#even when it's just a couple layers of thoughts and 2 soundtracks or whatever

[whitleyschn33]

RWBY7 Soundtrack

Should I be reviewing/giving my thoughts on the OST when I have plenty of asks in my inbox to answer and have no musical authority at all? No, probably not. Am I doing it anyway? Yes.

This is just going to be in what (I assume) is the track order. Let me know if I miss any; I’m going off a YouTube playlist.

1. Trust Love

Initial thoughts: Eh.

It’s okay. It’s not my favorite opening, that honor goes to When It Falls, but it’s competent. Very optimistic, which is a trend for this volume’s soundtrack despite how dire the tone of the latter half is, so I don’t think it fully fits the volume it opens for, but it’s by no means a bad song. It’s easy to sing along and bop to, just doesn’t seem as impressive as the other opening songs. It feels like a different sort of sound than what RWBY songs have been in the past, which is also a running theme for the OST this volume - new artists singing, a lot of experimentation in the style. That’s not a bad thing; the tracks I like the most on this album are the different sounding ones, but it’s very.... noticeable, and didn’t go in the direction you would think for Atlas. 

2. Touch the Sky

Initial Thoughts: Why is the best part of this song the ending?

No, but seriously, that outro is a very different sound to the proceeding song and it’s so good. Other than that, I’ve got questions. Like, whose song is this? I’m leaning towards Team RWBY as a whole, but I’ve seen people suggest it’s Weiss’s, it’s Blake’s, I could see an argument for Yang - it’s very unclear. Also, why is the POV character(s) so happy? Their situation isn’t all that much better in terms of Salem and the Relic and all that; they should still be weighed down with that knowledge, shouldn’t they? They don’t trust Ironwood to help make things all better, they still have to carry the Relic (for plot reasons), the only thing that’s changed is that they’re going out on missions. Well, fresh clothes and a distraction are always nice, and it is a chance to put all that stuff on the back burner. I’ll give them that, then.

3. Brand New Day

Initial Thoughts: From the writers that make every Blake song a duet, here’s her volume 7 song; a duet with.... Qrow?

Have Blake and Qrow ever even spoken to each other? And, is there actually no solo Blake song, or am I beating on a dead meme? Actually, to be completely serious, these two actually work well in a song together. Their character directions compliment each other in this volume - both trying to reinvent themselves some and become better (Blake with her new hair and outfits, Qrow with a new outfit and a resolve to recover from alcoholism), it’s just a shame that, you know, this kind of talk or relationship never happens in the show. At all.

Someone in the YouTube comment section said this song sounds like a 90′s sitcom opening, and I have to agree. It really does, mixed with a bit of 50′s doo-wap. It’s not bad, I actually like the doo-wap, but it also has bits of the usual RWBY style rock, and they don’t mix as coherently as I would like in some places. The guitar bridge after Qrow’s verse is pretty nice, though.

Overall, it’s another good song to bop along to, but like the songs before it, I’m not sure it’s one I’ll be listening to over and over.

4. Let’s Get Real

Initial Thoughts: So, even the song thinks they should talk - why didn’t they?

Here’s something you may not know about me. I don’t romantically ship Renora. I’ve always preferred them as a brother/sister pair - probably in part because I’m a sucker for found family. I’ve never really had anything against romantic Renora, though... but this volume definitely made me go from neutral to dislike. Ren’s confused, he’s worried, he’s having doubts about their relationship that he’s not sure how to vocalize. He admits as much. And instead of, I don’t know, respecting that and letting it be for the moment, or pulling him aside to try and help him talk it through, she... kisses him. Instead of stopping to let them work through where their relationship is at the present (which would be nice, to clue the audience in on what exactly their status is), she pushes their relationship to the next level, presumably. It leaves a very bad taste in my mouth, that Ren’s emotions about his relationship with Nora are just shoved aside and aren’t brought up again. Hopefully it does in the next volume (Nora and Ren are notably split for, like, the first time ever in the Volume 8 preview), but still - I thought Tumblr had decided that “guy shuts a girl up by kissing her” trope was sexist or something - shouldn’t this be similarly scrutinized?

Putting that aside, I actually really really like this. It’s very reminiscent of Shine, but a Renora version; it’s got a great beat, the lyrics do a great job in character insight (something I love from RWBY songs, which are probably why Touch the Sky doesn’t do a lot for me), and it’s just a very fun, peppy song. It also feels very at home in Atlas with it’s more techno-leanings. The ending chorus chant of “Is it love?” is also a nice touch.

5. Celebrate

Initial Thoughts: The better Brand New Day (musically speaking).

And by that I mean, it leans all the way into this different style than the half/half approach Brand New Day did, and it’s all the better for it. Once again, another good dancing song, easy to listen and bop to, but it feels... oddly generic. For one thing, there’s no character tied to it, no character insight - I guess you could make an argument for Robin or the Happy Huntresses, but... not really? For another, while as a song I really enjoy the genre of music, it also makes it feel very much not like a RWBY song (something not helped by name-dropping Vegas). It’s fun, but it doesn’t feel like it adds much to the show.

6. War

Initial Thoughts: Wow, I didn’t think you could make me hate the AceOps fight more, but look at that.

Probably the first RWBY song I just flat out hate, and that’s a crying shame considering the excellent music and vocal performances. Those lyrics, though.  Just - I hate them. I hate them so damn much. I refuse to give this song more than that.

7. Hero

Initial thoughts: Hell yeah hell yeah hell yeah HELL YEAH - 

Best song on the album probably. It has all the usual RWBY flare, gives us a great insight into Ironwood’s thoughts and motivations, and is a fantastic performance by Caleb Hyles. The operatic section at the beginning is wonderfully chilling, and the rock section is very epic. 10/10 song even though I’m not rating these.

8. Until the End

Initial thoughts: Time to play “Who does this gorgeous song belong to?”

Actually, I really, really enjoy this song. It’s creepy in its melancholy, but I love it for that. The piano and subtle strings are beautiful, and the way Casey’s voice echoes gives the illusion of solitude in an empty place, perfect for the tone this song conveys.

Now, the matter of whose song it is. The consensus seems to be Ruby and/or Summer, and that’s pretty likely (and letting Ruby actually have a song would be nice). However, I heard a rumor before the album dropped that this was an Ozpin song, and going through it with that lens makes a whole lot of sense - the repeated “I’ll be here until the end”, the constant use of “we”, “our” and other plurals, the lines “ In waves of shame, we’re desperate to make amends / But through a simple soul, we lie complacent” could refer to him lying dormant in Oscar or other souls in the past instead of actively working to defeat Salem, and in the lines “ As light fills my eyes / I’ll picture me beside her / And pray that I’ll inspire”, it could be him thinking of Salem when he dies, and then praying that he’ll be able to inspire others to fight for humanity, for the light. 

I could see it either way, honestly, but no matter which it is, I love this song.

9. Fear

Initial thoughts: Fire whoever was in charge of sound mixing, otherwise, not as preachy as I was fearing.

This is actually the first time I’ve listened to this. I was pretty pissed at the ending of the finale so I didn’t stick around for the credits, and hearing that it was called “Fear”, I was not in the mood for more Ironwood bashing or “You’re just as bad as she is if you act in fear” or whatever BS Oscar said. So, yeah, wasn’t looking forward to this track.

Thankfully, though, it was not another War. I actually enjoyed the lyrics, and the music was top-notch. Don’t really have much more to say about it other than it was difficult to hear the lyrics over the music in some places, but that could be a factor of the video I was listening to. All in all, pleasantly surprised.

10. I May Fall (Acoustic)

Initial Thoughts: Can someone tell the Williams that “acoustic” doesn’t always mean “depressing?”

Like, acoustic doesn’t have to be a super slow, piano/strings, somber rendition, right? It’s just the instruments and the singer without any added computer editing/layering/whatever, if I’m not mistaken. That style of acoustic works alright with songs like Time to Say Goodbye, but not so well with more upbeat songs. This version isn’t bad, per se, but I’d like to see an acoustic version more in line with the original. 

That aside - the original I May Fall is my favorite RWBY song, bar none. This rendition was always going to be something I liked, and I do appreciate a lot about it. The strings are absolutely beautiful, particularly the cello(? I think, again, I’m not much of a music person, just have a sister that plays violin), and I love the way the violin/viola picks up for the second verse and gives the song a second wind, implying more strength and resolve. I love the music cutting out completely to let Casey sing, with the instruments slowly coming in to join as she gets louder and stronger, as if standing with her - beautiful, it’s all insanely beautiful, and this is one I will probably buy.

Closing Thoughts

This album was... average, to me. Only a couple songs really jumped out at me, while most were good, but not something I was dying to listen to again, or were dragged down by the context.

What’re your thoughts on this volume’s songs? I’d love to hear them! Until then, have a good evening, and stay safe!

[odannygirl7]

Carnival of Aros - July 2020

I've been meaning to type about this for a while, but then this month's carnival of aros is about music, so I figured... well, two birds one stone I suppose lol.

Musicals are sort of like music right? I mean, I don’t think this is too far from the idea, even if it was meant to be about, like, individual songs.

This is about a whole musical where I just immediately felt that it was a missed aromantic opportunity.

Company.

Company is a musical by Sondheim from the 70s that seems to be brought back every decade or so. It’s about a guy, Bobby, on the night of his 35th birthday. He’s a bachelor, the only one among a bevy of married friends - all of whom wonder why he can’t keep a girl and hasn’t gotten married yet. The show moves through snippets of Bobby’s experiences with his friends… they’re all basically trapped between the horribleness of being married and the horribleness of, well, not. They love Bobby for his freedom, for the advice he gives, for the fun he brings into their life, for watching their kids, for always being there without being a detriment to their coupleness.

But the entire play is them badgering him about why he isn’t getting married.

There’s also three of Bobby’s girlfriends who wonder the same thing, what’s wrong with him, why can’t he commit.

One could also view it as Bobby internalizing everything his friends and lovers have said in the past and having a freak out about it. The whole show is kinda… disjointed in that, while it takes place all on one night, the majority of scenes are from the past or possibly not real.

The show is set up, for most people, to be a commentary about, idk, like growing up or realizing that you can’t be alone or you gotta be open and vulnerable, but like you need to share your life with someone and that someone… uhh, can’t be your friends cause they all have their significant others and that’s the way things are (*hard side eye* lmao). And that’s a real shame, because the show is this wonderfully accidental portrait of a closeted aromantic struggling not only with the pressure of the conventional relationship narrative, but with friends who buy into that. Bobby doesn’t know what he is, or can’t accept it, or can’t admit it, and he’s struggling to force himself to feel the things that come so naturally to everyone he knows.  He wants love, to be loved, but what’s in him, what he’s capable of, isn’t what everyone else has. I mean, look, he’s 35 and has never been in love, doesn’t understand love… *looks into the camera like I’m on The Office* come on.

I’m not going to go through the whole show, just hit on some highlights that scream aromantic to me, cause not all the songs are about Bobby’s relationships. Some are about the other character’s relationships. There’s 18 songs in this musical, lots of material.

Here’s a link to the whole thing … this is the 2006 version with Raul Esparza, who is fantastic.

We’ll start in Act 1 and go from there. About halfway through we get Bobby’s three girlfriends singing “You Could Drive a Person Crazy". This is an upbeat, vicious song about how they feel betrayed that he never takes things to the next level. They can understand if he was gay, or bad in bed, or actually dead… but Bobby is none of those things, instead he’s a crazy, troubled, person who has something wrong with him. He’s a zombie with a loose connection.

I don’t think I’m the only aro who’s been called similar.

Later Bobby sings about someone (“Someone is Waiting”)… an amalgamation of all his lady friends… pleading for this person to wait, because he’s ready. He wants to find them, if he’s not out of luck and too late. He already has what he’s looking for, theoretically… if only an alternative relationship structure existed. As is, he has to try and find someone new. Conform to the idea of the superiority and inevitability of the exclusive pair bonded romantic-sexual relationship.

When one of his friends is freaking out about getting married, close to calling off the wedding, he proposes to her. Because it makes sense. She doesn’t want to be married, he doesn’t want to be married, they can both be married and have their freedom, everyone will leave them alone.

“You have to want to marry somebody, not just some body,” says Bobby’s friend, deciding that she really does want to marry her fiance.

This leads to Bobby singing “Marry Me A Little”, imagining a marriage as being soft and respectful, no big fights, no big promises… and that he’s ready for that. Things like mutual respect and care. “We won’t have to give up a thing, we’ll stay who we are,” he sings. “I’m ready now.”

There comes a point as an aro (tho this applies to aces and people of any orientation who don’t really want a relationship as well), or for, I think, a lot, or a good number, of aros when you start looking at a future that doesn’t have the spouse and the kids and pets and picket fence. When you start to come to grips that you might be looking at an empty road instead. And it’s not necessarily that you don’t want that, or that you really want something else, but there’s a kinda scary point where you realize that it might just be you, alone. That no matter what friends you have or partners or whatever… that they’re eventually going to want to “get serious” and “have their own lives”, lives that don't include you as a main component. And “somebody”, anybody, that will make it so you’re not alone starts sounding pretty good. You’re almost desperate for it. If you could just find that right person, the one that would make it make sense to have the spouse and kids and pets and picket fence… you could do that. You could. It’d be so easy. And then you’d have someone and isn’t that what everyone wants?

Anyway… Act 2.

All the married couples sing about how much they love having Bobby around in "Side by Side by Side". But then also rag on him about how worried they are for him being alone and try to set him up ("Poor Baby" and "Have I Got A Girl for You"), which is par for the course I think for an aro.

There’s also “Barcelona”, where Bobby makes a vague, surface, “going through the motions” plea to one of his girlfriends that she should stay after they’ve slept together. He doesn’t try very hard and when she decides to stay, well he sings “oh god”. ‘Nuff said.

All of that is, you know, it builds, but the real highlight in Act 2 is “Being Alive”, which is where Bobby finally learns that he really does need someone.

Or, you know, when he’s been beaten down by life and his friends and partners so badly and so thoroughly that he decides that he’s not even alive if he’s alone. That he needs another person to make him alive. “Alone is alone, not alive.” Tragic.

He starts off with things like being held too close and hurt too deep, to which his friends comment about how he can’t possibly think that that’s all there is, telling him he has no reason to be alone, encouraging him to keep going cause he’s “on to something”.

Bobby’s seen the terrible bits of their marriages and, to his friends, also the good bits. But if you read Bobby as aromantic then he has no context for the “good bits”. He’s watched them dig at one another with secret info, argue, pester, have the other person say they hate it… and then it’s just fine, because of ~feelings~??? Incomprehensible magic. There’s a trick in there somewhere and Bobby can’t see it.

But Bobby’s trying. Forcing himself. If he just really thinks about everything they’ve told him...

“Hey, buddy, don't be afraid it won't be perfect. The only thing to be afraid of really is that it won't be,” says one friend. Yikes. “It's much better living it than looking at it, Robert,” says another. And I suppose if you do have feelings for someone, it’s not that bad.

Bobby finally… it’s sad, really… like I know it’s supposed to be a song of him figuring everything out, but it feels like a descent. He’s given in. He believes there’s literally nothing for him, he’s not living, unless he has another person. “make me aware of being alive” “make me alive”

Horrific.

I’m not entirely sure how, like if this show were to be reworked with Bobby as aromantic (and god knows it gets revived enough, it could happen if anyone knew what aromanticity was) how that would be communicated. Unless, like, you had Bobby admitting that he is aro from the start, but you’d have to assume that the audience would know what that was and actually, you know, not agree with all the other characters.

The latest revival in 2018 did a gender swap with Bobby, which is something. Now, I had thought it was just Bobby as the swap, but they swapped all her girlfriends into boyfriends and then made one of the married couples gay. Apparently, according to reviews, the whole thing was a revelation and really freshened up because, you know, it’s super hip and modern to do a “ticking bio clock” story line with a woman nowadays. (there's also the soundtrack to the gender swap on youtube, it's got Pattie LuPone in it!)

Personally, I would have just swapped Bobby… I’m not sure how well an aro reading there would play, not because there aren’t aro lesbians, but I feel like there are a lot of layers to a lesbian not wanting to u-haul and then getting harangued for it by her presumably hetero friends steeped in hetero society, just aside from any aromanticity.

But the whole thing takes on a very tragic tone when reading Bobby as aro, I think. I suppose what’s even more tragic is that Sondheim probably has no idea that he possibly wrote an aromantic character. He thinks he wrote a show about fixing someone who was broken. Just like the show Bones fixed Bones from being broken and how HIMYM fixed Robin and (tried to fix) Barney. I need to find a better way to end this, probably, we’ll see…

I wrote this three weeks ago on pillowfort and did not find a better ending lmao.

[stateofgrace-acoustic]

lover - first song ranking & thoughts

first of all i just need to say i legitimately don’t feel ‘meh’ about a single song on this album. on any other album. i always had one or two songs i was just kind of ‘take it or leave it’ about. but Lover really did that - they’re all amazing and wonderful. but here’s an attempt at an order of how much i love them!

18. it’s nice to have a friend

this really reminds me of you are in love in the way it recounts all the small gestures and steps involved in becoming close to somebody. it’s really cute and at the perfect space on the album, leading to daylight. not a mindblowing song or anything, but the vibe fits onto lover really well. i’m glad that it’s here 

17. you need to calm down

yeah, i cooled down on this one a little bit. it’s fun and the message is important, but me! is the better single tbh. still though, the feeling of empowerment this gives me over my nonexistent online haters is wonderful. and i love the attitude of the song of just looking at the assholes who live their entire lives putting energy into hating people and just being like....why are you like this. it’s pathetic. calm the hell down. so needed in our current debate culture

16. me!

a real grower! taylor and brendon urie have such good chemistry, tbh that’s really the backbone of the song. it’s just a really nice carefree spring/summertime self love song, a perfect soundtrack for when you feel happy and content with yourself. 

15. the man

just dropping the complete truth on us with this one. i’ve wanted taylor to make this song for years (and i know she said she’s been wanting to but just never found the right words!) the bridge really elevates this too. and it’s sad how relatable the entire song is in literally every aspect of professional (and personal) life for women. i don’t think it’s quite as strong as it could have been, but still really solid

14. i think he knows

this is like the fun version of dress. that’s all i got to say. just as explicit, but this time around it’s super cheeky and i love it. also goals of self confidence if i’ve ever seen them

13. paper rings

the joyful energy this has!! just makes you smile and want to dance immediately, a wonderful wholesome happy bop

12. false god

listen.....this is special. i absolutely think this is the most experimental song on the album, both in terms of the music (is that a saxophone in the bg?? it’s almost got a jazzy vibe? completely uncomparable to anything she’s ever done and still so distinctly Taylor), but also with the lyrics, where she goes into the love = religion theme which honestly....as a Florence + the Machine and Hozier fan, i don’t even need to go into how much of a vibe that is. I couldn’t have imagined it working so well for Taylor though, but honestly, this song feels perfectly brooding, summertimey, melancholy, - it’s almost like taking the darker underside of Cruel Summer and exploring it in depth! this is very much a song i need to be in a Specific Mood to really appreciate, but it’s damn well made

11. afterglow

i love the maturity of this. not just the apologizing for picking a fight, but explaining how it came to be - at the end, from a place deep seated anxiety. ‘it’s all me, in my head’ (those high notes are beautiful) you can really feel how sorry she is. at the same time, the song sounds like something bigger, like an anthem - almost like that place high above that she’s trying to elevate them to.

10. i forgot that you existed

SO MUCH FUN i keep repeating that but that’s just the mood of this album tbh, playful and mature at the same time. this song is just like, when you’re over someone but you just can’t help yourself and have to throw shade one last time before moving on. i love the bouncy beat!!

9. lover

this song is literally the feeling of ‘home’ in music. so cozy, comfortable, blissful. dreamy. perfect title track. also completely timeless - i think this is one of those songs that we will look back on in years as a classic in her catalogue, a song you will always want to play again

8. the archer

this was my definite favorite of the pre released songs. anxiety, doubts, the way they all just keep coming back and eating at you, it’s described so perfectly and painfully. and the production really makes it sound like you’re in a separate space from reality, just stuck in your head trying to find a way forward, to soothe yourself. the ‘they see right through me / i see right through me’ transition in the bridge is fantastic and keeps giving me chills. so much personal connection to this one

7. soon you’ll get better

feels weird to even rank this but......just wow. the harmonies with the dixie chicks are so beautiful, and the way the lyrics talk about the feeling between denial and desperate hope, the transition from “because you have to” to “because I have to” - I have to cling to this hope, or i won’t make i - it completely broke my heart. and the fact that Taylor can conjure all these complex emotions with just a guitar and a few words is incredible. i’m so so sorry for them and i wish all the best for Andrea with my entire heart. 

6. london boy

i already see people underappreciating this, what is going on??? there are multiple cute bouncy joyful songs on this album but this is my favorite because it’s just got a fantastic flow and melody, and i love all of the references to places and dialect specific words and it’s just so wholesome?? but what really makes this is (once again) the bridge. stick with ME im your QUEEN like a tennessEE stella mccartNEY, just the energy!! the fun!! excuse me while i listen to this every day for the rest of my life

5. miss americana & the heartbreak prince

okay, taylor’s brain in this one. i made a post talking about how this song has three layers - at first there’s the high school setting, then it references the ‘cancelling’ of Taylor’s public persona, but then it can also be seen as a comment on US politics and the whole climate of society right now. and it’s all tied together perfectly because high school is the perfect metaphor for this!! she’s basically saying we’re all behaving like immature school children, bullying each other for the stupidest reasons, mob mentality, stupid contests, fabricated stories made up to tear people down, and the feeling of loneliness but also fear and horror that comes with all that for the people who are the victims of it.....it’s literally all like high school in the worst way. i just love this concept, and the melody and production give me a little bit of a reputation vibe almost? which is perfect for the song, the dark dramatic vibe shows the feeling of fear most of all and that’s just....too real. 

4. death by a thousand cuts

........listen, i surely didn’t think that Taylor would write one of her best breakup songs in the year of our lord 2019, but here we are. it’s once again, the small moments she recounts. taking the long way home. the uncertainty if it will ever be fine again. and the bridge/second verse / whatever that part is but that entire part. ‘paper cuts from my paper thin plans’, excuse me. the fact that she wrote this about a movie where a couple breaks up after years really shows tbh, because it’s especially that kind of....not being able to find a part of yourself that isn’t influenced by the other person, that’s so horrible and makes moving on so painful. i also love the production which makes this sound so uptempo, contrasting the lyrics! idk the entire song just clicks into place for me

3. daylight

this is like a summary of the entire album (and with the reference to the past and especially red, it’s even connecting her entire discography together). it’s like the clean of this album, except this time around it feels more complex - all the subtle references to past mistakes, ghosts, that might not be so easy to wash away. i’ve already mentioned that i love about the album (and this song especially) how it doesn’t gloss over negative experiences but addresses them directly, like looking them in the eye and then saying ‘you don’t have the power to define me’. that’s what this song feels like - it’s not unabashedly celebratory, it’s actually quite melancholic, but also full of real healing, a feeling of peace and reconciliation. and the ‘i once believed love would be black and white / burning red, but it’s golden’.....excuse me.....how dare she

2. cornelia street

god, what a magical song. the kind of episodic buildup that Taylor excels at. the vibrancy of the production matching the vibrancy of the relationship as it develops, revolving around this one place in its multiple stages, and then the repeated, deep seated fear of losing all that. it’s just. ugh. what can i even say. and so so catchy. the “listen..” killed me. just like delicate, the vibe between fear and being drunk on happiness is so so well done.

1. cruel summer

oh yes. and here we have an absolute perfection of a pop song. incredible catchiness. smart, clever lyrics but also that underlying vibe of sadness and anxiety. seriously, the complexity this has?? and then that soaring bridge, the chaotic but beautiful but painful reality of all of it coming together. ‘i love you, ain’t that the worst thing you ever heard?’ idk this song just transcends everything for me friends. it’s like the vibe of out of the woods or maybe even style but the lyrics are even more sharp, they cut a little deeper, literally ‘summer’s a knife’. this is a song she only could’ve written influenced by reputation: there’s happiness but there’s that edge in it too. idk if anything i’m saying makes sense. i love this song so so so much. 

[jungdrizzydraco]

An O.C. for Your Asses!!!

I wanna see if the characters are legit before I move forward with this short story im working on (I'm a character first kinda guy, so I work inside-out) leave any form of constructive critique you wish, they are still works in progress, thanks!!

Augustine Harriet Andersson

Age:22

Sign: Gemini (sun) Cancer (moon) Virgo (rising)

Height: 5'8

Eye Color: Formerly dark-brown, bleached to a pastel-hazel because of some dark magic fuckery

Hair Color/Cut: dark-brown,q shifting variations of a fade, whose design changes somewhat based on his thoughts and emotions (yes, this is an enchanted fade)

Build: lean, lightly muscled from years lifting cauldrons in his grandfather's potion shop

Notable Features: Dimples; left-dimple is deeper than right, multiple piercings on each ear, artificial left eye (looks organic but to magical eyes, it looks otherwise)

"Have you ever been like...fundamentally angry? I feel that way...like at my core, there's this rage that seethes and coils at the pit of my stomach, everyday, like a python that can't quite squeeze his prey all the way to death. Everytime I think I've grown up, forgiven something or someone or myself, there's this anger that tightens right back up all over again...like it's reminding me of something. Somedays...I feel like that feeling will petrify everything I've ever loved about myself, and I'll just be another slave to outrage and ego and pain...just like everyone else...haha, then I'll really be a normie."  -August Andersson, on his depression and internal anger issues.

Augustine Andersson is a witch-boy. But you could probably already tell that from looking at him: the way his eyes are almost constantly fixed towards some unseeable infinity, the way air molecules hum with fresh, manic energy around him, how he seems to absorb sunlight and the way his brown skin would filter the glow as a result of his connection to the natural...it was all very off putting to others around him for most of his young adult life. And as we all know, no one likes a freak, so such years had a hand in building his current trust issues, feelings of great anger and inadequacy, and all the tics and tricks he uses to keep such feelings at bay. He's not at a total loss; at his core he is a humanitarian, deeply compassionate and available to those who have managed to capture his heart, as well as wild and humorous. However, he keeps a tight lid on his darkest feelings and insecurities, out of fear that they may be too much for those around him (also, he might accidentally call forth a vile arch-daemon on accident, but that's neither here nor there.) After finally having had enough of his mundane time amongst the humans, he vanishes from his college campus one day and takes to the open road, hoping that like the many young, angsty teens in the movies he loves, he will find himself in his own solitude. But the best way to deal with oneself is when confronting someone else, and after a close-call with a reckless (and very cute) motorcycle rider on an interstate, August will be forced to deal with every single part of himself, the good, the bad, and the strange...

A few more things about him...

1. His father is Afro-swedish, hence his last name.

2. Loves to travel and is nomadic by nature.

3. He gets a special kind of warmth out of being moderately petty at all times.

4. He loves open spaces and bodies of water, as well as hikes through mountains (ok so he only went once in Vegas, so sue him, he really liked it!)

5. Surprisingly low maintenance, really just likes being around people that are happy, and the feeling easily rubs off on him.

6. Both positive and negative emotions easily rub off on him.

7. Can get caught up in moments of warm content, given his unstable interior life, and can get lost in wasting/spending time.

8. Gets restless easily.

9. Budding film buff, faves include Kill Bill vol. 1&2, Her, Moonrise Kingdom, Gone Girl, Blue is the Warmest Color, Moonlight, & Mean Girls.

10. August's father is very engaged with politics and civil rights, so in honor of that, he decided that his son's middle name would belong to one of the greatest figures of the civil rights movement: Harriet Tubman.

11. Favorite new movie is The Favourite.

12. Due to a lack of acceptance of his full self and the full spectrum of his sexuality, he is judgemental of others and holds them to the same near-impossible standards he holds for himself. 

13. Things he expects from others: To read his mind and conjure what he wants without saying, to have his needs and boundaries respected without actually stating so, for others to fit in whatever box he thinks they should be in, for everyone's intellect to be slightly lower than his own, but high enough not to annoy him with silly questions, ect.

14. Listens to Lorde, J. Cole, Rex Orange County, Frank Ocean, Lana Del Rey, Tyler the Creator, Young Thug and assorted film soundtracks.

15. Enjoys playing into his double-sided nature when it suits him, and has a secret glee in melding into different roles depending on who's around him.

16. Is attracted to more eccentric personalities in platonic and romantic relationships

17. Smokes weed to escape boredom. (and his problems)

18. Smokes weed because he likes the feeling.

19. Is secretly a little ratchet, but he'll kill you if you say so, it'll fuck up his reputation as the quasi-sociopathic erudite.

Magic House-Thoth

Augustine is a member of the Sacred House of Life, witches whose magic is passed down from the Egyptian Gods themselves. August himself is a descendant of an African slave-witch, once known as Ashe. She was taken to Egypt as a typical piece of cargo from zealot raiders, and was sentenced to a life of building the pyramids. Or so she would have thought: Thoth, the God of Magic and Knowledge, took pity upon her and beguiled her to follow an invisible force into the desert one night. He then revealed himself to her in his ibis-headed brilliance and bestowed upon her a set of choices: he could free her now and set her loose across the desert with all the things she would need for survival, or he could give her secrets and wisdoms unknown to man at the time, but she would have to frequently return to him for lessons. Ashe always prized knowledge and growth over any material thing, or even something such as freedom (I prefer to disagree myself). And secrets from a God must count for that much more, right? She indulged in option two. Thoth grinned and whispered to her the mysteries of life, the secrets of the stars, and the riddles of worlds lost and intangible, he spoke magick into her very soul. She would then use her newfound knowledge to fool her captors, freed any slave that would believe in her, and with her wits about them, guided them across the desert to build a library-like sanctuary, in honor of Thoth. The former slaves then learned from the god's teachings, passed through Ashe, and became witches and educators in their own right, and Ashe came to lead this new coven of magi. This is how the House of Thoth became to be. 

Magick: As a member of house of Thoth, August has the ability to manipulate various aspects of the moon, writing, hieroglyphics, knowledge and sciences, and the progression of time. His particular specialty is the creation of Moon Dust, a substance used as a medium for most of his spells. By gathering various quantities of mineral, be it: crystal, rocks, pearls, aluminum, or even silvers and golds, he can channel his magic into them and break down and rearrange their atomic components into a corrosive, abrasive substance that also tends to stick to objects due to an electric charge. This dust is also dangerous to breathe in. He tends to carry around a pouch or two on his person, as trying to create some on the fly is nearly impossible given how much time and intricacy is needed to create the substance. (I mean, working with just a pile of plain old rocks would take a couple of hours to convert, let alone harder or more distilled substances.) Spells that he has mastered so far include...

Spell of Refraction: A spell in which the moondust bonds to whomever or whatever August desires (sans the harmful effects, it's enchanted in this state) and whatever is enveloped in dust turns invisible via light refraction.

Spell of Revelations: He can spread his moondust over an area and have the pieces cling to imprints of negative emotion or dark magick. A spell used for forensic work.

Spell of Retribution: An offensive spell that uses moondust to its fullest offensive powers and creates small funnels of dust to ravage the opponent. The largest funnel made could surround a fully grown man.

Golemancy:  Can create golems out of the moon dust he has formed, usually no larger than a human toddler. They tend to take form roughly resembling lego-men (he was a big fan of the Lego Expanded Universe as a child), but one can easily be fooled by their size: each golem has the strength of three men, and can combine to further power themselves up.

There are a few spells that don't require the moon dust...

-The Veil: A surface-level illusion layered directly over the skin. This allows the caster to look like whatever he wants to look like and sound however he wants, but can be broken if struck with bad intentions (like a slap from an offended woman on the street)

 -Somnus: A very old, yet practical spell. Also one that does not require moondust, this handy spell induces sleep.  Those affected by this spell will not remember being forced to sleep, but they will have active and vivid dreams for distraction. Also necessary for Dream Diving.

-Dream Diving:  A skill Augustine has yet to master, this allows the caster to astral project into one's consciousness for complete access to the afflicted parties mind, if the brain is distracted by dreams. August has gotten stuck in several public nude dreams, and it takes long hours to remove oneself from another's mind.

-Illusion Casting 

-Temporary Madness Inducement

-Script Magick: By writing down a word or phrase on any surface that can be sufficiently marked on, whatever has been written manifests somehow, just so long as it is within his power. He can't create miracles with it though.

Top 10 Roadtrip Songs

Sobriety- Sza

No Role Moldelz-J. Cole

Sacrifices -Dreamville, assorted artists

Grown Up Fairy Tails- Chance the Rapper, Taylor Bennett 

My Boy-Billie Eilish

U.N.I.T.Y.- Frank Ocean

West Coast: Lana Del Rey

Cruise Ship-Young Thug

400 Lux-Lorde

Let Em Know- Bryson Tiller

[thesimplyluxuriouslife]

297: 10 Ideas for Making the Most of "Between the Years"

"Have you noticed that something very special happens between Christmas and New Year each year? For a few days, a portal to another world opens up. Everything is quieter, less rushed, more gentle in this secret place. Peering through the doorway, I always imagine there will be snow, although the sky usually offers knitted fog and dull winter sunshine. Nevertheless, calm descends as we catch a glimpse of a slower life away from all the deadlines and to-do lists. I call this time 'The Hush', and I encourage you to savour it." —Beth Kempton, from Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year (2019)

A soft place to rest. A window of time to catch one's breath. The space to fully see what was, what is and what we wish it to be.

I sat down to read the concluding third of Beth Kempton's festive book - chapters 7-9 - and devoured it in a couple of hours. While I do enjoy Christmas, I much prefer the Between the Years time. Perhaps because it is nondescript and open to individual tailoring. Perhaps because in 2009, the idea of TSLL blog came to be an actual place to share, write, connect and dare to dream in real-time. But so too can be the time leading up to Christmas as Kempton's book inspires each of us to do, and in the future my approach to Christmas may change as it is now quite simple and until 2020 was filled with work; however, in this particular year, I am observing how it can be so much more, and I hope it will be someday.

One of the gifts given by 2020 in my life is the realization of what "living well" feels like. I have known from a distance and momentarily in person what it felt like, and this past year validated in vivid technicolor what doing so day after day could enable to blossom.

In the spirit of nurturing ourselves, healing ourselves and opening a door to a better year in 2021, today's episode/post is shared with the intention of providing inspiration for you to do just that as you tailor the final week of the year - the Between the Years as my readers taught me last year (read this post from last year which was inspired by this aha of the term) - to nurture you, heal you, open your eyes to a better, more deeply contented 2021.

Inspired by Kempton's book as well as additions of my own, I highly recommend Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year. Many readers have shared they choose to read it again as the holidays come around as a way to slow down, focus on what matters most to them and in turn, regarding the latter chapters, read just as the old year comes to a close to help them best start the new year in their own way.

1.Let Spontaneity be your guide

While throughout the year, we may try to limit the "should"s and replace them with natural inclinations, now it the time to practice the good habit of listening to what we need - rest, curious pursuits, lovely intimate conversations and self exploration, whatever is dancing about in your mind, heed it and it may just lead you to something beyond your wildest expectations.

2. Put the technology away (at least for a day)

Yep, put the phone down, the iPad down, the podcasts away (ironic that I am suggesting this), but on your walk, let Mother Nature be the soundtrack. Let your energy be your guide for when to sleep and wake, eat and be. Feel your way through the day and observe at the end of your tech-free day how you feel - your energy, your peace of mind, your thoughts, etc..

3. Plan a change of scenery, a getaway, for the eyes and being

Whether you can or want to leave your home for a couple of nights and days (keeping in mind that this year, it might be best to just remain home or in your local area), choose to do something or follow a different daily routine that piques your interest and soothes your being. I love to escape to the coast. A small inn, my own little cottage, plenty of space to social distance, and the boys especially love the new ground to explore and round-about freely upon. Simply going a different direction on a trail you've walked for years can give you a new perspective and feel fresh and new.

4. Carve out a day entirely for you to get your life situated

Kempton's describes such a day as a 'sort-out-my-life' day, and it is apt and wholly rejuvenating when tended to fully. Essentially it is a personal business day to get your affairs in order - money, files, budget, stationery for ease of correspondence, and clarity about financial responsibilities moving forward. Editing, noticing, improving, correcting. All simple tasks to provide clarity about where you stand financially and how well you are standing. Do you need to be making certain reoccurring payments for this service that you never use? How can you reduce the debt on that one credit card faster, can you refinance? Etc., etc., etc..

5. Carve out an entire day to "sort-out-your-home"

In many ways I feel a kindred connection to Kempton as her approach to how to relish in these final days of the year align nearly exactly with my own. Her suggestion for a "sort-out-your-life" day and a "sort-out-your-home" day have been highly productive and help for me in years past.

A handful of her concrete suggestions are being adopted this year happily to hopefully reduce unwanted simple, yet annoying stresses throughout the year: checking and replace smoke alarm batteries, cleaning the fridge, tending to any semi or annual home maintenance jobs to free up time later in the year.

6. Give yourself a "me" day

Void of any 'have-to's, designate a day to fully go where your curiosity, your predilections, your body and mind need you to go. Usually my me-day, if I am at the coast which I will be this year, involves visiting a bookshop, perhaps an antique or second-hand shop, multiple long walks on the sand listening and witnessing the waves rise and recede. Preparing a simple seafood dish paired with a glass of white wine, I turn on a cozy British or French program and not once do I peer at the clock.

7. Spend an afternoon or morning checking in with your life

Reflecting, recalibrating, reaffirming or reforming.

What will be let go, planning momentous events, giving your life space, honoring your heart's path, honoring the path of those you share your life with.

Follow Kempton's Life Map of the Year that was. I will share freely, I don't usually follow directions by authors to fill "this" in, complete "this" written task, as I do about it in my own way inspired by their directive, but again, Kempton speaks my language in her approach to Between the Years and I found this particular template incredibly helpful to visualize the year chronologically, breaking down the energy and cause and effects which resulted and overall, see the themes that emerged. So much can happen in a year that we can sometimes forget what we were worried about, what brought us delight and relief and everything in between. Find her template here and print it out to discover a treasure or two as to how you might want to adjust your journey forward into 2021.

8. Read Chapter 8 of Beth Kempton's book

Discover oodles of reflective questions offering the opportunity for you to answer and explore your responses. Your honesty is the key to a better year.

9. Revolve rather than reinvent yourself

"Besides being a dynamic and powerful call to arms, the word 'revolution' — from the Latin revolver ('roll back') — invites us to sweep away the layers of expectation, worry, conformity, convention, even comfort, and see what is waiting to be born this [new] year. Instead of making random resolutions, we will practise nourishing rituals. instead of setting ourselves unrealistic goals, we will articulate beautiful dreams, then work out how to bring them to life." —Beth Kempton

Shedding the layers of the world that don't fit us well because they constrict, limit, constrain or inhibit our life force from being expressed and reveled in each day of our lives, this is why we must revolve rather than reinvent. We are already ourselves wholly if we would only share ourselves with the world. That's the gift we can give ourselves in this last week of the year, this Between the Years.

10. Be honest about what you yearn for

Kempton helpfully brings readers to the awareness regarding what we think we want versus what we actually want. For example, we may think we want a large family or children, but when we explore more deeply and honestly, what we may actually be yearning for is the love, the community, a sense of feeling needed and being able to nurture others. It doesn't mean that we cannot have a large family, but having a large family does not guarantee such an outcome.

The crucial honesty you must have with yourself is why you are seeking or being drawn to what you are being drawn to. For myself, a place of permanency brings peace for my mind to create and wander, not being worried about the rent being raised, the landlord visiting my home every six months to make sure I am caring for my rental something reminiscent of a parent checking on a child. My independence in this instance, my feeling of being grounded is what enables me to fly and explore. Again, this is what I yearn for and why I yearn for it, yours will be unique to you. Enjoy the journey of exploration of yourself and what tugs at your heart.

Between The Years. Space and time to find hope for the new year. It exists and we can find it, and when we do, our personal new year has amazingly bright potential.

~Learn more about becoming a Subscriber and enjoy exclusive content including the monthly A Cuppa Moments video series.

~Enjoy TSLL's Quiet Holiday Playlist for Jazz & Classical Music Lovers (no lyrics)

SIMILAR POSTS/EPISODES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

How I Spend the Time that is "Between the Years" (the 13 Ingredients) + an Introduction to Who I Am As Well as Who TSLL Community Is

Petit Plaisir

—Luscious, Flavorful Tomato Soup

Lusciously Rich Tomato Soup

Adapted from NYTimes Cooking recipe, and the perfect amount for a household of two people to be enjoyed for two or three days.

6 Tbsp unsalted butter (high quality, high butterfat percentage)

2 medium sweet onions (diced)

1/4 cup flour

2 28 ounce cans of diced tomatoes

3/4 cup chicken broth

1/8 cup sugar

1 Tbsp fleur de sel

1 tsp celery seed

3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup half and half

In a Dutch Oven on top of the stove (medium heat), or in a large sauce pan, cook the onions in the butter for about 20 minutes until nearly transculent.

Add the flour to absorb the liquid, but do not let the onions brown - about three minutes.

Add the canned tomatoes (and all of their juices!), chicken broth, sugar, salt, celery seed, and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to simmer and cook for about 20-25 minutes. Stirring from time to time to remove any tomatoes that may become adhered to the bottom of the pot. (uncovered)

Add the half and half. Cook just long enough to reheat after the soup was momentarily cooled with the addition of the half and half.

Remove from heat (or turn off the gas) and using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth or to your preferred consistency. (If you do not have an immersion blend, simply us a stand up blender, adding small batches to the blender, pureeing and then repeating until done.)

Serve with a drop of half and half and enjoy. :) (I enjoyed mine with a Croque Madame :))

SPONSORS for Today's Episode:

~SantM

use promo code CIAOSIMPLYLUX for a 20% discount on Cortina Mules through Dec. 31, 2020

~The Simple Sophisticate, episode #297

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Tune in to the latest episode of The Simple Sophisticate podcast

[angelguk]

i could teach you - taeyong scenario - part three

Lee Taeyong - NCT

words - 3.8k

genre - angst, heartbreaker!au

soundtrack - hey violet, break my heart

parts - 1 / 2 / 3 / 4/ 5 (still ongoing)

The buzz that emitted from your pocket drawing your attention away from him. If it was Minyoung, you were not going to answer. After you called her this morning, the memory of her screaming voice was still vividly etched in your mind. That conversation was pure torture – thank god you didn’t tell her about Taeyong or you wouldn’t be breathing right now.

You drew the phone out of your pocket, surprised to find Taeyong’s name written across the scene. You’d exchanged numbers this morning, solely for the purpose of Taeyong’s favor.

TAEYONG: You can act right?

You groaned and propped yourself against the brick wall. Of course the idiot would send you a message like that. You glanced back, viewing his blurred figure through the glass windows. He was tapping his fingertips against the wooden tables, expectantly looking at his phone screen. For the sake of the situation you answered.

YOU: You should have asked that earlier

His next message came in a flash.

TAEYONG: Whatever. Learn in the next five minutes  

TAEYONG: She’s coming

Frustration seeped into your blood. Taeyong was purposely acting like an enigma.

YOU: WHO

**YOU: **TELL ME HER NAME AT LEAST

YOU: TAEYONG

His reply never came so you glanced up, searching for the mystery girl whose heart Taeyong is going to crush. The whole thing caused the hairs on your arms to rise but this was the least you could do to repay him. Especially regarding the things he did for you last night. Pretending to be his girlfriend wouldn’t get you killed right? Taeyong promised it wouldn’t get you killed.

Distracted by your own thoughts, you hadn’t observed the slim stunning girl glide into the coffee shop and stroll towards Taeyong with a sunny smile. Or the way he stood up for her, pulling her into a tight embrace before pulling out her chair. They proceeded to chat about something or another; the girl laughing while sipping iced tea and Taeyong enduring the whole ordeal with a strained smile across his face.

A ping pulled you out of your reverie.

TAEYONG: 3 minutes

Really? They had only been talking for a maximum of ten minutes. Did he hate her that much?

YOU: why

YOU: must

YOU: you

YOU: do this

YOU: to her

Nothing came through until a resounding ping echoed from your phone.

TAEYONG: 2 minutes

You waited, watching the clock on your screen and counting down until it was time. Finally, the clock turned to one o’clock.  You got up from the wall you were leaning on, pocketing your phone and exhaled loudly, you heart beating frantically like a rabbits. You were hesitant about doing this; hesitant about being the catalyst that broke somebody else’s relationship. Especially the day after Jaehyun cheated on you. But the rush of excitement flowing in your veins, the feeling of control you had cancelled out the regretful thoughts that clouded your mind. You weren’t getting hurt in this. You shouldn’t care. The girl who took Jaehyun from you didn’t care.

Dragging in a deep breathe, you clutched your hands together. With fist formed you marched into the shop, hoping you wouldn’t feel like complete shit after.  

The pungent aroma of coffee beans and saccharine sweetness of pastries swamped your being as you stepped into the store. Dread lurched itself in your throat as you approached the barista, which Taeyong had instructed you to do that morning. You scanned the menu, pretending to look like you were selecting an item, and then as scripted you curved your gaze to the tables on the right and immediately discerned Taeyong.

He was staring directly at you, chocolate eyes brilliant in the warm sunlight. They looked beautiful from where you stood, but even you could see the impenetrable layer of ice that shielded them.

“Taeyong?” You said, shaking off the strange feeling that had curled itself around your heart. “Taeyong, is that you?”

You advanced towards couple, your heart picking up a few more paces when the girl twisted around, luscious chestnut waves following her movement, to face you with a scowl from hell distorting her attractive features.

“Oh, hey Y/N! This is quite a surprise.” He shoot up from his seat, feigned alarm coloring his eyes and nervous laughter spilling from his rose lips. Taeyong was unpredictably good at acting. He was killing the look of “I’m in deep shit” fantastically. You only hoped your acting was up to par as well.

By now you’d fallen upon the pair. You stood before them, smiling sweetly at the girl

“Tae, who is she?” She demanded, indignantly. When that high-pitched nasally voice left her mouth you instantly understood why Taeyong would want to break up with her. She might be pretty but my goodness did she sound irritating.

“She’s-”

“I’m his girlfriend,” You interjected, sashaying towards Taeyong to place a hand firmly on his shoulder. The dumbfounded look the girl developed forced you to choke down the laughter in your mouth and smile even harder.

“What.” She spat out the word like was causing her physical harm.

Taeyong leaned forward, reaching out for her hands while saying. “I was going to tell you babe. I swear, I-”

She wrenched her hands back out of his hold, implanting razor-sharp daggers into Taeyong’s face with her eyes. “Don’t touch me you fucking asshole.”

“Becca-”

“Don’t say my name! Don’t speak to me ever again! Don’t call me Taeyong! I’m done with you! I AM DONE WITH YOU!”

Faster than lightening she was up, moving like a wild hurricane, pure vehemence blazing in her eyes. Your own eyes weren’t fast enough to catch the cup in her hand before she tossed the contents of it all over Taeyong. He is though, jerking away from the table before the tea can land on his shirt. Instead the liquid lands on knees of his jeans

You too sprang away, coiling into yourself to avoid the liquid while she dropped the teacup onto the table. You watched it plummet, and for a brief moment you admired the girl’s audacity but then her glower shifted to you. You’ve never seen fury like that directed at someone, nonetheless directed at you.

Becca took a step towards you. You immediately turned take a step back but then a broad back was blocking your peripheral vision. It took you a moment to realize that it was Taeyong who was acting as a barricade between you and the demented Becca.

“Oh so your protecting her now.” Her voice is full of malice and you don’t need to see her to imagine what she looks like right now.

“She is my girlfriend.” Taeyong easily spat back, standing taller to shelter your frame.  The feeling from early squeezed your heart again.

“Wasn’t I your girlfriend too? Or was I just a fling to you?”

Silence devoured the air and it was thick with tension, to the point with you could slice through it effortlessly with a knife. Taeyong didn’t answer, instead he shifted his gaze to the air above Becca’s head and noticed that the barista has his phone out and was enthusiastically recording the whole scene.

But then a hand came in contact with his cheek the slap resonant through the air. The sound of the slap is so loud you recoiled, your ears ringing from the harsh contact, curling closer to Taeyong’s back, restraining yourself from pulling him behind you. Neither of you were meant to get hurt.

“Fine then, be with that whore.” She jeered.

Becca stormed away and relief submerged your tensed body. You ignored the whore comment – it’s not like she know you anyways – and it’s fairly reasonable regarding the situation that just occurred.

You both watched her leave and then Taeyong turned to you, dark eyebrows are furrowed and glaciers covering his brown eyes.

“That was the worst acting I have ever seen. A corpse could act better than you for God’s sake!”

You frown at him, crossing your arms over your chest. “I thought that was pretty good Mister.”

“Don’t delude yourself. That was horrendous, I should kill you for that acting.” His hands enclosed themselves around your arm and he yanked you after him. Taeyong’s voice is hit you like cold water, causing a tremor to tremble down your back. The barista watched you two leave, still recording.

He towed you down the street, opposite to the direction Becca took. The road was empty due to most people being at work so you not mortified with he released your hand like you’ve developed a contagious disease and began to march away.

You watched him stroll away from you, understanding that you should be going your own way now to but something, something inside you told you to follow.

You jogged up to his rapidly moving figure only stopping when you’re walking side by side. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Taeyong sideways stare at you. He didn’t seem perplexed by your actions, rather his indifference to your company skyrocketed.

“I thought, when I let go of your hand, that I would go my way and you would go your way.”

“Well, that does traditionally happen but I don’t feel like following the rules. Also I remember you making a threat to kill me just now. Or you going to follow through or not?”

Taeyong didn’t respond, he just lengthened his strides, effectively quickening his pace and making it harder for you to keep up.  You ignored his tactics and looked straight ahead, watching the tepid morning breeze lace its way through the trees that lined the street.

Like the wind your thoughts drifted. Because of Taeyong you hadn’t had time to think about what Jaehyun did but now everything was coming back to you as your memories were a tide returning to the shore. Tears burned in your eyes making them swell up, turning everything before you hazy. Thought after thought slammed into you. After two years together why would he do that? Were you not enough? Were you just not good enough? Was there something wrong with you?

Preoccupied you’d stopped dead in your tracks, trying your hardest to sallow the feelings that had arose. Sobs lodged themselves in your throat and you choked over them, tossing your head back to the keep the tears that threated to escaped inside.

“Oh my God, you’re not crying are you? Seriously?” Taeyong’s voice rang in the empty street but you couldn’t focus on him. He’d stopped when he’d realized you weren’t walking beside him anymore.

Ambling towards you Taeyong leaned down, lifting a hand to swipe the platinum hair that had tumbled over his face. “You’re crying? Is it because of Jae-whatever the hell his name is?”

“Jaehyun,” You croaked out. “And no – I have allergies.” Lies were good now. Lies were great.

A smile jerked the corner of Taeyong’s lips upwards and he straightened his back. “Really?”

“Really.”

“Well then I hope you’re not allergic to ice-cream.” His hand enveloped around your arm for the second time that day and he hauled you down the street, dashing past a florist, the local supermarket and an elderly couple chatting away on a bench. Your protests died in your throat as you we pulled past a corner and an ice-cream parlor appeared before your eyes. Suddenly you were feeling a little better – ice-cream had always been your favorite thing to eat when you were feeling down.

The parlor was adorned in cream colors and pastel hues, blending in perfectly with the scenery. A grinning ice-cream cone beamed down at you from the windows, which were decorated in crystal snowflakes, and an OPEN sign dangled from the glass doors, beckoning you both inside.

As you were pulled past the doors a cold gush of air poured itself over your body, cooling you from the heat from outside. The parlors walls were coated in cornflower blue and the chairs and tables were in corresponding pink and yellow colors. Remarkably the parlor was empty apart from the two assistants lounging behind the marble counter, both teenage girls. Their eyes widened in surprise when you were pulled up to the counter by Taeyong and turned to saucers when he started speaking.

“Hey, can I get two ice cream cones. One vanilla flavored and the other one Cookie’s N Cream.” He leaned over the counter, beaming at them.

The two girls gaped at him and then spun into action like puppet dolls. For some reason their gaze hadn’t fallen on you at all once their eyes had landed on Taeyong.

“Yeah sure, just wait a moment. What cones do you want?” One of the girls asked, flipping her long black curls with a smile.

Taeyong glanced at you for an instant his mouth opening to form words seeming as if he was going to ask but then he said, “Cake cones please.”

“Waffle,” You said, frowning at him.

“Cake,” He insisted. “I’m paying for them anyways; just take it.”

“I can pay for my-”

“What’s the total?” Taeyong asked, completely ignoring you.

“Four thousand four hundred and sixty-three won.” Another smile blasted in his direction.

“Okay,” Taeyong said pulling out his wallet. Despite the protests lingering in your throat you allowed him to pay for the ice-creams, watching the interaction between him and the two girls.

Both were obviously flirting with him and from how Taeyong was acting – leaning over, small smiles – you knew he knew they were too. When the second girl came back with the ice-creams she handed them over with a larger smile than necessary and fluttering her eyelashes like a she had something perpetually stuck in them.

The other girl handed him the receipt and from where you were standing you could notice a number scrawled against the top of it. You shot her a look of discontent but her gaze never bothered to stray towards you; both of her eyes were locked tightly on Taeyong's face.

The second girl handed him the ice cream cones, which looked delicious, leaning her body over the counter. "Here you go," She said, imitating her friend with the excessive eyelash fluttering. "My name's Seolhyun by the way."

"I'm Hani," Her friend interjected.

"Well thank you both," He replied, taking the cones with a charming grin.

"What's your name?" Nari inquired, acting like this was a perfect time to instigate a conversation. Did she not see you or was she blinded by Taeyong's face.

"Lee Taeyong." He abruptly said before whirling away from them, receipt tucked away in his back pocket. "Thanks again." Another bewitching grin

Taeyong was strutting away before they could even stutter a word out, not bothering to look back to check if you were following him.

"Bye." You said curtly, before turning away to sprint after Taeyong's swiftly disappearing back.

"Hey!"

"What?"

"Slow down! I can't believe your making me run for ice cream!"

To your relief he stopped walking down the street and waited until you'd caught up with him. Handing you the vanilla cone, Taeyong to a long lick of his own one; all without taking a glance in your direction once.

"The Cookies 'N Cream wasn't for me?" Vanilla was alright but Cookies 'N Cream definitely tasted better.

"Nope." Taeyong took another lick of his ice-cream, dragging his tongue across the creamy surface. The image was entrancing and you couldn’t help but stare at the way his mouth moved. “What are you looking at?"

"Nothing," You replied, turning your attention back onto the ice-cream in your hand.

The vanilla coated your mouth and throat in a sweet cool cream, instantly making you feel a whole lot better. A calm swamped the air between Taeyong and you, draping itself over your bodies like the heat did. It wasn't harsh or cold or tense but just comfortable; no words needed to be said.

But while the ice-cream distracted you off Jaehyun you couldn't help but think about the scenario that just occurred in the ice-cream parlor. All Taeyong had to do was breathe for them to fall in love with him. And Taeyong knew that; he played them along with his smiles and gazes. And what about Becca, she was beautiful - most guys would kill to be with her. Yet Taeyong had used you, you of all people, a stranger he meet yesterday, to break up with her. Thinking about it now you really regretted how you'd played a part in scene, but something inside you just wanted to know how it felt to have the power to break somebodies heart by stealing the person that love. Even if it was fake.

Because you wanted to feel like the girl Jaehyun had cheated you on with. The girl who had the power to lure your boyfriend into her arms. The girl who was the reason why your heart hurt with every step you took.

"What are you thinking about?" Taeyong said munching his cone idly. You were still licking the ice-cream and you briefly wondered how fast he usually eats.

"Nothing," You chose to reply, hoping he'll understand not to push it.

"Bullshit. Your eyes don't say nothing."

You halted in your tracks whirling your head up to look at him. "Well what do they say then?"

Taeyong didn't hear the menacing tone in your voice. He just stopped as well, dropping the rest of the cone in his mouth, before choking out his answer, oblivious. "What they say is 'I want to cry' which is ridiculous because I just bought you ice-cream. They also say 'I don't understand why' and you never will sweetheart. People always want what they don't have; it's human nature - we crave what we can't get. And finally the say 'I am angry at myself' which you shouldn't be because it's not your fault he's an asshole."

You blinked, trying to decipher the river of words that had suddenly just erupted out of his mouth. Taeyong stared right back at you, brown eyes flickering rapidly as he too suddenly realized what he said. The light within them blazed brighter and a faint blush colored his cheeks.

"Shit, I-"

"You know," You interjected, anger rushing through your bloodstream. "For someone who's an asshole too, you're quite poetic."

Because now you understood. He spoke words defending you against your own thoughts but he broke heart's like yours every day and he did it with no regrets, no second thoughts and no feelings. He was a hypocrite, a huge fucking hypocrite and you were done being in his presence.

With a glare from hell, you dropped the ice-cream onto the paved ground. "Goodbye Taeyong."  And you moved, turning away from him but a firm grip latched itself on your upper arm stopped you in your tracks.

"Wait, I know what you’re thinking about me. It doesn't bother me but let me ask you something, would you rather have your heart broken, or prevent that and break someone else’s?"

You didn't need to think about it. Anyone would rather keep their heart intact than have it broken. But you had a question for Taeyong too.

"But how do you do it? With no remorse, no feeling. Like they're games to you."

Taeyong's grip on your arm loosened, allowing you to whirl back around and look at him. His eyes had darkened and the gaze that landed on you felt like arctic air. But you kept on going, too strung up now to stop.

"Like Becca; you broke up with her not even twenty minutes ago and you feel nothing. And then you went one to flirt with those two girl's back in the shop - you're twenty-two and they’re like twelve! First off, I'm sure that's illegal, second of all why?"

"Well, darling, those girls are eighteen - I am not a pedophile. And the reason I felt nothing about Becca is because I was only with her ‘cause she can do things with that mouth of hers-"

You crushed his foot underneath yours, twisting the shoe down with every ounce of strength you possessed.

"OW! WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR?"  

"That," You said, smiling at him, "was for being disgusting."

Taeyong scowled at you from underneath his eyebrows, cursing softly.

"Stop acting like I'm the bad guy, Y/N. I'm not; it's not my fault that people invest their hearts in me - I never asked them too."

"You mouth doesn't have to move for your body to speak Taeyong."

"Maybe people misconceive my actions. I never told them to give me their all, they just assumed they should. How is that my fault?"

You looked at him, watching those dark eyes burn with frustration hidden beneath the stray locks of his hair.

"And," He continued, "Maybe I like being in control, maybe I like not committing myself to one person, maybe I like being free."

"Maybe you shouldn't hurt others for you own selfish gain."

The silence that pursued chilled you to your core. Taeyong stared at you, every muscle in his body taut with tense. You waited, hoping he'd say something that made you hate him a little this. Something that will make you understand him.

He opened his mouth, pink lips moving to form words but it's almost as if he can't grasp them because they never came. You’re getting tired of waiting now too - why do you even need Taeyong to validate himself to you, it's not like you’re even remotely close. And maybe Taeyong realized that too, because his head falls to his chest, platinum locks covering his face. Taking this as a sign to leave, you moved your feet to turn away but then Taeyong looked up, and the spark in his eyes stopped you dead.

"Selfish gain, yeah, it's for my selfish gain but wouldn't you like to crush Jaehyun heart in your hand right now. Wouldn't you like to have that type of power over him - make him fail for you then leave him broken? Like he did to you." He's suddenly towering over you, your bodies so close you can taste the sweetness of his breathe from the ice-cream from earlier. "Wouldn't you like to do that Y/N? Wouldn't you?"

You couldn't deny what he said. You did want to hurt Jaehyun the way he hurt you, more than he hurt you even. But you also didn't want too - maybe because you still loved him.

"So what," You retorted, your voice trembling. "You’re going to teach me how to be a heart breaker? You’re going to tell me the rules of this game?"

His eyes burned. "I will. If you let me."

a/n: HI!! As promised here is part 3 :)) Honestly i need more taeyong gifs this is becoming exhausting if you know good gifers(?) (i mean people who make gifs) pls send me usernames because I can’t find ones I really like. Also updates may be non existent because I have post mocks next week and my IGCSE exams in 7 weeks so I need to study. Anyways thank you for reading! Tell me what you thought ask box is open!! - fyra

[stacymolter]

Something incredible happened! Last weekend we spent an unbelievable day with the Incredibles 2 cast including Holly Hunter, Craig T. Nelson, Sarah Vowell, Writer-director Brad Bird, Sophia Bush, Samuel L. Jackson, Producer Nicole Grindle, the new Dash – Huck Milner, Catherine Keener, Bob Odenkirk, and producer John Walker. While the entire cast had nothing but incredible things to say about working on this, well, incredible film, it was getting to listen to Writer-director Brad Bird gush about his love of animation, just as a proud parent would do about their accomplished child, the secret behind the Incredibles 2 nod to Johnny Quest and The Outer Limits, and why he created this film for adults just as much as he did kids.

Behind the Incredibles 2 Nod to Johnny Quest, The Outer Limits

Q: Brad. In the film, when Jack-Jack is watching the TV, that’s clearly a cartoon that you guys created. But later in the film, you used footage from Outer Limits and Johnny Quest. What was the thought behind that?

Brad Bird: One of my personal rules in an animated film is that if they’re watching something on TV, it should be animated. So the soundtrack of the old movie is an actual soundtrack from an old movie that we found that was perfect, and we animated to it. Johnny Quest is an animated show, so it fit into the universe, and it’s the style of the film. It’s that kind of action adventure style from the early 60s. Outer Limits, we only used the beginning of it because it’s still abstract. It’s still lines and things. It’s not visual photographs. That part fit really well with the Screenslaver thing because they’re talking about taking control of your TV. I just remember when I was a kid, that scared the crap out of me. That the TV once a week was being controlled by who? Aliens? But I couldn’t leave the room. But I would just be hiding from the TV because it was being taken over. We control the vertical. We control the horizontal. And I’m like they control the horizontal.

I love Johnny Quest. A lot of people don’t remember that it wasn’t made for Saturday morning. It was made for prime time. It came on at night. Adults watched it and people died in it. It had everything an eight-year wants in entertainment. It has mummies. It has pterodactyls and guns. A kid from another country who can levitate things. A bodyguard who has a fling with a girl that might be dangerous, and lasers, and hydrofoils, and jetpacks, and reptiles, and robot spies, and I just about exploded when I saw the opening titles to it. So we just had to give Johnny Quest a shout out. Had to.

Q: Brad, I wanted to talk about how, when you see an animated movie or if you’re doing PR for an animated film, it’s okay, yeah, I’ll take the kids. But I feel like the first movie, and especially the second one, it’s just a great movie. Like you don’t need to take the kids. It’s just great for like grown-ups.

Brad Bird: Yeah. Kids are strangely treated like beards for animated films. I’m a single guy, but I want to see this. I found a kid. Can I come in now? Here is this kid. He was roaming the streets. I told him I would pay for his ticket. Will you let me in? And it’s like, no man.

It’s like for anyone that likes movies, and you don’t need to have a kid. People are constantly coming up to me. My kid really enjoyed it. I go, did you like it? They go oh yeah, sure. But Billy really liked it. And I’m like, I made it for you, and Billy can come. I’m not a kid, and I made it something that I would want to see.

Incredibles 2 opens in theaters this Friday, and with a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, you won’t want to miss this film. Check out more behind the scenes conversations from the Incredibles 2 cast interviews below.

Incredibles 2 Cast Interviews

Q: I re-watched the first movie on Monday night just to refresh and recharge. When I saw the movie on Tuesday it was like not a second goes by between the two films. What was behind the decision to pick it up right away instead of having like an older Violet, an older Dash, an older Jack-Jack.

Brad Bird: I just thought it was kind of bold and weird. Because I think people take the time that passes very literally, and they think that linearly, the characters should have aged. But if they age, their superpowers don’t reflect the part of life that they’re in and their role in the family. So I worked on the first eight seasons of the Simpsons and the Simpsons haven’t aged a day and they’re still on the air. So it worked for them. And why not us?

Q: Nicole and John, there has obviously been a big leap in technology since the first movie. How did you really take advantage of those advancements and improvements to make Incredibles 2 really pop on the screen?

Nicole Grindle: Honestly, the technology has allowed us to make the film look more like what Brad intended it to look like the first time. The characters are much more finely nuanced and developed. We were able to build a lot more sets more quickly. We’ve populated the world with a lot more characters that have hair and clothing. That’s stuff that most of y’all don’t notice, but actually, that makes the world feel richer and more alive. Not to mention all the other visual effects stuff. We’ve also got a lot of artists who have had 14 years to get better at their craft. A lot of artists who were some of the kids when the first film came out, and it’s a dream come true for them to work on this film.

Q: Huck, when did you see the first movie for the first time and how did it come about that you were going to be a part of Incredibles 2?

Huck Milner: I saw the first movie when I was like five or something. My dad showed me it because he really loved the first one. I really loved it, too, and my favorite character was Dash probably.

When I got the audition, I was watching the movie over and over again and when my mom got sick of watching it, I used the audition as an excuse to watch it again.

Q: A lot of people I’m sure have noticed, and certainly it’s getting picked up a lot, is the role reversal with this movie between Elastigirl and Mr. Incredible. Violet really steps up. Holly, what was your first take when you first read the screenplay, however long ago that was and saw that role reversal?

Holly Hunter: It was a while before I truly realized what I was really going to get to do in the movie, and I was really thrilled. But it was like a retroactive thrill because over a period of months before I started gleefully singing during our recording sessions about how great my part was. I don’t think that this is a message movie in any way. I think it’s purely the luck of the draw that this happens to be dovetailing with me, too, and times up. It happens to be serendipitously reflected in this particular movie, but at the same time, it’s character revelation period. Everybody is having revelations including Jack-Jack. All the characters are revelations to the audience and to themselves.

Q: Craig, what’s your take on that, too?

Craig T. Nelson: We argued about it, and then I found out that I’m going to be helping save the family and Bob is going to learn how to be a dad and he’s going to learn about these kids. Then the process started when we were recording. It was just so much fun. The stuff I did with Violet and the two of us together and Jack-Jack and that whole discovery. And then Dash. Having to deal with Elastigirl out there doing what I want to do and being able to give her the encouragement and let her know that everything is okay. It was just a lot of fun. I’m so honored to be a part of it. To be doing this.

Q: Sophia, I know you’re not only a big fan of the first movie. You’re a big Pixar fan, too. So what blew you away in terms of working with the Pixar team, working with Brad, working with the other filmmakers?

Sophia Bush: One of the things that I think is so cool about the whole thing is the layering of all the technology that makes these films look to all of us the way they look in Brad’s head. It’s wild to see the early stages of animation and to watch some of the scenes and then see what they become in the final edit. It’s also totally nuts to go into the studio. I know that technically I’m talking to Holly, but she’s not there. It’s like me and Brad. And I’m just yelling into a void going am I doing this right?

Q: Catherine, working on the film and over the years or the extended period of time that you were voicing the character and then seeing the movie with the cast, with the crew, with the filmmakers on the big screen. What was that like for you to see the finished product for the first time?

Catherine Keener: It was very thrilling and fun. I just wanted to go back to a couple of things. First, I’m just getting to know all these people. Sarah and I have been friends for a long time. 15, 14 years, whatever. I’ve known Holly. I’ve known you. You guys. But I’m realizing that Brad kind of mined a lot of the inside of these people in the characters. And like Craig was talking about, I was just talking to him about his kids, and he’s a big mush dad, granddad, and you can see that. All of these people are awesome. I would see any movie where Holly is a badass regardless of gender. I’ve done press with this man. I know he’s done roles where he’s played maybe not so likeable a guy. Is that right? But he actually is very, very sweet and his character has that, too. So I just appreciate how insightful you are, even though you’re incredibly weird in a way. In the best way.

Q: Bob, what are your thoughts on the finished film?

Bob Odenkirk: It was super fun to see it. I loved it. I’ve been knocked out by the visuals in this film, and I’ve only seen the little moments from it in the course of recording this. So to see it in the big beautiful color on the giant screen, I knew it was going to be amazing. It’s beyond all expectations. I feel like somehow there’s new technology that you’re not telling us about, but because it’s got such richness and depth, that was a great treat.

But again, like everyone else, I didn’t read the whole script. There is never a whole script that you can read. So it’s the first time I get to see the whole story. I’m once again amazed at Brad Bird’s talent as a writer and director and orchestrator of story. There’s like five movies in this movie and they all work together to throw each other into relief and make each other better. It was a hell of an experience and everyone in my family, including nieces and nephew, young, my son and daughter, older, teenagers. Everyone related to, they enjoyed the whole story, and everyone related to different characters and themes because there are so many and they’re delivered on so well.

Q: Jack-Jack turned out to be one of my favorite characters, probably because of his partnership with the Raccoon. I just wanted to know, where did that come from? How did you guys decide to give Jack-Jack an animal villain?

Brad Bird: That was one of our key artists on the first film who helped to sign the characters, Teddy Newton. He had this idea back on the original film where he had a gang of raccoons that Jack-Jack kind of confronts. The raccoons come up and shove Jack-Jack in his original drawings. It went a lot darker believe it or not. They fought and went to the bottom of the pool and all this stuff. The idea always just killed me because raccoons look vaguely like robbers. Teddy did a drawing where he’s watching an old movie like is in the film and he sees a classic robber with a mask and then he looks out in the yard and something is stealing from him, a robber is stealing from his family. It doesn’t matter that it’s garbage. Jack-Jack doesn’t know that. He just knows that he’s being robbed and he must do something about it. I loved that. It was so visual and clear. It was such an off the wall idea that that was one of the things that I couldn’t wait to do if we got another Incredibles going.

Q: For Holly, Craig, or Sam, ever since the first movie came out, do you have kids come up to you, recognize your voice, associate you with this movie particularly?

Samuel L. Jackson: Kids don’t do that. Their parents do, and they try to make the kid know who you are. That’s Frozone, honey. He’s looking at you like, you don’t have a blue suit on. You’re not making ice stuff. So, nah. Where is my super suit, honey? Oh. What is this? And they have to give him a catchphrase. They don’t know who we are from Adam. Now as they got older, like the kids that are going to be now, the kids were four and saw the movie and now are 18. So they’ve been waiting. They’re knocking little kids over to get in line. My daughter is 35. She’s knocking big kids over to get in.

It’s been 14 years, I don’t remember what I said in the first one. I mean, okay. How about this? It’s show time. Lift my car up. Hold the kid.

Incredibles 2 Photo Gallery

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About Incredibles 2

In “Incredibles 2,” Helen (voice of Holly Hunter) is called on to lead a campaign to bring Supers back, while Bob (voice of Craig T. Nelson) navigates the day-to-day heroics of “normal” life at home with Violet (voice of Sarah Vowell), Dash (voice of Huck Milner) and baby Jack-Jack—whose super powers are about to be discovered. Their mission is derailed, however, when a new villain emerges with a brilliant and dangerous plot that threatens everything. But the Parrs don’t shy away from a challenge, especially with Frozone (voice of Samuel L. Jackson) by their side. That’s what makes this family so Incredible. Written and directed by Brad Bird (“Iron Giant,” “The Incredibles,” “Ratatouille”) and produced by John Walker (“The Incredibles,” “Tomorrowland”) and Nicole Grindle (“Sanjay’s Super Team” short, “Toy Story 3” associate producer), Disney•Pixar’s “Incredibles 2” busts into theaters on June 15, 2018.

Behind the Incredibles 2 Nod to Johnny Quest, The Outer Limits Something incredible happened! Last weekend we spent an unbelievable day with the Incredibles 2 cast including Holly Hunter, Craig T.