#she's not too offputting but this is the second time she's said something that I'd consider out of pocket

[tjsaucestrashcan]

I am genuinely offput by the fact that this girl at a work outing just told a bunch of people that she'd look through someone's phone (except someone's gallery and text messages as if that made it better) and not feel bad about it.

[excusethequality]

My 2024 in Film: April

Another month of films.

The sad part is I wouldn't be so far behind on these if I hadn't watched so friggin' many movies in March.

* = rewatches

81.

Bitch

(2017)

— Comedy Drama Directed by: Marianna Palka

A negligent husband/father is forced to start paying attention to his family when his wife suffers a mental break and stars thinking she's a dog.

I think it's worth noting that the actor playing the woman who thinks she's a dog is the director herself. I just think it makes the whole thing better knowing that all the weird scenes with her are ones that she created.

You know, I feel like this one would need a second viewing for me to really get a handle on it. I assumed I knew where it would go from the premise, but it tackles things rather differently than I was expecting. While the woman is almost always the central figure of the story it's actually her husband who we're primarily following and who is growing as a person through the process.

Since I found the woman who is having this break to be the more interesting figure, focusing on her husband was a little offputting. Especially because he is a wildly absent father and husband so watching him suddenly have to grow isn't the journey I came here for.

But there's some scenes at the end that made me start thinking that perhaps I had been looking at the story from the wrong angle and that perhaps the story was doing something subtler than I was giving it credit for.

I am still undecided on this one. But I will say that I have thought about it after I watched it and that can't be said for most movies.

82.*

For Your Consideration

(2006)

—Mockumentary Directed by: Christopher Guest

The set of movie is turned upside down when rumors of Oscar attention hit the set.

File under movies that took me half the movie to remember I had seen it before.

Sometimes Hollywood people want to make movies based on their life experiences as Hollywood people. The only problem being that life in the Hollywood bubble is FAR from a universal experience. So the more you know about the world surrounding Hollywood movies the funnier this will be. Which is rather unlike Guest's other films which have a much broader appeal.

It has its moments, but overall it just felt way too specific and a little ham fisted compared to his other work.

83.

Romy and Michele's High School Reunion

(1997)

— Comedy Adventure Directed by: David Mirkin

Two best friends try to create the image of a successful life in order to impressive the people at their 10 year high school reunion.

I'll be honest, I've avoided watching this movie for years because I just assumed it would be something I wouldn't like. But I finally broke and figured I'd knock another classic off the list and give it a go.

Lo and behold I actually kind of love it?

Since no one makes movies about asexuals, the closest representation I can get is stories about extremely close friends. For instance here Romy and Michele are best friends who've lived together for years. I can't remember exactly, but I think their beds are even in the same room? Are they said to occasionally hook up with dudes? Sure. Do they also seem to be way more into each other than anyone else? Absolutely.

And that my friends, is close enough for me. It's a non-sexual long-lasting, deeply intimate relationship. I'll take what I can get.

It's a silly movie. I could understand if its style of humor wasn't for everyone, but I was having a great time.

84.

The Hating Game

(2021)

— Rom-Com Directed by: Peter Hutchings Based on: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

After their respective publishing companies merge, two employees with very different styles start a bet to decide who gets to stay and who has to leave.

Okay, so this is just a very stock-standard enemies to lovers story. Usually that's a standard I enjoy, but here the whole thing is rather lukewarm because the two people are both corporate suits and fuck them.

Plus this is pulling on pigtails as foreplay style enemies to lovers. Not like a bitter rivals accidentally forge a bound of shared experience that only they can relate to, kinda enemies to lovers. So no thank you.

More importantly is the fact that early on we see the leading lady at home writing Smurfs fanfiction and then it's never brought up again?! I cannot stress enough how much this threw me. I was waiting the entire movie for that to somehow come back around.

My only guess is they threw that in because it sounded like a nerdy in a literary way kind of thing, without realizing that a person who would write Smurfs fanfiction is a very specific sort of person.

To further prove my point that the writers of this are strangely out of touch is the fact that at one point they refer to epipens as being nerdy...

...what the actual fuck are you talking about? The person has a deadly allergy! Plus the writer of Smurfs fanfiction does not get to mock the person with the epipen for being too nerdy!

Just very much an example of what you get when the popular crowd tries to write a "nerdy" character.

85.

Viktor und Viktoria

[English title: “Victor and Victoria”]

(1933)

— Rom-Com Directed by: Reinhold Schünzel

An aspiring singer impersonates a female impersonator to help a sick colleague, but when an agent discovers her she'll have to try and keep the ruse alive.

I loved Victor/Victoria so much I had to check out the original to see how it compared.

I definitely didn't like it as much as that one. Victor/Victoria used the premise to tackle ideas of queerness & gender and question if society's norms regarding them make any sense in the first place.

This one, however, is just here to have a good time. It's only goal is to give the audience 90minutes of silly good fun with some singing and dancing thrown in to make sure you get your money's worth of entertainment.

Renate Müller is definitely the star of the show as she was actually quite delightful and cute. But the rest of it was a little flat for me.

86.

Orlando, ma biographie politique

[English title: Orlando, My Political Biography]

(2023)

— [I honestly have no idea what genre this would be] Directed by: Paul B. Preciado

An amalgamation of trans stories with that of the story of Virginia Wolfe's Orlando. As the actors playing Orlando change so does the interpretations of the story.

This was the final selection for my house's Roommate Movie Nights and our theme of "Oh! So that's a thing."

It definitely fits the bill as it certainly is an original piece.

I think I was at a large disadvantage here as I have never read or seen any form of adaptation of Viriginia Wolfe's Orlando. So when they intermingle between the real trans stories and Orlando I'm at a bit of a loss as to where the line is.

So yeah. I don't think I'm the right person to go to for an opinion of this one. It's certainly a movie with a style all it's own. I enjoyed the uniqueness and the charm it had in tackling its subject. There was a Virginie Despentes cameo and I was so proud of myself for noticing right away.

[Tangentially I love Virginie Despentes' books. She writes deeply flawed characters in such a fascinating way. She's like the chain-smoking French aunt you never knew you needed in your life.]

87.

We Summoned a Demon

(2017)

— Horror Comedy Short Directed by: Chris McInroy

Two men try to perform a ritual to make themselves cool, but inadvertently summon a demon instead.

It has its moments, but overall not really in line with my sense of humor.

88.

Manhunter

(1986)

— Thriller Directed by: Michael Mann Based on: Red Dragon by. Thomas Harris

A retired criminal profiler is brought back in order to catch a dangerous serial killer.

I feel like I've had to have seen this before at some point, especially considering how big of a fan I am of Bryan Fueller's Hannibal show. I even went and read all of Thomas Harris' books during those years. But if I had seen this before I had forgotten nearly everything. So let's just say it was new to me.

This movie does so many interesting things in its adaptation of the novel and it's especially fun to compare it with the other adaptations.

William Peterson has an intriguing take on Will Graham. But the highlight for me was definitely Brian Cox's Hannibal. Which is just extra fun considering how Anthony Hopkins, Mads Mikkelsen, and Brian Cox have all played the character of Hannibal Lecter, they all have incredibly different versions, but I love them all.

Things like this are part of why I quite enjoy adaptations. Being able to compare how different stories tackle things is fascinating to me.

I really wanted to like this movie more, but there's just a number of parts that really took me out of the story. The music choices were especially bizarre to me. There would be these really tense scenes and then the soundtrack would kick in and just ruin the vibes for me.

I dunno. I'm a sucker for interesting adaptations though and there's just too many interesting choices here for me to discount it. I can't say I loved it, but I also can't say I didn't enjoy the uniqueness of the ride.

89.

Citizenfour

(2014)

— Documentary Directed by: Laura Poitras

The journalists Edward Snowden released his information to document the events of his leaks live as they happened.

Continuing my documentary kick this year, and finding my way here because Kirsten Joshnson, the current reigning champion of my best of this year list, was the cinematographer on this one.

I thought it was just a straight forward documentary about the events of the Snowden leaks, but it is so much more interesting than that!

Laura Poitras was the one Snowden leaked the information to! So she has this record of the whole process. You get to be in the room with her and Snowden and see how they plan the leaks and hear how they react as Snowden witnesses the pieces of his life falling apart as the government tries to track him down.

Just a truly fascinating documentary.

Plus I love reading about cyber security issues, so this is just a win-win all around for me.

90.

Monsters Crash the Pajama Party

(1965)

— Sci-Fi Comedy Short Directed by: David L. Hewitt

Some college girls have a sleep over in an abandoned house as part of a sorority hazing ritual. Unfortunately for them there's a mad scientist living in the basement and he needs more test subjects.

Did I watch this entirely because of the title?

...yes.

Am I proud of that fact?

No.

Not gonna lie: this was a rough watch. They really jumped in with a basic set up to a story and a gimmick, started shooting immediately, realized they didn't know where to go from there, then padded...that...shit...out...to...30...minutes.

The humor is so lazy it hurts. And the whole gimmick is that during one single scene the "monsters" in their bad Spirit Halloween-style costumes would leave the movie and run through the theater before returning to the movie. Even if I had witnessed the gimmick in action it wouldn't have mattered.

The thing's only 30 minutes and by the end it felt like it had gone on for ages.

91.

The Last Unicorn

(1982)

— Animated Fantasy Adventure Directed by: Jules Bass & Arthur Rankin Jr.

A unicorn goes on a quest to find the others of her kind.

This is one of those ones I've heard about forever, but never seen. But leave it to Rankin Bass to make something really unique, but deeply weird.

I honestly don't know what to say. It's a movie that both delivers some amazing emotional beats and will also routinely break their own flow with utterly weird scenes that don't really have a point. (looking at you scene where Alan Arkin is forced to motorboat a busty tree)

If the pacing flowed a bit more evenly I think I would have loved this one, but it was just too cluttered for me to fully invest it.

Also they were dirty for making Jeff Bridges sing that song. Y'all knew damn well he couldn't hit those notes and you made him do it anyway.

92.

Jumanji: The Next Level

(2019)

— Fantasy Comedy Adventure Directed by: Jake Kasdan

The crew from the previous movie wind up back inside the game, because of reasons! But this time some old guys are along for the ride too.

For those who have never seen Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), let it be known that it is far better than it has any right to be. It actually has some really interesting character work and Jack Black is quite fun in it.

This follow-up to it, however, doesn't make any sense. I am convinced the script was made in a single draft. Because anytime it finds that it wrote itself into a corner it will god-machine its way out. None of the character work makes much sense, but you can see them trying to replicate some of the notes of the other movie and just failing completely.

You cannot convince me that this wasn't made just to cash in on the success of the first one.

On another note, I feel like we as a society need to accept that Dwanye "The Rock" Johnson cannot act.

I think due to the sheer number of movies he's starred in that we've convinced ourselves that he can, because why else would he have so many movies?

I think even he has been fooled. "I've been in SO MANY movies," he thinks to himself. "I must be an incredible actor. I must surely be capable of doing this movie that requires me to portray both a depressed young man in the midst of a breakdown AND Danny DeVito portraying a man who is angry at his aging body and at his life filled with regrets."

Yet here we are.

Two hours and $125 million later.

Thinking to ourselves, "You know what…he is not good at this. Was he ever good at this?"

And the fact of the matter is: No. Not really.

93.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

(2023)

— Action Adventure Directed by: James Mangold

Henry "Indiana" Jones Jr. has retired from adventuring, but is thrown back into the thick of it when a mystery from his past causes factions begin to converge around him.

I could have watched this at the theater I worked at for free, but after Kingdom of the Crystal Skull I really wasn't prepared to sit through 3 hours of this without the ability to take a break.

But the completionist in me finally won out so I picked it up from the library.

All they had to do to make this plot work was do a twist on The Last Crusade, where this time Phoebe Waller-Bridge was the adventurer and Harrison Ford was the old father figure whose passions have come back to haunt him, and it would have been a really fun ride. Instead we're stuck following this old Dr. busted "get off my lawn" Jones around and she's just kind of there.

There's just so much going on here and none of it means anything.

In other news, Karen Allen is aging gracefully af. Holy smokes.

In fact, I take back my earlier plot outline. I want Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Karen Allen as my dream duo for things that could have been made instead of this. In fact I just want them to work together on anything, it doesn't even have to be this.

94.

Anatomy of a Murder

(1959)

— Courtroom Drama Directed by: Otto Preminger

A former D.A. and current small town lawyer agrees to take a case defending a man who has been accused of murder after he killed a man he claims raped his wife.

Fucking Jimmy Stewart.

I often will watch something purely based on someone's recommendation or having read something about it that intrigued me, so I frequently don't know the cast of an older movie before I see it. And this bastard is always sneaking his way into my watchlist, in spite of the fact that he drives me up the wall.

Y'all, I don't even know.

It's shot really well, there's some interesting scenes and some great performances (not you, Stewart), and I know it has a pretty great reputation. But Jimmy Stewart playing a wealthy lawyer who doesn't pay his employees and takes a case to defend an abusive murderer for fun and sport? I just have a real hard time getting into that.

95.

Lake Placid 2

(2007)

— Made-for-TV Horror Directed by: David Flores

The events of the first movie have become mere rumors, but it turns out those giant crocs aren't content to let themselves become merely the stuff of legends.

I have a soft spot for the original Lake Placid. Don't get me wrong, it's a ridiculous movie, but it's the fun kind of dumb. Plus Betty White is in it and she is just a treat.

I assumed going into this that it wouldn't live up to the original, but at least it might bring some cheesy good fun. I was not prepared for just how low the budget of this movie was.

I actually had to pull out my phone and make sure this was actually a legitimate sequel early into the movie, because it is just so much cheaper than the original. It appears that the Sci-Fi channel somehow ended up with the rights to the property and decided to make some low budget made-for-tv movies with it.

Although 30 year olds playing teenagers never fails to make me laugh, it is not a good movie. The best thing about it is that they got Cloris Leachman to do their version of the Berrty White role (an amazing choice), but the writing is so bad that her talent is really wasted here.

For sure filing under bad films to laugh at with friends, but not to watch alone.

96.

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

(1994)

— Queer Road Trip Adventure Directed by: Stephan Elliott

3 drag performers go on a road trip across Australia in order to get to a big gig.

My go-to drag road trip movie has always been To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar, but I figured I had gone long enough without having seen this.

I really like Hugo Weaving and Terence Stamp. Guy Pearce remains on my list of actors I just can't get into though.

I still need to get around to doing some research on this one. I'm curious what queer people think of it today and also what their consensus (if any) was back in the 90s.

Although I truly have no idea what the hell they were thinking with the Cynthia character, because that bit thoroughly confused me. It's hard to see that and not wonder, "how exactly did they think this wouldn't be considered racist?"

It's hard not to compare and contrast this with To Wong Foo, even though they are tonally very different. To Wong Foo is much lighter and more of a story about the importance of being yourself, surrounding yourself with people that support you, and not letting adversity tear you down.

Priscilla has a much darker and more realistic undercurrent and seems to be more of a story of knowing who you are, but struggling to figure out exactly how you're supposed to fit into a world that wasn't built with you in mind.

Like always, it would be great if a movie with a trans character had actually gotten a trans actor for the role. But at least Priscilla was written and directed by a gay man, so for a mid-90s movie it's still far queerer than most.

97.

Minding the Gap

(2018)

— Documentary Directed by: Bing Liu

Filmmaker Bing Liu dives into skateboard culture, coming of age, and a search for identity in this documentary. He combines the skating footage from his younger years with modern interviews with his old skating group to try and learn the role skating had in their lives and what it means now that they've gotten further into adulthood.

This movie is so good!

I went into this thinking this was a different skating boarding documentary, so I was a little confused at the start, but what a happy accident!

Part of what makes it so compelling is how Bing Liu straddles the line between documentarian and participant. The story he's able to capture is one only possible from him and because of his relationship with the group

Definitely one of my favorite things I've seen this year.

98.*

Minding the Gap

(2018)

see #97

Did I watch this and then immediately watch it again with the commentary?

Yes.

Yes I did.

99.

Vox Lux

(2018)

— Drama Directed by: Brady Corbet

A former survivor of a school shooting and current pop star struggles in a life where her public image has dominated how she is seen by both the world and herself.

I kind of hate this movie. I'm not sure it deserves to be hated though. A LOT of my hatred comes from the fact that Natalie Portman is the star and she is doing a BIZARRE accent the entire movie. Which is made all the weirder because at the start of the movie you see her character as a kid and she very much does not have the accent.

So here's this character that somehow grew up to have what I can only describe as the New York equivalent of the Dick Van Dyke-style British accent that Americans do. At not point does it ever approach accuracy, but you can kind of see where they were trying to go with it?

If you see me talk about enough movies you'll start to notice that I have a very hard time overlooking certain details in movies. It's why I traditionally don't like Hitchcock movies, because he is the master of throwing in random details of the type that I can't not fixate on.

And having the main character doing an absurd accent for the whole movie is so utterly distracting to me. Was the movie aside from that fact any good? I don't even know. Anytime I thought I was starting to understand the themes of the movie is would seemingly abandon that thread and start doing something else.

I just don't know. Whatever this movie is, it's definitely not for me.

100.

Paddington 2

(2017)

— Family Comedy Adventure Directed by: Paul King

A simple attempt to find a birthday gift for his mother goes horribly astray when it leads to a chain of events that get Paddington thrown in prison.

The Paddington movies have the sort of heart that you just so rarely see from family movies these days. Lots of others in the genre feel like some sort of innocuous thing that was grown in a lab and designed by committee to as unoffensive as possible.

But the Paddington movies have a charm and a soul all their own. And the direction of both films is leagues beyond what you'd typically expect from the cgi-character has an adventure family genre.

I'll admit that I like the first movie better as I found the whole thing to be overall tighter. But this is still a lot of fun. I wouldn't say this one is up there with the family movies that everyone needs to see, but it's still a charming little film that's awfully hard not to enjoy.

101.

Bad Black

(2016)

— Action Comedy Directed by: Nabwana I.G.G.

An American doctor in Uganda must get martial arts training from a child in pink crocs known as Swaz if he ever hopes to get an heirloom back from the notorious gangster Bad Black.

This is a kind of movie that you just need to see to understand.

Imagine a movie made by a group of money without a lot of money or equipment or training, but a hell of a lot of passion and fun. They're out here with the kind of originality that you only get from those who were never taught what the rules were, because—for better or for worse—they're breaking all of them.

It's definitely not going to be for everyone. But if you love action comedies and weirdly memorable b-movies, then it's certainly something you might want to try out.

102.

Good Time

(2017)

— Crime Drama Directed by: Benny Safdie & Josh Safdie

A criminal's desperate attempts to get his brother out of jail lead him to going to increasingly dangerous lengths as his desperation increases.

Jeez, there's a lot going on in this one. I enjoyed it, but I think I'd need to really sit down and dedicate some real time and thought to breaking it down properly.

The fact that it mostly takes place over a single night gives it this really interesting sort of tension. Robert Pattinson is fantastic. And this character we're following is really intriguing.

He's a really well written antihero. He is far from a good person and over the course of the movie he does a number of terrible deeds. He's greedy and uses people and is selfish. But like any good character you can't help but to find his struggle compelling because he really is willing to risk it all to help his brother.

It's certainly something I'll have to give another watch down the line.

103.

The Happytime Murders

(2018)

— Comedy Whodunnit Directed by: Brian Henson

In a world where humans and puppets live together, a puppet P.I. and a Human homicide detective must team up to solve a string of brutal puppet murders.

This was kind of exactly like what I thought it would be like, but I'll admit that it has its moments.

I feel like there's too ways to play puppets in the real world: A) a Muppets style (they're just there and no one calls attention to it, or B) a sci-fi style (where you take it seriously and try to explain how exactly that works).

This one tries to explain how this all works and create a believable human/puppet world, but they aren't great explanations and there's no consistency. Like in one scene a puppet will be able to beat up a human, but in another they'll be unable to do anything because they're just full of cotton.

If you're going muppets style I can easily suspend my disbelief, but if you specifically tell me this world has rules and then are constantly breaking those rules then that fucks really takes me out of things.

I don't really have much to say about this. There are certainly some fun parts, but it's a very one-note kind of movie. And the one note is just: "isn't it funny when puppets do or say crude things!"

104.

龙马精神

[English title: “Ride On”]

(2023)

— Action Comedy Drama Directed by: Larry Yang

An aging stuntman is given another chance at stardom when his beloved horse is shown to also have a knack for stuntwork.

When I saw the trailer I was just thinking: "Jackie Chan and a horse? That's a recipe for silly good fun."

I was not expecting a really thoughtful and poignant story to be hiding in there!

I know it sounds weird to say, but I've actually thought about this one a lot since I watched it. Hiding in the silliness is this thoughtful look on a life and career in stunt work. But it also works as just an older person looking back and wondering if some of the decisions they made in the past were worth it. Then looking to the new generations and seriously considering whether or not the old ways are actually better or if the new trends have merit.

Not to mention that Jackie is out here doing some really fantastic acting.

It's definitely not a perfect film though. It's probably the only time I've watched a Jackie Chan movie and wished there weren't as many fights. This time I'm here for the drama! The character work, the relationships between Jackie's character trying to make up for lost time and create a better relationship with his daughter, there's so much here. Most of the fights just seem shoehorned in because you've gotta have fights in a Jackie Chan movie, right?

I dunno. In spite of its flaws it has given me more food for thought than a lot of "better" movies I've seen this year and I quite like it. I wouldn't recommend it if you want pure Martial Arts action, but if you're in the mood for something silly, something sweet, something quirky, and something lighter but with some hidden depths? It's got you covered.

105.

무림여대생

[English title: “My Mighty Princess”]

(2008)

— Wuxia Rom-Com Directed by: Jae-young Kwak

A high school girl tries to navigate the troubles of high school and of her father's attempts to get her to dedicate herself to her training in martial arts.

I only just realized that a lot of people might not know what Wuxia is. So for context Wuxia is a genre of Chinese fiction that deals in historical martial arts fantasy. The closest approximation in Western literature I can think of would probably be something like the tales of Arthur and the knights of the round table? Where there are monsters and magic, but they're the magic and monsters of olden days, not full-blown high fantasy. And we follow heroes who have a strict code and fight for what's right.

Umm...what are some examples people might be familiar with in America...

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is based on a classic Wuxia novel. And Kung-Fu Panda was inspired by the genre (although they definitely cross pollinated it with some Western storytelling styles).

Anyways, it's a genre style that definitely had an impact across Asian fiction.

My Mighty Princess kind of aims to combine a high school rom-com with a more classic wuxia story and it's a tricky one for me diagnose.

I think there's a lot to love in this. The humor is quite fun and the setup is solid. It's just that there's a pretty heavy tonal jump in the middle. It starts out full rom-com then switches gear in the middle to start the wuxia angle and it's way too big of a shift for me. I definitely would have preferred if the genres were a bit more evenly melded from the start.

Then there's this whole weird b-storyline with this high school student who keeps trying to win the heart of this cop lady and that doesn't really go anywhere.

I'm probably a little overly harsh on it, because I quite like parts of it, but I didn't love it overall. And it's always annoying when that happens, because you kind of want to rewatch it, but then again you kind of don't.

106.

The American Buffalo

(2023)

— Documentary Directed by: Ken Burns

A look at the colonizers history with the American buffalo and how it relates to their history with the indigenous peoples.

Technically I think this might be a miniseries not a movie, but it's short enough to watch during a single sitting so I'm gonna count it.

It's pretty standard for a PBS-style documentary. The subject matter is interesting, but I think it perhaps would have been better handled by a native director instead of the whitest man alive. And I also was pulled out of it whenever they got famous people to read the bits of diaries and whatnot.

You'd just be listening and then suddenly be wondering, "wait, why is Paul Giamatti talking right now?"

107.

The Taming of the Shrew

(1967)

—Shakespeare adaptation Directed by: Franco Zeffirelli Based on: The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare

A group of men seek to coerce a strong willed woman into a bad marriage in their attempts to wed her younger and more demur sister.

I'm not gonna lie, I've seen a number of loose Taming of the Shrew adaptations, but I've never actually seen a more-or-less direct adaptation or the play itself.

It turns out that the actual story is super fucked up? The whole "taming" idea was always a little iffy depending on how it was deployed, but in the story they are just straight up abusing the shit out of her? Full on mentally and physically abusing her into submission?

I don't really have any insight for this. When I wasn't a little bit bored I was just sitting there being deeply uncomfortable.

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April Stats

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Movies watched this month: 27

Rewatch percentage: 7.4% (2/27)

Favorite new movie of the month: Minding the Gap

Least favorite: The Taming of the Shrew

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Previous Months’ Posts:

JAN | FEB | MAR.p1 | MAR.p2

[arysthaeniru]

aAAA the joy of seeing an update on your current favorite fanfic is just aAAA

I always felt that kiwami 1s Nishiki was just a bit too,, I dont know how to describe it; but essentially he just felt off, granted yakuza 1 is a product of its time and therefore the plot is a bit dated and whack as all hell

The way you write Nishiki just feels so much better and realistic; in the original he just seems so uncaring towards Kiryu? which just feels kinda OOC? You'd think he still cares about Kiryu despite it all, especially when you take Yakuza 0 into consideration; and i feel like you portray Nishiki much more accurately

I never thought much about Yumi, because honestly, in the original she was kinda just, there? You actually made her a very interesting person! like I'm actually invested in her in your story! (side note you ever think about her clone who got tortued and died? yeah who WAS that???? thats never brought up is it??)

Theres so much more to talk about but in short; This is the best fix it/rewrite of a game plot I have read to date and it brings me joy in my current stressful school life. and no I will not stop praising it or the author, because this work has made me very happy. ;)

I just have a gift for picking favorites that end up dying,,aand another favorite of mine is Mine

imo theres a lack of soft, reassuring Minedai, i just feel like he'd need a reminder that people love him as a person and not just for the money he can provide, even if its obvious

I'd love to see how you'd write them, but I understand if theres more interesting/appealing drabble requests!

- Carp

CARP, thank you for this <3 this is so sweet!!!!! I’m so happy you enjoy my Nishiki! I had fun playing with what Yakuza 0/the Kiwami additions gave us about Nishiki’s personality and outlook on the world, and trying to reconcile that with the plot that Yakuza 1 initially had. Ultimately, I fell on the side that you did: even if Nishiki’s ambition took him down a monstrous path, I don’t think he’s the sort of person who neglects to pay back his debts. And he’s aware of the huge debt he owes Kiryu. Not to mention, their bonds of trust and love vanishing completely because of jealousy felt unreal to me. Their relationship becoming twisted or strange? Yes, but vanishing entirely felt unsatsifying to me. 

And Yumi!! I had so much fun excavating her character from the clues we get of her in canon. I worry sometimes, that she’s unrecognizable, because you know, I’ve given her a college education, and a whole bunch of interests beyond hostessing alone, but people seem to like it and like her, which is great!! I hate fridging women characters, so keeping her and Reina alive was important to me, hahaha. (RE: fake!Mizuki, there’s this substory in Kiwami that actually addresses who she was, BUT IT’S EVEN MORE HORRIFYING. So that’s why Yumi in my fic is the one captured and tortured by Nishiki’s men, because the thought of this poor innocent woman getting dragged into the mess was just untenable to me.)  

Anyway, thank you for your support and kind words, and I hope you’ll continue to read and that my fic can continue to relieve stress. I--tried to write this about Mine, but Daigo kind of stole the spotlight a little??? I hope you still like it--if not, I will try a ficlet from Mine’s perspective too. I enjoy minedai a lot, but I haven’t had room to think out their dynamic yet, so this took me a while. 

Daigo’s no stranger to being desired. He’s attractive, he knows this—his mother’s beauty lives in his veins, and he’s always had the money to look after himself. Fancy soaps to wash his face, the invisible retainers to keep his teeth straight, fancy suits and skin-tight shirts to show off his frame. For all that Kiryu insists his charisma is something that comes from the soul, Daigo knows it wouldn’t be able to draw the sort of attention he does without being attractive.

Which is to say that Daigo’s not especially thrown off by the intensity of Mine’s gaze. It’s happened before, and it’ll happen again. The thing that surprises him is how much he relishes in being seen by Mine.

Maybe it’s because Mine’s an island in a stormy sea, one of the only yakuza his age who’s sensible and level-headed enough to make it big. Maybe it’s because Mine’s gaze is always so reserved, polite, never overly lusty or overstaying its welcome, and Daigo has so rarely been desired so quietly. Or maybe it’s because Majima and Kashiwagi so clearly disapprove of him—Daigo’s always been something of a rebel, and he hasn’t shaken that off, even now he’s in his thirties and is the arbiter of rules for the Tojo Clan.

Daigo can’t quite put a pin on why he’s so comfortable with Mine’s yearning looks, but he’s never been one to hold back when he wants to indulge in something good. Not exactly a hedonist, not by yakuza standards, but Daigo has never kept himself from enjoying life, in the name of some dubious ‘honour.’

Which is why, in an after-hours meeting with Mine, as they eat cheap takeout sushi together, Daigo takes his chance. A momentary slip, the slightest hint of wasabi left at the corners of Mine’s lips and Daigo swoops in, rubs a thumb over the corner of Mine’s lips. Mine stutters to a stop, mid-sentence through a rundown of the real-estate that the Hakuho Clan’s been purchasing up, and stares at Daigo, eyes bewildered.

“Sixth Chairman?” he asks, his voice still remarkably composed.

“Wasabi.” Daigo says, nonchalantly, as if it’s nothing, and sticks his thumb into his mouth, slowly licking it off with a lingering lave of his tongue. He feels a sharp stab of satisfaction as Mine’s eyes turn darker, and his gaze follows Daigo’s hand down.  

Daigo straightens up, languidly, and cracks his neck, casually. At this point in the day, he’s untucked his shirt, and he knows that a slight strip of his stomach will be visible when he stretches out his arms towards the ceiling. And as predictably as clockwork, Mine’s gaze darts downwards, to that pale expanse, to catch that brief second of skin. Daigo can’t help but feel warm. Something about being watched by Mine is exhilarating.

“Smoke?” offers Daigo, but as usual, Mine refuses, with a polite shake of his head.

Daigo knows from hearsay that Mine’s something a health-freak, so he’s not entirely surprised. It’s already too late for Daigo to preserve his health—he knows that his liver’s already been pretty ruined from long nights of binge-drinking as a youth, and this job’s too stressful to withhold from vices like smoking and drinking, without an optimal end-goal. So he walks over to the window, cracks it open a little, and lights up.

The breath of nicotine curls over his body, a tender caress, and Daigo feels his shoulders drop, as the relaxation hits. He pulls off his cufflinks, tosses them into his pockets and rolls up his sleeves. He takes it slow, runs his fingers over his skin a little more than strictly necessary. Surreptitiously checking the reflection in the window, Daigo watches Mine watch him, and smirks at how intense that gaze is, how Mine’s mouth has opened, and Daigo can just see the soft pink of his tongue.

“Dojima’s just fine, you know. When it’s just us two.” Daigo says, turning over his shoulder. He smiles, one of those charming smiles that had always gotten him whatever he wanted as a child, “We’re same-aged friends, after all.”

“Dojima-san.” Mine acknowledges, after a brief pause.

Daigo turns around, to properly look at Mine and lifts an eyebrow. “Dojima. Or Daigo, preferably. Dojima-san’s always my father in my head.”

Mine nods, face impassive. Daigo can’t read him like this. Maybe that’s why he likes when Mine stares at him, filled with longing. At least then, Daigo feels like he knows him. In moments like these, his implacable gazes might as well be a brick wall. “Right. Your Father was also in the Tojo Clan.”

Daigo smiles, wryly, and blows out a puff of smoke. “One of the most horrible men I’ve ever had the misfortune of meeting—and I had to call him Father. But damn if he wasn’t good at the job.” He sighs and stubs the cigarette out against the ashtray. “...sometimes feel like I’m competing with his dead spirit. Everybody’s looking at me and wondering if this is what my Father would do. Or what Kiryu-san would do.”

“You’re doing better than any of them.” Mine says, immediately, with a vicious ferocity that Daigo wasn’t expecting. He can’t quite stop his eyebrows rising in surprise, and Mine straightens upwards, looking self-conscious immediately. Daigo regrets his instinctual reaction, immediately. “That is to say, Dojima, that I think that you’ve pulled this Clan into somewhere far more respectable. From what I’ve heard of your Father, he didn’t have the temperament to do proper business on this level—too insistent on formal obeisance and unable to be flexible as the times require. And Kiryu-san might be very honourable, but we are yakuza. There are certain things you have to do as a Chairman, that he couldn’t bring himself to do. But you are practical and do what is necessary, while also not overstepping into excessive violence. You are uniquely suited for this job, Dojima.”

...he’s taken aback a little, he can’t deny it. Daigo wonders if his cheeks are colouring, wonders if his obvious shock is offputting, wonders if this is how Mine feels every time Daigo teases him lightly about his obvious attraction. A startling warmth spreads through his chest, and Daigo can’t stop the slight smile that touches his face. Has anybody ever said something so unreservedly kind and measured about Daigo before?

Maybe this is the difference between everybody else’s gazes on him, and Mine’s gaze. It’s based on something more than desire alone. Respect.

Daigo runs a hand over his slicked-back hair and ruffles it free, with a rueful smile, a smile that he couldn’t take away from his face, even if he tried. “I appreciate that. You know I couldn’t do it without you, right?”

He’d never really believed himself capable of attraction to a man like Mine. All of his previous childhood crushes had been on bright, cheerful conversational, pure-hearted people. Daigo had always figured they would balance out his sardonic cynicism. He’d never thought someone as reserved and principled as Mine would ever make his heart flutter. But then, there was something about that deep hunger and passion that Daigo craved. Perhaps it was because he was no longer the gloomy punk of his youth. Maybe his tastes have changed towards tall, dark and handsome. Maybe Mine’s just that special.

“Dojima—” Mine says, clearly trying to refute it, but Daigo cuts him off.

“I mean it. Everybody in this fucking Clan wants me to do something or be somebody else. Kashiwagi-san wants me to be my mother. Majima-san wants me to be Kiryu-san. Everybody else expects my Father. But not you. You deal with me honestly, and with candour, and never hold any expectations against me except success. I appreciate your faith in me.” Daigo takes a couple of steps forward, until his shoes almost brush up against Mine’s own. He leans down over Mine’s chair. “I could not do this without your backing and help. Truly. I don’t think I’ve ever had someone like you in my life. A true friend.”

Mine tilts his chin up to meet Daigo’s gaze, a hungry devotion in his eyes, and Daigo, for a moment, wonders if this is wrong. If he should hold back, like Kiryu would. But Daigo is Daigo, and Mine clearly wants him anyway, so he leans down and kisses him.

Mine’s mouth is velvety smooth and wet and hot and it is oh-so satisfying a feeling to put his hand against Mine’s broad neck and feel his warmth up against Daigo. He pulls back, with a satisfied sigh, and feels the burn of wasabi across his lips, a final parting kick.

[zi-i-think]

10 | Being Better Matters

Pairing: Zuko x Ama (OC)

Word Count: 7500+

.☽☼☾.

~ Ama ☾ ~

          "...And then my father basically refused to let her see me again." Suh cackled. "And rightfully so. I'm so glad I realized that becoming friends with the maid's daughter was not the way to go. So improper."

         "Uh huh." I responded dully, slowly stirring my tea for no reason other than boredom.

         When I agreed to lunch with Suh I didn't know what to expect exactly. But what was happening right now definitely made me hate agreeing to it. I could have made up something stupid. Like that Katara needed me to help her with some last minutes decorations or that Sokka wanted to train with me.

         I only agreed to this so that maybe, just maybe, I would come to like Suh. And to prove to everyone that I didn't have feelings for my ex.

         The woman chatted away. Barely giving me room to say anything. Not that I cared, really. I was zoning out so much that I didn't even know if I'd be able to hold conversation.

         I got the general story. Suh was out playing with another little girl and broke her arm somehow. Then she and her family blamed the little girl, who was unfortunately the maid's daughter.

         The way Suh talked about the maids and others who were considered "low-class" made me sick. She talked about them as if they were animals or lesser than.

         Her obnoxiously loud voice and cackle got everyone in the restaurant staring at us and sending annoyed glances. I didn't blame them. I'd probably do the same if I were in their position.

         "Oh, goodness." Suh gasped and giggled. "I just realized that I've only talked about myself this entire time." You just realized this? "So what were your maids like as a child?" She delicately picking up her noodles with her chopsticks. Spirits, can she eat any slower?

         "Oh, I didn't have any maids." I informed her in a matter-of-fact tone.

         "Oh." Her lips formed an 'O' shape and she seemed confused. "I don't understand, you father is Head Chieftain. You live in a palace." She laughed lightly, like she thought I was pulling her leg.

         I shrugged. "During the war all of the men went off to fight. So the women and kids just tried to make due with what we had. I mean, we helped each other but no one had maids."

         "Oh no wonder you're so humble." Suh gasped. Like she had just solved the world’s greatest puzzle. "Ama, you are so brave to have taking care your siblings for all those years."

         "Well, I was more like we took care of each other." I tried to correct her, but Suh just talked right over me.

         "Oh, I wish I had siblings." She grinned. "I admire you so much. It must have been so hard for you to leave them."

         I stayed silent. I wasn't exactly sure what Suh wanted me to say. I wasn't sure about anything during this conversation. It was weird. Talking to Suh was weird. How does Zuko deal with this? I know I wasn't exactly pleasant either, but Suh had no boundaries. I could only imagine how he reacted if she pressed for him to talk about his family.

         "Well?" Suh said in a curious tone, expecting me to say something. "Was it hard for you to leave your siblings?"

         That question felt a bit... forced. It was sort of oddly placed in the conversation. Oh who am I kidding? This entire conversation has been odd. Maybe I'm just reading into this entire thing too deeply.

         "Yeah, I think it's always hard to leave the people closest to you, no matter how long it'd be." I answered her.

         "And, uh. What about leaving Zuko?" She asked more nervously. Goodness is this just a jealous girlfriend thing?

         "It was hard to leave everyone." I told her. "But I don't regret it. My time away gave me the time to understand myself."

         "Oh, like your whole bisexual thing." She giggled. "You're not attracted to me, right."

         "No, I'm not." I faked a laugh. I don't know how to interact with this woman anymore. I stayed calm. She doesn't know boundaries, that's all. Just like Shemi. And I love Shemi. She's the sweetest.

         "Good. Cause that would be gross." She snickered with her hand over her mouth.

         I gave her a distraught look, but kept a smile. "Excuse me?"

         "Oh, I mean this in no offense to you. I just think that two women together is unseemly." She saw nothing wrong with what she was saying. I take back what I said. Suh in nothing like Shemi.

         Despite having a huge urge to throw my cold tea at her and educate her about what is okay to say and what isn't. I held my tongue. But I couldn't stand to be here for another minute.

         "Oh my goodness, Suh I'm so sorry." I faked a gasp and placed my hand over my mouth to sell my shocked expression. "I just remembered that Katara needs my help soon."

         "Oh, I thought she and Aang were just doing light work today with the chef." Suh responded with a light head tilt. So she has part of a brain I see.

         "Well, yes." I nodded. "But she needs my help with picking up a package. She wants me to take it back to the venue as soon as it arrives."

         "Oh, okay." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and look around nervously. Like the people in the small Water Tribe restaurant scared her.

         "Thank you so much for understanding." I sighed in fake appreciation. Slipping a few coins on the table to pay, which may have been more than it should have, I left the establishment.

         I sighed in both frustration and relief the moment I stepped out into the cold air. Technically I wasn't lying that there was a package I needed to pick up. Originally, I was just going to get it after lunch, but I didn't realize how good of an excuse it would be.

         Walking to the post office, I thought about the conversation with the irritating woman. There was just something so off about the whole thing and about her. I brushed it off. Was she obnoxious? Yes. Was she rude? Even though she didn't notice it. Yes. But was she some evil mastermind like my gut was telling me? Definitely not.

         I did find it weird how Zuko was actually, dare I say, happy to be with her. I mean. The Zuko. The man who jumped in front of lighting for me before even telling me the full extent of his traumatizing childhood is somehow incredibly compatible with a girl who asked for my entire life story the second day I knew her. But I guess he just changed more than I thought he didn't since the last time I saw him.

         "Hey sis!" I almost jumped at Sokka's voice. I turned around, seeing my brother jogging over to me on the sidewalk to catch up with me. "I thought you were still with Suh."

         "Oh that? Yeah, I left." I huffed a laugh. Finally next to me, I interlocked my left arm to his right arm so that we could walk together.

         "Ha!" Sokka laughed. "I don't blame you. She is incredibly talkative and annoying." I felt relieved that he was actually agreeing with me, unlike my other friends.

         "And when she asks these incredibly personal questions." I added.

         Sokka groaned and threw his head back in annoyance. "She asked how our mom died last night." I shook my head and sighed. "I tried to tell Zuko not to bring her to boy's night, but Aang was okay with it, so my argument meant nothing."

         "Ah yes. The groom has the final word." I laughed.

         "You know I only saw Zuko without her hanging off his arm once since they got here." He held up his index finger to make a point. "And that was when you guys had the bridal shower. Those two are always together."

         "Aww, is my brother sad he doesn't get to hang out with his boyfriend?" I quipped with a fake frown.

         "Oh shut up." He replied. "I'd just be nice to hang out. Just us guys doing guy things. Not shopping."

         "Shopping can be manly." I argued.

         "Maybe if we were shopping for weapons. Not jewelry." I scoffed at him. "Besides, I was really hoping for a good spar. Like the good old times."

         "What about me?" I shrugged while i made my suggestion.

         "We tried that a month ago." He pointed out and gave me a smug look. "I won."

         "Right, except I was still out of touch with my weapons." I pointed out. "The 8 months at the air temple didn't really give me a lot of time to practice with a sword."

         "Well if you're really in the mood to get your ass whooped by me again. Alright." He agreed, positive he'd win again. "We'll meet in the training yard tomorrow morning."

         "Sounds like a plan." I chuckled.

         "Where are we going?" Sokka finally asked, furrowing his eyebrows as he looked around the block. Trying to piece together where we were.

         "The placement cards and the ceiling drapes arrived today." I told him. "I'm actually glad you're here to help me take the boxes back to the venue."

         "Knew I shouldn't have come over." Sokka grumbled under his breath.

         "Hey, Sokka. Do you think that there's anything malicious about Suh?" I wondered. I knew I already dismissed the idea, but I still needed a different opinion.

         "Malicious? About Suh?" He repeated. His tone already telling me that he didn't think so. "Sis, the girl's a pain, but she's too peppy to wish anything bad upon anyone. Especially on any of Zuko's closest and most beloved friends."

         "You're right." I nodded. "I just have this gut feeling that she's hiding something."

         Sokka laughed loudly at that. "Suh is an open book. That girl explained her entire childhood in extreme detail. If she were hiding anything it'd probably be about something stupid. Like that she's had beer before." I laughed at the random thing he said and gave him a confused look. "I swear she almost threw up after the first sip last night." He claimed.

         Gosh I missed Sokka. His randomness and his cheery attitude always brought a smile to my face. He spewed so much nonsense during the rest of the errand that I didn't even think about the offputting woman again.

.☽☼☾.

~ Suh ♛ ~

         The moment Ama left the restaurant, I stood up as well. No way did I want to be in some substandard Water Tribe restaurant more than I had to. I set down the payment for the food and left.

         I knew she'd probably be waiting for me. Fuck. I didn't want to have to see her. Last she told me, I was to meet her at some old Fire Nation ship not too far from the town. I didn't exactly know why she would choose some old and gross place, but it wasn't like she could get an room at an Inn.

         Ugh. I hate snow. I grumbled as I made my way to the rendezvous. How do these people deal with it all the time? It's freezing and it's wet. I couldn't wait to get back to the Fire Nation.

         Finally arriving at the old ship, I found a tear in the metal and climbed through. The entire boat was standing on large pieces of ice, holding it above the rest of the terrain. A part of me was scared that the entire hunk of metal would fall through the ice, but another part of me knew I had to keep going. I couldn't avoid her anymore.

         I didn't even know where I was going. I just kept walking through the metal hall. "Shit!" I yelled and tripped forward. I looked at my feet. I just tripped over a string. Furrowing my eyebrows in confusion, I sat on my butt. And then I realized it was a tripwire. The metal under me rumbled and creaked. I didn't have time to more away and fell through the trapdoor.

         I screamed in fear, falling through the steep slide backwards. Until I finally came to a slow stop. I looked around. It seemed I just landed myself in some ice tunnel. At least the ice reflected the light from outside so that I can see clearly.

         "Wonderful." I grumbled to myself. Not only did I just walk into some unknown ship that was believed to be haunted, but now I'm lost. How the hell am I supposed to get to her now? I pushed myself off the cold and hard ground. And wiped off the stray pieces of snow that stuck to my clothing.

         "Well, finally." Her voice caught my ear. I turned around to see her and crossed my arms.

         "Hello, Azula." I greeted back. My tone kept it's peppy and cheerful tone. As opposed to her cold and venomous one. I was a perky person. It's a part of my personality. And it worked wonders to get me what I wanted. No one expected the giggly and seemingly foolish girl to play others like a game of chess.

         Azula wore all dark clothing. Her long sleeved gray tunic was tucked into black pants. And she wore a black tunic. Her dark brown hair was put into a high ponytail, ending just below her shoulders. Even clothed in the less than royal clothing that she would wear during the war, Azula's essence commanded to be treated with respect and to be unquestioned.

         Her hands were on her hips and she smirked at me with her red painted lips. "I was beginning to wonder if you backed out of our plan." She shrugged and started to walk down the ice tunnel, making me follow her.

         "Right, well pardon me if I'd rather spend my time with your brother." I stated matter-of-factly. "Besides, it wasn't like I was just gonna ignore you the entire time."

         Azula rolled her eyes. "Leiza if you want to be Fire Lazy you need to learn not to keep others waiting."

         "Don't call me that." I grumbled. "That's my old name." I realized that we just entered what looked like an entire room. Old animal skins were on the ground, seats make of ice, a fire on the side of the room with a pot on it. Azula had made herself a semi-comfortable home for herself. Well, for the time being.

         "I know that. I gave you your identity." She waved her hand to prove a point. "I do hope you hold up your end of the bargain, though." Azula took a seat on the animal skin, sitting criss-crossed. I sat across from her, grimacing at the feeling of the fur.

         "Right, well Ama isn't exactly that cooperative." I told her. Azula scowled, but kept quiet to let me continue. "Everyone trusts me. Even that little lie-detector." I recalled the hours Azula spent teaching me to lie expertly. "Ama is the only one holding back."

         Azula laughed at me. "Of course she's holding back. You have a tendancy of speaking before you think. You don't want to offend the girl. Plus, you're with her ex."

         "I thought that she moved on from Zuko." I snarled. "There was that Munal girl or whatever her name was."

         "Zuko got struck by lighting for that little water baby." Azula pointed out. "As much as everyone might say Zuko's in her past, my brother is always going to have a place in her heart. The same goes for him."

         I'm no firebender, but if I were there would be smoke coming from my ears. "Well she can't have him!" I shouted. "I love Zuko! Not her! And he loves me!"

         "Where did that peppy attitude go?" Azula looked amused at my angered expression. "Don't make me regret breaking you out of that mental institution all those years ago, Suh."

         "Whatever." I grumbled and rolled my eyes.

         "Whatever feelings they might have for each other. It'll be gone soon enough." Azula asure me with her devilish tone and her eyes narrowed in a cunning way. "Remember the plan."

         Zuko will end up with me. I will be Fire Lady. That was the goal. Spirits, just the thought of being with Zuko brought me so much happiness and excitement. I know that I was technically lying to him. About who I was.

         Everything about my childhood was true. I grew up rich. My father was a general in the war. But I was sent to that damn mental institution. They called it an "obsessive disorder." But I called it ambition. Azula broke me out six years ago. We pretended to be the kemurikage for a while. Most of the other girls broke away. But I stuck with Azula.

         Azula was manipulative, just like me. I stuck with her for Zuko. She was my ticket to be with him. I was patient and calculating. And now I had him. He loved me for my personality. He told me that I was the one for him. I took care of him so that he wouldn't overwork himself. Because I loved him. Plus he was so good in bed. How could I resist a man like that?

         "So, what have we learned?" Azula asked me.

         "Ama didn't like when I brought up her late girlfriend." I started. "It hit a nerve."

         "No kidding." Azula scoffed, probably already knowing that. "I need details, Suh. If we're going to do this right I need you to start from the beginning."

         I mentally growned. Looks like I'm going to be in this dank, disgusting place for a while. But if it meant I got what I wanted in the end. Fine.

.☽☼☾.

~ Ama ☾ ~

         The day was actually not freezing. There was no wind this morning, which was rare. The air was still cold, don't get me wrong. Usually I'd wear my coat in order to keep warm, but given that I was about to kick Sokka's ass, I didn't need my coat.

         Neither of us have forgotten about the little sparring session. And it was no surprise that the others wanted to watch. No one would pass up the chance of finding something to make fun of later.

         The training yard was pretty standard. It was placed to the side of the palace, beside one of the many mountains. The usual light snow covered the ground in order to prevent any serious injuries. But that also meant one would have to be extra conscious about their movements to keep from slipping.

         The perimital of the rectangular training area was a pathway made of rock. There were snowy blue pillars, holding up an overhead covering. Benches were placed under it for anyone watching. In this case, that meant our friends.

         I did my last triceps stretch before tightening my ponytail. "Are you sure you still wanna fight me?" Sokka asked me, swinging his sword to the sides as he approached the middle of the yard. "After all, I am one of the best warriors of the Southern Water Tribe."

         I created my own sword out of ice while approaching him and stopping a few feet away from him. "What? Afraid you'll get beat by your sister?"

         "Of course not. I just know that sword-fighting isn't really your style." Sokka shrugged. He took his stance. Legs apart, right foot in front of his left, swatting slightly and his sword held up by his head. I also got into the same stance, preparing for the spar.

         "Go Ama!" Ty Lee cheered.

         "Show him who's boss!" Suki cheered as well.

         Sokka looked at his girlfriend with his mouth hanging open. "Suki! Who's side are you on?" She only laughed in response, leaning back on her hands to watch the show.

         My brother and I stared at each other competitively, waiting for the other to make the first move. He moved first, stepping forward and swinging his sword at me. I moved my own sword, blocking the strike. While I pushed it away from me, I stepped to the side, kicking my brother on his side.

         He stumbled a bit at the impact, but quickly regained his footing. I took the moment to attack, swinging my weapon across. Sokka stepped back and spun to the side. He tried to strike me from above and I blocked it, holding my sword above my head. Tilting my weapon, his sword stid off to the side.

         I then swung my sword violently across. Sokka almost didn't see it coming, ducking under the blade. He looked at me with some shock. I gave him a cocky smirk, taking a few steps back while throwing the weeping from one hand to another.

         He ran towards me. I spun on my right foot, dodging his blade. My right hand gripped his wrist, letting me elbow Sokka harshly in the chest. He stumbled back and I swung my sword at him. He quickly reacted with his weapon and the metal hit briefly.

         Spinning for more momentum, I took another swing. It made contact with Sokka's sword and it slipped from his grasp. The weapon landed a few feet away. I kept my sword up, pointed at my brother.

         There were a few cheers from the benches. I was starting to enjoy my victory too quickly. Because Sokka kicked the kilt of my ice sword, and it fell out of my hand. Also landing a few feet away from me. Sokka sprinted over to his sword.

         Now I had a fraction of a second to make a decision. Either run to my weapon or keep Sokka from getting to his. I took the latter. Sprinting after my brother, I slid on the ground, kicking the sword even further away just before he reached for it.

         But he was running too fast, and now I was in the way. Sokka tripped over me. My side now hurt where his foot collided with my body. My brother was now closer to the sword but I scurried to roll over him to get in between him and the weapon.

         We both stood to our feet with our fists up and I went to punch him. He swat my arm away and I tried again, getting the same result. He in turn attempted to punch me back. I grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm.

         "Ow ow ow!" He shouted in pain while I stepped behind him, his arm twisted behind his back. I kicked the back of his knee, making him kneel on the ground.

         "So." I grin proudly. I love winning. Always a good feeling. "I win?"

         Sokka groaned, hesitant to let me win. But for the second time during that fight. I got too cocky. My brother slid one of his legs back and kicked it under me, making me let go of my grip on him as I fell on my side. Sokka reached to pick up his sword quickly and pointed it at me just as I sat up on my butt.

         "Sorry, sis. You just gotta admit that I'm a better warrior than you." He claimed his victory.

         "Okay, fine." I grumbled. Sokka lowered dhis sword and held his arm out to help me up. But I just slapped it away and got up by myself.

         "You're such a sore loser, ya know." My brother laughed at me while I already started heading to the benches.

         My ponytail had become loose during the spar and I had strands of hair sticking up. Sokka's warrior's wolf tail wasn't much different.

         "Gotta say, though, you're good with a sword." He complimented while we walked to the benches with friends. "Just not as good as me." I sucked in an annoyed breath and clenched my jaw at his taunting and he burst out laughing at my expression.

         "Well you don't have to rub it in." I grumbled and crossed my arms over my chest.

         Katara stood from her seat and wrapped an arm around both our shoulders. "It doesn't matter who's better. Just that you both gave it your all and did wonderful."

         I scoffed. "No, I disagree. Being better matters."

         "One way or another, we're all better than each other." Sokka pointed out. "Ama's better at fighting with waterbending, Katara is better at healing, and I'm better at everything else." Katara and I shared the same annoyed look, but we both were still humored by our brother.

         "Sweetie, I think it's time to go." Aang got up from his seat.

         "Oh! Yes, I think it is time." Katara grinned widely, leaving Sokka and I to join her fiance. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she wrapped her arms around his waist. They were so cute. Sure, the "sweetie" nicknames were a little nauseating, but they expressed so much love for eachother.

         A small smile tugged at my lips knowing that my sister would spend the rest of her life with someone who made her incredibly happy. Forget that he's the Avatar, he's a good man and I couldn't imagine Katara being with anyone else.

         "I didn't know you guys had wedding duties to attend to." Suki spoke up, also getting up from her seat to stand by her boyfriend.

         "We don't." Aang replied.

         "We have a date." Katara blushed. "With all the planning and preparations, Aang and I haven't had enough time just by ourselves. No distractions."

         "Yeah, instead those distractions get thrown on me." I smirked jokingly.

         "You offered!" My sister exclaimed with annoyance in her tone.

         "I'm just teasing." I laughed. "Enjoy your date, you two." Rolling her eyes, Katara and Aang went to leave the training yard and to whatever it was that they had planned. "So what's everyone else got planned?" I turned to everyone else who'd been silent.

         "Mai and I are going to try snowboarding!" Ty Lee answered and then placed a thoughtful finger on her chin. "We aren't exactly sure what it is, but we've been told it's fun." I chuckled at my friend's bubbly personality.

         "Suki and I are going to the market." Sokka grinned, intertwining his hand with Suki's.

         I then turned to Zuko, waiting for a response. "Fire Lord duties. Unfortunately, work doesn't stop for the Avatar's wedding." I frowned. Work during a vacation? Sounds awful.

         "Aw, I'm sorry, baby." Suh pouted, linking arms with him and cuddling up next to him. Zuko just smiled and chuckled at her. "I'm lucky I brought some books with me. Today is perfect to me to just sit back and relax."

         "Didn't know she could read." Mai muttered so softly that I could only hear. My hand covered my mouth to keep from laughing loudly. The others looked over at me and I faked a cough.

         "Ama, you should go." Sokka said very dryly. I gave him a sort of offended look at how he wanted me to leave. "No seriously. Auntie Nalle hates when people are late and you are a sweaty mess."

         I looked down at myself. Sokka was right. I couldn't exactly go to Auntie Nalle with my messy hair and sweat stained shirt. "Right, uh." I realized. "Well then, I'll see you all at dinner." There was a series of "byes" and "laters" from the group as I left the yard.

         Today wouldn't be a bad day. Auntie Nalle graciously offered to bake some of the pastries for the wedding. All I had to do was confirm what Katara wanted, figure out how many were needed, and then hopefully I wouldn't have to stay for her gossip.

.☽☼☾.

         I hate gossip. Don't get me wrong. I love a good scandal every now and then. However, I don't really enjoy speculations about people. I should've just told Antie Nalle that I really didn't care if Eyin stole Vulla's soup recipe. I haven't talked to them in years.

         Luckily though. The day was coming to an end. I didn't even think I'd be at dinner after all those sweets I was given. The sun was still high up in the air, telling me that most of the others were probably still busy.

         And I was in no hurry, so I walked through the courtyard beside the palace slowly. Breathing in that sweet smell of the afternoons in the Southern Water Tribe. It gave me so much nostalgia. Taking me back to when my siblings and I would have snowball fights and then go back home where mom would have dinner ready. Like her steamed dumplings. She'd scold me about my messy hair or maybe how I tore my coat. Still, I'd give anything to go back to those days.

         I ran my hands through my loose hair and looked up at the sky. Just then, a messenger hawk flew above my head and landed on one of the window sills of the palace. It was one of the windows for our hallway. Who's receiving a letter?

         My walking slowed down in curiosity. The window finally opened and Suh poked her head out. I narrowed my eyes and moved closer to one of the pillars, hiding behind it, but still getting a decent view of the window. Suh took the message from the compartment on the hawks back and the animal took off into the sky again.

         The woman unrolled the paper, reading over it. Her eyebrows pinched together and a grimace found its way to her lips I wasn't good are reading lips but it looked she either said something along the lines of "are you fucking kidding me" or "ate a funny kidney".

         Finishing the letter, Suh rolled the letter up and again. Then she poked her head out again, looking to her left and right. She was looking to see if anyone saw her receive her letter. I quickly brought my head behind the pillar again so she wouldn't see me.

         Fuck. No one looks that suspicious when receiving a letter. My mind tried to find some logical response to keep me from spiralling into some conspiracy. Maybe it was a family member or work? No she doesn't work. And what kind of familial letter would get someone to react that way? From what I've gathered, she didn't have any issues with her family.

         I looked around the pillar, seeing that the window was now closed shut. I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes. What are you hiding, Suh?

.☽☼☾.

         "Where the hell do you think you're going!" I shouted. My tone was etched with anger and also humor while I chased a thug that was running away from the city he's been terrorizing for so long. I threw my right arm up, water flew past me and turned to ice around his feet.

         The man tried to move, but there was no use. My running slowed down and I walked towards him with a light skip in my step. "Oh, you're going to pay for this." The grumpy middle aged man grimaced at me.

         I gave him a flat smile, bending more water to create handcuffs made of ice behind his back. "No, you're going to pay. In a cell" I stated matter-of-factly and removed the ice around his feet to lead him back to the village.

         I lightly shoved him into the back of the carriage, where he and the rest of the criminals would be taken away to a larger city to be locked up. Most of the smaller villages didn't have enough policemen to uphold the law or even a place to lock up said law breakers. Leaving them vulnerable to bandits and thugs like these guys.

         "My village can not thank you enough." The mayor expressed his appreciation to myself and the rest of my group. "We do not have much to give, but please accept some of our fresh vegetables and meat."

         One of the older women stepped towards us with a basket filled with carrots, tomatoes, meats, and other things. She handed it to Masha and she bowed her head in thanks.

         Mulan stepped forward to speak to the mayor, putting her katana into its sheath. "Thank you, for your generous gift. It was an honor to fulfill our duty in ridding your town of those criminals."

         She was always so respectful to everyone. When speaking to officials especially, Mulan's voice was polite and unwavering. And because of that, we were respected back. But trust me. The moment someone stepped out of line, she'd be sure to put them back into their place.

         We all bowed to the mayor to bid our farewell and left the village to set up camp for the night. "We have enough here to make a stew!" Masha looked through the basket. "We're eating good tonight, my fellow bastards!"

.☽☼☾.

         At dusk that day, Masha was standing over a large pot, cooking us all a stew. I sat on the grass with my back against a fallen tree, taking in the sight of my new friends.

         After Mulan introduced me to the Miraculous Bastards a month ago, I joined them. It wasn't much different than when I traveled with Aang and the others. We never spent too long in one place, taking down gangs and others who took advantage of villages and the average citizen.

         The group was made up of five people, including me. There was Masha. She had light brown, messy hair and brown eyes. She was like the caretaker. Always asked if we drank water, great cook, sewed our clothes. She sort of reminded me of Katara. She was the only earthbender; and she was a damn good one, too. I hoped to one day introduce her to Toph. Despite having two very different personalities, I wondered if they'd get along.

         Then there was Bono, Masha's twin brother. Same brown hair and brown eyes. He was the quiet, observant type. He liked to keep a journal with him at all times for haikus and to draw landscapes. Unlike his sister, though, Bono wasn't a bender. Instead, he was skilled with the bow and arrow and double swords. His sympathetic nature made it incredibly easy to talk to him, but not as much to joke with.

         Taon was Masha's boyfriend. He was a firebender from the colonies. His reckless and adventurous personality made him incredibly fun to be around. I remember the first night I was with them he woke me up in the middle of the night to go looking for a saber-tooth moose lion; for no reason other than the fun of it. I was convinced that if it weren't for Masha, he would've gotten himself killed in one was or another.

         And lastly, Mulan. Spirits, where do I start. She was no bender, but her fighting was incredible. She mastered many forms in a multitude of weapons, incredibly flexible, strong. A true warrior. She was the unofficial leader of the Miraculous Bastards. Her posture and voice commanded respect and she was always prepared for anything. But she was also so sweet and it was so easy to talk to her. We'd spend hours talking nonsense and laugh at Taon and Masha's bickering.

         But even after a month of knowing her, there was still the feeling of nervousness around her. After meeting her, that feeling of missing something in my life disappeared. It kind of felt like when I had a crush on Zuko, before dating.

         "Alright, everyone! The stew is ready!" Masha grinned happily, pouring the first bowl. I stood from my stop and joined the others around the pot.

         "Masha, this smells incredible." I complimented as I got handed a bowl.

         "Thank you." She accepted the compliment, holding the last field bowl in her hand. "It's the perfect meal for this special occasion."

         "Oh, what's that?" I wondered curiously.

         "Today marks one month since you've been with us." Mulan reminded me with a light nudge. I couldn't help but blush lightly at the touch.

         "Yeah, we're really lucky to have you with us." Bono added.

         "An incredible fighter and an even better friend." Taon lighted his bowl up in the air and cheered. "To Ama!"

         "To Ama!" The others repeated, lifting their bowls up as well.

         I laughed with them and shook my head. "You guys are amazing, But if I'm being honest, I should be the one lucky to have you all. A bunch of rascals who like to beat up bullies? My kind of people." They all laughed at my words. "But really, thank you for letting me join you all."

         "Of course." Masha assured me. "Now, let's eat before this all gets cold."

         I took my spot by the fallen tree to eat. Masha and Taon sat not far from me, starting to engage in their own conversation. Bono didn't like to be disturbed when he was eating and sat further away from us all. And Mulan sat next to me.

         Neither of us said anything at first. We both focused more on the vegetables and the beef in the stew. But we both also wanted to say something to each other.

         "Masha is probably the best cook I've ever come across." Mulan broke the silence and set the finished bowl down beside her. "I remember the first time she cooked for me when we were 16, I tried to convince her to own a restaurant or something."

         "Well, she'd definitely do well." I finished my stew as well and set it on my lap.

         Mulan looked over at the others, seeing that no one was really paying attention to us. "Hey, let's get out of here." She pointed away from camp with her thumb.

         I raised an eyebrow, both in curiosity and confusion. "And go where?"

         She shrugged and made her suggestion. "There's a lake not far from here. I got water from there earlier."

         "Sound fun." I agreed, moving the empty bowl to the ground and standing up. Mulan smiled at me and stood up as well. No one noticed us leave the camp. Which isn't necessarily a problem, we shouldn't be away long.

         I followed the redhead through the trees, listening to the sound of crickets. "Here it is." Mulan announced as we finally arrived at the lake. There wasn't a ton of light tonight because there was only a half moon in the sky. Mulan grinned at me and then took my hand, pulling me with her to the lake. "Check this out."

         She placed her hand in the water and moved it from side to side. The water that moved glowed a bright blue. My jaw dropped at the incredible sight. "Wow." I gasped and dipped my hands into the cold water as well. "How does this happen?"

         "It's a chemical reaction in the algae." Mulan answered. I gave her a curious look, wondering how she knew that. "My parents studied it a little. They were herbalists so they found this stuff interesting."

         "It's incredible." I admired the incredible sight. You truly do learn something new everyday. With a mischievous smirk, I splashed some water at Mulan. The woman gasped in shock as I laughed. She splashed me back, and the droplets fell on my face and chest. "Oh, okay then."

         I bent the glowing water till it was over the redhead. "Ama, no!" She squealed and tried to back up while still on the ground. I dropped the water, drenching her in it. Her hands wiped the water out of her eyes and she gave me a playful glare as I giggled uncontrollably.

         And without warning, Mulan lunged at me. "Ahh!" I shrieked while she pushed us both into the lake. The edge of the lake was still pretty shallow, allowing for us both to sit up and it only reached to our waist. "What the hell?" I laughed.

         "You started it." She retorted. I bit my bottom lip and shook my head at her. I bent some more water to throw at her, but Mulan moved further into the water. "Nuh uh. Sorry, sweetheart but you're gonna have to catch me first."

         I scoffed amusingly while the redhead dove deeper into the water. I took her up on that challenge and followed her in further. She wasn't really trying to outswim me. I caught up to her pretty quickly, tackling her and we both submerged into the lake. The water glowed at all the movement we were making.

         Breaking through the surface, the two of us gasped for air and giggled. Luckily we weren't that deep and could stand. The water ended just above my waist. "I didn't think this through." Mulan muttered, looking down at her soaking clothes.

         "Relax, I can bend the water out of our clothes when we get out." I reminded her and moved closer to her.

         Just for the curiosity of it, I bent the water, moving it from side to side as it glowed. I took it a step further, swirling it around my body and then around Mulan's. The two of us giggled while I slipped the water back in the lake.

         "No matter how often you do that I'm always to mezmerised but it." Mulan looked at me in awe. "Well, it's either that or just the gorgeous woman who's bending the water." I turned to look at her and our eyes met. Her green eyes felt like they were seeing every inch of me. Every insecurity and every flaw. But also every beautiful aspect and everything admirable.

         Neither of us said anything. My eyes looked down at her heart shaped lips. She never painted them, but they still had an orange tint to them. Which I thought was absolutely unique and beautiful.

         Mulan leaned in hesitantly, waiting for me to back away. But I didn't. In fact, I also leaned in. She closed the gap and her soft lip finally met mine. It felt perfect and pure. But just as quickly as it happened, she pulled away and hastily started to trudge through the water.

         "Wait, Mulan!" I called and started to trudge after her. Was the kiss bad? Was I bad?

         "I shouldn't have done that." The woman replied with a distressed tone. She scrunched up her hair, getting the water out and she stepped out of the lake.

         "Why? Was it me?" I wondered. My chest felt heavy with worry that I had just made a complete fool of myself. I was already planning to leave the group. I couldn't stay if it was just going to be awkward.

         "No, no. It wasn't you." Mulan told me.

         "Then what?" I grabbed her wrist to keep her from leaving further.

         She turned around with tears in her eyes and she shook her head. "You were perfect." She started. "You are perfect. I just can't do this to you."

         "What? Do what?" I begged to know.

         "You're a hero, Ama. I can't be the reason you get shunned and rejected by the world." He looked down at her hands to avoid my look. "Like what my parents did to me." It clicked in my mind. Just a moment ago, it felt like it was just me and her. But there's still an entire world that wouldn't be thrilled if two women fell in love. Mulan's parents being one example.

         The thing was. I didn't care. I placed my hand on both sides of Mulan's cheeks, wiping her tears away with my thumbs. "Fuck the world." I told her and shook my head. "This can just stay between us or we can shout it from the rooftops. It doesn't matter. I just don't want to have to reject how I feel about you."

         Mulan raised her head, looking me in the eye again. "And how do you feel about me?" She wondered with a soft smile.

         "With you I feel happy. I feel like I can do anything with you by my side." I told her. "I like you more than a friend."

         Mulan wrapped her arms around my waist, pulling me close to her. "I like you more than a friend, too." And we kissed again. It was soft and loving. And, again, it felt perfect. "I can't tell you hold long the others were trying to convince me to make a move." She giggled when she pulled back a little.

         "Did Teon try to give you a pep-talk?" I asked with a humorous smirk.

         "Yeah and then Bono did a better job at it." Mulan responded and the two of us laughed. This felt right. I didn't know in that moment, but it wouldn't last. The feeling of being pure.

.☽☼☾.

Let's go lesbians, lets go! Jk, Ama is a little bi baby. I wanted some background for Ama and Mulan before some more tea! But also cause I love wlw representation and there isn't enough of it. And don't worry everyone cause Zuko is getting some love pretty soon!

Love you all! Hang loose, amigos 🤙🏼

[punkscowardschampions]

Jimmy & Janis

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Sorry dad but there's the reality Jimmy: Such a twat Jimmy: If you wanted me to date the other twin it's too late to register your vote Janis: Forreal Janis: the LDR might not last but can't be banking on it now Jimmy: Every time he pops his head round me door I keep thinking he's gonna wheel out my ex Jimmy: Having driven back up north to remind me of what I loved and lost Janis: Ha Janis: I mean, not the girl you need to be looking for, wanna get real about it Jimmy: Can't be getting real, can he? Jimmy: Unless its about me then he's gonna fill his boots Janis: What would he know about it Janis: 'less you're doing his job, when's he ever been arsed Jimmy: always time for a bit of father son criticism naturally Jimmy: makes the paid slog go with more of a swing Janis: what a prick Janis: wanna fake breakup? 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Janis: You know they'd lap that shit up Janis: basic bitches i 👀 you Janis: She's alright, he's as highkey so they're making it work Jimmy: Cute Jimmy: Better not be coming for our brand and fans 👀 her Janis: No danger Janis: even if I've pulled a Sinead and you're past your prime Janis: still got it, kids Jimmy: 😂 Jimmy: still a decent muse, you Janis: Oh you Janis: not doing nude for free Janis: 😏 Jimmy: Alright Jimmy: I won't bin the job off yet then Janis: Probably don't Janis: shit fit your dad would have if nothing else Jimmy: nothing he does, says or thinks has any impact on me, don't worry Janis: 👍 like Janis: but if you put that on a phonecase the flat whites would buy it, just FYI Jimmy: Anything for a good earner Jimmy: Need petrol never mind them pricey nudes of yours Janis joined the chat 101 minutes ago Janis: listen, i can go twos on the petrol but i can't budge with the nudes, like Jimmy: 👍 Jimmy: stick to your guns, mate Janis: get disowned by rio if i did it fo free Jimmy: We can't have that. You're the one with the decent fam Janis: Let's not get carried away Janis: they don't actively hate you, s'a start but they aren't the fucking... Janis: I'd say waltons but like Janis: was that not the goal Jimmy: 😂 Jimmy: Your nan started something and your ma was like, challenge accepted Jimmy: Can't fault her for it Janis: Competetive Janis: least I got enough sibs I don't need to come for the title next, like Jimmy: Gotta go the other way and get a different one, like Janis: that's the plan Janis: like I have one but you know Jimmy: We both want to get out of here. Done Janis: True Janis: Hold you to it Jimmy: Alright Janis: even if you're like married with kids Janis: homewrecking that shit 😂 deals a deal mate Jimmy: Who'd wanna marry this dickhead? Jimmy: The in-laws are so offputting an all Jimmy: You've got nowt to worry about Janis: Glad Janis: though I think you're alright, for the record Jimmy: 😎 Jimmy: You aren't too bad yourself Janis: soppy prick Jimmy: cute dickhead Janis: don't take up poetry Janis: words aren't your strongsuit, also you'd be more unbearable so Jimmy: told you before, strong silent type, me Janis: yeah, i know Janis: woulda ignored me for life Jimmy: You think? Janis: Yeah Janis: 😶 like Jimmy: not THAT strong, mate Janis: 💪 never tell your fans, like Jimmy: They probably know Janis: reckon? Jimmy: Is there anything they reckon they don't Janis: bunch of twats Janis: why's there no one decent 'round here Jimmy: Offensive Janis: You don't count Janis: ain't from 'round here, are you boy Jimmy: But I'm still stuck here for a bit Janis: I know Janis: sure there's nothing worse than the couple who only ever hang together Janis: #sooocringe #judgingyou Jimmy: Can't raise this 🐶 alone Jimmy: Sorry Janis: yeah, she ain't my only friend Janis: she's my fur baby Janis: 🤢 Jimmy: #socringe #actuallyjudgingyounowthough Janis: shut up you started it 😂 Jimmy: you gonna finish it then? Janis: too soon 😉 Jimmy: 😏 Janis: such a dick Janis: hardly surprising we're stuck with each other Jimmy: hardly gutting either like Janis: 🤷 had worse Jimmy: Me too Jimmy: Sorry to slander your fave, dad but Janis: Distance ain't made the heart grow fonder? Janis: awks, don't tell Gracie Jimmy: Only if I feel like being a dick Jimmy: So might do Janis: please do Janis: having to be uncharacteristically nice atm Jimmy: Done then Jimmy: If you wanna be uncharacteristically nice to me I'm due a break soon Janis: Hmm Janis: tough ask Janis: see if I've got it in me, like Jimmy: 👌 Jimmy: Keep me informed of your process, like Janis: fucking perv Jimmy: 😇 Jimmy: keep that to yourself, got fans to think of Janis: that i can do Jimmy: Alright Jimmy: Good Janis: yeah Janis: not like i got ulterior motives of my own Jimmy: Obviously not Janis: 😇 Janis: never believe you anyway Jimmy: I can be convincing when I want though Janis: prove it Jimmy: get yourself over here and I will Janis: okay Janis: really make the most of those 15 minutes Jimmy: Done deal Janis: did i tell you i missed you Jimmy: yeah but I don't mind hearing it a second time Jimmy: or third Jimmy: or as many times as you want to tell me Janis: ambitious Janis: see how many we can fit in Jimmy: challenge accepted Janis: 🥇 Jimmy: if I told you I want you I'll say it again Janis: still feels unreal so Janis: take it Jimmy: You're gonna feel how real it is, don't worry Janis: fucking hell Janis: rude of the real world to exist and take you from me Jimmy: I won't go back Jimmy: Like I care Janis: You gotta Janis: this is how addictions start 😏 Janis: think of the plan Jimmy: Damn Jimmy: Alright Janis: I know, buzzkill Jimmy: What are you doing tonight? Janis: Fuck all unless you gonna change that Jimmy: We'll make the most of your drive idea Jimmy: Find somewhere we can be alone for longer than 15 minutes Janis: Good 'cos I need you Jimmy: I need you too Janis: How stupid, 16 years without it and I was chillin' Janis: now, any time I'm not with you I'm frustrated as fuck 😣 Jimmy: 🥇 Jimmy: that's the only victory I proper want Janis: you got it Janis: and me Jimmy: I love you Janis: I love you