#outstanding performance. number one

[milfbro]

(x)

Messi campeão número um

[clarabowmp3]

Care to share the university you got denied from so I can have beef with them in solidarity?

😭😭😭 Stoppppp this is literally so sweet??? But yes I got rejected from Cambridge for Law which I guess isn’t too crazy since their acceptance rate is smth like 11.8% but a girl WILL be delusional and WILL work herself to the bone for it 😍😍 I’ve still applied to other uk unis tho so let’s see! 🍞

[sttoru]

Can we have mamaguro and toji go to megumis school sports day event where the kids parents go against each other. Mamaguro wins amongst that games thats for mama's. And well toji yk guys 🙏🏼🤲🙏🏼

 𝝑𝑒 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐒. dad!toji x wife!female reader. fluff, one mention of angsty-ish thing. suggestive comment. reader gets called ‘mama / ma, pretty’

“woah, mama’s so fast!” megumi points at you with his tiny finger, watching as you participate in a 400 metres relay race. toji stands right beside the preschooler, grinning from ear to ear as he watches you go.

to say you’re competitive is an understatement. both toji and you have done your best to win all events the parents could participate in during your kid’s sports event. it may not be that serious to the other parents, though for you two, it is.

seeing megumi’s face light up and hearing his giggles whenever toji or you win a competition is all the reward needed for your hard work.

“oh yeah, y’r mama is gonna get that win,” your husband nods proudly. he crosses his arms over his chest, his eyes following your figure as you speed across the other mothers that are participating. toji’s attention is caught by a little hand tugging at his sweatpants.

he raises an eyebrow as he sees the way megumi’s reaching his arms out to him. “hah, little brat. c’mere,” toji lets out a chuckle before scooping megumi up, placing the clingy preschooler on his shoulders.

your gaze is set right ahead, body moving as quick as it could. your ears pick up on two familiar voices, your eyes catching a glimpse of toji and megumi at the sidelines. you smile at the two while you run. you don’t have to look back to keep track of where your opponents are. you’re too fast for them anyway.

“yeahhh, tha’s my fuckin’ wife!” toji yells above everyone else, embarrassing you a little. though, it sure did boost your energy levels and your legs move in an even faster tempo. the other parents look at toji with a frown, some whisper about his vulgar choice of words around little children, but he simply couldn’t care less.

megumi tries to imitate his dad and throws his hands in the air, waving at you with a big smile. “that’s my mama!” the little child shouts at the top of his lungs, having the time of his life. he’s been having fun all day with toji and you, his popularity under his classmates increasing because of the outstanding performances of his parents.

you laugh to yourself as you hear their encouragements. you glance over at them as they stand near the finish line, just waiting for you to pass over it. you wave at them whilst you’re running and watch as megumi happily waves back with both arms.

“mamaaaaa!” the small boy squeals, kicking his legs. he looks at you with big, sparkling eyes—cheering once you cross over the finish line. toji joins in and whistles, impressed by your performance. he walks over to you as you catch your breath.

“how’d i do?” you ask your husband with a smirk. toji nods, humming in satisfaction. he feels megumi squirm around on his shoulders, so he lets the preschooler down. toji faces you again and pinches your cheek in a loving yet teasing gesture, “amazing, ma. y’ did well.”

megumi runs up to you once he’s free and hugs your leg. you giggle and crouch down to hug him. “mama’s so fast. and so cool,” your son exclaims and mimics how you ran, making noises to indicate how fast you were going, “like—woosh, woosh!”

“haha, thank you,” you giggle and kiss megumi’s forehead. a teacher comes up to you and gives you your gold medal for winning first place, a big number one on the middle of the metal. you put the medal around megumi’s neck instead, clearly seeing his eyes light up once you do.

toji follows the gesture and puts all the medals he’s won around his son’s neck as well. those were quite a few since toji’s competitve and athletic self had won every round of the parent matches he’s participated on. out of all the dads present, he’s won most games.

“there y’ go,” toji comments in a proud tone. megumi laughs happily and jumps up and down in place to show his excitement. he sees a couple of his friends nearby and scurries over to them, going to brag about how he’s got the best parents.

your husband hands you a bottle while he keeps an eye on megumi. “thank you,” you nod and take a couple sips of the refreshing cold water. you catch toji glancing at you, looking you up and down. that’s when you already know that whatever’s going to come from his mouth, is going to be out of pocket.

“y’know, while ya ran out there, i couldn’t help but stare at that fat ass of—“

you smack toji’s chest, a warning for him to not finish that sentence. you’re too embarrassed by his words to even look at him properly. “don’t say such stuff in front of literal children,” you whisper shout with a flustered expression on your face.

toji playfully rolls his eyes at your comment. he wanted to give your behind a smack - an appreciative ‘well done’ gesture - but he refrains from doing so. he wraps an arm around your waist instead and squeezes your side.

“ugh maaann, who cares about these little brats,” toji complains and leans his head down to your level, kissing your temples gently. he smirks and gives your lips a quick kiss, “i just wanna appreciate my sexy wife.”

you can’t help but crack a faint smile after toji’s last comment. you kiss him back quickly, keeping an eye out on your son, who’s cluelessly showing his classmates all the medals around his neck.

“we made the kid quite popular,” toji hums as he sees the same thing you have. it warms his heart to see his son enjoy his childhood like this. so carefree, so loved. megumi’s got both of you, both loving parents, which brings the dark-haired man a sense of peace.

toji’s glad that he can give his son everything he couldn’t have as a child. that also means participating in megumi’s school events and the like of it. he’s never had anyone supporting him as a kid and he never wants the same to happen to your child.

“yeah, he deserves it,” you say with a fond smile. as long as megumi’s protected and loved, the rest is fine. you’re glad that he’s taking the opportunity to interact with his classmates, considering he’s usually a bit shy and quiet.

while you’re watching megumi, toji’s staring at you. there’s a subtle smile tugging at his lips because of your own content expression. he looks back at his kid and sighs in relief.

all that hard work was worth it if it meant to have both his wife and son enjoy themselves.

[doyoulikethissong-poll]

Aaliyah - Are You That Somebody? 1998

"Are You That Somebody?" is a song recorded by American singer and actress Aaliyah for the Dr. Dolittle soundtrack. It was written by Static Major and Timbaland, with the latter producing it, in addition to performing a guest rap. It is an R&B, pop, soul, and avant-funk song with hip hop influences. Its production also incorporates other instrumentals such as staccato guitars, beatboxing, and drum and bass. The Dr. Dolittle soundtrack was released on June 16, 1998 and consisted of a blend of hip hop and contemporary R&B. The soundtrack was a huge success, peaking at 4 on both the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and was certified 2× Multi-Platinum on October 20 the same year.

Upon its release, "Are You That Somebody?" received critical acclaim from music critics, with them praising its off-beat innovative production. In 1999, Aaliyah earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for the song. Initially, it was ineligible to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 because it was an airplay single not commercially released to retail stores but in December 1998, Billboard changed its policy to allow airplay-only songs to chart, and the song eventually peaked at number 21. Internationally, the song achieved even greater commercial success, peaking at number one in New Zealand and number three in the Netherlands. It also peaked at number 11 in Canada and the UK.

An accompanying music video for "Are You That Somebody?" was directed by Mark Gerard with choreography orchestrated by Fatima Robinson. It received acclaim from the music industry, receiving Best R&B Video and Best Video from a Film nominations at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards. The video also earned a nomination for Outstanding Music Video at the NAACP Image Awards. Throughout the years, critics have praised the video for its choreography, with many highlighting the flamenco routine depicted in the final scene.

"Are You That Somebody?" received a total of 68,8% yes votes! Previous Aaliyah polls: #217 "Try Again".

[crishayle]

Neptune in the houses

Disclaimer. The natal chart is a system of aspects. Some qualities of a planet may not manifest due to other planets and their aspects. Please carefully study the rest of your placements.

Neptune in the 1st house:

1.He is a very empathetic and kind person. They are very polite and will endure to the last so as not to pour out their emotions on others

2.Many of them have synesthesia. They are able to taste color or know the color of music. They have a very good imagination

3.Often such people may have bags under their eyes since childhood or tired eyes. They have an unearthly appearance, for example, large or blue eyes. My personal observation, but these people are sooooo deep asleep, it's hard to wake them up, or their dreams are very colorful

4.With tense aspects, as well as a weak Moon, Neptune in the 1st house may indicate addiction to alcohol, smoking and drugs

5.Also, with tense aspects, Neptune in the 1st house may indicate infantile. Such a person can be naive, or dependent on someone else's opinion

Neptune in the 2nd house:

1.I often meet this placement in the natal charts of people who earn money from their hobby or are engaged in freelancing. Or they could change jobs often, because they have been looking for their vocation for a long time.In any case, their wealth is unstable

2.One of the indicators of monetary luck (but look at Jupiter in the natal chart). I have already said that their finances are fickle, but these people can also win the lottery, or find money on the street. They can also unexpectedly be offered a job with a good salary. But this is all with the good aspects of Neptune!!!!

3.With the negative aspects of Neptune in the natal chart, it is difficult for them to save money. Such people may be greedy for beautiful packaging, spontaneous purchases and may be excessively gambling. They may also often forget their wallet, credit card, or get into problems with the bank (an outstanding loan, for example)

4.No kidding, this is a good placement for designers and marketers. They literally know how to reunite beauty and sales.

5.The very type of people who really disconnects from the outside world when performing some task. They don't like multitasking or fast work.

Neptune in the 3rd house:

1.I would not say that this is an indicator of a creative nature. I often see this even in the natal charts of engineers, IT specialists and architects. It seems to me that such people are more used to working with visual information, because the 3rd house displays a person's thinking and mind in the natal chart. For example, it is easier for them to write or depict something than to convey it in words. It may also be easier for them to remember images, faces, or associations than numbers or audio information.

2.One of the indicators of an introvert (but you need to look at the rest of the placements of the natal chart). Such people periodically need to be alone with themselves to recharge their social battery.

3.Not always, but this is one of the signs of topographic cretinism. It may be difficult for such a person to navigate using maps and a navigator

4.Very pleasant and friendly in communication. They try to create an atmosphere of comfort and trust even with a stranger. Very polite in communication with the service staff (but can be very shy of them)

5.With the negative aspects of Neptune, this can be an indicator of a problem with attention and memory. It is difficult for such a person to study at school, listen to lectures at the university and take exams. They can also read a book or watch a movie, remember the frames and actors from there, but not remember the plot at all

Neptune in the 4th house:

1.One of the indicators of an alcoholic parent (but you need to look at the rest of the provisions of the natal chart), Every friend of mine with Neptune in the 4th house talked about problems with his mother or father because of alcohol

2.Most likely, one of the relatives has a mental disorder

3.This is a man who lived in a family where he lacked something. Perhaps attention, love or support. Even if the child received this, he could think that their family was different from the rest. You know, when outwardly it seems that everything is fine, but in fact it is not. As if it's an illusion or a picture.

4.Such a person does not want to grow up. Not to be confused with infantile, it's just that such a person takes great care of his inner child and any reminders of childhood. They may have a lot of saved toys, photos, etc.

5.Such people love a quiet pastime.For example, yoga, reading, listening to music, drawing, decorating the house, etc.

Neptune in the 5th house:

1.There are 2 situations here (to find out, you need to look at other placements of the natal chart):a person could try alcohol, cigarettes, etc. at a very early age, or such a person can ABSOLUTELY avoid them.Such people can really lose their minds because of alcohol. It's as if a dark personality wakes up in them, which they are afraid of in ordinary life.

2.They lie well. Even though I have the Moon in Scorpio, sometimes even I don't understand if they are lying or telling the truth. Sometimes they can make a joke and I'll take it for the truth. They control their emotions well. One of the indicators of acting talent.

3.With negative aspects, it may indicate manipulativeness.

4.They are so interesting to tell stories with all the emotions and details, you want to listen and listen to them! Perhaps good pedagogical abilities.

5.I often notice that such people prefer fantasy films or romantic ones. They can express their love through music or gifts made with their own hands

Neptune in the 6th house:

1.Problems with time management. Such a person confuses deadlines, forgets about his tasks or does not have time to complete them. It is better for such a person to work with someone in tandem who will be able to monitor the progress of the work

2.I often find this placement in the natal charts of allergy sufferers. Also, such people may have sensitive skin or sensitivity to the sun (they immediately tan).Perhaps they often get sick, or are vulnerable to the weather

3.Such people are philanthropists. They will definitely share their food with you, help you or listen to you. "It's better to give than to receive"

4.Most often, such people work in the service sector, or in a profession where they feel they are helping people

5.Their energy and motivation are fickle. One day they can do tasks for the whole week, another day they won't be able to get out of bed.

Neptune in the 7th house:

1.Such people tend to idealize their partner, or fall in love with people below their level(but you need to look at Venus, the Moon and the Sun in the natal chart)

2.The 7th house in the natal chart also displays enemies. In the lives of such people, there were often those who took advantage of their kindness and care.Most often, such people are not vindictive

3.It is a very difficult situation when Neptune has many bad aspects in the natal chart. In this case, a person becomes distrustful and angry at people. It was as if he realized that kindness is not appreciated and it is better to be selfish

4.Such people make decisions based on what their heart tells them, not their mind (but you need to look at the other placement of the natal chart)

5.Such people strive for a complete fusion of souls in a relationship. They are looking for their soulmate. They will be interested in your hobby, your work, your relatives, etc., if you are in a relationship with them

Neptune in the 8th house:

1.One of the indicators of addiction. Such a person can get hooked on alcohol, cigarettes, pills or drugs due to stress. I also have Neptune in the 8th house, and to be honest, I've been drinking sedatives for 2 years because of the huge stress. Also, my friends with this placement sleep for almost a whole day due to stress. You know that the 8th house is the house of death in tropical astrology. With Neptune in the 8th house, a person tries to find a place where he can get lost. After all, sleep is a little death, and alcohol is a loss of reason and thoughts

2.One of the indicators of fear of water or inability to swim. Also, such people may be allergic to some cosmetics or chemicals.

3.Interest in mysticism and religion since childhood. Perhaps such a person had an imaginary friend or encountered paranormal things in childhood.

4.In sex, a person puts emotions above physical contact. Passion, love are very important to them, they need kisses and foreplay

5.Good intuition, but it is difficult for a person to translate it into clear information. As if the subconscious mind of a person understands, but the consciousness does not

Neptune in the 9th house:

1.Such a person can often dream of countries or places where he has never been. It's like he's traveling in a dream

2.With the negative aspects of Neptune, a person may not recognize his homeland. I often find this placement among people who moved to another country because of the poor quality of life in their homeland, or they had to due to external circumstances

3.For such people, changes in life can bring peace of mind. I noticed that such people, after experiencing stress, like to start life with a clean slate. AND SUDDENLY FOR EVERYONE

4.He is a philosopher by nature. Such people have a very interesting type of thinking. They are interesting interlocutors, after talking with them, it seems that something has changed dramatically in your thoughts

5.It is most difficult for them to recognize the injustice of the world. They are sooooo kind, but sometimes they can't just take bad events or bad people in their opinion

Neptune in the 10th house:

1.Such people tend to underestimate their capabilities. For example, to work at an unloved job, secretly dreaming of a completely different one. They will prefer stability instead of their favorite profession

2.One of the indicators of work abroad or in a foreign language. Such people are good at freelancing and psychology. They know how to follow a work ethic and be a friendly and pleasant employee

3.They have too quick a mind, so there are problems with time management or workflow organization. They also tend to work in a creative mess (but they can, because they are good)

4.Neptune in the 10th house can also indicate envious or toxic colleagues. Many of my acquaintances with this placement have faced slander about them at work

5.With negative aspects, this placement may indicate conflict and an inflated ego. A person does not recognize authorities, it is difficult for him to accept someone else's opinion

Neptune in the 11th house:

1.A VERY GOOD FRIEND!!!! A sense of comfort, tranquility and fun next to such a person is provided to you.

2.The social media page of such a person is either completely empty and closed, or filled with unusual photos or memes. Also, such people use fake accounts more often than others

3.He is good at coming up with ideas, plans and works well with information, but it is difficult for him to translate his ideas into reality

4.With bad aspects, this placement may indicate an inability to read people. They can be friends and trust hypocritical and deceitful people. They may not see the bad in people at all

5.They are sooooo cute! Such people need to choose friends more carefully than others because they tend to change their habits, manner of communication, hobbies because of friends. It was from people with Neptune in the 11th house that I heard that they gave up bad habits and found a job after they stopped communicating with bad people

Neptune in the 12th house:

1.One of the indicators of an introvert. Such a person feels very comfortable alone. He can live alone quite calmly and rarely leave the house

2.Such people are sooooo difficult to wake up. Sometimes it feels like they've come out of a coma, not woken up. Their brains need a lot of time to recover

3.Very strong intuition. Also, such people put the heart above the mind.

4.Such a person does not like to talk about his feelings. He keeps all his worries to himself and is used to solving problems alone. He is more used to walking on the street or thinking about his problems before going to bed than telling someone about it.

5.He is a very emotionally impressionable person. He will not laugh if someone falls, at the sight of blood in person he may shudder. He can literally feel someone else's pain in his body.

[theminecraftbee]

for anyone wondering where i've been: i got... distracted... by a potential huge project. I was considering running a mcrp project/smp project, inspired by stuff like fan life series servers, with the rest of the sexyman team! but... a different one. a very specific one, even.

now, I'm aware there are probably outstanding questions, so if you're uncertain, please read more event/server details below the cut and see if it interests you!

I don't know anything about Survivor–what would this show even be like?

so if you know nothing about survivor, it's easy to think it's a show about surviving on a deserted island. it is that, but it's not mainly that. survivor, at its heart, is a social deception game, about making close alliances, betraying people, and social dynamics under pressure–hence why i suspect it would be a great fit for mcrp.

the way the show would be structured is this: a certain number of contestants would be placed on a (slightly modified) survival server, set up to be difficult to survive on. they are placed into two "tribes", the teams for the first half of the show. every episode, they would spend time with their tribes bonding, surviving, searching for secrets, and base building. then, they would compete in challenges. the tribe that loses the immunity challenge must go to tribal council, where they vote on which member to send home. this continues with the tribes eventually merging together into one tribe and immunity becoming individual before there are only two contestants left. at that time, they go in front a jury of their former fellow contestants, who will determine who the sole survivor is.

while challenge performance is one key to winning (as it prevents you from being a target in the first place), the other, bigger key, as you can likely see, is forming alliances and voting blocks strategically to get your opponents voted out and yourself kept in. this makes a great vehicle for social emergent storytelling, where narratives emerge about who is honest, who is a liar, who is good at the social game, who is bad at it, and what people will do in order to become sole survivor.

in other words: it's kind of like what current-day mcrp is ALREADY about. except its a gameshow also, and the very construction of the thing is designed to cause tensions by its very nature.

it's great! and you wouldn't be required to know anything about survivor–our host would explain to the audience all of the mechanics as they came up, as would production staff to the players.

You keep calling it "a show"–what do you mean by that?

the result of this project would be an edited youtube series, like survivor, of likely around twelve episodes. each episode would show footage from the game, as well as a lot of "confessionals" shots of the players explaining their opinions, before ending in tribal council! unlike most mcrp series, this would not be a multiple pov affair. it would be one tightly edited project. (this editing, for the record, is the largest overhead; we expect the amount of footage to go through to end up being in the hundreds of hours combined between all the players.)

it's possible that after the show's finale releases we'll release the players to make their own highlights from any footage they take. but the product we're hoping to make is just a single TV show's worth!

what exactly does applying to be a contestant require?

if we get enough interest, once we have enough of the required plugins and builds created and have a better sense of gameplay, we will put out a casting call form. while this will ask a number of questions to help us get to know you as a potential player, you're going to be REQUIRED to have the following things: a tumblr blog that you can link us to, the ability to record an audition tape in minecraft to send to us (so that we can get an idea of what audio we'd be working with, mostly), enough free time for us to be able to schedule recording sessions into, and a willingness to agree to some rules about keeping things secret until the finale airs and about rp etiquette. that's it! there are no other requirements–you don't have to know survivor, you don't have to already do mcyt or stream, you don't have to have friends, none of it, and while we'll ask you for those details, we're going to be looking for a large blend of people from across mcyt! anyone (who can send us mostly clean audio) can be considered!

EDIT: we would ALSO REQUIRE YOU BE AT LEAST 18. sorry i forgot this before! this is for a number of reasons i don't want to get into, but will be prominent on the actual applications.

what exactly would being a production staff member entail?

we're mainly looking for two things in production staff: a willingness to run replaymod for us and act as cameramen by following contestants around getting footage on the actual recording days, and a willingness to work with us on what's likely to be a fairly intense editing and "scripting" period during and after recording, during which we're going to have to scrub through massive amounts of footage and form it into a coherent narrative. we may, depending on how bad we realize we've bitten off more than we can chew, also end up looking for build team members for the production crew. if these things sound fun to you (they sound fun to me god help me), then go ahead and select this option! just know it's mutually exclusive with playing; no one in the production staff will be considered for the contestants. this includes my friends and myself who've already agreed to help me.

these applications would come out before the casting call, since even before casting call we're going to need to do playtests and dry runs and have things mostly ready. so keep an eye out!

will this be run on your blog?

nope we're going to make a new blog (and youtube channel) (and branding!) for this eventually, just want to interest check before we go through all the branding steps. (also, i've even gotten us a specific gmail for this that we will likely end up using for certain communications.)

for now that's all the FAQ i think that is required. let me know if you have more! and i hope you all are interested in this baby of a project that's taken over my mind for the past few weeks!

[accio-victuuri]

oh i like these posts. hahahahahaha! politics aside, oh well, no actually— i don’t think we can ever put aside politics when it comes to the boys ; I see cpfs sharing posts and commenting on this person’s “greeting” for wyb. and well, you will see why. she is a politician in hongkong.

[Patriotic top star Wang Yibo]

What big day is August 5? Last year, this day was the 12th anniversary of the New People's Party; it was also the birthday of Wang Yibo, a top star in the mainland.

Wang Yibo has a deep connection with Hong Kong. He was born in 1997, when Hong Kong returned to the motherland. I still remember that he sang a song "Stand Up" for Hong Kong on the 25th anniversary of the return; on July 1, 2023, he personally came to Hong Kong to attend the "Greater Bay Area Film and Music Gala" "The Moon Rises in the Bay Area", but unfortunately it did not cause much response at the time.

Although he is not a popular idol of Hong Kong people, friends who pay attention to the mainland entertainment industry know that Wang Yibo is a top star in the mainland entertainment industry; he has extraordinary dancing skills, and his status as the "King of Dance" in the mainland is unquestionable. In addition, he is also engaged in many public welfare undertakings; he recently filmed a documentary series on protecting pangolins as a public welfare ambassador of WildAid. He is an artist with both talent and virtue.

I once asked a public question in the Legislative Council: Since Hong Kong is hosting many events and concerts, the SAR government should actively consider inviting mainland top stars Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo to perform in Hong Kong. I believe that this will attract a large number of fans from the mainland and around the world to support Hong Kong and truly promote Hong Kong's concert economy.

Recently, there are two things about him that impressed me the most. First, his performance in the mainland hit drama "War of Faith" was amazing, and his acting skills have made a great leap forward. I, like many mainland audiences, think that he deserves the "Best Actor". Unfortunately, he was not nominated for the Best Actor in the list of nominees for the Shanghai TV Magnolia Awards earlier. This incident triggered a series of controversies in the mainland entertainment industry. Many people feel sorry for him.

In addition, when he was serving as a torchbearer for this year's Olympics in Paris, he saw a fan holding a mini national flag accidentally dropped it on the ground, and he picked it up spontaneously, showing his sincere respect and love for the national flag. If every young person in Hong Kong can spontaneously love the national flag and national emblem, and understand that it represents the dignity of the country, then it means that Hong Kong's patriotic education has truly succeeded.

In summary, Wang Yibo is an outstanding young man. He went to Korea for training when he was young. After years of hard work, he has mastered first-class dancing skills. His acting skills have also been recognized in recent years. Even though he is a top star with huge commercial value, he is also enthusiastic about public welfare. He is really a role model for artists. I hope that young people in Hong Kong will take him as an example and learn how to be a good young man with both talent and virtue, who loves the national flag and spontaneously safeguards the dignity of the country.

* So i guess it’s now obvious why cpfs like this post so much. it’s because both of them were mentioned. and is is what we’ve been hoping for, that they will be invited to events and probably even work on a project together because they are “positive” artists. and how important it is for them to maintain that image to stay safe in the industry. tho i have to say that it’s not hard for them cause they are good natured people. It’s not an “act”, that is just how they are.

and it’s what we’ve been saying, that these two are one of the best ways for CHN to have some soft power in the international stage. tho i’m sure they will have detractors who will be quick to pull out “evidence” of their government support and use it against them.

also months back, she also posted something about CQL. so yeah, no wonder she got popular with cpfs ⬇️⬇️

China’s “danmei” genre is booming in the West

The article “How to Tell Chinese Stories Well” (July 14) overlooks an important genre that is growing in popularity in the West and is more reflective of contemporary Chinese life than works from decades ago such as Shanghai Life and Death or The Wild Swans.

I am referring to the danmei genre of online novels. Danmei is a term that originated in Japan. This new genre has spawned a number of very successful online novels that have been adapted into extremely popular Chinese TV series and translated into English. A prominent example is The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, which was adapted into the Chinese TV series The Untamed in 2019 and translated into English and is available on Amazon.

Untamed made two young actors, Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo, famous in China. Another very successful work is Erha and His White Cat Shizun, which made the New York Times bestseller list in English. The English version has a wide readership in the West and is available in paperback.

Danmei novels celebrate “boys’ love”, which is officially frowned upon. A major production based on Erha, produced by Tencent, has been shelved. But the genre has a large following in China and abroad, inspiring fan art, fan works and merchandise.

Many danmei online novels are written by women for women. Why are they so popular among Chinese women? Their popularity reflects the frustrations of contemporary Chinese women: they are trapped between traditional, realistic, family-oriented marriage concepts and a desire for romance and true love, as celebrated in danmei novels. Such novels have become a channel for their fantasy and escapism. Surprisingly, these novels have also been loved by Western audiences.

While TV series based on such novels have been banned, animated versions of some popular works are still in production. The resilience of the genre, which is seen by the authorities as a departure from the official "main melody" works, reflects the delicate relationship between the authorities and the artists who create them. Most of the time, the authorities have the upper hand, but the ban has not stopped private enterprises and creative talents from finding space for the genre to thrive. Can we call it the authorities' "one eye open, one eye closed" attitude?

* this is a short but very interesting take on the whole thing. she is not even mentioning how TGCF is so popular in the mainland and continues to do so with it’s donghua and manhua. i guess it’s really one eye open and one eye closed and i hope it stays that way so that this genre will continue to thrive! i’m not holding that much expectation for the live action versions tho.

[hotwaterandmilk]

I'm seeing "Wedding Peach was unsuccessful" trotted out on Twitter again and it's honestly kind of funny to me. You can dislike the series, but you're rewriting history if you suggest it was a massive commercial flop/astronomical failure — it simply wasn't.

The Wedding Peach TV series maintained viewership throughout its run which is why it aired an entire year's worth of episodes (the full length it was intended to run) and didn't get cancelled like Nurse Angel Ririka SOS, for example.

I'm not going to pretend it did Sailor Moon numbers, dear god, it absolutely didn't get close hence why it wrapped as it did. I would suggest looking back now, that it was the definition of a mid-performing title for the time period. It sold toys decently but not outrageously, it got viewers but not an outstanding number, and it garnered a small but dedicated fanbase of male otaku. All of which is par for the course when it comes to a mid title in 1995.

Wedding Peach DX was produced because the TV series LD sales were decent enough to warrant it. Children were not buying LD box sets at this time, adult fans were and it was this interest that justified the creation of the four DX episodes as direct-to-video releases. If a series doesn't sell well they don't make more episodes, let alone higher quality deluxe episodes specifically for the home video market (and thus for older audiences with spending power).

It is very important to point out that Wedding Peach DX had NO INVOLVEMENT from the original creative team. Tomita Sukehiro and Yazawa Nao did not contribute to its creation, Tadano Kazuko didn't provide designs. Yuyama Kunihiko was the driving force behind the production of the DX episodes and he served as both director and writer for all four episodes (bringing on Wedding Peach animator and soon-to-be frequent Pokémon collaborator, Ichiishi Sayuri to serve as character designer).

What inspired these to be fanservice dreck to the level they ended up being is honestly beyond me. I mean the otaku market definitely wanted more episodes featuring the characters (and more songs featuring the seiyuu, if you want to see how keen otaku were for FURIL please see this post) but part of what they liked about the characters at the time was their (barfbarfbarf) perceived purity and innocence. The DX including panty shots and swimsuits kind of threw them for a loop. Even now, if you look at discussions about the DX among otaku there's a bit of a divide in opinion.

The DX episode sales were (as far as I can tell based on magazines from the time) also mid, but enough to cover four episodes. Three and four don't seem to have sold as well as one and two, but again the stats from the time aren't comprehensive. I think the fact that there weren't any after episode four says it all, honestly. OVA episodes are expensive to produce and it was extremely common for them to stop immediately if the sales weren't there. DX didn't justify its existence beyond those four episodes and Yuyama moved onto a far more successful project in Pokémon.

On that topic, I think it's important to note that Wedding Peach was OLM's first television series (albeit a coproduction with KSS). If it and the studio's adaptation of Mojacko hadn't made some level of profit it would have been quite difficult for them to adapt Pokémon. Neither Mojacko nor Wedding Peach set records with their viewership or sales numbers, but they both did "OK". It was in Pokémon however, that that OLM truly found a successful property with the series still running today. Sometimes you've got to have a few runs at producing things before you find success. Wedding Peach was one of these early runs, a project where a lot of people cut their teeth but one that didn't justify its own continuation beyond a certain point. Just a very standard media mix from the mid-90s, in other words.

Wedding Peach is a problematic title with indifference through to outright objection to representing love outside of heterosexual romance. Looking back now it feels like an absolute dinosaur on so many levels. Between the anime's fatphobic episode and Momoko dropping some gender essentialism, I'm not surprised people want to relegate it to the dustbin of history.

However, I think it is very telling that Tomita Sukehiro, when presented with the opportunity to tell a similar story in the modern day, chose to represent not just queer love, but platonic and familial love in Wedding Apple. While he can't undo the regressive and cringy elements of the original series, as a creator he has progressed and I'd like to think we can all continue to improve our outlooks and output as we grow.

Disliking Wedding Peach in the modern day is completely understandable. I'm not going to pretend anyone should watch it in 2024 without knowing that it is a camp, cheaply made relic of a time when heterosexuality was considered magic. However, just because it pandered to all the worst things trending at the time doesn't mean it didn't sell enough products or hold enough viewers to justify its production. It did, it just wasn't a strong enough property to go beyond that and that's representative of mediocrity rather than mind blowing commercial failure imho.

[matan4il]

Israel's 76th Independence Day

-> Geek fact: Today is the 14th of May, but also the fifth of (the Hebrew month of) Yiar. The Hebrew and Gregorian calendar only coincide once every 19 years. Since Israel was established, this is only the 4th time when we get to celebrate it on a day which is both the Hebrew and the Gregorian date of its founding.

-> Israel's Independence Day start the eve before, with a ceremony that both concludes our Memorial Day for our fallen soldiers and terror victims, and transitions into celebrating our independence. I don't think anyone can understand life here, or the Israeli people, without getting this impossible, yet necessary emotional transition.

-> This year, more than ever, the two days, commemorated one right after the other, feel impossible to separate.

-> We have an Independence Day ceremony. Every year, it celebrates the best of Israeli society. All of it. Jews and non-Jews. 12 Independence Day torches are lit (representing the 12 ancient tribes of Israel) by individuals who stood out in making a change for our society. As you might imagine, this year the ceremony was more emotional than ever before, with an incomprehensible number of heroes of all kinds.

-> Some highlights for me included the lighting of a few torches in the scenes of the massacre instead of all being light on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. For example, families of some of the murdered at a southern Israeli beach, invaded by sea, lit together a torch at the place where their loved ones were taken away.

-> The Jewish prayer for the release of all hostages, sung by Lior Elmaliach in front of 132 empty yellow chairs (same color as the ribbon that people wear to call for this return).

-> One of the released hostages singing a mash-up of two songs about the sun (re-finding it, and discovering that the sun is inside us), while all the violins around being lit in yellow, and the yellow ribbon for the hostages' return looming larger than life in the background.

-> An Israeli soldier, who fought in this war in Gaza, performing a love song to the Land of Israel on his violin (it was performed in that moment without the lyrics, but the song goes, "The land of our people, the land of our eternity, a land in which we were born, a land in which we will live, come what may"), lit in white, while all the violins around him are lit in blue, the two colors of the Israeli flag.

-> That moment when Iris Chaim, whose son Yotam was one of the three hostages accidentally killed in Gaza by our own soldiers, who right away sent a message to those soldiers that she understands, she's not angry at them, and they're invited to her home, who's been working to lift and unite people's spirits before and since, when she was saying she's the mother of... she named her first born son, but then she had to stop and take a deep breath before saying Yotam...

-> When the flag bearers, outstanding soldiers carrying the flags of all the units of the IDF, did the traditional portion of the ceremony where they form different shapes, but this year they started by spelling the Hebrew word נזכור (nizkor, we'll remember).

-> How soldiers wounded in the current war (enough to need crutches or wheelchairs) participated in multiple sections of the ceremony, including the more physical ones, like the flag bearers' formations (in the pic below: forming Israel's flag).

-> They had a group of kids from different northern and southern Israeli communities who are still, even over 7 months since the start of the war, internal refugees. They got to perform as singers and musicians together with several very successful Israeli singers. The second song they performed felt especially fitting, as it's about going out into the world, strengthened despite adversity.

-> It's not easy to celebrate when the pain is so endless. The other day, I shared this list for our Memorial Day of just some of our victims that we lost, but will never forget. One of them was 24 years old Baruch Korichman. On the eve of Purim 1924, he was walking to his home in Tel Aviv. Out of nowhere, two Arabs showed up and shot him to death, then fled the scene. Even though the British Mandate was in place, meant to hunt the murderers down and bring them to justice, meant to take care of Baruch, no one really did anything. The body was taken to the courtyard of a hospital, Baruch's mom was called, and a small crowd of locals started gathering around, angry and protesting the injustice and the lack of proper treatment. Baruch's mom turned to the crowd and asked them to be quiet, and not stop Jews from celebrating Purim.

IDK how she managed to do that, care about other people's joy even as she was going through the worst nightmare of any parent. IDK how Jews during the Holocaust managed to find it within themselves to go on celebrating Jewish holidays. I just know that they did. And if they could, so can we. We can remember the Holocaust survivors, who survived the worst of what human nature is capable of, who came to the Land of Israel right after the end of WWII, and who saw the founding of the Jewish state, who got to celebrate its creation and first Independence Day. Most talked or wrote about it in terms of a miracle. The State of Israel is still a miracle. All the hatred we've seen turned against it even on Oct 7, while our people were still being massacred, is proof of that. And it is a good thing to remember that, even while we hurt.

On Oct 7, Israeli civilians went out to save their own, because the State of Israel has given them the tools to be able to, to know how, to have the strength, courage and self-confidence to go and tackle the enemy. On Oct 7, Israeli civilians knew that someone was coming to save them. Even if it took time, even if there was no way of knowing who would get there first, they knew an army that cares and wants to save them is on its way, and when I think about my Jewish People, in the shooting pits in Europe, about to be massacred by an antisemitic army, knowing for sure that there is no one on the way, that no one cares, that no one's interested in saving them, I know that as difficult as Oct 7 was, it's not the same, and it will never be the same, not as long as Israel exists. So I will continue to celebrate its independence, even as I know there is no cure for antisemitic hate and violence. We can't eradicate them. But all of us here together have created something that gives us dignity as human beings and as Jews, that our ancestors were denied. We are here, and we are the People of Israel, and we can stand tall in the face of the worst of our haters and murderers. Am Yisrael chai!

(for more of my posts regarding Israel, click here)

[sw-33-ts-stuff]

She Don’t Wanna Marry Me

Part 2

9 Years Old

It was a usual Saturday morning as you sat on the couch spoon full of milk and cereal as the TV blasted in the background. You didn’t care for the cartoon playing just enjoying the bright colors and haply music as it filled the empty space that was your home. You looked around at the mess of scattered bottles and takeout cartons on the floor. The messy kitchen giving you anxiety as you knew you’d be the one responsible to pick it up even if you hadn’t made the mess. Your thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell brows furrowing as your jumped down from the couch. You grabbed a chair dragging it to the peep hole tiptoeing to see who’d possibly be over at this time. It was Mrs.Day holding a casserole dish. You but your lip conflicted as you knew you shouldn’t answer the door when no one was home but you also knew Mrs.Day wasn’t just any stranger. You ran towards the nearest window before taking a deep breath to yell.

“Hey Mrs.Day!” The woman looked around before her eyes landed on you. “I’m sorry I’m not allowed to open the door for strangers.”

Lorraine’s mother chuckled to herself as she walked closer to the window.

“That’s ok sweetheart, I understand.” She paused trying to reign in her emotions. “Your moms not home is she?”

Again you bite your lip shaking your head every so slightly scared to get in trouble.

She nods sighing out harshly.

“Ok sweetie how about this I’m gonna give you this casserole through the window and I’ll leave you with my number in case you need help ok?”

It wasn’t until she reached home that her phone rang from an unknown number.

“Hello?”

“Hi Mrs.Day it’s Y/N I just wanted to say thank you for the food and make sure you made it home.” She smiled.

“It’s my pleasure. Did you need help with anything?”

“No but would it be ok if I could talk to Lorraine?” It was silent for a moment then some shuffling.

“Y/N/N?”

“Hi Rainey!” Mrs.Day watched her daughters smile grow as the two of you continued to talk. Thick arms wrapped around her waist from behind, the familiar warmth and slight tickle of a mustache on the back of her neck letting her know exactly who it is.

“Hey Darlin’. Who’s on the phone with Raine?”

“Y/N.” He hummed smiling a bit.

“Shouldve known when I saw her blushing.” The two laughed watching their daughter speak into the phone, pacing as she did so.

“She’s gonna marry her someday.”

16 Years Old

You look to the bleachers again sighing when you realize your mom wasn’t coming…again. The buzzer rings out letting you know warm ups are over and tip off is about to begin. You try to shake off the sadness loosening your shoulders and bouncing in one spot.

You were brought out of your thoughts when the quarter ended. Your team was down, your coach and teammates were constantly yelling but you paid them no mind as you looked to the bleachers again.

She’s not coming.

It was halfway through the second quarter the lead the other team had continually growing. You knew if not for how small your team was and your usually outstanding performances your coach would’ve pulled you out by now. It’s when you were pushed out of bounds that you hear a yell from the crowd.

“THATS A FOUL REF!” You look to see Lorraine. Sweet, quiet Lorraine red faced and angry with her parents next to her, her mother trying to calm her and her father down. Next to them a small white sign with your name and number on it. Mrs.Day being the only calm one meets your eyes and waves. You feel a small smile make its way to your face as you get back up. With the Days cheering you on, the lead the other team had becomes nonexistent by the time the quarter ends and when the games over. It was you who not only bought the team back up but made the winning shot. The hugs from Lorraine and her father and the kisses scattered across your cheeks from Mrs.Day better than any trophy.

They offer to take you out to dinner to celebrate Lorraine next to you the whole time. The evenings full of laughter and joy.

Until it isn’t, when you get home calling for your mother you find a note on the counter nothing but the word Sorry scribbled across it.

Luckily, Lorraine’s father had wanted to come with you not only to drop you off but to commend you on your game. His analysis of your play style boosting your self esteem more and more as time went.

He watched as you dropped the paper saying nothing as you picked up the kitchen. He read the note and watched your face for any signs of distress. No tears, you were always a strong kid but even he knew that at some point life could break you.

“You alright kid?”

“Yeah Mr.Day I’m ok.” He said nothing as he went to hug you. His usual rough touch now gentle as he held you. Your shoulders shook a moment and your breathing grew heavy but you still didn’t cry.

“Get your stuff kid you’re with us from now on.” Your head on his shoulder nodded but nothing else was said between you two that night.

Not when you got in the car and watched the now empty house leave the rear view mirror.

Not when you’d showed up at the Days doorstep her mother and Lorraine laughing at something trivial until they’d seen your bags.

Not even when Lorraine snuck into your new room that night and wrapped her arms around you, a silent promise to never let go.

You belonged with them now.

19 Years Old

You winced as you threw back another shot. The fake ID you had since high-school still worked perfectly. You glanced at your phone again for the nth time. Praying a certain brunette would text you soon.

You knew she was busy abut you were hoping she wasn’t so busy that she’d forgotten.

“Here ya go sexy. This one’s on the house, happy birthday.” The blonde bartender placed the drink in front of you and winked.

You gave a small smile and nod. As you began to sip, you looked around. A lot of girls had come and sat next to you trying to flirt but every time your phone rang from another birthday text from a friend or classmate you’d drop everything in hopes it was the one girl you’d been hoping to hear from all day.

You’d lost count of the shots bought for you or the amount of suggestive comments and winks the bartender sent you.

She was cute but she wasn’t her.

She was blonde and taller.

She didn’t have a cute southern accent or endless freckles.

She had piercings and tattoos and a completely different aura to her.

Her somewhat rock chic outfit giving slight indication to who she was and what her interest may be.

It was 2 am when she’d announced last call looking directly at you.

She’d been bold all night and you’d given up on hearing from Lorraine. Her mother had texted to not stay out to late but that was hours ago and you knew the missed calls from

Mr.Day were not going to be pleasant.

You’d decided to forget it all and followed the bar tender out to her car. You tried not to think about her not being soft and warm with a scent of vanilla. She was very fit and smelled more like cherries and leather. You’d tried to block out the thought of brown eyes forcing yourself to focus more on the girls crystal blue. You cursed yourself for not thinking to ask her name but you were too far in to say anything now.

Unfortunately in the end soft brown eyes and freckles cursed your thoughts. You had to bite your tongue as you almost called out the wrong name and when morning came you left quickly and quietly. Somewhat ashamed but relived.

When you reached the Days house and opened the door on the couch was Mr. And Mrs. Day with a disappointed look on their faces.

“You could at least let us know you’d be out all night kid we were worried sick.”

You shrug still sore from last night and the hangover was not helping in the slightest.

Mrs.Day stood up when Mr.Day did.

“Don’t you have anything to say?!” She watched as her husband was slowly getting more worked up. She glanced to see you just shake your head and move to brush past him. He grabbed your arm making her grab his.

“Now look I know you’ve had a shit stick at life but it doesn’t give you an excuse to be careless and make us worry.”

“I never asked for your help.” Mrs.Day recoiled hurt angering her husband more.

“Now you watch that tone!” You scoff bitter.

“And what are you gonna do about it?”

Mr.Day stood taller as you stepped closer.

“Now maybe we should cool down a bit.” The older woman placing a hand on her husbands chest.

“No I think someone needs to remember to be grateful that we even took her in.” Mrs.Day gasped. You clenched your jaw.

“I didn’t forget but don’t worry I’ll be out by tonight. Thank you for your hospitality.”

You drive to the chop shop you were working at taking the couch where most of the guest wait. You felt your phone buzz indicating that a voicemail was left. You hit play as a familiar voice began to speak.

“Y/n I’m so so so sorry. I know there’s no excuse but happy birthday I hope you had fun with mama and daddy, I promise I’ll make it up to you somehow. I gotta go.”

21 Years Old-Night of the Dinner Announcement

You finally made it home after the announcement. You felt nothing as you stared at a blank screen. Lorraine was getting married. That was the only thing you seemed to be able to comprehend at the moment.

You looked around. Your apartment was nice, modest, it wasn’t fancy by any means but it was a roof over your head and you didn’t expect to live a life of luxury even when you were younger. A knock broke you from your thoughts and you find yourself surprised to see Mr.Day standing on the other side.

He gave a slight smile and pointed before you stepped aside to let him in. He sat on the couch patting the space next to him. You follow as your head falls to his shoulder.

“You know this parenting thing it doesn’t come with a manual.” You stiffen a bit. “That day I shouldn’t have said that. Kid I am so sorry.”

You nod still silent contemplating. “You’re not the only one apparently.”

He looked at you confused. “That day-“ you took a deep breath pulling out your phone and replaying the last voicemail Lorraine had left you.

He sighed eyes closing.

“Damn I guess we weren’t your favorite people that day huh?” You both laugh.

“I kept telling myself you’d come back that’s why I didn’t call until now. Mama kept telling me I needed to apologize, to find you and bring you home…”

He shook his head.

“Y’know we thought it would be you two getting married for real this time. We just thought Lorraine would take a while to catch up. And you still came to support her.” You just puff out a breath next to him as your eyes start to sting.

“I’m so sorry kid.” You heard a sniffle and looked at the older man in shock. You clenched your jaw to keep any tears from falling as you held him, body shaking as he continued to sob.

Even then you still didn’t cry.

Taglist: @ctrlamira @tundra1029 @friedryes @alexkolax @wol-fica @natasha25052 @pdione11 @dksjskx @the-camilucha

[mygreatadventurehasbegun]

Something I’ve been thinking about lot lately are movies that I would introduce to people who haven’t seen many (or any) movies from Classic Hollywood.  If a friend came to me and asked me to recommend old movies, what would I choose?

What do I consider Old Hollywood “gateway movies”?

*Originally was going to stick to movies made before 1960, but one 60′s movie could not be ignored.*

Roman Holiday

I’ve heard this referred to as a “reverse Cinderella story” and I think that’s a great description.  It’s about a woman who just wants to get away from her stressful life and have fun...even if for only one day.  It really has it all...it’s lighthearted, funny, romantic and bittersweet.  And while these are in no particular order, this would probably be the first movie I’d suggest to someone.

On The Waterfront

To me, this works as a great introduction because it actually is a bit of a transition movie for Hollywood...and by that I’m referring to the acting style.  Nearly every actor in this movie came from The Actor’s Studio, bringing the more grounded, realistic approach to acting that modern audiences are used to (compared to the more presentational style of the 30′s and 40′s).  So, this movie is a great way to ease them into Old Hollywood.  And the story still feels relevant today...trying to find the courage to stand up to the big guy who has his foot on the back of everyone’s neck...and risk alienating your friends in the process.

The Adventures of Robin Hood

Of course, I was going to recommend this one!  This movie is just...so much fun...even if a person is new to Classic Hollywood, they are guaranteed to find something they like about this one.  Even if it’s just the swordfights or the score...but honestly, everyone I’ve shown this to has really enjoyed it (even people who don’t like adventure movies).

Casablanca

Yes, this seems like an obvious choice, since it’s one of the greatest movies ever made.  But there’s a reason for that.  The acting, directing and writing are iconic and you really can’t ask for more.  Plus, one of the main points of the story is about sticking it to the Nazi’s.  I think we can all (hopefully) agree that that’s a point in this movie’s favor.

12 Angry Men

Another movie that still feels timeless and relevant even after all these years.  It discusses themes of class, parent/child relationships, justice, ignorance and so much more, you’d believe it was written today.  And the performances from every single actor in that room is outstanding...there are some scenes that are so electric as you feel the tension rising.

How to Steal a Million

Another Audrey movie!  This is a perfect option is someone wants to watch a fun, fluffy comedy.  It’s light and relatively low-stakes...it almost feels like a send-up of heist movies, except they don’t wink at the camera.  It’s just that instead of stealing something because the fate of the nation depends on it, or to stick it to the man...Nicole just wants to steal back something she already owns.  And the way they go about it is absurdly hilarious.  The chemistry between our two leads helps a lot, as they are so much fun to watch.

Summer Stock

If I was only going to recommend one musical from back then, I’d have to recommend Summer Stock!  Not just because it’s one of my favorites, but because I do think it’s a fairly good choice to ease someone into older musicals.  It’s not super elaborate and grand...no Busby Berkely musical numbers or elaborate sequences...just a bunch of people trying to put on a show.  And the love story between Joe and Jane feels so real and grounded...no love at first sight, no enemies to lovers...just two people who happen to be perfect for each other, and were lucky enough to meet.  This is Gene Kelly and Judy Garland at their best and I want other people to see it.

Rear Window

And if they wanted to see a Hitchcock movie, but maybe aren’t super into horror...I think I’d start them off with Rear Window.  This isn’t a traditional scary movie...as with most Hitchcock movies, it’s all about the tension.  But it isn’t released with jump scare and music stingers.  And around the tension, you have this romantic drama between James Stewart and Grace Kelly, which is so fun to watch (and we can’t forget Thelma Ritter and her one-liners!)

And once they become hooked, the next round of films I’d suggest would be: A Streetcar Named Desire, The Maltese Falcon, Psycho, The Philadelphia Story, The Heiress, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and Meet Me in St. Louis.

Any that you would add?

[doyoulikethissong-poll]

Aaliyah - Try Again 2000

"Try Again" is an R&B, electro, dance-pop, and trip hop song by American singer Aaliyah for the soundtrack to the 2000 film Romeo Must Die, which she starred in. After its initial release, it appeared as a bonus track on international editions of Aaliyah's eponymous third and final studio album (2001). The song was written by Static Major and Timbaland, while production was handled by the latter. The intro contains an interpolation from Eric B. & Rakim's song "I Know You Got Soul" (1987).

The song received critical acclaim from music critics for its innovative futuristic production. In retrospective reviews, critics have credited the song for helping "smuggle the innovative techniques of electronic dance music onto the American pop charts". In 2001, Aaliyah earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for the song. In the US, it peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the first single to reach number one based solely on airplay, as it was not commercially released in the US. Internationally, "Try Again" peaked within the top ten in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland, and the UK.

Romeo Must Die grossed US$18.6 million in its first weekend, reaching number two at the box office. In addition to acting, Aaliyah served as an executive producer of the film soundtrack, to which she contributed four songs. Her co-star Jet Li and producer Timbaland appear in the music video, which won Best Female Video and Best Video from a Film at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. The video also was nominated for Best R&B Clip and Maximum Vision Video at the 2000 Billboard Music Video Awards. It was directed by Wayne Isham, while choreography was orchestrated by Fatima Robinson. In 2001, the video earned a nomination for Outstanding Music Video at the NAACP Image Awards. Throughout the years, critics have praised the video for its fashion and choreography, with many deeming Aaliyah's look iconic.

"Try Again" received a total of 63,6% yes votes!

[keysmashingfantasies]

Hi, could you please do a story about Chishiya and his feelings for reader. Kuina teases Chishiya for liking reader and she keeps trying to play Cupid but reader is oblivious. He ends up actually getting embarrassed over Kuina bugging him and starts acting awkward towards reader and she wonders why so she confronts him and he awkwardly explains how he has feeling for her. Lots of fluff. I just imagine him getting all shy over not having interacted with girls much.

yay!!!! i love fluffy pieces. in my delusional heart alice in borderland is just a big sit/romcom. and that's it.

no warnings for this one. very vanilla and sweet. also for the sake of SHIT going DOWN on s2, this will be set on the Beach.

"What are you doing?", Kuina came closer with a smirk leaning over the railing with a smirk, next to Chishiya, that was well hidden beneath his hood, watching over you.

"Nothing. What about you?", he tried to appear nonchalant but, unfortunately, Kuina knew him too well.

"It doesn't look like nothing", she replied in a sing song voice, her eyes crinkling with a big smile that held a cigarette tight. "It looks like you're spying and drooling over the girl from the diamonds game!", she kept going, laughing up a storm. Thankfully, her cheery demeanor blended well with the other residents that were drinking and having fun despite all things.

Chishiya had a crush. What was first admiration stemmed from an outstanding performance from her on a diamonds game that took place in a music shop of all places, worthy enough of being invited to be an executive member, now grew into a full fledged crush. And much to Chishiya's dismay, Kuina clocked him immediately and now wouldn't leave him alone.

"Seriously, you've been at it for what? Almost a month now! Go talk to her! We can die at any moment here!", Kuina was growing frustrated. She missed her friend. When he wasn't thinking about his plans and improvised weapons, he was moping around like a highschooler in love and it was pissing her off.

"And you want me to do what? To throw myself at her like Niragi does with these poor women? I don't even have time for this anyway. Didn't have before this, don't have it here, probably not when we get out", he said. Kuina sighed. He really did sound like a mopey lovesick edgy teenager. Thankfully, he had a big sister figure and she was ready to intervene.

It didn't took long at all for Chishiya to keep bumping into you, the pair of you seemingly moved by the strangest coincidences.

First, it was Chishiya being interrupted by knocks at the door while he was tinkering with the tools he managed to sneak into the Beach under his hoodie, coming face to face with you.

"Uhhh. Good night?", he asked, suddenly flustered. Why were you in his room?

"Oh! I'm so so sorry. Kuina told me...", you paused, to check at the plaquette with the room number. "Kuina told me that this was her room. Oh, am I interrupting? Are you... her boyfriend?", this may be a weird way to check but this was the perfect chance for you to see. You've been seeing him in your peripheral ever since the game. You could barely concentrate, he was so cute.

"No! No I'm not her boyfriend. We are just friends", he said.

"Oh! Sorry, one of us must've gotten confused", you said, suddenly awkward. Now what? What would you say to keep the conversation going? It didn't matter because Chishiya shot your hopes down immediately.

"Well, actually her room is in this hallway. 516. Not 502", he said.

"Oh, okay. My bad", you said, turning to walk away, much to the dismay of Kuina who was peeking around the corner to see if her efforts at Cupid were working.

Then it was Kuina asking for help to find Chishiya constantly.

"Have you seen Chishiya lately? Can you help me find him, please?"

"Uhm... So many people. I wonder where Chishiya is"

"Can you check on Chishiya for me? I think he went to the roof".

Meanwhile, he was avoiding you like the plague. In his mind you certainly caught what was happening and was bothered by it. He, on the other hand, was embarrassed as could be. After having a stern talk with Kuina to get her to stop, he decided to save himself even more embarrassment and just avoid you.

You wondered what you did. Usually, Chishiya was stoic and serious. So when you greeted him good morning and he looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole, you knew you fucked up. But when Chishiya made his best to avoid you during a game, almost causing both of you to fall in a trap, it was time to do the grown up talk and talk to him.

Thankfully, you knew exactly where to find him now. After checking his room, 502, and getting no answer, you went to the next best spot.

You were right. Chishiya was there, on his spot, watching the sky. You remembered the time you had found him here by request of Kuina, and that you had compared him to a cat on a window. He gave you one of his "smiles", which was really just a quirk of his lips up, but now you wondered if he was just being polite.

"Chishiya?", you asked, slowly approaching as to not to frighten him.

"Y/N!", trying to not frighten him did not work. He composed himself quickly though. "What are you doing here?", he said in his normal nonchalant fashion.

"I... Do you mind if I join you?", you asked, sitting next to him in the concrete.

"No, no... Not at all", he mumbled. "What brings you here?", he said before his eyes grew a bit. "Is Kuina looking for me again?".

"What? No. I was just wondering... Lately, you've seem off. Like you're mad at me or something. I just wanted to know if I did something to upset you. I'm not trying to make enemies, especially not here", you seemed so sad, something clenched inside Chishiya's chest.

"You didn't do anything. I was embarrassed", he said after a few beats of silence.

"Embarrassed of what? You did nothing?", you said.

"Well, you see... Kuina is a good friend of mine. And she's been trying to help me. By making us bump into each other. Because since that first diamonds game I... You've... You were... I admire a lot what you did in that game, the way you played", he said.

"Admired?", a dopey smile made its way into your face. You had to add "cute guy you're into says he's admired you" to your list of evidence that you're all actually in heaven.

"Yeah. And as time went on it became a sort of... infatuation. Kuina was trying to help by inconveniencing you. And then it made me embarrassed to think it was because of me", he was looking forward, more through you than at you.

"You didn't need help. You could've just talked to me, like we're doing right now", you said, moving closer to look into his eyes. You felt your heart in your throat but he was so nervous you didn't want him to get even more flustered in case you looked at him funny.

"Yes but I wouldn't know how if you didn't come to me. This hasn't exactly happened before, didn't have the time", he said.

"Oh", you said. "Well, that's fine with me. And we're here now. Talking. And since we're on the topic, I have some sort of infatuation with you too", you said.

"And what now?", he gave you a smile. One of his Chishiya smiles.

"Now we stick together. And one day, when we're back, maybe go on a date", you extended your hand to him.

"Hmmm. Short term?", he took your hand in his.

"We find Kuina. And we thank her. And then we go to 502", you gave him a smile that made his heart do somersaults. He really owed Kuina big time.

[jaegeraether]

Sunsets and footballers (Part 20)

Lucy Bronze x Reader (20)

Masterlist (other parts here)

YFN had just received an email from the company she now worked for, Lumos. She tried to research the company and the first thing that popped up was a popular charity, followed by several other companies sharing the same name. Eventually she found her company which had nothing beyond a basic internet site and new social media accounts, so she knew they were being honest when they said they were brand new and starting up.

The salary they’d offered her was already high, with the promise of increase based on performance, both hers and Lumos’. The amount of money they were putting into the business and expenses were also much higher than she expected. Someone really wanted this to work.

She looked over at Lucy who was making her own sandcastles and smiled. Once the email had come through, Lucy had insisted she read it and took her time to mull it over. YFN loved that she was doing anything she could to let her make a future in the country, and especially around her profession. That was her Lucy. Always three steps ahead.

She took her phone out to film a little snippet of her as she made her giant sandcastle. She couldn’t help the smile on her face looking at how happy she was. Lucy’s big kid was shining through. She looked up and saw YFN filming her and grinned, gesturing to her sandcastle as if to show it off. YFN ended the video and put it away, looking at Lucy sitting in the sand, a leg either side of her creation. She was wearing black shorts, her whole body tanned from Spain, abs shining with the sunscreen YFN put on her, regardless of the clouds. Her heart felt full just watching her.

“Admiring the view?” Lucy grinned.

YFN felt her face reddening, though she didn’t know why. She wasn’t ashamed to look. She nodded, pressing her lips together to hide a cheeky smile.

“Can you send me that video, little one?”

“Yes ma’am.”

She sent the video and went back to the email on her laptop. The email was promising, and she found herself excited at everything she read.

Her phone rang and she looked at the number, Lumos. She answered it, putting it on speaker, knowing Lucy would be interested.

“YFN speaking.”

“Hi YFN, it’s Joe, how are you?” She sounded lovely, like a mum.

“Hi Joe, lovely to hear from you again. I’m great, just at the beach soaking in all of the sunshine the UK has to offer.”

She laughed. “I dare say it’s nothing compared to what you’re used to in Australia. I hope I haven’t caught you at a bad time.”

“No, not at all. I was expecting this today, I’m free to chat.” She smiled at Lucy who gave her a supportive thumbs up.

“Excellent. Okay, well I thought we’d just go through the basics of what we’re hoping to accomplish as a company, our goals and along those lines. If you have the email open, we’ll just run through it together. Also, how’s the work Visa coming along?”

“Perfect, I have it open now. I’ve also spoken to my Visa agent and he’s confident they’ll have it approved by tonight. They’re happy with the contract and 6-month minimum guarantee that you’ve sent through.”

“Outstanding, that’s what we want to hear! Just send that through as soon as you receive it, or if you need any other information. Fingers crossed! Okay, let’s get started. So firstly, as you know, I’ve wanted to start this company for quite a period of time. I have a lot of friends and acquaintances in and around the industry, and we’re not seeing the movement in female football that we’ve wanted, so Lumos is a plan to change that. Now, the World Cup has been brilliant for progress, and we plan to latch onto that and keep the momentum building. Over the past year and especially the past few months, I and my friends in the industry have put our feelers out, gotten some feedback and have established interest by a lot of the players. Now, I understand it will start slow, but we’re willing to put the work in and definitely also put the funding into it.”

Lucy looked impressed, nodding as she was talking.

“That sounds fantastic, Joe..”

“I’m glad you agree! To be quite honest with you, YFN, you’ve been the lynchpin I’ve been looking for. I’ve been looking for someone with your experience and after reading your columns and seeing the interviews you’ve conducted, I’m beyond impressed. The research you put into your work, and the way you speak and ask questions to your interviewee’s are smart, and incredibly respectful. I can see that’s important to you, and it’s very important to me. We shouldn’t be asking the same boring questions, or we’ll get the same media trained answers.”

“Oh I completely agree. I was a bit worried at first that this job would encourage me to ask those simple and sometimes far too personal questions, so I’m really happy to hear you say that because people don’t realise that we can go beyond the norm of interviewing, and still remain just like that. Respectful. Not only that, but players will be more willing to open up, accept interviews, and request us if they’re comfortable around us. They’ll also want to use us to get their messages across and I know that if we do this right, the momentum will build and more players will be using us to fulfil their media duties.”

“Outstanding, that’s exactly what I wanted to hear! We’re so, so lucky that you happened to meet Katie so she could recommend you to us. We’ve been looking for you for quite a while.”

YFN was a little embarrassed, she didn’t know how to accept compliments and blushed. Lucy reached over and squeezed her leg in support. “Thanks Joe, that’s lovely to hear. I hope I can live up to your expectations, and I’m excited to get started! It’s a blank slate which means so much opportunity for the company.”

“100% agree. Any chance you’ve found our website and social media accounts?”

“I did just before you called..”

Joe laughed again. “Of course, you have. Straight into work! Excellent. We’re going to get along so well, I already know it. Our IT guy is Noel, and his contact details are in the email. Right now I’ve asked him to make the accounts all bare minimum, as I imagine you’ll want to create a theme to follow..”

“Yes! Absolutely, so I plan on organising a meeting with the whole team for Monday, I just wanted to make sure you were happy with that first..”

“Yes, please! And just for the future, this is your team, your baby. Anything involving the creation of this, meetings, team logistics, etc, all of that is yours. Obviously I’ll still like to be kept up to date with the progress and the plans, but to be completely fair with you, YFN, I run several businesses so I’m quite busy. This company is still in its start-up stages, so I’ll have much more time for it, and I do have a soft spot, this is always going to be one of my priorities, however I just wanted to make sure we’re on the same page with this.”

“That’s perfect, I’ll send you through weekly updates and expenses, planning, coverage and everything we change or create along the way. I appreciate the honesty and the communication also, I think until we establish that solid footing, you and I will have to be in a lot of contact to ensure we’re achieving the expected goals, and keeping everything in budget.”

“You don’t know how much this is music to my ears.”

YFN laughed, feeling positive and happy with the plan thus-far. Joe seemed perfect, offering her everything and having the blind faith in her to start up the business almost from the ground, up. “I think we’re starting at a good time, though. We’re catching the start of the seasons, so it gives us time to iron out any issues before the finals for both the WSL and the Conti Cup. A good timeline will be for us to have full coverage by Round 5 on the Conti Cup, and January for WSL, covering both through to the Final. Then we should be fully prepped and running smoothly for the UEFA Women’s Champions League.”

“That’s a very respectable timeline and exactly my thoughts. January will be perfect if we can have full coverage by then.”

“I think it’s achievable, I’ll have a better idea after I research a bit more and talk to the team. I’m sure everyone’s keen to get started! Also, it’ll be quite a heavy work period as we start up, and then when we finally start to get footing, we’ll be expanding to make sure we have the people to cover all games and the email also says you’re hoping for international team and coverage of the other leagues in Europe?”

“Yes,” Joe sounded a litte sheepish. “I know, I know, it’s quite a high expectation, but we’ll get there eventually. Let’s start with the WSL and Continental Cup. Definitely want to be all over the UEFA Women’s Champions League, that’s the first major goal. From there, you and I can talk about expanding to cover Tier 2. Then, depending on the timeline, we want to cover Tier 3 and Tier 4 so we can encourage grassroots and young girls upcoming through the leagues. Then we want Liga F, Serie A, Feminine, etc, also following the national teams, NWSL in the US, A-Leagues in Australia and onwards.”

“Very large goals! That’s great, a lot to look forward to and to aim for. We’ll make sure to split the goals up to feel more achievable for the team, but I think if they know the long-term goal, it’ll make everyone determined and ready to settle down into the job.”

“That’s exactly what we want. The team building and team trust in each other is vital to make this business a success. Anything you need, let me know and we’ll work through it together, that includes extra positions or professionals. I imagine a recruiter may become useful if you become inundated with the logistics.”

YFN nodded, even though she couldn’t see her. She was taking notes eagerly, excited by the conversation as she responded, a little distracted as she typed. “I’ll definitely let you know if we need anything to help us expand..”

“I heard you’re meeting some of the players, also?”

YFN stopped typing and tilted her head. Lucy groaned. She looked over at Lucy who had a frown on her face, gesturing to the phone. “Um… Joe I have Lucy close by who wants to say something I think?”

Joe was aware that YFN was dating Lucy. YFN had made sure she’d told Joe, fearing a conflict of interest, especially with the need to visit Spain. Joe had had the opposite reaction. She thought it was great that YFN was so involved in the industry, knowing that dating Lucy made her closer with the inner circle of football than just being part of a media group. As for Spain, she’d encouraged her to go, offering to pay for flights and knowing that the more she was involved with Barcelona, the easier it would be to expand into Liga F and onwards. She was particularly interested in Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati as they had so much influence in the sport. Joe’s ambition was multi-faceted, but positive on all fronts. She wanted to encourage the young female footballers of tomorrow, give women strong rolemodels to idolise, and to bring much needed attention to all of women’s football in general, all around the world. Popular footballers like Lucy, Alexia, Aitana, could help expedite their growth and influence.

“Of course! I assumed she was there with you and then Lucy’s post confirmed it.” She laughed.

Lucy’s post? She looked at a now cheeky looking Lucy as she passed her the phone and stole Lucy’s to check on said “post”. She’d posted the video of her building sandcastles on the beach and grinning at the camera, but more importantly, she’d posted a selfie Lucy had taken of the two of them, YFN sat in-between her legs and being pulled back by Lucy who was kissing her cheek as she smiled. Her mouth dropped open. Hard launch. She looked at the caption.

“Happy place with my happy little Australian” *red heart*

She’d tagged her and YFN looked at the phone in Lucy’s hand, unsure how it hadn’t blown up from all of the notifications it must have had. Lucy winked at her as she moved next to her, resting her hand on her thigh and stroking her thumb there.

“Hey Joe, it’s Lucy.. funny you should mention that, I actually hadn’t told YFN that just yet..”

“Hi Lucy… oh, I’m sorry! I’d heard a few little whispers from a few friends..”

Lucy laughed. “That’s okay, she had to find out eventually.” She looked at YFN who looked curiously at her gorgeously tanned athlete. She couldn’t help reaching out and playing with a few strands of Lucy’s hair that were wildly playing in the wind. “I might as well tell you both.. YFN said a while ago that one of the first things she’d want to do is to have a get-together with a few players to ask them what they want, their likes and dislikes and to start building those relationships.” YFN’s fingers stroked down the side of Lucy’s face from around her temple, down to her jaw as she watched her speak. Lucy leant into her as she did. “So a few of the girls and I made a few phone calls to get some players together for dinner tonight.”

YFN’s fingers paused on her jaw, her eyes softening and heart filling. How did she get so lucky?

“That’s fantastic! A very strong start to everything! Relationship building is the most important thing for us, we want to build and maintain those special relationships with all of the players, so this dinner tonight is going to be the perfect start for that. I speak for our whole company when I say a big thank you to you, Lucy. This is just… beyond the start I was expecting.”

“You’re welcome, and to be fair, I know a lot of the players are excited for this. As you said, word has been spreading for a while now and heating up in the last few months so we’re all excited to see this come to life. The girls I’ve spoken to have been so under represented and misrepresented for so long that they’re excited for this to happen. YFN’s going to have a lot of work, but I know she’s going be the most amazing asset for you and create magic, like she does with everything else.”

YFN’s hand dropped and she looked at Lucy with an embarrassed but thankful expression. Lucy touched that little dimple, her eyes unable to leave it. She handed the phone back to YFN who was almost crying. So much work. She wondered how busy she would be in 13 days when she needed to head to Spain. Joe was aware of it, of course, and immediately approved, reminding her that she didn’t need her permission.

They spoke for a little while longer, talking about the email and the team members they had. The call ended and YFN folded up her little note taking book, pulling the band over it. Lucy’s mouth on hers was surprising, but not unwelcome. She kissed back eagerly, tilting her head and their tongues meeting. It grew a little bit more desperate as their hands tangled in each other’s hair, and Lucy pulled her on top, straddling her in a sitting position. YFN groaned into her mouth at the feel of Lucy’s body against hers. Then her phone rang again.

She jumped, assuming it was Joe calling back and looked at the phone.

“Nan calling. Baby bro calling.”

“Oh shit, Joe really distracted me.” She answered the phone on loudspeaker, sliding off of Lucy, noticing her confused expression. “Hi Nan, hey bro.”

Lucy understood and settled herself behind YFN, legs either side of her and pulled her back to lean on her body. She pulled a blanket around them.

“Hello!”

“Hey sis.”

They changed to Facetime and it was impossible for them to not see Lucy. YFN’s nan adjusted her glasses to better see and her brother looked surprised and unbelieving.

“Oh shit, you weren’t joking.” He choked.

Lucy laughed. “Hi! It’s nice to finally meet you both. I’ve heard so much about you two.”

“Oh, YFN, she’s stunning.” Her nan said, making her choke out a little of the water she was sipping. Lucy and her brother laughed as she coughed the water out of her lungs.

“It’s not just about looks, nan!”

“No, but it certainly helps, doesn’t it?” She laughed.

YFN could feel Lucy’s whole body vibrating as she laughed behind her. She rolled her eyes knowing that Lucy loved compliments.

“Oh and I saw the photos online, very nice!”

Her nan was far past retired, she was a pensioner who spent most of her time playing games on the iPad YFN had bought her, and looking through Instagram and Facebook she’d installed on there for her. She had no idea how to use them and only had a few friends and followers, but that’s all she needed. After that, Lucy took out her phone and followed them both, making sure it was okay first and warning them about random follows that would ultimately pop up.

They spoke for a while, Lucy immediately loved by both, of course. Everybody loved Lucy. Lucy and her brother clicked surprisingly well, perhaps even better than YFN did with him, though she suspected a part of it was his idolisation of athletes and Lucy was nothing if not an athlete. She felt Lucy’s abs against her back, her strong biceps cradled around her own arms and she held her and laughed with her family like this wasn’t the first time they’d all spoken. God, that woman.

By the end of the phone call, Lucy had already managed to convince them both to come over and watch a game, offering to pay for their flights and accommodation. YFN made a mental note to argue with her about that later, or pay before Lucy could. Somehow she’d even convinced her nan who had always said she was too old for flying, Lucy managing to sweet talk her about first class and how much room and food you got. She was excited at the prospect of seeing them both. She’d seen her nan only a few weeks before, but the distance was cruel. Also, she hadn’t seen her brother in 8 months as he was living in Japan, exploring and doing god knows what.

They ended the phone call after a good period, both agreeing to come and watch England play at some point in the near future. She was excited at the thought of seeing her family soon and wriggled back into Lucy to show her happiness.

When the call disappeared from the screen, she saw the notifications and groaned nervously. She opened the post.

*Lucy Bronze MBE tagged you in a post*

*Caitlin Foord liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Caitlin Foord commented on a post you’re tagged in.*

*Jordan Nobbs liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Jordan Nobbs commented on a post you’re tagged in.*

*Alexia Putellas liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Ruesha Littlejohn liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Millie Bright liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Ridley liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Ridley commented on a post you’re tagged in.*

*Leah Williamson liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Mariona Caldentey liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Katie McCabe liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Katie McCabe commented on a post you’re tagged in.*

She didn’t finish reading the notifications before she cleared them and put her phone away. She’d look later. Right now, she was with Lucy, and she was more than aware that she only had her for one more day. Lucy hummed her approval and kissed her temple.

“Busy third date, hm?”

“Cute lunch, majestic sandcastle, exciting work call, successful first meeting with my family… I’d call that a brilliant third date.”

Lucy nodded against her. “It’s getting late, little one. We need to go; I want us to get unpacked and showered before we go out for dinner.”

“Okay…”

“What’s on your mind? I can hear you thinking.” Lucy nuzzled behind her ear.

“I was just thinking about how I need to say goodbye to you in a day..”

“Don’t think about that.” She whispered. “Let’s enjoy it.”

“I am. My heart is starting to feel sad already though..” She turned slightly to look at Lucy. “Also, just out of curiosity, are we going to not have sex tonight, or just be quiet so Jordan doesn’t hear us?”

Lucy’s head fell back as she laughed. It was one of YFN’s favourite sounds. “Oh, we’re having sex tonight. As for the noise… I’m going to make sure you’re thinking about it for the next 13 days so… good luck staying quiet.”

[musialasmaid]

Meeting ♡ Florian Wirtz

summary: you meet each other for the first time

warnings: none. ok i lied just probably horrible german to english translation

notes: i decided to step in bcuz the wirtz fanfics are coming in very slowly

The cheers echoed through the stadium as Germany celebrated a resounding 5-1 victory over Scotland in the Euro 2024 qualifier match. The atmosphere was electric, fans chanting and waving flags in triumph. Among the jubilant crowd was you, caught up in the excitement of witnessing such a thrilling game.

Florian Wirtz had been outstanding throughout the match, his skill and determination evident in every move he made on the field. His precise passes and strategic plays had contributed significantly to Germany's commanding win. As the final whistle blew, sealing their victory, the stadium erupted in applause and cheers.

After the game, you lingered in your seat, savoring the moment and reflecting on the incredible performance you had just witnessed. As the crowd began to disperse, you noticed a group of fans gathering near the players' exit. Curious, you joined them, hoping to catch a glimpse of Florian.

Minutes later, the players emerged, greeted by cheers and applause from the remaining fans. Florian was among them, his face flushed with exertion and excitement. He signed autographs and posed for photos, his smile never fading despite the exhaustion from the game.

You waited patiently, heart pounding with anticipation. When it was finally your turn, you stepped forward, nerves and excitement intertwining. Florian looked up, his eyes meeting yours with a spark of recognition and warmth.

"Hallo," he greeted, his voice filled with genuine enthusiasm. "Hat Ihnen das Spiel gefallen?" Did you enjoy the game?

You nodded eagerly, unable to contain your smile. "Es war unglaublich! Du warst großartig da draußen." It was incredible! You were amazing out there.

Florian chuckled modestly, running a hand through his sweat-dampened hair. "Ich danke Ihnen. Es ist immer schön, das von den Fans zu hören." Thank you. It's always great to hear that from the fans.

There was a brief pause as you gathered your thoughts, trying to find the right words. "Um, Könnte ich vielleicht ein Autogramm von Ihnen bekommen?" Um, could I maybe get your autograph? you asked, feeling a bit shy but unable to resist the opportunity.

Florian grinned, reaching for a marker. "Natürlich." Of course.

As he signed your jersey, you couldn't help but steal glances at him, admiring his focused expression and the way his eyes crinkled slightly when he smiled. When he handed it back to you, his fingers brushed against yours, sending a thrill through you.

"Ich danke Ihnen vielmals," Thank you so much, you managed to say, your voice betraying your excitement.

Florian flashed another smile, his eyes bright with satisfaction. "Kein Problem. Hey, möchtest du einen Kaffee trinken gehen oder so? Ich würde gerne mehr darüber erfahren, was du von dem Spiel gehalten hast." No problem. Hey, would you like to grab a coffee or something? I'd love to hear more about what you thought of the game.

Your heart skipped a beat at the invitation. "Das würde mir gefallen," I'd love to, you replied eagerly, feeling a rush of excitement at the prospect of spending more time with him.

"Großartig," Great, Florian said, his smile widening. "Hier, ich gebe Ihnen meine Nummer." Here, I'll give you my number.

He quickly wrote his number on a piece of paper, handing it to you with a smile. "Vergessen Sie nicht, mir eine Nachricht zu schicken," Don't forget to message me he said, his eyes holding yours for a moment longer before he turned to greet the next fan in line.

As you walked away from the stadium, clutching your signed jersey and Florian's number close to your heart, you couldn't stop smiling. Meeting Florian Wirtz and experiencing Germany's victory had turned an ordinary day into a magical one. You couldn't wait to see where this unexpected encounter would lead, but one thing was certain—your admiration for Florian had deepened, and you were eager to see where this new connection would take you.

[boxboxblog]

Driver Profiles: Fernando Alonso

Hello, this is part of a series where I focus on one driver on the current (as of Oct 2024) grid and give an overview over their career and driving styles. I will be going in championship points order. Enjoy! (This will be another long one, so strap in folks)

Name: Fernando Alonso Díaz

Age: 43

Nationality: Spanish

Years in F1: 20 (Renault 2003-2006, Mclaren 2007, Renault 2008-2009, Ferrari 2010-2014, Mclaren 2015-2019, Alpine 2021-2022, Aston Martin 2023-Present)

Number: 14

WDCs: 2005, 2006

Driving Style: Alonso is an extremely accomplished racer, and seen as one of the best in modern F1. He is most famous for his raw aggression behind the wheel, which allows him to put pressure on competitors and psych them out. He has been a part of some incredible wheel-to-wheel battles, and is almost never the one who blinks first. He also has immense intelligence behind the wheel, and races in some of the most strategic ways. Beyond that, his race-starts are a key part of his fame and he consistently makes up several positions in the first lap. A negative thing I have to say about Alonso's racing style is that due to his aggressive driving style he tends to wear out tires very fast. He also also his aggression to cloud his judgement sometimes when frustrated with the car.

History:

Alonso was born to a relatively middle class family, however his father did compete in amateur kart racing. He got his first kart when he was 3 years old, and would compete for the first time when he was 5 years old. When he was 7, Alonso won his first kart race in Pola de Laviana. He won the 1988 and 1989 children's Junior Championship of the Asturias and Galicia, and progressed to the Cadet class in 1990. It was during these years he would attract attention from sponsors who would fund his career from then on.

(Young Alonso in his karting days)

Alonso won the 1990 Asturias and the Basque Country Cadet Championship and finished second in the 1991 Spanish Cadet National Championship. He then won three successive Spanish Junior National Championships from 1993 to 1995. This would allow him to move on to national championships, and went on to place highly in these competitions. In 1997, he took the Italian and Spanish International A championships and was second in the European Championship with nine wins, the Masters Karting Paris Bercy and the Spanish Karting Championship. Alonso would later describe his karting years as the best of his life.

(Alonso in 1997)

In 1999, at age 17, Alonso would make his debut in car racing in the 1999 Euro Open by Nissan, and win the title. For 2000, he progressed to the higher-tier International Formula 3000 Championship and finished in 4th. His performances at this level would gain him attention from F1 team Renault. In 2002 he served as their test driver and it was announced later in the year that he was chosen for their 2003 lineup. Alonso had an outstanding rookie season and achieved his first win that year, along with pole position, and four podiums. He would finish 6th in the standings, and extend his contract with Renault. 2004 was another great year for Alonso, achieving even more podiums but no race wins. He finished 4th in the standings after consistent results.

(Alonso winning Euro Open title in 1999)

2005 was the year Alonso won his first WDC, in a battle against Mclaren's Kimi Räikkönen. It was a fantastic year for Alonso, getting seven victories, six pole positions and fourteen podium finishes. He became the youngest driver to win a WDC up to that point. The next year he would win his 2nd WDC, with his primary competition being 7x WDC Michael Schumacher at Ferrari. He had a dominant year, and finished no lower than 2nd throughout the season.

(Alonso after winning first F1 WDC)

In 2007 Alonso switched over to Mclaren, a move that would only last for a year before returning to Renault. It was a positive year at Mclaren, but he was outpaced by Räikkönen (now at Ferrari) and his teammate Lewis Hamilton. Him and Hamilton had a notoriously risky relationship. One incident occurred when Hamilton ignored team orders and disadvantaged his teammate during a qualifying. Alonso responded by delaying Hamilton in the pit lane. This tension, plus the famous espionage scandal, led Alonso to terminate his contract with Mclaren. He returned to Renault for the 2008 season after being contractually forbidden from signing with one of Mclaren's main competitors for that year. He finished his first season with Mclaren in 3rd.

(Alonso with Mclaren teammate Lewis Hamilton)

He had a more difficult year with Renault in 2008. Lack of car performance in the early part of the season meant that he was way back in the points by the time the car was up to fighting form. In the last few races, he scored an immense amount of points and was able to jump up to 5th in the standings. This was also the year yet another scandal occurred in F1 around Alonso, "crashgate". His next year with Renault was notoriously bad, and he finished middle in the standings in 2009. This lack of performance from the team led Alonso to sign with Ferrari for the 2010 season.

(Alonso in a Renault)

His first year with Ferrari was a successful one, fighting for the title with Red Bull's Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel. During the last race, when he had the championship lead, he unfortunately finished 7th and lost the WDC to Vettel. His next few years with Ferrari would be mixed. While he achieved positive results, fighting for the title some years, there were also negative ones (no race wins in 2014). While he had extended his contract with Ferrari to 2016, his relationship with them had soured and he broke contract to return to Mclaren for the 2015 season. His years at Mclaren were murky at best, as they had fallen to midfield level. However, Alonso would stay with them until the 2019 season, when he announced his retirement from F1.

(Alonso after winning a race with Ferrari 2013)

Alonso returned to F1 in 2021 driving for Alpine (renamed Renault). His two years there would yield more murky results, only achieving one podium through the entire time. Alpine expected to retain Alonso for the 2023 season (they had not even looked for another driver), but were surprised to find out that Alonso had signed a contract with Aston Martin (renamed Force India/Racing Point). This signified yet another exit from a team on bad terms for Alonso.

(Alonso in the Alpine in 2022)

Driving for Aston Martin in 2023, Alonso would start finishing higher up in the points than he had in years. While he was no where close to a championship fight, consistent results in a midfield car showed he still had the skill to compete. He would achieve 6 podiums that year, and finished 4th in the standings, his highest finish since 2013. He remained with Aston Martin for the 2024 season, and had a relatively middling season. He signed a contract extension with them to 2026, which he has openly stated will most likely be his last contract.

(Alonso after placing on podium in 2023)

Throughout all of this, Alonso competed in other racing series. In 1999, Alonso debuted in the Endurance Racing Series, and finished 3rd at the 24hrs of Barcelona. He drove the 24hrs of Daytona in 2018 and also 2019 (which he would win). He would also drove the 24hrs of Le Mans during that time too, and won. IndyCar was another series he competed in a handful of times, although he never placed particularly high. On top of that, he drove for a Rally series in 2020 while he was retired, with his highest finish being 2nd.

(Alonso with his team after winning 24hrs of Le Mans)

Major Races:

2003 Hungarian GP - His first victory in F1, he dominated after starting in pole position. Staying ahead of the legendary Michael Schumacher, he showed that he was a future star.

2005 San Marino GP - One of Alonso's most memorable wins, he used impeccable defense to hold off Schumacher yet again and securing the win. He showed intense mental strength and skill in high-pressure situations

2005 Brazilian GP - The race where Alonso won his first title, and he became the driver to break Ferrari and Schumacher's dominance. He also brought Renault their first title.

2006 Japanese GP - A highly important race to his 2006 title, this victory meant he took the lead from Schumacher and allowed him to feel comfortable in the rest of the races.

2010 Korean GP - A messy, wet race allowed Alonso to show off his calmness under pressure and skills in such conditions. He managed the race incredibly well, and it was a vital win for his 2010 title fight

2012 Valencia GP - Starting from 11th on the grid, Alonso fought his way up the field to victory, winning in front of his home crowd. This win was especially impressive due to the uncompetitive nature of the Ferrari that year.

2012 Malaysian GP - Another testament to his skill under difficult conditions, he delivered one of his best wet race performances and earned a rather unexpected victory in an underperforming car.

2023 Jeddah GP - His 100th podium in F1, Alonso displayed his long history in F1 and the skill it takes to reach that level of podiums.

Alright, that's all for Alonso. Up next in Nico Hulkenberg.

Cheers,

-B