#i have to basically say my availability for an interview / meeting but it can be pretty much any day/time

[pseudophan]

nora can i just ask… WHAT was he thinking? how was that lie ever going to work when they were doing everything so publicly in 2009? sure you can delete stuff but he must have known it was still out there anyway right? isn’t it pointless to be like i didn’t watch his videos when he was commenting on the interactive adventures like his life depended on it ?? he was trying to convince people he just happened to be in manchester one day with a friend and he just saw phil ???? when we all saw you counting down the days to meeting each other online like WHAT

https://x.com/pinofdnp/status/1855973085771387187?s=46

tweet link (it's one of the infamous 'we met through a mutual friend' claims)

to be fair to them both, if the phandom wasn't as unhinged as it was (is) they could've gotten away with that lie. kind of. dan and phil are hardly pr experts but this isn't really too crazy a move, like yeah the people who know the truth will always know the truth but if you tell a lie enough times then in theory new fans, and people who just never looked into it, are gonna go with your version of events and not question it. the main issue for dan and phil specifically was that their fanbase was essentially built on and around speculation about their relationship and cataloguing any and all proof of it. new fans and casuals often believed the lie at first just because like, why wouldn't they, but the second they stepped foot into the phandom they obviously discovered the not-so-hidden truth, because you didn't have to be a shipper or be looking for Phan Proof in order to come across it, all you had to do is search dan and phil on literally any website with a prominent phannie presence

to their credit they seemed to realise it wasn't gonna work pretty quickly, they abandoned the 'mutual friend' story almost immediately it feels like. then they went with the 'yeah we met online but we met up to collaborate' angle but i kind of feel like they didn't go too hard on that one, probably because they had finally started to learn that Oh My God Say Less Please Say Less Always Say Less Stop Talking Jesus Christ. like by far the most damning part of the clip in the tweet is dan insisting on being like "a lot of people seem to think-" about the actual truth like girl why would you plant that idea in the heads of those who hadn't heard it before. just say you met through a mutual friend and move on like fbsdhjfbdjksf. also at that point they kinda didn't give a fuck anymore, by the time they gave that infamous editing tips interview in 2015 they had long since abandoned trying to convince anyone they didn't meet because dan was an amazingphil fan and desperately wanted to befriend him because of it. the only part they were trying to hide at that point i would say was the whole y'know, fucking and sucking of it all

this whole reply is way too rambly and idk if it makes sense but i guess my point is IF dan and phil had a more casual core viewerbase (and also didn't give up on the lie immediately. and dan was less blatantly defensive about it) they probably could have made it work in the long run, even with the amount of evidence against it. i would go as far as to say that if not every then at least nearly every single influencer/celebrity/public figure of any kind have readily available information about them out there that most people, even fans of theirs, don't know about literally just because they wouldn't think to search for it. like how often does a Major Scandal break about some celeb and some people in the comments are like yea this has been known since 2004 everyone just stopped talking about it, lmao. not that dnp being gay for each other is a scandal but you know what i mean

basically they started telling that lie just as their popularity skyrocketed and i guess the hope was that the massive influx of new people would allow them to rewrite history, but alas...

[pengillys]

i’m a smart person but i’m the worst at writing emails. like are my replies a bit too professional and serious? are they a bit too casual? idk 🤷🏼‍♀️

[host-club-hq]

heyyy !!! can i submit a request ? thanks !!! feel free to reject/deny this if u want to tho !!!

reader who’s from a middle to upper middle range family and they’re like in their 20’s or so and they just seem to have a lot of time and money on their hands but their family doesn’t know what they exactly do in terms of work so they confront her and ask if they’re doing drugs or nsfw work and turns out they have a bf (kyoya) who’s just really rich

thanks !!! 🫶

➼ pairing: kyoya ootori x fem!reader (slice of life!AU)

➼ summary: you come from a middle class family and all of a sudden you’ve been spending considerably large amounts of money… and your family is wondering what exactly it is you do for a living nowadays? are you in with the wrong sort of people?

➼ word count: 2.7k

➼ what to expect: "It's worth nothing if you aren't wearing it."

➼ warnings: none :) unless an excessive amount of fluff causes you to have severe heart issues (me too babe)

➼ i literally saw this request and was like oh my god i have to write it, then since i wasn't at my laptop, proceeded to write the fic in my beta reader's dms. thank u so much for this request it actually helped me get out of a writing rut :)

You never thought you would be sitting in your apartment for a living.

Well, technically, that's not what you do for a living, but it might as well be.

You work from home, with extremely short hours and a paycheck that's nothing to write home about. You could do your job from an office, but why bother? Most of the 8 hours you would work, you'd be sitting at your desk with nothing to do, your brain going numb from lack of stimulation.

Although you don't enjoy having virtual meetings with strangers, that's basically your entire job — you are a virtual history tutor, after all.

You never wanted to be a teacher but you still wanted to pass your extensive knowledge on to other generations, so you figured either being a substitute teacher or a tutor would suffice. And when the school you applied to mentioned an online tutor position, you snatched it up and ran with it.

Of course, you had a job before this. And it definitely wasn't your dream job. Before your passion for teaching arose, you took one of the first jobs you found available that called you for an interview. The secretary of a prestigious CEO of... a company that you're not quite sure what they did (you called it your Devil Wears Prada moment). You vaguely remember copying data and putting things in color-coded folders, but the position was brutal. You were set with impossible tasks and goals that your immediate superiors struggled to reach (truly, your Devil Wears Prada moment). You contemplated swerving your car into oncoming traffic every day on your way to work at 6:30 in the morning (obviously you didn't, too many innocent lives would have been put in danger).

But, at least, that's where you met-

Knock, knock, knock-knock-knock... knock, knock

Your ears immediately perk up and you turn your head toward the front door from your position on the sofa in the living room. There's only one soul alive that would knock on your door in that fashion.

You shut your laptop rather hastily and leap up to answer the door, sliding through the kitchen and the entry foyer in your socks to get there. Honestly, the distance from the front door to your workspace could have been considered a 5k marathon (no it's not, you're just out of shape).

You don't even have to glance at the peephole before you open the door to reveal-

"y/n! Oh, my dear, how are you?" You're immediately pulled into a crushing embrace and a comforting scent surrounds you.

"Mom?" You gawk, slowly encircling your arms around her to return the hug.

"I know I probably should have called but when I thought about doing it, I was already at your door. And I have to say, this is quite the upgrade!" Your mother wanders in without an invite, in awe of the clean, neat appearance of your apartment.

Well, penthouse. You take up the entire 58th floor at the top of your building. The elevator requires a reading of your house key-card to even press the button. It opens up right in front of your door.

... how did she get up here?

"How on earth did you get up here?" You voice your thoughts as her mother discards her walking shoes beside your own, slipping on a pair of guest slippers.

"I told the man in the lobby I was your mother and you would not believe the convincing I had to do to get him to let me up. He even needed my ID!"

"Well, yeah, because you don't live here-"

"Would you look at this place! My god, y/n, how do you keep it so clean? Not a speck of dust!" Your mother, true to her nature, swipes a finger across a nearby decorative table and it comes up absolutely spotless.

"Thanks, I mean it's not-"

"You even have a foyer! And a kitchen that doesn't double as the dining room!" Your mother wanders into the next room faster than you can process her presence.

"Mom, what are-" You try to best to follow her, slipping and sliding over the wooden floors in your fluffy socks.

"Really, y/n, I never pegged you to like modern furniture! I thought you liked a little character in your possessions. But, I must say, it's much better than I imagined your living situation to be." She strolls into the living room next, gawking at the mere size.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" You frown, relieved that she seems to have finally picked a room to settle in. She sets her enormous bag on the sofa.

"What are you even doing here? Not that I don't appreciate the surprise visit..." You save quickly, smiling sheepishly at the glare she briefly sends your way.

"I wanted to see you of course. But..." She digs through her purse and pulls out a Macbook. "I came for an explanation for this." She all but waves it around. You wince.

"Careful. Why do you need an explanation for that? You mentioned you needed a better laptop and your birthday was coming up so I thought-"

"Exactly! It's perfect, it's everything I could have ever dreamed of in a laptop!" Your mother scolds. You tilt your head.

"... is that a problem?" You blink owlishly.

"First it was the watch for your father's birthday, then the mountain of stuffed animals for your little sister for Christmas, and now this!" Your mother sighs, crossing her arms after setting the Macbook on the coffee table.

"Wha- I'm sorry, I think I'm missing what the fuss is about. I tell you guys to send me your lists and you never do, so I'm sorry if it's not what you wanted-"

"It is what we wanted, that's why I'm here!" She retaliates.

"Okay, Mom, you're going to have to calm down and tell me what the problem is because I am clearly missing something here." You lead her to the coffee table, where you both lower yourselves to the floor, cross your legs, and sit beneath it.

She takes a deep, calming breath, "I'm just concerned is all. Your last job was enough for you to live and have a fair amount of money to spare, but you don't even work there anymore." Your mother places both hands on the table, avoiding your eye.

"You're right, I don't work for them anymore." You quirk a brow, curious as to where this is going.

"And now you're an online tutor who barely works more than a few hours per day, sometimes a week! So... I'm just curious..." She sighs, shaking her head.

"How are you getting the money for all of this? This is a multimillion dollar penthouse, you sent your father a 7,000 dollar watch, and you sent me a laptop worth at least a few thousand dollars." Your mother finally meets your eyes.

Before you can respond, she reaches across the table and grabs you by the shoulders.

"Just tell me the truth. Are you selling drugs? Are you stripping? Are you doing drugs? Because whatever it is, I'm sure I can talk my way into gaining your innocence in a courtroom but you have to come clean-"

"Mom! I'm not doing anything illegal!" You exclaim adamantly, shrugging her grip off your shoulders.

"Are you in credit card debt? Your father warned you about things like this, and I always thought you were a modest spender but-"

"Mom, listen to me, okay? I'm not in debt. I'm not stripping. I'm not doing drugs." You take both of her hands in yours and speak calmly. She nods, still looking a little confused.

"Then how are you getting all of the money for this?" She asks.

You chew your lip, "Well... it's not really my money-"

Just as you begin your explanation, the front door opens and shuts loudly, the sound of dress shoes click loudly against the wooden floors.

"Honey, there's someone in your house." Your mom steadies herself, reaching for her purse like she's got some sort of weapon.

"Mom? Mom!" You hiss quietly as she starts to get up.

"I'm home, darling! Are you in the living room?"

Your mother blinks at the voice calling from the foyer.

"Yeah, I'm in here!" You reply in a trembling voice, your brain trying to decide whether or not you should greet your boyfriend or calm your mother first.

Before either of you can open your mouths again, the body attached to the voice calling for you appears in the doorway.

Kyoya sheds his blazer, leaving him clad in his button up shirt tucked into his dress pants as he tosses it onto the coat rack beside him.

"I was- oh." Kyoya finally looks up, meeting your eyes first, then the worried, albeit confused, eyes of your mother.

"I'm sorry, I hope I wasn't interrupting anything." Kyoya bows politely at the presence of someone unfamiliar to him.

Your mother's instincts cause her to return the bow where she's sitting, still completely lost.

"You're not, darling." You get up from your place at the table to greet him.

Kyoya welcomes you eagerly, pressing a chaste kiss to your lips, bewildering your mother further, before making eye contact with her again.

"This must be your mother. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. l/n. I've heard so much about you." Kyoya bows once more, a bit more deeply.

Your mother blinks, eyes glancing between you and Kyoya with haste.

"Mom, this is Kyoya Ootori... my boyfriend." You allow Kyoya to place a respectful arm around your back.

"Your what?" She blurts. You grimace. You knew you'd have to tell her sooner or later, but most of your high school boyfriends were intimidated by her and her doting nature.

And the fact that your father threatened to end their lives if they ever laid a finger on you.

"My boyfriend..." You sigh, almost like a scolded child.

"Ah, that reminds me. A flower for you, my dear." Kyoya sets down the shopping bag he was holding and his briefcase, handing you a rose.

"Oh, it's so pretty. Thank you." You'd rather Kyoya brought you individual flowers than an expensive bouquet since you're god-awful at keeping them alive. You peck his cheek.

"Oh, and before I forget. I saw this in a store window on my way home and I couldn't help but imagine how well it would paired with that black dress you know I like so much. I thought you could wear it to dinner." Kyoya pulls out a large, black velvet box from the shopping bag and turns toward you.

"Kyoya, we've talked about this-"

"I know. You don't like when I spend money on you but I just couldn't help myself." He opens the box to reveal a necklace glittering with diamonds, more than you can count. It glimmers in the light and you're afraid to even touch it, let alone wear it.

"Oh, my god, this must have cost a fortune." Your jaw goes slack. Your mother nosily peers over your shoulder and gasps loudly.

"It's worth nothing if you aren't wearing it." Kyoya smiles. A pretty pink hue dusts your cheeks at the compliment as your heart flutters.

"Thank you, my love. It's breathtaking." You gently take the box from him so he can gather his own things.

"Would your mother like to join us for dinner? I'm sure they won't mind moving us to a different table." Kyoya inquires innocently.

Your mother in question is still completely baffled by all of this.

"So... so you're dating my daughter? And... you're rich?" Your mother blurts.

"Mom!" You scold.

Kyoya chuckles, "I'm under the impression you hadn't been told about me. My apologies."

"Kyoya!" You scold him next.

"And... and this is... your house?" Your mother gestures to your surroundings.

"Yes, ma'am." Kyoya nods affirmatively.

"I moved in about... I want to say two months ago or so." You shrug. Kyoya nods.

"And how long have you been dating exactly?" She quirks a brow.

You nearly cringe at your answer, "... a year."

"A YEAR?" Your mother all but shrieks, earning a wince from you.

"Mom, it's not a big deal-" You reach for her to calm her down.

"It is a big deal! You've been seeing this gorgeous man with a mansion behind my back!" She gestures wildly to Kyoya, who blinks at her, brows raised at her reaction.

"Not behind your back! You never asked!" You insist.

"That's because you swore off men in high school after that boy stood you up-"

"WE don't have to talk about that." You want to shove your hands over her mouth. Kyoya quirks a brow quietly from behind you.

You sigh, "I met him while I was a secretary. He owns a portion of his father's company and was scheduled to meet with my boss."

That's the only thing you're thankful to that secretary position for. Your boss had buzzed for you to prepare two cups of tea for him and his guest. Once you brought them their tea, your attention was stolen by the man sitting across from your superior. Luckily, you didn't drop any of the china on your way in once you caught sight of him. After Kyoya was finished meeting with your boss, he struck up a light conversation with you that had your heart soaring. Simply basking in his beauty and powerful nature made you swoon.

Kyoya returned to your boss's office far more often than he ever needed to after his first interaction with you. He appeared at your desk, asking for your boss when these types of things could have definitely been handled over the phone. At first he didn't understand why he did it, but he soon realized his feelings for you when he caught himself asking you to dinner on his way out one day.

"I still don't understand why you didn't tell me you were dating this man. Let alone living with him." Your mother finally calms down enough to have your heart aching with guilt.

"I meant to, Mom, but I just... I guess I was afraid of how you'd react." You admit finally, fidgeting with your fingers.

"Kyoya helps me pay for you gifts because I want the best for you. But honestly, he can get you much nicer things than I pick out... I'm pretty sure he can buy you a house." You mutter your last sentence.

Your mother laughs, "If my daughter likes him, I like him. Come here, Kyoya." She strides forward and pulls Kyoya down for a tight embrace.

Kyoya nearly chokes, clearly rendered speechless by her sudden show of affection. He manages to reciprocate despite his shock.

"Thank you. I can assure you, I only want the best for your daughter. I'm sorry we haven't met sooner." Kyoya grins.

He has contemplated reaching out to your mother by himself despite your adamant disapproval. But he hated the idea of going behind your back to do anything at all, so he kept to himself.

"It's alright, dear. I'd love to get to know you better. Are you sure I wouldn't be a bother at dinner?" Your mother returns to the woman you know and love.

"Not at all." You shake your head, a wide grin spreading to your lips.

"I'll call the the driver, tell him to bring around the SUV rather than the Benz." Kyoya pulls out his cellphone.

"A driver?" Your mother gasps, placing a hand over her chest and glancing to you for confirmation. You nod, biting your lip eagerly.

Once Kyoya's sent the short message, your mother slots herself beside him and curls her arm around his.

"So, Kyoya, you own your father's company?" The two of them walk in the direction of your shared bedroom, side by side. You watch as they leave you standing in the living room.

"Just a portion of it, yes. We're in the medical business, you see, managing hospitals and..." Kyoya's voice fades off into the house. He doesn't seem to mind your mother's sudden attention in the slightest, even switching his jacket to his other arm to accommodate her like the gentleman he is.

You purse your lips, glancing down once more to the velvet box in your hands and you're reminded that you need to start getting ready for dinner. You follow them, rolling your eyes as you hear your mother start to ask about just how well Kyoya's been treating you.

This is going to be the longest dinner of your life.

want to read more? here's my ouran masterlist 🌹

and here's my bts blog💜

want me to write something you want to see? request something💌

have any questions? talk to my characters!🙏🏻

Adieu~ 🌹🌹🌹

[scrumptiousstuffs]

I do think about what Khao said to First in that armshare birthday video, "If you meet someone good, let them go. Stay with me."

I mean ???? 😵‍💫😳 Even if we think he's talking about their ship, it's such an impossible thing to say !!

Anon, these 2 boys have said some of the most swoon-worthy, lines ever existence in life. Like if I am going to akin the boys to one regency couple - it will be Jane Austen's Mr Darcy/Elizabeth Bennett (I'll let you decide who is who)

They are basically 2 protagonists in a romantic series while we are all just outsider viewing their loving relationship. I don't think the boys actually realise how unhinged some of the lines they just casually say to each other sometimes (like I swear Arm's jaw dropped when Khaotung said the above line).

So, in honor of your ask, I’m going to choose my top 3 most swoonworthy, lovey-dovey moments (minus the one you just said!):

First love letter to Khaotung during LOLFanfest 2024 (I know I mentioned this previously, but I just adore this whole thing, ok?)

"Khaotung, I love you, really. When I was on stage, I was afraid to look at your face because I do not think I would be able to hold back my tears. Don't be upset, na babe. When you have a hard time that you can't bear it anymore, share it with me, na? We'll hold hands and go on together like this, na 🧡🤍. P/S: Look at the floor when you walk. I'll look at your face instead, leave that to me."

When both First/Khaotung got emotional during these particular exchange (where they again profess their love for each other) - it's a pity this whole interview is no longer available on YT (I think you can still watch the whole thing on Weibo (maybe?)

First part I already uploaded previously here (cause Tumblr will not allow me to upload more than 1 video!). I am putting up Khaotung respond to First part below (credit in the video):

And finally, I cannot stress enough how much I adore their official mantra from "Finally Begin - The Official Photobook Of First-Khaotung."

They both love the photoshoot where they played with rain the best.

Khaotung told First "Let's throw away the umbrella and stroll in the rain together." First said that the photos from this particular set speak to them.

But the iconic line comes from Khaotung who said he just wanted the picture to say - “Screw it. It's just us walking together against the world."

(I reallly think part of the reason why Khaotung said this was because they weren’t even sure whether their CP will be permanent at the beginning - as it hinges on the success of TE. Thank goodness it did!

[apenitentialprayer]

full text below, due to paywall. Bolded emphases added.

When Pope Francis gave a firm “no” to women deacons in an interview with Norah O’Donnell of “60 Minutes” in May, but noted quickly that “women have always had…the function of deaconesses,” my mind traveled back to November of last year, when I made a visit to the Dominican Republic and saw the work of one of these women firsthand. I also thought of my colleague Colleen Dulle, who recently visited Argentina with the Pontifical Mission Societies and encountered catechists, many of them women, who bring the Gospel to the shanty towns in Buenos Aires and the mountain towns beyond

I offer these reflections as a way to understand the context of the pope’s remarks, and to think about the ministry he is calling all of us to consider.

El Cercado is a mountain town in the Dominican Republic not far from the Haitian border. I traveled there with my godfather, the Rev. John I. Cervini, a priest of the Diocese of Rockville Centre on Long Island, who spent 17 years there as pastor to the community. Rockville Centre is one of several U.S. dioceses with mission parishes in “the D.R.”

The Church of San Pedro Apóstol is located across from the town square in El Cercado, but we stayed a short drive away at a retreat center built by “Padre Juan” and his pastoral team, with support from benefactors in Long Island. It’s a beautiful setting, with views of the mountains and a prayer garden with the Stations of the Cross. In the mornings we drank coffee in the cantina; at night we drank Presidentes on the roof deck.

One of the images that remains with me from my stay is the gazebo at the entrance to the retreat house and the paintings inside, hanging in a circle from the gazebo’s roof. Each depicted a tongue of fire and represented one of 14 districts in the surrounding area that oversaw 85 “basic ecclesial communities.” Community leaders would gather at the gazebo for days of pastoral planning and spiritual reflection and then return home to carry out their mission.

The history of these base ecclesial communities goes back to the meeting of Latin American bishops in Medellín, Colombia, in 1968. They were also supported by the theologian Gustavo Gutiérrez, who brought together pastoral workers from around Latin America to train them in evangelization and community organizing.

One of those leaders is Joana Peterson, a lay minister from the United States who has spent over 40 years in the Dominican Republic. She is a critical part of the pastoral team at San Pedro Apóstol, visiting seniors, working with the local Fe y Alegría schools and training local residents in sustainable farming techniques. She is an ever-present, respected presence in the community, and the bishop is known to seek her counsel.

Strong lay leadership is also a feature of church life in Argentina. One of the takeaways from Colleen’s trip, which she shared on a recent episode of America’s “Inside the Vatican” podcast, is the key role played by catechists in spreading the faith where priests are scarce. This is no doubt why Pope Francis decided to elevate catechists to an official ministry of the church in 2021. He knows how essential they are to the church in his home country.

We are spoiled in the United States. We have grown used to having priests available to say Mass on weekdays and multiple Masses on Sundays. That is changing, of course, and we are beginning to understand how the church has survived in other countries without a steady supply of priestly vocations. Especially in Latin America, laypeople have played a critical role, leading communities and carrying out the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

Women have always been part of that picture. I think that is what Pope Francis means when he says that “we have always had” deaconesses. In other words, “we have always had” non-ordained women committed to lives of service, women like Joana and like the catechists Colleen met in Argentina.

By elevating the role of the catechist in church life, Pope Francis tried to recognize the essential contribution of lay ministers. He was also reminding us that ministry in the church is not the responsibility of the ordained alone. We are all called to serve, and sometimes, I think, Pope Francis is suggesting that discussions about ordination can distract from that.

Of course, ordination is a question that will continue to be discussed, even if Pope Francis has made his thoughts on women deacons known. But if the only debate sparked by our vocations crisis is about ordination, of women or married men, I think that’s a missed opportunity. We all have to find ways to serve the church. The sooner we discern how to do that, the healthier our church will be.

Speaking of leadership, our editor, Sam Sawyer, S.J., is currently away on tertianship, the final stage of Jesuit formation. He will return to this space in the October issue.

[stormoflina]

https://rtl.hu/reggeli/2024/02/09/szoboszlai-dominik-tetovalas-torocsik-dani

Thank you so much.

So I finished it earlier than I thought, here it is!

TLDR: Dominik's tattoo artist talking about meeting Dominik, their friendship and most especially, his brand new chest tattoo and the ideas behind it to two hosts of a Hungarian morning show.

Long intro from the journalists, the only important info is that they mention how due to the request of Dominik’s family they can only ask about certain topics, because it’s a rather intimate matter. Then the male journalist asks about how the artist got there, was it difficult bringing his own stuff to Dominik’s house. 

Tattoo Artist: “ It would have been difficult to gather everything that is needed for making a tattoo and bringing them all with me [to Dominik’s house], so we basically made a ‘studio’ at Dominik’s and that’s how it was done. We ordered what was needed online to his house, and when he had free time on certain days, we worked on the tattoo on his chest.”

Female Journalist: “We know that you can’t say much and neither do we want you to speak in Dominik’s name, so please only tell us what you are allowed to…”

TA: “Just ask me!”

FJ: “Yeah, okay (...) So, what was Dominik’s wish, what did he want?”

TA: “Well, I guess this is a question that can be labeled as private, but perhaps Dominik won’t get mad at me if I tell you guys broadly. What he had in mind is to have a tattoo that can represent and show his journey, his very difficult, but so far successful journey he has been on from the moment he was born, from the moment he started playing football. And also his mentality, what was needed for his journey, that’s what he wanted to have on his skin, inked on, in the form of pictures. Basically, it’s a tool to tell a story, his story. Reading from left to right, starting from the moment he was born to, well, who knows, nobody knows until when, that’s what the stars and planets are meant to symbolize.”

MJ: “It looks very cool, and of course, it looks beautiful on Dominik. (...) How much did it take to complete it, how many hours are needed to make a tattoo [like this one]?”

TA: “Finally, a good question! Good that you asked in hours, because it's easier to answer. We only had certain parts of a day, and he wasn’t always available. so we had to work with that. All in all, it took like 3 days… We had once a 10 hour long session, and I think two 6(ish) hours long ones. All in all, it was like 26 hours.”

FJ: “We know that this story went viral (...) that you have been contacted by many journalists (...), so we are thankful that this is your first interview, and that you chose us. Still, it’s a huge deal that you had the chance to work together with such a big star like Dominik, we know how famous he got (...). Did you know each other from before, or was this your first time meeting him?”

TA: “ Yeah, we do. I will confess, I didn’t think that this would blow up the way it did. I mean, like, I have a good relationship with Dominik, so in my head he is (...) I mean, obviously, I respect him and admire him for what he has achieved, but still, we have a private relationship. So, I didn’t even consider that if I post his tattoo, even the English media will find out about it and report about it, because that’s what happened… Yeah, I have known him ever since he signed for Leipzig. At first, he contacted me, because he wanted a correction for one of his tattoos. I met him for the first time when he was still playing for RB Leipzig.

MJ: “You mentioned how many hours it took to get it done (...), during those hours do you ask him about stuff, trying to have a conversation, or rather sit in silence, listen to music (...) how does it work? Have you found out any behind the scenes secrets?”

TA: “ No. No, because for him, you know, it’s about relaxation. I mean, even if he doesn’t want it, we were together for 3 days constantly. Even if you are forced to be with your best friend in the world that amount of time, being as close to each other as like 5-10 centimeters, face-to-face, it can get a lot. We had a friendly conversation, I’m not trying to ask him for information (...), of course we talked about stuff, a lot of stuff, I will not say we didn’t, but I didn’t spend my 3 days with him trying to get information out from him.” 

The rest of the video was about his personal and work life, where he is currently, career, etc, nothing else about Dominik. 

[serenefreakgeekao3]

Chocolate and Pining

Jim Halpert x GN!Reader

PART ONE

[TABLE OF CONTENTS]

Check Table of Contents for entire fic summary and Key!

Summary: The cameras arrive and begin their rotation through the office. What will their shiny lens and intrusive questions uncover?

Warnings: canon-compliant cheating (if you count Pam flirting while engaged)

Author's Note: First post of the new rewrite, and Im kinda glad I only post two chapters of this previously because I went through and changed the entire thing from third person pov to first, to match along with the rest of the xReaders i’ve been writing.

[ ֎” ]

"Alright," You begin, your legs crossed while you tap one hand on your thigh. "What do I even say?" You huff a little laugh, shaking your head. You sat on an uncomfortable grey plastic chair, blinds slightly drawn behind you to block the view of the rest of the office working. You turn around and glance back, looking through the small opening available and noting three different cameras roaming the office and zooming in on people.

"What do we do here?" You repeat the question you're given, turning back toward your own interview camera. "Well, this is Dunder Mifflin, Scranton branch. We're a paper-pushing company." You stop for a moment before the producer behind the camera does a sort of wave as if urging you on. "Uh- well, I'm the receptionist here. I took the job almost a year ago. I transfer calls to the department they need to go to, write notes during our meetings- I'm basically Michael's secretary." You awkwardly laugh, glancing at the wall of the conference room shared with Michael's office as if he could hear through it. You wouldn’t doubt it if someone told you he stood there with his ear pressed to the wall.

"What's the most interesting thing about this job?" You furrow your brows in concern, uncrossing your legs and sitting forward. "Look, I don't know what you guys were expecting when you came here with a whole film crew, but we're a paper company. There's literally nothing interesting about working here."

[ ֎” ]

"What's interesting about working here?" Oscar asks, glancing through the blinds before leaning closer to the camera, waving his hand as he speaks quieter, "Now I'm not one to gossip, but the big thing going around is the office romance right now. And I'm not talking about Kelly and Ryan getting back together for the fifth time." He laughs shortly at his own joke before continuing. "See, Pam is engaged to Roy, he works here in the shipping warehouse downstairs. They've been together for years and they finally have a wedding date set for about a month or so from now.

"However, Jim has the biggest crush on her, everyone can tell. Before Y/N got here, Pam was the receptionist and Jim was always jumping up and going over to her to flirt constantly. Now, some believe the flirting is still going on while their desks are right next to each other, but I think it's gotten tamped down a bit since Pam scheduled a date for the wedding.

"And then there's Y/N. They started here when Pam was finally transferred to sales, and the position opened. They actually became quite close to both Pam and Jim pretty quickly, which makes some sense considering Dwight and Michael basically attacked them their first day here." —

[ ֎” ]

"Attacked Y/N? Please," Dwight scoffed, shaking his head, "I was merely preparing the new employee. If you’re not ready for a surprise stab from a ninja on your first day on the job, then I really don’t think you’re ready for work at all.” Dwight huffs out a breath, crossing his arms. “Besides, Jim made me use the dull blade.” He looks away from the camera in a strop, shrugging his shoulders. “If he hadn’t taken my sharp one I wouldn’t have had to pull out the dull one. I had to put extra force behind the attack for it to do anything, so really it’s Jim’s fault for the bruises.

“Michael? He couldn’t hurt a fly.” Dwight scoffs, then scoffs again for emphasis. “The fact that he tripped and fell that day means nothing, he was merely catching himself from falling with the closest available thing to grab. Which happened to be Y/N’s body, which he then happened to pull down with him. An honest mistake, that.”

[ ֎” ]

— "Now," Oscar continued where he left off with a smirk, "You'd think Jim flirting with Pam, and her egging it on while engaged, should be drama enough for you. But, then you have to figure into the equation that Y/N also likes Jim. I have a pretty good view of the receptionist area when Y/N sits in a certain spot, and I can hear whenever they talk to each other... Sometimes.

"Now I don't know if Jim realized he's a little flirty," Oscar wiggles his fingers with this, "But certainly not as much with them as with Pam. But- man, it's almost painful how hopeful Y/N's voice gets when they talk with Jim. Almost, but mostly just entertaining. And of course, none of the three know about this. It's basically the office soap opera at this point, and no one wants to say anything to disrupt the saga."

Oscar leans back, chuckling to himself before glancing at the camera, "Oh, almost everyone. Don't tell Dwight or Michael either, they're sure to give it away." He pats his leg for a second before smirking, "I'm team Pam. Now don’t look at me that way! I would love for Y/N and Jim to get together, but he’s just too obsessed with Pam! And that woman really needs to get herself a new man, that Roy is a real piece. of. work."

[ ֎” ]

"Team Pam or Y/N?" Phyllis asks, her smile soft as she raises a hand to cover a giggle, "Now I don't like drama, but absolutely team Y/N. Pam is engaged, it's inappropriate."

[ ֎” ]

"Team Pam, all the way." Meredith nods, smirking to the camera. "She was here first. Gotta be loyal to the branch."

[ ֎” ]

"Oh! Team Y/N!" Kelly squeals, wiggling her body in excitement.

[ ֎” ]

Jim sits in the seat, smoothing his pant legs down and sighing. "So, uh, what exactly do I say?" He places his chin in his hand, his fingers tapping restlessly against his bottom lip.

"Anything interesting?" Jim repeats, glancing out the window in the general direction of Pam and Y/N before looking back. "I mean, there's nothing really interesting about this job. Toner prices, how much each piece of paper weighs or costs-" Jim sighs, shaking his head and dropping his hand, "Honestly, the only reason I'm still here at this point is probably my friends. Pam, my desk-mate over there, we've been here for a while together. And then there's Y/N, the relatively new hire. Or, are they new?" Jim tilts his head to think about it, squinting his eyes toward the ceiling. "Has it almost been a year already?"

Jim shrugs, smirking before tapping his leg, "Oh, and also pranking Dwight. Gotta make your own fun here."

"What the- Jim!" Dwight suddenly yells, drawing half the office's attention. The other half continued blandly on with their work, used to their antics it would seem. Jim glances wearily over toward Dwight as he lugs something up from his bottom drawer, placing a plate with yellow jello and a stapler floating inside onto his desk. "What did you do?"

Jim struggles to hold back a laugh, his hand curled in front of his face and chin resting on his palm. Instead, he shrugs, leans back and crosses his arms while trying to maintain a poker face. "Nothing, Dwight. By the way, what happened to your stapler there?"

"You should know, you did it!" He sits there for a moment, glaring at Jim before bounding up, running and calling out, "Michael!"

You were half standing behind your reception desk to get a good look, sniggering to yourself about this prank- it was a good one. You look over to Jim and see him give Pam a high-five, mumbling something to each other before Jim looks in your direction and shoots you a full smile instead of the smirk he had been wearing. You smile back, sitting back down in your chair and scooting up closer to your computer.

The camera swings around closer to Jim, listening more in on their conversation. "How did you even do it?" Pam asks and snickers quietly before straightening up suddenly, grabbing her phone to press to her ear in an attempt to look as if she was doing her work as their boss exits his office.

"Let me see, let me see-" Michael finally lays eyes on the prank, laughing loudly. "Wow, just- wow!" He laughs some more, patting Jim on the back. "This is a creative one, good job Jimbo!" Dwight scoffs, moving to be in Michael's line of sight. Michael jumps slightly as if remembering he's the boss before clearing his throat and looking at Jim. "Oh, but don't do it again."

"Do what again?" Jim asks, playing dumb still and raising his eyebrows at Michael. Michael barks a laugh in return and pats his back again before wandering back into his office, mumbling about jello under his breath. Jim turns toward Dwight with a victorious grin while you stand, carrying your lunch box toward the kitchen. You tap Jim's shoulder twice in passing as if to say good job, and Jim barely has enough time to lift a hand to yours as you gently pull away to continue to your destination.

"Get it out," Dwight demands, standing near Jim and glaring at him.

"Get what out?"

"My stapler!"

"Well, it is your stapler, Dwight." Jim turns back toward his computer, chuckling under his breath.

"Oh, and how am I supposed to get it out?"

"I don't know, eat the jello?" Jim suggests, causing Dwight to scoff loudly as he plops in his chair.

"I can't just eat the jello, Jim. I wrote my name in whiteout on the stapler so everyone would know it's mine." Dwight pauses for a moment before narrowing his eyes. "Unless you knew that, and you'd assume I'd eat this. You're trying to poison me!" Jim sighs loudly, widening his eyes toward the camera before shaking his head.

"Ok, and with that, I'm going to take my lunch." He stands, turning to make his way toward the kitchen.

"If you need something to eat, I have a whole plate of jello right here for you Jim!"

Jim enters the kitchen, watching you press a few buttons on the microwave to heat your lunch. He dons a small private smile before sneaking closer behind you, reaching out and grabbing your sides while calling out a quick, "Boo!"

You jump heavily and yelp, turning around quickly with a hand pressed to your chest, panting out your breaths. "Fuckin- Halpert!" You yell out, smacking his arm before slumping against the counter behind you. Taking a few more breaths as Jim bends over laughing, you call out, "Unfair!"

"Oh? Unfair?" Jim replies, grinning toward you, "This is just payback for that email!"

"Hey, I sent that yesterday!"

"And I just opened it today." Jim grinned, not at all sorry, as you remember the jumpscare chain email you had forwarded to him, hoping to see his reaction.

"Well, that's unfortunate. I wanted to see you jump, I must've missed it." You pouted slightly and Jim's face did a small change, becoming softer and crinkling slightly at the eyes. You don’t seem to notice as you turn toward your food once the microwave beeps.

"Yeah, you were being harried by Michael, something about new shoes?" At which you groan loudly, holding up a finger with an eye roll.

"Don't even get me started on that." You thought back to that same morning when Michael came in with muddy shoes, whining about how he had just bought them even though you could’ve sworn you had seen Michael wearing them for the last half a year. How exactly did time pass in Michael's world, you wondered? And how had they gotten muddied? It wasn’t even raining outside!

"If you need to talk about it, I'm here," Jim said, sounding oddly sincere, but then continued quickly, "Although if the opposite is true I'm also very willing to go into detail about the newest book I just finished of my series."

"Oh? You mean your nerdy novels about swords and dragons?" You reply, raising your eyebrows and smirking at Jim as you stirred your lunch. “Aren’t you supposed to be a jock or something?”

"Don't pretend like you don't love the series, you listen to me ramble about it every week," Jim replied, never losing his smile and never looking away from you. His focus felt like fire on you, and there was nothing you could do to put it out. You weren’t even sure you wanted to. “And it is possible for someone to like sports and reading at the same time.”

"Hmm." You hum, pretending to think about it. It really wasn't a hard choice- while the stories sounded interesting enough by themselves, it was Jim telling them to you that made the whole week worth it. Listening to Jim become so passionate about something he found interesting was almost infectious, you practically waited for these days just to gain inspiration for your own writing. And if you happen to write fanfiction about the stories you've never actually read- well, Jim didn't need to know about that. "Alright, fine, if you insist. So what's new with Salamander and Patterson?"

"It's Sally and Parker," Jim began in disbelief, rolling his eyes fondly as you pick up your lunch, the both of you moving to the break room. You had known that, of course, but watching Jim try to explain for the seventh time why Sally is absolutely not a salamander and is, in fact, more like a snake than anything else just brings a smile to your face and a warm feeling to fill your chest.

You sat down at a chair, thankful for the empty break room as Jim wandered over to the vending machines. He put in some money and roughly pushed a few buttons, complaining all the while about his book characters. He ends up chuckling and shaking his head as he states that he needed to 'start from the beginning.'

A packet of double chocolate chip cookies lands in front of you, and you grin brightly while reaching for the gift. "My favourite, how did you know?" You look up to see Jim looking quickly away, not noticing the red starting to stain his cheeks and the tops of his ears.

"You eat it every week," Jim replies quietly as if that explains it, fetching his own lunch. "Anyway so then Parker-"

It was later in the day, and you sat bored at your desk, a word document pulled up on your computer that was half written with a personal story. Though you weren't actively typing it, instead spinning a pen in your hand as you stare in the direction of the sales associates.

"I honestly don't know what I'm looking for here," Jim speaks lowly, chuckling as he held Pam's hand in both of his, her palm facing upward. He looks up into her eyes as she giggles, shaking her head.

"No, look closer, here," Pam takes one of his hands, taking a finger and tracing a line on her palm as if this would help him read it, "This is the life line. Or- wait, maybe it's the heart line?" Pam giggles again, though misses Jim's almost yearning gaze as he holds her hand a little tighter.

"I don't know what either of those mean, Beesly," Jim replied, his voice low, and Pam finally looked up. Their eyes met and you finally had to look away, the pain in your chest becoming almost too much to bear.

And, almost as if on cue, Roy pushes in the door to the office, walking forward with his hand holding a leather jacket over his shoulder. You glance up quickly, about to start your usual introduction before realizing who it is and clearing your throat loudly, throwing a worried glance toward Jim. He glances over in time, thankfully, yanking his hands back as if burned when spotting Roy turning the corner. It seemed as though Roy hadn't noticed, smiling at his fiance as he approached before leaning down and kissing her forehead.

You watched the pained expression cross Jim's face for just a moment before he managed to school his features into a poker face. You felt for him, honestly. You knew how it felt when the person you liked, well, liked someone else. You just wanted him to be happy above all else, and you knew pining after Pam was not it. If only Pam wouldn't egg it on constantly, maybe he'd have a chance to get over her.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah, let me just pack my things and print out one more file, I'll meet you down there," Pam replied to her fiance, smiling blindingly bright at him before they kiss once more. Roy turned around, passing the reception desk before grabbing a few pieces of candy that you kept out on the top of the desk. He popped one in his mouth before choking dramatically, turning around and coughing a few times before looking directly at you.

"M&Ms? Really? I liked it better when it was Skittles."

"I've never put out Skittles, I like chocolate."

"It doesn't matter what you like, it's for the guests, isn't it? Pam used to put out Skittles and no one complained." He tossed the remaining few pieces onto the floor beside him before walking out of the office. Pam ran up quickly, a worried look on her face.

"I'm so sorry, he must've had a bad day-"

"It's fine, Pam, really." You paste on a smile, annoyed not just at Roy but at Pam for earlier. Pam nodded slowly, her smile regretful as if knowing how you felt before turning around and pressing the last few clicks on her computer to shut it down. She gathered her things in silence, sliding her newly printed paper into a file on her desk. Meanwhile, you stared at your computer screen, not really reading what was there.

"Bye Jim. Bye Y/N, see you tomorrow!" Pam called out, and you replied with a little wave before pressing save on your word document, downloading it to your flash drive. The door to the office hadn't even closed before a new presence was at your desk, leaning over to try and spy on their computer. You looked up to see Jim smirking, looking directly into your eyes.

"Did you close that document just 'cause I came over? Hiding something from me, Y/L/N?" His teasing tone had you smiling against your better judgement, leaning back and crossing your arms.

"Well, I wouldn't want you discovering my master plan. It's a secret for a reason, you know." Jim laughed at your joke, leaning back and taking a handful of M&Ms to pop into his mouth. Watching this, you felt their face deflate just slightly before you hear Jim’s whispers.

"You know, I think I prefer the M&Ms over Skittles any day." He winks, then dumps more from his handful into his mouth, walking back to his desk to finish up his day. You once again couldn't help the small smile that adorned your face in response.

[ ֎” ]

"I've always had a thing for chocolate," You said, shrugging, "I'm the one who sits there all day anyway." You bite your lip for a moment, trying to suppress a smile. "Besides, who cares what Roy thinks? Other people in the office like them, that's all that matters."

[ ֎” ]

"What kind of person do I like?" Jim makes a baffled face, blinking a few times before resituating in his seat. "I don't know why that's relevant, but if I had to choose..." He trails off, his eyes taking on a far-off look, "Someone sweet, smart- someone who laughs at my jokes while also making me laugh. Someone who will help me with my pranks and listen to my ramblings." He looks back up to the camera with a small smile, "Someone with a sweet tooth that I could spoil."

"You coming, Y/L/N?" Jim calls out, the office dark. You're the last two in the building now, it seems, and you glance up from your desk where you're standing to smile at him.

"Oh, I just have a few more papers to print, you go on ahead."

"Don't work too hard, Y/L/N. The effort isn't worth it." You laugh in response, waving him off. You both exchange a quiet goodbye before you wander over to the copier, which was printing multiple copies of what looked like Dwight's face on the 'Scranton Strangler' wanted poster. The camera swings between the pages and back to you, where you only shrug and smirk.

"It'll be funny," Is your only excuse as you take the pages and start hanging them on the pillars of the building around the office, sliding an extra copy into Jim's desk as a memento.

[mecachrome]

for an incredibly new f1 follower, what would you recommend for getting up to date with teams and racers and performances and history? apart from dts lol

oh that is a good question!!! i don't think i'm even the best person to answer this but honestly i think it all comes naturally if you pick a specific thing/team/person you're interested in and set out to learn more about that topic, because everything is so connected and with time you can fill in those knowledge gaps pretty quickly :') more under the cut:

dts is imo perfectly acceptable for learning names and faces for the first time and basically creating a vague outline of a given subject (i've said it's like using duolingo for learning a new language lol), so if you watch it and are like oh—i'm interested in charles or mercedes or learning more about technical regulations or whatever, then you can just dive deeper into that via wiki / youtube / podcasts + published media + old race archives and build up from there!

otherwise i think the main thing is just to start watching the actual races when the season gets underway, and in order to properly appreciate them then also read up on + watch videos about the technical/strategy side of the sport as well. back in the day i used to really like chain bear and i still always recommend it to anyone who asks! after that i would just seek out like... a community/server/place where other people are discussing news real-time; this could be meeting people on tumblr and twitter, but personally i'm subscribed to r/formula1 because it's the most active composite source of f1 news and Discourse. if you're reddit-averse i also just keep a big list on twitter with a bunch of random data accounts, official driver/team accounts, journalists, etc. that helps me keep up with the season in a tidy fashion—though honestly f1 journalism is so unserious that you don't really need to do that because most journos regurgitate the same three quotes in slightly different formats, so if you want to follow One Guy who won't disseminate bs info i'd recommend chris medland. or just general sport publications like autosport, motosport.com, the athletic if you're already subscribed to it (pretty lacking for f1 though since it's american lol), etc... some sites like the-race are very contentious though so i'd say just tread with caution!!! on the data side i personally enjoy fdatanalysis and f1telemetrydata (i've also used f1-tempo to do my own telemetry analysis but idk if that's useful). but again i'd highly recommend the subreddit since it keeps everything i just mentioned in one place anyway 😭

other media recs:

f1tv, if it's available in your area, has pretty much everything you need to follow f1 in its entirety. i hate to shill for paid media but i genuinely think it's good; you can watch every f1, f2, f3 session real-time, as well as go to the archives and revisit old races for each series from most seasons. it also has technical shows and a whole host of minidocs with bite-sized info that are probably less sensationalized than dts. if you don't have f1tv though then a lot of decent content is cross-posted to the f1 youtube so honestly the official channels are all pretty good for keeping up with the sport.

podcasts: if you're an auditory person then podcasts are a great way to deepdive into f1 history. personally i believe that 80% of men running f1 podcasts should be legally barred from ever having an opinion on motorsport, so i don't listen to that many, but i do enjoy the official f1 podcast beyond the grid (i listen to it on spotify but you can also find full transcripts on the f1 site) since, you know, they get official personnel on and i appreciate the wide range of personalities interviewed—from drivers to tps to various types of engineers. i've also heard good things about shift+f1, the race, and engine braking, but i haven't checked them out so i'd recommend just looking podcasts up yourself and seeing what vibes with you! though some podcasts are just like... I'll eat this because you're interviewing my guy but i would never watch/listen to you otherwise. (cough pit stop...)

books & autobiographies: again if you want to dive more into old f1, then you can always read a book!! i read jenson's autobiography life to the limit earlier and was very endeared, it's a super breezy but charming read ❤️ adrian newey's memoir is also a decent overview of a clearly brilliant and accomplished mind, i enjoyed the technical details and found his early career path especially interesting.

docus, movies, tv: there's also plenty of f1 media outside of f1tv, so you can always check those out; f1 movies aren't necessarily that accurate or frankly good but sometimes it's fun just for the Vibes and the love of the sport. for ex rush (2013) covers james hunt & niki lauda's rivalry, netflix has a schumacher (2021) doc, the brawn gp miniseries ft. jense came out last november, just things like that... some current individual drivers also have their own random miniseries so you can always seek those out, for ex i watched maxv's anatomy of a champion the other day just for the fun of it LOL.

i don't know whether any of this is helpful... but maybe other people can reply with their own recommendations!!!

also if you're interested in f2, f3, etc. then honestly just follow feeder series on whatever platform since they cover everything pretty well; feeder_series on twitter, r/f1feederseries, plus they do interview podcasts on youtube/spotify so i like watching those to keep up with young drivers. you can also watch chasing the dream for succinct f2 narratives; it used to only be on f1tv but it gets uploaded on youtube now so it's fairly accessible. lmk if you have any other questions or something specific you'd like more info about!!!

[aer-in-wanderland]

PSYCHO-PASS: Providence - According to Japanese Twitter

After a long wait (or maybe it just felt long to me), PSYCHO-PASS: Providence finally hits North American theaters this week (14 July 2023), before becoming more widely internationally available in early August.

Unfortunately, as I'm not currently in Japan, I've not yet seen it. Fortunately, I speak Japanese, so I've read pretty much everything I could find about what happens. If you're like me and can't wait to see it in cinemas/don't mind major spoilers, this post is for you.

What follows is a compilation of everything my sister and I know about PPP -- drawing from fan talk on Twitter, director and writer interviews and tweets, and other official promotional materials only available in Japanese -- without actually having seen it.

We also explain some of the major plot points and go into detail on the real-life works referenced in the film, so if you watched it but feel like you could still use some clarification (as many Japanese fans did), this post might be for you too.

Once again, this post is nothing but spoilers (to be taken with several grains of salt as there is a certain amount of guesswork involved), so read on at your own risk.

*Note: "SN" denotes tweets/quotes by director Shiotani Naoyoshi.

We open on a snowy, stormy night, January 2118 (2 months post-SS Case.3).

A team of armed mercenaries board a transport ship off the coast of Kanagawa, Japan and set about killing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Suppressing Action Department (SAD) agents on board. 

Among them is Kai Mikhaylov, a Russian agent with a large burn scar on the left half of his face.

Kai Mikhaylov (VA: Kase Yasuyuki): A member of the “Peacebreakers.” In order to obtain the Stronskaya Document, he launches an attack on the ship Milcia is on. 

Leading the mercenaries is fellow mercenary Bokamoso Murray, who sports distinctive red dreadlocks.

Bokamoso Murray (VA: Shirokuma Hiroshi): A combatant affiliated with the “Peacebreakers.” He operates in tandem with Kai Mikhaylov; beginning with the assault on the Grootslang, he works to seize the Stronskaya Document. 

For the record, the Grootslang (the ship’s name) is a mythical giant snake rumoured to dwell deep in a cave in the Richtersveld, South Africa. It’s said that anyone who encounters it will meet with misfortune. Well then.

Indoors on the same ship, we find Dr Milicia Stronskaya, who has been invited to Tokyo from Russia to participate in an important political conference. 

Milcia Stronskaya (VA: Tsuda Shōko): A researcher and global authority on behavioural economics and statistics. She establishes the basic theory simulation referred to as the “Stronskaya Document.”

Realising the ship is under attack, she hurriedly sends a communication to someone, apologising under her breath as she does so.

She pulls out a gun just as a helmeted mercenary bursts into the room, and she shoots him dead. You can tell from how she handles it that she’s competent.

Kai charges in next, dodging her shots and pinning her down.

Leaning over her, Kai calls her “professor,” at which she startles. He then says to her, “There’s nowhere left to run.”

Kai shoots Dr Stronskaya, killing her. 

Bokamoso shows up then and says to Kai, “You screwed up, huh, Kai,” and “We’re switching to Plan B.”

Meanwhile, Kogami Shinya, one of our two main protagonists, heads to her rescue.

Kōgami Shinya (VA: Seki Tomokazu): Special Investigator, Suppressing Action Department, Overseas Coordination Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Age 33. He was living a nomadic life abroad acting as a mercenary but was recruited by Frederica and returned to Japan; currently, he’s pursuing international incidents. He prides himself on his advanced combat techniques and honed physique.

Kogami makes an insane jump from an aircraft wearing a wingsuit. (I’ve seen him described alternately as Batman, Captain America, and a flying squirrel here lol)

SN: What colour suits a man who flies... Thinking about it.

Kogami proceeds to fight his way through the enemy soldiers with his typical efficiency.

Unfortunately, he arrives too late to save the professor, and the mercenaries have already absconded with her head. The reason for this is explained later.

On deck, Bokamoso and his team board their aircraft and make their escape.

Kogami, who has followed them out, takes aim at the aircraft but is tackled to the deck by a reanimated SAD agent. The man’s mouth doesn’t move but we hear a voice quoting what appears to be a passage from a religious text.

An explosion goes off and Kogami breaks free of his attacker and escapes the conflagration by jumping into the ocean.

Backlit by the flames and treading water, Kogami — vexed but composed as usual — reports on the situation via his device.

<<Opening Credits>>

OP: 「アレキシサイミアスペア」 (alexithymiaspare) ~ 凛として時雨 (Ling tosite sigure)

We cut to the opening credits, set to Ling tosite sigure’s “Alexthymiaspare.” The group also contributed to the soundtracks for PP1, PP2, and PP: The Movie (M1), so this is one of many ways in which the film “returns to its roots.”

The credits are then followed by a brief shot of the Sibyl System accompanied by the following text: 《"The Sibyl System," a vast surveillance network that assigns numeric values to and governs human beings’ mental states. Detectives who carry "Dominators" — guns that measure "crime coefficients" — pursue "latent criminals" before they commit crimes.》

The next morning, our other main protagonist, Tsunemori Akane, now Chief Inspector of the CID, attends a meeting of senior bureaucrats to discuss the proposed abolishment of the Ministry of Justice and the old system of law.

Tsunemori Akane (VA: Hanazawa Kana): Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Public Safety Bureau. Age 25. She commands the Public Safety Bureau’s Criminal Investigation Department. She possesses an incontrovertible sense of justice and a stalwart mentality that makes it difficult for her Hue to cloud; she makes an appeal for maintaining the law under the Sibyl System.  

The official name of the conference, which is being held at Nona Tower (i.e. the Ministry of Welfare’s HQ), is “Review Meeting on the Topic of the Overseas Expansion of Industry RE: the Sibyl System.”

Shindo Atsushi — father to PP3 protagonist Shindo Arata — is also in attendance, alongside officials from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Shindō Atsushi (VA: Sugō Takayuki): Director-General of the Statistics Department, Minister’s Secretariat,  Ministry of Health and Welfare. One of the elite who started his career as an Inspector [at the CID] and entered the MHW. He’s involved in the exportation of the Sibyl System, immigration policy, etc.

For the record, this is the same conference that Dr Stronskaya was originally scheduled to attend at Atsushi’s invitation.

Akane is the only woman and by far the youngest person present, but she doesn’t hesitate to say her piece. When it’s her turn to speak, she opens by saying, “‘Under the Sibyl System, the law is unnecessary.’ Is that truly the case?”

Akane is basically the sole voice of dissent, while Atsushi assumes a more neutral position. 

During the meeting, Atsushi receives a text message, which he checks covertly before stashing his device in an inner pocket of his suit jacket.

Moments later, Akane receives a red alert on her device and excuses herself.

Atsushi calls a break in the meeting while Akane steps out to take a call from Mika.

Shimotsuki Mika (VA: Sakura Ayane): Inspector, Division 1, Criminal Investigation Department, Public Safety Bureau, Ministry of Health and Welfare. Age 21. The youngest Inspector ever inducted. At the time, she took a negative stance towards Akane’s way of thinking, but the two have a good working relationship now. She’s competitive but possesses both presence of mind and rational judgement.

Director Shiotani tweeted a quote by Rousseau that I saw someone identify as having been in reference to this scene. It’s not clear to me though whether a character quotes it aloud, or if Shiotani just meant it as an overarching theme:

SN: “Keep this truth ever before you—Ignorance never did any one any harm, error alone is fatal, and we do not lose our way through ignorance but through self-confidence.” by.Rousseau

from Rousseau’s Emile (On Education), Book III

SN: “Real knowledge is knowing the extent of one’s ignorance.”〈matcha emoji〉

from Confucius’ Analects II, Political Philosophy

Keep reading here.

[alectoperdita]

WIP Wednesday

This may be the best part of sugar baby AU if I'm honest. Continuing from the "interview" snippet I posted forever ago.

---

Katsuya shrugged with a lazy roll of his shoulders. "You paid for the hour, Kaiba-san. How we spend it is up to you. 'Sides, I get the sense you don't care for the desperate and clingy ones. If you've already made up your mind about me, I doubt there's anything I can say to change your mind."

Seto's gaze dipped to Katsuya's chest again, focusing on the neatly knotted crimson-pattern tie that popped against the white of his form-fitting shirt. The color appeared to be his sole concession to his profession, because it was too garish for conventional office settings.

"Do you own a suit?" he asked.

"A few. They kinda run the gamut in style. I do try my best to dress to both the occasion and my client's tastes. My closet might be even bigger than yours. Occupational hazard." He laughed again. His body language was relaxed and open, signaling he had nothing to hide. Except for the fact that everything he did was purposefully calculated.

The tension bled from Seto's shoulder. Client; the verbiage reframed their conversation on more familiar grounds. Katsuya was offering a service, and Seto was considering purchasing. Neither harbored delusions as to why they were here. This meeting was due diligence.

"What about a tuxedo?" Seto locked eyes with the man once more.

"Hmm. Don't got one of those. But I can rent one if there's the need."

Seto clucked his tongue in disapproval. "No, it'll need to be bespoke. Otherwise, it'll look shoddy."

For the first time, Katsuya's forehead creased, but he papered over it with an overly bright grin. "Does that mean I got the job? If you have something specific in mind, you can lay it all on the table. I'm flexible in many ways."

The innuendo and double entendre should annoy Seto. But that was a host's job, right? To flatter and flirt? He should consider himself lucky that Katsuya didn't do so in a manner that grated on Seto's nerves.

Far from it.

He wouldn't go as far as to say he was charmed by the host. But Katsuya was unexpectedly sharp, both in his wits and looks. Seto could certainly find far worse company for an evening social. "Next month, I'll be attending a charity gala. At present, I lack a plus one for the evening."

Katsuya's expression turned coy. "I would love to help you with that, Kaiba-san. I'm a rage at parties, especially corporate gigs." He winked.

"This isn't any 'corporate gig.' It's a black-tie gala with a formal wear dress code," reminded Seto.

Katsuya jutted his chin stubbornly. "I can handle it. I talk to people from all walks of life, y'know."

"Including the prime minister?" asked Seto, arching an eyebrow in question.

Katsuya's mouth opened, then snapped shut again. It was gratifying to see him caught off-guard, even if for only a short while. "Okay, you got me there. Never rubbed elbows with the PM before," he acquiesced, then straightened his posture again. "You said I need a tux, right? I'll go check out some places as soon as you confirm the time and date. The reservation system is first-come, first-serve. Can't guarantee my availability otherwise." Then with the hint of a predatory smirk, he added, "Or I can block off the whole night for you."

There it was: the hard-sell paired with time pressure. Basic sales tactics, but Seto didn't begrudge him that. A bead of sweat trickled down the back of Seto's neck and into his collar.

"Why would I need the whole night?" he asked flatly.

For some reason, Katsuya's grin widened a fraction. His expression hung on the edge of leering, complete with hints of bedroom eyes. "I am full-service. If you catch my drift."

Something warm nudged his pinky. Seto jolted, wide eyes flying to the tabletop where Katsuya's fingertip brushed against his knuckle. The first fleeting instance of direct skin-on-skin contact. It was electric. He fully expected the other man to remove his hand, but the seconds dragged on and Katsuya's finger remained flush on Seto.

"Full-service," repeated Seto. His voice sounded distant, hundreds of kilometers away. "Good to know."

[prince-liest]

I've done seven residency interviews so far, and have a couple more this week (plus more further on), and... man, it's really wild how it feels like some programs just don't seem to understand that you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you.

Like, where would you rather go? Program A, which sent you an enthusiastic, personalized email inviting you to interview, going out of their way to provide you with all their program information and multiple accessible resident socials where you can ask the residents questions about the programs without admin present?

Or Program B, which had no residents present even at the interview itself, kept you over an hour over the scheduled interview time with no warning on a day you thought you were safe to not call out for class, and also asked you to sign an interviewee release form almost 2 weeks after your interview, gave you a form that was already filled out by another applicant from 2020, and when you requested a new form, just resent the original email with it attached instead of so much as a, "Sorry, my bad!"?

... Or Program C, which invited you to interview, had no available slots, and then ghosted you for 2 weeks and 3 emails before randomly messaging you saying, "Hey we have an opening tomorrow! Are you free?"

Needless to say I haven't even managed to interview with Program C yet, and I'm ranking Program B near the very bottom of my list for the reasons above as well as some others, even though I actually originally signalled Program B because if I went there, I wouldn't even have to move. If it weren't for the location advantage, I would seriously consider not ranking Program B at all.

Meanwhile, Program A was a really lovely interview experience, paid for my hotel and dinner when I drove down there, was really enthusiastic about my elective and learning goals (I'm asking every program whether they have opportunities for me to learn more about trans healthcare so I can offer HRT and etc.), and just generally had a really great attitude between both the professors and the residents I met. Even the OBGYN residents are all happy?! It is currently #1 on my list.

And it's not, like, low-tier in-dire-need program that's trying to bribe all the applicants or anything. They have great facilities and resources.

Anyway, the lack of awareness shown by some residency programs just baffles me. You don't have to go above and beyond, but... at least meet some basic standards of courtesy. If a program already treats me poorly during the interview process, why would I want to go there for the next three years?

[adhd-merlin]

Ok so, @destielification asked about my Simon Amstell joke, and I'm not going to hijack poor @centurieslove's post but...

(Sorry, this isn't Merlin-related but it's tangentially about Colin Morgan, so it is at least Merlin-adjacent.)

Simon Amstell, if you didn't know, is a British stand-up comedian and certified weird little man.

I'm not, like, a Simon Amstell fan or anything, but I do like stand-up comedy. And I became aware of Simon Amstell some years ago after watching one stand-up show of his on YouTube, which is Do Nothing, which is still available, in fact, and you should definitely watch if you haven't because it's pretty good.

Now Simon's openly gay, and in Do Nothing he talks a lot about his romantic life, or lack thereof, and he jokes a lot about the type of men he finds attractive, who he describes as "ill-thin", "timid" and "vulnerable".

And one of the funniest bits in the show is one where he recounts an extremely awkward encounter with one such man — an actor Simon had "fallen in love with", despite never having talked to him.

So Simon went to see a play starring this actor in the hope of meeting him afterwards and maybe talking to him a bit, which didn't happen.

What did happen, though, is that a few weeks later Simon randomly bumped into the very same actor, love of his life, in a shop. And he decides there and then that it's destiny, and he must shoot his shot. (You can skip the quote below if you intend to watch the show, but I'm pasting it here because it's hilarious).

I saw him there, he hadn't seen me. He was about a metre away from me. There, that thin. And what I thought... For some reason, what I thought would be really cool and seductive would be to just stand in the middle of the shop and shout his full name. He turned round, alarmed. I could see the terror in his eyes, but because I'd started at a certain volume, I thought it'd be too odd to get any quieter. So I'm there just shouting about the good reviews this play has had and he's going, "Oh, I don't really read reviews." And he's all timid and vulnerable, which is why I love him. And I think the difference between us, because I think we were both quite shy as children... I say, "I think" — I did a lot of research on him.

And that man's name? Ben Whishaw. Apparently.

Look, I have no idea who claimed it first. I don't know if Simon admitted it in an interview at some point, or what. But it became An Established Fact™️ that the actor he was talking about was, indeed, Ben Whishaw. And if you watch Simon Amstell's show, and you know about Ben, well. It tracks. It makes perfect sense, actually.

Anyway, Simon talks to Ben, gives him his email address with some excuse or another. Ben promises to email him. And then, he doesn’t. Cue sad noises from the audience.

And that could have been the end of it, except that Simon, certified weird man, decided to be weird about it. And instead of letting it go, he elaborates his trauma by incorporating it into his writing.

And in case you think I'm exaggerating — here's what Simon himself wrote about it some time after the fact, in his own book. Straight from the horse's mouth.

A year later, the actor was in another play at the Royal Court. So I thought I’d give myself one more go at making him love me. I felt I’d written and performed all the insanity out of my head and was now ready for something real. I believed this because it would have been unbearable to accept that after all that transformative, healing comedy, I was still the same lunatic. (source)

So what Simon did was write a sit-com, in which he played a fictionalised version of himself, and in it he put a character called Ben Theodore, a pretentious theatre actor and also, basically, Ben Whishaw. (Like, if you know Ben Whishaw, you cannot not see it. That's him talking.)

But hang on, you might say, I thought this was going to be about Colin? Why are you going on about Ben Whishaw?

Well, Simon, in case you don't remember (and at this point I hope you don't) is also the writer and director of the film Benjamin (BENjamin), starring Colin Morgan as the lead and title character.

A Colin Morgan who, I might say, has something of a young Ben Whishaw about him. And he doesn't play a pretentious actor this time — in fact he plays a version of Simon Amstell himself — but the fact remains that he's exactly Simon Amstell's type, kind of looks like the man Simon was admittedly obsessed with, and even bears his name. And Simon cast him in his film to play himself, which is weird but also funny and very on brand for him, because he's self-obsessed like that.

So, to come back to my joke — I just thought the idea of Simon Amstell developing an obsessive crush on Colin Morgan and going to see The Tempest specifically to see him and missing him was hilarious.

But he did get to have him in his own film, so.

(I can't censure Simon too much for his obsession with Ben because... well, same, and also it resulted in Simon giving us Colin Morgan looking Peak Gay and serving cunt in Benjamin — in his own accent! — and I'll be forever grateful for it).

here's another post about it

[yokohamabeans]

When do you think Tenjiku was formed? Also how old were the haitani brothers when they were in juvie in your opinion? I thought it was after they killed that gang leader but ran had brown hair in juvie so it must be after that and they seem to already have established themselves in roppongi

Like I’m really curious about what got them in juvie I wish wakui will give us more background about the s62 😭

Hey anon!! Please accept my apologies for answering an ask from 2022 in 2023...... Nonetheless, I hope that the new year has started off splendidly for you!!

Tenjiku's Timeline & Formation

I think Tenjiku started on 3 levels: firstly in the orphanage between Izana and Kakucho when they were kids, though it's a really idealised version and probably something of a fantasy at that point. The second level is when Izana met the S-62 and they probably had a hunch they will all be in a gang together under Izana. Third is when Tenjiku officially formed and began operations.

The second level, which I consider the 'ideation' stage of Tenjiku, was in 2001 when they met in juvie (Chapter 139). That's when the S-62 were 13-14, and Kakucho was 10 (though he probably wasn't really involved then).

The third level, the official launch of Tenjiku, was mentioned to be 'new' relative to year 2006, and based on this interaction between Izana and Kisaki (who was said to have a hand in forming Tenjiku's operations) in Chapter 121...

...we can tell that Tenjiku had already been formed by 2006 (because of the uniform that Izana was already wearing), but haven't put their plans in full motion yet.

So putting all of these together (along with the Haitanis being seemingly unaffiliated as of the Valhalla arc which was October 2005), I think I can safely say that Tenjiku started as a smaller gang (with only Izana and Kakucho and some of their other guys) in 2005ish (or earlier), but only really started to build itself up in 2006 (after Kisaki's banishment from Toman at the start of January). I'm thinking something along this...

2001: Izana meets the S-62 in juvie, they all have talks about ruling Tokyo as a gang / criminal syndicate.

Before 2006: Izana is released from juvie, he and Kakucho start Tenjiku with their guys.

Early January 2006: Kisaki meets with Izana to scheme and advise how he should operate Tenjiku. Izana sends Kakucho to round up the Haitani Brothers (and presumably Mocchi and Mucho) to join their gang. I think Izana himself got Shion to join because it would've been an easy deal with their BD relationship.

Late January 2006: Tenjiku launches their attacks on Toman

22 February 2006: Kanto Incident (Toman vs Tenjiku). Izana's death and the disbandment of Tenjiku.

Haitani Brothers' Juvie Stint

As mentioned, they probably entered in 2001 (when Ran was 14, and Rindo was 13). I personally think that they entered shortly after their fight with the Max Maniacs (i.e. the Roppongi Incident), because that's a serious crime they committed. The Max Maniac VP ended up in the hospital, which was likely what led to the Haitani Brothers' arrest.

I think Ran's hair is brown in the flashback because it got shaved, so his natural hair colour (which is dark) grew out a little then! They were also already out by 2003, because Mitsuya spotted them out and about in the Azabu Juban Festival (which in real-life, typically occurs in late-August) then. So they didn't spend that much time (around 2 years) in the can.

According to this twitter thread by RanHaruchiyo, which is a summary/translation of an interview with Wakui-sensei, we were supposed to get a lot more Haitani backstory. Basically, Ran was a low-ranking member of the 'Rokusei Community' which was controlled by the Max Maniacs, and Ran stole money from their leaders, which was what sparked the Roppongi Battle of the Ashes which led to the Haitani's rise. (Unfortunately, the original interview is no longer available.... I will try to dig around and find some captures of it to get a better idea of what Wakui said in the inteview!!)

[eris1521987]

Hello to whoever stumbles across this post, I am currently in search of VA's for the Mario cast for a Mario VRC series I am working on. If you are interested there is some criteria you will need to meet, and some stuff you need to know. First off the qualifications you need to meet in order to join in the first place. You need to at least have an oculus, the ability to voice act a character, and of course all newbies must be 18 or older to join. So if you are interested look up my group The Super Mario VRC Adventures RP on vrc and request to join it. From there I will send you a friend request and invite you when you're only online to interview you basically, as well as perform an audition for the character you wish to voice act. Don't expect to come in expecting a role such as Mario to be available, and that you can just do a Mario voice and call it a day. We already have several people voicing characters, these characters include Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Larry, Roy, Ludwig, DK Snr, Wario, Main Yoshi, Main DK, Fawful, Iggy, and K Rool. As for avaliable roles you have Bowser, Main Toad, Morton, Wendy, Lemmy, Diddy, Boom Boom, E Gadd, Kamek, and King Boo. Note the available roles can end up changing sometime after this post is made, so be sure to check and see if that role is filled or not. Some character roles may not be listed on the group or here but they are characters I will end up using later on. Right now I am currently looking for someone to voice Bowser, Pauline, Kamek, and Toad. This is because I need VAs for these roles so we can start recording. I would like to mention here I am hoping to find someone who can do a movie Toad or 64 Toad voice over is current voice, since his current voice is somewhat grading. You will also need to make sure you will be able to show up for recording. Recording times will be anywhere between 7pm-10:30pm Central Time for recordings whenever possible. If you want to be part of it, this will be the recording times. Btw we could go past the 10:30pm time if need be. They won't be every week but whenever possible. With that being said some characters will be used more often than others, so make sure you pick one that you can handle. For example, will use Bowser far more often than we will use Waluigi, which should explain itself. Characters such as Toads, Goombas, Koopas, and humans anyone play and voice act whenever they aren't needed as their character. For example, say we need a Goomba to attack Mario for an episode while we don't need Roy in said episode. The Roy VA can stand in as a Goomba. Also, for further information simply read the rules and group info. Also, this project is for fun at least for now so there is currently nothing along the lines of payment.

[hotarutranslations]

Toki wo Koe Sora wo Koe no #Da-nce

Evening

Typhoon🌀

A lot has been affected but, How are things around everyone

For me I just, Go outside within the timing of it not raining, Within the weather forecast, and I went out without an umbrella😳🌂

Everyone please take care of yourself

If you're spending your time at home.. by all means,

Da-nce

Please watch😌🤍

With the dances posted this time, I really want you to watch.. Toki wo Koe Sora wo Koe!

I danced in in the intro and interlude, with Sayashi-san and Fukumura-san, I hope that the next girl who learns it, will really, really watch it😂🫶🏻

Even when you bend your knees a bit to lower your center of gravity, And the parts like, Meeting you in this world.. I'm very conscious of having a flat back

Don't arch or bend your back, The posture is of a flat back..

Its kinda! That posture isn't good to do all the time, I looked it up and found a case on it! lol

Its often used in dance, a flat back

I wonder if being conscious of it is the secret to looking beautiful..🫣🫣

Since we're barefoot in the MV..

I was more conscious of my feet😌🤍

With the toes, moreso feeling the ground with your big toe, and the compass-like movement in the outro? It looks very beautiful to draw the circle

Since I haven't properly learned ballet, Its my..image of it but,

When the big toe touches the ground, I think its beautiful as the knees face forward✍🏻

Turning your foot so all of your toes are on the ground, Do your knees turn outward? Do you understand? Did you try it now?

lol

I like thinking about beautiful things like that😌🤍

For those that are into ballet and jazz, you may say its too basic and not something you think about!?

Today, Please definite watch in particular,

Toki wo Koe Sora wo Koe🌎✨

I'll also watch it again..

Harami-chan no Harami Fan Radio♪

Ishida Ayumi and Sakurai Rio Got to visit as guests🤍

Play▶️List

Graduation Announcement Blog🐣🪽

Hello! Station #531 I also talk about my graduation in this video

📺Otoboke POPS

TokyoMX August 17th (Sat) 9:30~10:00PM Ishida, Sakurai, Yumigeta are appearing💙🤎❤️

📺Hello Pro Dance Every other Thursday at 11:30PM~

📺Sendai Broadcast "Ara Ara Kashiko" Ishida Ayumi Goes~! I appear once a month as part of the AraKashi Family

The previous shows, and makings, are on OX VIDEO STORE!

Thank you for following.. Instagram💙🩵

💿 August 14th new single✨ "Nandaka Sentimental na Toki no Uta/saiKIYOU"

🪩Hello! Project 2024 Summer ALL OF US "Vega" "Altair" From July 13th~September 1st Traveling To 7 Cities Nationwide All Hello! Project groups are performing🔥

🪩"Morning Musume '24 Concert Tour Autumn WE CAN DANCE!"

Its Ishida Ayumi's last tour💙 I'm looking forward to seeing you

🪩"ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2024 in HITACHINAKA" September 22nd GRASS STAGE 10:30AM~

→Tickets are on general sale

📻Morning Musume '24 Morning Jogakuin ~Houkago Meeting~

Airs Every Saturday, On Radio Nihon at 12:00AM~

Past Broadcast Episodes Are Available →Program Details

I visited as a guest🪽 "Sayashi Riho and The Time From Now On" presented by Meiji Bulgarian Yogurt

Also,

Thank you very much, Talking about singles and albums, and putting each into words!

Really, thank you very much!

I may have underestimated, Emotions towards it…⚠️

I was like wao~~ to hear that, there were so many feelings towards me

lol

I had a lot of interviews yesterday, Also radio and shows, As I've said at various places in Miyagi, I plan to enjoy, this period of time the most since announcing my graduation,

I guess I'm the one who won't let that not happen🕺

For my birthday this year, Alrighttt I'm the birthday girlllll🕺🕺 I spent it saying things like that←

I'm sure I would certainly be the first to do thattt🕺 It seems funnn🕺

Everyone, please look forward to…my attitude?

see you ayumin <3 https://ameblo.jp/morningmusume-10ki/entry-12863896339.html

[withered-rose-unbreakable-lotus]

Dude I can't deal, I will star blocking. This phrase coming from foreigners living in Japan pisses the hell out of me: "It’s ok if you can’t do that (they mention it's ok if you can't come to Japan rn because it is sth hard to do) but don’t try and think you know what’s going on from overseas."

While we can't know everything, claiming we don't know shit as if it's sth completely out of reach unless you are there sounds so fucking entitled to me. Call me bitter, but most of them have that attitude and there's proof they too don't know as much as they think.

I spoke with a girl who shared some live and meet and greet moments of hers with a favorite jrocker of mine with me and it baffled me how much she complained about some parts of his attitude when all she'd been telling me up to that point were normal to me. There was only one thing she told me I didn't expect from him, the others were pretty expected if you read his interviews and pay attention to how he reacts to things. Like honey. Where you are doesn't matter when it comes to basic human reactions. Also I didn't speak about my experience at Kamijo's live here but basically, even though we don't follow Japanese rules at lives here in Europe, even though I didn't have to do choreos or other things "expected from vkei fans", AND it was the 2nd live I've been ever in my 30 years of life cause nb comes where I live and I never have money to go even to the capital to see American artists, AAAALLL of the atmosphere, the live, dealing with other fans etc. felt like sth I do every day. It's a live dammit, it's not rocket science. And Kamijo, a person I'd never once seen in my life up until that point and had only seen live through my screen felt like he was someone doing something I actually have experienced for a long time rather than sth "new" or "unknown" to me. I was at a foreign country I'd never been before. I was scared shitless to go and believed I would fail every single minute as a fan in that arena. Yet I felt this was normal to me. I knew what to sing, what to scream, how to move, and all that? By learning through a screen. Just because you Ms "if you are not here you don't know shit about vkei" never searched beyond what was available to you on vkei while you weren't living in Japan, doesn't mean that everyone stops there. I see many both Japanese and foreign fans being there being just as shitty to jrockers often as some foreign fans living abroad, as if you literally take everything for face value as well, as if you don't know shit, even though you're there. (Not everyone is shitty, what I'm saying is bad apples exist everywhere)

Want me to take it somewhere away from vkei? While studying with 2 Japanese teachers, there were many times I shared stuff with them I enjoy they didn't have a clue Japan has. They'd been locals and yet, there were things they didn't know. Because it wasn't sth they were interested in. Hell, do you know how many times people tell me shit about Greece I don't know? I'm astounded by the knowledge of foreigners, not living in my country, have about my own country's culture in the past. Japan, just like every other country in the world, is no longer a closed off society you can never know shit about. If you look up things, if you ask the right people, locals, and more importantly if you take time to observe and understand them, you will be surprised with how much you learn.

No I don't know everything. And I sure made mistakes while studying, assuming things about a culture different from mine. But I also experienced 2 types of Japanese women who showed me that knowledge lies in the eye of the beholder and how different can people be depending on their maturity and experiences. My first teacher was ambitious, money oriented and didn't know much about subcultures. I found her shallow and selfish, she also looked down on people with mental disorders cause she came from a family heavily affected by it. She didn't value relationships easily and was quick to judge even if she didn't say a word. That person told me about Yoshiki, Gackt and Hyde from a business point of view. I never realized who Yoshiki was in Japan beyond the music industry. Gackt and Hyde too. I was only seeing photos and reading articles so it was refreshing to see them as businessmen from a business standpoint. This woman and I often didn't see eye to eye cause I valued emotions more than ambition and money, yet she was surprised about how much slang I knew for sb who doesn't live there. She was also surprised I knew stuff about mythology, history, Takarazuka Revue, Japanese traditional theater, butoh (which she'd never heard before) etc. Even about the dark parts of Kabukicho's nightlife where she herself had worked. She did add more to my knowledge on that too. My second teacher was much older, much wiser, friendlier and non judgemental. I loved being taught by her cause she was more human and deeper emotionally than the other one. She didn't live much in Japan, she left around her early 20s and kept going back every now and then, but she knew most things a native would and still was so happy when I told her I knew about Takarazuka (she's a fan :P), she wanted to hear about visual kei, she was surprised I knew about Japanese witches, festivals and many more. One of them gave me the nihongo jouzu attitude Japanese people give foreigners, and the other a true appreciation for my love for her country's culture. The latter also told me where to look for more. She encouraged my thirst to learn more instead of disapproving everything she didn't understand about how I approach things. With that old lady we talked shit about Arashi, we talked about SMAP's disband and the industry of idols and talent agencies in Japan. We held a real conversation with plenty of mutual exchange of information xD.

Do tell me or anyone else who doesn't live in ANY country that when you trully love sth you can't know shit about it unless you experience personally. I dare you. And those of you who keep learning things about things you love every day, keep learning, keep asking and let anyone who aquires knowledge ONLY from personal experience doubt you, just cause their learning abilities are limited like that. It shouldn't be a competition, but when you come for my knowledge without even knowing me, I will bite back, cause I can play the "I'm smarter than you" childish attitude too. Help others learn without putting down what they already know dammit, it's not that hard and you are not being "honest" by saying that shit all the time.