#i've had. so many issues with taking a proper photo of it | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

heart-of-ep · 1 month ago

Text

Elvis: Through Her Lens (Chapter Five)

(Elvis Presley × OC Reader)

Character/Fandom: Elvis Presley

Read More Here: Elvis: Through Her Lens - Click here!

Prompt: You are Minnie Jones, an aspiring photographer working for the LA Sentinel. Your chief editor is looking for a story that will help boost the popularity of the paper, so an opportunity comes knocking when Colonel Tom Parker approaches him with a new 'snowjob.' After a tentative first meeting with the Colonel, and his star Elvis Presley, you are hired on to follow Elvis around as his personal photographer in an attempt to catch lightening in a bottle twice with the earlier success of the Alfred Wertheimer photos. Along the way, you develop a close bond with Elvis, leading to complications in your relationship when the issues of his marriage and eventual drug usage start to put a strain on your relationship. Constantly fighting your ever-growing feelings for him, you are swept up into the whirlwind of Elvis' world which forces you to see the King of Rock 'n' Roll through a new lens.

TW: None.

Tags: Slow burn. Angst. Drama. Friends to lovers (sort of).

Word Count: 5.2k

Rating: PG-13 (ish) (may get spicy but won't be explicit as I don't enjoy writing smut lol but cursing, possible violence, and infidelity will appear throughout the story)

Author's Note: I wanted to post this a week ago, but I've been super busy with work/had to go out of town, but here it is finally! Had a lot of fun writing this one cause we get to return to the Hillcrest home (genuinely my Roman empire) and of course see the follow up to the kiss in Houston. 🤭

Also I spent way too long researching what the heck Elvis did after the Houston Astrodome shows only to find out that he was just chilling in Los Angeles for three months until he had to report to Nashville for recording sessions in June. 😂 This was back when Elvis actually got a proper break. 🙃

Elvis in his car outside his Hillcrest home in March 2nd, 1970.

When you came downstairs to the lobby the next morning, you felt exhausted and more than a little agitated. You had tried and failed to get any sleep once Elvis left the night before. All you could think about was what he had said to you before leaving your room.

“I want to see you again, Minnie.”

His words echoed in your mind and you could still feel the haunting sensation of his lips against yours as he kissed you so tenderly. It really felt unlike any other kiss you had experienced before which made all of it even more confusing. You were dreading having to see Elvis again, unsure of what he would say to you after everything that had happened. What if he expected you to give him an answer right away?

“Just think about it.”

You groaned a little, taking your glasses off and pinching the bridge of your nose as you tried to ignore the oncoming headache you felt. You waited near the reception desk, watching the elevator like a hawk for when it would inevitably open up to show Elvis waiting on the other side. You wished there was some way to avoid him all together, but you knew you had to be professional. You couldn’t let what happened interfere with your job, especially when it came time to work with Pierce back in LA.

You weren't entirely sure what Elvis expected you to do. Maybe he didn't expect anything at all. You wondered if he was even thinking straight when he came to see you. After all, it was after a weekend full of energizing performances. Perhaps he was just still riding off the energy from those shows. Either way, you tried your best not to overthink the situation.

After a few minutes of waiting, the elevator finally dinged, the doors sliding open and just like that, out walked Elvis along with the rest of the guys and of course, Colonel Parker. You let out a sigh of relief, figuring that Elvis wouldn’t discuss anything personal with you if so many people were around. You kept your head down, grabbing your suitcase and walking over to the group.

“Miss Jones, I assume you got all the photos that you and Mr Peers need?” The Colonel inquired upon seeing me.

You avoided Elvis’ gaze and nodded. “Yes, I believe so. I’ll be developing them once I get back to the office. I’ll make sure Mr Pierce sends you copies for approval.”

The Colonel flashed you an odd sort of smile. “Good.” He said before hobbling ahead to the cars waiting outside for Elvis and his group.

Your gaze flicked toward Elvis for a split second, but you didn’t say anything as you walked past him, dragging your suitcase along toward the car. You knew it was stupid to ignore him considering you were going to be stuck on a plane with him for four hours, but you couldn’t deal with him yet. Unfortunately, Elvis didn’t like being ignored, which he made clear once you had boarded the plane.

“You know, Minnie Mouse, most women wouldn’t give me the cold shoulder after I kiss them.” Elvis said cooly as he walked up to your seat on the plane, leaning over you from behind.

You flicked your gaze up to meet him, swallowing a bit when you saw his annoyed expression. “Yes, well, I suppose I’m not like most women.” You shot back before looking down at your camera as you fiddled with the settings. He didn’t say anything, but then suddenly he scooped your camera up out of your hands and sat down in the seat across from you. “Hey!” You hissed, shooting him a glare.

“I don’t like being ignored, honey.” He said, returning my icy look.

You were surprised, not having seen this side of him before, but you quickly realized you weren’t exactly being fair to him. You pressed your lips together, thinking carefully over what you should say. “Elvis…” You looked around to make sure no one was listening. “What do you want me to say exactly? You kissed me. It might not be a big deal to you, but it is to me.” You said quietly, making sure to keep your voice down.

His expression softened a little as his long, delicate fingers played with the strap on the camera. “I’m not saying it isn’t a big deal.” He replied before he handed the camera back over to you.

You bit your lip for a second as you took it from his hands. “Elvis…I just need some time.” You finally said. Time for what exactly? You weren’t sure. But it was all too much to process right now. “I can’t give you an answer right now.” You said quietly.

He stared at you for a long moment before leaning forward just a little. “I want to see you again, Minnie.” He said as he reached over and gently touched your hand, the feeling sending butterflies flurrying through your stomach.

You swallowed a bit as you held his gaze, wondering how it was possible to say no to him. “Elvis…” You trailed off as he lifted his hand and pressed his finger to your lips.

“Shh, honey. I’ll call you. I told you already, you don’t have to answer me right now. But I do want to see you again. Even if it’s just as friends.” He said softly.

You were fairly certain that your cheeks were bright red, but you did your best to keep your cool as he stood up from the seat, squeezing your hand before letting go and walking away to talk with the guys on the opposite side of the plane. You sunk down into your seat, swallowing hard as the reality of the situation settled in.

“Even if it’s just as friends.”

Somehow you had a hard time believing that, but after several minutes of chewing on your nails and staring out the window at the clouds, you told yourself you weren’t going to let this change anything. It was just a kiss, and as of right now, Elvis wasn’t pressuring you into doing anything. You just needed to focus on being his photographer, nothing else.

Thankfully, the flight back to LA went by rather quickly once you distracted yourself with reading a book you had brought along in your luggage. Despite what had happened between you and Elvis, you were still eager to see how the photos turned out and you knew Pierce would hold you hostage at the office to get a full rundown of how things went at the Astrodome concerts.

When the plane landed, Jerry, one of Elvis’ guys, brought your suitcase down the stairs for you towards the car waiting on the tarmac while Elvis followed closely behind you. You wondered if he was going to ride with you, but thankfully it seemed like he was going to be taking a different car with his father. You stopped at the passenger door, taking a deep breath before you turned around to face him. “Thank you. For letting me come with you.” You said before he had the chance to say anything first. “I had a really wonderful time.” You smiled a bit.

Elvis looked a little surprised at first, but he relaxed a little and nodded. “Don’t mention it, honey.” He said, smiling a little, too. “I'm lookin’ forward to seeing those pictures.” He winked.

“Don't worry. I'm sure you and the Colonel will be the first to see them.” You smirked a bit before biting your lip. “I'll…have Mr Pierce call you when they're ready.”

Elvis nodded, holding your gaze for a long moment. You were fairly sure you would buckle under the intensity of his eyes, but he looked away when one of his guys urged him to start leaving before a crowd of fans could begin to gather. “I’ll see you soon, Minnie Mouse.” He leaned over and kissed your cheek, which on the outside just seemed like a nice, gentlemanly gesture, but after last night you knew it meant so much more. He caught your gaze one last time, smiling a bit before he was escorted to the waiting car and just like that, he was gone.

You let out a breath you hadn’t even realized you were holding in before you slipped into the passenger seat of the car, glad to finally have some space between you and Elvis. You didn’t say anything as Jerry drove you to your office on Sunset Blvd, lost in your own thoughts as you stared out the window at the familiar palm trees that lined the streets. When you pulled up outside the LA Sentinel, you thanked Jerry for the ride and grabbed your suitcase from out of the back, happy to throw yourself straight into work.

As soon as you walked in the door, Pierce spotted you through the window of his office, immediately jumping up from his desk and walking out to meet you. “Minn! What the hell are you doing here?” He asked, his eyes falling to your suitcase before they flicked back up to your face. “Did you just get back from the airport?”

You nodded, plastering a smile on your lips as you marched over to your desk. “I sure did, but we don’t have time to waste.” You said as you pulled the film out from your bag. “The Colonel wants these developed ASAP so he can approve them for use.”

Pierce raised an eyebrow at you, casting you a strange look before he just sighed and nodded. “Right. Go ahead and get them sent down to the dark room.” He said before folding his arms. “I assume you got some pretty good shots?” He asked.

You nodded again. “I think so, but I’m not sure when I’ll have the opportunity to photograph him again.” You admitted. “Following him around while he’s on tour is one thing, but I don’t think he wants me at his house all day.” You knew that was a lie based off his earlier invitation, but Pierce didn’t need to know that.

“Hm. Well, I’m sure we’ll hear from Parker soon enough.” He sighed. “And what about Elvis? I hope he wasn’t too difficult to work with.” He teased you.

You felt your cheeks flush pink as you quickly looked away. “He was nice.” You shrugged. “I should get these photos developed.” You said as you walked past him.

“Don’t work too hard!” He called after you, but you were already disappearing down the hall. The less you had to think about Elvis, the better.

You ended up going home late that night, exhausted from the day of travel and the time spent at the office. You had spent several hours in the dark room trying to develop the photos for printing, hoping and praying that they turned out looking half way decent. Part of you feared that the Colonel wouldn't approve any of them. It seemed like the type of thing he would pull.

You collapsed on your bed after taking a shower and changing into your pajamas, struggling to even stay awake, but it was hard to sleep when all you saw was Elvis’ face every time you closed your eyes. You knew it was stupid to get hung up on him of all people, especially since logic told you it could never work out. Not that you even wanted it to. He was married (which didn't seem to bother him in the slightest) and not only that, but you were there to do a job. Not get involved in some elicit affair.

You knew Elvis was probably the type of person to do that sort of thing with most of the women he encountered, but he also felt so sincere and so…honest. It was hard to explain, and you weren't entirely sure if it was just some sort of act that he was putting on, but it didn't feel that way. The Elvis you spoke to in his suite over dinner felt more real than the image he portrayed on that stage. They were both Elvis, you didn’t doubt that at all, but you had a feeling that he didn't open up to just anyone. Which made you wonder what he saw in you to begin with.

You sighed, rolling over onto your side as you forced your thoughts far away in the recesses of your mind so you could at least try and get some rest before another inevitably long day at the office.

And you were not going to think about Elvis anymore.

~*~*~

“Damn, Minn. These photos are fantastic!” Pierce grinned, practically giddy as he looked through the freshly printed photos the next morning.

You chewed on your lip. “You think?” You asked as you peered over his shoulder.

“I know good pictures when I see them.” He said as a matter of fact. “No one else in the rest of this goddamn city has anything like this! Our papers will fly off the stands in no time.” He stood up from his chair and buzzed the intercom for the copy boy.

“Wait, doesn't Colonel Parker need to approve them first?” You quickly chimed in.

Pierce froze, a frown pulling down at his lips. “Shit. You're right.” He looked like he was contemplating whether or not to say ‘Screw you!’ to the Colonel before simply letting out a sigh. “We need these approved ASAP. It's already two days out from the concerts he performed in Houston. Soon enough this will be old news.” He said as he grabbed the phone off the receiver. “Yeah, get me Colonel Parker. This is Steven Pierce calling from the LA Sentinel.”

You sighed, glancing down at the photos on the desk. You smiled a bit when you looked at the picture of him in his hotel suite, that lopsided little grin painted across his face. For some reason, the picture felt more personal now. You looked up at Pierce, watching as he waited impatiently for the Colonel, before you gathered up the photos and took them to your desk to look through them in more detail.

You frowned a bit, wishing the lighting for the ones of him on stage turned out better. You knew they weren't the most important photos, but he had looked absolutely stunning on stage. You flipped through to the next photo, giggling a bit when you saw the goofy expression he had pulled for the camera.

You found yourself getting lost in the photographs, only snapping out of your daze when your phone at your desk suddenly rang. You sighed, picking it up and balancing it between your ear and shoulder. “Minnie Jones, LA Sentinel.” You said absently.

“Hello, Minnie Mouse.”

You almost jumped out of your chair, quickly catching the phone before you could drop it. “E-Elvis? Why are you calling? I mean, how did you even get this number?”

“I had Charlie get it for me.” Elvis said nonchalantly. “I was just callin’ to see how you were doing. Did you get home safe?” He asked softly.

You bit your lip. “Yes. I did. Thank you for asking.” You hesitated for a second. “Elvis, about what happened in Houston…”

“Don't worry about it, baby.” He replied, cutting me off. “The Colonel just let me know that the photos were ready. I wanted to see if you could bring them over.”

You tensed up a little. “Bring them over? To your house?” You knew it was a dumb question, but you certainly weren’t intending on seeing Elvis so soon again.

“Yes, my house.” He said, chuckling a bit. You could just picture the smile on his face. “You can bring your camera too, if you want. I don’t mind you takin’ photos.” The statement was simple enough, but there was an underlying flirtation in his voice that made you blush a little.

You glanced at Pierce’s office, biting your lip for a second. “I’ll have to confirm with Mr Pierce, but–”

“Great, honey. I’ll see you soon.” He said before hanging up.

It seemed like Elvis didn’t take no for an answer.

You frowned a little before looking up when Pierce suddenly walked out of his office, making a direct beeline for your desk. “It seems like Colonel Parker wants the photos delivered directly.” He said as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“More like Elvis does.” You muttered before sighing as you stood up. “It’s okay, Pierce. This just gives me another opportunity to photograph him. I’ll call once he gives final approval.” You said as you grabbed your coat before picking up a file and handing it to him. “Here’s my notes from the press conference and the concerts.”

Pierce nodded as he started looking through the file. “I promise you, Minn. This whole thing is going to pay off, just you wait.” He said as he patted my shoulder and then disappeared into his office to delegate work on the article.

You glanced down at the photos on your desk before quickly gathering them up into the folder and grabbing your camera as you made a quick exit. The sooner you had it done and over with, the better. You knew this was just some elaborate plan of his, but you weren’t about to let your guard down again. You weren’t in Houston anymore, you were back in LA, which meant you were back to reality. You weren’t about to let Elvis charm you into falling for him.

Just keep a level head. I’m just here for a job.

You pushed down your nerves on the drive over, doing your best not to think about what Elvis might say or do once he saw you. He didn’t seem to be acknowledging the kiss at all, which struck you as odd. You figured this was probably normal behaviour for a guy like Elvis Presley. Married or not, you didn’t figure most musicians and celebrities had too many qualms over not staying faithful to their partner. And Elvis certainly had more than a few women constantly throwing themselves at him pretty much everywhere he went. But you weren’t about to be one of those women, no matter how much a very small part of you wanted him to kiss you again. You chalked it up to just a physical attraction which was only natural when you were around one of the most beautiful men in the world.

When you arrived at the house, you were surprised to find that there weren’t many fans waiting outside the gates. You figured maybe they didn’t know he was back in town yet. You stopped at the gates, waiting to be let in before driving through and parking out in the courtyard next to Elvis’ white cadillac. Unlike the last time you were there, you didn’t have Pierce to fall back on. This time you were alone meeting Elvis, which somehow felt even more nerve wracking than meeting him the first time. You looked up at the house as you stepped out of the car, taking a deep breath before you grabbed your things and walked up to the front door.

Much like the first time you had visited the house, Charlie answered the door and let you in, leading you to the living room before he disappeared to find Elvis. You looked around, taking the chance to get a better view of the home. It was beautifully decorated, but still felt very cozy for a fancy house in Beverly Hills. You walked over to the large bookshelf that extended across the back wall of the room, observing the different knick knacks that decorated the shelves. There were jewelry boxes, a few different awards that Elvis had won over the years, and picture frames with photos of him and his different family members. You smiled a bit when you noticed a photo of him and his daughter where he was laying across a bed with her in his arms.

“Her name is Lisa Marie.”

You almost jumped out of your skin when you heard Elvis behind you, your face flushing with embarrassment when you realized you probably looked like you were snooping. “Oh, well…she’s very beautiful.” You quickly said as you turned to face him.

He was wearing a chocolate brown button up shirt with a pair of dark trousers, a rather simplistic look compared to some of the other outfits you had seen him in, but nevertheless he looked as beautiful as ever. He looked well rested after the long trip, and there was just a little bit of a five o’clock shadow dusting across his jaw. His eyes looked a little tired, but they were still bright and intense like they always seemed to be whenever you were with him.

“She’s in Memphis right now, but she’ll be flying out here tomorrow.” He explained as he looked at the photo, a smile tugging at his lips before he turned his full attention your way. “How are you? Did you get enough rest?” He asked as he looked you up and down, his eyes doing a full survey.

You swallowed a bit as you held the folder of photos to your chest. “I got enough. Lots of work to do, you know.” You said as you took a step past him. “I brought the photos for you and the Colonel to look at. Pierce and I think they turned out good.” You said as you held the folder out to him.

“I’m sure they did, honey.” He said as he sat down on the sofa and flipped the folder open. You watched his reaction carefully, taking a seat next to him as you peered over. If he hated them he definitely wasn’t showing it. He flipped through the photographs, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he viewed the ones I had taken of him inside his suite and on the plane.

The silence was practically killing you. “So? What do you think?” You asked as you bit your lip. All he had to do was say that he hated them and it would be over just like that.

He held up one of the photos, scrutinizing it with his gaze before looking at you. At first his expression was neutral, but then a playful smile crossed his lips. “They’re pretty damn good, Minnie Mouse.” He set the photo down and closed the folder. “That is considering the fact that you didn’t catch me doin’ anything too embarrassing.” He smirked a bit.

You felt the tension break and you couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Not yet, but I’m sure there’s still time for that.” You teased him.

He shook his head, his eyes glimmering with amusement. “I guess I’ll have to keep my guard up, honey.” He winked.

You felt a familiar flurry of butterflies in your stomach, but you promptly ignored the feeling. “What about the Colonel? Does he need to see them?” You asked.

Elvis waved his hand in dismissal. “Don’t worry about him.” He said before suddenly standing up and walking over to the bookshelf. “I noticed you reading a book on the plane.” He said, changing the subject without much warning.

You raised an eyebrow at him. “Yeah, I was. A friend gave it to me to read. It was just a book of poems.” You shrugged.

He nodded before pulling down a book off of the shelf. “Have you heard of ‘The Prophet’?” He asked as he walked back over to where you were sitting. “There's a lot of great poems in this one.”

You shook your head, looking curiously at the book in his hand. You didn’t recognize the cover, but it immediately piqued your interest. “What type of poems are they?” You asked as you looked up at him.

“They’re mostly spiritual and philosophical.” He said as he sat down next to you. “It’s one of my favorites. I think you’d like it.” He passed the book to you and smiled.

You raised your eyebrows at him. “Oh, Elvis, you don't have to–”

He shook his head, cutting you off. “Don't worry, honey. I have a few copies of this one.” He reassured you before he flipped the book open, scanning the pages with his finger before landing on one of the passages. “The timeless in you is aware of life's timelessness. And knows that yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's dream.” He read outloud. “I remember back when I was first getting big. Everything happened in a flash. Really, it all felt like a dream. You know what I mean, honey?”

You stared at him for a moment before nodding. “I think everyone feels that way at some point or another.” You admitted. “I mean, I think it's only natural to feel like something good won't last or that it's just too good to be true.” You explained.

He listened carefully, holding your gaze the entire time. “I think you might be right.” He sighed. “My daddy thought all of this would be gone,” He snapped his fingers. “Just like that.” He shook his head. “I guess he was wrong, huh?”

You smiled. “I guess so. But tomorrow’s dream doesn't just magically happen. You have to work for it. I wouldn't be here doing this if I hadn't tried.”

“Hm…do you believe in coincidence?” He suddenly asked.

You furrowed your brow a little. “I…I don't know.” You answered truthfully. “I guess I've never really thought about it very much.”

“I don't believe there's such a thing as coincidence in life, Minnie. All of us have free will, yes, but sometimes there's things out there bigger than you and me.” He said, and you were a little surprised by the conviction in his eyes. “Look at me, why was I picked to be Elvis Presley? I was in the right time at the right place, baby, but that doesn't happen by chance.”

You considered his explanation before nodding a bit. The way he explained it definitely made sense of something that otherwise felt difficult to wrap your mind around. “It's hard to imagine anyone else being Elvis Presley.” You agreed.

He smiled. “And what about you, honey? Do you think it was just a mere coincidence that you were picked for this job?” He sat back on the sofa. “Destiny, Minnie Mouse. It ties all of us together.” He said as he intertwined his fingers.

Destiny sure has a funny sense of humor, then.

You shook your head to yourself before closing the book. “Thank you, Elvis. I'm excited to read it.” You said earnestly.

He nodded before sitting forward again. “Would you like to see the rest of the house?” He asked, suddenly standing up.

“I'd love to. Do you mind if I take some photos?” You asked, grabbing your camera off the table as you sat the book down.

“Go ahead, honey.” He said, smiling as he draped his arm around your shoulders and led you from the living room through the rest of the house.

You hadn’t realized just how big it was the first time you were there, but it definitely felt like a millionaire’s mansion as he showed you through the expansive kitchen, another family room, a den where you figured he did his TV watching, and lastly the various different bedrooms that the house had to offer. He explained that many of the guys who worked with him also lived at the house due to how much Elvis was always travelling. Thankfully, he didn’t show you his bedroom, simply bypassing it in the hall before he took you out back where a large pool sat beyond the patio. You noticed a few of the guys lounging around outside, the mild weather that California offered making it possible to use the pool almost all year round.

“Everyone is takin’ it easy after Houston.” Elvis said as you raised your camera and took a photo of everyone around the pool.

“It seems like a nice place to relax.” You agreed before you pointed your camera at him. “Say cheese.” You smirked a bit.

Elvis squinted against the sun reflecting off the pool before chuckling as the camera flashed. “You’re always welcome to stop by, you know.” He said as he took a step toward you.

You bit your lip as you lowered your camera. “Elvis…” You glanced at the guys who were occasionally looking your way.

“Can’t you believe I just enjoy your company?” He suddenly asked. “No funny business. I promise.” He said as he held his hand up to his heart in a mock scout’s honor.

You weren’t sure you entirely believed him. “And about what happened in Houston?” You folded your arms. “Even if you weren’t married, and even if I was interested, I’m here for a job, Elvis. I have to keep things professional.” You said as confidently as you could.

He regarded you for a long moment, that tinge of annoyance once again flashing in his eyes when you mentioned his marriage, but he seemed to understand, even if he didn’t very much like it. “I like working with you, Minnie. I hope we can still do that.” He finally said.

You relaxed a little and nodded. “We can. I didn’t sign that contract for nothing.” You teased, hoping to lighten the tension a little. “Just call me when you want me to stop by.” You said, smiling up at him.

“Trust me, Minnie Mouse. I will.” His eyes sparkled as he looked down at you, and you had to ignore the way you almost lost yourself in the depths of his ocean blue gaze. It was disarming just how easily he could make you feel so warm and fuzzy inside with just a simple look, and yet he kept managing to do that over and over again.

You quickly looked away before you could completely drown in his eyes. “I should probably get going. Pierce is going to need help getting these photos ready for release.” You said as you tucked your camera away into its bag. “Are you sure the Colonel will be okay with it?” You asked.

Elvis nodded, once again dismissing the need for his manager’s approval. “I’m the one in the photos, honey. I don’t need that old man tellin’ me nothin’.” He said as he led you back inside. “Here, don’t forget this. I really want to hear what you think.” He handed you the book from earlier and then leaned in to kiss you on the cheek.

You felt your chest tighten at the feeling of his soft lips against your skin, your eyes closing for just a second before you smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Elvis.” You said softly, making your way to the door.

“See you soon, Minnie Mouse.” Elvis waved goodbye to you, and for some reason all of your earlier reservations about seeing him disappeared completely.

Maybe you were absolutely crazy for continuing to work with him after everything that happened, but you felt yourself being pulled completely into his orbit with no possible hope for escape. You knew staying around would only end disastrously, but there was something about him that shook you to your core. A magnetism that you couldn’t explain.

Elvis Presley was certainly going to drive you insane. And for some reason, you didn’t mind it.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Likes, comments, and reblogs are much appreciated! Let me know if you'd like to be added to the tag list ~

Taglist: @60svintage @moonchild-daniella @ken-kenzie-zie @presleyhearted @eapep @i-r-i-n-a-a @iloveelvis2

#elvis #elvis presley #elvis aaron presley #ep #tcb #graceland #elvis fanfiction #elvis fanfic #fanfiction #fanfic #elvis × reader #elvis × oc #elvis in vegas #elvis fan #elvis through her lens

20 notes · View notes

emocafe247 · 1 year ago

Text

Ok, so the summary of today's day (it's fun, you know I'm a writer, so I can make it fun):

Before the concert+the concert

I went out. It didn't rain. I got to the city centre and it was raining like hell, but of course I didn't have an umbrella... I had my leather jacket though. Leather jackets are useful, because you can take them off and cover your hair and they don't get wet. But when I got there, it stopped raining, yay! Lucky me 😆

I got there maybe an hour before the doors? I would get an usual spot at the barrier on the side, but a girl was keeping it for her friend, so I let them have it and went to the middle. It was scary at first, because I never know what my happen and it's hard for me to stand for too long (which everyone knows, because I talk about it here a lot), but as usual the BC fandom here is very chill and most people were super nice and friendly and polite to each other, it's one of the main reasons why I love their concerts so much 💖

Most of the time I didn't see much, but Joel and Joonas got many interactions, if I find videos of those, I'll let you know! I had Joel right in front of me almost all the time, I could see his red snoot and wet upper lip, and he hit his face with the chain all the damn time... this guy 😆. Honestly, I had more fun there, in the 3rd row, than at the barrier on the side. Maybe it's because I was close to Joel, dunno 🤣. But it was probably my best BC concert so far, because I finally managed to relax and my anxiety was on a very low level. It really makes a huge difference!

Oh, and of course I lost my hairband with a big red bow. All because of Ghostkid's vocalist! I was filming Dark Side and he got near the crowd, I had no idea he was going to jump into it, because I'm small, I barely can see what's going on with everyone around being so tall. So he knocked off my hairband and I managed to catch my classes on time 😭. But I did catch him somehow, I made sure he didn't fall. Also damn, this guy is so light! Even with my health issues I feel like I could carry him myself easily. Also I'm not super sad about the hairband, if someone found it they can keep it, it's just a funny story 😂. If I lost my glasses, THEN I'd be upset. Because glasses are expensive. Btw I literally have it on video, I have proof! It's the funniest part of it 🤣

We also got another "kurwa bob" moment and Niko got a flower crown in the colors of the Polish flag! I even managed to take a quick photo (as I said, my camera is shite):

(he took it off soon after, so I was lucky to catch this moment on my camera, also hi Joel you look awful here, but so do I in most of the photos and you're still my fave edgelord 💖)

Meeting the band after the concert

I wasn't sure if it was worth to wait for them. It was still a bit rainy and the last day bus was leaving in 30min (night buses arrive only every 30min, so it's a pain in the ass). Most people have left, there weren't many of us left, maybe ~20 people waited? But I thought I don't get to see them live that often, so what the hell, I'll wait.

There were staff members and guys from the supporting bands walking around freely (everyone is always polite and we let them work in peace, it's why I love the fans here, they don't chase anyone away 💖), even Olli just walked around unbothered (I think only I noticed him at that time tbh, but I ain't a snitch hehe).

Tommi and Aleksi just went to the bus and it's understandable. Tommi is just Tommi and Aleksi was sick. All of the other guys actually stayed with us to talk and I've never had such a long interaction with them before! I feel even luckier and I'm so happy that I stayed 😍

I think everyone knows Joel is sick, so we didn't want to bug him too much. He was nice enough to let us take some photos and let us give him hugs, and he was pretty much braindead 😂. But it's understandable, he's usually braindead and he's also sick, so it's worse. I'm happy I could give him a proper hug this time, because the first time I met him I was too scared for one. The 2nd time I asked for one and patted his shoulder nervously. But this time? I just hugged him with no fear! I'm making progress here 💖

Niko is always the most friendly one, so we had a chat with him and he asked what does kurwa mean (really dude? you have no google in your phone?) and I told him it's like vittu, other people added more information, and I said he should google it, he'll find funny things. Niko, please. Just google it, dude 😂.

I also hugged him and he has a really soft coat, which other girls pointed out and he joked he's wearing nothing underneath, because he's Finnish and isn't cold (a deja vu moment, because there was exactly the same situation in Poznań before: "Niko, aren't you cold?" "No, I'm Finnish"), so I also told him it used to be much colder here in general, because we did have very cold winters before. It's always fun talking to Niko 💖

The next one was Olli, but I'm leaving Olli for the last part of the story, because it's the best. Now, I did hug Joonas and got a photo with him, but my brain is totally blank if we actually did talk to him. I think not really? Uh, dunno 😂. But it was a positive interaction as well 💖

Now, Olli. Everyone knows I just couldn't like the guy because of his crazy stans, so I was "meh" about him, but actually meeting him properly just changed my mind. He's really easy to talk to! But I really didn't think I'd manage to come up with an interesting topic, I usually have nothing to say and I'm horrible at asking questions.

My brain decided to ask him about Silent Library. It basically went like:

Me: "So I watched this show, Silent Library Suomi, and you were getting all these red cards. Was it done like that on purpose, or was it just a coincidence?

Olli (grinning): "it's called back luck"

Now, if you watched their vlogs and he had those funny moments with puns everyone loved, IT WAS LIKE ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS. But I don't have it on the camera (which is ok, I did that just for myself).

He explained it really was accidental and no one was plotting against him (I did joke that Joel maybe did 😂). I think he enjoyed talking about it, because I doubt anyone would get an idea to ask him about this show (though I might be wrong).

So here you go, it's called bad luck. That's it. I got the info from the man himself 😂

But, there's more. The girl who was taking photos of us had a malfunctioning phone and accidentally took a photo of his feet and he was wearing flip flops (she did show it to him too lmao). I'll share it as soon as I get it. Also she came up with a joke that I already told her I'm going to steal:

OlliFans

(feet pic coming soon 👌)

We all laughed really loud at it (Olli wasn't there anymore, so we=us girls), so I'm releasing it into the world, because it can't be kept in containment 😂

That's it for now, more video content coming tomorrow (cause I'm tired)

#blind channel

28 notes · View notes

marciaillust · 2 years ago

Note

Hey! I just wanted to say I’ve been following you forEVER now, and that your art has been inspiring me since i was a teenager. I was wondering if you could share a little about your rendering process? How did you improve it over the years, what did you learn you wish u knew sooner, stuff like that?

(Thanks anyway, and definitely getting myself ur new comic)

Hi! oh wow thank you so much for the kind words!

My rendering process hmmmm.... I will try to sum up the thoughts that come to my mind as I'm writing this, though I might be missing some proper vocabulary

The first thing that surfaced in my brain is exposition within a picture. This is what the picture focuses on - things in the light, or things in the shadow, and how much details each of these two receive rendering wise.

It's basically like taking a photo with a phone - if you click on a bright thing (say, a window), the phone will automatically adjust the exposition and all the other bright things will be visible(lotta detail), but the shadows will become turbo dark (no details). Alternatively, if you click on a dark shadow, all the dark things will become visible (details) but the hypothetical window will become blown out and turbo white (no details). You can basically have one or the other but never both. (or I guess you can who am I to tell anyone how to make art yanno no rules up in this house)

anyway, so for example, this pic^ focuses on the things in the dark, meaning everything in direct light receives no details.

and this pic^ focuses on the light and so all the cast shadows are pitch black.

One other thing that I learned a longass time ago was that edges(and shapes) are arguably the most important part of an object within a picture. Clean edges immediately call for focus, while softer or vague edges allow things to fade in the background and communicate the idea of a thing rather than showing you the thing itself. On a related note note, clean edges also make work in progress appear about 25% more finished.

I guess this all has to do with contrast and contrast can be created in many ways - edges (soft/sharp), colours (eg. red fish in a blue sea), spacing (objects being grouped vs. a single object), the amount of detail per object etc etc etc. and all of these can be controlled to solve specific issues within a picture.

In short, if a thing is important aka the focal point, make it stand out - sharp edges, details, specific colours and a lighting situation that make it pop. And if a thing isn't too important leave it vague, communicate the idea of it rather than focusing on drawing it.

On the note of things being sharp, a thing that I always swore by is, if there are eyes in the picture those eyes better be d-o-n-e. Pristine. People will look at the eyes, eyes communicate 90% of emotion, the eyes are the it girl of the picture forever and always, nobody will look at the wonky foot, they will look at the eyes and judge the quality of the picture. If the eyes are shit the picture is shit. (I'm exaggerating but fr. eyes are a big deal.). They don't have to be turbo rendered or physically mad sharp but they need to be done. Whatever that means, take what you will from my word soup.

One thing that I've become a big fan of over the years is the concept of wear and tear. This has to do with texturing things in pictures and I looooooooooooooooove thinking about ways items are used in order to create bumps and scratches that can be featured.

It always makes things look like they belong to someone?? It makes them real? Like the tip of that bone. that bone has been places. That belt has seen use. That bag carried things. Like yanno?? I looove things that chip and have nicks. Give me wood and I'll put a dent in it I swear.

And I thing the latest thing that I'm trying to incorporate within my art, though I haven't had much time or opportunity to do it in personal art because of work, is colour variation within each element.

Like his face. His skin is obviously "beige" but you will see red, and blue and yellow and green in there too. Stuff like that yanno? I'm quite interested in taking this further in my future paintings. I'm still learning how to push what, where and how but ayyy issa journey I'll happily embark on.

And of course apart from all that it's the usual jazz, working on anatomy composition perspective doing it a lot over and over again babababababa and so on and so forth.

I haven't had much opportunity to paint since I started working on the comic last year but it had it own set of challenges for me. Linework is a completely different kind of rodeo and I've improved in different departments a lot and I'd be happy to bring those things into my paintings when I have the chance. I feel like I'm at a point where I know a lot more than what I've had the opportunity to put on paper, it feels exciting!

I hope at least some of my ramblings were of interest to you!! Again, that you for the nice message and have a nice day :)

117 notes · View notes

serge-starr · 4 months ago

Text

My take on the Melanie allegations

Melanie is my favourite musician and has been for almost a year now. I know I'm very late to the fandom because she's been making music for over a decade. I've been saving up and preparing to buy her merch, which is SO DAMN EXPENSIVE. However, lately there's been a bigger issue than just the money.

🍃🩷🦋🩷🍃

Another musician called Timothy Heller, who I believe is her "ex-best friend", has accused Melanie multiple times of sexual abuse. She's posted on her tiktok page talking about how speaking up about it ruined her life because a lot of Melanie's fans completely hammered her, bullied her, created hate pages for her because they believed she was lying for attention or trying to ruin Mel's life, etc.

I've watched both of Timothy's videos and she sounds really upset and desperate as she talks about how she and Melanie did something together that Timothy didn't want to do, or something like that? I don't know the details of how everything went down, but there have been pictures leaked that are either related to Timothy's past or the allegations specifically.

Timothy first accused Mel in 2017 but I think nothing happened as a result because somehow she didn't get much attention for it. Either people didn't believe her or they just didn't care. She spoke up about it again somewhere around the 2020s.

Sorry, I need to correct myself. She actually DID get a lot of attention in 2017. In fact, it was so bad for her that she got "run-off the internet", according to herself. I don't know what she meant by this but I ASSUME (correct me if I'm wrong) that it means she got bullied so bad that she either quit or she just got cancelled??

🍃🩷🦋🩷🍃

Timothy, in her video, said that Melanie admitted that they did something together but also said that Timothy "didn't say no". Timothy denied this and said that she DID say no.

Timothy said that 2015 is when it happened but she didn't remember the exact date. In an interview she revealed a photo she took the day after it happened and discovered the date the abuse happened through that method. After all this was revealed online, Melanie's fans looked at all of Melanie's posts on that very date. The conclusion of this was that Timothy and Melanie were in different states on that date. Some believed this meant Timothy was a liar. However Timothy argued that for some reason the photo appeared multiple times in her camera roll (she could not explain why). My comment on this is that this technically means Timothy STILL cannot be sure what date the occurance was because this photo appeared multiple times.

This understandably drove Timothy insane and made her really angry because Melanie had ALREADY admitted that they had done something together but as soon as her fans revealed they were in different states at this UNCONFIRMED date, Melanie thanked them for revealing that Timothy's statements were false. In my opinion, there is definitely something off about this. On top of that, some of Timothy's accounts/details have been either hacked or leaked which has really scared her and affected her mental health (made her low self-esteem even lower). Eventually Timothy gave up on her music career, deactivated all her public accounts and lived in private for many years. In her first video, she expresses how distraught she is that she has been unable to live the life that she's dreamed of just because of this. Timothy's lost all hope and confidence with herself and her entire life. I honestly feel so bad for her. She also explains that some "photoshopped" (according to her) images revealed that she "admitted to lying", "accused other celebrities" of the same thing, etc. She said that these are all false and were made to make her look bad. Timothy says that she is exhausted and embarassed from begging people to believe her and begging people to care.

🍃🩷🦋🩷🍃

I wanted to make a paragraph about Melanie's side of the story but I don't think Melanie has really done a proper explanation or clearup on what happened herself. I feel like Melanie's either tried to avoid the topic, pretend it didn't happen, forget it, move on, etc. In my opinion, this was a very dumb move. If I were to get accused of something as serious as that, I would speak up about it immediately, whether I'm a celebrity or not.

She has allowed her fans to treat Timothy in such a horrible way, literally ruining her life. I understand that Timothy's allegations have caused trouble for Melanie too but what I don't understand is why would Timothy CONTINUE to defend her point knowing she's going to get a ton of hate and DEATH THREATS when she could easily just "admit" she's lying and allow the world to move on and leave her alone. She's chosen the harder option, clearly because she's probably not lying and has no choice but to pick the more difficult route, and continue to accuse Melanie until she gets her justice.

Admitting that she and Timothy did something together but then thanking her fans for proving they did nothing together makes absolutely no sense, isn't logical and doesn't connect any dots together for me.

Many people have accused Melanie of taking advantage of her talent, her fandom, her power, etc. Honestly, if these allegations are true, I won't be surprised. There are a lot of disagreements and arguments over this matter but a point that has stood out to me personally is that Melanie probably does not care about her fans, and only cares about making money.

From what I know, Melanie probably doesn't want to let her guard down or reveal/admit to anything because not only would she lose her power, reputation, wealth, etc. she would lose basically EVERYTHING she has worked for. She wouldn't want to speak out because her method of staying quiet is working in her favour. In my opinion, she is sitting back, relaxing, and allowing her fans to do her dirty work. Destroying/silencing/bringing Timothy Heller down, while allowing herself to continue to thrive and make money.

Of course, I don't know much about Melanie's side of the story so I don't want to say too much. This is mainly opinion-based and me just saying what I think based on what I know.

🍃🩷🦋🩷🍃

I'm trying to make this make sense. This has been very hard to process because Melanie is my favourite singer and was one of my favourite people in the world. I WANT to believe the allegations are false, but honestly I'm just not convinced sorry guys. I want to say I will always love her music, but not her as a person since I don't support the actions she's been accused of and NO ONE should. There is absolutely NO EXCUSE FOR R*PE. I don't even know if I should consider myself a Melanie "fan" anymore.

I also don't want to assume the allegations are false because I am extremely worried about Timothy.

I'm technically a fan, but I don't support these actions at all. I want to say I'm against what I'm against but I still admire her talent and the inspiration she's brought to the world. Honestly, the Melanie fandom has been SO TOXIC when it comes to the Timothy Heller situation. So many of them are reacting in such wrong, damaging ways.

Sending either of them hate won't do any good. It'll either put them through pain/self-hatred or make them hate each other even more. This will put more pressure under the situation and eventually everyone will have a mental breakdown at this rate. This is a time where we need to be open-minded, understanding and spread as much love as possible. There is no confirmed proof that Melanie did it, and there is no confirmed proof that Timothy is lying. So until we have something INDENIABLE, we need to stay calm and neutral about this, while sending support to the correct places (Melanie's music career and Timothy's safety/mental health).

I also feel like we need to try and be a bit more smart and considerate about this. Don't support Melanie 100% just because you like her music. You know her songs, you know her style, you know her aesthetic, but you DON'T. KNOW. HER. AS. A. PERSON. You can't assume Mel is innocent just because you like her. Yes, you like her, but you don't KNOW her. The same goes for Timothy as well. Don't bash Melanie just because you're very confident that Timothy is telling the truth. If Timothy is somehow lying, then we've basically been bashing, upsetting and damaging Mel for no reason (while she's already coping with these statements). If Timothy is telling the truth, do you think bashing Mel is going to magically erase something she did in the past or make her feel remorse for what she did? Probably not. You're just going to make her hate Timothy even more if that's the kind of person she is. We need to think about the evidence rather than JUST what we think of these people.

In general, I feel like the Melanie fandom is SUPER TOXIC. There are so many fake Melanie fans it's crazy. And by a fake fan I don't mean someone who doesn't know all her songs. I mean someone who claims to be a fan but then casually bodyshames Melanie, insults her outfits, calls her new album cringe/weird, etc. I get that people can have their own opinions, dislike particular outfits, etc. but bodyshaming is where I cross the line. There is no excuse for bodyshaming. I know this is besides the main topic of this post but I just want to point out that the Mel fandom is trash in more cases than just Timothy Heller. This fandom has done fucked up things multiple times. Bodyshaming Mel is so wrong and unnecessary. We all know damn well there is nothing wrong with her body. She doesn't need to change it. I don't want to associate myself with these kinds of people. While I could stand up against these people, for this particular case I would like to just consider myself NOT part of the fandom. At this point, I'm wondering if buying her merch is a bad idea because I don't want to support this kind of thing.

Before I end this I want to add that a lot of people who are particularly fans of Melanie are toxic and a lot of the things they do are very weird and questionable. I don't care how much you like Mel. There is no excuse for shaming people only because they don't know every song, like/prefer different albums/EPs to you, dress a certain way, have different opinions to you, different merch to you, etc. Finally, there is DEFINITELY no excuse for sending Timothy literal death threats. It's unjustifiable to send death threats to ANYONE.

That's all. Thanks for reading!

#melanie martinez #portals #crybaby #k 12 #k 12 melanie martinez #timothy heller #important #allegations

6 notes · View notes

bikepackinguk · 2 years ago

Text

Day Seventy-two

Up early this morning, it's a long day ahead!

It's one of thise rare days where I have a specific destination in mind, so it's on to the supermarket in Queensferry to grab some handy provisions and get at it.

Starting off by jumping onto the busy A548, it's ploughing on through a few towns along the River Dee. It's a lot of slogging in busy traffic but not too many options for this stretch as the bike route proper follows this road, and the wind is starting to increase with the temperature.

At Baglit the cycle route heads up and over some big hills a little inland, so I say hell to that and keep cracking on at the road.

The road isn't exactly great fun, with lots of hedges and trees blocking the views, but finally we break through the foliage lining and emerge out to the coast at the Port of Mostyn.

Emerging from cover does mean the wind starts to become more noticeable, and a strong breeze is blustering down the coastline. But there is a great view back over the water to see the view of yesterday's ride.

Past Ffynnongoyw, there's a right turn and it's finally away from the traffic and on to some great riding around the cycle trails to Talacre Beach, before riding on through the dunes and across the golf course.

Hitting Prestatyn, we get some more nice promenade riding all the way down to Rhyl. Some stretches are alas under building work, so there's a little meandering involved to get around them whilst being slapped around by the wind.

Over the River Clwyd, there's more nice riding away from the traffic along the beaches, along with a good few more sections of construction work diversions. But the sun is shining and the view over to Colwyn Bay is very pretty.

Past the impressive sight of Gwyrch Castle on the hillside, I have a short stop to help someone out with a flat tyre. One thing I do enjoy with cycling is the camaraderie amongst riders and it's very common for others to check in that someone is ok or needs help if they're stationary.

Riding on, it's up some steeper sections up over the cliffsides, before yet more construction work sends me off on a diversion into Old Colwyn.

I've had enough with the promenade routes being constantly blocked off, so elect to say hell and stick back to the proper cycle route once more, which leads on through the busy Colwyn Bay and west alongside the expressway.

It's around some beautiful hills through this area before coming out at Llandudno Junction, and with the wind still battering around I take a break with a bit of shelter here. Today is some hard work!

Crossing over the River Conwy, I get to ride past the awesome Conwy Castle and have a lovely jaunt around the riverside whilst heading past Conwy, then it's back out to the sea as the path works its way past some impressive hills.

Past Penmaenmawr the cliffsides offer little space, and some interesting pathing is in place to sandwich a major dual carriageway, a rail line, and pedestrian & cycle access in all together, but somehow it's managed.

At Abergwyngregyn there's no other through road apart from the dual carriageway, so the route leads uo inti the foothills overhead, making for some lobg climbs and tiring work. It gives a nice view of Anglesey, but damn it's tough going.

Eventually it's downhill once more, crossing back over the expressway and zooming in to Bangor to check out their pier, and then riding up and around to the Menai Suspension Bridge.

Across the bridge and I'm on the island if Anglesey! Whilst I'm not riding around the entire island, I am making a stopoff at a place I've wanted to check out for maby years - Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. With the evening wearing on, most other tourists are having dinner and I have no issues getting a photo done with the sign.

Not much further left today! Back to the bridge I ride, then it's a ride down the Menai Strait along to the historic castle town of Caernafon, with a nice ride past its beautiful castle.

A final push around the hills nearby and I eventually arrive at my destination for the day - the home of the wonderful Nerys! I have been given a lovely hot shower and a damn amazing steak, and have a few nights' R&R ahead to allow the back to heal up a bit more!

That's the entire damn north coast of Wales down in one day! I'm kinda shocked at myself, especially with the hideous headwind that has been causing so much extra effort, but I'll take it!

Have a good weekend!

#bikepacking #bicycle touring

3 notes · View notes

ritualcaster · 7 months ago

Text

Ok so its 2 am and ive been thinking (recipe for disaster, i know) should I message the friend that kicked me from the group chat and blocked me?

('Read more' seperator in case you don't want to read about sappy stuff or give advice)

(Im going to spout a lot, classified as a vent post but i really want advice)

I'm thinking through it to figure it out and its not working so im gonna lay out the facts

(With complimentary + or - for decision)

We've been best friends for 2 years, friends for 5, and known each other for 7, and known of each other for 14.

Around 9/17 she began texing drier and responding less, the change is slow.

On 9/19 I said "Im ngl its 4 am and im scrolling throigh our messages trying to figure out if its just anxiety or we're getting more distant" she responded with "NOOOOOO!! DONT REREAD PAST MESSAGES PAST 8 PM!! YOUR LIFE IS IN GRAVE DANGEERR!!" Which is actually a direct copy paste of a message i sent to her about a similar situation.

On 9/20 we had 3 seperate long winded text conversations, and a 30 minute call, we have not called each other since.

On 9/21 she responded "with probably not today, sorry" after i asked if she wanted to get on and do anything, she then proceeded to message me about a million times over the following 4 hours, these conversations included a message i sent asking "Why dont you respond to my tiktoks. Do you hate me." (As a joke (i can see how it did NOT come off that way), however she had actually stopped responding to the videos i sent her about 3 days before. I sent many with no responses within those 3 days)

On 9/23 I messaged one with a photo asking to do a trio pfp (i did a few trio pfps with her and her boyfriend, then i started editing myself into two of their duo pfps as a running gag. Definitely stepped a line there it seems.) She didn't respond, so I stopped messaging her and sending tiktoks to give her a bit of space.

On 9/24 I sent a few messages, "I sent you so many videos in a row" she responded "ill watch them eventually" I responded "Just block me so my sufferijg can be ended" (as a joke, i felt our friendship was much more unshakeable than it was. I passed off most of these signs as anxiety.) I sent a few messages about games we both played recently, and the last message i sent was at 6:25.

An hour after this, She blocked me on everthing, and kicked me from the gc.

Ok so thats bassically everything that happened over the 5 days up until she blocked me, its a little crazy that im searching through it like this but for a 4 year long friendship it feels warranted

In general the day up until she blocked me i tried to probe about what was wrong in a comedic way, with deadpan affirming responses, or no response at all.

Even after running through it all, it still seems super mixed.

Only reason im debating messaging her at all is because

1. We were talking just an hour before, dryly, but definitely

2. I said "Just block me so my sufferijg can be ended" 2 hours before.

Both of those make this seem a little if not very impulsive, also, this feels like a boundaries issue, which can definitely be solved with proper communication and an open mind.

I also feel like i want to at least get to 'awkward..' terms with her, that way i can rejoin the gc with minimal violence/hard feelings

I can still message her on steam, which she didn't unfriend or block me on, even after I messaged her there. I've also been playing on steam over the 8 days since the blockening, so shes seen me get on (it gives a notif to all your active friends when you play a game) and still hasn't blocked me.

The message on steam was "I can take a hint, ill stop messaging you, but I'm still here, I'm still just a call away"

VERY cringe, but i was emotional. bite me.

So it might be weird to message her now and go back on that, especially if its on the same platform.... ugh....

1 note · View note

squirrelpudding · 1 year ago

Text

January 24th, 2024

Today is the 24th but the photos I am putting are from Saturday, the 20th. My friends and I went to Pleasanton, and it was very fun! I love hanging out with them! We went because there is an ice cream place there (see 5th pic) that is really good, but we also walked around the town near there and went to a mall. I love going to malls with my friends because it makes me feel like a teenager. I like feeling like a teenage girl. When I was a little kid I thought all teenagers went to malls, chewed gum, wore sunglasses, biked without their helmet, and showed their midriff. Whenever I do any of those things I feel like a teenager. I've noticed that I used to not feel my age often, in elementary school I felt older, and in middle school, freshman year, and sophomore year I felt younger. I kept accidentally thinking I was thirteen until this summer when I turned 16. Now when I don't feel my age I feel like I should be 14/15. I think I feel more like my age now because I hang out with more people my age, rather than hanging out with people older than me or not hanging out with people at all. I genuinely love talking to people and having friends. There are so many people this year that I say hi to if I see them around, much more than last year. I love when people say hi to me if they see like in the hallway at school (I say that like we have halls. we don't really). And also I have made friends who I walk to classes with and who I always talk to during class. I think because I spent a lot of time being lonely and sad for myself, I appreciate when people talk to me and like me. That's one of the reasons why I like Croomf so much (do I say "croomf" or "my croomf"? Since it is an made up word I don't know the proper grammar), because he likes talking to people so he starts conversations. When I was in elementary school I was really shy, so I feel like I never developed the same social skills as other people, and when I was a freshman/sophomore I s topped being shy, but I am now just kind of awkward because I don't know how to start conversations. I feel like my brain is slower than other peoples because I can never think of what to say, or it takes me a lot longer to respond and talk to people. Also I think I have auditory processing issues because I sometimes think I can't hear what people are saying but it just takes me a few seconds to register what they are saying. Especially when people mumble or are quiet. And then by the time I actually understand what they are trying to say it has been an awkward amount of time and I feel like its too late to respond. That happens with Croomf sometimes because he mumbles to himself sometimes and I can never tell if he is talking to me/to somebody or if he is mumbling to himself. Speaking of him, today in yoga we had to do something with a partner, and I my partner was a mutual oomf, and after the activity we did croomf came over to us to talk. He came over to us to talk!! Maybe he was mainly coming over to talk to mutual oomf, but I am going to chose to believe he was talking to both of us because I like the idea of people thinking of me and wanting to talk to me. Also mutual oomf was talking about how the activity we were doing was hard for him because he has weak forearms, and then they were talking about working out forearms, and croomf flexed his forearms. He flexed his forearms. I know it sounds so dumb and simple and small, but it made me go crazy. Also the way he flexed was like in that pose that looks like cat paws. I love that pose because on tiktok there will be the buffest manliest looking men doing that dumb little flex where they look like they are about to type ":3". Anyway, (is it "anyway" or "anyways"?) back to what I was saying about the 20th. I bought a bunch of different posters and I am very very excited about them! I started to put them up, but at the same time I also decided that would be a good time to clean my room, and rearrange other posters on my walls, so I haven't finished putting them up yet.

I needed to put the pictures in the middle of the text because apparently there is a character limit per block. The posters I bought were: SouthPark (yes I know I'm cringe), TMNT mutant mayhem, Mario movie, Spiderman Across the Spider verse, and Trolls Band Together. Clearly I love animation. In unrelated news, today I stumbled across Animorphs (you know, the book with the covers of kids turning into animals) self-insert. It wasn't fanfiction, it was just a picture of one of the book covers where a guy edited himself turning into a bear. Just wanted to share. Tomorrow is the start of the Sundance film festival online screening! I bought a ticket to A Real Pain (because I am obsessed with Jesse Eisenberg), and I told my mom she could watch it with me, but I think I am going to watch it on my own because she is busy tomorrow night and I am busy after that, so there is no good time to watch it together. I am so excited. I recently discovered more twitter people who are also obsessed with Jesse Eisenberg. I previously thought me and two oomfs were the extent of Eisenberg nation, but I was wrong! Anyway. I don't have any way to end this. I suck at like conclusions.

#blog #jesse eisenberg

0 notes

thedavesnews · 1 year ago

Text

Didneyland Debut

Disney Resort #3 in the books. Still funny to me California came after Paris. Then again, had Covid not shut the world down it still world have been 3rd as I was training to run the Castle to Chateau (a half-marathon in both Paris and one of the US Disney parks in a calendar year). I guess I was just destined to visit Paris 1st.

Both Paris and Anaheim versions of the Disney Resort have 2 parks built in walking proximity from each other and a central shopping/hotel area. It's a great design if you are staying on property. The transportation within Anaheim on a regular business day was very manageable. Our hotel provided a heads up on the bus system which we didn't use the 1st day opting to walk to the nearest Disney parking lot (Toy Story) and taking that shuttle as many other local non-Disney hotel guests were doing.

The rides themselves for the most part were better in Disneyland except for Big Thunder Mountain and Jungle Cruise. California's Jungle Cruise was short. This doesn't make it bad per say but it makes it not the best version although our skipper was funnier than some I've had in other parks. I was pleasantly surprised for the most part regarding the resort itself. For all the heads up I got that Disneyland was small and both days were half days I really don't know what you're doing in the parks. We missed things and we spent FULL days in both with Genie+ getting us expedited access to rides.

Here's the other part of that...the lines in DL were SHORTER than anything we see in WDW these days. 30 minutes seemed to be the average longest time I saw. Obviously there were outliers but those notwithstanding lines were reasonable, IMO. Had we more time Genie would have been an after thought likewise to WDW where we have AP and can do a single ride here and there as we want.

For all the goods DL has over WDW their app and physical security are just awful, truly and abysmally awful. The scanners at the entrances are most likely from the original opening. Do the parks not share technology updates? I'm legitimately asking. This caused so many issues on run day (that update coming in a different post) and having to take things out of pockets, including my medal, was kind of embarrassing since I know there are better ways.

Also, the app. Why is the app so bad. You can't add friends/family without having to know their ticket numbers which is an incredibly cumbersome way to link your party together. That and you have to scan barcodes instead of tapping the turnstile. DL does at least use Magicbands so that's a plus over Paris. I'm assuming for the app it's a privacy law thing? I can't explain why it's so bad other than it's not allowed to have the connections allowed in other states. Even the race announcers talked about it on the stage. I love the mouse but I'm also fair in pointing out the flaws.

Obviously there we positives from the visit as noted above but let's see what else we enjoyed! The Incredicoaster was so amazing. Perfect theming and the queue video talking about the retheme was 4th wall breaking but also really funny. Violet seemed miffed and Edna was just taking it stride which kind of seems against her don't look back mantra. Honestly, the entire Pixar Pier was gorgeous. I got to see it at night and lit up my words will not do it proper justice but you can find photos online of it I'm sure.

Characters just roam around in DL and that was something that we're not used to seeing. At WDW those handlers are extremely tethered keeping everyone back until the character reaches the proper location for the official line to get their moment. I liked the random encounters we had and the characters just took it in stride. Maybe it's the culture at DL. Maybe it's just a different clientele? I never saw any issues with it in DL like I've seen in WDW. Then again, Photo pass was few and far between in DL as well. Most cast members took personal photos with your own phone/camera for free. Refreshing but also odd. It's not like Disney to miss out on a way to monetize guests. They sure as hell don't miss that in WDW.

Anaheim doesn't allow fireworks during the week. If Orlando tried to enforce we'd riot. DL was dumb enough to have a mug that said "It's all about fireworks" when they don't even have them. So dumb. If they won't do fireworks they should consider going the route of Paris and have drone shows. Honestly, the drone shows in Paris were killer. It was innovative and fit a culture that isn't obsessed with blowing shit up.

All the said I want to see if I can compare the parks I've been to thus far and update once park 4 happens. Which park would be #4? Shanghai is the currently leader. All because of Zootopia. If you didn't know that and you're reading this...you either don't know me or haven't read enough of my entries :P

Best of from my current experiences at 3 Disney Resorts

Big Thunder - Paris Pirates - DL Space Mountain - Paris (did not get to ride Land's version) Security - WDW Shopping - WDW Nighttime Show - WDW (Happily Ever After) Hotel - WDW (Polynesian cause Moana...) Castle - Paris Haunted Mansion - DL with Nightmare overlay Philharmagic - WDW Soarin - WDW (over the world) This is just one person's opinion but I'd like to think it's valid since I've done 3 parks and have seen the various cultures that go with them. In either event I'm going to do a post on the return of RunDisney to Disneyland. Make sure to come back and give it a read!

-Dave

Adventure awaited

#disney #disneyland #california #review

0 notes

thegiandiediaries · 1 year ago

Text

Holiday Bootcamp

Happy Holidays!

It's officially November, my birthday is on the horizon and Thanksgiving + Christmas are around the corner!

I wanted to give an update on where I'm at now:

I no longer take Adult Ballet classes -- I found them too recreational and knew I wasn't adequately preparing for a classical ballet career

I no longer live downtown -- I was renting a room for the summer and trying to find housing for the Fall. I didn't. I still live at home and commute to college.

Cello lessons are on hold -- my teacher and I didn't have an aligned schedule, so she no longer teaches me. I decided to take the entire month of October off while I collected myself and figured out what to do next. I am looking for a teacher now and am planning to restart lessons this month

I took a break from the lab -- I loved having the association of working at the school I was aiming to attend but do feel like it was a huge distraction. I took the Fall off but am considering officially quitting.

So, what am I doing?

I am starting a Holiday Ballet Bootcamp! This is just for myself, but if anyone wants to do one for themselves, I will let you know what I am doing and at the end I will let you know the results.

What am I doing in this Holiday Ballet Bootcamp? And why am I doing it?

First, the why: I am missing many of the foundational and fundamental skills needed to progress. I am not flexible (I can't even do the splits), I have low/poor turnout, I am not able to fully pointe my foot, and (among other things) I lack core and muscular strength.

I've been attempting to learn technique from an online ballet program I've been purchasing on a monthly subscription but find myself lacking bodily awareness, unable to keep up, and nursing minor injuries every few days.

I realized that this wasn't going to work, but I didn't know what to do next. For reasons due to transportation and (lack of) intensity, Adult Open Ballet classes were out and continuing on with this self-directed learning was out.

After my latest injury on Monday, I had to take the time and sit down and think about my goal and the process I've been following to get there. I was, honestly, in panic. I couldn't figure out what to do. My sister and I went to Target earlier this week and I bought this cute, pink notebook and decided to make it my ballet journal. I sat down with a snack and got to work figuring out my plan of action.

I looked at the knowns and unknowns:

Knowns -

I am missing many of the foundational and fundamental skills needed to progress

Adult ballet classes are too recreational and won't adequately prepare me for a professional, classical career

Training by myself with no supervision is leading to multiple minor injuries and likely poor technique

I am too old for any proper ballet school

Unknowns:

How do I get proper training?

How do I get flexible, improve my turnout, and build strength?

Doing this helped me to come up with the Holiday Bootcamp. The bootcamp itself is directly targeting bullet 2, but is supposed to indirectly help with bullet 1. I realized that if I can't join a ballet school, I can't take the adult ballet classes available, and I can't do a self-directed online program, there was still one option: private training. But no private teacher worth their salt would take on an almost 24 year old beginner who can't do the splits, has little turnout, poor pointe, and lacks strength. Yeah, no. And I want to find teachers who are looking to train serious students to the highest caliber.

So, first I need to address the glaring issues (hence the bootcamp!). Then, I plan to submit audition-style photos and videos to private teachers I would like to work with and see who would be willing to work with me (in January).

Okay, so now you know the why. But you still don't know the how. So here's what I am doing as a part of my bootcamp:

I set the following goals for myself:

Full splits

Maximum extensions (Développé devant, Développé à la seconde, and Développé derrière)

Full turnout

High arched, strong feet

Build Muscle Memory

Build Core Stability

General Dance Conditioning

Theoretical Understanding of Technique & Dance Terminology

To achieve these goals, I am using the following programs:

Front Splits Fast by Lisa Howell

How To Get Your Legs Higher In A Développé Devant by Lisa Howell

Training Turnout by Lisa Howell

The Perfect Pointe Book by Lisa Howell

A New Approach to Core Stability by Lisa Howell

Dance Conditioning: Level One by Lisa Howell

Progressing Ballet Technique by Marie Walton-Mahon

Basic Principles of Classical Ballet: Russian Ballet Technique by Agrippina Vaganova

Foundations of Classical Ballet by Agrippina Vaganova

I am choosing to use gentle programs developed by dance physiotherapist Lisa Howell for the most part and also Marie Walton-Mahon's program because I do believe that achieving these goals shouldn't be painful. I don't want to mess up my body and make it harder or impossible to achieve my goals out of haste or fear.

Initially, I was looking to other dancers for advice on how to prepare for this but ultimately decided that I wanted to learn from Lisa and Marie in this preparatory period because of their advanced knowledge on the mechanics and inner workings of the body and how to train it.

I also am choosing to specifically study the Vaganova technique because it seems like a particularly strict form of ballet that when mastered seems most advantageous to dancers. Some of the most noticeably well trained dancers I've seen seem to be the product of the Vaganova method.

And that's it!

My bootcamp will end on Dec 31st, so I will check back in around then more than likely!

xo, Gia

0 notes

causticsunshine · 3 years ago

Text

okay i'm gonna say something and i just know someone's gonna get mad at me or send me shit and say i'm not actually a fan, whatever, but i've been feeling some sort of way about this for awhile and it lowkey really pisses me off that not enough people i see are talking about it, so i'm going to bite the bullet and say it—

louis not wearing his mask when talking to and meeting fans, even when he's just walking around outside venues or when has popping out of his recording space to wave hello, is not okay and has not been okay and he's not been getting the call-outs he deserves.

i know he's got to be vaccinated and likely boostered already but seeing as how this whole tour was already put on hold for like, two years because of the pandemic that's still going around and still has people—including his fans, his band, tour crew, venue workers, everyone??—required to wear masks out in public and around other people, vaccinated or otherwise, and he just isn't wearing his mask around them when we see him (especially when security and his tour mates and crew are next to him wearing their masks??)....it's both super unsafe to him and other people, as well as super fucking disappointing to see.

like, it's been two years of this shit. we've been doing it. it's not new and it's not regional. i don't care when or if or even how vaccinated a person is—if you're out and about, keep your fucking mask on and keep your distance.

a huge reason as to why we have to keep on wearing our masks and dragging this shit out is because there are far too many people out there being selfish and not being safe, not getting vaccinated, or got vaccinated and decided 'well i can't get sick so no mask for me hehe' when you can still get covid after you've been vaccinated, and even if you're asymptomatic or don't get sick, you can still get other people sick!

not only that, but doing shots with fans—even if they literally just went to buy the shots at the in-venue bar and handed one to him seconds after getting them—isn't a good idea right now? yeah it's very fun to watch and under normal circumstances i'd love to do a shot with louis! but it's still a risk and he shouldn't be doing that right now?

(and please correct me if i'm wrong because i very well could be, but don't some of the venues for this tour still have slightly looser restrictions? i could totally have the wrong information but i was talking with some friends about it recently when one of them pointed it out, so as far as i know this is still a thing.)

we all talk about how vocal and comfortable he is in expressing his gratitude and love for both fans and the people he works with, as well as making sure everyone feels safe and is safe in his company, such as properly halting things tonight in atlanta when so many people were overheating in the pit, so: why is there so much radio silence when he's willingly being less than safe?

yes, you could argue he does wear his mask and we just don't see it in the photos we've taken of or with him, but that's still leaving room for risk. that's still not enough.

and to people who think i'm being unnecessarily hypercritical of him and this issue, the reason why i'm saying something, why i'm so vocally disappointed and frustrated about this, is because i really fucking care.

after having to wait so long for his first proper solo tour, i really don't want him to cancel dates or cut things short in any way because he's gotten sick, someone key to his performing has gotten sick, etc. like, i can't even imagine how heartbreaking it must've been to keep having to push off this huge career leap because of a pandemic...

so why is he risking a repeat of that at all?

my relationship to louis up to this point—since like, 2011—has been entirely parasocial, but i've always had a strong connection to him. i've cared about him for so long and when i care about someone—and i'm really not someone who really cares about or takes real interest in celebrities of any kind or caliber—even in that distanced parasocial way, i care.

so when one of the few people i actually like does or says something that i don't agree with or poses some sort of issue with my morals, interests, etc., i'm not going to pretend it wasn't said or didn't happen. i'm willingly giving that person my support and my time—why would i be quiet?? i want them to be better!

criticizing the actions or words of someone you care about when there's inherently an issue with their behavior does not mean you like them any less and i don't think enough people take that into account, and why so much behavior from a lot of people goes unchecked when it shouldn't.

and it's not just louis; just in regards to 1d, i've openly criticized every member of the group at some point in time! call-outs to be better are a love language of mine and i take them very seriously!

(like i've already come and keep coming for liam's neck about the NFT shit, and louis isn't catching a break from me either in that regard.)

really what i'm trying to say here is:

considering this whole tour was pushed back because of covid, it genuinely frustrates and disappoints me to have seen louis already being so carelessly maskless when meeting people and going out before tour, but so especially on tour when he's not just consistently traveling to different cities but different countries and is going to be doing so for a majority of the year.

to see someone i've genuinely liked and cared about for oven ten years, who has a deserved rep for being profoundly vocal in his love and gratitude, do something so careless yet so fucking easily fixable as wearing a mask, breaks my heart, because wearing a mask isn't something out of his power or his control. if his crew, band, openers, etc., can wear their masks when around him and when out around fans and other people, so can he. there is no excuses to be made here.

no amount of money and status can make you immune to a worldwide super-spreader virus that's not just made millions of people sick and even given many lasting health issues, but actually taken millions of lives.

he needs to be better in this regard, and we need to actively hold him, and anyone else acting similarly, accountable. it doesn't mean we're being hypercritical or that we secretly don't care, are being mean, etcetera—rather, we all need to be held to the same standard, to be safe.

#ltwt22 #louis tomlinson #louis tomlinson world tour #covid 19 #1d #alex talks #like i already have a lot of issues with....far more of the fanbase (including louies harries even larries these days like i just don't #trust anyone anymore and the amount of fan behavior i see on all sides that makes me psychically recoil grows day by day) than i used to #like i only keep 'larrie' in my bio so people know who they're dealing with and i do love H and L singularly and together for various #often differing reasons bc my relationships and connections to the both of them are very unique #but like if you call me a louie larrie or a harrie larrie or anything adjacent to that: simply do not #the mental connotation i have for louies has become tainted just like it long since has for harries #yeah i cringe for different reasons and the two fanbases whether if you're a solo or otherwise have their own vibes completely but like #there's so much behavior i dislike and one of the 'louie' ones is constantly painting louis as this suffering underdog #who will literally die if he doesn't get shown praise and love and he's *actually* our friend instead of. the parasocial fan-artist #relationship we have with him like. idk mostly just letting him get away with things like this that anyone else would have their ass on #blast for idk

400 notes · View notes

popculturebuffet · 3 years ago

Text

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye Issue By Issue: Issue #1: How To Say Goodbye and Really Mean It (Patreon Review for Brotoman.exe)

Hello all you happy Autobots. I hope you've packed your ready for a long and lengthy quest as today I undertake one of the longest planned projects i've ever done, courtsey of my newest proud patron, @brotoman-exe. It's the first time in a LONG time i've had a new 5 dollar patron and he seems to be in for the long haul as he's requested monthly reviews of a series that spans over 50 issues and goes into a second volume. And that's not getting into if we cover the dark cybertron crossover, the tie in issue for revolution, or the annuals. But it's one i'm more than happy to do for as long as possible and covers a series near and dear to my heart.

Transformers More Than Meets The Eye is one of my faviorite comics again and the work that got me back into transformers. It's a wonderful epic that is in my faviorite genre of storytelling: A ragtag bunch of misfits who often have no buisness doing what their doing let alone being a group becoming a found family of sorts while proving there more than what both those around them and they themselves think. It's also loaded with humor, character, and giant robots, so what's not to love.

It's also a chance to correct a past mistake. See this isn't my first attempt to do a retrospective of this comic. Back in pride 2021, I did a review of the first three issues of this series, as the series is both one I badly wanted to cover and one that is warmly and greatly represntive, using the fact 90% of all transformers are male to be gay as heck. And I did.. but a combination of an overtaxed schedule, a shaky mental state, and said schedule being flip turned upside down lead to me constantly delaying part 2 before scrapping it entirely and planning to cover the series later. So when Brotoman asked me to cover it monthly, I had only one response

So this is the first project i'm doing over again, and hopefully not the last as I intend to revisit New X-Men at some point, and hopefully this time i'll finish what i've started, however many years it takes. So let's get ready to blast off into space as we meet the crew of the lost light again for the first time. Before we get into the series proper we need to cover what lead us here.

Transformers At IDW

For those less familiar with comics, IDW is a third party comics company that mostly focuses on liscened comics, with highlights being reprinting a bunch of european Duck and Mouse Comics, being the current home of Sonic the Hedgehog, and biggest of all, being the primary home of Hasbros properties: Dungeons and Dragons, My Little Pony, GI Joe and many many more (Including everyone's faviorite Space Knight Rom) got comics here and naturally Transformers was one of the first. And to really get this right, they decided to launch a whole new continuity under transformers legend Simon Furman, who took over for the marvel comic and has written tons of transformers since.

And because I wanted to be throughly prepared for the first time I attempted reviewing this run and to know where things had been I read all of Furman's run and the runs after it to have a good sense of history. Here's an archival photo of me after that experince

Yeah I'm not one to take the side door so i'll come right up front and knock: most of the comics in this continuity before More Than Meets The Eye are mediocre at best and downright awful to sit through at worst. While i'm glad I read them all to have proper context for these reviews, i'm also glad I NEVER have to touch these things again.

Starting with Furman's run which took the idea of "robots in disguise" dead seriously. And some of the ideas are good: having the autobots actualyl use their disgusiese more, a shadowy third party in the war that runs out of a company. They even cleverly redo the headmasters, an old toy gimmick that had aliens pilot transformers, by having them be knockoff transformers needing a pilot to work. There were really solid ideas and reworks of various gimmicky toylines. There's also a variety of good one off stories in the one shots, as furman used Spotlight issues (literally called that) to shed a light on other things going on and expand the story past the main minis.

The problem is that while there were good specks of story here and there, in paticular the series made me a fan of blaster, six shot and has an excellent version of hot rod, if not as good as what more than meets the eye would later do but we'll get tot that, the main story is REALLY boring and dry. The characters don't really have a lot of personality , even my boy starscream, the story moves at a very slugish pace and there's just no levity. I'm not expecting it to be joke o clock but I need more to really keep me going. Ther'es just not a lot here to latch onto or really care about. The ideas are there but the end result wore me out by the end.

Sadly things didn't improve all that much with the next era, All Hail Megatron, a 16 issue maxiseries by Shane Mcarthy that was IDW's first attempt at a soft reboot of this continuity. It would be FAR from the last. I went into this one hopeful despite it having a mixed reception, as the premise is badass and one any transformers fan can get behind: After the autobots decided to leave earth unguarded to deal with another crisis at the end of the last series

Megatron takes the opportunity to conquer earth, and uses a reluctant traitor in the autobots to stage attacks on every other autobot garrison in the galaxy, stranding our heroes and having him have won. Or in simplist most bonechilling turns, Megatron WINS.

So once again we have a good concept: Megatron won, our heroes are left trying to find SOME WAY to turn the tide, and earth is left at his mercy. It should be a no brainer.

The first issue was executive meddling: Apparently Hasbro didn't want McCarthy to show too much of the actual destruction and nightmare that would enuse from their takeover.

So shockingly, numbing the sheer terror and nightmare that ensues when a bunch of technicolor evil robots get to run rampant on the world without anyone to stop them , made the story fall flat. We see some of what they do but without any real damage or stakes it just dosen't have weight.

The next issue is the humans. Most aren't focused on enough with only one, Andy Reid, is really getting what the book should have focused on: normal people stuck in the crossfire when evil wins. It's not a bad concept but with the fangs removed we only get to see it from two perspectives. And one of them.. is Spike Witwicky

Spike is every action hero cliche poured into an action figure mold for an off brand gi joe that somehow became a real boy. Spike is a swaggering dipshit who thinks he's the greatest and the narrative agrees because Spike has snipers trained on it's family and if he dosen't call them every four hours they fire. Having one resourceful hero against the decpticons isn't a bad idea but having this guy be at the front yeesh. And somehow he only gets WORSE with each series.

The other problem is our heroes, spend most of their desperate situation... bickering with one another. I get why: one of them betrayed the others, hope is low, and optimus may be dead. It isn't till Hot Rod shows up with his gaggle of intresting autobots that the story gets some life. I don't mind the autobots having to make their way back or be out of the main action on earth, that's kind of the point. I don't mind it being grim. What I do mind is it taking so long for a lot to happen, and for things to really kick into gear. I'm suprised just how tiresome robots bickering gets but here we are.

Not only that the decpticons themselves are just kinda there.. there's a good idea of Megatron pondering what he does now he's actually won, but it goes nowhere. And that's really the series in a nutshell: it has some great ideas it ocasionally captalizes on but ultimately goes nowhere.

The one bright spot is a tie in mini centered around a character introduced in this series. A character a lot of people really diddn't like at the time: Drift. And I see why: In All Hail Megatron he gets a lot of focus. Problem is Drift is an entirely NEW character Hasbro apparently crammed down fans throats. As usual the homer simpson approach to promoting a character failed.

His mini though was one of those bright spots I mentioned; A decently intresting tail about a city that keeps itself out of the war that finds itself hope to one of the worst of the decepticon army and how it changes the future Drift into a better person. There is a decent amount of standard "we can't interfere because we're self righteous morons who will inevietibly be punished for our hubris" stuff, but Drift himself is engaging and the story does challenge that sort of viewpoint. Also said city and society will be important later as Drift is a main characte rin MTMTE , which helped smooth out the edges and made him into a fan faviorite.

So we're onto phase 3, the ongoing book Transformers by Mike Costa. Mike Costa is a good writer otherwise, what i've read of his x-men run being a fun paced action thrill ride. But this book?

Out of the three main phases before the big relaunch here, this is the one people seem to hate most. And it. Is. JUSTIFIED. The premise is the autobots are on earth, trying to repair the damage done but being hated by the US Goverment and seen as no better than the decpticons. Optimus decides he has to go fuck off to space because that worked out so well last time, and leaves it with bumblebee, which leads to shoddy leadership, conflicts with paper thin analogues for foreign countries, and a lot of humans being stupid and not getting that as incompitent as they are the autobots are the good guy and Hot Rod being an impulsive idiot and trusting a guy literally named Swindle because the constructicons came off as the better option compared to the autobots.

It's a murky mess of plotlines and bad decisions that i've mostly blocked out for my own sanity and won't spend forever recapping here. Ya'll REALLY don't deserve that headache.

Once again a mini series was the ray of light here. Last Stand of the Wreckers. Roberts contributed to the story while the writing and art for it were by Nick Roche, a great artist who contributed to the first arc of MTMTE before the stress of doing a monthly got to him. It's a wonderfully gritty tale that succeeds where the other attempts at being darker failed, following the rough and tumble Wreckers, essentailly the X-Force of the Autbots, as they go on a suicide mission to a prison that's been taken over by the Decepticons, lead among them Overlord, a new character and a throughly terrifying villian that keeps slauthering people and doing terrible things so daddy megatron will notice him at last. It's tense, sad and throughly great nad worth checking out. And like Drift and the Circle of Light, Overlord will also be important later. Last Stand is what helped James put his foot in the door.

What solidified things though was Chaos Theory. I plan to cover this series indepedently when we get to the shadowplay arc, as it's sort of a prequel to that and lays the groundwork for the various trips to past cybertron the series takes. It takes place before the war as tensions bubble and a future member of the MTEMTE cast tries to murder megatron in his cell. It's great, and has a great moment with Megatron admitting his villiany that will be mentioned later in MTMTE.

So shortly after that Chaos happened, a messy finale. To make a long story short, Galvatron, who in this continuity is not the same as megatron, raised an army of zombies called sweeps to raze cybertrona nd later merged with something to become an outer god. Megatron one upped him, things sure did happen, and Roberts helped write the script. The important things are that Cyclonus, Galvatron's old buddy who aided him till he realized he be crazy, turned against his friend nad saved Hot Rod's life, Cybertron was radically transformed into a primal state, and Megatron was defeated.

As a result we get what would kick off the next era of IDW Transformers, an attempt to right the ship by doing something radically diffrent: The war the Autobots waged against the evil forces of the Decpticons.. was over. The Decipticons surrendered. The question was.. what now? What do you do next when you've spent CENTURIES fighting a war? Oceans rise, empires fall but it's much harder when it's on your call.

So that's where this era kicked off with the Death of Optimus Prime. I opted to jump into the series instead of this as while not a terrible start at all, it's where I came in as this issue is in the first MTMTE trade, it's more of a pilot for the sister series Robots in Disguise. See instead of having a mini series or just one ongoing, this era had two with the split coming in said one shot.

Death of Optimus Prime follows the title character as he finds despite the war being over.. things aren't great. Like at all> The New Reborn Cybertron is having a temper tantrum and causing earthquakes, disasters and what not with most of it REALLY not being safe and only Iacon, which somehow surivived everything, standing. Not only that most of the cybertronians who opted out of the war or abandoned it have returned.. and blame the autobots for everything that happened. The NAILS, as their dresrively called should have a point, that they didn't want any part of this war. It is perfectly valid to object to a war especailly when it's senseless. In this case thoguh it's sorta like objecting to the allies during world war II: Megatron was not going to stop until he had won and would kill anything non cybertronian.

With Optimus unable to repair things due to the matrix of leadership having split right in half like a kit kat bar, our heroes end up divided on the issue after a map is found inside, leading to the mythical Knights of Cybertron, a group that allegedlys founded a Cyber Utopia: Bumblebee wants to stay on Cybertron and try to set up a goverment despite not being wanted. Hot Rod wants to fuck off into space to go find the knights, hoping they have a way to heal the planet, as well as a way to honor their culture instead of buldozing it. Optimus.. gives them both halves like a parent who just wants his kids to stop fighting and plans to leave, doing so to settle things down since he's the face of war and taking his old name of Orion Pax back.

So the series split into two: Robots in Disguise follows Bumlbee as he tries to make a go of things nad fails as the NAILS won't shut up and Starscream spins circles around him, playing the NAILS well while being awesome because well. he's starscream. He also gets a crown eventually which is wonderful. As you can tell i'm not a big fan of RiD,. RiD is a lot of arguging, people being stupid, and the sympathetic characters being sidelined. It's also a LOT of Prowl who we'll get into in a moment but for now is best summed up as

It gets better in Season 2, with Optimus joining the cast, along with Cosmos a friendly UFO and Sky Linx, whose a giant space dragon thing that's also a space shuttle, as well as Thundercracker and his kitty. But like so many before it's good ideas, bad execution and overall no matter how many times I tried I just couldn't get into John Barbers run. A third mainline book, Windblade (Which later became Till All Are One), was MUCH better and I truly recommend it, with it's writer not only helping fix the verses shaky reputation with women robots (Arcee became one after being born a male transformer via horrifying experiments and became angsty as a result> I shodulnlt' ahve to explain to you why this is bad but someone shoudl've to Simon Furman, who then got into a fight with Windblade's writer over it despite her being objectively right> Their cool now but still.. jesus man) , having fun intrigue and of course my boy starscream in a tiny crown.

So yeah as you can see the IDWverse was a bit shaky, but it had it's bright spots and it's sad it's coming to an end, with it's second reboot having ended after also failing fairly hard and Image now having the rights via it's Skybound imprint. But for all ti's faults, it gave us some bright lights.. and no light was brighter, better, or weirder than the lost one. So with all this exposition handled.. we can finally set off

The Issue Finally

I may comment on the covers on and off, we'll see, and i'll be sticking mainly to the main covers, as there's just so many dang variants and this review is long enough as is, I can't imagine what the others, even withotu the idw exposition, weill be like. This cover is near and dear to my heart, and i'm fully biased on that as it's an homage to one of my faviorite covers of all time that kicked off one of my faviorite runs of all time.

Given the runs are both semi-sitcom (if less so in MTMTE's case) takes on classic properties, it fits like a glove and it won't be the last time we get an homage to this cover as we get two more echoing it: One for season 2 and one.. that I won't spoil because it's a MASSIVE spoiler for the final arc of season 2.

The issue opens with Rodimus giving one hell of a speech to the people of cybertron. It's one of my faviorite scenes in the entire run, and for good reason setting the tone of wonder and exploration that goes in hand with the heart, hyjinks and tragedy of this run.

While he's obviously selling a big epic quest with tons of stakes, what he says there.. and what he says after really underlines the true meaning of the quest

"You Deserve To See The Universe Without A Gun in your hand"

It's a chance for once to enjoy the universe. Even if there's a big, booming underlying goal to everything Rodimus is doing, both the one he says, and the one for his own drive and ego we'll get to shortly, the real appeal to most of these bots watching.. is a chance to start over. No wars waged to destroy the evil war of the decpticons. Just a noble goal, a chance to see the universe, and all the time in the world to do it. It appeals to one of the purest and most loved aspects of sci-fi, what made Star Trek so beloved and what's made works since, from Star Trek's own newest series Brave New Worlds to spirtual spinoff the Orville: The love of exploration, of going out into the world and finding yourself or something new. The wonder of this kind of thing. The fun of setting off into the world and seeing what happens. MTMTE mixes Star Trek's wonder and scope with a bit of Firefly's taking a bunch of scraps from a war and seeing what they do next, and is helpfully not created by a guy who sucks dirty ass in thunderstorms, so that's nice.

Speaking of sucks dirty ass in thunderstorms, watching this along with cybertron is Prowl

Prowl is an overly paranoid, overly fascist police officer who feels the war isn't ended. He also sucks and I hate him. He's with Wheeljack who dosen't suck and in fact has a realy cool helmety face i've always loved. Wheeljack predicts a max exodus as let's face it, who dosen't want to fly up into space in a giant ship and explore the stars. Prowl however thinks it'll be a non event and that his calculations show barely anyone leaving

Yup as usual Prowl is wrong about people, what's going on in the world and the general concept of things, and the next day, the day most of the issue takes place, a GIANT crowd is lined up to board the lost light. IT's almost as if the guy who thinks the war still isn't over can't grasp that people no longer want to fight it and just want to get on with their lives.

We'll resume the "Prowl Sucks and I Hates Him" hour in a moment as we transfer from one of the worst versions of a G1 Autobot to one of the best, as Ratchet is overseeing a NAIL protester who transformed himself to death. While i'll have to admit I hadn't seen really ANY of G1 going into this comic, or into this retrospective , Ratchet already had a place in my heart thanks to transformers animated and the fact he's about the same here, a crotchety old legend who ends up with a bunch of younger less prestigious weirdos for his own reasons, was a big up.

Ratchet admits he could've saved the guy had his hands not been shaky. We also get one of the best terms in all of transfomers

It really highlights roberts approach to the franchise: unlike other works in this verse, Roberts isn't afraid to embrace how silly things are. He got away not only with naming something rigormorphis.. but having the dead body transform wtih the old cartoon sound effects. Yet at the same time it underlines how he treats things: he's not afraid to fully embrace the silliness of the franchise or crack jokes, it's what keeps this work so great.. but he also does everything with a purpose. Rigor Morphis, while darkly hilarious.. is also a geninely intresting concept that fits perfectly with the world. Roberts is dedicated to geninely building up how Cybertronians function, their culture and their unverse and taking it seriously enough to still work, but with enough good humor and sense that this is a franchise built upon selling toys, comics, tv shows and other merchandise to not take himself TOO seriously. It's an approach I hope future shows including the upcoming at the time of this review Earthspark take to heart.

Naturally given he has focus, Ratchet is joining the ship which bumblebee takes with all the grace and civlity of a 12 year old. LEADER OF ALL OF CYBERTRON FOLKS. He needs him here, but Ratchet makes a valid argument why he wants to leave: he's served every prime since Nominus and thus has been at this for a LONG time, and knows his number will be up eventually. Since Rodimus has promised to pick up any strays they find on the way who were lost since not EVERYONE from the war has been found just yet, Ratchet sees it as the perfect opportunity to find and train a replacement, his swan song. It again underlines a common theme with the Lost Lighters and this work as a whole: It's not the journey it's the destination. As we'll see most people join not for the knights of cybertron quest, but simply to find something else. For Ratchet it's a chance to pass his legacy on and make sure his knowledge and skills live on long after what time he has left is gone.

We next meet Cyclonous, who as I said was part of the whole Galvatron mess. He's an ancient warrior, a bot out of time who awoke to find a cybertron he didn't like and that now it's only gotten worse with the primal reversion, the gleaming cities he remembers from Cybertron's golden age now replaced with a nightmarish landscape. Why he's leaving is obvious: On a Cybertron that throws him in with the Decepticons depsite not really being one and that is unrecognizable, what reason has he to stay? He finds signs of life in a cave though that seem familiar and heads to check them out.

We next get more prowl

And this is where he REALLY shows his ass.. or whatever transfomers have that serves as an ass. Point is he's dressing down his old partner in both senses of the word Chromedome for leaving.

Yeah as we'll find out a few issues from now said "talent" is mnemosurgery: Chromedome can break into a bots mind for information, which was used as an interregation tool both pre-war as a cop and during the war as Spec Ops. It's also a talent Chromedome BLATANTLY dosen't want to use again.

He's had to do TERRIBLE things for the war and like most soldiers, especially those suffering from Trauma which Domey canocially does, he's carried enough of the war with him. He's earned a right to live his life without having to keep doing the things that haunt him. This is all recorded by Chromedome's current Conjux Endura, Rewind whose pointedly Prowl's oppisite: he geninely supports Chromedome wanting to get away from what he used to be and heal into what he CAN be, he's a non combatant having as we lean a memory stick for an alt mode, and he's calm and gentle to Prowl raving like a paranoid luantic.. which dosen't remotely let up after

Yeah the table flipping apparently became so memetic it got turned into a running gag as well as canocially just something he does a lot. Bless you James

So as he radios some agents on board the LL to load some cargo, which shockingly is not remotely a good thing and we'll get to much later in the series what that cargo actually is, we can get into why I hate Prowl so much.

Prowl is a narcist,and a facist, the latter terms can be thrown around haphazzardly, so I am treading carefully.. but it applies and is fully necessary here. Prowl dosne't care for anyone else on an emotoinal level, only what they can do for him, only seems to think he's right even undermining OPTIMUS FUCKING PRIME later in the verse, and being blatnatly descrimtory to the nails and decipticoons. I'm not saying either group has issues: The Deciptcons were the bad guys and while some geninely want to reform or not be mistreated, many are just as bad as ever, and the NAILS, while having some valid points, have a majority of them screeching said points. Prowl cares for nothing and nobody except his own warped version of right and wrong that involves tourture, no real cybertronian rights, and Prowl being judge jury and executioner. He's everything wrong with policing wrapped into one character. He dosen't want the war to end because of one sad simple truth: he's obsolete without it. He's the kind of soldier, the kind of cop, the kind of person who fights not because it's the right thing to do, not because there's no better option, not like any of his commrades.. but because he ENJOYS it. He enjoys killing, tourtruing and doing this and framing it all as the greater good when really it's just him wanting to be the hero because without the trappings of war, he's just a bully who refuses to move on like everyone else is trying to do. It dosen't help that as far as I can tell he SURIVIVES the entire run of this universe.

I just.. needed to get my rage out NOW so I can move on and focus on the characters I actually like. Speaking of which next we meet Tailgate, a tiny transformer whose suffering from a bad case of no legs, having fallen down the hole six million years ago and preparing to blow some shit up to escape.

We next meet Whirl. Whirl is someone with severe issues, both with impulse controls and mentlaly a former wrecker fired for reasons that'll be revealed dramatically later who is tryign to talk out his issues.. to a pile of dead sweeps, clones of Scourge, another friend of Cyclonuses.. and why he comes in. Naturally Whirl's first instinct on being found in a room full of sorta corpses is to try and murder the witness.

We then get a bunch of intros, starting with Red Alert, the ships mildly paranoid and gruff head of security who in turn lets three new additions to our main cast onto the ship: First up is Brainstorm, a mad scientests mad scientest who has a neat look and a briefcase that for some reason Rodimus is letting him just take on board without remotely checking which can't posisbly backfire

That Chekov's gun got a WHILE before it fires off though so onto our next crewmember: Swerve!

Swerve is a small, mouthy little autobot who can't seem to shut up. So naturally he's one of my faviorites as just how long this review is this far in should tell you I also cannot shut up. So I relate to him, and parts of his character that come up later, heavily.

Next we have Rung, a brand new character.. though it can be hard to tell. As you can probably see at this point, while James isn't immune to using more prominent autobots (Hot Rod, Ultra Magnus, Ratchet, Cyclonus), he's also fond of taking characters who mostly existed just to sell more toys and really fleshing them out. IT's why many of these characters got new toys and Swerve and Tailgate in paticular were part of Walmart's g1 risues.. still haven't been able to get my hands on those or any of the lost light crew aside from Megatron. And yes Megatron joins the crew in season 2. We'll get to that in a year or so, but yes that actually happens. And it is as awesome as it sounds.

But Rung is brand new, a psyctrist whose alt mode is unknown. That as you've probably guessed by now is also a plot point. He collects models of ships and is an intresting addition that shows Optimus' compassion: While rung was a psychatrist pre-war too, as we'll see in a flashback arc later, the fact Optimus brought one in despite having no combat value shows why he's well Optimus. At least for now> This is pre his "I'm going to conquer earth for the greater good!' phase> Which also happened and isn't as awesome as it sounds. Rung ends up getting knocked over by Cyclonus and Whirl.

Before we get to them though we check back with our main trio. And it's here i'd like to get into how I found this book. See I get most of my comics digtially and through Comixology, a spinoff of amazon that has large amounts of comics digtially at lower prices than retail and that's before we get into the sheer amount of sales. It's more cost effective for me than print so i've been using it for some time now. And if that weren't enough they have a netflix-style subscripton service, comixlolgy unlimited which for 6 bucks a month gives you an ungodly amount of access to tons upon tons of comics. If you want to check out idw's transformers before the lsiecne dries up, this is the best way as pretty much everything from it is on there by now

So when they added the first seasons of RiD and MTMTE I was curious, not only because LIndsay Ellis had mentioned this continuity had gay robots but because both sounded intresting. It was simply a matter of which to read first.. and RiD won for fairly simplye and rediculous reasons: I've always deeply liked hot rod and a comic seemingly starring him seemed great. The fact it ended up ticking a LOT of storyteling boxes I like was icing on an already great cake

As for why the first is the dumbest: he looks dope. I still want SOME non-bay version of him on my shelf. The less dumb reason is that after watching the bay movie as a teen and enjoying it, I hopped on my computer when I got home and desperate for more cool robots, found transformers the movie. It remains one of my favoirite pieces of the franchise and a film I intend to cover at some point as I fucking love it. Keep in mind I went in blind so I didn't know the various dead bodies were actual characters, nor that a lot of the new cast came out of nowhere, but even knowing that now I still have an attachment to the season 3 cast. Not season 3 itself as I haven't watched it and i'm clearly better off that way from what i've seen via Phelous, but thed characters had great design, were fun to watch, and were part of a film I loved> The film's also why I love Grimlock so damn much, as should we all. I have one but I want more because you can neve rhave enough talking robot dinosaurs. Same with STARSCREAM, who I do need a figure of, who is glorious as always.

So having an attachment ot Hot Rod and Ultra Mags, not so much Cyclonus but this comic made me love him so hey, it was an easy sell. And i'm glad I did as this is easily the best version of him i've encountered: James took a character that was hot headed and impulsive and had made some stupid decisions, and decided to lean into it. As such Rodimus is impulsive, egotistical, and when we see it is bragging about hwo many crew he's got like a ten year old who just got a cooler transformer than his most hated friend. He's also endearing: it's clear this quest means a lot to him, he cares about his crew and while he may be an ipulsive hammy manchild, he's a cool one. He's basically james t kirk if he were less horny and more hopped on skittles.

With him are two contrasts: Drift whose been made into a new agey samurai who constantly tries to stay peppy and Ultra Magnus, who in this continuity is a giant stickler to the rules who vies wearing your autobadge at an angle as a high crime, isn't fond of his new crew, and is the defention of hardass. The two ballance him out with Drift being the encouragment Rodimus needs and a reminder of the spirftual part of the journey and Ultra Magnus being the hard nosed voice of reason our hero needs.. while also having such a stick up his whatever a transformer has that substitues for an ass that he's a comedic foil. Rodders and Mags are bascially Jake Peralta and Captain Holt without the father son angle, with drift just kinda there, but still not half bad.

So back at the fight Cyclonus shows his character as he dosen't WANT to do this, Swerve is just trying to you know murder him. Meanwhlie Tailgate has been passing out on nad off for the last 6 millon years and prepares to finally ignite the energon.

As if this wasn't enough, the unambgiously gay duo and Ratchet are heading for the ship, with the happy couple bickering a tad as Chromedome tends to bring up the fact his boyfriends alt mode isn't a vehicle. Thei rinterrupted by the fight, with Swerve having one and preparing to execute cyclonus and blaming him for his own issues.. btu Ratchet isn't remotely fooled, figuring Cyclonus might of done something but can't talk Swerve down. Thakfully a giant energon explosion can and our heros decide to load the two on the ship and let Rodimus sort it out, along with Tailgate who shows up talking about a ship and assuming it's their ship bring him along for repairs. Rewind plans to catch up.. after buying some mysterious but clearly shady discs from Swindle.

Thus we come to our ending. Rodimus prepares to take off and refuses to take a call from Bumblebee and we get some great comedic timing

Shockingly Prowl ISN'T to blame but we'll get to that next issue. The important thing is that cybertron thinks everyone is dead for now.. and blames Prowl because I would too if I didnt know they sere still alive. Hell if I didn't know why the engine malfunctoned i'd still think it was an ATTEMPT to kill them

But it isn't, they simply jumped with their quantum engines (their verision of lightspeed) too soon, so as a result they got shot halfway around the galaxy , the ships damaged and many of the crew go flying out it onto a planet, with Rodimus planning to retrive them. We end the main story on rodimus getting some.. less than stellar news when he sees what he thinks is a meteor shower

The issue itself ends on a message from the future... with a bunch of foreshadowing of what's to come...

Where this is from.. well that's for season 2 to settle as is everything else, but it's amazing just how far in advanced Roberts had this planned out as where it comes from was always intended. As for where.. you'll just have to stay on the ship won't you? One last bit of buisness before we depart though

A Most Precious Soundtrack

So one notable thing about the series is it has a soundtrack, with James Roberts, much like fellow comics mastermind Kireon Gilleon, picking out some tracks for each issue, with a few exceptions, as well as a theme song for each season. So having not listened along in the past as I tend to binge read a lot of the time, I thought it'd be fun to give these songs a listen and see what sticks out, what I think, how it fits the issue etc. I'll dot the character themes in with these early issues, but for now i'll just be focusing on the theme for the season and the two tracks for this issue. I'd also like to thank wadapan over at the transformers community wiki who saved this sountrack for us all , which is what I found via google. Let's begin.

Season 1 Theme/Series Theme: Lost Coastlines- Okkervil River

An upbeat indie song about the band itself struggling to hold it together, using the metaphor about a two sailors going into unknown territory, which fits the comics themes of self doubt, exploration and strife as well as it's tone, upbeat yet full of angst, adventure and longing under the service. I'll likely have this one on repeat post review.

Across the Universe- Fiona Apple

This one I had sought out before for reasons that escape me now. The song itself is a fairly beautiful, very 90's cover. I still prefer the original and version from the movie Across the Universe (Another one for the massive pile of "Stuff I want to review at some point). It's not bad and at first I wasn't sure how much it fit.. but "nothings going to change my world" actually fits the story really well: Our heroes are setting out and get nothings going to change their world. A bit more literal than obviously intended, but still a nice little pun.

Fun fact, the image for this on youtube and likely other services is from the Plesantville soundtrack, a movie I do want to see at some point and sounds fairly good about two teens ending up in a black and white sitcom. But the cover is uh.. it's a lot folks.

Like I know a gimmick of the film is characters going into color but... why does someone set a tree on fire. Why are they making out in front of it. Are these characters even in the movie? I have all the questoins about plesantville, this soundtrack and its marketing team and none of the time to answer them.

Absent Friends- The Divine Comedy

Now this one fits way better. It fits the hustle and bustle, the idea these characters are leaving and may never come back (and with the issue ending explosion it's thought they won't). I really like the western tone of this, it's really neat and I may have to check this band out more. Cool stuff

So with that we're finally finished. This review was a lot and a lot of fun and next month we see who lived, who died and meet Swerve. So till next time thanks for reading, follow for more and consider joining my pateron yourselves. Later days!

#hot rod #transformers #more than meets the eye #idw #ultra magnus #swerve #drift #tailgate #cyclonus #red alert #rung #james roberts #comics #animatoin #robots #lbgtq+

15 notes · View notes

bwbatta · 4 years ago

Text

The one where you get together (1)

Abstract: Y/N and Sirius have been friends since they first met on the Hogwarts Express, so when they do get together, they decide not to tell their friends straight away. (Friends AU)

Pairing: Sirius Black x Lupin sister!Reader

Warnings: Swearing, talking about sexual content

Word Count: 3.5K

A/N: To celebrate reaching 500 followers, I'm dropping another mini series as a thank you to everyone who has shared and supported my work! Add yourself to my taglist here

Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist

You could still vividly remember the first time you met Sirius Black.

Boarding the train to Hogwarts the first time, you managed to find a compartment with your brother, Remus, before it was descended upon by two rowdy boys with large grins.

James Potter and Sirius Black had, with no hesitation, introduced themselves to you and you quickly became friends, especially when you pulled your money together and bought a various selection of chocolates from the trolley. When the sorting hat placed all of you in Gryffindor, it only reaffirmed your friendship.

It wasn't just the four of you in your little group though, the boys were placed in a dormitory with another boy, Peter, and you shared a dorm with two other girls who also became fierce friends of yours; Lily Evans and Marlene McKinnon.

Of course, growing up together through Hogwarts had it's arguments and fall outs, though somehow you always seemed to remain friends.

It wasn't until your seventh, and final year of Hogwarts did the surprising pair of Lily and James get together which solidified your friendship group even further. Between Sirius and you, the bet you had made in your fourth year regarding when the pair would get together, finally came to an end where you had happily took your winnings with a smile and paid for a bottle of Firewhiskey to celebrate.

After graduating, you ended up moving in with Marlene, finding a perfect two bedroom flat for you to share, close to Diagon Alley. The boys had taken a page from your book with Sirius using some of his inheritance from his great uncle and buying a flat directly across the Leaky Cauldron.

Whilst he had invited Peter to also live with him and Remus, the boy politely refused with the intention to stay with his parents for a while.

James however, had asked Lily to move in with him almost the second they graduated and the pair had moved to a little cottage in Godric’s Hollow. It wasn’t long afterwards that James had proposed to Lily which led to the current series of events.

About an hour before, you and Marlene had walked down the aisle in the gardens of Potter Manor in your bridesmaids dresses, while Lily had donned a white dress and followed you. Standing opposite your brother and Sirius, the latter caught your eye when your friends said their wedding vows.

With a wink, Sirius had your attention and you weren't exactly sure what it was that felt different, but something definitely did.

As the reception started, you watched Lily and James take some of their wedding photos together. The smile on your face was something you couldn't help as Remus appeared at your side, a similar expression on his own face.

"Remember when Lily hexed James so hard he vomited out of his nose because he proposed to her?"

"I'm pretty sure it made him like her even more to be honest, James is weird like that." You snickered, accepting the drink from your brother. "Who would've thought we'd be here not even four years later?"

"Tell me about it. If you plan on getting married anytime soon though, please give me some warning." Remus joked, nudging his shoulder against yours.

"I think I need to actually date someone before I marry them, but thanks for being so optimistic about my dating life." You grinned at him before seeing Sirius making his way over to the two of you.

"Well well, if it isn't the Lupin twins." Sirius laid an arm over both your shoulders. "How long do you reckon it'll be before Lily's creepy uncle makes a move on Marlene?"

"At least after two more drinks." Remus chuckled. "Which reminds me, I promised I'd save her from any men tonight who wanted to dance with her that, and I quote, looked like they had to use a stamina charm in bed."

"Good luck with that." You snickered, waving your brother off as he disappeared in the direction of the blonde.

Sirius didn't say anything else as he took a seat at one of the tables and pulled you down into his lap. It wasn't uncommon for the two of you to hug or cuddle, having done so numerous times in the Gryffindor common room, much to Remus' annoyance. This only really resulted in Sirius being more affectionate.

Being twins, the two of you were naturally closer than normal siblings which resulted in Remus being protective over you since the only blood family you both had left was each other. Your parents, especially your father, had grown fearsome and disgusted at what Remus was, despite it not being his fault when Greyback bit him all those years ago. Your father began to resent you after you constantly took Remus' side and played his constant advocate.

"Hey, what're you thinking about?" Sirius nudged you, grabbing your attention. His expression was unreadable as he watched you watch Lily and James interact with each other.

"I don't know, it's nothing." Sirius nudged you again, looking for a proper answer. "I look at them and I just wonder if I'll ever have that, you know? Someone who looks at you like you're their whole world."

Sirius didn't say anything at first, but pulled you closer. He wouldn't admit it but he often had the same thought cross his mind.

"You'll find them."

"Are they fucking hiding from me?!"

"If they've already met you, then probably."

Smacking his chest, you couldn't help the contagious laughter that bubbled from you, echoing that from the wizard.

"Being serious though," Sirius grinned at the pun he just made, "who wouldn't want you?"

You smiled at him warmly, not knowing what to say. It wasn't often that Sirius was, well serious. The boy loved a joke, but he also loved his friends and knew exactly what to say to them to cheer them up, especially you.

"Thanks, Siri."

"Hey, James and Lily are about to head off for their honeymoon." Remus said, knocking on Sirius' bedroom door at Potter Manor, stepping inside to see Sirius rush back out from the ensuite bathroom only in his shirt and boxers. "What happened to you? You disappeared from the reception."

"Uh, dropped cake down myself, had to come and change." Sirius told him quickly.

"You do realise you're a wizard right? You could've just vanished the mess?"

"Ah yeah, of course, how stupid, sure could've. Anyway, I just need to put on some clean trousers and I'll be right down."

Remus frowned. Something was off but he couldn't work out what it was. Putting it down to Sirius drinking too much, he waved the man off, exiting the room.

"Alright well, hurry down, James was asking for you."

Remus exited the room and Sirius quickly closed the door behind him. Turning back to the bathroom, he watched as you opened the door with a tentative expression, trying to zip your dress back up but failing.

"Do you think he knew I was here?"

"Don't think so, here, turn around, I'll do it." Sirius turned you around, quickly zipping up your dress before resting his hands on your waist. "So, we haven't done that before."

"That is correct."

It was slightly awkward between the two of you, why was it awkward? Oh, maybe because you were both fucking like rabbits not even moments before your brother knocked on the door. It had never been awkward between you before though and you didn't like it.

"Why is it so awkward?" Sirius chuckled as you spun around before him.

"Right! It's like I don't know what to say!"

"We're just two friends who've had sex one time, there doesn't have to be anything awkward about that!"

"Exactly, it doesn't have to be a big deal, it was a one time thing, we can just go back to the party and no one will know!"

"Yes, good plan, lets go!" Turning towards the door, Sirius started towards it with a new determination, completely forgetting one issue.

"Sirius?" He paused, looking back at you, "maybe you should put on some trousers before we go down though."

"Good idea."

Waving James and Lily off, you stood alongside the rest of your friends as Marlene appeared, pulling you towards her by your waist.

"Ugh, please tell me we're going to get some good booze and continue to get fucked up at ours?"

"Is that an open invite?" Remus asked with a grin, "Think I spied an extra bottle of Firewhiskey knocking about near the top table."

"100%," Marlene grinned at him, "after all, it's the least I could do after you saved me from so many creeps tonight. I will thank you in the form of hosting a small afterparty with the inner circle. Right, Y/N?"

"I'm up for it, I'll go see if I can grab that extra bottle you mentioned."

Taking off towards the top table, your eyes scanned the tables one by one until you felt a presence behind you. Already knowing who it was, you didn't bother looking back at them.

"I've got a fresh bottle stashed under my bed upstairs if we wanna grab that one?" Sirius said lowly in your ear.

"That sounds like a plan," you said slowly, "though I thought we said it was only a one time thing?"

"Weddings don't count, right? I swear that's a rule somewhere."

"...How long do you think we can be before the others get suspicious?"

"10 minutes?"

"Sounds good, lets go."

The pair of you said nothing more the entire night on the matter and ended up just having a good time with your friends. The boys ended up sleeping on your sofas, not trusting themselves to apparate safely considering the amount they each had to drink.

It wasn't until mid morning when everyone started to rouse, that you offered to make everyone a cup of tea to help with the hangovers that had started to form.

"Hey, make mine extra strong, will you?"

You laughed, turning to face Sirius.

"You need the caffeine that much?"

"That answer is a strong yes."

Pouring the boiling water into the mugs, you passed Sirius' over to him as he smiled at you in thanks.

"So, yesterday was something." You smiled, taking a sip of your own drink.

"Yeah... something stupid, right?"

"Yeah, totally stupid." There was a brief silence between you as you weren't exactly sure what to say next. "Look as much as I enjoyed it, I don't want us to become awkward or ruin our friendship or anything because of it."

"Good, because I was going to say the same thing." Sirius nodded, leaning against the kitchen counter top. "As good as the sex was, and trust me it was good, it's not worth making our friendship awkward or anything not knowing where we stand with the other."

"Right, yes, that makes a lot of sense." You both took another sip of tea as you listened to Marlene and Remus in the living room laugh about something. "Unless... wait no, it's nothing."

"No, what it is?" Sirius asked.

"Unless... I don't know, we keep fucking in secret and just don't tell the others?"

You stared at the tea in your cup before raising your eyes to meet Sirius' grey ones which were wide, a grin on his face.

"I guess that would work too?"

"Yeah... anyway on a totally unrelated note, Marlene's visiting her family tomorrow night at like 7."

"Noted."

"Where's my bloody tea, Y/N!" The blonde in question strode into the kitchen sluggishly. "I swear you've been in here for 4 hours making it."

"If you were a little more patient, Mar, I was just about to bring it out for you." You rolled your eyes but handed the mug over to her anyway.

"Thanks, how're you two feeling this morning?"

"Rough." Sirius grunted out as the three of you headed back into the living room. "But what's new there, really?!"

"You should really try cut back on your drinking, Pads." Remus mentioned, taking the cup of tea from you with a smile.

"You should cut back on your chocolate."

"Chocolate doesn't give you hangovers." Remus countered with a smirk causing Sirius to just roll his eyes as he sunk down into an armchair.

"Either way, I hope Lils and James are having fun." Marlene stretched out on the other sofa, placing her legs over your own. "I know James will be with the things Y/N and I packed as a surprise in Lily's bags."

You snorted into your cup as you remembered the countless lacy items you'd snuck into Lily's normally conservative wardrobe.

"Well, James might be happy about what you packed, but he certainly won't be happy with what we packed." Sirius snickered as Remus held back a laugh.

"What did you do?!"

"We might've exchanged his entire bag of clothes for an entire bag of Cornish Pixies." Sirius grinned. "I'm already expecting a howler from Lily at some point in the near future."

Sirius didn’t have to wait long for Lily’s reaction as only moments later he heard an angry shout through his two way mirror he shared with James.

As planned, Marlene visited her family the next day and no later after she flooed away, Sirius appeared at the front door of your flat. The same happened after Marlene was picked by Dumbledore for an order mission and Sirius happily flooed into your flat only moments later. You were convinced he’d bugged your flat somehow.

James and Lily returned from their honeymoon a week later, effectively surprising you as they flooed into your flat with no warning, causing you to stuff a naked Sirius into your closet. It was safe to say he wasn’t impressed after Lily insisted she make a pot of tea to ‘catch up’, and ended up staying round for several hours.

You barely managed to hide the snicker which escaped your lips when James asked if you knew where Sirius was.

With the newly married pair being back, the two of you decided to come up with a plan as how to sneak around without the others knowing.

Somehow, it didn’t really go to plan.

Sirius insisted that you should come over and take a bath with him one night, especially as Remus was due to be out. You couldn’t help but agree to the idea, mostly because you got to spend time with your very sexy male friend who looked very good in bubbles... and also the fact his bathtub was a lot better than your own.

The bathtub in question was a massive claw-foot tub which could fit the two of you and your two roommates if you so desired. Compared against the shitty little tub Marlene and you had in your flat, it was a no brainer.

Which is why as you sat in between Sirius’ legs, your back against his chest, you couldn’t help but feel more relaxed than you had done all week.

Sirius was leant back against the tub, his arm around your waist with a glass of Firewhiskey in his other hand. The two of you had nicked this particular bottle from James’ ‘secret stash’ which everyone knew he hid under his cloak, under the stairs. It was all too easy for the two of you to sneak in and borrow it for the time being.

“You know, Prongs must be real blind if he can’t see how many people actually know about his hiding spots.” You snickered as you took the glass from Sirius and took a sip.

“I think it might be all the brain damage after getting hit in the head so many times.” He grinned.

“How long do you think it’ll be until he notices the actual bottle being gone? A few days?”

“Give him some credit, it’ll be at least a week.”

The two of you chuckled before you heard the fireplace roar with flames. Footsteps quickly made their way towards Sirius’ room before heading towards the bathroom.

A panicked look between the two of you was exchanged as a knock was heard on the door.

“Pads? It’s me, I’m coming in.”

Sirius quickly took the glass of Firewhiskey back from you as you dived underwater, praying the bubbles would cover up the fact you were there.

The door opened and James stepped in about to say something, before he stopped and observed the scene before him. Sirius was sat covered in bubbles with candles lit around him. Despite the calm expression on his face, the fact you were lying between his legs in the water had his heart racing.

“Did you need something, Prongs?”

“Uh, yeah, have you seen the bottle of Firewhiskey which I was given as a gift for my wedding?” James asked, very obviously looking at the opened bottle on the side of the bath.

“Didn’t even know you got given one, mate. This was from Y/N.”

“And if I ask her, will she give me the same story?”

“Positively. Anything else?”

“Yeah, you want to order some Chinese?”

“I mean I- NO!”

His outburst was a surprise to both James and himself after you had pinched him underwater signalling you were running out of air.

“Really? Lily’s got me on this diet and-”

“James! Get out!”

“Fine! Okay! No need to shout at me, I’ve seen you in weirder scenarios.”

James left and shut the door behind him just as soon as you jolted up, gasping for breath.

“I’m sorry, he wouldn’t leave! He wanted to ask me if I fancied some Chinese.”

“Chinese?” You asked, turning to look at him over your shoulder with a contemplative look on your face. “I could go for some chow mein.”

“Prongs!” Taking a deep breath, you disappeared underwater again just before James appeared once more. “I’ll have a large chow mein, sweet and sour chicken, some of those prawn cracker things and the spring rolls.”

“Spring rolls? I swear only Y/N likes them.”

“Thought I’d try them out since as she’s always yapping on about them.”

“Alright, back in a bit.”

James left and shut the door again. You emerged from the water, leaning back on Sirius again as he relayed off what he’d ordered.

“You ordered me spring rolls?!”

“Yeah, I remembered you liked them.” Sirius shrugged, wrapping his arm around your waist again. “Even if they taste like arse.”

The group had gathered at Marlene and Y/N’s for an evening where despite Lily’s constant health kicks, she relented into ordering pizza for the group.

“Hey, you guys will never guess what I found out today.” Marlene grinned.

“You’re secretly a guy?” Sirius snickered from the armchair, only to receive a cushion being thrown at his face by the blonde.

“No,” Marlene scowled at him, “Alice and Frank got engaged!”

“What?! How’d you find out?” Lily asked as she cuddled up to James in the other armchair.

“I ran into Alice at Headquarters earlier and she showed me her ring.” Marlene leant back into the sofa as she brought her legs up to lay them over Remus’ lap. “We best be getting ready for another wedding soon.”

“I’m sure we’ll hear more at the meeting tomorrow.” James said grinning. “Who knew Longbottom had it in him?!”

“Alice certainly did.” You snickered, leaning onto Remus’ other shoulder. The comment got another round of chuckles from everyone present as Lily shot you a less than impressed look.

“Alright, I say let’s call it a night if we have to be at the meeting early tomorrow morning.” The redhead rolled her eyes at you all before standing up and brushing her dress down.

Everyone else seemed to follow her lead as Marlene and you stood to show everyone out.

“Yeah, I need to sleep as much as I can with Moony’s snoring keeping me up all night.” Sirius grinned, stepping up beside you and Remus.

What no one expected to happen was for Sirius to dip and find your lips in a kiss, his hand wrapping around the back of your neck to pull you closer, just as he had done for the last few weeks.

The rest of the group stood with slack jaws as they took in the scene before them as they watched Sirius kiss you. Pulling away, you caught each other’s eyes as realisation set in and your own eyes went wide.

“Marls,” Sirius shook off his slight hesitation before heading straight over to Marlene and pulling her in for a kiss of her own. “Lily.”

Stepping forward to give Lily a kiss goodbye, Sirius couldn’t help but notice the wide eyed look from both James at kissing his wife and Remus at kissing his sister.

“Pleasure to spend time with you all.” Sirius grinned at everyone’s expressions before entering the fireplace to floo back to his own flat.

“What the hell was that?!” Remus asked with wide eyes, securely on you.

“Probably some leftover greeting from Lily and James’ wedding. Lils did have some french cousins, perhaps he picked it up from them?” You chuckled, trying to play down the laugh you so wanted to let out.

“Yeah, it did feel french.” Marlene snickered. “I’m not sure if I feel happy about saying that I’ve kissed Sirius Black though.”

“Well, he can keep his lips to himself and not on my wife.” James scowled at the fireplace where Sirius had disappeared moments before.

HP Taglist:

@ochrythum @hahee154hq @loonyslytherin @fleur-tysworld @la3divine @fiantomartell

Permanent Taglist:

@whatthefuckimbisexual

#sirius black x reader #sirius black imagine #sirius black headcanon #friends au #sirius black x you #sirius black #harry potter #remus lupin x reader #marlene mckinnon x reader #lily evans x reader #james potter x reader #sirius black series #harry potter imagine #harry potter series #remus lupin imagine #harry potter headcanon #james potter imagine

419 notes · View notes