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justforbooks · 2 months ago

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Kris Kristofferson

Songwriter, singer and actor known for such classic hits as For the Good Times and Me and Bobby McGee

‘Songwriter” might be the first term that springs to mind to describe Kris Kristofferson, who has died aged 88, but he could also lay claim to being a singer, film star, soldier and academic. Highly cerebral yet also a rugged man of action, Kristofferson was from the same fine tradition of robust American individualists as his friends Johnny Cash and Sam Peckinpah.

Kristofferson’s greatest successes as a singer-songwriter came during the 1970s, especially with the albums The Silver Tongued Devil and I (1971), Border Lord (1972) and Jesus Was a Capricorn (1972), all big country hits that also crossed over to the pop album charts. However, before he achieved recognition as a performer, Kristofferson was already renowned as a supplier of hit songs to other artists.

His first to chart was Vietnam Blues, recorded by Dave Dudley in 1966, but the ball really started rolling when Roger Miller recorded three Kristofferson songs for his album Roger Miller (1969). One of them was Me and Bobby McGee, the bittersweet story of a pair of lovers and their life on the road, and Miller took it into the country music Top 20. Partly inspired by the Federico Fellini film La Strada (1954), it would become one of Kristofferson’s most covered songs.

Then Ray Stevens charted with Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down, the desolate alcoholic’s lament that would be a hit for Cash the following year, Faron Young took Your Time’s Comin’ into the country Top 5, and Jerry Lee Lewis followed suit with Once More With Feeling.

The Kristofferson magic also worked for Ray Price, who took For the Good Times to a country No 1 and the pop Top 20 in 1970, while Sammi Smith scored a pop Top 10 hit with Help Me Make It Through the Night. By the time Janis Joplin’s cover of Me and Bobby McGee topped the pop charts in March 1971, several months after Joplin’s death, Kristofferson (who had had a brief affair with the troubled singer) had become one of the hottest songwriting names in Nashville.

His debut album, Kristofferson, had gone nowhere following its April 1970 release, even though it contained songs being made into hits by other singers, and despite Kristofferson’s appearance at the vast Isle of Wight festival that year. But after he turned the corner commercially with Silver Tongued Devil, the first album was reissued as Me and Bobby McGee – and earned him a gold record. In 1972, several of his songs were nominated for Grammys, and he won Best Country Song for Help Me Make It Through the Night.

By the time Jesus Was a Capricorn had topped the country charts in 1973, boosted by the crossover hit single Why Me, Kristofferson’s attention had turned towards acting. He had already appeared in Dennis Hopper’s chaotic The Last Movie (1971) and played a down-and-out musician in Cisco Pike (1972), and now it was his connection with Peckinpah that pushed his movie career into high gear.

Peckinpah cast him as Billy the Kid in Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973), in which Bob Dylan had an acting role and supplied songs for the soundtrack, and he worked with Peckinpah again on Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974) and Convoy (1978).

In 1973 Kristofferson married the singer Rita Coolidge (his second wife) and the couple scored a big pop and country hit with their first duet album, Full Moon, which delivered a batch of hit singles including the Grammy-winning From the Bottle to the Bottom. They enjoyed further success with the albums Breakaway (1974) and Natural Act (1978).

Meanwhile, Kristofferson had starred in Martin Scorsese’s first Hollywood studio production, the romantic comedy Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974), with Ellen Burstyn. Two years later he soared into blockbuster heaven when paired with Barbra Streisand in the remake of A Star Is Born (their on-screen relationship continued off-screen). It was bludgeoned by critics but earned $150m at the box office, and brought Kristofferson a Golden Globe for best actor.

Coolidge and Kristofferson divorced in 1980. Coolidge commented acidly: “I can’t say enough about what a great man he was. It’s just that he was a shitty husband ... He was a very toxic human being with all his drinking and his womanising.”

Kristofferson, discussing how he had idolised the country singer Hank Williams, commented that “most of the heroes in that vein have been pretty self-destructive, and I was myself for a while. I used to drink a lot just to get up on the stage. I did not have a lot of confidence at the beginning.” He stopped drinking alcohol in 1980, after his doctor warned him that he was killing himself.

His leading role as Jim Averill in Heaven’s Gate (1980) ought to have been a crowning triumph for Kristofferson, but Michael Cimino’s portentous western became a byword for wastefulness and excess, and bankrupted United Artists studios. He enjoyed only modest success with Flashpoint (1984) and co-starred the same year with Willie Nelson in Songwriter, for which he wrote several songs, winning an Academy Award nomination for original music score. He and Nelson released the successful duo album Music from Songwriter.

During the 90s he experienced a revival after appearing as a corrupt sheriff in John Sayles’s Lone Star (1996). This led to parts in a string of successful big-budget films including Payback (1999), Planet of the Apes (2001) and the Blade trilogy (1998, 2002 and 2004).

Kristofferson was born in the city of Brownsville, Texas. He was the eldest of three children of Mary Ann Ashbrook and Lars Kristofferson, an air force pilot who rose to the rank of major general. The military life took the family to California, where Kris graduated from San Mateo high school in 1954, then studied creative writing at Pomona College.

He won first prize in a short story competition sponsored by the literary magazine the Atlantic Monthly, and was also recognised by Sports Illustrated for his many achievements in football and athletics during his time as a student.

Later, he was awarded a Rhodes scholarship to Merton College, Oxford University, and it was in the UK that he began performing his own songs. He fell into the orbit of the “beat svengali” Larry Parnes, who secured him some recording sessions (under the name Kris Carson) with Top Rank records and the producer Tony Hatch.

Fortunately, perhaps, Parnes failed to turn him into the next Tommy Steele, and after receiving his master’s degree in English literature in 1960 – he also won a boxing blue while at Oxford – Kristofferson returned to the US.

It was not long before he was back in Europe. Having married Fran Beer in 1960, he joined the US army, became a helicopter pilot and was assigned to West Germany. He continued to write and perform music, forming a band with some fellow servicemen. One of his comrades was a cousin of the Nashville songwriter Marijohn Wilkin, who gave Kristofferson’s work a favourable report when he sent her some of his songs. After completing his tour of duty in 1965 with the rank of captain, he was offered a post at West Point military academy as an English instructor.

However, he took a trip to the city of Nashville to visit Wilkin, which persuaded him to quit the army and devote his efforts to becoming a country music songwriter. He earned a small stipend from a deal with Wilkin’s music publishing company, Buckhorn Music, and worked at various jobs, including flying helicopters to oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico and taking on a job as a studio janitor.

He was working at Columbia Records’ Nashville studios when Dylan came to town to record his album Blonde on Blonde (1966), and it was here that Kristofferson first met Cash, who would become a staunch friend and supporter.

“John would tell everybody in town that Mickey Newbury and I were the best songwriters around,” Kristofferson remembered. “For me, to be endorsed by someone like Cash was really something, like being endorsed by Dylan.”

Kristofferson’s increasingly left-leaning political sympathies were expressed in his album Repossessed (1987), which gave him a hit single with They Killed Him (a tribute to Gandhi, Christ and Martin Luther King), and he appeared in the television miniseries Amerika (1987), which portrayed a US under communist domination. Another politically slanted album, Third World Warrior (1990), failed to chart.

In 1985, Kristofferson and Nelson banded together with Cash and Waylon Jennings to record Highwayman, and both the album and title song were popular country chart-toppers. This gathering of charismatic and much loved country greats became known as the Highwaymen, and enjoyed further success both as a touring act and with the albums Highwaymen 2 (1990) and The Road Goes on Forever (1995).

Kristofferson completed a hat-trick of albums with the producer Don Was, This Old Road (2006), Closer to the Bone (2009) and Feeling Mortal (2013). His final studio album was The Cedar Creek Sessions (2016), which was nominated for a Grammy award for best Americana album.

After several years of suffering from memory loss that doctors believed was caused by Alzheimer’s disease, in February 2016 Kristofferson at last received a diagnosis of Lyme disease. Following appropriate treatment, his condition improved markedly. “It’s like Lazarus coming out of the grave and being born again,” commented his friend the Nashville singer-songwriter Chris Gantry.

In November 2018, he performed Joni Mitchell’s A Case of You at Both Sides Now – Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration, which marked Mitchell’s 75th birthday. He gave his final full-scale live performance at the Sunrise theatre in the city of Fort Pierce, Florida, in 2020.

Having previously been inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (1977) and the Songwriters Hall of Fame (1985), he was embraced by the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004, and in 2006 won the Johnny Mercer award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

He once said that he wanted the first three lines of Leonard Cohen’s Bird on the Wire on his tombstone:

Like a bird on the wire Like a drunk in a midnight choir I have tried in my way to be free

He is survived by his third wife, Lisa Meyers, whom he married in 1983, and their daughter, Kelly Marie, and sons, Jesse, Jody, Johnny and Blake; by a daughter, Casey, from his second marriage; and by a daughter, Tracy, and a son, Kris, from his first marriage, which ended in divorce.

🔔 Kristoffer Kristofferson, songwriter, singer and actor, born 22 June 1936; died 28 September 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

#just for books #Kris Kristofferson #in memoriam

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thefinalcinderella · 2 years ago

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Tsurune: Irodori no Issha Episode 11 - Noririn’s Silver Screen Debut

Sase: O-----n!!!

Motomura: Pardon me, Daigo. Could you not suddenly yell “O--n”? This is the Kirisaki High School student dorms, and I’m sharing the same room as you

Sase: You wouldn’t understand, Hiroki. Wanting to stan someone but having a hard time with it, those are my insane feelings for Noririn

Motomura: Oh? Are you finally retiring from being a Schwartz?

Sase: It’s Chevalier. From today, I will be a Chevalier of Darkness

Motomura: Mmm... Have you considered temporarily giving up Noririn until the mock exams are done?

Sase: Since the big announcement, I can’t even bring myself to care about the mock exams anymore

Motomura: Really? Well, you can’t do anything if it’s already been announced. Let us return to studying like proper exam takers.

Sase: O---------n!!!

Motomura: I understand. I shall listen to what you have to say.

Motomura: What exactly was announced?

Sase: Noririn is going to be in a movie. And, it’s her first leading role.

Motomura: Haa.

Motomura: Isn’t that news that should make Chevaliers happy?

Sase: About that...

Sase: Haa~

Motomura: Eh?

Motomura: ...

Motomura: “Noririn movie” search.

Motomura: ...T-This is...

Sase: See? Now you understand my cries of pain.

Motomura: It’s unmistakably an idol horror movie

Sase: Yeah...hey, Hiroki, you’re pretty knowledgeable about horror movies...

Motomura: No, no, I just collect packages in alphabetical order for each director I like

Sase: That’s what people call “knowledgeable”

Motomura: Eh?

Motomura: Also, please hold on for a minute.

Motomura: Ah, wow. This...ufufufu

Sase: Huh, why are you chuckling all of a sudden?

Sase: You’re acting like me when I see Noririn.

Motomura: Daigo, isn’t it great?

Motomura: Director Akaishi, famous for the Shivering Village Girl series and a maestro of the idol horror genre, seems to be taking up the megaphone for the first time in five years!

Sase: You say that with a smile, but I have no idea what you’re talking about...

Motomura: You don’t like horror movies?

Sase: That’s not it.

Sase: I shouldn’t say this in front of you, since you love horror movies, but aren’t these kinds of movies made on a small budget and aimed at people who are into weird stuff?

Motomura: You’re absolutely mistaken!

Motomura: It’s the best form of entertainment where directors make the most out of limited resources and narrowing down the target!

Sase: You sure have a way with words...

Motomura: Look, the synopsis for the movie is out too.

Motomura: An abandoned village where idols visited as a location of an urban legend. A fierce battle unfolds with a group of zombies.

Sase: As if I can let that happen!

Motomura: The green girl is in it too

Sase: Her name’s “Maeshon”!

Motomura: Here, take a look. Noririn’s comment is out. It says, “The cast and crew worked together and gave it their all.”

Sase: I already read it. Many, many times...

Motomura: Well, of course they have to give it their all. They have to fight against zombies after all.

Sase: Mmm... In my opinion, there are debut works that are a better fit for Noririn out there.

Motomura: Huh...for example?

Sase: I can think of one.

Sase: Something I’ve always been dreaming about is a work where young girls chase their dreams while nurturing their friendship and growing up, a work where you can’t help but be in tears by the time the credits roll.

Sase: That kind of youth movie.

Motomura: Huh

Sase: You aren’t even a little bit interested, are you

Motomura: An idol horror film where young girls are being chased by zombies while falling into despair in the midst of terror and screams, a film where you will no doubt feel a sense of accomplishment by the time the credits roll is much more fitting, in my opinion

Sase: It’s no good. I can’t get through to you no matter what I say.

Sase: Until now, I’ve been on the proselytizing side, but now I know how the ones being preached to feel...

Motomura: Okay, so the release date is...next week, after the mock exams are done

Motomura: Okay.

Motomura: Let’s go to the movie theater on opening day!

Sase: What about studying for exams!

Motomura: Breaks are also necessary

Sase: Wait, wait, Hiroki. I do plan on watching it sooner or later, but going to the theater on opening day is too high of a hurdle. I need to prepare my heart...

Motomura: I bought the advance tickets online just now

Sase: You’re the embodiment of taking initiative!

Motomura: Now that we have a goal, we can throw ourselves into studying even more! Now, let’s work hard!

Sase: Hiroki’s never cared about Princess Cheer, but now he’s more interested in them than ever before.

Sase: ...But, I don’t feel happy about that for some reason!

#tsurune #tsurune: irodori no issha #motomura hiroki #sase daigo #tsurune translation

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visicnaire · 10 months ago

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*IF YOU GAZE INTO THE STARS / THE STARS GAZE BACK INTO YOU.

—— the paper-thin tightrope between dreaming and planning, forever an exercise in waking life; the ethereal glow of a glittering marquee; exploration by way of submergence — you refuse to live just in-between; the silver platter as equal parts servant and shield; hands unfamiliar with the unclean, reaching out for something to grasp nevertheless; ancient dreams in a modern land; the curiosity that led alice down the rabbit hole and kept persephone in the underworld; the fear of finding comfort amongst the fearsome; the shedding of skins in order to become.

*NAME: sage adelaide sheridan *AGE: twenty-eight *GENDER: trans woman *PRONOUNS: she / her *CIVILIAN OCCUPATION: filmmaker, actress, activist *CRIMINAL ASSOCATION: tbd

basics, history, wanted plots, and more under the cut !!

*BASICS.

*NAME: sage adelaide sheridan *AGE: twenty-eight *GENDER: trans woman *PRONOUNS: she / her *SEXUALITY: tbd (bisexual?) *CIVILIAN OCCUPATION: filmmaker, actress, activist *CRIMINAL ASSOCIATION: tbd (slowly but surely getting her hands dirty heh) *NOTABLE ATTRIBUTES: long silvery-blonde hair, height of 5’11” *CHARACTER ALLUSIONS / INSPIRATIONS: celine (the before trilogy), teddy laurence (little women), alice (alice in wonderland), lois lane (dc), sophie sheridan (mamma mia), mia dolan (la la land), greta gerwig *POSITIVE TRAITS: intuitive, protective, curious, egalitarian *NEUTRAL TRAITS: independent, idealistic, tenacious, analytical *NEGATIVE TRAITS: obstinate, workaholic, impulsive, rebellious

*SUMMARY.

[ trigger warnings: parental death, violence ]

A teen starlet turned cinematic upstart, Sage has lived most of her life in the public eye. While her parents were distinguished diplomats and politicians in their own right, Sage’s sense of politics found its voice through art, film, fashion, and the expression of gender and self. Her early days of ‘celebrity’ can be traced to a docudrama series following the lives of several teens during their last two years of sixth form (think Skins). Though the series was spearheaded by experienced producers, writers, and directors, it was notable for incorporating the writing and directing efforts of its subjects. It was during the final season of the show that she began her transition, making her one of the youngest trans figures on the small screen at the time. The series ended with a finale special entitled “Introducing Sage,” and depicted her first foray after her transition into the blinding lights of the public eye.

With the series finale essentially serving as her application to any filmmaking school of her choice, Sage attended the National Film and Television School. Her graduate film project, Dream Sequence, an experimental short film in which a theater director encourages a young actress to blur the lines between her character and her actual identity, was equal parts exploration of her adolescent experiences, a critique of the industry, and a critical success. At the insistence of her professor, she submitted it to a number of independent film festivals and awards circuits, and capped off her formal debut into the cinematic world with a Student Oscar and a BAFTA Student Award.

Although her parents were undoubtedly supportive of her career as a filmmaker, they requested one subject to never be viewed by her lens, for fear that the family's personal life might irrevocably intersect with their individual personal lives. For a time, Sage was perfectly comfortable keeping them separate, having never quite found her foothold in politics in the same way her family had. The agreement stood as her mother prepped for her first political campaign, Sage standing proudly by her side as her own career efforts focused elsewhere.

At the campaign launch event, her mother's opening speech was met not by confetti and applause, but by screams through sudden clouds of smoke, and shots firing through the crowd. Her father, wise enough to see the writing on the wall from the very first strike of the marksmen's pen, shielded his girls to the point of fatality. His injuries took too heavy a toll on his body, and over three short months, his health faded into irremediable territory.

Sage threw herself into her work after his death, forgoing the agreement she'd made with her parents and becoming utterly consumed by the driving forces behind the attack. The little that she was able to uncover suggested gang involvement, their actions allowed by a corrupt Chief of Police paid to allow it. She became restless, entirely fixed on the culprits and the events that led up to her father's death, only to end up exactly where she began, with more questions than answers. Today, she's no less set on uncovering the truth, but knows truth is something not always acquired by sanctified means.

*SPARKNOTES:

Sage lives in a two-story converted warehouse in Bermondsey with her two cats, Gaspard and Delilah. Both levels are entirely open-floor spaces, which comes in handy when she’s working on a new film: the entirety of the lower floor becomes submerged in the projects aesthetics to further her creative process, while the upper, containing her studio and bedroom, remains relatively untouched. Naturally, the lower floor lends itself perfectly to wrap parties for one last hurrah in the world of the film.

Though she’s had several independent darlings and has started her foray into mainstream work, the film she’s proudest of is the one least known by the public: Dream Sequence. It was in this film that she not only tested her limitations at the time and pushed the boundaries of conventional student theses, but also first experienced the therapeutic aspect of working behind the camera that she’s since come to love. With each film, she attempts to recapture this feeling — and does to a certain extent, if only colored by different lenses — but it’s never quite the same.

Notable works (irl film insps noted, bc my brain doesn't work well enough to make imaginary films lmao): the semi-autobiographic short Dream Sequence (based on Madeline’s Madeline); the folk-horror feature The May Queen (based on Midsommar); the semi-autobiographic drama Pieta, a passion / therapy project to help her process her father's death.

I left it intentionally unclear in the bio bc I haven't fully fleshed out the idea, but I do picture her mother having had some kind of criminal connection that partially fueled the attack at the campaign launch. (more on this as a wc below!)

*WANTED.

*THE BODYGUARD » With the increased spotlight on her after her first mainstream film, she’s received an increased amount of bigoted threats. The threats in and of themselves aren’t new, given her public presence since the age of 16, but since the incident at her mother’s campaign launch, Sage has given into her parents’ request and hired a security officer who’s with her just about 24/7. This connect is very much as it says on the tin, but I’d definitely love to play around with her security being affiliated with one of the gangs to add in a little bit of spice!

*DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE » There’s something a bit Alice-like about Sage’s curiosity; it knows few bounds, and so has often led her to the more interesting sides of the city. This curiosity is what has drawn her to her most recent endeavor of exposing a corrupt Police Chief, something she’s approached with much fervor — too much to some, but, to others, something to be taken advantage of eagerly. To put it simply, this connect is for someone who sees her commitment to exploring the darker sides of the city as an utter opportunity.

*THE JO TO HER TEDDY » It’d be easy to type Sage as more of a ‘Jo March’ than a ‘Teddy Lawrence,’ but in addition to those characters’ shared daring, creativity, and principled natures, Sage shares more of the artistic and dreamerlike sensibilities of the latter Alcott character. It’s this aspect of Sage’s nature that I believe lends really well to a connect similar to Jo and Teddy’s; specifically, this connect is for a character who’s been in her life for years now, who’s seen her through all different sorts of things, and is someone to whom she’s felt romantically drawn. Whether this romance is a fresh and new development, or one that’s older and unrequited is entirely to be plotted! I definitely want to play the direction of this based on chemistry, so nothing is set in stone.

*BIRDS OF A FEATHER » Think Baumbach and Gerwig, Burton and Elfman, Scorsese and Di Caprio — famous writer/directors and their frequent creative collaborators. This is for a connect that’s as much of a muse to Sage as they are a fellow maker: someone who certainly inspires her, but is also a confidante and collaborator.

*PRIVATE EYES » As resourceful and connected as she might be, Sage definitely relies on one or two people for the kind of research necessary to make investigative documentaries and realistic dramas. This connect doesn't necessarily have to be strictly a private detective; in fact, I envision more so to be anyone from any background who offers their specialities / knowledge in exchange for something they want of Sage — all tbd and plotted out!

*ALL ABOUT EVE » This connect exists somewhere in between stalker, fan, and envier in relation to Sage. I can see this connect stemming from several different jumping off points, so it would really just depend on what your own character’s backstory was. To name a few ideas: perhaps they’re a former classmate, an avid fan, or someone who’d hoped to take her on as their mentor, but she kept blowing them off not realizing how much it upset them. I don’t see Sage as someone who goes out of her way to hurt people, but I can definitely see her being oblivious to others’ reactions at times.

*MOMMIE'S DEAREST » I left if intentionally unclear, but I do picture her mother to have some kind of criminal connection to one (possibly even both?) of the gangs. While her mother is most definitely a wanted connection, I also would love to explore criminals connected to this wc who know more about Sage than she knows about them — sort of like the distant relatives who come out of the blue when something's gone wrong, etc. I imagine this connect to skew a bit older, but we can totally work out anything!

*UNDEFINED PLOTS.

fellow art heaux

enfants terribles (akin to the above, but maybe with a more activist / political lean)

fwbs and the like (strange bedfellows, opposites attracting, etc.)

former classmates / professors (might have a specific plot forming for a former professor)

criminal influences

family connects (i picture the sheridans as a big family, so i'm down for whatever!)

politicos (associated with her parents or otherwise)

therapy / support group / mentor, etc.

family members

anything and everything!

#*ancient dreams in a modern land » about.#*leaders dreamers & rebels » wanted.

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nerdarena2 · 16 days ago

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The Evolution of the Joker: From Comic Villain to Cinematic Icon!!

Few characters in pop culture history have had the same impact as the Joker. Known as the Clown Prince of Crime, this enigmatic villain has captivated audiences for decades, evolving from a mischievous comic book villain into one of the most iconic and complex characters in cinematic history. Whether you're a fan of his early comic appearances or the gripping portrayals by legendary actors, the Joker’s evolution is a testament to his status as one of the greatest villains ever created. In this exploration, we delve into the Joker's journey from comic book pages to the big screen, where he continues to haunt Gotham and the world of pop culture.

The Birth of a Villain: Joker’s Comic Book Origins : The Joker made his first appearance in Batman #1 in 1940, just a year after Batman's debut. Created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, the Joker was originally envisioned as a deranged criminal mastermind with a signature look: green hair, chalk-white skin, and a ghastly red grin. Inspired by the imagery of the 1928 film The Man Who Laughs, the Joker was intended to be a one-off villain, but his instant popularity with fans secured his place as Batman’s arch-nemesis. Early Joker stories in the comics showcased him as a cunning, lethal criminal, a stark contrast to the more whimsical and quirky villains of the time. His unpredictability, combined with his twisted sense of humor, made him stand out in Gotham’s criminal underworld. In the Golden and Silver Ages of comics, the Joker was a figure of pure chaos, unhinged and ready to challenge the Dark Knight at every turn.

The Shift to a More Comedic Tone : As comic books became subject to censorship and began to shift toward more child-friendly narratives in the 1950s and 1960s, the Joker's character underwent a transformation. During this period, his violent and menacing persona gave way to a more comedic and slapstick villain. The Joker was no longer the homicidal criminal, but rather a prankster who engaged in elaborate heists and outlandish schemes to outwit Batman. This version of the Joker was famously portrayed by Cesar Romero in the 1966 Batman television series, starring Adam West. Romero’s Joker was campy, fun, and always laughing—a far cry from the deadly mastermind of the early comics. While this portrayal entertained audiences and became iconic in its own right, it wasn’t until the 1970s that the Joker would return to his darker roots.

The Dark Knight’s Nemesis: The Joker’s Return to Villainy : The 1970s marked a significant turning point for the Joker as comic writers like Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams sought to restore the character to his original, terrifying form. In Batman #251 (1973), titled The Joker’s Five-Way Revenge, the Joker once again became a homicidal maniac, dispatching his former henchmen in gruesome ways. This issue re-established the Joker as an unpredictable and dangerous foe, rekindling his menacing rivalry with Batman. The Joker’s darker tone was further solidified in 1988’s The Killing Joke, written by Alan Moore. This graphic novel delved deep into the Joker’s psyche, exploring his possible origin story as a failed comedian who was driven insane by a series of tragic events. The Killing Joke introduced the concept that the Joker’s madness was born out of one bad day, turning him into the embodiment of chaos. It also marked a pivotal moment in comic book history when the Joker infamously paralyzed Barbara Gordon (Batgirl), showcasing the extent of his cruelty.

The Joker’s evolution from a mischievous comic book villain to a complex cinematic icon is a testament to the character’s versatility and impact on pop culture. With each new portrayal, the Joker continues to challenge audiences, pushing the boundaries of what makes a villain compelling. As he continues to evolve, one thing remains clear—the Joker will forever be one of the greatest and most unforgettable characters ever created.

Transition Of Joker In Movies:

Below are some of the prime transitions in terms of look for joker you should keep it in at your shelf & work station :

Arkham City - Joker :

Unleash the chaos of Gotham with the McFarlane DC Gaming Batman Arkham City The Joker Action Figure, available at NerdArena! This highly detailed 7-inch figure brings the iconic Joker from the Batman: Arkham City video game to life, featuring incredible articulation and lifelike sculpting. Complete with his signature accessories, this Joker action figure is a must-have for fans of the Arkham series and collectors alike. Add this menacing villain to your collection today and relive the epic battles between Batman and the Clown Prince of Crime! If you are a joker fan and you wish to purchase these dc action figures then you can find them at dc action figures.

The Dark Knight - Joker :

Bring home the menacing presence of Gotham’s greatest villain with the Diamond Select DC Gallery The Dark Knight Joker Figure, available at NerdArena! This beautifully detailed figure captures Heath Ledger’s iconic portrayal of the Joker from The Dark Knight, showcasing his sinister grin and chaotic energy. Standing tall and sculpted with incredible precision, this figure is a must-have for collectors and fans of the Dark Knight trilogy. Add this masterpiece to your collection today and celebrate one of the most unforgettable performances in cinematic history! If you are a joker fan and you wish to purchase these dc action figures then you can find them at dc action figures.

Apart from the above marvel figuirines, dc action figures or dc superhero merchandies, there are many other action figures you can explore. If you are looking out for such action figures then Nerd Arena is a one-stop solution for such kinds of action figures.

To Know More https://nerdarena.in/blogs/artists-corner/the-evolution-of-the-joker-from-comic-villain-to-cinematic-icon

#Joker’s evolution #Anime action figures

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crimsonblackrose · 4 months ago

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Oh man we're already at the all-valley? (That time jump between Johnny and Miguels heart breaking convo and Johnny getting his ass kicked by Silver is too jarring)

Training all year. 🤣 Well Eagle Fang I don't think is a year old, and Devon for sure hasn't been training a year.

Daniel's new fighters are pretty much all Johnny's old fighters....

Damn the comittee went all out on making this an EVENT, we've got smoke, we've got flashing lights, a digital screen, the blue mat...

Amanda standing up to cheer for Daniel. 💖

Anthony I think has always gone to the All-Valley, he was there last year anyway and it doesn't surprise me, he likes watching people fight.

I dunno how I feel about standing ovation for Daniel and Miyagi-do. I mean the public opinion on him at the beginning of the season was rancid. People blamed him and his dojo for Miguel's fall and only the people at the town council meeting got to hear Miguel's fight for the All-Valley to continue. And as far as we know Daniel hasn't really healed the Miyagi-do reputation yet.

Like the board knows Daniel, the general audience might know him because of his car commercials but I don't quite get the standing ovation.

I... "This last dojo took last years title" does that count if the sensei that accomplished that and the student that accomplished that left/were kicked out?

Like honestly surprised because Robby Keene is with the cobras they don't get boo'd.

Again how can they be defending champions if their sensei and champion are gone? Shouldn't Eagle fang be teh defending champions?

I do say I like the red.

"This dojo is making their all-valley debut" I mean is it? I'd say at least have the students you've introduced were Johnny's and either got poached by Kreese, or kicked out by Kreese, or because of Hawk's bullying/actions left for Miyagi-do. (Which is wild because those kids are now on the same team as Hawk!!!!! LIKE Y'ALL REALIZE YOU LEFT BECAUSE OF HIM?! It wasn't because of Johnny it was because Hawk was bullying them and then defaced the Miyagi-do dojo that they left...we're just not going to even discuss that beyond once are we huh?)

The way Johnny has ducttaped his own equipment together because he doesn't have any rich kid students any more is just so...resourceful.

look at these kids using cinder-blocks as weights. On the one hand dangerous, on the other hand, they're being ingenious and resourceful. Since Kreese stole of Johnny's hard earned equipment. At least the kids probably think it's badass.

Like there's something really heart breaking seeing how Johnny had established his space and his stuff for his students, and no sooner had he gotten the new equipment he'd been saving up for Tommy dies and Kreese takes over.

Anyone other than Johnny would've probably tried to sue and get at least their stuff back.

Also "new dojo" feels so rude. Like I get Eagle Fang is new, but it's not. At this point Johnny's taught most of the kids on this stage. And you'd think people especially our die-hard council for the all-valley would be like wait what the fuck? Why is Johnny and his champion now under Eagle Fang and why did those guys who were listed on the ban, Silver and Kreese suddenly turn in the paperwork for Cobra Kai?

You would think Daniel would've returned and been like yo, you gotta not let Cobra Kai compete anymore, Johnny was fine but these two are the reason Cobra Kai was banned in the first place. But nope. Daniel said Johnny Lawrence was the worst of them all so now Kreese and Silver get a free pass they didn't earn to a tournament they were literally banned from.

Johnny is literally making due with what he can find, and a lot of duct tape.

This is literally so heart breaking

Devon is on a skate board and what looks like a bag of concrete.

Miggy is jumping rope with a literal chain.

None of the other students are even on par with these kids and the making due.

I bet Johnny saved every cent of the kids dues for those gi's, and they're cute, look at the red stripe through their black belts.

Aww Johnny got some standing ovation.

Johnny looking at Daniel who looks away from him really fast and then Silver whose just sort of laughing to himself like yes I kicked your ass, and Kreese before like rolling his eyes to the ceiling.

What this makes me realize is that Johnny had to take care of himself after Kreese beat him up. Miguel got him to bed but that's about it. And it never gets brought up again beyond "That old man can kick" which Miguel doesn't understand. 💔😭

I love that Darryl like is so into it. And he's such a good host even if he doesn't have all the facts and is somewhat biased with Daniel because they know each other so well.

Bud no, you were a bundle of nerves and didn't know what the hell was happening and just sort of got shoved in blindly with only Ali as your guide to what happens at a tournament.

Miguel still looks so sad.

He looks soo sad. Also who are those other guys? I swear they just swap out background students all the time.

Also the "if we lose our dojo closes for good." is too much pressure to put on all these kids.

Apparently Johnny's junior prom was a shitshow.

He thinks it's about Sam, but it's not just about Sam it's about Robby and Johnny but Johnny doesn't remember that because he got kicked in the head so hard his ears were ringing and I'm like 80% sure was concussed.

All the sleeveless gi's Johnny's been missing went to Cobra Kai students. All of them have sleeveless gi's.

"I have had students with all the talent in the world squander their moment. Don't let history repeat itself. Do not let your emotions cloud your judgement." Kreese is talking about Johnny here isn't he?

Demetri and his kamas, and just want to point out that Daniel's hatchimaki design is part of the miyagi-do gi's it's under the black belt on the right.

Why are the panel of judges behind everyone. Generally they're on the low level in front of the audience so everyone is looking at people from the same-ish angle.

Devon's doing board breaking with all of eagle fang holding boards for her.

Eagle fangs have these little beaks on their sleeves:

OOOh CHRIS

A couple things on this. One huge kudos to Chris. The only other person we've seen do this is Johnny. Twice. We haven't seen anyone else break cinder blocks before. (Though in the second part Kyler does it with his head)

Johnny did this at the valley fest and for his own training to prep to fight Daniel. He did not have his students do this. And while it's badass that Chris is doing it, he didn't witness Johnny doing this, not from Cobra Kai (under Johnny at the time) or Miyagi-do (students were only Sam and Robby). Unless of course he was the intake from the crowd after the Valley Fest, which I don't remember. But that means this is...to an extent, Daniel's revenge? I mean it's a cobra kai move/Johnny move. Like if it was a Daniel/Miyagi-do move for badass points Daniel would've taught Chris how to do the ice breaking.

Like there's a chance that Johnny taught them this, but it wouldn't make sense that he taught the Miyagi-do's this and not the Eagle Fangs. It'd make sense that Devon whose new wouldn't be doing this, but one of the older Eagle Fangs, like Mitch could've. But again this doesn't look like something Daniel would teach or have thought of.

Though it is cool that Chris who loves wrestling which is a showmanship performance got to do something so badass.

It looks like Nate and Miguel might be doing kata? And maybe one of the other background Eagle fangs???? I don't know if it's kata but it kinda seems like it.

Kenny's also breaking boards. (Note no cinder blocks, so once again that's a Johnny thing not a cobra kai thing)

Nate blows a kiss to the crowd, adorable.

I kinda like the digital board

Sam and her sai's, she should study those with Chozen. It's kinda interesting that the writers decided to add the skills competition pre-Chozen in the US.

Mitch has a bo staff

Tory has a sword

I guess Robby is also doing kata?

I don't know what else all the fighting moves and flips without an opponent would be called based off the original list the All-Valley sent out.

The snik sounds of the sword slicing through the air, is hilarious, they don't make that sound. Not when just being waved through the air.

All four of your dad's are so proud dude. SIlver and Johnny looked happy for you.

Hawk didn't break the high board that Nate held with his eyes shut.

Mitch accidentally threw his bo staff at the judges and literally ran off stage.

Ohhh okay, Kyler's also doing the cinder blocks with his head.

Kyler's head going straight through those cinder blocks, ow

Aw Devon missed a board too. But she started what, a few weeks ago? Huge kudos to her.

I do kind of hate the edit that shows Devon kicking ass in the first set only to fail in the second. Like why break hers up like that? She's the only one from the first round to also be in the second. I assume just because there's not enough Eagle fangs. Though they could've shown Bert doing something.

Devon is the perfect bridge between nerd talk and Johnny badass talk. Literally going from math to realizing math just doesn't work with Johnny and changing gears to what does.

Sue is the lady on the board. Everyone is pumped about the skills challenge except for Ron, who also botched up the contract for the parking garage.

The musical interlude of Carrie Underwood is so weird. Like it's not the first time they've had a performer on, but Johnny literally took Miguel to a concert. This though... is just like a half time show like the superbowl or something.

Ron ( a dentist) is her husband's dentist.

I...Do you think this was a netflix idea or do you think she wanted to be on the show?

Bert looking back at Johnny like I got this, and then actually getting it. Proud of him. For Johnny's students that have been his this whole time, the growth is impressive.

Though I feel like since for three dojo's most of the kids are his, he's gotta be so proud of all of them. Even if he feels a little betrayed.

Another thing that the All-valley should credit is that Johnny's dojo and Aisha were the first team with a girl on it and the first girl competitor. So I wonder how many other teams got girls to sign up after that All-valley or like eagle fang started scrambling for new girl students after the announcement went out?

ah spoke too soon, Bert goes flying. But still his opponent is freaking huge.

Devon and Johnny have a secret/special handshake. 🥺💖

Kyler using miyagi-do against Chris. Kenny using the drum technique against Nate.

Kenny and Robby's secret hand shake includes make a snake with their arms and the way they hold their hands, it's cute.

Poor Eagle fang only Miguel and Devon made it.

Piper's last name is Elswith (she and Tory made it to the finals)

Miguel is distracted, looking out in the crowd. And some of his focus is on Robby during his fights with others.

Which, Johnny usually is good at catching but I think the amount at stake here and the amount going on he hasn't quite caught or he's blamed it on Sam and Miguel's after prom fight. Because Miguel never brought up finding Johnny passed out on his floor again and mistaking him for Robby.

To an extent the only one truly focused from Eagle Fang is Devon.

Johnny is right, Tory hits Devon while out of bounds. It shouldn't count. And Silver just grins. Which is our first clue that he's paid off the judges. But because it's Johnny whose bringing it up....it's ignored.

What's wild is that Daniel should know that Terry's done this before, or at least assumed so or learned of it after joining the all-valley board, yet it doesn't even cross his mind that everything is rigged. Again

Even though in this moment Eagle Fang has pretty much lost all hope because they're in 6th and even if Miguel wins first they probably won't get the championship Johnny still gives a pep talk

But Devon continues to pleasantly surprise Johnny and everyone I think.

Like Miguel's been distracted this whole time but look at that proud smile.

What I think is interesting is, the first time I saw this I thought Johnny was unfairly putting a ton of pressure on Miguel. Because it is a lot of fucking pressure, but instead he's just trying to remain positive. Devon says if the right people get eliminated and Miguel wins then they've got a chance and Johnny lots at Miguel and smiles and softly says 'a good chance.'

So I don't think theres a ton of pressure on Miguel yet.

Robby you're wrong. Johnny doesn't think his way is the only way, he just keeps getting shoved away from teh table and has to keep crawling his way back. He's accepted Miyagi-do, and he knows Cobra Kai and wanted his version to be just a smidge kinder. He's trying to be someone unlike Sid, his own father or Kreese and he's doing a rather good job. Daniel though does 100% believe his way is the only way at least when Cobra Kai and Johnny exist.

I'm honestly surprised anyone let Daniel talk to Robby. Yes he's his ex-sensei but in the last all-valley the staff kept telling Johnny to go back to his side with his students and stay away from Robby.

That was during a fight, but still. You'd think it'd be considered unsportsmanlike. Essentially getting in a players head.

Demetri's shock that he won and made it that far. See kid? You're doing great.

Moons pep talk to Hawk, While helpful and probably a turning point for him I'm again surprised she was allowed to go up and talk to him. I mean in TKK1 they almost didn't let Ali join and they definitely kicked Lucille out and back to the stands when she tried to wish Daniel luck. Let alone the fact Moon can just kiss him beside the mat.

It is kinda nice that Eli is competing as himself and not Hawk. I think he needed that chance at being just him and not his alter ego.

Century seems to be a brand I'm noticing a lot, they're the ones who made the Miyagi-do gi's. It's on the back of Hawk's collar. His confidence and his jump up on the mat. Good for him. Still other than Demetri being on the team, no clue why he's on Miyagi-do at all.

Three kicks to Kyler and won, real fast. Johnny I bet is so proud. I don't think (or at least they don't show) Kyler getting a hit on Eli.

I love that yaya gets high before each of these and she bought herself nachos because of the munchies.

Sam vs Piper

I don't know if Daniel's 'you got this sam just like we practiced' helps sam at all or throws her off a little.

Piper kicks Sam in the face

I like how the camera person subtly pans from just showing Sam with Daniel and Miyagi-do in the background to Johnny also right behind Sam, standing and watching.

there's some symbolism in that shot.

And she immediatly turns around to look at both of them and Johnny even gives her a nod. She might not be his student on his team, but he's still got her back and she's still one of his students.

Which I think means, truly other than random blackground unnamed kids, all the students are Johnny's.

Piper's shocked face when Sam changes to Johnny's like revving up pre-fight/move bounce and then starts striking first with kicks a la Johnny.

Daniel even looks surprised, which he shouldn't, because according to Sam she got permission from him/told him she'd learn both styles.

Sam chases her to the end of the mat and Piper has to block all of them until Sam kicks her in the shoulder, and then in the next point kicks her in the face.

Daniel does not look happy. Sam did you lie to Johnny?

Johnny's standing on the court-side clapping eyes not leaving Sam's fight while Daniel's looking around and watching Johnny.

Daniel's face on Sam's win:

Johnny's face on Sam's win:

Daniel asking how Sam picked up so much makes me think that Sam lied to Johnny. Or at least didn't fully tell Daniel she was studying with Johnny.

Robby literally told this to Daniel's face that he believes this and Daniel confirms it:

Like Daniel, how on earth did you sit on the all-valley committee for years with this mindset because you sir are the only one prior to the start of this show in the valley who knows miyagi-do and is apart of the all-valley. Have you literally sat there year after year and said to Amanda, they're not winning the right way, they're not doing this right because they're not using Miyagi-do? I somehow doubt that. And it was Cobra Kai that was wrong right? This isn't Cobra Kai, it's Eagle Fang, and yet it's still wrong. Or is it wrong because it's Johnny? The mental gymnastics you're doing is throwing me, because it's literally just Johnny and Cobra Kai, not any of the other dojo's who I doubt are doing the defense only thing. Because could you imagine? The All-Valley where two defense only dojos go up against one another? They'd just circle each other the whole game until no one hit, struck, or got a point.

Mr. Miyagi said something about how Daniel's karate didn't have to be 100% Mr. Miyagi's, just the root of it was, but Daniel himself had strong roots, and his best karate would be his own. Which is what Sam here is going for, what most of the kids are going for. But for some reason Daniel's fighting tooth and nail against it.

Robby would never want to hear this, at least not right now, but the only sensei he's acting like is Johnny. This is the kind of pep talk Johnny gives, because even though the stake of their dojo is on the line Johnny's still cheering the kids on. And has since the first one.

There's so many random little things that are so Robby and Johnny. This and the fact they both keep losing everything and pick themselves up and start over. They're determined fighters who don't give up. Robby loses his home because his mother thought her boyfriend would pay and he didn't, and we never see him getting his stuff.

Maybe Daniel put it in storage somewhere? But I doubt it. Which means everything his family has had is gone. Then he lives with Daniel, and loses that home and all his stuff. again. But he keeps going. He goes to Cobra Kai, lives there, starts over again. He keeps taking care of himself, picking himself up, and learning a new karate under a new teacher, just trusting each a little less then the last one, while the world is never stable under his feet. Maybe it is now with Shannon back but who knows.

Johnny meanwhile keeps losing his dojo and space with teh kids. All the equipment, all his students, he just loses everything over and over again but keeps picking himself up and trying again and making do with what he can.

Kenny calling Robby an old man an Robby calling him a wiseass and telling him his brother would be proud.

Also....don't you have to be a brown and black belt to compete here? How did Kenny and Devon get there so fast?

Kenny got Silver and Robby got Kreese. I wonder how that worked when Johnny had to fight against Tommy and Bobby, ect when they just had Kreese????

Johnny trying to figure out what Kreese just told Robby and Miguel's like trademark tired face.

They gave Robby gel, maybe Kyler did it since his hair is similarly gelled back.

Which is better than him getting it in his face all the time like he did back when he was in Miyagi-do. I get that the 'hair back/slicked hair' is like the shows way of denoting villains, but it's so much more logical then how much it kept getting in Robby's face.

I also like that all the Cobra's have personalized gi's, over their little fist patches their name is part of the patch. Not even last name, first.

Oof Robby kicking Kenny in the face then a punch to the chest.

The no point kicks Robby is doing, which included a kick to Kenny's butt is too close to Mike Barnes's toying with Daniel to drag out the match to torture Daniel for comfort.

Robby that kick to Kenny's head was too hard.

And the whole crowd goes ooh and flinches.

Which is wild for a Valley crowd. They love blood and have since the 80s. The only time they ooh and flinch is like when a true true underdog gets hurt, which was Daniel in the 80's and Kenny now. Because all the other kicks to the head/face they have not done that for since the 80s either.

Kenny grabbing his nose and running off the mat, nearly in tears. 😭

Johnny's little head shake of like no, no

While Robby looks confused like he was too focused in the match to remember what all he'd done.

Tory rushing to intercept Robby to tell him to let Kenny cool off and make sure he's okay himself.

Miguel smiling at Daniel and talking to him friendly before the match.

Johnny, rightly asking if Daniel's trying to soften him up before the match since he does occasionally try and get in students heads, i.e. Robby earlier.

#mumbling about shows #s 4 ep 9 the fall pt 1

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haruwrites21 · 11 months ago

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Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: The Timeless Beauty and her Iconic Roles in Bollywood

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, often hailed as the most beautiful woman in the world, needs no introduction. Her striking beauty coupled with her exemplary talent has made her a legend in the Indian film industry. An epitome of grace, poise, and elegance, Aishwarya has left an indelible mark on Bollywood with her varied roles clad with memorable performances.

Starting her journey as a model, Aishwarya first burst onto the national scene when she won the Miss India title in 1994. However, the beauty queen didn't stop there, she went on to conquer the international stage by bringing home the coveted Miss World crown in the same year, making India incredibly proud.

Taking the leap to the silver screen, Aishwarya made her Bollywood debut with 'Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya,' in 1997. Although the film did not see much commercial success, it gave a glimpse of Rai's potential. It was in 1999, with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam,' she proved her prowess as an actor. Her poignant portrayal of a heartbroken woman catapulted her to Bollywood stardom, fetching her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress.

However, Aishwarya did not restrict herself to conventional roles. From acting in offbeat films like 'Raincoat', a poignant tale of unfulfilled dreams and lost love, to 'Provoked,' where she played a domestic violence survivor fighting for justice – she proved her versatility time and again.

Her powerful performance of Jodhaa in 'Jodhaa Akbar' (2008) was widely acclaimed. Her chemistry with Hrithik Roshan along with her regal demeanor and strong character portrayal as the Rajput queen mesmerized audiences worldwide, further cementing her position in the industry.

Perhaps, one of her most memorable roles was as the gorgeous courtesan Paro in 'Devdas,' where she delivered a performance of a lifetime. Her onscreen chemistry with Shah Rukh Khan and the emotional depth that she brought to her character was highly praised and garnered her a Filmfare Award for Best Actress.

Over the years, Aishwarya has also carved an international career with films like 'Bride and Prejudice,' 'The Last Legion,' and 'The Pink Panther 2'. This made her a globally recognized face and brought her the status of a global ambassador for India in the realm of entertainment.

Beyond the roles she portrayed, it's the depth of her characters, the emotions she epitomizes on-screen, and the charm that she brings out naturally, which have etched each of her performances in the minds of her audience. Whether playing the girl next door, a passionate lover, a fierce warrior, or a demure wife, Aishwarya has done justice to every role she has taken on.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is proof that beauty and talent can indeed coexist. Even after two decades in the film industry, she continues to captivate audiences with her charm and talent. Her timeless beauty and iconic roles serve as a testament to her legacy in Bollywood and position her as one of its best actresses.

In conclusion, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is not just an actress, but an institution in herself, continuously setting higher standards for performances in the Indian film industry. Honored with the Padma Shri by the Indian government, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s stupendous body of work in Bollywood indeed makes her a timeless icon.

#celebrities

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filmtexts · 11 months ago

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Maestro

Okay, I admit that this pun was hard to resist. With his latest film Maestro, writer-producer-director-star Bradley Cooper is back in "the shallow now.” How did he get there?

Flashback to five years ago. The pre-release hype of Cooper’s directorial debut A Star Is Born didn’t pass me by. I had, perhaps as a snap judgement, not placed my the film on my must-see list. First, while acknowledging Bradley Cooper’s respectable work in films such as Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle, I don’t avidly follow him like other actors whose presence in even otherwise less remarkable movies are a tipping point to watch them.

Secondly, Cooper and Lady Gaga didn’t appear to be a surefire match. Gaga herself didn’t elicit doubt. While not a fan, I can see why her “little monsters” are so devoted and her musical talent and also acting ability (award-winning turn in one full season of American Horror Story) are undisputed. Yet somehow, the Cooper-Gaga pairing seemed neither no-brainer, nor so weird it’s inspired, just a tad calculated.

Lastly, this is the fourth version (third with songs) of showbiz melodrama A Star Is Born, updating the music to cater to the tastes of a contemporary 55+ audience which in its youth preferred The Eagles and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young to The Ramones and The Clash. (Likely over Young and DEVO, or even Pearl Jam, too.) The previous version in 1976 with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson begat the chart-topping and Oscar-winning song “Evergreen”. Otherwise, the 1970s take was less successful than George Cukor’s radical 1954 reboot (avant la lettre). He reimagined the acclaimed drama from 1937 as a dazzling Hollywood Golden Age musical. The showstopping numbers (motivated as part of a film or stage show within the film) were Judy Garland’s most iconic performances since Wizard of Oz. And in contrast, “offstage” scenes of the doomed central love affair became even more heartwrenching. This ‘revealed’ the disconnect between dream factory and ‘real life’ while such meta-narratives then became another popular Hollywood trope. Cukor and Garland created a classic. Thus, yet another A Star Is Born seemed like diminishing returns.

Then one day, as fate had it, I needed to kill time during a film trade show and A Star Is Born screening filled the empty slot. Low expectations yielded to surprised, genuine delight. Cooper had pulled off a well-crafted and entertaining film. While it would be silly to say “a star is born” in reference to Gaga, her natural and intelligent performance put her on the table for more acting gigs. (In House of Gucci, she was the saving grace.) And of course, there’s ”Shallow,” perhaps more an evergreen than that earlier song of the same name.

So my expectations had risen by the time I first heard about Cooper’s next outing as director-producer-writer-star: Maestro, a biopic about Leonard Bernstein. The legendary composer and conductor’s work and life are a motherlode: innovations in the stage and screen musical, a new approach to symphonic musical performance, making classical music accessible for young people (and generally less elitist), controversial support of progressive causes and a complex private life. The trailer showcased the film’s bold style, alternating between chiaroscuro black and white and sunny, slightly faded color. It also centered upon a lovely romantic moment: Bernstein and his wife Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan) sitting, first as young lovers, then an older married couple, back to back in a park, trying to guess a number the other is thinking of.

The trailer turned out to be a much more satisfying experience than the film itself, although the focus on the relationship foreshadowed things to come. Maestro’s plot boils down to this: how saintly Felicia put up with Lenny’s infidelity with men, until she didn’t anymore. On The Town? A few shots of dancing extras in sailor suits. West Side Story? Mentioned in passing by Felicia as a Romeo and Juliet update, then a few bars of The Prologue play later in the film. It’s supposed to be some sort of “comment” but feels random. Bernstein’s overall impact on music composition, performance and education? If it all, told, not shown and sidelined by Bernstein feeling intermittantly unfulfilled as a conductor and struggling with a dryspell as a composer.

It is Bernstein’s bisexuality that drives the narrative forward. If handled more skillfully, this could have provided insight into the acceptance of homosexuality during the depicted era and the dynamics of polyamorous relationships. Instead, scenes like Felicia forcing Lenny to lie to their daughter when she asks about persistent rumors are poorly written and have little resonance within the story as a whole. We are left in the dark about Lenny’s obliviousness to Felicia’s pain everytime she becomes aware of a new male lover: does he take his unwavering love of Felicia for granted, regardless of other sexual encounters or is he just a cad? After Felicia’s death, Lenny sternly but fairly critiques a male student’s conducting during rehearsal, then cut to them joyously dancing in a club. This image suggests Lenny can separate work and pleasure (no Tár-like abuse of power here). But does this also imply that Felicia’s absence might have set him free (although he “misses her terribly”)? The exploration of Bernstein’s sexuality remains sketchy.

Maestro also fails to spark any passion or curiosity about Bernstein’s music, something that other deeply flawed biopics at least managed. Instead, much screentime is devoted out to Bernstein getting his head around conducting Gustav Mahler’s "Symphony No. 2 in C Minor." No doubt, this was a milestone of Bernstein’s career. But making this a central setpiece and downplaying his return to composition after the aforementioned personal crisis about being “merely” a conductor doesn’t truly do service to the diverse talents Bernstein craved acknowledgment for.

(Musical) biopics are hard to do really well. Many are jerry-built, held together only by the appeal of the portrayed artist and a chameleon-like lead performance. Bohemian Rhapsody, for example, coasts on the appeal of Freddie Mercury and Queen alone, despite accolades for the weakest elements: Rami Malek’s performance and the inexplicably Oscar-winning editing (this video essay presents a convincing case. The film’s editor John Ottman has since defended himself with the film’s turbulent production history.) The more interesting ones often display unconventional choices. Multiple actors (including Cate Blanchett) played Bob Dylan in Todd Haynes’ I’m Not Here. Judy (Rupert Goold) and Nico ‘88 (Susanna Nicchiarelli) eschewed the sweeping career arc to focus on the respective singers’ final years, not sensationalist, but restoring some dignity. Many other biopics beg the question, why not watch a documentary with footage of the real artist instead?

As it doesn’t want to go the boilerplate biopic route, Maestro is all the more frustrating. There are many ideas floating around. Sadly, they often fall flat. The use of different 35mm black and white and color film stocks and aspect ratios to depict the various time periods has become overused. The black and white scenes of Felicia and Lenny’s early courtship at one point briefly slide into a musical-style dance/dream sequence, but the execution remains half-baked. Using snatches of Bernstein’s compositions to comment the story sounds good on paper. On screen, the fragments are often too short to really register.

Misfire stylistic choices aside, Maestro is handsomely mounted. The cinematography by Matthew Libatique (who also shot A Star Is Born) is gorgeous, not just the aforementioned use of color but also unusual, evocative camera angles. As for the elephant in the room, Bradley Cooper’s mimicry is uncanny, aided (not only) by convincing prosthetics (the “Jewface” accusations are somewhat unfair; cinematic representation will nevertheless generally remain an issue). Carey Mulligan makes the best of a role that devolves from incandescent to long-suffering. Aside from them, other roles like the Bernstein children or Lenny’s male lovers are underwritten. (Comedienne-actress Sarah Silverman is wasted as Lenny's sister.) With a hot mess of a screenplay at the film’s core, the opulent production values cannot conceal that Cooper’s reach exceeds his grasp. Let’s hope he finds his way out of the shallow for film number three.

#leonard bernstein #bradley cooper #carey mulligan #maestro #film #cinema #movies #biopic #classical music #music

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michimonie · 2 months ago

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Huey, Dewey, and Louie's Chocolate Pie

(Disney Recipes: From Animation to Inspiration)

First Page

"Huey, Dewey, and Louie made their first appearance on the silver screen in the 1938 short movie Donald's Nephews, and what an outrageous debut it was! Surely, Donald's house would never be the same again. What better way to calm things down than with a gorgeous pie, sitting right there on the table, waiting to be eaten? But this only leads to further pranks- the kids spike Donald's slice with spicy hot 'Volcano Mustard!' Luckily, we've decided to leave the hot stuff out of this recipe. Indeed, this pie contains only ingredients that are as pure and simple as Donald's loveable nephews. Feel that comforting sensation rise as your belly is filled with sweet chocolate, and your heart is soothed. After all, 'little children are only angels without wings,' correct?"

"Here, Unca Donald. Do you want some pie?"

---

HOW TO MAKE IT

6 Servings 3 Hours Preparation Time

INGREDIENTS

PIECRUST

1 pound - flour 1/4 cup - salt 8 tablespoons - unsalted butter 5 tablespoons - ice water

FILLING

2 ounces - flour 6 ounces - sugar 2 ounces - unsweetened cocoa powder 1 quart - milk 3 egg yolks 1 teaspoon - water 1 teaspoon - vanilla extract

PIECRUST

Place flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse once or twice to combine. Add butter, and pulse on and off until mixture resembles small peas.

Sprinkle in cold water; then pulse 3-4 times until mixture forms a bal. Remove and divide into two pieces. Shape each one into a disk and refrigerate for about 15 minutes.

When cold, roll out each between 2 sheets of waxed paper into 10-inch circles, and place back in the refrigerator (still wrapped in waxed paper) until ready to use. This may be done a day in advance.

FILLING

Mix flour, 5 ounces of sugar, and cocoa powder in a pot; add milk, and place over medium heat, stirring often. When mixture begins to thicken, stir more often to prevent lumps. Continue for 15 to 20 minutes at a medium simmer. Do not cook on high heat.

Remove a ladleful of hot mixture and add to 2 beaten egg yolks. Mix very quickly (this is called tempering).

Add this mixture to the one on the stove. Mix well until it thickens up more, about 3-4 minutes.

Remove to a metal mixing bowl; then place this bowl on top of a bowl of ice, stirring quickly to cool. The result should have a texture of pudding. Keep chilled. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (Fahrenheit).

Line a 9-inch pie pan with one piece of dough, trim off excess, then place in a preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. This is called blind baking the shell and is done to cook the bottom of the shell a bit before you put in the wet filling and bake it a second time, thus preventing "raw" dough texture and taste at the bottom of the pan.

Remove the blind-baked shell, allow to cool slightly, then spoon in chocolate filling and cover with the second piece of dough. Trim ends attractively. Steam vents, as used in fruit pies, are not necessary here.

Combine 1 egg yolk and water, brush on upper crust, then sprinkle with remaining 1 ounce of sugar. Bake in preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until top turns a light golden brown.

Remove and cool completely before serving, or filling will run.

NOTES

For a sweeter pie, ass more sugar to filling.

MENU IDEAS

A perfect alternative to a birthday cake after someone's favorite meal.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

A dab of vanilla-flavored whipped cream and a sprinkle of your favorite crumbled candy bar for the extra crunch take this pie to a whole new level.

WHAT CHILDREN CAN DO

Little hands can stir the bowl of chocolate pudding over ice; they can also brush the top of the pie shell with the egg mixture and sprinkle it with sugar.

VARIATIONS

This dessert can be made with the same amount of chopped bittersweet chocolate for a more intense chocolate flavor. For a more adult-style pie, spread 2 ounces melted raspberry preserves over filling before covering with upper layer of crust.

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bollywood143114 · 2 years ago

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Ashutosh Rana saw Salman Khan's sister-in-law for the first time and was heartbroken when she saw pictures of his family

Ashutosh Rana is one such actor of the Bollywood film industry and has returned to the silver screen once again with a brilliant performance. This actor recently played a senior officer role in Shah Rukh Khan's smash hit movie "Pathan" and Ashutosh Rana portrayed the role beautifully. I see everyone rates him a lot. Everyone thought Asu Tosirana's career was over as he hadn't been active in films for the past few years, but he recently showed his acting skills once again. So, apart from his acting, we would like to inform you that he is becoming a hot topic because of his beautiful wife. Salman Khan's sister-in-law and Ashutosh Rana After first seeing Salman Khan's sister-in-law, Ashutosh Rana gave her his heart. Ashutosh Rana and his beautiful wife Renuka are making headlines all over India today. Ashutosh Rana has been praised by many people these days for her movie “Pathan”. Apart from that, Ashutosh Rana has been discussed many times because of his love story. Salman Khan's sister-in-law and Ashutosh Rana image Ashutosh Rana and Renuka Shahane's series of conversations started with a phone call and the funny thing is that for the first time there was a long conversation between the two. Ashutosh Rana once mentioned her love story with Renuka on Kapil Sharma's show. The first meeting of the two was revealed. Ashutosh Rane said he met Renuka in person at the premiere of Hansal Mehta's debut film "…Jayate". Because he liked Renuka's performance. During the visit, Ashutosh Rana was impressed with Renuka's ideas, chatting with him for about 30 minutes. Then they don't want to express their love and just wait for the right opportunity. He then chose Dussehra's ceremony and called Renuka to wish her well. This is where greetings and inquiries began, and gradually conversations began to develop. In this way, they also obtained Renuka's personal mobile number from the landline. Ashutosh Rana then decides not to waste any time and proposes to Renuka. Renuka Shahan accepted Ashutosh Rana's proposal and the two got married on May 25, 2021 in Ashutosh's village of Damoh. He has two sons, Shauryaman and Satyendra. In fact, the performance of Ashtoshi Rana's beautiful wife, Renuka, drives people crazy, and people who have seen Ashtoshi Rana's beautiful wife say that Ashtoshi Rana's wife is prettier than the heroine of the movie. Everyone was crazy about this actor's beauty. Even after seeing Renuka's picture, you can't take your eyes off her. Even people say that Renuka is more attractive than most of the beautiful Bollywood actresses. Renuka lives completely simply, but her beauty is not hidden. People even say that like Ashutosh Rana, Renuka should start her acting career again in Bollywood movies. Because even the beautiful actresses of Bollywood fail in front of him. ALSO READ- Check out some great photos of Suryakumar Yadav and his wife Why do Sonakshi and Roy Lina look the same? Sona broke her silence and made a shocking revelation. DISCLAIMER Thanks for visit our website bollywoodofindia.com . We have taken all measures to ensure that the information provided in this article and on our social media platform is credible, verified and sourced from other Big media Houses. For any feedback or complaint, reach out to us at [email protected] Read the full article

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fmhiphop · 2 years ago

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Is Ice Spice Taking Over New York?

If you have anything with a screen, you've met Ice Spice. See how this girl from the Bronx is dominating both her city and the internet. Ice Spice lookalikes gave a surprise performance in Times Square this weekend to promote her new EP Like..?. The 6 track debut project is getting love from all corners of social media, and it looks like that star power is transferring to real life as well. pic.twitter.com/tIM0c01qSv — v (@ViralMaterialz) January 22, 2023 Like Keep it a Buck Like..? contains all of Ice's most viral tracks, namely 'Munch (Feelin' U)', 'In Ha Mood', and 'Bikini Bottom'. In addition to this, there are three new tracks titled 'Princess Diana', 'Actin a Smoochie', and 'Gangsta Boo' with fellow New Yorker Lil Tjay. Out of all the new singles, by far the most praised thus far is 'Princess Diana', a bass-heavy and hard-hitting play on a viral Twitter meme comparing the two women. On this track, Spice utilizes her signature smooth, calm flow with memorable one-liners. Immediately upon release, fans noted RIOTUSA’s flawless production work and how fast Ice has improved her rapping during her time in the spotlight. y’all swore ice spice was a one hit wonder just for her to turn around and release a ep with zero skips pic.twitter.com/PawEWFqcR1 — ツ (@MARSTVZ) January 20, 2023 With 'Munch (Feelin' U)' only coming out last year in August, Ice Spices' meteoric rose to fame is truly impressive. In such a short time she spread her name around and stamped it onto listeners with just sheer catchiness. She’s even coined a nickname for her fanbase, in fact, there are multiple. Whether you’re a munchkin, spice cabinet, or spice girl, it’s undeniable that the drill rapper has a unique presence. So what makes Ice different from the hundreds of aspiring female acts? Some may attribute her start to a photo of her and Drake attending a concert together that made its rounds right before 'Munch (Feelin' U)' blew up. The two initially connected when the Toronto artist messaged Spice through Instagram to compliment her skills on a Radar freestyle. Following the DM and public appearance, things suddenly got quiet between the pair. That is until Drake allegedly dissed her on his most recent album Her Loss. Her Win “She a ten tryna rap, it’s good on mute, yeah,” he rapped on BackOutsideBoyz. While Drake himself never confirmed who exactly he was referring to, many assumed it was Ice Spice from their recent interactions. Her Loss was an album chock full of (alleged) subs and jabs, including towards Megan the Stallion, DRAM, and Serena William's husband Alexis Ohanian to name a few. Unlike all three of those celebs, Ice took a different approach to her response and jokingly played along by responding on Twitter. “at least ima 10” she typed with a shrug and laughing emoji. at least ima 10 🤷‍♀️😂 — Ice Spice ☆ (@icespicee_) November 4, 2022 In A New York Times interview, Spice confirmed that she and Drake are on good terms regardless of the rumored diss. “We spoke after that a couple times and we’re good. There’s no beef.” She said. It may not seem like much, sure. but to handle one of the music industry’s biggest names like Drake and come out the other side without some type of dating rumor or controversy hanging over her head is pretty remarkable. Despite an early wave of hate and slander from social media, it was clear Ice had garnered a sizable group that didn’t simply see her as a meme or a name on Drake's list. She would use that group, and the power of TikTok, to transform herself into a superstar. The Clock App Tiktok has handed many artists a career on a silver platter, and Ice Spice is no exception. 'Munch (Feelin' U)' was the biggest viral hit, but for the clock app, it was Ice's older single 'No Clarity' that helped her gain traction with young people obsessed with meme culture. The song, which samples the popular 2010s hit of the same name, now has over 14,000 Tiktoks under its belt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIOhsO_NZWM Through this, Ice Spice rapidly gained a dedicated fanbase on the app. With nearly 3 million followers, the East Coast MC has effortlessly gone viral on TikTok again and again. 'Munch (Feelin' U)' sits at the top with over 580,000 people using the sound, but 'In Ha Mood' and 'Bikini Bottom' trail right behind with a combined total of 300,000 Tiktoks. 'Princess Diana' and 'Gangsta Boo' have been steadily rising since the album drop last Friday (Jan 20), with 8,600 videos between the two in just four days. It’s hard to pinpoint what likely makes Ice Spice resonate so heavily with young music listeners. Its a mix of her unique look, simplistic rap style perfect for short clips, and attitude of not taking things too seriously. It’s the little things with this generation, like SpongeBob being your favorite show or using anime art style in a Spotify ad. You may find her randomly popping up in the comment section of someone's TikTok just to leave a heart or reposting fan art on Twitter. When Ice Spice noticed her followers calling themselves munchkins and spice cabinets, she made a Twitter poll to decide on which name is best and properly engage with them. Very early in her career, she mastered the art of fanservice and established a strong sense of loyalty. It’s a factor that’s so instrumental in the streaming era of music. Even legacy names aren’t selling records the way they used to. Why Princess Diana Popped Ice Spice, real name Isis Gaston, even inserted some fan lingo into her new music. The term “emotes” is rampant in her TikTok comments to describe her distinctive dance moves. Sure enough, on 'Princess Diana' Spice gives a subtle shoutout to the cabinet. “I'm thick, 'cause I be eatin' oats (Huh) Bitches not takin' shit from me but notes Wanna be me, so she do my emotes And my name in her mouth so I bet she gon' choke” It’s a few bars that perfectly encapsulate what’s charming about this young rapper. With so many artists recently being labeled industry plants, People very much value authenticity. Besides the glamour and popularity, Ice Spice comes off as a fun girl from the Bronx. It’s certainly a familiar success story, and time will tell just how far she’ll rise. Written by Dreema Carrington Follow and like FMHipHop on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! Read the full article

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kosmosguk · 4 years ago

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Bloody Artistry (M) ~🥀

pairing: celeb! kim taehyung x journalist! reader; minor pairings: jungkook x reader, coworker jimin x reader (platonic)

Word Count: 8K

Summary: when the scrutiny of fame becomes too much, perfect kim taehyung finds his peace within a lavish bathroom located two blocks away from the nearest club, a corpse in the bed with him. the fans have never questioned his behavior, not when his company is much too good at cleaning up his mess to not have done it before, but when a reporter with too many questions threatens to break the peace he’s established, he finds himself in a tango with the devil that he can’t bring himself to want to break.

[Warnings: MURDER, death, literally Taehyung being a sick bastard 25/8 (but only in fiction), company corruption, violence, yandere themes, mentions of noncon smut (intoxication, mentions of being drugged, fingering), blackmail, obsession, stalking. EVERYTHING that happens in this fic is FICTION; plz don’t go busting nuts for serial killers]

A/N: Thank you to yoongissugarmommy for requesting this! Part 1 of a short series starring Taehyung. Was going to do smth similar to Lineage with him, but this has been staying in my drafts for too long (like i wrote most of this before I even wrote Lineage, which is why my writing for part of this is a bit different from my current one), and I feel like going a bit modern now to take a break from Lineage (taking a bit to write pt. 4 just because it’s the end of the main story). Thank you for 2.9k followers! We’re only less than 50 away from 3K which is so wild to think about; kisses and hugs to everyone who’s supported my work!

“Today, in the studio, we have our nation’s golden boy, the first love of all of our viewers: Kim Taehyung. Everyone, please clap your hands for him!’’

The MC turned to grin at the audience as the audience cheered loudly; her glossy black hair swept down and framed her face delicately in perfect shiny strands. The lipstick that coated her unnaturally wide smile was a deep shade of red, stark against her pale white skin. Dressed in her primly pressed suit, she looked lovely, like a blooming rose, but as she turned to face the guest star, his presence seemed to easily outshine her own.

“Thank you for having me. It’s an honor to have an interview here and have an opportunity to see all of my lovely fans,’’ Taehyung’s deep voice rang out as he smiled in his heart-swooning way, flashing pure-white teeth handsomely in a carefully maintained and practiced way that made all the fans, both in the studio and watching from beyond a screen, unable to resist letting out shrieks and screams.

“Now, Taehyung-ssi, with a record-breaking album that topped the charts as soon as it came out and a modelling gig that sells out magazines faster than before, how does it feel to have really made it? It must stress you out. Any tips on how to relax?’’

Taehyung leaned back slightly in his seat, his smile flashing coy for a brief second before settling into a rehearsed contemplative expression. He shrugged his shoulders, letting them drop out, as he made a soft hmm noise.

“How I relax? It’s not that big of a deal, really, but that’s an interesting question to ask, noona,’’ Taehyung widened his eyes slightly, looking ever so much like the golden boy persona he had stickered upon his reputation,’’ When I’m really, really stressed, I like to play with Tannie, my dog, and eats lots of yummy food that my mom sends to me when I get stressed. Also, my manager Namjoon is a good person to talk to when I’m really stressed; he always knows what to do and say.’’ Taehyung tapped the tip of his nose lightly, scrunching his face in an expression that made fans coo in adoration. “I also like to think of my fans and read all the letters they’ve sent me. I saved all of my letters from my beloved fans since my debut, and I like looking through them.’’

“Hey, Kim Namjoon, fucking hurry up,” Taehyung hissed into the cellphone pressed against his flawless cheek,” My shoes are going to get stained at this point. You know blood is a pain to properly get out of letter.’’

“Were you at least careful this time? We don’t want rumors getting out,” Namjoon’s voice crackled over the receiver, barely a hint of emotion in his voice. The beeping and honking of cars on his side of the phone call signaled the rush his manager was making towards his location.

Taehyung huffed in agitation, clicking his tongue sharply in annoyance as he skimmed his nails for any trace of dried blood. “Oh, come on, you think I really even care at this point? With the way the company takes care of everything, you’d think perfect ol’ me was…well perfect. But still, aren’t you guys way too good at this job? 7 girls and not even a peek from the public. Who else do you do this for, huh? Suga-sunbae? J-hope-sunbae?”

There was no reply. Taehyung threw his gaze over to the practically mangled body. Too bad, he thought to himself, she was really pretty this time. Red lipstick, silky black hair, wanted to become better acquainted with such a famous celebrity after her little interview, the whole fanatic spiel tied with a pretty bow of the title of an mc. She would’ve never thought that she’d go from being a bed-warmer to being so cold.

“I must be right then, huh? Suga-sunbae I can see, but J-Hope-sunbae…’’ Taehyung whistled lowly under his breath. “I thought you’d at least deny that. It’s the bright ones you gotta watch out for.’’

A dial noise was the only response. Did…Did this bastard hang up on him? Taehyung grimaced before three knocks rang on the door of the hotel suite, a signal from his asshole manager that Namjoon had finally arrived. Taehyung rolled back his shoulders, his joints crackling a little, and made sure all of his jewelry was perfectly back in place before he opened the door.

As Namjoon shuffled in with some of the staff members, Taehyung clasped his silver watch around his wrist with a soft click. He rolled his neck, trying to get the stiffness out of it, and exposed purple marks and bruises from the bites the now dead girl had given him when they had been fucking earlier.

Finally, his headache was gone.

You chugged down a cup of stale coffee and wiped the dribble of liquid that escaped the corner of your mouth as you clicked off some article about a newbie mc receiving slander after rumors of her making moves on a popular idol was exposed and disappearing to avoid the backlash. Squinting at your screen with dry eyes, you pursed your lips and snapped the laptop shut, pushing the device away from you in an agitated huff.

“Wbat’s got you in the gutters, huh? Let me guess…,’’ Park Jimin, your desk mate, rolled his chair over to your side, his glasses askew on his nose,” Ah, your favorite celebrity go into a dating scandal? Let me think, who was it that recently go into a scandal… Oh, is it that pretty boy from a new idol group?’’

You gave him the stink-eye, and your sigh this time was even louder.

“You’d think there’d be something more…interesting going with these celebrities that we could get our hands on. Too much money, lots of stress, yet no story that’ll really seize the audience by surprise, and don’t you dare say a dating scandal would do it. Boss’s been on my case for the whole week on writing an article to shock the audience and wants me to release a major headliner story in two weeks, or that asshole’ll fire me. Damn it, Kim Seokjin!” you hissed out before slamming your forehead onto the desk.

“Man, be careful with your volume; if he hears your tone, he’ll chew you out for another hour that you could be using to research. Boss Kim is picky like that with everyone because our company’s a small piece of seaweed in a system dominated by crustaceous predators.” Jimin poked you in the side jokingly, his plush lips spread in a wide smile that lit up his exhausted face. “Just think really hard; use that big brain of yours and focus on a celebrity. Come on, no one’s perfect, even that one super famous idol Kim Taehyung must have some flaws, so don’t sweat it.”

“That golden boy? Man, the whole nation’s pussy-whipped for him. He couldn’t possibly be anything bu—,’’ you sharply inhaled before pushing your seat back and rapidly swiveling to face Jimin,’’ Park. Fucking. Jimin. Oh my God, you’re a fucking genius! A whole career with not even a speck of dirt… Come on, even pure-faced idol Soyeon was caught with a scandal last month. There must be something on the nation’s golden boy!’’

Jimin’s eyes widened in surprise with your sudden outburst, and he opened his mouth to speak. “Be careful about the way you go when you try to fish out info on him. His company’s security isn’t something easy to get through, and not a single celeb from that company has gotten into a single scandal. No reporters been able to get any dirt from them…”

“Which means that…there’s something sketchy happening. Jimin, Jimin, have I told you I’m in love with you?’’

You turned around quickly in your chair, spinning in glee. Jimin dropped his mouth open to sputter something, and his cheeks were tinging red, but you weren’t looking at or even listening to Jimin at hat point, having already cracked open your laptop to furiously type Kim Taehyung into Naver. This was it! Your big break! Your motivation sky-rocketed, and you felt the first rush of energy that wasn’t fueled by some caffeinated drink in a long while.

Two hours later, you were ready to throw up.

All of the results were sickeningly the same bullshit, as what was expected for someone as beloved by the nation as Kim Taehyung was. You couldn’t fathom the amount of fancams and magazine spreads of him posing on some brown leather sofa and fact pieces—hell, you even knew what kind of socks the man liked—that you had spent the past hours scrolling through.

Realizing that the office was nearly empty, and that the sky was dimming into a dark hue, you were about to shut down your laptop and call it a long fucking day when a tweet on someone’s SNS caught your eye.

@truth-teller: kim taehyung? nation’s golden boy? are you all really sure about that nonsense?

The tweet was spammed with angered replies, so many that the thread seemed to stretch on for at least a mile, but your interest was piqued. This was the first word of slander you had ever witnessed against Taehyung. You quickly pounded out a message to the account.

@name_01: hey, I saw your tweet about taehyung! Do you perhaps have any more information on him? I find him suspicious too.

You tapped send and waited with bated breath for a reply. Minutes crept by, and you were about to turn off your phone and head out of work when you noticed three dots pop up, dancing before disappearing.

@truth-teller: you fr? I had to suspend my acc because of all the spam I got. No one’s believed me on it, but I have proof

You chewed on your lip. What if this was a joke, and you were just wasting your time on some internet troll with too much time on their hands. It seemed like you were taking too long to reply because another message popped up.

@truth-teller: if you don’t believe me then that’s fine. I don’t have to waste my time

@name_01: WAIT! Sorry, it took me a second to comprehend this information… Please tell me more.

You were worried that the account wouldn’t reply anymore, and that you had ruined your opportunity before the three dots popped up again and another message was sent.

@truth-teller: ok, if you want to find out more let’s move to a better messaging platform, just in case my acc gets suspended by more fans. here’s my number: xxx-xxx-xxxx

It was a gamble to send some stranger on the internet your number, but at this point, you were too desperate to really give a damn. There was a story just out of the reach of your fingertips; you would be a fool to deny the carrot on a stick you were being provided.

@name-01: okay, I’ll message you.

Name: hey! Truth-teller right? This is me from the messages

JK: yeah that’s me. I prefer JK when I’m not on sns tho

Name: I’m (y/n). I don’t mean to sound like I’m hurrying you, but I want to hear what you have to say about Taehyung.

JK: lol r u a reporter or smth? Real bossy of you keke

You sucked in a breath. Should you reveal that?

Name: haha would it be bad if I said I was?

There was no response for the next 15 minutes. Exhaling a long sigh, you decided that you should at least maneuver your way home; the office had been cleared out completely during your conversation with this JK, and you couldn’t help the creeps that the emptiness gave you. If anything, the walk back to your place would give you some outlet for the nervous energy radiating throughout you. You were nearly at the door of your apartment when your phone vibrated in your pocket, signaling a message.

JK: just checking. Makes sense that you’re one though. It’d be nice if you could break this story out, but I hope you trust me enough after I tell you what I know

You clicked the door shut behind you, your eyebrows creased as you stared at your phone screen.

Name: don’t worry. I trust you!

You dropped your bag down onto the sofa before throwing your body onto the seat. The three dots under JK’s name popped up for several minutes before disappearing. In the place of the three dots, a long message had been typed out.

JK: I didn’t really think much of taehyung when I first heard about him since he’s the nation’s golden boy or whatever bs title they call him nowadays, but my sister’s friend was a big fan of him. she went out with my sister and they met him in some shady club in gangnam. my sister’s friend got to talk to him exclusively and my sister got separated from her and got a text from her friend saying that she had smth come up and she already went home. she tried to contact her friend the day after, but she got a text back saying that her friend wasn’t feeling well. my sister’s friend was “best friends’’ with her but she didn’t contact my sister again until a week later saying she got a job opportunity overseas and already was about to board on the plane because it was important she got there fast. my sister’s friend didn’t contact her again like she dropped off the face of the earth

You pursed your lips in contemplation as you tapped out a message back, your nails clicking against the screen.

Name: ?? Are you sure that isn’t a coincidence?

JK: yeah, I thought so too but it was rly sus that my sister’s friend who had known my sister for 12 years to suddenly go overseas for a job opportunity without telling her at all. and when my sister tried to get new contact info from her friend there was no reply. but I got curious and since I do some computer work for my job i wanted to see if I could track the ip address of her phone but there was nothing. her last previous ip was all the way back in gangnam and my sister’s friend lived in incheon. that was a red flag so I decided to go talk to the landlord at my sister’s friend’s old apartment and the landlord said he didn’t see her come back since before that night but woke up to a fully paid lease and the apartment cleared out

You squinted your eyes at the screen, unable to properly process the information that this so-called JK had just given you. Chewing on your lip, you closed your eyes briefly before opening them back up and typing back a message.

Name: anything else? Sorry…just seems a bit far-fetched.

JK: think whatever then. I have to go to work now

Right when JK’s message popped up, another message pinged on your cell. You refused to let yourself ponder more on JK’s last message as you clicked on your friend’s text notification.

Platonic LOML <3: BAE, R U FREE TONIGHT? I’m lonely n want someone to come with me to this club— ik you’re not into clubs but pretty please

You were about to reply with a refusal when JK’s words came up to your mind again. You didn’t know why, but there was a sharp feeling in your gut that told you that you couldn’t miss this opportunity Call it silly intuition or some coincidental fabrication spurned by your mind, but that feeling persisted until you typed out a reply to your friend.

Name: okay fine. Come over in 30.

Taehyung swirled the liquid in his glass, watching the deep burgundy of the wine stain the glass a soft pink. His head was hurting again, and the new medication he had been taking for them on advice of the company didn’t work.

He scanned the dim, musty club, watching the pulsating lights cloak the dancing bodies in sallow shades of pale yellow. This club was a downgrade from his previous celebrity-exclusive club that he had gone to the previous week, but his manager had told him that if he really wanted peace, he should choose an area where no one would really know him.

Taehyung knew the real reason why his manager had insisted on this. Deaths of other celebrities were much harder to cover up after all.

Pity he actually followed his manager’s advice for once. The wine in here, despite the bougie price tag, was complete shit and provided him a slight buzz at best. And there was no one who really caught his eye out of the crowd of people. As he was about to get up from his seat and leave the club for somewhere with better—he contemplated going back to that celebrity club just to fuck with his company—pickings, he caught sight of someone entering the club.

You looked absolutely gorgeous, swathed in a black shift that you kept fighting to keep over your ass—and god, was it a plump ass too, the kind that made Taehyung’s cock hard in his tight black pants—with hair framing your face in a breathtaking way that showed glimpses of sparkling jewelry. Your friend, some chick with dyed green hair that Taehyung didn’t bother paying attention to, was clinging onto your arm, dragging you near the dance floor.

Taehyung knew.

He couldn’t take his eyes off you.

His head seemed to clear from the mind-numbing throb it always had when he spent too much time without another victim to take his aggression out of. Feeling the cool metal of the blade he always had tucked near his body, Taehyung sat back down in his seat, a playful smile perking at the edges of his lips. Funny enough, the blood thirst that never seemed to properly leave him was gone from his mind, an occurrence that was as rare as the pills the company liked shoving down his throat actually working for once.

You maneuvered your way over to the bar, to him, your friend pouting as she noticed you leaving before melting away into the crowd of grinding bodies. Taehyung swore then and there that the attraction between you and him was absolutely magnetic, with the way you seemed to pull the other towards one another.

He watched as you ordered some pretty-colored martini, adorably scrunching your face as the burn of alcohol coated your tongue and hit the back of your throat with a singe.

Maybe, Taehyung though to himself as he propped his chin lazily on his palm, he should really start listening to his manager more often.

Your mind was in a haze, and you didn’t even notice the man next to you until he was nearly pressed to your side, barely leaving a gap of space between the two of you.

You glanced at him, your tipsy mind suddenly sobering up as you realized who the man sitting next to you was. Kim Taehyung? What the fuck was he doing here?

“Another drink for a pretty lady?” Taehyung’s teeth showed as he charmingly flashed an award-winning coquettish smile at you, his already extremely handsome features seeming to increase in beauty from the grin.

You remembered JK’s words and a chill ran up your spine. God, his messages didn’t seem so implausible now, did they? Goosebumps rose up on your skin, freezing you to the bar table. Were…Were you his next victim?

You swallowed dryly as you tried to calm your racing heartbeat. The side of you that was a reckless journalist wanted to take a nosedive at the headliner just out of reach, but the rational side of you knew that leap of faith had a much bigger chance of you ending up disappearing off for a new job opportunity overseas, as Taehyung’s company would have it. You couldn’t write a good story if you were dead, after all.

“Thank you, but I can pay for my own drinks,’’ your lips twitched slightly as you forced them into a hopefully convincing gentle smile, refusing his offer softly before moving your body casually a few inches away from him,” Having drinks bought by strangers isn’t really my thing.”

Your smile must’ve looked a hell of a lot less nervous than you actually felt and a lot more convincing too because Taehyung’s shoulders, which had previously been winded like he was a predator getting ready to pounce on prey, seemed to relax at your words.

There was a dark gleam in his eyes when he again invaded your personal space and pushed his body near yours. He leaned in and whispered softly into your ears, his voice clear despite the early 2010s hits blaring from the speakers by the dance floor.

“If you’re scared of strangers, why don’t we get to know each other a bit?’’

Your fake smile grew stiff on your face. You felt like you were going to hurl the convenience store meal of ramen that you had scarfed before coming to the club all over the bar and Taehyung’s expensive luxury bran clothes. You could feel a sense of dread in your bones, the kind a prey animal would feel as a predator focused its carnivorous attention on them.

You forced a fake laugh, trying to drive the message that you were just not interested to Taehyung as loud and clear as you could manage.

“No thanks; I have enough people I’m close to. If you’ll excuse me, I think I’ve left my friend alone for far too long on the dance floor.”

You pushed yourself off the bar table, flashing a strained polite smile before you headed over the dance floor, trying to keep your pace slow and steady instead of breaking out into the outright run you wanted to do.

Taehyung inhaled the linger scent of your perfume, a natural smell that sweetly layered itself over the damp musky air of the club. His eyes, even as you tried to focus on the pounding music and forget the fear embedded deeply in your gut, never seemed to leave your form. Even when you burrowed yourself deeply into the crowd away from his view, you could still feel it.

You found yourself painfully sober after that encounter, trying to look normal in front of your friend for the rest of the night that seemed to painstakingly drag on for eternity. Even when you had the short 2-minute walk from the cab you took to your front door, you didn’t stop looking over your shoulder, still feeling the chill that came with the thought of Taehyung’s gaze. When you got inside your home, the bubbling nausea in your stomach took control over you, and you ended up heaving your dinner down the toilet.

When you managed to somewhat pull yourself together, you typed out a quick message with practically shaking fingers to the only one you could think of in that moment would understand what you were feeling, You stared at your unsent message before hastily pressing send.Name: I didn’t know who to talk to, but I saw Taehyung at the club today. I think you’re right about what you said about Taehyung.

Name: I didn’t know who to talk to, but I saw Taehyung at the club today. I think you’re right about what you said about Taehyung.

Ping!

You barely managed to fall asleep that night, and your eyes painfully ached when you peeled your eyelids open, hurriedly grabbing your phone and turning it on to check your messages.

JK: what happened? Sry for late response. Job keeps me busy all night

Your fingers flew over the keyboard as you typed out your message, furrowing your eyebrows in concentration as you tried to relay the events of your night in hopefully comprehensible words.

Name: I went with my friend to some sketchy club idk what area at this point but I went to the bar and I felt someone come up to me ?? I turned and realized it was Taehyung, and he offered to buy me a drink but I declined. Makes me sick how I could’ve been his next victim, so I tried to leave and go back to where there was more ppl in the club, But I can’t stop thinking about the look in his eyes. There was something sickening in them, I couldn’t put my finger on it.

JK didn’t respond for a bit, and you exhaled a trembling breath when his message popped up.

JK: be careful. Im glad you managed to get away

Name: I’m scared. I didn’t know what to do, but hopefully I’ll never see him again once I get this scoop out.

JK: stay safe. Thx for telling me. Text me if anything else happens.

You let out a shaky breath before clicking your phone off, your nerves still rattled but slightly more calmed down after talking with JK. You had to get ready for work, but at this rate, you weren’t even sure how you would be able to get through the day. Maybe you should take a sick day? No, you couldn’t.

The elevator dinged closed behind you as you stepped out of it into the office. As you were about to take a seat at your desk, your boss rushed out of his office, relief, something he never showed to you, evident on his expression once he caught sight of you.

“(Y/n)! Come into my office; I have an important job for you,’’ your boss ushered you into his office without another word, practically pushing a baffled you into the room frantically,” You know the company that manages Kim Taehyung? They reached out and agreed to an exclusive one-on-one interview with Kim Taehyung only, and only, if you agreed to the interview.”

You stiffened, your body frozen as you tried to process the words your boss had just spoken. Your brain seemed to be running a marathon as you computed the words your boss said, and you could only meekly respond with a limp,” Why me? Can’t somebody…Can’t someone else take over? Boss…you know I’m not that experienced.”

Boss Kim barely paid any attention to your words as he rested a hand on your shoulder with a confident look on his face.

“Then, use this opportunity to get more experience. You want to show the world that you’re a journalist by getting a scoop? Then take this interview! You know the company never agrees to exclusive one-on-one interviews unless they’re all staged, but there wasn’t even talk of this being staged at all. If you can use this opportunity and get something big, won’t this be your biggest step towards a great journalist career?’’ your boss exclaimed,’’ If you back out, another chance like this won’t come again!”

As much of an asshole Boss Kim was sometimes, you could find the logic in his words. Besides, it must be a coincidence that Kim Taehyung wanted you specifically to give him an interview; maybe he wanted a newbie, so they wouldn’t have much experience trying to fish out personal details and twist his words.

That’s right. There was no way he even remembered what you looked like. You guys interacted for, what, a solid 2 minutes last night. And if you did this interview right, you could use it as a building block as evidence for the headliner you intended to release with what JK had told you.

You exhaled, nodding your head firmly.

“I will. I’ll take this interview.”

Boss Kim’s face brightened, making him look much more like the stereotypical handsome CEO character found in dramas. Since he always looked exhausted and stressed out, he always seemed more intimidating, an aura that seemed to scare off any thoughts about how gorgeous he actually was. You had to admit: your heart did flutter a bit at his face.

“Excellent! He’s waiting in the meeting room right now! You only need, what, six hours to prepare, right?”

Fuck, you take back that heart flutter. Boss Kim was an asshole.

“S-Sir,’’ you sputtered,” I can’t…’’

Before you even finished your words, Boss Kim was already ushering you back out of the office.

“I believe in you! You got this!”

He closed the door behind you. You swallowed back the mouthful of swears you wanted to spew before scrambling towards your desk.

You weren’t prepared, but you knew you would do anything for a scoop.

Exactly 6 hours and seventeen seconds later, you were primly seated in front of Kim Taehyung.

The seats were annoyingly too close, and you cursed Boss Kim in your heart, knowing that the reason why the chairs were placed in such an unprofessional manner was because Boss Kim wanted to create the perfect intimate setting for no cost. If you tried to extend your legs, you’d end up smacking them straight into Taehyung’s legs.

You, although disgruntled, had to admit that there was a reason why so many major brands wanted him as their model. He was handsome under the shitty lighting of the musty club last night, but here, with his hair and makeup carefully done despite the fluorescent lighting of the room, he was every synonym of the word beautiful combined into one person.

Blond strands of his hair brushed his chiseled features, and his eyes, curved attractively and framed with delicate long wisps of eyelashes, was intensely focused on your face. He looked ever like a marble statue, carved with attention and detail to be the most perfect specimen artistry could ever create. But he wasn’t perfect; that was what you knew. And that would also be what would you get just one step ahead of him.

You swept a piece of hair and tucked it behind an ear as you scanned your hastily scribbled notes. His eyes clung to that movement, as if he was mesmerized by your every action, and you peeked a look through your lashes. Your eyes met, and you forced a stiff smile.

“Kim Taehyung-ssi,’’ you rolled your shoulders back into a proper posture, gingerly extending a hand out for him to take,” Good morning. It’s an honor to be able to do an interview with you.”

The edges of his lips tilted upward, and there was a playful glint in his eyes as his previous fiercely predatory state melted into the façade he put up in front of the public. He reached out and took your hand, throwing you off guard as he leaned in and pressed a tender kiss on the back of your hand.

“Likewise, it’s an honor to have an interview with you, (Y/n).’’

Yuck, you were going to have to wash your hands later. Anyways, what kind of person even kissed the back of people’s hands nowadays? This was the 21st century for fuck’s sake. You somehow kept your grimace to yourself.

You nervously laughed as you practically yanked your hand back out of his grasp. You casually wiped the back of your hand on the fabric of your skirt, disguising the movement as simply brushing off dust. Taehyung’s eyes didn’t leave any of your movements, and he laughed a little as he realized just what you were doing.

Oh, you were so interesting. You weren’t like the rest of them, the fans that threw themselves at him adoringly; hell, he was sure you weren’t even a fan. He was entranced. When he was close to you, the headaches seemed to fade; he didn’t want to drown himself in another body when he was with you. He didn’t want to kill when he was with you.

You ignored his burning gaze, breezing through the beginning parts of the interview. Finally, you reached the part that you had been anxiously preparing for.

“So, I heard that you’re trying out a new actor role. As a model and an artist and now an actor, we have to admit that your talents are incredibly versatile, Kim Taehyung-ssi.’’ You continued speaking. “Could you tell us a little more about this role?’’

“You flatter me too much, (Y/n).’’ He purposefully had left any formalities to the wind in this interview, a move that made you want to grind your teeth. “Yes, I was offered one of the leading roles in a new thriller movie. I’ll be acting as one of the charismatic but complex characters. I hope to show you and all of my fans a new side to Kim Taehyung.”

“Ah, a new side,’’ you nodded lightly,” Your new role as a charismatic serial killer who targets his admirers is certainly what many would call…complex. How do you go about preparing for such a twisted role?”

“Hmm…,’’ Taehyung’s lips curled up menacingly for a brief moment before fading away into a breezy smile,’’ It’s quite difficult to immerse myself into a role in which I have limited experience in, so I like to read through the script and make a map of what the character is like. What motivates him; what makes him so…complex, as you called it. I pretend to be like the character. How do I make myself think like him? That’s the question I like to try to find an answer to.”

“Ah, this is simply my personal opinion, but to truly play the character requires some true life experience…Is it possible that you’ve ever done anything similar to what the character has done in real life?”

A pin seemed to drop in that very moment from the silence that crowded the room. Everyone in the room froze and stared at you, their glances less than pleasant. You bore it all as you stared intently into his eyes. Slip up, you prayed, do something that will make you slip up. There was not even a brief soft sound in the 10 seconds that it took for Taehyung to respond.

He was rigid, the smile plastered on his face barely fading. Come on, you begged, expose yourself just a bit.

“Your response is lagging for just a bit, Kim Taehyung-ssi. It makes you seem guilty just a bit, doesn’t it?’’

He snapped out of it right then and there.

“I was simply contemplating my response. Your impatience is something not so befitting of a formal interview. To answer your question, isn’t a role just a role at the end of the day? If you think about it, I’m not the only person to have played a role like this. Many actors and actresses have done so without any thought of relating it to their real life. After all, a role is simply an imaginary self.”

You both stared into each other’s eyes, and you felt the gazes of other people around you burn into you.

You settled on a retreat. It was fine; this interview was just the first building block. You laughed lightly, throwing off the previous tense silence easily.

“Of course! We wouldn’t expect nothing but, right? We hope to see your talent truly shine through in this new role!’’

The tenseness in the room seemed to slip away right then, and the deathly gazes on you flitted away, like they were never there in the first place.

You let out a sigh as you left the interview room. God, that was terrifying, but you knew that you had to do what you had just previously done. What you had just done asserted the theory that you had. His company was hiding something about him, and that something was nothing less than downright horrific.

JK, you thought to yourself, I’m going to expose this story, just you wait.

“You weren’t just going to leave, huh?’’

You heard a familiar voice speak behind you, and you quickly spun around.

“Kim Taehyung-ssi,’’ you forced out of your throat,’’ I believed you had already left.”

“I was going to, but I wanted to speak to you about the interview. The company rarely lets me do interviews, so it was really refreshing to have one done with you. We worked so well together, and I would like to thank you for the pleasant experience you had given me with dinner. You must be starving, right?’’

You had been starving earlier, but one word from Taehyung left your stomach churning in nausea.

“No!’’ your voice was a bit too loud, so you hastily softened it,’’ No, that’s not necessary. You don’t need to thank me.”

Taehyung took steps closer to you, and you unconsciously took a step back. Noticing your movements, he looked at you and flashed a grin that might’ve looked harmless to others but outright menacing to you.

“Are you scared of me?’’ his voice was almost like a purr. You fought back a shiver, straightening your back and looking him straight in the eyes.

“No,’’ you stabilized your voice, keeping a waver out of it,” Why would I be scared of you? You’re not some higher being than me just because you’re a celebrity. You’re human, after all. But, as you can see, I have work to do, so I will have to politely decline your offer.”

“You can have the rest of the day off.”

You spun around on your heels, your gaze colliding with Boss Kim’s. When did he arrive?

“Sir! Boss! No, if I skipped out on work, I’d be a burden to everyone. Besides, I—,’’ your voice was cut off by another voice.

“It’d be good to establish a positive relationship between your company and ours. Your boss would usually be the one to go to a dinner, but I believe he already has plans. Any work you were unable to fulfill today will be taken care of.”

The voice seemed to chill you to the bone. You turned to make eyes with a man. Was he…Taehyung’s manager? Although he was handsome, the kind of handsome that was comparable with Taehyung’s, something about him churned your stomach. While Taehyung was like a predator waiting to pounce on his prey, the man behind this voice was already sinking his teeth into the neck, wringing out the… You snapped out of your thoughts.

Snap out of it, you mentally scolded yourself.

“How about it?’’ Taehyung’s manager coldly smiled, his tone like glaciers.

You opened your mouth to try to refute, but with the burning gaze from your boss, you could only dip your head in a bow, your voice low.

“Thank you for the offer. I accept.”

They couldn’t kill you, right? It’d be too obvious.

You followed them out, and when you passed by Boss Kim, you made a panicked glance at him. What greeted you made you halt briefly in your pace.

When Boss Kim made eye contact with you, he patted your shoulder in what should’ve been reassurance. His lips spread out in a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Don’t disappoint me, hmm?’’

His words, spoken low and steady, left a chill in your veins as you kept walking, and the sliding doors of the elevator dinged close behind you, effectively trapping you with Taehyung and his manager.

You somehow made it out of the elevator and through the tense car ride alive. Now, you were seated next to Taehyung himself in the private room of a restaurant. Smoke rose from the grill, briefly obscuring your view of his manager from across you.

You tried to think positively of the situation. If Taehyung was drunk, maybe he’d slip up, but…you made a furtive glance at his manager from across the grill, slightly jolting when your eyes collided with his own. The fear that nearly overcame you made you nauseous.

“A drink?”

Taehyung’s voice broke the tense silence, and you turned to see him already raising his glass. You stiffly smiled, barely managing to keep the nervous twitch out of the curves of your lips.

“I don’t drink.”

“It’s impolite to decline a friendly offer. Come on, a toast to a wonderful…partnership.” Taehyung chuckled, raising his glass, as he leaned his chin onto the propped palm of his hand,” And we wouldn’t want a bad start to it.”

You were panicking by now, but you could imagine what Boss Kim would say if Taehyung’s company pulled out because of something so miniscule. You couldn’t afford to lose your job, not with the way you had fought tooth and nail to get your position; you wouldn’t last a month without your job or the meager protection it gave you.

You made your decision, a decision you would’ve done anything else but avoid, and tilted the glass up, clinking it against Taehyung’s glass. Turning away, you made it look like you were lightly sipping the drink, but you only allowed the liquid to slightly wet your lips. You set down the still-full glass and smiled pleasantly.

“I can only drink this much. Anymore, and I would experience terrible side effects.”

Taehyung didn’t seem even irked by your feeble attempt at pretending; instead, his eyes filled with amusement. He didn’t stop staring at you, and the threatening vibe of it caused you to unconsciously delve into your habit of gripping your glass of water and drinking it in an attempt to calm your nerves.

You placed the empty glass back down before resuming anxiously picking at your food. A pair of chopsticks—specifically Taehyung’s chopsticks—placed a piece of barbecued meat on your bowl of rice.

“Not feeling hungry? You need to eat. Skipping meals is bad for your health,’’ Taehyung beamed as he watched you carefully pick up the piece of meat and eat it. It would’ve been delicious any other time, but the churning in your gut made it taste like sand in your mouth. You dryly swallowed it.

“I’m heading to the restroom.”

You heard Taehyung’s manager speak in his flat tone, and you threw a skittish glance at him as he stood up and walked out of the private room, closing the door with a soft click behind him.

“Ah, now that that nuisance is out of the way, why don’t we talk more?’’ Taehyung’s tone was playful, and you flinched as he leaned closer to you, his breath brushing against the outer shell of your ear.

“Kim Taehyung-ssi,’’ you gritted the name through your teeth,” Please respect my personal space.”

He laughed lowly before he dropped a hand on your thigh. You were about to make a move to push him away, but your body suddenly felt tired, like you weren’t quite in control anymore.

“Come on, do what I say, and your little news company will do so much better. Your boss didn’t tell you this, but your company’s going bankrupt. One peep from me, and your company will rise in ranking, but I can only do that if I’m in a…happy mood.”

Taehyung pressed even closer to you, his nose against the curve of your neck as he inhaled your scent deeply in. His hands moved from his side and he ripped open the buttons of your shirt, groping your bra-covered tits. You let out an incoherent mumble in response, trying to flimsily kick at him.

Where was the waiter? Why was his manager taking so long? They planned this!

Disgust and heat coiled in your gut, but you were too dizzy to move. Something…that bastard…Did he spike your water? You were too careless, fuck. Taehyung moved one hand to tilt your chin up before his lips met yours. Despite how sloppy of a kiss it was, you could tell he was experienced, practically tasting every inner crevice of your soft mouth with his tongue, and you should’ve continued to be revolted, but whatever pill in your system had you melting into his mouth.

Taehyung seemed to sense the turmoil and conflict in you and the soft give of your will, and that seemed to make him even braver. He slid a hand up your skirt, his touch hot even through the fabric of your stockings, and you let out a startled moan against his lips, drool dribbling down the corners of your mouth. He pulled back, and you could barely see through the teary haze of your eyes. It had been too long since the last time you had a good fuck. You just wanted to be touched…wanted to be fucked so hard his cock would press against your womb.

“I just want to see you let go a bit, baby,’’ there was the triumph of domination in his voice. The sober part of you wanted to rebel, wanted to push and scream and kick him away, but you weren’t sober, weren’t clear-minded. Your legs spread as if begging for more of his touch.

He ripped his fingers through your stocking, and the material easily gave way underneath his strength. You could feel the damp spot on your panties, growing as he rubbed his fingertips against your drooling pussy. You shivered slightly in delirious pleasure as his finger rolled over your throbbing clit.

“Mmph!’’ you let out a sound as he pushed your soaked panties to the side and pushed his fingers deep into your pussy. You couldn’t object, not when your pussy was stretching with a spine-tingling ache around his fingers, and especially not when he begin to set a teasing pace. He pushed his fingers in, and you shut your eyes in shame as your moans grew louder.

Your toes curled as his movements grew faster, reaching deep into you, and you were so, so close. Oh my god you could feel…and you were cumming hard. Your walls shivered and twitched around his still moving fingers, and you murmured a dazed plea as he finally stilled and pulled his fingers out. You, still twitching from how hard you came earlier, were ashamed to see the way his fingers glistened with the remnants of your arousal and orgasm.

The sound of his pants being unclasped drew you out of your drugged state. No, he wasn’t going to…Come on, snap out of it, snap out of it.

He drew back closer again, and you sucked in a breath, trying to push through your daze. He leaned in. You managed to bring your arms up to the table, grabbing the nearest object that you could reach. Your trembling fingers closed around your nearly empty water glass, and you took it, raising it and smashing it as hard as you could over his head. Water, ice cubes, and glass shards struck as the glass broke. Taehyung, not expecting the blow, had a temporary moment of weakness, and you managed to push him off you.

You shoved yourself up onto shaky legs, wrapping the ripped blouse around your weakened body, and forced yourself into a run outside of the room. The hallway of the restaurant around the private rooms was empty, devoid of any person. You frantically looked over your shoulder, relieved that you didn’t see him coming after you. This was a public place, though it was late at night, and you knew Taehyung wouldn’t risk his perfect reputation. But still, you remembered his manager was still out there.

You couldn’t let them kill you…You had to survive! You broke into a blind run, ignoring the strange looks and the calls you got from the restaurant’s staff as you pushed out of the restaurant into the street. You kept running despite the dizziness of your mind, and you could barely see what was in front of you before…You crashed into someone, slamming into their body so hard that you were sent sprawling to the ground.

“Please…,’’ you choked out, your voice strangled, crying out a desperate plea as you grabbed onto their clothes,’’ Please help me.”

Your mind was dizzy, splotches of colors splattering your blurry vision. Your body had overexerted yourself, and you prayed that you wouldn’t end up a dead body on the news as your grip around the clothes went lip, and you collapsed into the road. Through the buzzing of your ears, you could hear a startled voice call out, feel a firm touch grab your shoulders and try to shake you awake. Some strange hope rose in you; maybe…maybe…?

You murmured desperately one last mumble, your words barely making sense, as you spiraled into unconsciousness.

“JK…please help me.”

A/N: if you want to be added to the taglist for the next part, reply with a ❤️. If you enjoyed the story, please leave a comment or a detailed review below <3

Next work will be a fic for Jungkook’s upcoming birthday. Poll will be released soon for what kind of plot it should have!

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