for, which is why he's confused by her rebellion. This isn't to argue that Scully was wrong, it's to say Scully projected things on Mulder than he never saw himself as and largely didn't treat her the way she viewed.

So she rebels with Ed. She likes doing something out of character and not expected. Scully is doing what she wants and not what's expected. What's fascinating to me are the people who believed that Ed deserved a second chance. Scully and Ed had no real shot of ever being more than that one night. For starters, Scully was rebelling and Ed was the right person to act out with. When Scully centered herself again, even if Ed hadn't attacked her, she would've ended things and that's assuming she allowed the encounter to be more than her Philadelphia trip. They were doomed from the beginning because Scully wasn't herself and she needed an outlet. His temperament, pre poison, wasn't compatible with her normal temperament.

After Scully reveals her cancer diagnosis to Mulder, things return back to normal. She's accepted that she has cancer and wants things to go back to normal. That's how she can control her fate even though she isn't long for the world.

Scully's journey after cancer is first accepting her life as is, and then understanding this was where she was meant to be. She was happy, but caught up in "what ifs." She was concerned about why she didn't want the life other women her age wanted and had. Like, yeah, she wanted kids, but she had no desire for a stereotypical life.

I'm not against Scully having (female) friends, however many fanfic writers try to have her have a roaring social life when they go down the "taking back control over my life" narrative. Some people have very full lives with one or two friends and being homebodies. With the life Scully lived, I can imagine her being content being in the house and occasionally socializing with the outside world

As I've said months ago, Scully asking Mulder to get out of the car wasn't abut wanting a normal life, but wanting moments of normalcy with Mulder. She's asking a man obsessed with work to slow down and enjoy life, but really, she's unknowingly asking him to slow down and enjoy life with her. Because why is she in the car on her off day? She could be doing anything else. Mulder didn't make her get in the car.

Just like in HTGSC, why did she show up to a haunted house on Christmas Eve? Admittedly, Mulder did steal her keys, but the point is: she showed up. Then later admitted that she was there because she wanted to be there.

Scully lived a life that it's hard to regularly hang out with people who don't "get it."

Again, I'm all for Scully having friends and I even don't have an issue with reading S/O to MSR, but some people's interpretations just don't gel with how I see Scully and how she navigates the world.

[kumoriyami-xiuzhen]

Otomate Party 2019 Piofiore no Banshou: December 31, 1925 drama

So... I ended up translating this as a favour owed to someone who I got to borrow a switch from before I got my own. Haven’t actually played piofiore so I might have used different words for the chars as opposed to what’s  in the game (please tell me if you think something should be changed since I strive to match the game text). 

This is likely going to be the only piofiore translation i do since I found nothing aside from some of the stories that came from a store bonus booklet which ended up being translated and put in to copy-able text that I could read....  and I have no interest in going further out of my way to hurt my hand by writing out the text from any more dramas from a fandom I don’t really have any interest in... as I already did so for this. 

anyway, I translate from Chinese into English so this may not be 100% accurate. the video for this has now been moved to my private blog.

Piofiore no Banshou: December 31, 1925

Translation by KumoriYami

Nicola: no one's here yet, though this is definitely the agreed upon time. Well, it is New Year's Eve today. If no one comes after midnight, I'll just head back.

(door creaks open)

Gilbert: ~hums~ haha yo, nicola!

Nicola: Hello, that really was quite an entrance, Gilbert. Have you been drinking?

Gilbert: I haven't/No [check audio], I just recently met interesting man at a/the bar who dreams of going to the moon. It was incredible, like we weren't strangers at all.

(door creaks open)

Yang: What, surprisingly no on is here yet, and it seems that I'm early.

Gilbrt: Noo, you're totally late, late at the clock, Yang.

Yang: In any case you were also late, Redford

Nicola: Can you stop being late all the/every time?

Yang: As always, you have such a strong sense of time, Francesca. Are you really from this country?

Nicola: How rude. My family is of pure Italian descent, regardless of how far many generations back you go/regardless of how far back you go.

Gilbert: Ah, what happened to Dante? I don't see him.

Nicola: Ah, Dante, he was taken by our consultant.

Gilbert: Does that mean he'll be arriving late?

Nicola: Drinking to much— it'll cause a certain .... you understand?

Gilbert: That's true, although that hasn't been exaggerated/that's no exaggeration, the situation still hasn't reached that staged.

Yang: Ha......This is terrible. Why is it that on the last day of the year I must see a man's face/Why do I have to see a man's face until the end of the last day of the year?

Nicola: That's what I should be saying. Well, it was pretty nice to say hello to that child anyway.

Yang: As expected of Francesca, you're simply full of impure motives/bad ideas/have/are a collection of bad ideas.

Nicola: Yang [check audio might have written name down incorrectly], can you say that to me/do you have the right to say that to me?

Yang: I'll be taking that woman/That woman will brought back by me anyway so you should give up.

Gilbert: What are you saying, Yang. Also no one asked for your opinion.

Nicola: That's right, that child isn't yours.

Gilbert: Right, just as Nicola says, she's interested in me, so don't do anything unnecessary.

Nicola: That's right, she's Gilbert's— eh?

Gilbert: eh?

Nicola: Who do you think is interested in whom?

Gilbrt: Ahaha, don't make me repeat this since I'll feel embarrassed. She's already to go out on a date with me.

The two of us went to a gelato store overlooking the coast/sea...

Nicola: Isn't that just eating gelato in the same place? You can't be certain that she's interested in you.

Gilbert: Oh? What's wrong? Are you jealous/feeling bitter? Nicola.

(Yang’s VA starts walking away)

Nicola: For adults on a date to actually go to a gelato store [parlour] by the ocean, it's completely tasteless with zero sense of sentiment involved.

Yang: Hm...

Nicola: By the way, last week that child and I enjoyed an evening at a nice and stylish bar.

gilbert. Oh.

Yang: ah, there's a split end

Gilbert: Ha! Isn't that just inviting someone to a simple dinner?

I mean, she's also lived at my home.

Nicola: That was since she couldn't do anything about it after you begged her, and was only pressured into do so.

Right! Before that, she specifically made me some desserts as a consolation.

Giilbert: That wasn't just for you. It was for Dante and Leo.

nicola: keh

Yang: Ah, I don't know when a scratch got onto the pipe.

gilbert: [Anyway?] Yang! 

Yang!

Yang: What.

Gilbert: Why aren't you showing any interest in this?

Yang: Because it's extremely boring, and I can't help it.

Besides, even if you want to argue

Wouldn't it be hard for you both to compete with me, who has already slept in that woman's room?

Nicola: eh, eh, ha, eh—?

Yang: I slept there.

nicola: eh?

Yang: The bed in that room was so bad, it's not even worth mentioning.

Nicola: [you know that] Using force is a crime/Used force to commit a crime? Yang.

Gilbert: Ah, wai-wait, wait,  hold it, Nicola.

That guy literally broke into her room without permission and slept there, that's all!

Nicola: Even though that was an unsuccessful attempt, wouldn't it be better to send him off here? In order to ensure her safety.

Gilbert: No, why are you always so quick to anger /why do you have such a short temper becomes so low when Yang is involved

Yang: che, how boring. In the end though, what's wrong? A man who makes a woman wait isn't a man, is he?

Gilbert: No, no, she's not waiting for you.

Nicola: nn, she's waiting for me.

Gilbert: No, no, that's also not right.

Yang: It's a pity, but I'm still the one who makes that woman most happy.

Nicola: If you don't want to compete, why don't you go back? Gilbert?

Gilbert: Ngh... Really, why are you bothersome.

Of course my desire to touch her is no less than how much you want tooooooooo

Nicolata: Gilbert, what the hell are you trying/asserting—

Ah, you, since when were you over there?

Yang: I see, it's no wonder why someone's gaze could be felt from the start of this until now

Gilbert: No, if you noticed, say something earlier, Yang!

Yang: So when did you start eavesdropping?

Nicola: from the very beginning, everything....

Gilbert: ...if it's true, there's no way around it

Nicola: Eh, wait, Gilbert?

Gilbert: When I see you smile, my heart becomes heated.

I want to touch you, and to hold you, regardless of where

Of course, even now.

I sincerely mean this.

Although we're only friends right now, I truly would like to have a special relationship with you one day

From now on, I will ask that you please be aware of my feelings.

Nicola: hey, hey, wa-wait a moment, Gilbert, why are you suddenly talking about love?

Gilbert: Hm? What's so strange about that?

yang: I think the the development just now was a little strange. 

Gilbert: I didn't say these words as a joke.

I want to tell people what I truly feel, and to the woman I love -

nicola: I don't think those are words that can be excused/forgiven for such a reason. You see, she also—

Huh?

yang: ...You have a somewhat approving mood to this/You’re slightly receptive to this?

Gilbert: You see, a man needs to be honest, remember that well

Yang: Thanks for your guidance, so what will you be doing? Francesca.

Nicola: What's going on?/What?

Yang: Do you want Redford to enjoy himself? Why don't you say one or two passionate words of courtship?

Nicola: Aren't you clearing enjoying the excitement/this?

Gilbert: Hehe! Don't force it, Nicola. Even you aren't able to love in the way I do.

Yang: What, Francesca? Are you not going to say anything?

Nicola: When it comes to that, I naturally also have feelings I want to convey

I think I'm messing around with you to some extent, but aren’t you always messing around with me?

I shouldn't be taking this seriously, and I understand that from the bottom of my heart.

I'm in the Mafia, and you're an ordinary girl.

There are countless reasons I can list for why we can't be together

even so, this is a real headache/dilemma.

For the first time, whenever I'm in your presence, I can't do what I want.

I love you, signorina.

Gilbert: Oh. Eh. Th-Th-That reaction was quite intense, so.. what will you do? Between myself and Nicola, who do you want to choose?

Yang: there's no need to ask such a question, Redford. Because that woman is already mine/my thing from the start.

Nicola: But I don't think any girl would choose a savage man like Yang?

Yang: Whatever you say. Fine. I'll accept your provocation.

Oi, you, become my woman.

Gilbert: Why would you start with something so thoughtless...

Nicola: I'd doubt your common sense, though there never was any common sense in Yang's dictionary in the first place/though, in the first place, there never was any common sense in your dictionary, Yang [check audio].

Yang: Shut up, don't interrupt me.

I hate cheap women who grovel, and having said that, it goes without saying that women who show fear are also boring.

I'd kill women who bore me, so you should actually look forward to it/this.

Perhaps you'll be a good toy to stop me from being bored.

How is that? If you come to my side, you will have a taste of a whole new world.

Should I take you back now and show you what it's like?

Adult games, that kind of stuff—

Nicola: okay okay okay, stop there!

Gilbert: On top of that, we can't go further than that/that's not going to work

nicola?: eh?

Gilbert: Would you have already been stabbed if Orlok was here?

Nicola: He'd/It'd be very nice if he went home.

Yang: Hah... what a noisy bunch. I'd have immediately brought her back if i knew it'd be like this.

Sweet words are enough in bed—

Gilbert: That's enough, Yang.

Yang: What are you doing, let me go

Gilbert: Who's going  to let you go. As soon as I l do that, you'll say something stupid.

No, [instead,] we really shouldn't have met on New Year's Eve.

Nicola: In the end, there was simply no time to talk about work. Let's wait for a new opportunity to find time to do so later.

Gilbert: Ah, that's fine. Goodbye, Nicola. Alright, you're going back Yang!

Yang: There's no helping it then. I'll go back for today, but next year, I will make you mine/my thing [东西 is usually translated into "thing' or "stuff" in chinese... tho from what i’ve read, i kinda thing "toy" would work? might just leave it at  'mine'].

Gilbert: Ah, that's enough!

Nicola: okay okay, buon anno, have a good new year~

On this street [alt: district? check gameplay videos], we welcomed a peaceful day.

But as members of the mafia, a hated and loathed existence, this peace [of ours/now] will not last forever.

In a few moments the new year will be here. It will surely have trials that that haven't been thought of.

But, I will protect you until the very end.

(bell starts ringing)

Ah, it's here, the new year

1926, it's about to start—

-----end -----

images cut from video of the 2020 otomate new title party tho this drama was originally from the 2019 otomate party... i think?

[ambitionsource]

hi can we get some zaley friendship headcanons whenever you're free? ☺️

im not the best at headcanons just bc of the way my brain functions but im gonna do my best for you, sunny my friend. let’s go zay and riley let’s go!

thrift shop buddies!! one of the most common ways that they hang out is definitely going thrifting. considering they arguably have the two most eclectic wardrobes on the show, this makes sense. esp i fully believe they’re the perfect people to thrift shop with where they encourage each other to try on everything, even if it seems outlandish (and sometimes even more in those moments). that’s the only way to really get some good finds! and i feel like, beyond S1, when they wear items for performances in the show that are clearly unique / seem thrifted, it’s more than 50% likely the other helped them pick it out at some point

on this note, i think that they both have really good senses of what looks good on the other bc they spend this time together, probably better than anyone else (yes, including their significant others. not that that’s hard, since both of their significant others have notoriously bland fashion). like even when theyre not out together i can totally imagine them seeing something and being like “oh this is so riley / zay” and getting it for each other. they know each other’s sizes and have like an ongoing swap credit system gfJSKHJDLFH

riley and zay usually run performance by the other person before they perform them for the class / at an audition. like they find a specific time (usually during breakout sessions during class) to get in front of the other person and run them through their concept + do a run-through for them. they just really appreciate the other’s perspective, especially since they tend to complement each other -- zay is able to identify places where riley could heighten things or add some flair or just like... assert her talent more lmao, whereas riley helps zay pull back on some of his more overwhelming instincts when necessary or find the moments to truly lean in emotionally rather than blowing us out of the water the whole time

if we could actually Watch the show, i guarantee 9/10 times when riley or zay is performing, we would cut to the other enjoying the performance. like theyre always bobbing their head along and truly feelin the other’s performances. excellent vibes luv!

i also think they harmonize well with each other, which is why its kind of a shame they dont do more performances together within the context of assignments (as for why, couldn’t tell you... it might just be a weird psychological thing of like i have These people i perform with when it matters and these who are just for fun... like maybe zay and riley tend to see each other as easygoing comfortable duet partners and thats why they try not to overdo putting pressure on it). but yeah they absolutely have days where they just hang out in one of the rehearsal studios and play around on the piano and try to find ways to harmonize on their favorite songs. this is some of the best singing riley ever does, bc its so low stakes and fun

i also think that honestly, zay really helps strengthen riley’s vocals over the time they’re friends -- especially early on. riley is someone with good raw talent but she’s never thought about honing it seriously prior to joining aaa, whereas zay has been on a career mindset since he was little. so he is good at teaching her like small technique things or helping her expand her range and she really values that esp bc hes so selfless about giving it, but it doesnt come off naggy or unnecessary like maya’s advice often does

sometimes it can be hard for them to find songs they both wanna sing though bc their music taste is so different. i think they have like three small categories where their favorites overlap -- select big names (sza, chloe x halle), jazz / old-time crooners (frank sinatra, nina simone, and the like), and select musical theater. but i think this is mainly on zay, bc he’s much more picky about music than riley who will give anything a listen without much nudging. as we know zay likes to pick on his friends’ music taste (like charlie and harry styles / 1d) and i don’t think riley would escape this affectionate teasing. they exchange song recs and riley gives him like her usual piano ballad-y sara bareilles tswift rachael yamagata energy and shes like oh yes, another piano ballad and hes like STOP!!! JUST LISTEEEENNNN GFSJKLHJFDSKLHKDLFH

that said though, they’re definitely go-to friends when it comes to like checking out a new local artist or coffeeshop open mic nights. this is probably a typical zay / riley / yindra outing

zay doesn’t spend a ton of time watching tv bc “he has better things to do with his time,” but riley and zay are definitely the type to watch a show together. like not always Together, but they’ll try to keep up with each other so that they can talk about it (and riley has to try really hard not to keep binging and get way ahead of zay). theyre good at this bc they can have really intense and opinionated conversations about it but in a way where its like safe and neither of them feel like theyre actually being judged / are stupid if they disagree (something thats not common for riley, and zay usually is trying to discuss media with super strong personalities who aren’t great at Debating).

in general, though, they tend to agree on favorite characters / relationships. for example, they both hate rachel berry -- which always gets maya and farkle extremely heated if they’re around. i can only imagine why...

they’re also definitely safe-space vent people for each other. they don’t use the privilege all that often bc i think both of them try to like keep their cool and not get hung up about things, but if they really just have to pop off about something they know they can go to the other person and they’ll actually Listen and keep it under wraps rather than either spilling it to everyone else and/or immediately trying to problem solve rather than just listening to the Emotions. and it’s helpful bc for the most part, their friends don’t actually really overlap that much, so they don’t really like harbor the emotions the other person unloads on them or let it affect their dynamics with other people? like riley can talk about dasher and zay can talk about yingel without it having any ripple consequences bc theyre different circles.

for example, i can totally see riley talking to zay about how she feels like -- at first -- asher doesn’t really like her and won’t really let her in and like he doesn’t want her to join the friend group (even tho that isn’t really true). like she can’t talk to dylan about it bc she’s not going to put him in that position and she’s not foolish enough to think that’s a good idea, she can’t talk to lucas about it bc he like doesn’t get stuff like that gFJKHGLFJSDLH and also he has such a set impression of asher it would be hard for him to understand it from her perspective. zay has none of that, so hes a good person to listen to her nerves about it.

the only times this gets kind of complicated / janky is in the midst of zay x charlie stuff where riley is kind of unintentionally (or, sometimes, intentionally) in the middle. like, zay trusts her not to go telling charlie what he says about him, but he knows they’re good friends too, and its an awkward position to put her in. but still, i think when zay is really hurt or frustrated he’ll snap sometimes and just vent out all his anger about charlie to riley in one foul swoop, and she’ll just absorb it like a sponge without judgment and then not bring it up again. but you can also see little ways where this puts pressure on their friendship, like how when he was drunk in 304 zay expressed resentment towards the fact that riley also talks to charlie and sometimes he feels like she puts him first, even though that isn’t true. it’s just..... a very very complicated (and interesting, if emotional) situation with that trio.

that being said, when things are Good, i think that zay feels comfortable talking about his significant others (including charlie) with riley. he doesn’t really get too Detailed about anything personal or anything, but they definitely discussed charlie in s2 in the small window of time where riley knew and zc wasn’t actively imploding LMAO. on the flip side, riley doesn’t really talk to zay about her relationships, but only bc her relationship is lucas GJFSKLJHLKDJHFLDSH. like anyone else she’d be like okay sure this is fine but she knows zay finds lucas annoying 65% of the time and talking about him in a romantic context grosses him out so she respects that LMAOOOO. hysterical

in general, if they’re gonna hang out, they usually go to either a local coffee shop they like (like svorskis) or each other’s houses. its kind of a relief to have a person they can just take anywhere and have around their parents with no trouble at all, considering both of them are used to having a boyfriend who cant be seen in their house (for different reasons). and theyre comfortable enough that like i think when they hang out at their houses, they just spread out in the living area of both bc theyre not hiding anything, its like very lowkey and comfortable

that being said, riley doesnt spend much time in zay’s usual studio at school. most people don’t, its a place zay now likes to be alone (and it feels weird with someone else being there who isnt charlie)

as for how they come off to their families, the babineauxs love riley. jada has met her a couple of times and thinks she’s super sweet + zay could afford to learn a thing or two from her like how to chill the fuck out (cue zay going shut the fuck up). donna is excited that zay has another friend who isn’t batshit intense about stuff like maya / farkle, she figures yindra has the diva best friend role covered and zay needs more friends like nigel and riley to ground him. she’s right about this.

cory likes zay, but he also does have some prejudices from the teaching perspective about how zay doesn’t pay attention in class half the time and blows off his assignments -- but this isn’t partially because cory isn’t a great teacher and his assignments suck. so the feeling is mutual, tho zay gets along better with cory in a neutral, polite sense than say, asher and dylan, where it’s like guerilla psychological warfare. topanga has no opinion about zay bc riley doesn’t introduce her friends to her (wisely).

they’re still very common lunch buddies. essentially when riley isn’t eating with the techies (which is only when lucas is there usually) or bothering lucas in the booth once a week, she’s with zay (which usually also means nigel, yindra, and farkle, though not always)

ultimately, i think that when someone asks riley who her best friend is, her mind will always jump to zay first. not even because theyre necessarily the closest at any given time, but because he really was her first life raft at aaa and he extended that kindness to her in a moment where she was so used to being brushed aside, talked over, ridiculed -- and you don’t forget that. it stays with you. so when she thinks about her Best Friend, speed round answer, he will always come to mind first. i think she greatly admires his skillful balance of confidence and compassion, his sarcastic sense of humor, the way he gets so passionate about dance and music and how these elements come together, and his inarguable kindness that is at his core and so fundamental to everything he does (even when his more known reputation is a bit more barbed and witty).

on the flip side, i think riley came into zay’s life at the exact moment he needed it. we know he felt isolated in s1, and even though i think he thinks of nigel and yindra as his first-to-mind best friends, riley was a breath of fresh air who allowed him to be himself with someone who wasnt going to judge him on past decisions or impressions. just like he gave her the chance to define herself in his eyes with his extension of company on that first day, she does the same for him by not making assumptions about him and learning who he is on their terms. i think she’s also just a really great, measured system of support -- she’s not busting his balls or keeping him in check like yindra and nigel do (except when its really needed, like 304), but she isn’t as in awe / romanticized with him like charlie. i think he appreciates that he can go to her for an honest perspective, but she’ll take the care to deliver that honesty in a gentle way. it’s like, he’s tough enough to take a hit, but sometimes its nice to know you have someone who will be kind with you even then.

that’s what is at the core of their friendship overall. kindness.

-- Maggie

[onceuponakdrama]

Crash Landing On You KDrama Review

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Bingo Card for Crash Landing On You

Synopsis: Yoon Se Ri [Son Yejin] is an heiress to a conglomerate in South Korea. One day, while paragliding, an accident caused by strong winds (and a tornado) leads her to make an emergency landing in North Korea. There, she meets Ri Jeong Hyuk [Hyun Bin], who is a North Korean army officer. He tries to protect her and hide her. Soon, Lee Jung Hyuk falls in love with Yoon Se Ri. 

Overall Main Plot: Rating - 8 out of 10

I was actually pretty invested throughout the entire drama. There wasn’t much I skipped, unless it was giving me secondhand embarrassment. Seeing the divide between the North and the South actually came into play for more than just the romance; there was the tension and threat that Cho Cheol Gang and the military director that come into play with the power dynamics. It was also interesting to see how was affected by the political relations, not to mention the role Se Ri plays as an heiress and CEO and Jeong Hyuk as the son of the Military Bureau. It did make things more dramatic, especially since when one was in the North vs the South and they weren’t allowed to be there and the risk of getting caught made things interesting. However, there were a few aspects that made me a bit tired. 

First things first: the whole plot with Cho Cheol Gang was drawn out for too long. It wasn’t really clear as to why he was so obsessed with taking the Ri family down other than to gain more power. The writers kind of wanted to try to give him some sympathy when he was talking about how he had nothing to lose because he grew up as a child beggar, but it was not working on me. I only felt upset when he died because he wasn’t going to be punished for the rest of his life for targeting Se Ri. If he was going to die, it should’ve been earlier. Anyways, I got really tired of him as the antagonist and the writers should’ve taken care of him earlier or made him more interesting as a character rather than just the antagonist. 

In the beginning, it was actually a really good pace. My only thing about Se Ri in the North was the fact that it took so long for her to get back. I understood that it’s not easy for her to get back, but they dragged it out for so long and I felt disappointed when they couldn’t get her over. I know it was also supposed to set up the couple and have them spend time together, but I was more invested in the fact that Se Ri was supposed to inherit the family fortune and company and I was interested as to how she was going to get that back and she couldn’t get it unless she returned. I don’t know though; that was just my opinion. 

Characters: Rating - 9 out of 10 

↣ Yoon Se Ri [played by Son Yejin]: okay, I absolutely loved her. She gave me major Cheon Song Yi vibes. Her confidence, her vibes, and her everything made me simp so hard for her. I also loved her development on her thoughts on romance and family. It’s very clear through the comparisons of having her wait for someone, relying on someone to help her, etc. I love an independent woman, but I also love seeing her understand that she doesn’t have to be strong all the time, especially considering how much bullshit her family put her through. I also loved that she had a life for herself in North Korea as well because she made friends with the ahjumma ladies from the neighborhood. There’s just so much I loved from her character and growth and I felt so much for her. 

↣ Ri Jeong Hyuk [played by Hyun Bin]: okay, I have never loved a man more. I know most of the viewers felt the same about him in the sense that he’s such a soft character and, at the same time, a strong character. He also had great development too, in the sense that he opened himself up to love and vulnerability that he didn’t get to feel after his brother died. He also felt that sense of responsibility to protect someone he loved because he was unable to protect his brother. God, I just have so many feelings for him. I loved him as a character and how soft he was for Se Ri and his comrades. But there was also the side where he was so charismatic and.... wow. What a man. 10/10 would recommend. 

↣ Gu Seongjun [played by Kim Junghyun]: I felt conflicted about him. I felt bad for him as time went and felt even worse when he was killed. It was still a good character though because he also had a lot of development and it was clear he was conflicted about the things he was doing and things he was seeing. I was also interested as to his relation with Se Ri; I liked it when the three teamed up, but I wished we got a chance for Se Ri to know that Seongjun passed—he did help her out after all and she let him go after he stole her brother’s money. The writers should’ve given him a happy ending, whether it’s faking his death to escape North Korea or something. He deserved so much better. 

↣ Seo Dan [played by Seo Jihye]: for Seo Dan, it took a while for me to like her because she was centrally framed as the second female lead that just wanted to break up the main couple. She was similar to Se Ri, in the sense that she was very confident about herself and knew how to assert herself—but she was just so insecure when it came to Jeong Hyuk and that made me upset. She also was written as the “I saw him first” girl and I did not like that. I was also upset that instead of giving her a chance of happiness with Seongjun, the writers killed off her love interest for her to be more secure about being single. There’s nothing wrong with her being single, but I don’t think she should learn that as her love interest died in her arms, like. Bruh. 

Personal Notes: I absolutely loved the ducklings squad (Captain Ri’s comrades) and their dynamics with both Se Ri and Jeong Hyuk. I felt so bad for them when they were being separated and then when they were wandering around Seoul because Se Ri would have really taken care of everything for them. I also loved Man Bok and how he was just listening to these conversations and reacting to them. I’m so glad he got the happiness he so deserved and got to move past Cheol Gang. I also loved seeing the side stories with the ahjumma ladies and how they were surviving. At first, they felt like average Asian moms, but seeing as to how they were all close and how they cared for one another melted my heart. There were so many good characters, protagonists and antagonists, because they all played some role with the plot and their relationships with the main characters. 

Romance: Rating - 9 out of 10 

Oh my God. I can’t remember the last time I rooted so hard for a couple. I absolutely loved them and I cried so hard during the last episode. From the separation, the stand-off, and when they got back together.... there was just so much to root for. I already said this, but seeing Jeong Hyuk be so protective of Se Ri and vice versa was so cute—especially since they didn’t really have someone to be there for them before. All of their scenes are absolutely precious. The only reason it wasn’t a 10 out of 10 was when Jeong Hyuk tried to do the stupid kdrama thing and dump her to protect her, only to cause her to collapse and she falls ill. Other than that small note, they were very refreshing—their chemistry was clear (as noted, considering the actors are dating irl) and I think the writers did a good job of making the audience root for them to get together even though it was nearly impossible considering the political relations between the North and the South. We love a forbidden romance. 

Second Plot/B-Plot and Secondary Characters: Rating - 8 out of 10

I felt that there were some characters that could have been better written, even if they were secondary characters. These mainly include antagonists, but Seo Dan is also kind of included (as noted on the character section). Again, I really loved the little found family aspect (the one with the soldiers and the ones with the neighborhood ladies) and seeing as to how they progress throughout the drama. There were a lot of side characters I liked and understood. However, some of the antagonists really felt a bit unnecessary. I know they’re written to be unlikable, but some of them were really questionable. The major question is directed at some of the higher officers: what did they have against Ri Jeong Hyuk and why was he constantly targeted? There was no real motivation. I get that it’s supposed to drive the plot, but it didn’t really contribute anything major and felt unneeded. Other than that, I loved all the other side characters and seeing their lives progress as time goes—it was also interesting to see as to how it connected with the major pieces or branched from the major plot. One other note I wanted to include was Seo Dan’s family and how supportive they were. Her mom was kind of annoying at first, but, by the end of the day, she actually just wanted her daughter to be happy and nothing else mattered and I loved that. Her uncle was hilarious and seeing their little family dynamic was good comedic relief compared to what else was happening in the drama. 

Additional Notes: 

The Scenery/Atmosphere - I really loved the camera work and the colors of the scenes. While dramas like Record of Youth had a nice aesthetic, I think the colors was something that was really nice and worked really well. You can see this specifically when Se Ri goes from South Korea to North Korea. It’s really the attention to details that got me and seeing how the physical environment shaped the drama. 

I mentioned it earlier but I’m still upset that they killed off Seongjun, especially after all that build-up they had for him. They really killed him off on the 15th episode on a series that was 16 episodes long. This just sucked considering how much he had helped out Se Ri and Jeong Hyuk, along with his developing relationship with Seo Dan. It felt like the writers were testing out to see what would happen if they did kill off someone for the sake of the drama. The writers kind of screwed up on that one. 

The Ending - I personally really liked it. It was realistic in the sense that they couldn’t be together because of where they came from, but there was some of plan for them to get together eventually. It was heartbreaking to see them separate, but it was bound to happen. I did like the idea of them getting together in the place that brought them together—although the year long text messages made me cry and the waiting for him to show up broke me. It was still very satisfactory for the main couple and we already know my thoughts on the secondary couple [they 100% deserved better]. 

Overall Rating: 9 out of 10

Recommended? 

↣ Yes: I think there’s a lot to like about this drama. It’s very romance-centered with very likable characters that you root for. There’s a lot of tropes used, but it actually works. There’s also the aspect of found family vs blood-family, considering how rich families function and those who actually cared about Se Ri. There were also a lot of interesting side plots, so you would never be bored watching the drama throughout. Many twists and turns take place and it made for good entertainment; again, it was kind of tropey, but the writers kind of were just giving the audience what they wanted, so I can’t complain. 

↣ No: there’s a lot of political context, if you want a drama more focused on the romance and romance alone, you probably shouldn’t watch it. Some of the side plot focused on the North Korean military and it did bore me, but you had to pay attention because it actually mattered to the major plot. There are also some parts where it feels exhausting to watch, such as the beginning relationship of the main male lead and the secondary female lead, there’s the pop-up proposal from Seongjun (which came out of nowhere), the fake break-up sequences to try to protect one another, etc. There’s also a lot of emphasis on the heir fortune, so that means a lot of family drama that involves near attempted murder—which is also frustrating to watch. There also should have been a trigger warning, in the sense that Se Ri had a depression period, to where she was borderline suicidal. If you can’t handle any of these things, I don’t suggest watching it.