#man 30 year old me gets very different vibes from this movie then 25 year old me did

[m1ssjess]

So I rewatched The Force Awakens on New Year's Eve. Because it's been over a year since I last saw it. And haven't seen it with the added context of TROS.

So here are my stray thoughts and observstions:

Okay. I still absolutley love this movie.

Rey is so young. Baby faced Daisy

But wait! She has boobs.

Kylo Ren is an amazing character. The power. The unpredictability. The costume. Adam driver. The setup for redemption! The character design and executions is amazing.

His Darth Vader Worship that was never addressed in future moviea. It was the perfect set-up to help along his redemption! Anakin swooping in and setting him straight. Helping him find a true balance between passion and love.

"What girl?" Foreshadowing a connection between Rey and Kylo/Ben. Prophecy, maybe??? The first time I ever heard that line my writers brain pricked up.

Hux is a great villain too. Pretty boy, but that speech??? Ammiright???

Rey is a fandom self-insert. Without a doubt.

Where did Snap get the douchbag reputation from? He has like 2 lines.

Poe has no canon backstory here and it shows. He *was* supposed to be killed off after all. I love him. So funny.

Maz is totally hinting at Luke being Rey's the fandoms/father. It's so obvious. Reylo have twisted it to maybe mean Ben solo but its painfully obvious that's NOT what JJ meant it to be. Maybe they were planning on making them cousins after all??? That could explain Kylo's "What girl?" I'm so glad they didnt, but it's so obviously hinted at.

Finn is such an interesting character! They did him so dirty in TROS. He should be out there rescuing stormtroopers! He was a child soldier and they never follower up on that!? Love him so much.

Maz Kanata is my favourite. Love eveything about her. That she runs a canteen. That she built that giant statue of herself. That she's horny for Chewie. That she somehow had Luke's lightsaber from Bespin.

Han's death. 😭 Omg. Harrison deserves all the awards. (I absoluley loved the theory back in the day that Han activated the lightsaber)

The hug between Leia and Rey makes no fucking sense. Fan self-insert for sure.

Why did Leia ignore Chewie!?

I would die for BB-8

Love how bad-ass Rey is. "Stop taking my hand!"

Finn and Rey are so precious together! I can completely understand finnrey. I don't think I have once read fanfiction that has accuratly captured how precious they are together.

POE AND REY DID MEET AT THE BASE! no proper introduction, but suddenly the forced poe/rey in TLJ is so much more stupid.

God, after watching this you can tell aesthetically that JJ literally skipped TLJ and went straight back to TFA. The lighting. The costumes.

Poor Leia in that ugly-ass vest/pantsuit combo. This makes me appreciate the costuming for TLJ so much more than I already did.

They totally went into this blind with no bloody plan didnt they? They just threw foreshadowing out there and hoped that some of it would stick. AND THEY DIDNT HAVE A DECENCY to *try* work it into TROS.

Finn is a cinnamon roll.

Poe is defintly gay. Or pansexual.

Rey is a feral sand goblin with a heart of gold and a pile of abandonment issues up to *here* and I love her. So glad where TLJ took her though.

Kylo Ren is *chef kiss*

And now I'm gonna go watch The Last Jedi for the first time in a year...

[beanswrites]

Ranking all Disney men based on how good of a guy they actually are Pt.2

Welcome back to this series, everyone! Even tho the last part was an absolute wreck, I promise this one is a bit better, since this part contains actually likable men.

Okay, fine, it's not that good-

But we are at least getting closer to the top!

Part 1 | Part 3

30. Woody, from "Toy Story"

I've got a snake in my boot!

If you read the first part of this mini-series of mine, you know that even tho I love "Toy Story", I don't find anyone attractive there. But if I HAD to pick somebody..

don't look at me like that

I'm kidding. He's a great guy and I love him so much but my girl Bo Peep can have him.

Looks: 4/10 He's... As good as toys go?? I like his smile tho.

Personality: 6/10 Same as Buzz. Can be a little impulsive from a time to time, but all in all, Woody's good.

Overall score: 5/10

29. Roger Radcliffe, from "101 Dalmatians"

Welp, as far as animated British men from the 60's go, I think Roger is actually pretty cute. Definitely a bit too old from me (he looks like he's in his thirties), but hey, who doesn't love a blonde musician who loves dogs??

I JUST GOOGLED IT AND IT TURNS OUT HE'S 22-23 YEARS OLD

Well that sure changes the looks department-

Looks: 4.25/10 I was about to give him a solid five but I just found out that he's actually 10 years younger (meaning he looks 10 years older) and it kinda ruined that.. All in all, still pretty decent!

Personality: 6/10 He's a good guy. A witty musician with a sense of humour and I can absolutely see what Anita sees in him.

Overall score: 5.12/10

28. Peter Pan, from "Peter Pan"

Anybody who says that they never had a crush on Peter Pan is a dirty liar

Five-year-old me would be squealing right about now. He was my main crush when I was kindergarten, and my fav color back then was green only and just because of him. Now that I'm looking at him, he's not all that cute, but I think it was more of his carefree vibe that made me like him.

Looks: 4/10 Not as cute as I remember, but still pretty cute. Again, his personality is hot, not himself per se.

Personality: 7/10 I LOVE this guy. He was just a boy looking for fun and wanted somebody to read him bedtime stories. Also very brave and adventurous. Five-year-old me obviously had great taste.

Overall score: 5.5/10

26. Tarzan, from "Tarzan"

He's got that cute, not really bright look on his face.. But c'mon, it's TARZAN!

I mean, he literately walks around shirtless (we aren't complaining)

Looks: 6/10 The only thing that's bothering me is his chin. Why is it so long and pointy?? (That's what she said) Everything else is fine

Personality: 5/10 I would have given him much more because he really is a great guy, but I can't since he doesn't talk all that much. Still a hero tho!

Overall score: 5.5/10

25. Milo Thatch, from "Atlantis: The Lost Empire"

I couldn't find a better picture, but here is Milo anyway

Tbh Milo introduced us all to the "cute nerd" type of a guy

He really does have that charm. Sure, he's dorky, and can be pretty shy, but he's really cute and incredibly smart!

Looks: 5/10 Again, it's the chin. Why was Disney making such big chins? Otherwise, he has really sweet eyes.

Personality: 7/10 This guy is AMAZING. Nice, kind, polite, intelligent, interesting.. He can be a bit too curious and childish sometimes, but he's really nice!

Overall score: 6/10

24. Jim Hawkins, from "Treasure Planet"

I have a confession to make.. I haven't actually seen "Treasure Planet", I just know this guy exists, and that people ship him with many characters from different movies, like Ariel

But he looks VERY handsome

and emo.

Looks: 6/10 I like his blue eyes, and I think that ponytail suits him! Also, heard his voice for the first time today, and it's pretty much what I expected.

I decided that I'm not gonna do his personality, since I don't know anything about him, and it wouldn't be fair. He does, indeed, look very emo tho, so can somebody please confirm or deny this in the comments?

Overall: 6/10

23. David Kawena, from "Lilo and Stitch"

This man is THE BEST Disney boyfriend and there's nothing anybody could say or do that would change my mind.

He takes care of Nani and really listens to her, plays with and takes care of Lilo and Stitch, is super supportive and doesn't rush things!

Honestly we all want a boyfriend like David

Looks: 6.5 I'm honestly ALL for big guys who are nice and sensitive, plus his hair really is fancy. Plus, his fanart is one of the best I have seen for any Disney guy!

Personality: 7/10 He's the best Disney boyfriend, like I said, but I don't really remember this movie so the best I can give him is a 7

Overall score: 6.75/10

22. Phoebus, from "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"

I'm just gonna say one thing: Esmeralda had a great taste

I know that the topic of him is pretty controversial (bc some people dislike him while other like him), but this man introduced me to the "I flirt by being a sarcastic ass" trope and honestly, I will love him forever for it

Looks: 6.5/10 Love the man, hate the beard. I'm sorry, but small chin beards are not for me.

Personality: 7/10 This man works as a single soldier, respects women, helps and fights for minorities and flirts by being a sarcastic jerk and you're telling me YOU DON"T LOVE HIM???

Overall score: 6.75/10

21. Beast, from "Beauty and The Beast"

Because I saw some other people doing it, I'm gonna rate Beast and Prince Adam separately, even tho they technically are the same person. It's kind of understandable however, since his looks aren't the same at all.

This man walked so every other tsundere could run.

You call it being a jerk and then learning to not be one, I call it ✨character development✨

Seriously, I know that there are many topics of this movie being an example of Stockholm Syndrome, but it really isn't. Examples of Stockholm Syndrome in Disney are the relationship between Rapunzel and Mother Gothel, or the relationship between Frolo and Quasimodo. This movie is just about this big guy over here who learned to love with Belle's help.

Looks: 6.75/10 Idk what is it, but he's always been kind of attractive. His facial expressions with his blue eyes kill me. Not a fan of the horns tho.

Personality: 7/10 Chefs kiss. My weakness is people going from absolute jerks who don't care to warming up to a person and being soft. The song "Something there" where they both realize that the other might not be so bad is one of my favorites. Love him.

Overall score: 6.87/10

--

That would be all for this one, everyone! We are getting much closer to the actual good ones, so follow me or stay tuned to see who's on top of this chart!

And yes, I know I promised Marvel men too, but I don't see how you expect them to be this low on the list since they are all so fine?? They are gonna be there in the next part, promise!

[basscannonjack]

1-100 SPEED RUN

Ama. How could you do this to me

1: when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk?

Lactose intolerant, only eat cereal dry

2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day?

yes, but not for too long

3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books?

i just try to remember lmao

4: how do you take your coffee/tea?

don’t like coffee, drink tea plain or with some sugar

5: are you self-conscious of your smile?

not as much as I used to be!

6: do you keep plants?

I have one (1) cactus that I haven’t killed in the 9 years I’ve had it

7: do you name your plants?

sometimes!

8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings?

music or writing

9: do you like singing/humming to yourself?

ALWAYS

10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach?

I generally fall asleep on my stomach and wake up on my back

11: what's an inner joke you have with your friends?

I HAVE YOU NOW

12: what's your favorite planet?

Neptune, probably!

13: what's something that made you smile today?

my SON asking me ALL THE QUESTIONS

14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like?

oh god, probably a bit of a mess

15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is!

the ISS was launched on the day of my birth, so it’s been in space *literally* my entire life

16: what's your favorite pasta dish?

just plain ol’ chicken alfredo

17: what color do you really want to dye your hair?

keeping it silver baybeee

18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up.

oh man, there are so many, but i’ll go with the time that Roman got coke to fizz through my nose by making me laugh too hard

19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it?

no journal, only very similar looking notebooks to doodle and write in

20: what's your favorite eye color?

hazel!

21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that's been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces.

my Bag of Holding! snapped the clasp on it a few years back though

22: are you a morning person?

not at all!

23: what's your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations?

SLEEP

24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets?

Ashe, of course

25: what's the weirdest place you've ever broken into?

I had to break into my own safe at my old job, does that count?

26: what are the shoes you've had for forever and wear with every single outfit?

I’d say my boots, but I just got a new set, so the older ones

27: what's your favorite bubblegum flavor?

Spearmint or wintergreen

28: sunrise or sunset?

Sunrise

29: what's something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing?

I just love seeing my friends blush

30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared?

yes, I won’t go into detail

31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks.

SOCKS SOCKS SOCKS I used to collect weird socks, now I just have a bunch of fun dress socks lmao

32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends.

driving everyone home at 4 am and seeing other people on the road and going “you should be in bed!” at them

33: what's your fave pastry?

lemon meringue pie

34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it?

Teddy a winnie the pooh bear that I still have!

35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often?

I adore new pens

36: which band's sound would fit your mood right now?

uhhhh I’ve been listening to a lot of Rise Against and ABBA lmao

37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean?

messy

38: tell us about your pet peeves!

nearly anything my brother does 

39: what color do you wear the most?

black or blue

40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what's it's story? does it have any meaning to you?

my claddagh ring from my grandmother, i don’t have much else from her

41: what's the last book you remember really, really loving?

not the last book but there was one about a girl having a single dragon finger that I remember reading so many times that I unfortunately don’t know the name of, or the Tamora Pierce Lioness series

42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it!

Don’t like coffee!

43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with?

James <3

44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything?

I do not :’)

45: do you trust your instincts a lot?

not as much as I probably should

46: tell us the worst pun you can think of.

I’ve been changing my username to a different halloween themed pun for all of October, I’m all burnt out

47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe?

Balut, it icks me out

48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today?

heights, and yes :’)

49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought?

I got a record player fairly recently, I have some P!atD ones, Foo Fighters, and Imagine Dragons

50: what's an odd thing you collect?

rocks

51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them?

Bitch by Meredith Brooks for my eldest sister

52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far?

the ones we’ve made in our server

53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them?

all of the above except Pulp Fiction, I’m not really a movie person but I *am* a musical person

54: who's the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face?

my dad

55: what's the most dramatic thing you've ever done to prove a point?

Cotton Eyed Joe in six inch heels

56: what are some things you find endearing in people?

honesty and passion in an interest

57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics?

I just vibe and belt, y’know

58: who's the wine mom and who's the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why?

can they both be me

59: what's your favorite myth?

the soup with a rock in it!

60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves?

Where the Sidewalk Ends was always a good one

61: what's the stupidest gift you've ever given? the stupidest one you've ever received?

a coffee cup drinking horn for my dad, and some painted rocks from my brother

62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind?

it would be apple juice if I did

63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be?

not at all

64: what color is the sky where you are right now?

greyish, the sun is just about to rise

65: is there anyone you haven't seen in a long time who you'd love to hang out with?

My eldest sister

66: what would your ideal flower crown look like?

ROSES

67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel?

give them to me, I love them

68: what's winter like where you live?

COLD

69: what are your favorite board games?

Monopoly and LIFE

70: have you ever used a ouija board?

no thanks

71: what's your favorite kind of tea?

raspberry or orange for fruit and mint

72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you'll forget it?

no, but I do write things down anyways

73: what are some of your worst habits?

I lose things all the time

74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns.

STARDUST SOULMATE

75: tell us about your pets!

I have a Min Pin named Lily

76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren't?

Sleeping

77: pink or yellow lemonade?

pink

78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub?

*insert ick emoji*

79: what's one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you?

decorated my band locker to celebrate my birthday

80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why?

beige, but I hung up a bunch of posters!

81: describe one of your friend's eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of.

when the sun hits very rich dirt where a tree used to be

82: are/were you good in school?

best in class in math with a 101.8 but I also rarely did homework so uh

83: what's some of your favorite album art?

Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die

84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones?

Dragon on the shoulder blade, roses on the left arm, Exalt on the right

85: do you read comics? what are your faves?

webcomics! Barbarous, currently

86: do you like concept albums? which ones?

:? not sure what that means

87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives?

TREASURE PLANET

88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy?

nope!

89: are you close to your parents?

my dad!

90: talk about your one of your favorite cities.

don’t really have a favorite, in all honesty

91: where do you plan on traveling this year?

I was supposed to go see Ashe for their birthday but maybe next year!

92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch?

CHEESE CHEESE CHEESE

93: what's the hairstyle you wear the most?

uhhh it’s usually short enough to do nothing lmao

94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday?

I have a friend’s bday tomorrow!

95: what are your plans for this weekend?

WORK

96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot?

bit of both

97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house?

INTP, Scorpio, Ravenclaw

98: when's the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it?

last year? maybe the one before? I did! but my heart didn’t

99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them.

How Far We’ve Come, Matchbox Twenty

The Call, Backstreet Boys

I2I, from the Goofy Movie Soundtrack (lmao)

100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why?

the future! I’ve had my time in the past, no changing it now

[felassanis]

Everything I love about Assassin’s Creed

1. Ezio da la la la

2. If you idle for long enough in Odyssey Ikaros comes and lands on Alexios’s/Kassandra’s arm and then alexios/Kassandra will greet him.

3. Edward’s outfit is by far my favourite Assassin robe. It looks so fooking cool.

4. Alkibiades

5. The first mission in Assassin’s Creed III. Finding the temple and it coming alive with all the lights and the humming was so fucking cool and the theatre with Haytham was such a good way to start the game, I loved the environment that went with the theatre and the parkour was really good too, everything was good even though I had no idea why we were there in the first place lol.

6. SHAUN HASTINGS

7. Edward’s tattoos being the only reason why I go whaling in AC:Black flag

8. The dynamic between Jacob and Evie, I’ve always wanted a twin duo in a game and Jacob and Evie Frye were awesome and y’all keep sleeping on them.

9. The different colour schemes in Assassin’s Creed 2 for the different cities gave the locations their own feel and vibe and it differentiated them from each other while also ensuring that the landscapes were utterly gorgeous. For example, Venice had cooler colours, very blue and silver while Florence was warmer, with more orange and brown thrown into the mix. It really gave those maps their own identity and it was great.

10. All of Lineage. all of it, it was flipping fantastic and I know it’s not a game but it was brilliant and the other Assassin’s Creed movie will never top it despite Michael Fasbender being in it.

11. That cutscene in Black Flag where Blackbeard lights his beard on fire, I love that historical accuracy because it was very likely true and it’s so SO bad-fucking-ass

12. Alkibiades

13. How quickly I fell in love with Frederico Auditore despite the fella only having about 5 lines.

14. Also just how quickly I came to love the Auditore family, that was how well written they were, that I fell in love after 30 minutes with them. 

15. LEONARDO DA VINCI

16. Desmond Miles’s snark.

17. ‘Hey whatta matta with you altair,’

18. SHAUN HASTINGS

19. How buffy Kassandra is

20. The hookblade was actually amazing in Revelations and I’m in full support that it shouldbe brought back. The noise it made was also oddly satisfying too?

21. The Glyphs in AC2 were spooky and ominous and I refused to do the last mission until I had found all of them and uncovered the Truth. Because that entire side quest was full of anticipation and the creepy vibe the Glyphs gave off and how the footage of Adam and Eve was cut up and glitchy was just really interesting and it peaked with a climax.

22. LEONARDO DA VINCI

23. The golden beads in Alexios’s hair.

24. And Alexios just being an overall gorgeous human being who’s face was chiselled by the gods.

25. The flying machine mission in AC2 while really aggravating if you didn’t do it the first time was also really fun and getting to see Leonardo all giddy and happy made it worth it.

26. I don’t know if it’s just me? but Connor’s hair? like I know for a fact that I like men with long hair but something about his hair and the feather intertwined into it was just really appealing? and while I know why Connor shaved his hair I couldn’t help but screech when he did lmao but that’s because it’s obviously not my tradition and it’s abnormal to me. pfft

27. Revelations is one of the best AC games and I’ll fight anyone on this. It was phenomenal given how it finally concluded Ezio’s story (and remember Ezio was the face of the franchise for years and he was fan favourite and still is so there were some pressure and expectations) and how it also concluded Altair’s story.

28. Altair wasn’t that interesting in the original game but Revelations added depth and layers to his characters and made him way more intriguing. The game also gave this character important significance to the lore and I think that’s the perfect way to honour the guy who started it all. As much as we love Ezio, Altair came before and without him, Assassin’s Creed wouldn’t quite be the way it was today. (although it’s up to you if that’s a bad thing or not lmao)

29. And seeing Ezio old and matured, becoming this wise legend of a man was really cool and getting to play as him in his final journey was both heartbreaking but satisfactory.

30. I have to give a massive applause to Ubisoft for making Leonardo gay as well in Brotherhood prominently. I don’t think it was ever proven historically if he was? but it was rumoured? and yet Ubisoft went and made it canon giving that representation while also having Ezio outright say he’s okay with Leonardo dating men?! Like, in that time period if you were gay you could go to prison and the general view of homosexuality was that of disgust and yet Ezio is just here supporting his best friend? hell yes.

31. ALKIBIADES

32. I have certain feelings with Unity, but I won’t lie that the parkour was spot on in that game.

33. Gideon Emery....just Gideon Emery as Reginald Birch. The character’s a massive prick but god...that voice.

34. Connor mentioning his grandfather Edward as he’s sailing the Aquila.

35. Getting to see the wreck of the Jackdaw in Assassin’s Creed Freedom Cry was gut-wrenching.

36. Finally getting to pet animals in ACIII.

37. Finally getting to feed pigs in a video game ^^

38. SHAUN HASTINGS

39. OKay, I like Shaun because the guy is really entertaining and he’s British like me and I need to see this fucker in future games again...because after Syndicate he just vanishes and we got...Fucking Layla ugh.

40. The Naval combat in Black Flag is unmatched, fighting other ships never felt like a chore and it was fun and thrilling and the rewards felt deserving. And the feeling of taking down your first Man’o War is RIVETING.

41. Rebecca calling the Animus ‘Baby’

42. She’s another character I want to see come back. And she and Shaun better come back and be alive.

43. Lucy being a Templar was a plot twist I never saw coming but I was all for that angst especially when it seemed like they were setting up what I thought was the inevitable Desmond x Lucy romance. But I guessed wrong.

44. Yusuf Tazim being the joy and light of Revelations. fuck you Ubisoft

45. Ezio’s family theme song is the most iconic video game songs ever.

46. The introduction of Alkibiades in Odyssey, what a great way to introduce a character. like seriously, I fell in love with that fucker the moment he started speaking and felt up Kassandra’s arms while being half naked and wasted.

47. Bayek being a breath of fresh air in wonderfully written complex characters whose story was powerful and tragic. He needs a sequel.

48. Assassins Creed Brotherhood’s trailer being iconic.

49. When returning to Florence to retrieve the apple and you bring Ezio back to his old home only to see the ghosts of his entire family waiting for him. I was gobsmacked when that happened and it’s such a beautiful detail.

50. Mary Read/James Kidd being one of the best characters in Black Flag and leader in the ‘did not deserve it’ club. Every minute of her was flipping terrific and her significance in Edward’s story as one of the driving points that turned him into a better man was great.

51. I cried at the end of Black Flag.

52. The little text about Shaun sobbing when you look at the database on Desmond the dog in Syndicate.

53. The lip scar being shared between Desmond, Ezio and Altair was a cool detail.

54. The interchangeable cloaks in ACII.

55. Henry Green was so soft, kind and lovely and I honestly adore him.

56. Cane swords in Syndicate WERE AWESOME

57. NO fall damage in Odyssey. Keep this feature I don’t care how impossible it is for me to survive a jump off of a giant statue of a naked god it’s cool and I want it for every other game about to be released.

58. If you walk through grass in Origins Bayek sticks his hand out like that scene in Gladiator.

59. The scene in ACII Where Ezio uncovers his father’s robes from the chest and holds it up, It’s an incredible scene and the music fits so well with it and if you’ve watched Lineage it’s all the more amazing.

60. Rosa being pretty and terrifying in ACII.

61. The Bleeding effect being that other thing in lore that is SO BLOODY INTRIGUING and I wish it was explored a bit more. Can you actually imagine having the bleeding effect? where you can’t tell the past and the present apart? where you see ghosts from the past and hear voices no one else hears? jesus,..

62. getting answers about Clay/Subject 16. Ever since he left that writing in the wall with his own blood I was hooked on his story and thank god we got answers and a face to the legendary name. I wouldn’t mind more of him though.

63. I’ve always been fascinated with Native Americans and finally getting to explore them a bit more in ACIII proved to be interesting and I hope it was satisfactory representation for Native Americans.

64. finally getting to play in the present day in assassin’s creed brotherhood and 3, like actually getting to run around and explore as Desmond.

(I did a post like this on my old blog and I’ve rewrote them on here but I also got some new things, I just like having a post like this on my blog and I like seeing people who also agree with these brilliant features in this franchise, you can pretty much tell which two games are my favourite lol, Black Flag and 2 will always have a special place in my heart,)

[far-away-stars]

THE EXTREMELY DETAILED OC ASK MEME for Iegan AND Apate!! I warned you. :P Stay tuned for more. Probably.

There you are. At the best of my abilities. may it curse your sleep and bless my crops. :’D

under cut cause it’s damn fucking long. 

Illyrio

1. Age, Birthday, Star Sign

So, I don't really have month/day precise birthdays for my ocs? :'D I don't even know how that would work on SW and I suck at star signs so… I can say Illyrio is born in 3682 BBY and that makes him 42 during the events of Makeb (which is the year he meets Muhn, if that works as a reference), and that I fancy calling him a Scorpio cause I guess it kinda fits. 

2. Gender Identity

Cis man. It never really went further for him, he always was comfortable that way.

3. Orientation and Relationship status (single, taken (by who?), crush (on who?))

Bisexual. Married to Muhren in 3637 BBY in canon universe; alternatively fancying his mess agent Blakk in other ones and .. well, both in some others. >>

4. Race and Ethnicity

Human, in SW standards, and then I couldn't really go in many more details 'cause, well, I still kinda want it to apply to his universe rather than trying to stick Earth labels and I don't have a clear faceclaim… let's stick to "not white".

5. Height and Body type

He's 1m77 aka 5'9". He's not overly muscular, but still very much in shape. He has a pretty athletic body even if he's essentially built for agility.

6. Headcanon VA

I cannot find headcanon VA for the love of me, so, well, I suppose simple the Inquisitor VA for now. :'D Euan Morton is a Broadway actor and singer after all.

7. Occupation

Dark Council Elite, leader of the Sphere of Expansion and Diplomacy, with direct oversee on the Voss' diplomatic situation.

8. Weapon of Choice(?)

already answered here

9. Hometown and current residence

He was born on Ziost, in a slave breeding and training facility. He lived some years in an apartment at Dromund Kaas but now has set residence in his mansion on Voss, despite his work not often allows him to spend long periods of time there.

10. Do they have any markings, piercings or scars?

They have a number of scars, most prominent being the slave marking on his face, the whip scaring on his back and the lightsaber mark on his chest.

11. Do they have any notable features, like horns, tails, or so on?

Aside from the slave markings and, I guess, the white hair (not that much of a significant feature when alien races are involved :'D ) he doesn't really have any, no.

12. Own any pets?

Nope, thank the Force, he doesn't have to deal with his daughter's Nexus anymore and he's happier this way. 

13. Have any kids?

Yes, his daughter Khatyrkite, that he had at 23 and adopted when she was 7.

14. Can they cook? Can they bake?

No. Let's leave it to that. :’D

15. Can they sing? Can they dance?

They can sing but it's not that easy to make them. They can formally dance with dignity, but not much else. Too rigid.

16. Can they drive?

Yes, but prefers to be driven around.

17. Can they fight?

Yes, double-bladed lightsaber and Force training. When younger he was also quite dangerous bare-handed but he hasn't trained that skill in a while.

18. Have any special keepsakes?

Not really… his lightsaber, I suppose. Old beads for his braid. But he isn't emotionally attached to many of his belongings. 

Interests

19. Hobbies

Some not-so-light reading, meditation, napping, listening/going to the Opera.

20. Clothing/Aesthetic

Dark clothing with gold accents, rich reds, furs, and expensive tastes. Sith aesthetic meets some vague Arabian vibes and have a hedonist child.

21. Fave food(s) and drink(s)

He likes finger-foods; salty, small quiches are probably some of his favorites. As a drink he likes fruity and spiced wines, cold or hot.

22. Fave Color

Blood red.

23. Fave Genre

History books.

24. Fave Season

Autumn.

25. City or Country?

He spends enough time in the city working, so country for his relaxing times, but he wouldn't give up the comforts of the City easily.

26. Guilty Pleasure

Power? Witch sometimes turns into sex.

Storytime

27. What’s their family like? Who’s in it? What’s their relationship with them?

Before Muhn his family was basically only his daughter, Khatyrkite, and they were close, despite Illyrio's initial efforts not to be so. She grew on him and managed to slowly but surely make his fear more of an after-though. He didn't want to get attached to someone so easy to love. An alien child with no practical education thrown into the Academy of Korriban? Khatyrkite had to work hard to prove she could do it. And he did make her work, considering it necessary that she could prove and defend herself without her father's title to protect her. They have great affection for each other, even of it's often left unspoken, and even if not as strong as before, they still have their Force bond to prove it, even to each other.

28. Are they literate? Did they go to school? How long? What level? 

They are literate, and learned most of his basic knowledge during slave training. The rest he took up keeping company to the young Master during his studies and generally during slave life. Then there was the Sith Academy and then he was taken as an Apprentice and Abraxas finished his education. He learned the rest on the way.

29. What was childhood like?

Not much of a childhood, let's say that. Studies, collars, biological engineering, slave training directed into obedience and alienation to self.

30. What was adolescence like?

Spent serving as a company slave in a high ranking noble family in Ziost. Let's say stunted.

31. What’s their current main conflict?

Finding any peace between overworking and starting to let go but risking losing status/power and a certain state of security born from habit.

32. What steps have they taken to overcome this conflict

Trusting more of his emotional baggage, vulnerability and work on his husband.

33. How have they changed over time?

He has become less.. unstable. Sith training following his slave one had pushed on many of the emotions he had been repressing beforehand, so, well, it made for a powerful Sith, but not much of an emotionally stable individual. He got in touch with more of himself and on what truly he wanted to be for his Muhn. 

For Fun

34. What’s their room look like right now?

It's a mix between his rich but organised deco and Muhn's pretty clutter and his plants. Rich, elegant colors overall, generally elegant but comfortable looking, cushions, big bed, big windows, woods, a library. His room is his comfort place, really, and probably one of the rooms he spends more time in aside from his training room and the gardens.

35. What are they like as a friend?

Bad. Bad-ish.

36. What are they like as a partner?

He.. gets better at it, given a little time. >> The sex is good.

37. Do they have any phobias?

They are not fond of deep waters, but can manage them. They detest Force inhibition devices.

38. Did/do they go anywhere special for vacations?

They haven't gone in one in… dam forever. They wouldn't know at this point, really. It's a mix between wanting to be in a place where he wouldn't be recognized and his desire to keep his status and power close.

39. Your character walks into a cafe. What do they order?

Rich, hot, spiced coffee.

40. What time do they go to bed, usually?

Depends, they are very used to an irregular sleep pattern.

41. What’s their morning routine like?

Depending on how much time they have, the very least composes shower and a minimum of beauty care, they usually pick their clothes the day before. They usually snack something quick if they have the time and take a caff or directly a stim, if need be.

42. What’s the dumbest thing your character’s done?

That's not to be discussed here.

43. What pokemon would your character be (if they’re already a pokemon/gijinka tell us what they are, and how that’s affected them)?

I.. don't really know? Struggling between a dark type or simply a snob-looking one.

44. What’s their pokemon team? Try to pick all 6.

Dear Force, so.. Any snake Pokemon is valid and he should have them, this being said : 

Arbok

Serperior

Ninetales

Spiritomb

Sableye

Chandelure

+if I may, a couple of legendaries that rule the Sith snake aesthetic :

Zygarde

Shiny Mega Rayquaza

45. Theme song (and a playlist if you’ve got it!)

I will always put "How can I refuse" here, no matter the consequences. :'D

46. If this character was in a musical, what would their motif be (what kind of instruments do you hear, what’s the tempo, ect).

Oh my god, I don't have that knowledge. Something low and a bit fear-inducing, but with a melody of strings, violins and violas, cutting it like the fresh falling of rain in between dark, tempest-heavy clouds. Some quiet, deep, rich drums.

The Deep Lore™

47. What was this character’s biggest turning point in their life, something that changed them almost completely?

Discovering he was Force Sensitive.

48. What was their lowest point? What was their highest point?

Lowest : his years at the Academy. Highest : Becoming a Darth/marrying Muhn.

49. What are some themes tied to your character’s story? I'm sorry, I'm getting too stuck with some of those deep© questions, I'm giving them up for now. :'3

50. What are some motifs associated with your character?

Villainous behavior, hedonism, manipulation, pragmatism, hyper-emotionalism.

51. What were some inspirations for your character (people, movies, games)?

Well, the Inquisitor storyline from STWOR, certainly, tho I didn't end up keeping much of it. Aside from that nothing really comes to mind but I'm sure I'm missing stuff. :/ In six years he has been through stuff.

52. How are you and your character the same? How are you different?

We struggle with other people's expectations and we don't want to be seen as weak or exploitable, I suppose. For how different we are I suppose the rest is pretty more obvious, but, mhn, I blame myself much more quickly, despite my barriers, so, well, instead of killing people I just get sad, I suppose. :'3

53. Expectations vs Reality: what did you expect and what did you get with this character?

I expected a hot, sassy, dark side playthrough. I guess I didn't expect the angst, the fluff and the attachment. :'33

54. What does your character want, and what do they need?

He wants power, but he needs to unlearn what truly gives him value.

55. What’s your character’s core trait? What’s their best trait? What’s their worst trait? When happens when these all interact with each other? see point 49.

56. What’s your overall goal with this character? Will they get a happy ending or will they succumb to their faults?

They.. eh. I don't really believe in endings? People go on, one way or another. He's much more than a simple narrative for me, now. If I were to just see how much he has already done in his life I would say he's in a happier place now, so, I'm glad. But that's not who he is either. It's not about getting him fixed, not really

---

Apate

1. Age, Birthday, Star Sign

Born in 3678 BBY, the rest is not in my book. :’3

2. Gender Identity

Non-binary/agender, intersex.

3. Orientation and Relationship status (single, taken (by who?), crush (on who?))

Bisexual, kinda taken by Kitty, but it's in the "it's complicated" folder cause we technically didn't even set a meeting point for them. :'D also, precedently entangled with Mikawlas, and generally involved with many other . >> 

4. Race and Ethnicity

Togruta. Their faceclaim-ish is Ezra Miller, so some ethnic inspiration there.

5. Height and Body type

They are 1m81 aka 5'11". They are slender with some athletic features, especially on the abdominal area. 

6. Headcanon VA

I have no clue. :'D I'm sorry.

7. Occupation

Went from sex worker to owner of the Golden Rose Pleasure Center.

8. Weapon of Choice(?)

Sniper Rifle. They don't really consider their body or their pleasure expertise a weapon, no matter its potentialities.

9. Hometown and current residence

Grew up in a Coruscanti orphanage, now resides on Nar Shadda.

10. Do they have any markings, piercings or scars?

Aside from their natural Togruta markings, nope, and if they were to get them/had got them in the past, wouldn't hesitate to have them removed.

11. Do they have any notable features, like horns, tails, or so on?

Lekku and Montrals? :'D they are curved in the front so they do catch the eye.

12. Own any pets?

No. They didn't have the position for one for a long time and then never really gotten to it. Probably scared they would do a bad job taking care of one.

13. Have any kids?

Nope.

14. Can they cook? Can they bake?

They can't really, no. :'3 they can manage a survivalist meal but they essentially rely on other to get food.

15. Can they sing? Can they dance?

They can't really sing, but it's not a passion of their so they never really did any practice worth of it. They can dance, but only a selection of simple things, essentially for their job. They don't mind dancing casually, and are pretty good at it. At least, they are pretty to look at doing so.

16. Can they drive?

They can, they shouldn't, but they can. :'D

17. Can they fight?

They are better at ranged combat, but they can throw a hell of a fight nonetheless.

18. Have any special keepsakes?

I'm not sure if they have anything of Mikawlas, or even of their orphanage life.. they spent too much time on the street, if they managed to salvage something during those years it would certainly be a precious possession for them. 

Interests

19. Hobbies

Taking care of themself with beauty products or with a mani-pedi is a luxury they couldn't afford for a long time and it does marvels to their mood so they indulge in gladly it when they have some me time. Also they have a sometimes strained relationship with their looks, so making themself pretty makes them happy. Aside from that they like simple pad games, to run and spend some time in shooting ranges.

20. Clothing/Aesthetic

They like shiny, they like precious fabrics, gold, their heels, shorts, skirts and dresses, some fashionable frills and classy, eye-catching outfits. 

21. Fave food(s) and drink(s)

They like experimental foods, jellies and escargots the most probably. If they could only drink vodka and lemon sprite they would. Also champagne.

22. Fave Color

Rose Gold.

23. Fave Genre

Detective/crime stories.

24. Fave Season

They haven't experienced much of those, living mostly in ecumenopolises, so, if it's not artificial weather they probably would have complaints one way or another. Something temperate I suppose, late spring.

25. City or Country?

City.

26. Guilty Pleasure

Aside from sex? Mhn. The thrill of the hunt, maybe. But both of those things have been incorporated in jobs for a long time, so, well, aside from having a particular relationship with both, defining them "guilty" pleasures is complicated. I guess they like being pampered, sexually or not, so there's that.

Storytime

27. What’s their family like? Who’s in it? What’s their relationship with them?

They don't have a family, nor good memories from the orphanage, so, probably the closest they got to family was, first, at Madame's institute, where they really come in touch with a positive collective/community. They started coming in touch with themself and with others in a way that was more than family than ever before. Of course they wanted to rebuild that with the Golden Rose, even if it became with times more "officious" with the number of workers and clients and regulations that came with it. But they do want people to feel safe with the Rose, and want them to feel at least a little bit like family.

28. Are they literate? Did they go to school? How long? What level? 

They are literate, and studied at the orphanage until they left, so, they are not very knowledgeable after that. They didn't continue studies, only tried to pick up some decent bases to start being more independent after Madame picked them up. They worked hard to be functional as owner of the Golden Rose, and that's where they are at. 

29. What was childhood like?

They weren't very happy at the orphanage, didn't felt like they belonged. It ended up with them running away, so...

30. What was adolescence like?

A mix between rebellious orphanage life, naive Nar Shadda and bling/bling fascination and the basically spoiled, responsibility-free life as a Crime Lord doll. It was.. maybe not as practically formative as it could have, overall.

31. What’s their current main conflict? I'm sorry, I'm getting too stuck with some of those deep© questions, I'm giving them up for now. :'3 

32. What steps have they taken to overcome this conflict? see above

33. How have they changed over time?

They became more self-aware, more conscious of themself and their choices. More independent, and such, with a bigger presence, allowing them to also create better and stronger bonds with people. With a helping hand they started shedding all the bad preconceptions they had on their life, even if it really took years and years to come to terms with some truth about themself and their past, but well, they got back on their feet. Now they have a house, they pay bills, they own and handle a host house that oversees many people that Apate wants to protect. So, well, I can't really tell how they changed, cause they didn't, not really. It was still them, all along, but I guess they own themself a bit more every day.

For Fun

34. What’s their room look like right now?

It's a pretty big room, but essentially on the minimalist side. Very clean and shiny, with its marble floors and big window on the High District. It's not cluttered and Apate doesn't spend that much time in it, but when they do they find it more peaceful for it to be essential but pretty and expensive looking in its decor and composition.

35. What are they like as a friend?

Devoted, sometimes harsh and too up-front, but also generous and affectionate.

36. What are they like as a partner?

They haven't had much experience in that field yet, so, maybe, distant, even if not on purpose. They are not really used to the practicality of building ties so ever-present and strong, they are still very much used to deal with things on their own. But very sweet, very tactile, very inquisitive, playful.

37. Do they have any phobias?

Of losing themself in someone's idea of them. Again.

38. Did/do they go anywhere special for vacations?

They haven't taken a vacation in ages, they want to quite bad. Anything different from Nar Shadda would be welcome, but they probably want the pampering vacation treatment. They do have an affinity for water, because of their ex, so maybe somewhere they could swim a bit.

39. Your character walks into a cafe. What do they order?

Everyday something different, they don't like caff but drinks it daily so spicing things up is their way. Now it's usually Terjam that buys caff for them, so they enjoy being surprised.

40. What time do they go to bed, usually?

It depends, the Rose usually "opens" late in the morning and closes later at night, but it depends if there are events or not, and if Apate has plans or not. They are more akin to the night life, and Nar Shadda Never really sleeps, so it's not unusual for them and some friends to have late evening shopping sprees or date nights or such. It will depend on how much work there had been during the day.

41. What’s their morning routine like?

They take their time. They wake up slow and then stretch and drink water and then shower, quick breakfast with either milk/yogurt/sweet cheese and some fruits while listening to radio/the news, and then make up and dressing up and then to the Golden Rose where they take a coffee and some pastries with Terjam before starting work around 10:00.

42. What’s the dumbest thing your character’s done?

Thinking it was a good idea to escape to Nar Shadda with no money or friends or knowledge of the city at the peak of 15 years old.

43. What pokemon would your character be (if they’re already a pokemon/gijinka tell us what they are, and how that’s affected them)?

Zughhh... Tsareena.

44. What’s their pokemon team? Try to pick all 6.

Shiny Goldeen

Gorebyss

Mega Diancie

Mega Altaria

Alola Ninetails

Sylveon

45. Theme song (and a playlist if you’ve got it!)

I don't really have one, ahh… Lady Gaga-ish feelings, but not as "hard".

46. If this character was in a musical, what would their motif be (what kind of instruments do you hear, what’s the tempo, ect).

Mhn, something lively and clear, but with a solid accompaniment, like some piano. Maybe a discrete but deep beat underneath, like almost a techno base.

The Deep Lore™

47. What was this character’s biggest turning point in their life, something that changed them almost completely?

There's been two. One when Mikawlas died, and Apate found themself mourning, furious, hurt and dependent on the little skills they had to survive from there on. The second was when Madame picked them up and helped them detox and then got them back on their way to manage themself independently and redefine boundaries in a way that could better connect them to themself and a thriving comfort zone.

48. What was their lowest point? What was their highest point?

Apate almost lost themself, and skipped many steps of their emotional and practical development growing up in not-so-healthy environments. They never really had a family, they rushed and yet mellowed through their adolescence without any real friends of their age, they suffered a big loss pretty young and then started living off favours and on the street without really a support and foundation to evolve. 

Then they got back to their feet, and found their ambitious drive again, and created the Golden Rose and wasn't that just *chef kiss*.

49. What are some themes tied to your character’s story?

Former drug addiction, stunt in personal growth and past trauma being overcome, sex work and its relation to their own sex drive and desire, curiosity and extroversion, sex positivism, grooming, fashion and beauty care.

50. What are some motifs associated with your character?

Unsuspected assassin, Diva, fashion expert, sexy and capable, sass master.

51. What were some inspirations for your character (people, movies, games)?

Mhnhnjnnnn I dunno. There are pieces here and there but.. nothing that flashes in my mind. 

52. How are you and your character the same? How are you different?

We like shiny things. They can pull it off.

53. Expectations vs Reality: what did you expect and what did you get with this character?

A character for smutty action, and I kinda got myself into angst but also a more vivacious and free-willed character I expected. 

54. What does your character want, and what do they need?

They want the Golden Rose to thrive, they probably need a vacation.

55. What’s your character’s core trait? What’s their best trait? What’s their worst trait? When happens when these all interact with each other? see point 31

56. What’s your overall goal with this character? Will they get a happy ending or will they succumb to their faults?

Same as Illy's point.

[metalandmagi]

January Media Madness

It’s a new year, and yes I’m still keeping track of the stuff I watch and/or read. I really just like being able to keep track of everything that came out during the year, and I like to shout my thoughts into the void. And maybe someone will find something they like.

Movies!

The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals: Okay, not a movie, but it’s the latest musical from Starkid so I had to include it somewhere. And this time it’s a horror alien/zombie take over that causes everyone to act like they’re in a musical, and humanity’s only hope is an average guy who happens to not like musicals. That may not sound bad, BUT THINK OF THE IMPLICATIONS! The plot could sort of meander at times, but it’s hilarious and also pretty dark for Starkid. If nothing else, watch it because Lauren Lopez is a goddess. 9/10

Monty Python and the Holy Grail: Everyone’s favorite silly King Arthur searching for the holy grail story. I hadn’t watched this movie since I was a kid, and there was so much stuff I forgot about! And yeah it’s still pretty great. I do feel like it drags in the middle a little, but I still always enjoy the tomfoolery! 9/10

Three Identical Strangers: A documentary about a set of identical triplets who were separated at birth and the sinister intentions of the adoption agency who separated them. On top of being an interesting story, it is super thought provoking bringing up questions of scientific morality, nature vs nurture, and mental health...which does make it a little depressing. I love the way it sets up the mystery of the story, but it also makes you feel terrible for trying to plot out and guess the story of these actual human beings’ lives. So I’d recommend it to anyone who is interested in crazy stories and scientific corruption! 9/10

Venom: A classic tale of a boy and his symbiote. In which the weirdest investigative reporter in the world is possessed by an alien parasite while trying to stop a corrupt corporation from constantly murdering people. Guys, I originally never planned to see this movie. I never cared about Venom. I was never big into the Spiderman universe, but then this movie came out and everyone was saying how weird it was...and how Eddie and Venom are like a thing...so curiosity got the better of me. And I’m kind of underwhelmed. I think I would have liked it more if I never had any expectations going into it, because it really wasn’t as weird as I thought it would be. The first 30 minutes were a slog, the dialogue was clunky, the plot was very predictable and basic, and I feel like Eddie and Venom didn’t have enough interaction. But it had its moments, I get why some people love it, and I did like what I saw of the symbiote relationship, so all in all it was just..okay. Oh well. 6.5/10

Mama Mia Here We Go Again: The just as ridiculous sequel to Mama Mia, featuring more dumb plots that don’t fit together, more dumb writing, and more over the top performances. Just like the first one, it’s a silly excuse to put some ABBA songs in a movie and make you have fun, and it accomplishes that in spades. Because if you’re watching a Mama Mia movie for the “plot” or anything other than the musical numbers and silliness, you’re making a huge mistake. It is a little clunkier trying to weave two timelines together, but who cares because they’re singing Dancing Queen! As an actual movie, we all know it’s barely passable as a 6/10 but just for getting drunk with your friends and having fun it’s a 9/10

Books!

The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis: The fifth/third book in the Chronicles of Narnia in which a boy and a talking horse run away from the land of Calormen to get to Narnia...and find out about a plot to take over Narnia along the way. I know some people think this is the most interesting book in the series plot wise, and technically there is more plot...but it’s boring as hell. I really think Lewis’s normal interjections would have made it more entertaining, but he doesn’t use his author’s voice at all! Not only is it written in an incredibly circular and drawn out way (some people literally tell stories like they’re writing the bible), but it’s also SUPER RACIST and kind of sexist too. I was so excited because when the book first started I thought we were getting a canonical protagonist of color...and then he turns out to be a kidnapped white boy surrounded by “savages.” Yes we have Aravis...but I really don’t know how to feel about her. Also Bree the horse is really just an asshole, so it’s hard to like any of the characters. I did appreciate having adult Edmund and Susan around though, so it’s not a total waste. The truth is, this is the book that I could barely get through as a kid and would constantly fall asleep reading so I barely remembered anything besides the fact that I didn’t like it. 3/10

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson: In a distant future, humans are trapped on a wasteland planet where their only hope for survival are teenagers flying spaceships while fighting a mysterious alien race. Aka: local girl is constantly dumped on by society and makes friends with a talking spaceship. Okay this book definitely has its problems, but I mostly don’t care because 1. The world building is great. 2. Spensa is a fun main character. 3. All the side characters have distinguishable personalities and interactions *cough* m-bot *cough*. And 4. The plot could be predictable at times but I really liked following the mystery of it all...even if there’s some weird chosen one type of bullshit going on towards the end. It has a major season one Attack on Titan vibe with all the questions about humanity’s history and mankind uniting to fight a mysterious enemy. This is a super fun read that kept me theorizing and was also incredibly motivational. Did I like all of Sanderson’s decisions when it came to which characters died? Hell no. Do I think the government would have a lot more backlash considering its dumbass way of fighting wars? Yes. But I’d still recommend it, and I’m still looking forward to the next book! 8/10

TV Shows!

Aggretsuko: The most adorable musical comedy anime of 2018, where Retsuko, a 25 year old office worker is getting fed up with her job and copes with life by singing aggressive death metal songs...and by the way everyone’s a cute animal. I’m a little late to this party, but this show is so precious and also disturbingly accurate to real life. Retsuko is so relatable, Haida’s crush on her is well executed and not forced, there’s great working women solidarity (Gori and Washimi are the fucking queens of anime side characters) and the metal is so well integrated! Please watch this charming show and the Christmas special if you haven’t already! I NEED ANOTHER SEASON NOW! 10/10

A Series of Unfortunate Events (season 3): The final season of the Baudelaires’ tale of misery and woe. And man did they stick the landing. “But it doesn’t leave things vague enough, they didn’t leave the sugar bowl a mystery.” GOOD! I’ve had to deal with Snicket’s badly written ending to the books since 2006. I love that they explained as much as they did. The ending was bittersweet and more concrete while still delivering the message of how the world is morally gray. Also Quigley was amazing, Sunny was amazing, FERNALD WAS AMAZING! KIT WAS AMAZING! EVERYONE WAS AMAZING! And I almost cried seeing the kids in their outfits from the book covers. I wish Jacqueline was in it, but I think her character would have felt redundant with Kit in the mix. This was an amazing adaption all around, and this season did a great job at putting some of the more...difficult books on screen without it feeling out of place. Even if you haven’t read the books, I encourage anyone who likes mysteries and different forms of storytelling to suffer with the rest of us! 10/10

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K (season 1): Local overpowered psychic anime boy just wants to be ignored and blend in with society, but the universe constantly surrounds him with silly situations that cause him to use his powers. I finally got around to watching this show, and it’s hilarious. Kusuo is a great deadpan main character who is definitely ace as hell, and the English dub is actually pretty good! I don’t really want to watch the show in Japanese now because I feel like the dub does a better job at timing the comedic lines and distinguishing everyone’s thoughts. So now I’m upset that the second season hasn’t been dubbed (thanks Netflix). But yeah it’s a great silly show to binge watch. 10/10

Community: The misadventures of a wacky study group going to the world’s worst community college. You know, the one with all the memes? Okay, I know I’m the last one to watch this and  technically I still have a season and a half left at this point, but I thought I’d include it anyway. This show is such a wild ride that I don’t even know what to think about it anymore. The first two seasons were pretty average with a few absolutely brilliant episodes thrown in. And then...the paintball episodes happened, and the show just became amazing. I do have a lot of questions though....like if the main character is a lawyer (sort of), why does he never sue the dean for sexual harassment? Why does Pierce, the resident old, sexist, racist, problematic baby boomer have an “arc” centered around a logical fallacy. No one wants to hang out with him because he’s terrible, but he’s upset because he feels left out and constantly does terrible things to get back at them? I literally almost dropped the show because I couldn’t take him anymore, and then the writers just magically dial him back in his last seasons...which I’m thankful for. And I don’t even know where to being with Chang. BUT this show is a testament to creative writing and innovative meta ways to tell stories. The rest of the study group is made up of hilarious well balanced characters that all have their distinct broken but quirky personalities. And I love them all...except Pierce. So, even though I haven’t finished it, I’d give it an 8.5/10 so far.

Superstore: A sitcom about the daily struggles of workers in a W*lmart-esque superstore. I finally caught up to it, and it’s still fine. It’s not great, but not terrible either. It is incredibly accurate though, coming from someone who works retail. The best parts of the show are the scene transitions because they show all the things customers are doing in the store. And most of the time I just nod and go “yeah I’ve seen that.” This is one of those shows to have on for the sake of just having something on. It has its moments. 7/10

Honorable Mentions

Because these are the reasons why I didn’t really read much this month...or watch many movies.

YOUNG JUSTICE is officially back with the long awaited season 3. And it’s still pretty great, but man I wish I had rewatched the original series.

Netflix released the Taylor Swift Reputation stadium performance. So now you all know how much of a slut for Taylor Swift I am. I can’t help it if her latest album is basically Captive Prince the musical!

The Masked Singer (US version) is dragging me into a spiral of conspiracy theories. Please watch this ridiculous reality show where celebrities wear elaborate costumes and a super annoying judging panel tries to guess who they are. I’m in hell, because this show is set up terribly, but I also don’t want to leave.

Life is Strange 2: episode 2 was finally released. And I’m actually loving it. These games have a special place in my heart for some reason.

New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe came out and I hate myself for buying these stupid games because they consume all my time, and I don’t even really like them.

[fuckyeahevanrwood]

The Road Less Traveled: Westworld’s Evan Rachel Wood does nothing by the book

Evan Rachel Wood can ride a horse and shoot a rifle at the same time. She can’t tell you why she knows how to do that—while wearing a prairie dress, playing a character that is a robot, and galloping through the Utah desert for the HBO series Westworld, now in its second season. She just does it.

It’s the same with acting, in general, which the 30-year-old has been doing since she was 5. She can’t explain it. She does it.

“It’s an energetic thing, I don’t know. My senses are different,” Wood says over a lunch of scrambled eggs at a bar in Silver Lake. “I have terrible fine motor skills, but I can shoot a scene on a horse with a gun in one take. I have synesthesia, which means that I can hear color and feel sound. I thought everyone experienced the world that way. I’m fascinated by the way our brains work, and I was reading about psychology and learned about what synesthesia was, and I thought, ‘Wait. Other people don’t feel that?’”

Even if you haven’t seen her eerie performance as Westworld’s Dolores (which earned her both Golden Globe and Emmy nods), living a preprogrammed life in a sort of alternate-reality game where wealthy players get to act out twisted Old West fantasies among androids, chances are Wood has left a lasting impression on you from a different role. Starting with a few dramas on television (among them Once and Againand the original American Gothic) and her breakout role as a troubled teen in Catherine Hardwicke’s 2003 film Thirteen, Wood has had an intense, often smoldering and mature on-screen presence for two decades. She played Mickey Rourke’s daughter in The Wrestler, a promiscuous intern in George Clooney’s The Ides of March and the vampire queen of Louisiana in True Blood. In person, Wood does not present as a boldly provocative movie star. Wearing wide-leg faded jeans, a striped T-shirt, tortoiseshell glasses and Vans, her hair in a reddish bob, you might guess that she is a manager at Urban Outfitters. She looks younger than she is, which she credits to sunscreen (La Roche-Posay). And though she spent her adolescent years living and attending acting classes in the San Fernando Valley, she now prefers the vibe on the east side of Los Angeles, where she spends time with her friends, mostly fellow musicians (she’s a singer) and actors. And when she isn’t working here in town, or on the Westworld set near Moab, she calls Nashville, Tenn., home.

“Los Angeles can be too intense for me,” she says, explaining that she wants her son, who is 4 (his father is Wood’s ex, actor Jamie Bell), to have some space to be a kid, both literally and figuratively. “I feel like I’m always working here, even just walking down the street. Nashville is great because there are so many creative people there who are working and doing cool things, but nobody cares what you do. Or if they do, they’re lovely about it. I didn’t buy a farm or anything, but I have a yard and a guesthouse. There’s nature and a community. I wanted all of that for my son. I was just a couple of years older than he is when [my career] really started. And it’s weird to think about how short his life has been, and that is the only amount of time I had before I became an actor. I really like my life, the good and the bad of it, but I wouldn’t let my son do it.”

When you watch performers grow up on screen, you can see how their choices shape them, and see who they are becoming based on the roles they take. Wood was raised in a North Carolina theater that her father ran surrounded by a “melting pot” of cultures, personalities and sexualities, and she has been working steadily for 25 years. At first, with her long, straw-blond hair and fair skin, she was cast as a thoughtful, serious daughter. Then, as she matured, she understood that her tastes were more eccentric. (You may remember that she was in a long-term relationship with Marilyn Manson.)

“I’ve never wanted to go down the road everyone else was going down,” she says. “I wanted to go down the alleys and learn about the people who were different, talk to the weirdos and know their stories. I don’t always play dark characters. I mean, I’ve done comedies. But the darker roles are what people tend to remember.”

Her latest big-screen role is Laura, a psychologically complicated cleaning woman who has a tangled family life and intense sexual encounters with strangers, in a film called Allure. Laura is a woman who is hard to like, who manipulates, traps and tortures a 16-year-old piano prodigy with a difficult home life of her own. Originally, the role was written for a man, by Canadian writer-director team Carlos and Jason Sanchez.

“Then they gender-swapped it, which is when they approached me,” Wood says. “That was intriguing to me, that this role was now female, which you don’t really see, and it did explore these kinds of situations in a way that I hadn’t quite seen before—from the eyes of two women. My biggest fear was that I wasn’t going to be a believable abuser, because I didn’t want to traumatize anyone. I think because I’ve been doing this since I was a teenager, I become very protective of younger actors.”

Since Wood publicly came out as bisexual in 2011, she has embraced her voice as an advocate for LGBT civil and women’s rights. She writes essays for Nylon magazine and speaks frankly about changing social mores surrounding sexual identity in our culture. Wood received the Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award at the 2017 North Carolina Gala, where she gave a candid speech about the importance of “representing the underrepresented.” Recently, she testified before Congress about her own history with sexual assault, detailing some truly horrific experiences but refusing to name her assailants, to protect herself from potentially draining court battles.

She experiments with androgyny in her personal style, gravitating more toward sleek, tailored suits and what she calls a “futuristic,” modern aesthetic with stylist Samantha McMillen. She has also written a couple of screenplays and started exploring paths behind the camera, mainly as a director. In the meantime, Westworld is more than enough to keep an active brain like Wood’s occupied. (And, as of season three, she is receiving equal pay to her male co-stars.)

“You can watch the show and go along with it, or you can put your detective hat on and try to figure it out. That’s what I love to do. I have a pretty good idea what it’s about. But there’s no way to really figure out this season. I read the final script and I said, ‘I have a couple of questions. First, what exactly is this?’”

The questions the show’s creators, Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, ask about the origin of consciousness, and the potential for artificial intelligence to outpace its human creators, are interesting enough to keep the cast (which includes Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright and Anthony Hopkins) and the audience on their toes. It doesn’t hurt that there’s plenty of nudity.

“It’s not even weird anymore,” laughs Wood. “We’ve all been naked so often that it’s just normal. I show up to work and say, ‘OK, I’m naked in a lab. And Anthony Hopkins is here.’ It’s so surreal there isn’t even time to bestressed.”

And now that Wood is 30, she’s no longer the “baby” in the group and there is less pressure for her to prove herself time and again. She has experience, but still feels like she has a lot to learn.

“People listen to me differently now,” says Wood, and she understands what her older colleagues have been trying to tell her all of these years.

“Growing up as a child actor, I heard about regrets a lot,” she says. “I had a lot of people telling me not to live with regret. They drilled into my head how short and precious life is, so I made sure I didn’t care what anyone else thought.”

And, like everything else Wood does with convincing ease, when she says this, you believe her.

[twigsnbones]

I am tired but oh another Tag Meme

Tagged by @fliederfuchs. Oh boi, so many questions.

1. Coke or Pepsi: Coke.

2. Disney or DreamWorks: I really don’t have an opinion for this.

3. Coffee or Tea: Tea, too much coffee gives me hearts problems. But... so... good...

4. Books or Movies:  I really want to read more but I get distracted so easily. It really depends, but I’d rather purchase a book than a movie.

5. Windows or Mac: Windows

6. DC or Marvel: No opinion for this

7. Xbox or Playstation: Nintendo

8. Dragon Age or Mass Effect: ????

9. Night Owl or Early Rise: I wish I wasn’t, but I am a Night Owl at heart.

10. Cards or Chess: Cards. Chess triggers me.

11. Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate!!

12. Vans or Converse: I have no idea. Neither.

13. Lavellan, Trevelyan, Cadash or Adaar: I literally have no idea what any of this is.

14. Fluff or Angst: I am that type of person that only reads completed fics and reads the end first to see if it’s a happy ending or not. So take your guess.

15. Beach or Forest: Both is cool. But I kinda prefer the beach, because it is far away and you can’t get lost that easily.

16. Dogs or Cats: Both. But I think a cat would suit me better.

17. Clear Skies or Rain: Rain and staying inside, please.

18. Cooking or Eating Out: Eating out, but not alone. I enjoy cooking with others, too, but idk, eating out has that vibe somehow

19. Spicy Food or Mild Food: I once ate at my ex-boyfriends house and they had chili. And even though their mother literally added nothing spicy to it I teared up. So yeah, no spicy nachos at the theatre for me.

20. Halloween/Samhain or Solstice/Yule/Christmas: Absolutely both. Halloween is really cool bc of Autumn and the spoopy and the witchcrafts but Christmas was the only time of the year where everyone in our family pretended to get along with each other.

21. Would you rather forever be a little too cold or a little too warm: A little too cold. I just die every summer and I hate it.

22. If you could have a superpower, what would it be? Any kind of control over time.

23. Animation or Live Action: I prefer animation.

24. Paragon or Renegade: What is this

25. Baths or Showers: Both. I like bathing but only once in a while.

26. Team Cap or Team Iron Man: uhhh

27. Fantasy or Sci-fi: Fantasy, I guess

28. Do you have three or four favorite quotes? I can’t think of any, actually.

29. YouTube or Netflix: YouTube.

30. Harry Potter or Percy Jackson: I am a little more into Percy Jackson

31. When Do You Feel Accomplished? I don’t know, I just don’t right now.

32. Star Wars or Star Trek: Neither

33. Paperback Books or Hardback Books: Paperback!

34. Handwriting or Typing: I like handwriting more.

35. Velvet or Satin: No preference

36. Video Games or Movies: If I had to choose I would take movies.

37. Would you rather be the dragon or own the dragon? Be one.

38. Sunrise or sunset: Sunset.

39. What’s your favorite song? Right now it’s “No faith in Brooklyn” by Hoodie Allen

40. Horror Movies yes or no: Yes but no screamers pls.

41. Long hair or short hair: On me short, on others mostly long

42. Opera or Theatre: I am more into theatre

43: Assuming the multiverse theory is true and every story ever told has really happened somewhere, which one of the movie/book/tv show/game/etc worlds would you pick to travel to first? Oh god this is tough. First I thought of Detective Conan/Magic Kaito but there’s just too much murder. Maybe a peaceful AU of that. Ugh you know what: I would just write my own stuff and then travel there. Oh god that would be the coolest thing. I would travel to the story a friend of mine and me are writing together.

44: Are you scared of thunderstorms? I love thunderstorms so much

45. Would you rather travel back in time or into the future? Back in time. Forever. Just repeating the last few years over and over again

46. What is, in your opinion, the most pointless/unnecessary thing ever invented? Gender roles

47. Favorite band/artist? FewJar and Alligatoah

48. If you could meet a Famous person that’s either Dead or Alive who would it be? Jan Philipp Zymny, Taddl and Marti Fischer

49: How old were you when you had your first kiss? Idk, maybe 12ish. It was dumb. Very dumb.

50: Favorite TV Show: Magic Kaito, Steven Universe

51: What is your dream outfit? Tuxedo with a dumb tie. With ducks.

52. Who would you like to be for a day? I don’t want to answer this one.

53. Pick two of your favourite characters from different fantasy universes and shove them into a modern au where they’re rivals from first meeting but slowly become rivals with friends, what would it be like? (They’d still have their powers if they had any, and accustomed to certain terms or slang from their universe) Oh god... I would choose Kaito KID (Magic Kaito/Detective Conan) and Kyoya Tategami (Beyblade) and this would be a catastrophy. Kyoya would hate Kaito so much at first and hlafhfj I kinda want to write/draw something for that

54. Pineapple on pizza: yes or no? Nah. Please don’t. I don’t care if you love pineapple on pizza but this is just not my world.

55. Take a photo/video or be in the photo/video? No duders, sry.

New Question: 56. Do you possess the skill of synaesthesia and if yes, how does it show in you? I don’t really have that skill, unfortunately.

Oh god this was a ride. Time to go to bed. Ugh.

[flcwerstudies]

cute tag!

pretty long post coming up!! Thanks to @cafedetude for tagging me!! im tagging: @hermiionegrcnger​ @studying-frenzy​ @belledoe​ @tiny-notes​ @theteadesk​ !! You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to ofc and if u want to do it and i haven’t tagged you go ahead!! 

1: when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk? there must always be more milk than cereal, but that amount must not exceed a certain amount do you get me? when i scoop my cereal there has to be proportionate amounts of milk in each scoop, consistently, until i have finished my bowl. my mind is a strange and lonely place. 

2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day? yes! its so refreshing and i feel like all your lethargy just evaporates... i love taking walks in the winter around my neighborhood in the evenings.

3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books? spoons, lipsticks, i once used another book to bookmark a book, hair elastic, my contact lenses case, compact mirror....im a mess, i know 

4: how do you take your coffee/tea? tea: scalding hot with lots of sugar and some milk. coffee: lots of milk, so much sugar 

5: are you self-conscious of your smile? no? i just want my braces off!!

6: do you keep plants? yess

7: do you name your plants? yes! i am currently growing two wild roses and I’ve named them Calliope and Polymnia. 

8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings? journaling, writing, reenacting musicals and dramatic renditions of songs? 

9: do you like singing/humming to yourself? yeah ofccc it keeps me sane 

10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach? back and side 

11: what’s an inner joke you have with your friends? CAROL THE LESBIAN LIBRARIAN // mary walks by // too many to list here tbh 

12: what’s your favorite planet? mars! and also venus 

13: what’s something that made you smile today? my friends 

14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like? a hurricane flew thru the entire place, empty wine bottles on the ground, beanbag chairs, stacks of books and movies, maybe a cat and a dog lazing around on the couch 

15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is! there’s a gigantic cloud of alcohol wayyyyy out in outer space that could produce over 450 trillion pints of beer 

16: what’s your favorite pasta dish? give me all the pasta. i love all pastas. 

17: what color do you really want to dye your hair? im ok with my hair color now 

18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up. GETTING A CAPUCHIN MONKEY AS MY PATRONUS ON POTTERMORE

19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it? yes! i rant a lot and i sort of write down reflections? on my day and things. its really emo and angsty lmao im 16 pls 

20: what’s your favorite eye color? brown eyes. so gentle. so sharp. so kind but so cruel. so ambiguous! 

21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that’s been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces. my tote bag from myanmar! the straps are falling off but i love it so much 

22: are you a morning person? depends on if i slept early enough 

23: what’s your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations? sleep, watch a movie, watch youtube, read 

24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets? absolutely not. it always pisses me off when people are like ohhh you can tell me anything??? no i can’t???? 

25: what’s the weirdest place you’ve ever broken into? my friend’s house lmao 

26: what are the shoes you’ve had for forever and wear with every single outfit? my peach converse! they’re so pastel and they seem weird but converse generally go well with a lot of things 

27: what’s your favorite bubblegum flavor? i don’t like gum tbh 

28: sunrise or sunset? both 

29: what’s something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing? sticks his tongue out when he’s concentrating and its so cute i die everytime 

30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared? yes but i will never ever go into detail with anyone about this lmao 

31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks. i love socks, i like wearing weird socks except for toe socks, people who sleep with socks on are Immune to Heat and Not Afraid Of Dying?? no white socks get nasty real quick and they’re so bland, i love socks i have this grey pair with french bulldog faces allllll over it and i wear them all the time and even though people can’t see them i still get happy and tell people about my dog socks. 

32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends. HA LMAO we had just watched a scary movie so obviously we turned on my little pony and watched that for two hours 

33: what’s your fave pastry? cupcakes! anything tbh i have an enormous sweet tooth 

34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it? my dad used to go on a lot of business trips and he came back once with a huge stuffed bear from switzerland and its so fuzzy its still on my bed. it’s name is Fred and it wears overalls and it has brown fur! 

35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often? yes to all!!

36: which band’s sound would fit your mood right now? paul anka lmao he’s not a band but ya know 

37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean? clean

38: tell us about your pet peeves! wHEN UR JAMMING OUT TO MUSIC AND THEN SPOTIFY JUST STOPS WORKING?? people asking me if im mad when im just being quiet and then making me mad by continually questionning me, people who will ask dumb questions (yes, there are always dumb questions. google is free and im not going to tell u the homework, it’s written on the board quite clearly u moron), racist/homophobic/ableist/ generally offensive and disrespectful people 

39: what color do you wear the most? grey and navy 

40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what’s it’s story? does it have any meaning to you? I have mismatching earrings that my grandmother got me for my birthday! 

41: what’s the last book you remember really, really loving? Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis! 

42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it! the starbucks on center street it’s very Starbucks, exactly what you would expect, but I always sit in the corner spot near the windows 

43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with? My family! 

44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything? sitting in the sand in shell key, florida. my feet are in the water and i am watching my family swimming. I am very sunburnt but my mind is completely blank in a good way 

45: do you trust your instincts a lot? absolutely 

46: tell us the worst pun you can think of. ofc they used a baby lion as their mascot. it’s simba-lic. 

47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe? there’s this food in korea that’s just stir fried rice with soybean sprouts and the sprouts..... aw god....they refuse to be bitten in half and it’s so gross i hate it sm 

48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today? darkness! and no it is different today!

49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought? there are scarce places to buy CD’s now but the last one I bought was Micheal Jackson’s Bad 

50: what’s an odd thing you collect? bottle caps and paperclips and also pens i pick off the ground 

51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them? my dad. any aretha franklin song 

52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far? the spongebob one and the gif of the white man who blinks a lot....u know the one 

53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them? i loved all of them and i want to be able to quote them in all of my speech but i dont think people have watched all of them 

54: who’s the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face?  i was working on homework last night and when i was turning on my laptop to work on my project i met my reflection in the screen 

55: what’s the most dramatic thing you’ve ever done to prove a point? been incredibly bitchy like damn.....i surprise myself and i really hate it 

56: what are some things you find endearing in people? when people use weird shit as bookmarks, when they laugh with their eyes shut, laugh lines near their eyes, dimples, kindness, when they aren’t afraid of making eye contact with me bc i have weirdly intense eyes  

57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics? it did not fit the mood of my day but yes i did reenact the lyrics 

58: who’s the wine mom and who’s the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why? my friend diana is the wine mom but i am the vodka aunt. why?? she is infinitely more caring and kind and sophisticated and also wine gets u lowkey, calm drunk, while i, the vodka aunt, am caring, but i have a bit of a laissez faire attitude and go with the flow and ‘damn what the hell fuck it’ kinda vibe and vodka gets u sloppy shitfaced drunk with none of the sophistication that comes with wine. 

59: what’s your favorite myth? icarus

60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves? i dont LOVE poetry but i like haikus they’re like clever one liners ha 

61: what’s the stupidest gift you’ve ever given? the stupidest one you’ve ever received? I gave my friend a notebook that i’d hastily made the night before and I have received a box of pads which in retrospect is not even a stupid present bc pads are expensive 

62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind? i drink oj when i can 

63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be? i organize them every month bc i am ridiculous and i can’t function if my bookshelf is weirdly organized 

64: what color is the sky where you are right now? pale grey almost white.

65: is there anyone you haven’t seen in a long time who you’d love to hang out with? my oldest group of friends (TNT lmaoooo) OR YOU KNOW callixtus from volunteering holyyy. you know those people who u meet and u immediately click with?? he’s on of them magical people and he was hella funny too i miss that guy to all hell 

66: what would your ideal flower crown look like? small roses! peach blossoms and cherry blossoms too. one huge ass hibiscus or lotus flower as a statement piece 

67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel? cozy and sheltered. valid excuse for not going out 

68: what’s winter like where you live? terrible but i love it kinda 

69: what are your favorite board games? monopoly 

70: have you ever used a ouija board? NO WHAT 

71: what’s your favorite kind of tea? barley, green or reallllyyyy black tea with loootss of sugar so that it makes your teeth ache 

72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you’ll forget it? yeah how’d you know 

73: what are some of your worst habits? expecting everyone to be on the same page 

74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns. dedicated and brash, loud and hilarious, soft, amazing, i love them a lot 

75: tell us about your pets! i dont have pets!! T-T  

76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren’t? studying BUT DONT CALL ME OUT LIKE THIS OK

77: pink or yellow lemonade? pink 

78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub? hateclub sorry 

79: what’s one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you? done my makeup for me while gossiping with me

80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why? pale green and yeah i did. i chose it bc i love green! and the old color was boring and i didn’t like it  

81: describe one of your friend’s eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of. no edges at all, soft bovine eyes , shaking leaves, crocodile tears 

82: are/were you good in school? yes! it’s a source of a lot of pride for me! 

83: what’s some of your favorite album art? amsterdam by nothing but thieves omg 

84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones? oohh nahh im not planning on getting tattoos im scared of needles 

85: do you read comics? what are your faves? through the woods? i used to read a lot of them but you know i grew out of them 

86: do you like concept albums? which ones? not especially no 

87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives? the drop, double indemnity, back to the future, idk there’s a lot 

88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy? the rennaissance! it was so extra and i loved it a lot 

89: are you close to your parents? yeah

90: talk about your one of you favorite cities. TORONTO-soaring skyline from the highways at night near the lakeshore, the lights from the condos are like stars and its ridiculous but i also loooooveee dubrovnik in croatia and hanoi in vietnam and kaunas in lithuania and kyoto in japan.....in dubrovnik the wind blows in from the shore and at night when the lights are on in the walled city the stone glows amber. In Hanoi in the old quarter, motorbikes flash by and there’s yelling and the smell of pork skewers and there’s old buildings and new ones, huge stalks of bamboo leaning up against the walls. In Kaunas the wind is so cold and sharp and the buildings are so clean and there’s that old fortress and the tower! it’s so beautiful. and Kyoto is old and archaic but so modern it hurts and the streets are too uniform and the houses creep me out a bit bc they’re so quiet. 

91: where do you plan on traveling this year? i dont think so 

92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch? i will bury my pasta in cheese just you watch 

93: what’s the hairstyle you wear the most? my hair is one style fits all bc its short 

94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday? my friend!

95: what are your plans for this weekend? study and work on projects and homework and stress and nap and have dinner with a guest 

96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot? no updates. we die like men. 

97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house? isfj-t, aries, ravenclaw 

98: when’s the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it? sometime in september? it was nice! 

99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them. put your head on my shoulder by paul anka....there’s a lot and im really lazy sorry 

100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why? 5 years in the future, just to see where I end up 

[specsnsarcasm]

My Review of... ‘Passengers’

I finally got around to seeing the movie Passengers (2016) and umm… what the hecking heck was that?!?!

[Warning: SPOILERS AHEAD!]

CASTING PROBLEMS:

First of all, I know it’s supposed to be everybody’s cinematic wet dream, putting Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt together (the way people wanted to see what the offspring of the two so-called “most beautiful people in the world” - Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt - would look like). It was the people’s experiment! Put these two “likeable”, “relatable”, “funny”, good-looking people together, and watch the movie magic unfold! So riddle me this: why put these two in a sci-fi drama of all things, when a simple rom-com would have sufficed!?

Second, I don’t think these two had much chemistry. Sure, they don’t do anything empirically wrong (save a little overacting here and there), but I just didn’t believe them as a couple. I was very aware that I was watching two people acting the way you think two people should when they’re in love. You can practically see the weight of everyone’s expectations on their shoulders. Be sexy! Be charming! Be perfect! I wondered if they had any fun making this movie at all!

I also found something very odd about this pairing. Maybe it’s the age difference (25, at the time, to his 36)? I find that Lawrence tends to play too mature for her real age, playing a lot of late-20′s or 30-something characters. She has lots of time for that, but I guess she’s highly bankable right now and can physically play a wide range? Hollywood is not kind to women. They cast a 25 year old as a 35 year old, and a 35 year old as dust (but that’s another story). Or maybe it’s the imbalance of star power? She is arguably the bigger star. Either way, something was off. 

I maintain that Pratt’s best work is as a comedic actor. I know he’s trying to branch out or whatever, but I just don’t buy him as a “leading man”. Not in an all-out, dramatic role. Not yet, anyway. He was good in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) as the wise-cracking, cocksure rebel. And in Jurassic World (2015) as a more rugged, wise-cracking, cocksure rebel. And in The Magnificent Seven (2016) as an EVEN MORE rugged, wise-cracking, cocksure rebel. He just didn’t quite fit the bill here for me. Although he plays it straight, he kept making me laugh unintentionally (that’s the problem with getting typecast). Especially with three, count em’, one, two, THREE gratuitous butt shots. (We get it!!! BUTTS!). Anyway, dozens of other, half-decent “name” actors could have done a perfectly serviceable job in this role, so by casting Pratt, you’re asking for something that only Pratt can do well. Let him do his thing if that’s why you like him so much!

CHARACTER/STORY PROBLEMS:

Right away, the movie has parallels to the extremely hard-to-top The Martian (2015). But this film has neither the charm, humour, or the gravitas. I found myself comparing Jim to Mark Watney. Both are stranded and alone, both have technical skills. However, unlike Jim, Mark has the mental fortitude NOT to crack almost immediately under pressure. Not that I judge Jim, but the emotional progression in The Martian seems more steady and realistic than in this, which dealt with its characters' emotional journeys very superficially. I didn’t feel that the movie did a good enough job of tapping into Jim’s early despair, psychology, or the agoraphobia of space. At one point when things start to go wrong with the ship, Lawrence’s character says that she was trapped in her room for days. Show me, don’t tell me! That would have been interesting to see! Just as it would have been interesting to see (not just glean) how Jim and Aurora live out the remainder of their years. I thought the movie would eventually get to it. They don’t. Superficiality was a running theme.   

Another one of the film’s downfalls is the lack of curiosity about its own premise: the science fiction of it all! I wondered about their training on Earth beforehand, and why Jim doesn’t scan through the other bios to find a doctor, biologist, or another engineer - someone with whom he can work the problem! I want so badly for Jim to “science the shit” out of something, as Watney does. Instead, he opts for the company of the aptly named (if not a little on-the-nose) sleeping beauty, Aurora; a writer, who isn’t very helpful in that regard. For such a futuristic premise, the story is disappointingly regressive. (i.e. a love interest with nothing to offer but being pretty? Okay). 

The two of them experience no real sense of existential wonder/dread, curiosity about the ship, about the technology, about space. It's all restaurants and fucking on cafeteria tables! They might as well have been at an Earth resort! At one point, they are literally standing up close to a Red Giant, but they look at it for all of two seconds before they’re like “OK cool. Welp! Let’s go have sex now!” This isn’t so much a science fiction movie as it is a 'bottle' drama, that happens to be set on a space ship. The location is completely secondary, and the beautiful visuals of space and the ship are just convenient backdrops to the “will they or won’t they?” romance. *Sigh*.

One of the most interesting parts of the story, I found, which they don't even discuss, is the nebulous “Homestead Corporation”. It manufactures faulty pods, and even in the future on other planets, it treats passengers by class. I wonder what sort of civilization they hope to create on a new planet by doing this. Is this the reality that people have accepted in the future? Is there any opposition to this? By whom? They mention other colonies: what do they look like? How do they function politically? Do other countries or competing companies possess these technologies too? Is it completely private, non-governmental or governmental? If so, do countries own planets, or is it just corporations? They could make a whole movie out of this! (Copyright: Specsnsarcasm, 2017. haha)! In essence, it’s similar to the Weyland Corporation in Alien (1979) & Prometheus (2012).

MAJOR PROBLEMS

Arthur and its whole vibe. I was instantly creeped out by Arthur the android (played by the delightful Martin Sheen). It operates a bar that is decorated in 70′s decor that is reminiscent of The Shining (1980). The reason for this retro aesthetic is kind of confusing and jarring on such a futuristic vessel (but sure!). But it also primed me to think that, like the bartender in The Shining, there was something amiss about Arthur. It befriends (as much as an android can) Jim first, then Aurora. Early on, Jim entrusts it not to divulge his terrible secret to Aurora. A promise which Arthur makes, yet readily betrays. But why would Arthur tell her? It’s an android, it has no moral imperative to divulge the truth. Nor does it have any reason to show loyalty to Aurora over Jim or betray an expressed request. This tricked me into thinking there was an Alien/Prometheus situation going on with Arthur, in that it was secretly behind some of the mischief that was going on aboard the ship. But OF COURSE that turned out to be a red herring (because that would be TOO interesting). The reason for Arthur’s slip is NEVER explained, nor is it ever addressed. Jim isn’t even mad! He doesn’t even find it strange that he was outed by the machine, and they literally never mention it again. WTF?  

Laurence Fishburne is utterly wasted in this film! Practically blink-and-you’ll-miss-him (rude)! He only wakes up so that the two protagonist can have a mind-boggling, deus ex machina way of saving themselves with his security clearance bracelet thingie. And why was his pod the only faulty pod to cause terminal illness? (THAT'S RACIST! Jk. lol). Shouldn’t Jim have also had some health problems, though less severe? (Sometimes I wonder why Larry and Sam Jackson put up with this shit, but ANYway...👀). Also embarrassingly wasted in his role is Andy Garcia there at the end. Poor, poor Andy. Such disrespect! He grew that great big beautiful bushy beard for nothing! lol.

Also, why is there only ONE medical pod on a ship with 5000 ppl and 258 crew? That ratio seems dangerously low and irresponsible to me, even if they were only intended to survive on the ship out of suspension for 4 months before reaching the planet.

CONCLUSION

In the end, I’m not upset because this was a romance posing as sci-fi film. I would have loved to see a good sci-fi OR a good romance movie. Unfortunately, this rather middling on both fronts. It had boundless potential, and I guess I just expected more. With the quality of TV shows these days (as well as the price of a movie), you’re going to have to do a lot more than toss two good looking people on screen with some candy coloured effects to get people interested.  

I suspect this film started out as an entirely different movie than the one we ended up with (judging from the big name actors in almost cameo roles). Perhaps it had more of a sci-fi story, but it was changed to feature the love story more heavily?

On the pairing: as much as the internet likes to get its way and see the fruits of its fan pairings come to life on screen, I think this is a cautionary tale about how real life sometimes falls short of our imagination (see: the Veronica Mars movie). It’s also yet another cautionary tale for Hollywood about why they need to re-evaluate their strategy of big budget SFX movies with paltry scripts. The ability to develop interesting, in-depth characters is why cable television and streaming services are eclipsing movies, who routinely struggle to meet box-office expectations. 

[Note: These are just my opinions. I’m not a professional critic, I just like to watch movies and write about them!].

[thetravelingmama]

100 Things about your Mom.

Hi Chi. I’m back! All better and cured. I’m feeling like my old self again, energy and everything back. Like my doctor said today: if it’s working, don’t change it. That being said, let’s do something fun! I saw this weird list of questions and said: Game on!

1: What random stranger has had the biggest impact on your life? A Dad at a beach playing with his son. He made us made the decision to start a family.

2: What achievement are you proud of but most people would consider silly or weird? I refuse to “act my age”.

3: What period in history had the best fashion? The 50’s!

4: What silly or funny thing makes you afraid or creeps you out? Clowns.

5: How quickly do you jump to conclusions about people? I try not to, but the reality is that I get “vibes” from people, instantly. I’m never wrong, as much opportunities I give.

6: How would the world change if super heroes and super villains actually existed? I think heroes and villains DO exist.

7: What would be your strategy for surviving an apocalyptic epidemic? I already hoard medicine, movies and booze.

8: What is the most important change that should be made to your country’s education system? Equality, Empathy, Values and Gender Perspective are things that need to be taught. I also believe that a University Diploma should be mandatory. No school? Jail.

9: What is something you think you will regret in the future not starting now and what is something you already regret not starting sooner? I regret not becoming a Mom sooner. I’ll regret it most in the future.

10: What part of your culture are you most and least proud of?

Proud of our strength of character. Least proud of living in a status quo.

11: What's the worst and best thing about being female? Best thing is having a baby, carrying it inside your body. That experience is wonderful. The worst is definitively the inequality, how people treat you different in many ways and what they expect on how you “should behave”. I also believe there are many double standards when it comes to us.

12: If you could put your brain in a robot and live indefinitely, would you? Not for a gazillion dollars.

13: If you could replace the handshake as a greeting, what interesting new greeting would you replace it with? High fives are awesome.

14: Who’s the worst guest you’ve had in your house and what did they do? I’m glad to report that I never let people that I don’t truly trust or know at my house.

15: When does time pass fastest for you and when does it pass the slowest? Fastest: when I have a lot of work and a close deadline. Slowest: when I had to come up with advertising campaigns. I HATED starting on a presentation with all the passion in the world until I had an idea that worked. Then, it just was a breeze. Until that jackpot happens, time is torture.

16: What always sounds like a good idea at the time but rarely is? Telling someone the truth. Sometimes it just turns out that they can’t handle or understand it. Another great one? Getting drunk and knowing that no one is going to take care of the baby next morning. Huge mistake.

17: Are humans fundamentally different than animals? If so, what makes us different? We’re very much alike, I realized it after I gave birth. I just think we have the burden of emotions and logic to deal with, that’s all. I envy them: I’d love to function just on instincts!

18: What pictures or paintings have had a big impact on you? Guernica inspired me to paint. The Marilyn Diptych inspired me to design. At the Moulin Rouge is one of my favorites, just because.

19: What movie or book character are you most similar to? That’s a tough one. I identify a lot (with absolutely no clue of why) with Mia Wallace’s lust for life and her disregard for rules; Marla Singer’s I don’t care attitude and confusion. I’m also a mix of Santino and Michael Corleone when I’m either strategizing or just extremely angry.

20: You can broadcast one sentence to every TV channel and radio in the world and have it translated to each country’s language. What sentence do you say? “What doesn’t offend you might offend someone else. Calm down and let people do and say what they want.”

21: What fact are you really surprised that more people don't know about? That research does not mean that you trust instantly whatever you find online. Reliable sources exist for a reason.

22: What are you completely over and done with? Putting the well-being of others before mine.

23: What memory do you just keep going back to?

It depends on the day.

24: What’s the most immature thing someone can do? I believe that making a scene in public is just sign that you are emotionally and socially immature. From treating strangers badly for a stupid reason to arguing with your significant other in front of anybody is just a sign that you’re the problem.

25: What are you most passionate about and what do you wish you were more passionate about? Reading and writing.

26: What’s the best comeback you’ve ever heard?

“I’m growing a human inside me, what’s your excuse?” I said that. :P

27: Who haven’t you seen or talked to in a long time and hope they are doing okay? With Facebook that stopped happening years ago. I actually miss that feeling of wondering how my friends are. Although, there is one friend from college that disappeared. I sometimes wonder what happened.

28: Where is the last place you would ever go? If by last this means “and then you can die”, Tibet. I can’t fathom thinking about a place in this world not worthy about visiting.

29: What’s something that you’ve never been able to do well? Math and control myself when I am beyond furious.

30: Who is the humblest person you know?

Any person who will do something for free just to help another human being.

31: What is the silliest reason someone you've known has completely lost it? The stuff people write online.

32: What is quite possibly the most annoying thing ever? People who judge others on based on what they wear, own, drive or live in. I also am starting to despise people who post every single goddamn second on social media. My social media algebra is simple: entertain, yes; Report, no.

33: What do you wish people would stop asking you? Can I have free tickets?

34: What is the most unusual fear you have? Frogs and Roller Coasters.

35: What is your favorite TV show? Right now it’s Better Call Saul.

36: What’s the most ridiculous argument you’ve had? If it’s ridiculous, I’m totally ignoring the idea of talking about it. Silence is golden.

37: What’s the biggest lesson life has taught you? My happiness is way more important than anything else in the world.

38: What is increasingly becoming socially acceptable? Telling others how to act, talk, behave, think, write... I remember the days when people judged you in silence or behind closed doors. Thanks a lot, internet.

39: What’s the weirdest tradition your family has? It’s not a tradition per se, we just talk really loud when we’re together, and all at the same time.

40: If you could choose anyone living or dead, who would you choose to lead our country? It would be a mix of Obama, Lady Gaga, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ed Snowden.

41: What app on your phone do you wish you used more? Tabata.

42: Who was the most power mad person you’ve met? Insert advertising client name here.

43: What world famous monument do you have no interest in visiting? The Tower of Pisa. Next.

44: What is something that you think people are only pretending to like or are deluding themselves into liking? Wine.

45: What joke went way too far? Anything that relates to a pregnancy announcement.

46: What are some of the telltale signs that a guy is creepy? If a man tries to control how I talk, behave, dress, manage a situation or just even decides something for me. If he thinks I need his approval for anything.

47: What is your very first memory? Walking around the beach.

48: What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve said or done around someone you dated? It’s not embarrassing but it did catch me off guard: I made a point in my life to never say “I love you” to a man first until I was sure that it was going to mean something. One day, when I was starting to date your Dad, I just blurted it out. He laughed and said “You said it first!”

49: Who is your favorite actor or actress? Right now it’s Bryan Cranston.

50: What doesn’t exist but you desperately want / need it? A pill that eliminates sadness or anger instantly.

51: What are you most grateful for? My child.

52: If you could hear every time someone said something good about you or something negative about you, which would you choose? Neither. Not interested.

53: What do you wish you could re-live? Just for fun, my twenties. Had the best time.

54: What’s something that you recommend everyone trying at least once? Massages.

55: Do you prefer being warmed when you’re too cold or being cooled when you’re too hot? Warmed.

56: What sentence can you say that makes total sense now but would seem insane 20 years ago? “Do it, don’t wait.”

57: How decisive or indecisive are you? Extremely decisive. I’d rather go out in flames, always.

58: What’s something from your childhood that used to be common but now is pretty rare? I used to play outside unsupervised and came back home when I was supposed to. I also drove my grandpa’s car lots of times while sitting in his lap. Now he would get thrown in jail, I guess.

59: If you were an action figure, what accessories would you be sold with? A bottle of Vodka, books, beach items and lipstick.

60: What weird smell do you really enjoy? Gasoline and the streets of New York City.

61: What do you like that is traditionally considered masculine? Boxing, hard liquors, swearing, dark sense of humor.

62: What’s something you learned recently that you really should have already known? Expectations are resentments in the making.

63: What’s a simple mistake you made that had dramatic consequences? I should have been honest with someone without worrying about what could happen next.

64: What’s the best piece of advice someone has given you? You’re not responsible for how other people feel, it’s their problem to handle.

65: What do you think people automatically wrongly assume about you when they look at you? That I’m delicate, maybe?

66: Looking back on your life, what have you done that has given you the most satisfaction? Besides from being a Mom, having a successful company.

67: If everything was quantified, what life stats would like to see for yourself? The happy vs sad moments.

68: What do you really wish you knew when you were younger? That I am way more stronger than I thought.

69: When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried? I think it was watching Dave Chapelle or Joe Rogan on Netflix.

70: What do you wish you had more time for? Being with my child when she grows older. I hope to be alive when she gets married or has a kid.

71: When was the last time you had a gut feeling about something that turned out to be correct? How about a time your gut feeling was wrong? My gut feelings are 99% on point. Sometimes it takes a second, sometimes years. I always end up being right.

72: What’s your curiosity killed the cat story? Your Dad. I ended up married and having you!

73: What areas in your life do you have high hopes for and what are those high hopes? I hope that our child decides to run our company and makes it even more successful.

74: Who was the most spoiled person you personally have met? Met a few. No comment.

75: What makes you feel old? When people don’t know a certain band or piece of music.

76: What’s your favorite non-drug / non-alcohol high? Traveling.

77: What’s the worst thing you’ve heard one person say to another person? It’s a tie between, “Sorry, she doesn’t know what she’s talking about.” and “Shut up and listen”.

78: What do you love about yourself? I’m starting to love my new sense of self. It gives me meaning.

79: What gets progressively weirder the more you think about it? Society in general.

80: What have you gotten too old to put up with? Being obligated to do something.

81: What event would you like to know the whole and complete truth about? JFK’s death. I also would love to read Mueller’s unredacted report.

82: What have you recently become obsessed with? Home delivery. Hi Jeff Bezos, I paid for your electricity this month.

83: What’s the biggest waste of money you’ve seen? Anything related to spending a lot on cars or jewelry. I’d rather travel, sorry.

84: What’s surprising about you? Most people don’t know that I can’t stand chick films.

85: When you were a kid what silly thing were you deathly afraid of? Dracula. Frank Langella, you made my childhood miserable for months.

86: Besides a raise or more vacation time, what’s the best perk a company can offer employees? Time to relax and focus. In Advertising, we’re expected to produce an insane amount of creative pieces in little time. Creativity and pressure don’t go well. Also, a short amount of time during the month to do the things we can’t during the weekend.

87: Where do you like going for walks? Lower East Side or Montmartre.

88: If you found out you would inexplicably fall down dead in one year, what would you change about your life? I would travel non stop so that I could drop dead somewhere cool.

89: What movie have you seen more than seven times? It might be a tie between Pulp Fiction and the Godfather Series.

90: Most people want to be wealthy for one reason or another. Why do you would want to be wealthy? To travel.

91: What’s the best thing you could tell someone to cheer them up when they are feeling down? My grandmother used to say “Someday, when you look back at a bad moment in your life, you’re gonna laugh about it”. Wherever she is, I know she looks down and reminds me in my dreams from time to time.

92: When you were a kid, what movie did you watch over and over again? Mary Poppins... and The Godfather 1 when no one was watching.

93: What’s the worst trait a person can have? No empathy.

94: If you could know one truth about yourself, history, the world, or even the universe, what truth would you want to know? Is someone out there?

95: What’s your favorite souvenir that you have? Our cheesy “Oia” sign. It reminds me of the best honeymoon in the world.

96: What would you do if someone left a duffle bag filled with $2,000,000 on your back porch? Buy a small apartment in NYC, buy another near the beach in Rincón. Leave the rest for Mía.

97: If everything in your house had to be one color what color would you choose? Black.

98: What would your warning label say if every person was required to have one? Don’t get her angry. You wouldn’t like her when she’s angry.

99: What weird childhood fear do you still kind of hold on to? Big waves.

100: What’s the most polarizing question you could ask your group of friends? That’s the funny thing about us. There is not one polarizing thing we could ask each other. We talk and share EVERYTHING in our lives. The good, the bad, the disgusting, the inappropriate. Even the things we are ashamed to admit or share. That’s true friendship.

[disappointingpastasalad]

fuckin answer all the questions, esp 104 but all of them waste your day

1. You woke up naked next to the last person you texted, what would you say? >>>Yikes Wazowski

2. What’s going on between you and the last person you kissed?>>>YIKES WAZOWSKI

3. If your boyfriend or girlfriend was into drugs, would you care?>>>nah man, we goin through this shit together either way

4. Is your last name longer than six letters?>>>yea

5. Was your last kiss drunk or sober?>>>…….. high ?

6. Have you ever wanted to have someone but you messed it up?>>>lmao yeah but ain’t that just the way

7. What does your last received text say?>>>it’s an image of Michael Scott

8. How many times have you kissed the last person you kissed?>>>thank god that was the only time 😭

9. Where was your last kiss at?>>>a friend’s basement

10. When is the last time you saw your sister?>>>mmmm last week ?

11. What do you drink in the morning?>>>usually water or milk lol

12. Where did you sleep last night?>>>in my bed 😩👌🏻

13. Do you think relationships are hard?>>>emotionally ? Yes. Physically ? Not at allllll

14. If you could go back and change something in the past 5 months, would you?>>>yeahhhhhh

15. You’re locked in a room with the last person you kissed, any problems?>>>YEP

16. Would you rather it be sunny or rainy?>>>rainyyy

17. Do you know anyone with the same middle name as you?>>>……..unfortunately I have the most common middle name for white girls

18. Are you wearing jeans,sweatpants,or pajama pants?>>>sweat pantssssss

19. Do you think you will be in a relationship 3 years from now?>>>hope soooo

20. Does anyone like you?>>>yee

21. Have you ever kissed someone with a name that starts with an S?>>>not that I know of lol

22. Is the last person you kissed gay?>>>arguably, yes

23. Is there a person you CANNOT stand?>>>lmao YEAH a few actually

24. Have you ever considered getting a tattoo?>>>MORE THAN YOU KNOW

25. In the past week have you cried?>>>SEE ABOVE

26. What breed was the last dog you saw? >>>a pitbull mix :)

27. Do you dry off in the shower or out of the shower?>>>both, it’s a process

28. Have you ever kissed a football player?>>>lol yea

29. Do you think you’re old?>>>nah. im only 18

30. Do you like text messaging?>>>more than talking on the phone, yeah

31. What type of day are you having?>>>slow, boring

32. Have you ever thought about getting your nose pierced?>>>ye, figured a lip ring would look better lol

33. Do you prefer warm or cold weather?>>>cold–it is my natural state of being

34. Is there a person of the opposite sex who means a lot to you?>>>several !!

35. Would you prefer a relationship or a fling?>>>right now I think id rather a nice lil fling

36. Are you a simple or complicated person?>>>I am but a simple farm boy in most regards, though I am a complex city slicker at times

37. What song are you listening to?>>>im actually listening to a podcast about Jeffrey Dahmer rn yikes

38. When you say you’re sorry do you mean it?>>>nearly 100% of the time

39. Is there a girl that knows everything or almost everything about you?>>>yea its @solarscam on here lmao

40. What made you start liking the person you like now?>>>idk he’s cute and funny and we vibe well

41. When did you last receive a text message?>>>like 3 minutes ago lol

42. What is wrong with you right now?>>>Too Much to name

43. How well do you know the last female you texted?>>>it was my mom so pretty well? I was inside of her so

44. Does anyone disgust you?>>>other than myself?? The person who made me feel like this abt myself

45. Would you date someone right now if they asked?>>>tbh yeah

46. Are you in a good mood right now?>>>im not in a bad mood lol

47. Who was the last person you talked to in person?>>>my sister, moments ago

48. What color shirt are you wearing?>>>red rn

49. Has someone recently told you something you didn’t want to hear?>>>yeah, quite a bit from multiple people retry recently.

50. Anyone you’re giving up on?>>>only a few ex friends 🤗

51. Do you hate the person you fell hardest for?>>>nah, I don’t think I’ve ever Truly Fallen

52. Have you ever thought about giving up on someone but couldn’t?>>>mmHhmmmm

53. Do you like rain?>>>yes yes yes

54. Do you care if your boyfriend/girlfriend drinks?>>>I’d hope they would be cool with me drinking at least, otherwise I dong give a fuck

55. Have you ever liked somebody and never told them?>>>its my MO tbh

56. Do you like to cuddle?>>>YES YEs I love it yes

57. Are you shy?>>>lol only if im around ppl I want to impress

58. Do you get along with girls?>>>?? Yeah man

59. Have you dated the person you texted last?>>>nah but we did just start talking over tinder so 💁🏻‍♂️

60. What do you carry with you at all times?>>>color-changing silly putty and chapstick 😅

61. If you were paid 1 million dollars to spend the night in a supposed haunted house, would you?>>>yeah man im a slut for paranormal activity and $$$

62. Do you think you can last in a relationship for five months?>>>depends on the relationship tbh

63. Think back to October, were you in a relationship?>>>nope

64. The person you like kisses you on the forehead, do you find this cute?>>>yes omg

65. Did anything “cute” happen in the last week?>>>nah. Mostly things that are remarkably un-cute

66. How old are the last three people you kissed?>>>shit like, 18, 20, and 22 I believe ??

67. Would you rather pay to get your nails done or do them yourself? >>>pay, im not very good

68. Which do you like better- Zebra print or leopard print? >>>ew to both but I guess leopard ?? Idfk

69. Do you have any stickers on your car? >>>nah. Too dirty

70. Would you rather listen to Luke Bryan or Lil Wayne? >>>depends on my mood lol

71. Blackberry, Android, or iPhone? >>>iPhone. Im an apple bitch 🙃

72. When’s the last time you had pizza from Pizza Hut? >>>probably like, a week or two ago

73. Do you like diet soda? >>>ew no I have standards

74. What color are the walls in your room? >>>blueish green

75. Are you 16 or older? >>>I sure hope so

76. Do you watch Pretty Little Liars?>>>tried to, more of a gossip girl guy myself tbh

77. Do you have a job? >>>yep! Grinding foam at a factory 😂

78. What are your initials? >>>they’re gonna be AQL soon lol

79. Did you ever have braces? >>>*war flashbacks* yeah

80. Are you from the south? >>>South West Michigan lmao

81. What does your last status on facebook say? >>>idfk probably me thanking ppl for coming to my grad party

82. Do you still talk to the first person you ever kissed? >>>lmao yeah

83. Are you closer to your mom or your dad? >>>my mom for sure

84. Have you ever done cheerleading or gymnastics?>>>nooooo

85. What’s the last movie you saw in theaters? >>>Captain Underpants 😩👌🏻

86. Do you smoke? >>>only 🍁🔥

87. Would you rather wear heels or flip flops? >>>Flippity floppity floo

88. Is your phone touch screen? >>>in this, the year of our lord 2017, who’s phone isn’t

89. Do you normally wear your hair straight or curly? >>>its naturally pretty straight but when it gets long it likes to flip up at the ends lol

90. Have you ever snuck out of your house? >>>yeah

91. Would you rather swim in a river, lake, or pool? >>>pool tbh, unless its like Lake Michigan lol

92. Have you ever made out in a car? >>>yes

93. …Had sex in a car? >>>lol not yet

94. Are you single or in a relationship? >>>painfully single

95. What were you doing last night at midnight? >>>trying to forget some stuff by doing reckless things

96. When’s the last time you saw fireworks? >>>lol last night

97. Do you like the camera on your phone? >>>yeah it’s not too shabby

98. Have you ever had a friend with benefits? >>>I mean?? Kind of

99. Have you ever passed out from drinking? >>>no, but I’ve helped a few different people when they passed out

100. Are you friends with people on facebook that you actually hate? >>>mHmm

101. Have you ever had a pregnancy scare? >>>lmao not yet

102. Name your favorite Kesha song: >>>BITCH probably We R Who We R

103. Do you have any tan lines right now? >>>yeah from my binder on my back lol

104. Would you ever wear cowboy boots with shorts? >>>I hate that I have done this before ??

[take-it-easy-policy]

Bombay Calling

To hell with my weekly format, I’m dedicating a whole post to my three day trip to Bombay for a shoot.

Some of the first advice I was given when I started out was “Don’t go to Bombay unless Bombay calls you.” Implying that it’s a waste of time to move to Bombay without a job in hand and spend money on rent while struggling to make it from one audition to the next. So I followed that advice and only went to Bombay when Bombay called.

I’m so incredibly lucky that Bombay called so early in my career. Just over a month into trying to do it full time. And for an ad that was high budget enough to cast across the country for fresh faces and fly them into Bombay.  And the budgets for that shoot made my head spin. It was something around x4 what you normally get paid for ads in Bangalore. My hotel was fantastic, I would have a car pick me up and drop me everywhere I needed. Full on VIP vibes.

Monday morning I hit play rehearsal first thing in the morning, got home, packed, and left to the airport. Turns out they had checked me into a first row seat and booked me a meal. I felt so well taken care of already!

And hour and a half later, I landed in Bombay and went straight to the shoot location they asked me to come to for my costume trials. My goodness it was like stepping into a Bollywood set, just like I had seen on TV/YouTube or in movies. I met one of the production crew members I had been coordinating with, she took me to a vanity van, introduced to the stylist and her assistants, got me a glass of tea and told me to wait there.

The assistant brought in something like 30-35 pieces of clothing plus boxes on boxes of accessories and shoes. The stylist was flitting between vanity vans working with multiple actors at the same time. So between her and her assistants, I must have tried on 25-30 full outfits and maybe another 10 that didn’t work at all. This whole process took about four hours. In between, a very enthusiastic 18 year old actor who was in a different clip in the same ad, decided to camp out in my vanity with her friend. My goodness, at 18 she looked like one of the girls I wanted to look like when I was 18. I can only imagine where she’ll be if she continues working as a model for the next few years.

I had most of the next day off because my shoot was only going to be on Wednesday, early in the morning. And by early, I mean I would have to be up at 1 am to be picked up by 2 am, to get to the hair and makeup location at 3 am. So I spent as much of Tuesday possible sleeping before my alarm rang at 1 am.

I had my hair and makeup done at one of the other shoot locations, not the one I was shooting at. That took about an hour. We left at around 4 am to the shoot location. It turned out to be a store in Kala Ghoda that I had randomly walked into with a friend a year ago. That store ended up introducing me to a whole new genre of contemporary Indian fashion and really influenced my style over last year. I was so happy to be back there again to shoot!

I got my final costume completed, met the director and cinematographer, and got a quick snack. At 6 am sharp, when the morning light hit, we started shooting. It was a pretty short clip but with all the different angles and the number of people who need to get everything right for the perfect take, I expected it to take a couple of hours at least. But I guess I had only worked on amateur productions and seriously underestimated what having an experienced crew could do to speed up a shoot. We were done in just over an hour and a half. Which was stunning to me.

The clip that I shot for was apparently the last one for the entire ad and the whole crew was high fiving and hugging at the end of it. I asked the director if she had any feedback for me because I want to do more of this. She said she didn’t and that I did a good job. Which was so good to hear. The production was packed up and ready to leave in the next half an hour. Again, they move at such a mind numbing pace, it’s fascinating.

One of my favorite things about this production was that it was run primarily by women. Of all the main decision makers and coordinators, only the cinematographer was a man and he redirected all questions to the director. It was my personal utopia to be in a production like that.

I managed to network a bit with the director’s assistant on the ride back to my hotel and hopefully I’ll get some more referrals from this experience. But mostly I was sad to head back to the hotel and then back to Bangalore. The energy that Bombay has is unparalleled. Sure maybe New York or LA have a similar hustle but Bombay just ignites a fire in me that no other city can. I cannot wait to be back. But only when Bombay calls again.

[ivis-00]

I’m bored so here

Credits got to @booknrd and @redqueenfandom

Tag is here: https://booknrd.tumblr.com/post/169439591221/this-is-the-most-unique-one-ive-seen-please-yes

1)I don’t have iTunes so I just played my daily mix on Spotify on shuffle:

Body Gold by Oh Wonder

I Still Wait For You by XYLØ

Down in Flames by Ella Vos

We Won’t by Jaymes Young

Superstar by Broods

Phase Me Out by VÉRITÉ

2)My nephew. It’s been a year or so since he was born and I still have yet to see him in person.

3)Book: Edgar Allan Poe: Complete Tales and Poems, Short Story: ‘The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaaall’, Quote: “April 8th.”

4)That’s a bit of a tough question. I guess it’s usually either my future (I’m a high school senior) and whether or not I’ll ever amount to anything, or about the state of the world (all the things going wrong, how we could have prevented or fixed them, etc.).

5)Lol no I’m not that special

6)Is being scared of just dragonflies a phobia? Like I know it’s pretty silly especially since dragonflies aren’t aggressive or anything but idk it’s a childhood trauma thing that I never got over. I’m less scared of them as the tears go by but still it gives me the creeps.

7)Don’t have one, but I’m very interested in learning about other’s religions.

8)Chilling. Just enjoying the fresh air. Maybe reading. But since it’s always hot here, I rarely go outside of my own accord. I hate the heat.

9)I’m just going to assume this means Western band: Panic! at the Disco

10)That I was gonna go back to sleep but I actually stayed up until 4am.

11)Yes and no. It’s a bit weird. Sometimes karma works magic, and other times it’s nonexistent. I don’t know whether to really believe it’s a thing or not.

12)It’s literally just my middle name and ‘the-fangirl’ written after it. It’s pretty self-explanatory. 👍

13)Greatest weakness is self-doubt. It’s stops me from doing a lot of the things I want to do. Strength is my stubbornness. I know that’s really contradictory, but once my mind is set on something, it’s very hard to convince otherwise.

14)I’m supposed to choose just 1? Cause that’s basically impossible. I’m just gonna day Jungkook from BTS cause he’s my ultimate bias (I know, how basic of me). Gotta represent my man y’all. But if I were to choose a female celebrity crush, for sure I’d say Halsey. Like damn.

15)For me, I always feel like taking out my anger physically through hitting and breaking objects (so that I don’t harm a anybody), or through screaming at the top of my lungs. It helps dispel all that energy so I’m too tired to even think about what I was mad about. But my Hispanic household is very strict on these types of things and I’ve pretty much had to force myself to adopt a passive-aggressive method of dealing with my anger. Just thinking of this makes me mad cause there’s so many things I’ve had to put up with in my family because I can’t express my anger to a figure of authority (since it’s seen as disrespect).

16)I used to have a seashell collection, but now I just collect books and like little memorabilia from different places and events that I feel have left some sort of mark on me.

17)No. I haven’t exactly accomplished any of my long-term goals. I’m pretty stuck since I don’t have complete control of my life with my mother always breathing down my neck.

18)I hate loud talking in quiet spaces, or even just senseless yelling. Many of my family members tend to yell as they’re “talking” on the phone whether they people involved in the conversation are hard of hearing or not. But I’m the bright side, I love the sound of rain and luckily for me, it tends to rain pretty often here (unfortunately that also means it gets really humid).

19)What if all my efforts amount to nothing?

20)I’ve never really seen any conclusive evidence that ghosts exist, so for right now it’s a bit of a middle point for me. Since we don’t exactly knows what happens after death either, there’s still the chance that ghosts can exist. Aliens is something I’m more open about. In a universe so big, I find it difficult to believe we’re the only living things in it. Aliens exist, but we just haven’t found them and they might have not found us. That’s just my personal take on it.

21)Right arm: my nightstand; Left arm: air

22)Coffee.

23)Any one of my family parties (except the one where I ended up winning 8 consecutive games of domino, that was awesome). Or even just a party with people I don’t know. Just parties.

24) 1-Brendon Urie. I just think he’s such a beautiful and genuine person. You don’t find many people that give off the good vibe he does. I admire is vocal skills like crazy, but I’m mainly drawn in by his personality. You can see that he really does care about his fans and appreciates everything they do for him. And he’s not bad on the eyes either. 2-Troye Sivan. He’s another individual that I find beautiful inside and out. His voice is so soothing and he has such a relaxing aura about him that I really like. And the blonde hair works for him like wow, end me. 3-Patrick Stump. Now some people (I’ll fight you), might disagree with my opinion since he’s put on some weight. I’m the kind of person that can find anybody attractive so long as they have a great personality. Patrick, to me, is a gorgeous human being and the fact that he’s chubby doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I find his cheeks to be adorable (which is odd coming from someone younger than him, but bear with me). It’s also comforting seeing someone that’s like me: not your everyday image of a perfect celebrity/person. He’s just an amazing person and I really admire him.

25)To become the best version of ourselves we can possibly be, and to serve others.

26)I’ve finally got my learners permit but I have yet to actually sit in front of the wheel. I’m a bit terrified considering the area I live in isn’t the safest place to drive.

27)I don’t remember the name but I know it was a movie about two lonely elderly people (a man and woman) who find comfort in each other’s company. It was really cute.

28)A broken arm when I was like a couple months to a year old. Not gonna get into details but just know that it was a long ass time ago and I haven’t severely injured myself since.

29)Webtoons

30)Not really.

31)Takes too much energy so no. Doesn’t mean I forget, though.

32)Pisces

33)A ticket to my school’s lip sync battle (students vs teachers). It was definitely worth it.

34)Why not both? 😉 (I lean slightly more towards love, but eh.)

35)No

36)A real, genuine relationship? One.

37)For guys and girls it’s different for me. I’m more shy around guys that I have a real interest in and tend to avoid them at all costs. So I’ve never actually been in a relationship with a guy. I’m slightly more forward with girls. In the end, I’m not too sure what kind of “secret weapon” I have since I’m pretty socially awkward and not typically seen as dating material.

38) My best friends are at their houses being just as unproductive as me.

39) Watching YouTube videos. I can’t even remember which ones.

40) If you’re looking for somebody that’s very spontaneous and blunt, I’m your gal. If not, keep walking. I like to think I’d be friends with me since I find similar qualities that I have in my friends (though that’s not to say I want my friends to be just like me; I need people with differing views to keep me grounded).

41) Fuck the job, I’m saving the dog. And if my boss had even the slightest bit of compassion, he’d understand why I was late.

42) I would tell the people closest to me (my mom, select friends, etc.). But I’d insist they not treat me any differently than if I were completely fine and not dying. I’d spend my remaining days just having fun and doing all the things I’ve ever wanted to do. If I have a month to live, I’m not gonna waste it moping and crying over my mortality. I would like to think that I wouldn’t be scared. Everyone dies at some point, some sooner than others. As long as I am willing to live my last days to their fullest, I’ll be fine with dying.

43) Heavy by Oh Wonder

44) Proper communication. If you don’t talk, then how are you going to work out problems and get anything done?

45) Just be genuine. I hate fake people. That being said, if your genuine self is disrespectful and mean-spirited, I want absolutely nothing to do with you.

46) I like to think it does since you’re in a state of mind that few people have been in.

47) I’d like to say becoming vegan. I feel happier with myself for it.

48) Died from meme overload. I just can’t take myself too seriously.

49) A beating organ. If you were expecting something cheesy, sorry to disappoint.

50) Black, white, gray, green (none of that neon bullshit).

51) The phases of the moon.

52) Tonald Drump (for those specific individuals, it’s Donald Trump)

53) Depends in whose asking me, it could be any question. If my mom were to ask me if I’m straight, I’d hesitate. Still, I would probably tell the truth.

54) Idk, money making power? (gotta pay that college tuition)

55) My time in the Colosseum. It was awesome.

56) Anything to do with my biological father.

57) If we’re talking sex, I’m inclined to not answer since I’m still a minor (*cough* Jungkook/Halsey*cough*), but if it’s like legit sleeping, I want to say Lana Del Rey. Idk why but these are the people that popped up.

58) My bitch ass is headed to South Korea. ✌️

59) Yes.

60) Not even gonna explain:

Jungkook

Halsey

Marina Diamandis

Hayley Kiyoko

Brendon Urie

[rainforestdawn]

I’m bored, so why not?

Thank you Charlie @adeathnoteblog for reblogging the questions in a blank format.

1: when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk? Always more cereal than Milk. Lactose intolerant, less milk the better.

2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day? Yes, but only if it’s snowing big fat snowflakes.

3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books? Receipts, Grocery Lists, and Candy Wrappers, lol

4: how do you take your coffee/tea?I like it very sweet, with one dollop of cream. Or just black hazelnut.

5: are you self-conscious of your smile? Yes. It’s very big, and I really dislike drawing attention to my mouth.

6: do you keep plants? No, Each time I try, I wind up killing it. Even the hearty “hard to kill” ones.

7: do you name your plants? Nope.

8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings? Magazine Collage, and music.

9: do you like singing/humming to yourself? Yes

10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach? I’m a right side sleeper. 

11: what’s an inner joke you have with your friends? One Word. Macarena.

12: what’s your favorite planet? For reals? We’re supposed to have a favorite? Earth…I guess?

13: what’s something that made you smile today? Not a damn thing, actually. I haven’t laughed or giggled or chuckled, either. That’s unusual.

14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like? That depends on which best friend you’re talking about. Like, I actually don’t have one best friend.

15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is!   *Do constellations look different other planets?*  The planets of the Solar System do revolve around the same central body, but they do so on different orbits, so they will observe the stars from slightly different angles. This will make the constellations we see from here slightly different from the ones you see from there.

16: what’s your favorite pasta dish?Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

17: what color do you really want to dye your hair? I’ve always wanted to go completely blonde, or smurf blue.

18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up. That fucking time I sat on a goddamned apple pie. It was a Christmas party, and I had excused myself to the porch to have a cigarette. I sat on a chair, and it occurred to me that it was warm, and didn’t pay it any mind. I don’t see well in the dark, and there was a towel on the seat, covering the pie, so I didn’t notice it until I got up. SO fucking embarrassing since I knew literally, two people, at this party.

19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it? I tend to doodle spirals, or repetitive lines, kind of like concentric circles. I write about how I’m feeling in that moment, the things that are randomly floating through y head, stuff I need to remember, grocery lists, phone numbers and appointments, and other random bits. I carry a hard covered spiral bound book or a children’s school notebook at all times with a pen.

20: what’s your favorite eye color? I really do enjoy all eye colors. No one in particular. Each eye is different, and I rather enjoy looking into them and noticing the variations. But I rarely do this.

21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that’s been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces. I don’t have one in specific that I think of in these terms. I pitch any bag that carries a major association with. I do, however, have a green duffel bag that I’ve had since my first trip to the states with my first husband. That’s nearly 20 years old now.

22: are you a morning person? I can be. But I prefer waking in late morning.

23: what’s your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations? Nap. Listen to soothing music. Watch the leaves moving in the trees. Curling up on the couch. Watching a favorite movie. Eat yummy food. And then nap some more.

24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets? My followers, of course. I haven’t given my tumblr address to anyone in my family, or my close friends. There’s actually only two people whom I’ve shared this site with that I know IRL. You’re all privy to my worst secrets.

25: what’s the weirdest place you’ve ever broken into? An old Jail? I dunno, breaking into something isn’t really my forte.

26: what are the shoes you’ve had for forever and wear with every single outfit? Nada. Crocs from the dollar store, hahaha. Not a fashonista at all, and gave up matching shoes before I had my second child.

27: what’s your favorite bubblegum flavor? Excel Green. Whatever flavor that is. Spearmint I think?

28: sunrise or sunset? Depends. If I’m with someone I love, Sunrise. If I’m real fucking down, Sunset.

29: what’s something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing? Christ. This is a thing?! I dunno, they banter back with my sarcastic insults.

30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared? Yup.

31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks. OMG. I’m a toe sock junkie. I prefer the fuzzy, soft kind of socks if the floors are cold. I like Toe socks because I can wear flip flops with them, and I call them my campfire socks. Less Mosquito bites if I wear those during an evening campfire. I have a lot of crazy patterned socks because my ex and the kids tend to steal them if they’re plainly colored.

32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends. Uhhh…I sobered up? No, really. There aren’t a whole lot of people I’ve stayed up all night with. It’s my time. It’s private.

33: what’s your fave pastry? Strudel.

34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it? I have two stuffies I got as gifts as a kid. I don’t know why I keep them. There’s no association with them at all. Maybe because most of the things I had as a child were so often thrown away…Huh. I haven’t named them. Both are bears. One is on all fours, on is sitting on it’s backside. Now that I think of it, I really should just pitch them out.

35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often? I <3 comfortable, smooth writing pens. And when I find one, it stays with me until it goes dry, and then I miss it for months, and mourn it’s loss. I once had a pen I kept for seven years before it dried out, no joke. Stationary makes no diff to me at all.

36: which band’s sound would fit your mood right now? Umm. The Cranberries.

37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean? Clean. I feel good when my room is clean.

38: tell us about your pet peeves! I fucking hate wet towels on my bed. When people refer to the USA as “America” and not the United States, they aren’t the only goddamned country on this continent.

39: what color do you wear the most? Black. I love bright happy colors, but when I had my first child, my husband and mother in law insisted they help me build my wardrobe. It was all pastels or white & black, and a lot of khaki. So, I gave up my own sense of style. I wear a lot of black.

40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what’s it’s story? does it have any meaning to you? I have a diamond and Ruby ring that my kinds’ dad gave me as an “I’m sorry” gift. He didn’t take my side in an argument with his parents. He didn’t agree with me.

41: what’s the last book you remember really, really loving? Mo Willems Don’t Let The Pigeon Books.

42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it! Not at all.

43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with? My youngest son.

44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything? That happens so rarely I actually don’t recall.

45: do you trust your instincts a lot? Absolutely.

46: tell us the worst pun you can think of. No. I refuse to start punning.

47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe? I dunno, jalapenos? NO clue.

48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today? The Dark, or being in the dark with a lit doorway. It’s not my biggest fear now, but it’s still up there.

49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought? I love buying CD’s from Thrift Shops. The last one I bought was a Better than Ezra album I haven’t listened to yet.

50: what’s an odd thing you collect? i try not to collect things, they tie you down, or somehow they get thrown out. When I notice I’m doing it, I give them away.

51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them? Calvin - Who’s thinkin about you now by Jason Mraz

52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far? Gawd, I dunno. I have no idea which ones are new and which ones aren’t. And I really don’t care.

53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? Yes I have, and I didn’t get what the hype was all about. heathers? Never heard of it.  beetlejuice? Yup, and I thoroughly enjoyed it’s creepy vibes. pulp fiction? yes, and identified way too much with it. what do you think of them? —–^

54: who’s the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face?  My kids. They’re entitled.

55: what’s the most dramatic thing you’ve ever done to prove a point? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA  Oh man, there’s WAY too many of those things to list here.

56: what are some things you find endearing in people? Their imagination, and their sense of humor.

57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics? yes, every time. I <3 this song.

58: who’s the wine mom and who’s the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why? This would indicate I have lady friends whom I might drink with. I don’t keep lady friends, the last time I did my ex slept with each one.

59: what’s your favorite myth? All of them

60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves? I do like poetry, but writing it. I don’t have any favorite writers of poetry.

61: what’s the stupidest gift you’ve ever given? the stupidest one you’ve ever received? I’ve given condoms a few times. I’ve received them too.

62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind?Nope. Water water water.

63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be? Not at all. I usually just arrange my books by size, when I have them out.

64: what color is the sky where you are right now? Dark blue with a grey tinge because it’s cloudy and night.

65: is there anyone you haven’t seen in a long time who you’d love to hang out with? My childhood besties, Crystal & Jaime.

66: what would your ideal flower crown look like? Daises and clover.

67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel? Introspective? Reflective?

68: what’s winter like where you live? Cold. And multiple feet/meters of snow

69: what are your favorite board games? Sorry, Pay Day, trivial Pursuit?

70: have you ever used a ouija board? Yes

71: what’s your favorite kind of tea? Black

72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you’ll forget it? Sometimes.

73: what are some of your worst habits? I chew my nails, and I text paragraphs before I consider how it sounds when people are hurting and I’m comforting//advising.

74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns. They listen without judgement, give as much affection as I need, and let me cry. Then they cheer me up and make me laugh until I cry again. And finally, they feed me and put me to bed.

75: tell us about your pets! I have a white, Californian bunny, named Mr. Benjamin. One of my children is allergic to cats and the other dogs, and I had a terrible experience with a Hamster once. Traditional pets really aren’t our forte. Mr. B travels well, and is typically well behaved until you piss him off.

76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren’t? Finding something for dinner, since mine was scooped by one my sons’ friends. Or cleaning because our home will be shown by a realtor tomorrow.

77: pink or yellow lemonade? PINK *drools*

78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub? I think they’re cute, but only because they’re yellow.

79: what’s one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you? Hm.I really don’t know. Someone sent me a jar with sand and shells in it recently, but that was more thoughtful and sweet, not cute.

80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why? Wine red. Nope. I’m a renter. And these walls are fucking ugly.

81: describe one of your friend’s eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of. Whoa dude, tone back on whatever it is you’re on.

82: are/were you good in school? I was until I hit 8th Grade, then I was a fucking badass who shit on those who wanted me. I’m quite ashamed of who I was in my youth.

83: what’s some of your favorite album art? Pink Floyd’s The Wall, Boney M’ Nightflight to Venus? I haven’t actually looked at album art in a long time.

84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones? Nope, all done with those. now I’m waiting until my wait time ends so I can start donating blood.

85: do you read comics? what are your faves? Not anymore. Classic Archie comics are my favorite.

86: do you like concept albums? which ones? I guess so? I dunno.

87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives? Christ. Anything Disney & Pixar.

88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy? Like, a group? Or a dance? Sheepers. I’ve no idea.

89: are you close to your parents? Not even.

90: talk about one of you favorite cities. I’ve always enjoyed Columbus, Ohio. It was the first city I explored and learned on my own. It’s the place I learned to navigate and not fear being lost.

91: where do you plan on traveling this year? I hope to find my way to the ocean on the West Coast someplace.

92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch? Sprinkle a pinch.

93: what’s the hairstyle you wear the most? I’d love to have thicker hair, style doesn’t matter

94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday? My youngest son

95: what are your plans for this weekend? It’s Canada Day Weekend, so we’re spending the day at the local festivities at our local beach.

96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot? Both

97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house? Don’t know, and not doing the test right now. Libra. And Gryffendor.

98: when’s the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it? when someone close came for a visit. Yes I did enjoy it.

99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them. Honey Bee by Tom Petty, Free by Train, Home by Sheryl Crow

100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why? Neither. I wouldn’t risk it.

[countryclones-blog]

We want to give country music fans an inside look to life on the road. While it may seem fun and glamorous, there is a lot to be done before, during, and after each show. From concessions to meet and greets, and trash cleanup, it takes teams of people to put on a smooth, successful country music concert. We’ve teamed up with some of our country music industry friends to present you with a new monthly, behind the scenes Q&A series.

First up on the Country Clones Blog is Ethan Helms. This Mississippi born, now Nashville resident, is currently on tour and taking photos with Luke Bryan. He works with KP Entertainment, who in addition to managing Luke Bryan, also manages country artists like, Adam Craig, Jon Langston, and Cole Swindell (check out some of their songs featured in our monthly Record Roundups).

#gallery-0-5 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-5 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 25%; } #gallery-0-5 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-5 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Q&A | Ethan Helms

Country Clones [CC] | What is a typical day like on the road for you? Ethan Helms [EH] | If I can make myself get up early enough, I’ll try to get a workout in. It probably doesn’t happen as often as it should, though! Once our production office backstage is set up, I’ll go there and set my computer up and go through the photos I took from the night before and start editing. I’ll take almost a thousand photos each show, narrow those down to 30-40, edit them, then narrow down again to 15-30. If there are things that need to be done for the other artists that we work with (I.e. designing a graphic for their or shooting and editing a video for their socials) I do that. Afterwards, our Assistant Tour Manager, Mike, and I set up the backstage vibe room. This room is designated for any personal guests and music industry people we have at the show that night, so they have a place to hang. After lunch on the road, I go out and hide tickets to that night’s show for a scavenger hunt through Luke Bryan’s Snapchat. I love seeing the reaction of the fans that find them! After the tickets have been found, the Record Label Rep who works with the radio stations we have coming to the show gets to the venue – I give them the credentials for their radio people, and show them where the radio room and meet and greet are. Once Luke starts doing his meet and greets and radio hangs, I sometimes go with him to capture that for content to be posted in the official Luke Bryan App. Once he hits the stage, I’m in full photography mode, running all over the place trying to get as many photos I can. When the show is over, everything gets taken down, we pack up, and head to the next city we’re playing or go home to Nashville.

CC |  What do you enjoy most about your job? EH | The people I work with. I know it’s cliché, but we really are a family. We hang out even when we’re not on the road! Also, getting to see Luke put on a great show every night never gets old. I love that I’m able to run all around the place while taking my photos and being in the middle of the crowd, getting to see their reactions to the show.

CC | What kind of camera do you do? EH | I use a Samsung NX1. I have two Samsung lenses to go with it. A 16-50mm and 18-200mm. These are versatile and allow me to get shots from angles all over, whether I’m right inside the barricade, up against the stage, or if I’m all the way back at front of house.

CC | How did you get to be a tour photographer? EH | Honestly it feels strange to say I’m any type of photographer. I didn’t have a background in it before I started working for Luke. Actually, it isn’t even technically the main part of my job, although the photography and the graphic design thing is growing more and more integral to what I do. I was hired to help run the Luke Bryan app that was released around the time I got hired, capturing a lot of the content that goes into it. At first I was taking shots with my phone. Of course, I was having a hard time getting many good shots with just my phone! Eventually, I started borrowing the camera (a Canon Rebel T4i) we use for the meet and greet pictures and learned how to use it. I looked up typical settings to use for concert photography, talked to guys on the crew that had some camera experience, and learned what camera terms like ISO and shutter speed etc. mean. Eventually, I was able to get my own camera which I still use two years later. I’m still learning so much about photography, so again it’s weird for me to call myself a photographer, but man do I love it!

CC | What do you use the photos for that you take during a show? EH | Every show gets its own photo album in Luke’s App. So needless to say, our app users have no shortage of live Luke photos! They also get used for press releases, Luke Bryan merchandise, they’ve been used as tour admats, and of course for his other social media platforms. Let me tell you, it’s a trip to see those pictures being used like that because as I said earlier, just a few years ago I didn’t have any photography aspirations, I just kind of fell into it.

CC | How do you pass the time on the tour bus? EH | Typically, we get on the bus late at night after the show is over, so fortunately we can go straight to sleep in our bunks and wake up at the next venue. Other than that, my bus loves playing NHL on the PlayStation 4 or just watch movies on HBO.

CC | What’s your favorite festival to play? EH | I think I’ll have to go with Tortuga in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. We played there this year on the first day of the festival and it was so nice having a show right on the beach that some of us decided to stay there the whole weekend. It was a nice little last minute vacation!

CC | Do you enjoy bigger shows or smaller shows? EH | It’s hard to choose because they both have their own vibes. When we have a stadium show it’s so cool to see all those people, how loud they are, and the bigger production our team sets up for those places. When Luke does “Drink A Beer” in a stadium, and everyone use their cell phone lights to light up the place it always gives me goosebumps. At smaller venues, it’s cool to have the crowd up close and personal. You can really feel their energy and excitement right in your face. On one of our recent runs Adam Craig, who is an artist I also work with, was opening up for Luke. He opened for Luke at an arena in Moline, IL, and then the next night Adam played a club gig in Peoria, IL, so I went with him. It was cool getting to witness the energy of an arena one night and then the very next night seeing what it’s like in a club setting. Adam was great in both environments and it was a lot of fun.

CC | Do you still go to concerts as a fan? EH | Absolutely! I especially enjoy the bands and artists I grew up loving before I ever even moved to Nashville, seven years ago. It’s a little harder now with us being on the road most weekends, but when I can I definitely go. I find myself not only watching the performance, but also what their stage production is like and how it compares to ours. It’s kind of like watching two different shows go on at the same time so it’s much more engaging for me than it was before I was on tour.

CC | Who is your favorite artist or band to see live? EH | Outside of the country world, it would have to be the Foo Fighters, hands down. I saw them last year in Nashville, and Dave Grohl had a broken leg so they made this “rock throne” for him to sit on and it moved around the stage! He still rocked it too, he’s such a great front man. Other great shows I’ve seen are Needtobreathe, Switchfoot, and Tyler Hilton. Tyler was just him, and his guitar. It was every bit as engaging as a big rock show. He is my favorite singer/songwriter so I was just transfixed on the songs.

CC | How many states have you been to? EH | I literally just had to look at the list of states and count them out because I haven’t been keeping track! 42. We’re going to Alaska this year so I’m really excited to cross that off my list. CC | Do you have any advice for anyone who wants a career on the road in the music industry? EH | I’d say be open to every opportunity even remotely related to what you want to do. Not only do you gain more experience, it can also put you in the same room with other people in the industry. Even more important than saying yes to those opportunities, have a good attitude while you’re doing them. Being a good hang can go a long way.

CC | Anything else? EH | Thank y’all for having me, never done an interview before! Good luck with CountryClones.com. I think it’s awesome y’all want to pull the curtain back and talk to behind-the-scenes guys like me. Thanks again!

Behind the Scenes | Touring Photographer We want to give country music fans an inside look to life on the road. While it may seem fun and glamorous, there is a lot to be done before, during, and after each show.