#they are both extremely sweet individuals intrigued by what life is and is eager to learn more about it..

[yuseirra]

really long post here but Aigis and Ryoji basically share the same vibe.. these guys should have been friends!! They could have been!!! They're both very very wholesome entities, very precious people. So sweet and curious and caring. I kind of want to see that happen because they actually do share a whole lot in common regarding how they interact with the protagonist

[greensaplinggrace]

What Is There To Celebrate About the Darkling? (Part 1)

Hey guys! I’m making these into a series of individual posts to make them easier to follow!

1 2 3 4

He's interesting, obviously. We'll start off simple.

He's charming. He's closed off. He's emotional. He's intriguing. He's conflicted. He has depth.

He's an anti-villain. He's dark. He has a noble goal. He champions the Grisha and is the sole provider of their safety and protection.

He's sympathetic. He works tirelessly to submit himself to people who despise his kind. He gives up every little piece of his culture to assimilate with the Otkazat'sya. He's been hunted and abused. He's lived through centuries of generational trauma. He wants freedom and equality and safety.

He loves the sun. He's afraid of the dark. All of his favorite colors are those that shine the brightest.

He has a sweet tooth.

He loves animals and gets excited to see a white tiger.

He's absolutely and completely WHIPPED for Alina Starkov.

He's a possessive bastard and we love him for it. Also very confident.

He would totally eat Alina out first chance he gets.

He's probably a very generous lover. He probably also has a competency kink.

He's put on his knees at one point in the show and honestly that's the only reason I need to celebrate him.

In Demon in the Woods he gets excited to be swimming in the lake and thinks of all the adventures he could go on.

He's relatable. He's achingly lonely and touch-starved. He probably has a fear of drowning and the water. He definitely has a fear of being left alone.

His fashion sense is terrible.

"He could belong to this place. He could have a home, maybe even friends. And friends went on adventures. They broke rules together."

He's an excellent war general and extremely competent (when LB isn't trying to cut him down to size for plot purposes). He's a good leader.

He's the only character in this series that seems to know how serious the war and persecution of Grisha is. He's the only person that appears to be at least marginally well educated on the sociopolitical climate. He feels like the only person that cares about what happens to the Grisha, because nobody else sure seems to.

He was so desperate to protect his people that he created the fold.

Instead of turning his back on the Grisha as Baghra did, even after they so thoroughly betrayed and traumatized him, he instead decided to dedicate the rest of his eternity fighting for their rights.

He's dedicated. He's passionate. He's strong. He perseveres. He never gives up, despite decades upon decades of setbacks and trauma and abuse.

"I want you to know my name," he said. "The name I was given, not the title I took for myself. Will you have it, Alina?"

He's starstruck by Alina whenever she casts.

The entirety of episode 5.

That genuine, awe filled, "i would worship at your altar for the rest of my life if i could" smile he gives to Alina whenever they get close or they kiss or she acts adorable.

Nose nudges. Nose boops. Nuzzling. Cuddling. Pressing his entire body against Alina's.

The way he looks at Alina when she's shining like the sun. The way he never squints or shields himself. The way he can't keep his eyes off of her.

"I've seen what you truly are," said the Darkling, "and I've never turned away. I never will."

He's dramatic and his cape is floofy. It's also swooshy. Very good. Love that cape.

Did I mention the tiger?

"Can we stay until spring?" He couldn't hide his eagerness now. The prospect of tigers had defeated his caution."

He asks for consent when kissing Alina.

He holds Alina's hand like a dork.

He's a SIMP

Oh my god he's so fucking ridiculous.

"You mean a lot... tO eVeRyOnE"

Both of his master plans of manipulation in the show and the books were truly terrible.

The entire war room scene.

The fact that he gets teary eyed over every little mention of Alina.

The way he can't tear his eyes away from her during the fete.

The way he looks when he's summoning the sun.

"These were the trees he liked best, the kind that never lost their green, that always smelled of sap. In woods like these, it felt like summer was still alive, as if the sun were buried in every rough trunk like a warm, dormant heart."

He has a dry and wicked sense of humor.

He's a complete and utter dumbass.

For some reason he allows Mal to live and royally screws his own plans to hell and back.

He cares about his people. He adores Ravka. He puts his heart and soul into making his home a better place.

"For all his crimes, the Darkling had loved Ravka, and he'd wanted its love in return."

In his backstory, he attempts multiple times to get out of a dangerous situation without using violence. He proclaims that he doesn't want to hurt anyone. He continues to keep up the non-violent charade even though people are quite literally torturing him by repeatedly shooting him. He tries his damnedest to get out of there with minimal bloodshed.

I mean really, what's not to celebrate?? Dude's a great character. I want to give him hugs. I want to see him rail and be railed in return. I want to see Alina deck him. I want to see him get the good ending he deserves.

[laughing-with-god]

BTS as Yandere (Based on their Venus and Mars Signs)

(We don’t know BTS’s exact birthtime and location so the placements are just general predictions and not precise.  Astrology is something I think reveals a lot about a person but I am in no way saying that all the members are like this)

Seokjin-

Venus in Capricorn.

Takes a long time for it to develop yandere habits/mindset.  But once he gets there, there is no turning back.  

Probably fell for you bc he can see a future with you. He’s very strategic and attracted to accomplished individuals so your career, work ethic or lifestyle probably drew his attention.  You had to impress him in some way.

Fan of older partners.  it’s okay if you’re younger but you still have to be mature.  Childish behavior really pisses him off.  

Capricorn is about control, once he has you he wants to be in charge of the smallest things about you.  Your diet, what products you use, what shows you watch, the music you listen to and the friends you spend time with. 

Public image is very important to him, so he will not deal with any disobedience esp if you guys are out in public.  Wants the world to think you two are the perfect couple.   

Not that romantic, but very traditional.  Obsessed with planning for the future with you.  Looks at houses, talks about the schools nearby for your future kids.  While a venus in Pisces might write poetry for you and get you flowers, venus in Capricorn would ask to sign up for a joint bank account.  That’s romance to them.

Venus in Capricorn apparently like bigger butts, thighs and even duskier complexion.  Tall partners too.

Venus in Capricorn likes to take their time.  Even though he’s yandere, he still wants to progress slowly with you to savor the buildup and think about the story he will tell his kids about how he got with their mother.  No kisses on the first few dates, probably took months for you guys to fuck.  

Mars in Cancer

very protective of you.

He will have a family with you.  That’s not up for discussion.

Although his venus in cap makes him attracted to ambitious women, his mars in cancer makes it so that after being together for a while, he would ask you to be a stay at home sweetheart while he works and provides for you.

loves being depended on.  His cap and cancer both agree on this.  

Very lenient on punishment.  His cap will try to set harsh ground rules, but if you were to break them, just give him some teary eyes and he would fold completely.  he tends to settle on lectures instead of physical punishment. 

“Darling, it’s never to early to start shaping our future.  We need to figure out what private school to send our kids to and that would dictate where we live next.”

Yoongi-

Venus in Aries.

While other members would despise a partner who fights back all the time and gets mouthy, Yoongi would adore it.  

The sassier and more outspoken you are, the more Yoongi loves you.

One of the few members to not mind if you are independent, in fact it turns him on to know how capable you are on your own.  

He likes tension and fighting, bc it keeps the spark alive and he thinks you’re the sexiest when you are fiery and livid.  

Likes the chase.  Will def play your game.  If you give into him too easily, he’ll loose interest very fast,

Tends to like more tomboyish partners, laidback and straighforward.  Don’t be too sensitive or feminine, it will only anger him.

Likes for the relationship to move fast.  Will fuck you on the fist date if you let him.  He doesn’t understand the concept of waiting when you set his heart on fire like it’s nothing.  

Do. Not. Undermine. Him.  

If you say something, esp about his masculinity, he will flip shit and prob go out to kill some ppl just to prove that he is no bitch.  aries are sensitive to their assertiveness being tested.  Very competitive as well.  

Quick tempered at times, but not the type to hold a grudge.  

Any competitors for your affection will be dealt with.  utmost violence as well.  

Not the type to take you out for dinner and a movie every time you guys go out on dates, wants to have exciting dates with you.

Enjoys the company of younger partners, a youthful energy is needed to keep up with him.

Mars in Cancer.

protective as hell.

He will be violent, but never at you. The type to hurt people around you rather than you.�� Just enough to get his point across.

“Thanks to your bitchy behavior, (friend) can expect a broken arm tomorrow.  Hope you’re happy.”  

possessive over you.  

Needs to be told you love him.  Just for reassurance.

A family would be nice, but he would be happy with just one kid or some pets.  

Your guys’ shared home is sacred to him.  People can’t just come over.

“Doll face, I’m bored.  Let’s fight.  We can have hot makeup sex afterwards.”

Namjoon-

Venus in Scorpio.

Shit.  

Run bitch.

High key, venus in Scorpio is one of the most yandere placements to exist.  

Obsession is his middle name.

The moment he met you, he knew he had to have you.  His mindset is almost scary.  

He could barely know you but he already is experiencing a need to consume your entire mind, soul and body like no other.  

The deepest desire which taints his mind until he cannot think of anything else.  

Convinced you two are soulmates.  

Attracted to partners that are sexy, mysterious, able to enchant him whilst barely trying.  Darker and more sensual clothes are preferred on his lovers.  For girls, something very womanly and grown.  For a guy, something manly and appealing to your form.  

Possessive.  An unquenchable thirst to dominate his lover.  He loves the idea of completely taking over someone so magnetizing.  

You have to be very intelligent, he needs stimulating conversation.  You can’t just be sexy without a brain.  

really likes your scent.  Not the perfume you wear or the shampoo you use, but your actual natural scent.  Might sniff your used clothes to get it.  Doesn’t mind if you haven’t showered in a couple days.  (weird but I read this somewhere and I can totally see it so hop off)

Doesn’t take things slow.  why should he when he knows that you two are going to end up together either way?  would fucking marry you after knowing you for two months.  

Not above mind games in order to get you to stay.

Very romantic, but some of the things he says raises red flags.

“I would kill for you, (Y/n).”

Mars in Cancer.

This only enhances some of his venus in scorpio.  

VERY protective.  VERY possessive.

Way more likely to end up with a younger partner, this would also aid his venus in scorpio’s need to dominate and consume his partner.  

Unlike the other mars in cancers, I think he would physically punish you at times.  (more sexually themed punishments though) never enough to actually seriously harm you.  A light spanking here and there that feeds his need to be the dominant one.  

very smart with getting rid of people in your life.  It happens over time and they would always be labelled missing.  

Wants to be the only person you need, will provide for you too.  Idk if he would want a fam bc venus in scorpio is very tunnel vision and kids may fuck with that.  

“We’re soulmates baby.  Don't kid yourself.  No one on this god green earth will understand you or care for you as much as I do.”

Hoseok-

Venus in Pisces.  

Attracted to softer and sweeter partners.  He wants to be slapped into a dreamy state when he sees you.

Very romantic.  Poems, songs, flowers, chocolates, five-star dining ect.  

eager to please you in any way.  Type to leave his house at 4 am and hit up your place to deliver ice cream just bc you ran out.

very emotional with you.  Your phone could die and you can’t answer his text, therefore 30 minutes later Hoseok would be sobbing and begging at your doorstep to not leave him.  

Very self-pitying.  Hard to explain but have you ever been mad at someone and instead of defending themselves, they just kinda say stuff like; “You’re right.  I’m the worst kind of person.  I should just die already.”  

He’s like that whenever you’re mad at him.  He likes to play the guilt card a lot.  

Enjoys smaller lovers, or petite people.  Likes feeling bigger than his partner.  (don't come for me guys, I literally just read this and it kinda made sense to me. Pisces are depicted as more elfish figures so he probably finds it attractive.)

Cuddling is so vital to him.  it’s as if he charges himself up or something because he can literally experience withdrawls.

Loves it if you’re really sweet and charitable. also if you are into arts or occult themes, Hoseok would be so intrigued and want to learn from you

Works himself into obsessive fantasies, Pisces love escapism and he tends to day dream about you 24/7.  

Least likely among the members to be violent to you or anyone else for that matter.

He would hurt himself before anyone else.  He likes acting very depressed or gloomy (in extreme cases, getting himself bruised and bloody) in order to get your affection and worry.  

Mars In Aquarius.

Still stands true that he wouldn’t hurt other people.  He’s very logical despite being yandere and he knows that you’re not sleeping with the waiter who lingered too long.  

Aquarius is very logical, so he could be very calculating with his emotional manipulating.  Like tell you his dad just got diagnosed with cancer and induldge in your cuddles and coddling, but little did you know his dad has had it for years.  

Punishment is very aloof.  You just loose privilages.  

Least likely to have an age preference out of the members.

Into some really kinky or odd/taboo things in the bedroom.  At the very least, he’s very willing to experiment.  

“Sugarplum~!  Aren’t you so sad for me right now?  Please, give me cuddles.  Those always make me feel better.”

Jimin-

Venus in Scorpio

Very desperate to know every little thing he can about you.  

You haunt his mind even if it was just a brief encounter that you had with him.  

also wants to consume your very mind, body and soul.  

Attracted to sexy over cute.  Curves, dark and sensual clothes, alluring mannerisms and husky voice.  He wants to be magnetized by you, unable to forget you even if he tried.

Obsessive, mind consuming, passionate love for you which depths kind of terrify you.  

loyal and dedicated.  Your enemies are his enemies now.  (This includes anyone who happened to give you a less than warm glance).  

Sex is very important to a venus in scorpio, he feels like it’s the only way to properly express his love through mind-numbing pleasure he can give to you.  

He moves fast once he’s with you.  he doesn’t want to go through the fluffy bullshit of waiting so long to kiss, fuck or move in together when he’s 100% convinced you are his soulmate.  

Jealous.  No one should be able to look at you the way he does.  He’ll loose it.  

Wants to control you.  it’s the end-game.  

Doesn’t mind if you are younger or older but he will be the one in charge.  

A partner who has the appearance of dominance but will be very submissive to him is what he craves.

Likes marking his territory.  Leaves bruises, hickies or makes you wear couple clothes, his clothes or a necklace or something to make him feel the thrill of ownership.  

will write his name on you if you let him.  Just a permanent markered ‘Park Jimin’ on your forearm or something.  

But he would be so happy if you did the same to him as well.

You belong to him just as much as he belongs to you.

Mars in Scorpio.

Protective, possessive.  you know the drill.  

Punishments with you are sexual.  

Power play with him in charge is also a big factor in your sex life.  

Can and will murder anyone he deems a threat.  

Even your family and friends have to keep their distance.  

“Jagi, my name is beginning to fade off your arm.  Let’s touch it up, yeah?”

Taehyung-

Venus in Aquarius.

Attracted to someone very different and unique. 

It can be your looks, your ethnicity, personality, career or interests but for whatever reason; you stood out.  

Big age gaps are seen here.  Doesn’t matter if you are younger or older but chances are, it’s by ALOT.

Doesn’t follow dating normalities.  Couldn't give less of a shit about dating or courting. if he wants you, he is going to get you.  

Turned on by taboo relationships and sex.  Like if it’s forbidden for you two to be together, it’ll only spur him on more.  

Teacher/student, boss/worker, affairs, age gaps.  Anything society might look at with an eyebrow raise.  

Very kinky in the sheets, wants to try everything at least once.  

Aquarius is very cold and aloof sometimes, so Tae wouldn’t get jealous.  He has mastered the mask of indifference.  If someone tries talking to you in effort to get with you, Tae would just laugh bc it’s almost funny how they thought they had a chance with you.  

You must be very interesting intellectually, he wants a partner he can learn from.  

His yandere habits come out when you try to block him out from your life, or try to lessen his control over you.  

He craves authority over you, this is only added to bc his mars is in Capricorn. 

Wants to make small changes about you, then eventually big ones.  

Like it’s really subtle too, he’ll say something like “Oh, I really like that style, you should wear it more.”  And then a month later, he’s in control of your wardrobe. 

His methods are very sly.  He doesn’t threaten you or make a big show of putting you into submission, he much rather just plant a seed in your mind and wait for nature to take it’s coarse.  

Loves surprising you and playing games.  Will stop talking to you for like a week and then theres a knock on your door and damn, he sent you Gucci.

Doesn’t want you to be able to figure him out.  Always thinking of the next unpredictable thing he could do to keep you one your toes.  

Mars in Capricorn.  

After the push and pull game is over and he has put you into a submissive state for him, he wants to begin a more traditional life.  House, kids, you became a stay at home lover.    

Just bc he becomes a family man doesn’t mean that the freaky sex has to stop.

Possessive of you and your future kids.  

The type to teach his future kids on yandere and how they should make sure ‘mommy never tries to leave daddy’.  

Punishments are physical, and very harsh.  He’s all about that discipline and will not be talked down when he thinks you broke one of his rules. 

“Why is it wrong for me to make choices for you?  I know what best after all.  Have I ever failed you?  Even when people told me to break up with you because our relationship wasn’t cookie-cutter.”

Jungkook

Venus in Libra. 

The opposite of Yoongi. He wants someone who is very feminie and ‘girly.’

Dresses, pastel colors, nice perfume, charming, docile manners and sweet sounding voice.  

Wants very bad to prove himself to you.  Virgos and Libras are people pleasers so the fact that his sun and venus are these two signs just tells me that he desperately will try to get you to like him.  

Will change his style, his hair, his voice whatever he has to do to get you to pay him attention.  

Very romantic.  Thinks you deserve the best so that will always reflect in the dates he takes you on or the gifts he gives you.  

Libra is ruled by venus so love is something that he simply cannot live without.  He fantasizes about marriage and furture plans with you.  

Will call you ‘wifey’ if you let him.  

He adores you.  

Worships the ground you walk on.  

Which is why his yandere tendencies will have to walk around your desires.  

Like you tell him to stop looking through your bedroom windows at night,  he can’t bring himself to do it anymore bc that would be going against you directly.  

BUT you didn’t say he couldn’t install cameras.

King of loopholes.  

Like a mechivous kid who loves his mom and doesn’t want to get scolded, but he still wants to sneak in some cookies from the jar.  

He isn’t the punisher of the relationship, YOU are.  

If he does something that angers you, just don’t talk to him for literally an hour or so and he’d go crazy.  

the fear of losing you is too great.  

Another one who really enjoys your scent.  It’s like crack to him.  

Prone to stealing a small thing froom you, like a scarf or a blanket that has your scent on it.  

If you were to be away from him for a while, he would just steal your perfume and spray it on his hoodie so he could feel like you were hugging him.  

Might even buy your perfume for himself.....

Mars in Scorpio.

Very protective of you and cannot handle the possibility of anyone being with you the way he is.  

He will get very brutal with anyone he considers a threat, no one is safe.  You can literally walk an old man across the street and Jungkook would still think the fucker was trying to cup a feel. 

very sexual, switches between being dominant and submissive.  It’s mainly focused on pleasing you bc of libra and virgo but mars is the planet of sex and with that in scorpio means he can be a dom.

Jungkook is (and I say this with all my heart) a switch with sub preference.

Wants to know you like no one else ever has.  You know how the members with scorpio venus are so intense? Jungkook has that side to him too.    

….it’s just hidden behind the sweeter venus libra.

“Princess, please stop ignoring me.  You’re my goddess, I can’t handle not being acknowledged by you.  Just tell me what to do to make it better.”

[istheresomebodywhocanimagine]

Tomorrow Never Came PT. 4

You have one job - travel decades into the past and save your mother from a horrible future. You can’t fail or you’ll have to start over again completely, and you have to act on your own. Already having broken rule number two, a new revelation forces you to reflect on how much impact you’ll truly have, not just on your mother’s life, but on other’s as well. 

Read PT. 1 here | Read PT. 2 here | Read PT. 3 here

(a/n: i wish i could have put more deacon in this ksdkfjsd i love him but it felt forced if i put too much in there. anyways big things happening here hehe ok not huge but still wild. im gonna go to a basketball game now pray that the nacho cheese is good bc im craving a walking taco)

“So you were just working and you heard this loud boom? That’s terrible!” Brian exclaimed, leaning forward from between you and John. His abnormally long legs were spread out, leaving you scarcely any room to sit comfortably as the six of you chatted away.

“Yes, it was quite terrifying, really,” Mary practically gushed, leaning over Freddie’s lap as they lounged on the floor together, Freddie’s back against the side of the chair Roger was casually seated in. “There were hundreds of us in there, I’d never learned any protocol on how to handle a bomb threat. Closed us down until a few days ago, the back room was in shambles!”

“Who did it?” you questioned, genuinely curious about who would have a beef with Biba in this day and age. That being said, you also knew this day and age almost purely in textbook definitions and whatever the limited scope of your world had to offer you in the last two months – so basically, you only knew 70’s Kensington.

“Wasn’t it the Angry Brigade?” John chimed in, rifling through a magazine lackadaisically as he spoke. “I think I read that they claimed it in IT.”

“What have they got to be so angry about?” you asked, Roger snorting and letting his head fall back against the chair as he rested a leg on Freddie’s shoulder, quickly getting it brushed off. Giving Freddie a sour look, he hooked his legs over the armrest instead, lazing back in the chair and getting extra comfortable as he began to speak.

“I’d be angry if I had horrid taste in clothing too. Imagine wanting to bomb Biba and thinking ‘Wow, I’m really letting those fashionable fuckers have it! Anarchy!’”

Freddie toyed with Mary’s hair as she draped herself over his lap completely. Smiling at the sweet gesture, you hugged your knees to your chest and rested your chin on your right knee, looking down at the couch in front of you and tugging on a frayed fabric.

“Well, at least you’ve got a job again,” Freddie directed at Mary, who nodded and smiled as she leaned into his hand that was running through her hair.

“And you’ve got a place to come pester me besides my flat,” she added, laughing when Freddie retracted his hand and gave her a resentful glance before crossing his arms. “I’m joking, I love when you come see me at work, lovie! Don’t stop playing with my hair, I like it.”

Rolling his eyes playfully, Freddie sighed before going back to running his fingers through her hair. You were observing their conversation all the while, so when they quieted, you looked up and found that Roger had also been watching them. He looked up and met your gaze, pretending to gag himself with his middle finger and making you laugh as you turned away from him.

“What’s so funny? Surely, it’s not Roger.” Brian’s tone held a sort of faux innocence, but he was clearly prying at Roger’s patience – what was new, though? In the handful of times you’d been around this rag tag group of friends for the past two months, they had tested each other’s patience in every way possible. Yet here everyone was, laughing and having a good time with each other over a couple bottles of cheap wine. You regretted that you didn’t get to spend more time with them – you used overtime hours at the café as an excuse, but you knew that it was mainly because you really didn’t want to cry any harder than you already were going to when you had to return to your actual reality.

“I’ll have you know, Brian, I’m a regular comedian!” Roger protested, taking a sip of his wine as he glared over the rim at the curly-haired giant next to you. “Y/N was laughing at me, in fact. Or maybe it was your pants, who knows?”

Brian looked down at his admittedly hideous trousers, a shitty shade of brown that did not compliment his skin tone well at all. On top of that, they were a horrendous pinstripe pattern, and they didn’t match the striped green jumper he had on. “I’d rather accept that than even entertain the notion that you were remotely funny enough to make anyone laugh.”

“Salty today, Brian?” you asked, giving him a gently nudge with your elbow and receiving a nudge in response as he chuckled, crossing his arms.

Suddenly, Roger was giggling gleefully to himself, playing with a kerchief he’d had around his neck as he seemed extremely amused by it. “Brian,” you thought you’d heard him mumble, and you raised an eyebrow as you watched his snickers intensify, making him squeeze his eyes shut for a moment. He was clearly enjoying something, and you were eager to know what was so funny about what you’d just said.

“Rog, what in the hell are you going on about over there?” Brian asked, doing the dirty work for you as you watched expectantly, Roger’s eyes raising to meet the gazes of both of you.

His cheeks reddened a bit and he nervously let his eyes fall back to his kerchief, fiddling with it. “Nothing, I just thought of something funny.”

“Let’s hear it then,” you encouraged, giving him a smile as he chuckled and glanced at you quickly, giving an almost ashamed smile while he tried to decide whether he should say it or not. He felt anxious, like he was under a microscope suddenly, and he knew that the joke he’d said in his head was cringe-worthy at best. But you looked so insistent and so supportive of him that he finally grumbled and dropped the kerchief to his lap.

“I was laughing because I thought you called him Brine.”

The look on your face faltered as you struggled to comprehend what he was saying. “You thought I called him Brian? Isn’t that his name?”

“No!” Roger whined, Brian cocking his head to the side and making Roger groan as he pressed a hand to his forehead. “I mean, yes, that’s his name! But I thought you called him Brine, like salt water brine, and I laughed because it’s salty and so is Brine. I mean, Brian. Damn it! It’s fucking funny, okay?” He quickly shot up out of his seat, stomping towards the kitchen as you watched, still just as confused as ever, but Brian was laughing.

“You ever notice how much faster he moves when he’s wrong?” Brian noted, and you couldn’t help but laugh as he rose from his seat, following Roger into the kitchen as he refused to pass up an opportunity to keep giving him hell. Today, and only today, Brian seemed to have time to keep up with Roger.

Keeping up with Roger any other day? Now that was a chore. As much as you tried to focus on the sole reason you were here in 1970’s London, you couldn’t help but be intrigued by Roger as an individual. He was an enigma, his motives, knowledge, and way with words completely baffling to you. With people like Brian, it was easy. Brian, although reserved, was very much an intellectual when he spoke, and he always had a sort of predictability to him. Sure, he was a wild man when he’d had a few pints, but not like Roger. Roger was a wild man every single day, and it excited you so much that it simultaneously exhausted you.

You were lulled out of your thoughts by the feeling of the couch sinking down next to you again, and you found that Roger was now seated next to you instead, in the midst of an argument with Brian.

“Brian, you’re just upset because you’re so clearly up your own arse that you can’t understand anyone else’s humor! Get a grip, mate.” Watching Roger, you observed as he glared at the taller man, who sunk down into the chair that Roger had been in just moments ago.

“Or you just have an unrefined sense of humor?” Brian suggested, his voice laced with the slightest bit of animosity as he tried and nearly failed to ignore the “up your arse” comment. When Roger rolled his eyes and began mocking him in a high-pitched, feminine voice, Brian scoffed and looked down at Freddie, who’d been watching the exchange quietly. “What a pathetic display. I’m genuinely ashamed God made me a man.”

“Yeah, well I don’t think God’s doing a lot of bragging either!” Roger spit back, fire practically shooting out of Brian’s eyes as his head whipped up so he was staring at Roger.

“You fucking wanker! You’re just showing off and trying to be all funny because Y/N is here,” Brian accused, his usually gentle hazel eyes brimming with hostility. Your eyes widened at the tension that settled between the two of them, a heavy weight in the air as you desperately looked at Freddie for some help. Freddie just shrugged, though, offering no assistance and pretending to ignore the petty argument as he braided a small section of Mary’s hair.

“Um, should I go?” you asked, pointing at the door as you glanced between Brian and Roger. Obviously, this tiff had something to do with you, and while you had no idea how, you figured it was best for you to just let them figure it out. Rising to your feet, you tugged your pajama shorts down before grabbing your glass of wine and padding off to Roger’s room as Roger yelled at Brian once again.

“Now you’ve done it, you big moron. You’ve scared our roommate out of her own room! God, you’re really something, Brian.”

Snickering at the fiery words, you shook your head and entered Roger’s semi-messy room, crossing over to the window and curling up in one of the two beanbags situated next to it. Tucking your legs underneath you, you sipped your wine and stared out at the twilight sky, a creamy semidarkness to the horizon that framed the city’s buildings. You could just see the outlines of the church across the street, which made you scowl as you imagined your mom’s haggard face, her head leaning back against that damned rocking chair, just sitting there motionlessly. “Fucking prick,” you muttered, the fleeting thought of your father and the two men from the church poisoning your thoughts, a bitter reminder of your current purpose.

“Yeah, Brian can be a bit of a headcase, but he’s alright sometimes.” You jumped as you suddenly heard Roger’s voice behind you, and you turned to look at him as he crossed the room and stood opposite of you, leaning against the window frame..  “Definitely a fucking prick, though.”

“Oh,” you breathed out softly, furrowing your eyebrows as you pushed all of your previous thoughts out. “Yeah, he’s mental. Funny guy, though.”

“Don’t say that,” Roger groaned, giving you a small grin before he looked out the window as well. “Fred wants you back out there. Says he’s got an announcement.”

“I suppose I better bless the room with my presence then, huh?” you teased, Roger chuckling and pulling you to your feet before letting you lead the way. As you exited his room, he tried and failed to ignore the way your pajama shorts were riding up, just revealing the curve of your ass beneath it. Catching his tongue between his teeth, he had a brief ‘Lord help me’ moment before it was ended all too soon by your hand reaching down to tug the shorts back into their original place again.

Following you out to the main room again, Roger resumed his spot on the couch next to you as Deacon chatted with Mary politely, quieting down when he realized everyone was there again. Brian shifted uncomfortably in the chair, avoiding looking at you or Roger as he waited for Freddie, who was now in the kitchen, to speak.

“Now that we’ve decided to take the band more seriously, I figured I should start taking myself more serious now too.” Freddie walked out with an envelope of things, pulling out what looked like a passport and handing it to Brian, then pulling out a few sketches and handing them to Deacon, who marveled at the artwork as Brian looked up at Freddie. There was an amused look on his face, and you listened curiously as they spoke while you sipped your wine.

“Mercury? Like our song?”

“Freddie fucking Mercury. Doesn’t that sound delightful?” You choked on your sip of wine, turning beet red as they all glanced at you. This was news. Freddie Bulsara was actually Freddie Mercury, standing right here in front of you, your roommate and closest friend for two months, and you’d had no idea. “Well, if you didn’t like it dear, you could have just said so!” Freddie laughed, handing you a paper towel so you could wipe the wine off of your nose.

You laughed nervously with him, cleaning yourself up as you stared up at him, still floored at this development. “Just went down the wrong pipe,” you replied quietly, in awe at the living legend who’d just handed you a paper towel because you were a moron who didn’t put two and two together for actual months. If that was Freddie Mercury, then this must be Queen. It had to be Queen.

Your suspicions were confirmed as Deacon handed the sketches over to Roger, who ooh’ed and aah’ed at them as he eyed the details. There was the Queen crest, and you felt dizzy as you realized how blind you’d been all this time. You were casually rooming with two rock legends and you thought you’d just been slumming with a few students that had side gigs as musicians.

“Mercury seems like a bit much, but then again, you are a bit much,” Brian taunted, Freddie tossing a pillow at him as he sat back down again, chuckling.

“Well, as some illustrious person once said, ‘You can tell a lot about a man by his name.’”

“You just made that up, didn’t you?” Brian asked, raising an eyebrow at Freddie, who laughed once again.

“Maybe. But I do stand by it, honest!”

It all made sense now. Your mom had been a huge fan of these guys – you, not so much, for you were admittedly out of touch with the 80’s and 70’s. But you very vaguely knew about them, and of course, the two remaining members were still bigshots as far as your country was concerned. John Deacon, the bass player who’d dropped off the face of the Earth in the 90’s, lounging at the end of the couch. Brian May, the guitar legend who’d once played on top of Buckingham, squinting at Freddie’s passport and turning it in his hands. And next to you, ogling at the newly designed logo for his band, Roger fucking Taylor, a legend as far as drumming was concerned and one hell of a singer from what your mom had said.

You’d never asked him about the band or about the name. You really had thought they’d just been playing in pubs for fun, which at this point, they might very well be. And you’d never been around to hear them practicing or talking about the band – you’d been too busy in your own little world of the café and the church that you hadn’t paid any mind to their musical work. Now, you realized that you very well should have.

“You want to have a look?” Roger suddenly asked, grabbing your attention again as he offered you the papers, which you accepted shakily. It felt like your head was spinning as you stared down at the iconic crest, the two lions that framed the crown and letter Q, which was topped by a crab. Two fairy women stared up at the Q from below, and a phoenix stole the show at the top of it all, encompassing the entire work and bringing it all around into one big individual crest.

“Don’t hog it, I want to see,” Brian complained, and Roger rolled his eyes as you took a deep breath and handed it to Brian, who switched you for the passport. There was Freddie, long hair, clean-shaven face. This was not the iconic Freddie photo you knew. You only knew Freddie from the mustache, from the unique voice. This was a young Freddie, an inexperienced Freddie – this was not the same rock legend that your mom adored back in the present.

Oh, God. “I need some air, I’m getting a bit overheated,” you murmured, handing off the passport to Roger, who glanced at you curiously before looking over the document with Deacon. Excusing yourself, you tiptoed back to Roger’s room and opened the window, leaning out as your heart sank in your chest, heavy with the weight of what you knew.

Freddie Mercury was dead long before you’d even been born. AIDs had prematurely ended his life, his career, and that was something that even you knew. A man you considered to be one of your best friends as of currently would be dead in 20 years, and there was nothing you could do about it. You couldn’t stay here for a whole two decades, monitoring Freddie, keeping him out of harm’s way. Who knew how he’d contracted the horrible disease? It could have been anything at any time. And that killed you inside.

On the other hand, you had to watch yourself. This was literally Queen you were talking about here - if you meddled any more than you currently were, who knows what kind of shit could happen to the band? How big of an impact were you going to have here? Anything you say could alter their path irreversibly. If it was bad enough, you’d have to restart your mission completely, setting you back months in your progress already. God, this is some Butterfly Effect-type shit. I miss Brooklyn 99 and not having an existential crisis every time I make a choice.

“Freddie asked me to bring this to you, I figured you’d be in here again.” Roger’s voice once again interrupted your train of thought, and you sighed as you waved listlessly at the floor next to you, leaving your head resting on your other arm in the window frame. “You alright? You’re not gonna keel over on me, are you? ‘Cause I’d prefer if you bit the big one in Freddie’s room.”

“Fuck off,” you laughed weakly, sliding back into the room and dragging yourself onto one of the bean bags as you picked up the refilled wine glass that he’d brought you. When you looked up at him, he shrugged and took a seat across from you, his legs tangled with yours in the small space. “Sorry for being a party pooper. Just have a lot on my mind, and I’m tired.”

“Well, you are working a lot,” Roger remarked, a worried expression crossing his face as he crossed his arms. He was undeniably gorgeous, even in the dark. The streetlights coming in from the window highlighted his face in a way that made his cheekbones seem even more prominent, his jawline sharper than usual, casting an angular shadow on his neck. Light played around in his eyes, making them paler but just as striking as he observed you with a concerned eye. “Maybe you should take some time off, you’ll catch your death if you don’t relax a bit.”

His words were sinfully calming to you, and you beat yourself up inside as you sipped at your wine glass, tearing your eyes away from his irresistible gaze to look out the window at the now-night sky. “No, I need to focus on work,” you murmured, an uneasy look passing over your face as you avoided his piercing gaze, refusing to falter. You had to focus. Your mom’s livelihood was in your hands. “It’s too important.”

“Are you not important too?” he questioned, making your heart race. You couldn’t help yourself – you met his gaze once more, chewing on your lip as the intimidating stare seemed to try and pick you apart, piece by piece. He was worried about you - this meant he was genuinely attached to you, and that terrified you. But you couldn’t help yourself once again - you had to pry. 

“I don’t know. Am I?”

PT. 1 PT. 2 PT. 3

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EDIT: HI IM SORRY I FUCKED UP THE LAYOUT ON MOBILE I LITERALLY HATE TUMBLR MOBILE WITH MY WHOLE BEING HAHAHAHAA FUCK

[extrology]

EXO’s Perfect Types

Includes mostly Mars & Eros for Sexual Attraction;  Venus, Juno, Companion for Romantic attraction.

Xiumin

Sexually - Aquarius & Pisces -: literally cotton-candy-like eyes and smile. So sweet you just never want to let go of it. Prefers chubbier girls with beautiful hair, dreamy and unique fashion sense. Somebody cute and a dreamy.

Romantically - Aquarius, Scorpio & Gemini -: This man loves dimples more than anything. Trust me. Darker, mysterious eyes would get him hooked. Appreciates original style, charming and ambitious personality. Well sexually he’d be attracted to someone with a bit of fat in the right places, but for dating he’d prefer a skinny girl. He’s looking for creative, ambitious and charismatic girl so they both would lead fun and fulfilling lives. Would love coming back home and talking about each other’s days, supporting each other in everything they do and most importantly not being overly dependent on each other and leading fulfilling lives.

Offs: probably not too fond of hyperactive or hella sassy and hard to get attitude.

Jongin (Kai)

Sexually - Capricorn & Pisces -: Would like a mix of traditional and artistic girl. Dreamy eyes + defined and prominent eyebrows? Classy and strict style + fun and colorful patterns? Melancholic eyes + traditional and strong outfit? Just mix and match. As he’s not head over heals for girls (work/friends first) he’d most likely find this mix extremely interesting and would be eager to find out more.

Romantically - Capricorn, Libra & Cancer -: Charisma, softness and order. The holy trinity he seeks in his s/o. Would like a traditional soft looking girl with maybe more defined eyebrows or a more defined nose. Would die for a cute smile. Probably likes a girl with nice casual & clean style: t-shirts, shorts, jeans, adidas sneakers + flower patterns and girly colors. In his s/o he’s looking for a charismatic fluff who’d also be a sweet and loving.

Offs: Over-energetic, loud, insensitive, attention-whore

Suho

Sexually - Cancer & Sagittarius -: This man can appreciate a nice figure. Breasts & Hips guy. Doesn’t care too much about in-between. He'd love a childish/mischievous and innocent look. Big sparkling eyes would most likely drive him mad. Nice smile and roundish face would also be a bonus.

Romantically - Cancer, Aquarius & Libra -: Would find dimples especially cute, would want a tall-ish girl with nice curves, feminine but also someone who’d express herself through unique clothing style, sociable but not too out-there for attention. He’d love a girl with positive, creative and loving outlook to the world. He’s looking for a creative, soft and charismatic girl. A social butterfly most likely. A cute flower  you’d love to show your parents if you were a guy.

Offs: too aggressive, all-over the place kind of woman, masculine, hardcore feminist would be a huge turn off

Kyungsoo (D.O.)

Sexually - Cancer & Sagittarius -: Pretty much the same as Suho. Breasts man. Would love a cute, shy and a bit childlike character. Would find a curious and adventurous woman charming. But I somehow don’t see him as the guy to sleep with whoever attracts him.

Romantically - Pisces, Cancer & Aquarius -: This is man appreciates a woman with beautiful hair. Big beautiful eyes would instantly catch his attention. Would like girly, dreamy style. Unbelievably soft and cute but creative, with an artsy soul. He’s looking for a very feminine woman, in touch with her feelings, also a giving soul and just an artistic fluff overall. I can imagine his wife to be a stay-at-home artist mom. As she’d love her family, taking care of her husband almost as much as she would love to be creative and show her individuality through her work.

Offs: Aggressive, overly clingy, stubborn, insensitive, self-centered, rude, career women

Baekhyun

Sexually - Pisces, Aries & Taurus -: Prominent eyebrows/forehead, passionate, lively eyes, sweet smile, smooth and fine hair, feminine, romantic style with some bold elements (maybe showing some more skin, shorter skirts/shorts). Nice figure would be a huge bonus. Somebody who’d play hard to get would look especially intriguing.

Romantically - Taurus, Aries & Capricorn -: Eyebrows. Your eyebrow game has to be on point to catch his attention. Strong feminine features, classy or minimalistic fashion style, mischievous look. He appreciates a beautiful smile as he’d love to make his girl laugh. He’s looking for a pretty traditional and stable girl to run the house and take care of herself but she also should have a spark and love for spontaneous adventures also she should appreciate his humor

Offs: I doubt he’d get a long with very artsy and dreamy personas, he’s more down to earth. Not having a sense of humor would also be a huge no-no.

Jongdae (Chen)

Sexually - Cancer & Virgo -: Hair. Shiny, fine hair. Straight, curly hair. This man loves beautifully styled hair. (messy hairstyles are a no-no though). Prominent face bone structure is his magnet but would not mind a softer look as well. Would be attracted to a tidy, sweet looking woman. Someone who looks like she has her life figured out, confident with big doll eyes. Clean, neat style + soft colors with a fuller figured woman would be a killer.

Romantically - Libra, Gemini, Pisces & Sagittarius -: He’d love a super exciting, lively and charismatic girl. Would probably notice girl’s figure and dimples first. He finds it unbelievably attractive. Would prefer someone skinny and with a beautiful smile as s/o. Let’s be honest he’d love seeing that smile all the time. He’d be more into casual, comfy styled clothing. In his girlfriend he’s looking for someone like him! Super charismatic and bubbly, curious and adventure loving with a creative mind. I imagine them having fun and being absolute chatterboxes all of the time. They’d think of weirdest activities to do and never get bored. Aaah what a fun couple

Offs: Probably wouldn’t be fond of somebody stubborn, overly aggressive, negative, wouldn’t find rudeness charming.

Yixing (Lay)

Sexually - Libra & Sagittarius -: Eyebrows and Dimples man. Small feminine faces, adorable smiles, an overload of charisma and energy would be the end of this man. He would love a real chatterbox who’d enjoy exploring, learning new things and would be full of life. He would most likely prefer a minimalistic casual-sporty style. Think of amusement park date clothing style - colourful, playful, comfortable and simple.

Romantically - Virgo, Leo, Capricorn & Scorpio -: a very traditional girl but with powerful, mysterious aura and strong look. Especially notices girls’ hair and figure. Would be fascinated by an independent woman with ambition and structure in her life. So I’d say a classy outfit and perfectly styled hair would catch his eye. Also loves when a woman is hard-working, tidy and organized. He’d love to support his wife and to be a power couple together! Would admire each other’s work, support whenever one or the other would feel like giving up and countless compliments~ He’d be such a sweetie and would love the fact that his baby is conquering the world and making her dreams come true.

Offs: A mess, clumsy, lazy woman

Chanyeol

Sexually - Cancer & Scorpio -: Roundish, cute face, very noticeable eyes, great posture, soft voice, beautiful hair. Would like an average/healthy body. Not too skinny and not too chubby. Would be attracted to a girl with cute but mysterious aura. I can see him into minimalistic classy or casual clothing style. Keep it feminine and cute but don’t make it the most important part of your look. Your eyes should be. Make those eyes pop.

Romantically - Capricorn x2, Cancer -: He’d love a typical waifu. Very motherly and traditional. He’d fall for somebody caring, loving and giving herself to the world but also somebody who’d like order, structure and would have some ambition. Unconditional love + taking care of the house and that xxl sized boy. Most likely would prefer a woman with classy-minimalistic-girly style. Would love it if his s/o looked innocent and cute so he would appear as the protector and your hero. His family’s consent is very important to him.

Turn-offs: very independent women, lazy, somebody who’d complain and whine

Sehun

Sexually -Pisces & Taurus - : This man loves and appreciates a good figure. A woman with a beautiful hourglass body, glamorous hair and perfect eyebrows would make him drop all his marbles. Classy + dreamy/romantic outfit would be the final nail in the poor guy's coffin. He loves women who know their worth but are still feminine and have a soft charm.

Romantically - Taurus, Libra, Cancer - : A real beauty. Overflowing with charm, down-to-earth, charismatic but not too all over the place. He finds a hint of confidence charming but not too much as he’d love to keep you under his wing and be the protector. Loves Romantic and cute style. I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t mind his s/o being a bit chubby as it is usually considered feminine and soft. Also eyebrows, Eyebrows and eyebrows I cannot stress it enough. He loves a pair of beautifully groomed eyebrows. Would actually like somebody clingy. He probably would love the constant attention and the feeling of being needed.

Offs: attention whore, hyperactive, scary/intimidating/powerful aura, snobby, untidy, rude

[Masterlist]

Check your Ascendant/Venus/Mars/1st house/Dominant

Having different sign but the same element is also a great match

[barre2barresg]

Barre 2 Barre SG Interview Series: Camilla (Part XIII)

This week, we interview one of our first and most dedicated Barre 2 Barre clients. Camilla has religiously attended class, participated in studio events and challenges, and been a loving, supportive, and enthusiastic member of our Barre 2 Barre community since the beginning, so we thought it would be lovely to hear about and share her barre journey!

1) How were you introduced to barre and what was your first barre class like?

The Singapore branch of Barre 2 Barre first opened its doors a few months after I relocated to Singapore from Europe. A friend brought me to the charming studio in Hongkong Street - as I didn't really know anyone or anything, I was eager to try out most things she suggested. Besides, I was intrigued by her promise of a boutique concept offering equal measures of sweat and community vibes. I did ballet as a child, and for the past fifteen years or so, I've regularly attended yoga and pilates classes, so what my friend explained as a blend of the three seemed like an altogether familiar and alluring idea. What I hadn't expected was just how hooked I'd get during that first class. All of it just felt so right: the bright, clean and cosy space, the friendly-looking girls on the mats around me, the focus on alignment and keeping a good posture, those minuscule, precise movements of most muscles in the body, the patience and endurance required from the intense sets, the extremely satisfying stretches - not to mention the phenomenal soundtrack personally picked out by the smiling, very present teacher, who already knew my name - and mentioned it often throughout class in order to correct me, haha. Her instructions were of a guiding, physiologically founded nature - so far from the shrill commands I associated with conventional gyms. Up until this point, most fitness classes I'd ever attended had always felt impersonally demanding, noisily claustrophobic, not really for me. This, on the other hand, immediately felt energising. I was more present than I'd ever been in an exercise class setting. I was fascinated by how, by concentrating my thoughts and one body part at a time, I managed to work my entire body in one surprisingly short hour full of feminine balletic features, deep yogic harmony and some of my favourite tunes at the time (I think I asked the teacher for her playlist afterwards!). Needless to say, I came back the day after again, and the next day after that, and the next...

2) What does barre do for you physically? What keeps you returning to class regularly?

The weights we use at barre are small (1-2kg) but when you stretch your arms out and make tiny circles with those weights and move them up and down or rotate them ever so slightly for a few minutes, you start to feel the burn - and become aware of just how many muscles live in your arms, shoulders, back! I love the intense core work with a strap wrapped around the barre, the romantic aspect of feeling like a ballerina when releve’ing my feet whilst touching the barre with elegantly stretched arms, having my legs and butt challenged with exercises involving a soft ball, just as the trampoline classes always make me giggle from start to finish... Most of all, I like the focus of barre on how you can train your body with very few props; simply by being mindful and patient in your poses. I have, or had, this tendency to always slouch when sitting, walking and running. The barre focus on alignment and keeping a good posture straightens out my back and strengthens me beyond class. I love it when the teachers make you imagine a flow of energy running through your aligned body. Ahilya always does this blissful body scan at the end of class, where she makes you imagine that you've got warm honey flowing around in your muscles, bones and joints. That mindful element. When I'm in class, I think of nothing else, and I think that's what exercise is about: finding that or those activities which does that for you. At night, my boyfriend always asks me, 'what is your favourite moment from today?' - or, actually, he stopped doing that over a year ago, because my answer always had something to do with barre, haha. The exercises, the general ambiance, an insight after class, interacting with fellow barrerinas. I like the athletic shape that barre has put me in, but what's addictive about it goes far beyond that. Somehow, unless I'm travelling or sick, I always have time for a weekday class (or two; in one Christmas challenge, I believe it was four!). When travelling, I'll usually check out classes at local barre studios, and as such, I've met wonderfully dedicated teachers and different types of methods and styles in Hong Kong (also Barre 2 Barre), Melbourne, Sydney, Byron Bay, Santa Barbara, London and Copenhagen. Conveniently, the Singapore studio is just around the corner from my office, which makes it easy to pop in for a morning, noon or after-work class, and, miraculously, studios are always just around the corner from wherever I am staying when abroad. ;)

3) You met with an unfortunate knee injury last year. What was your experience with barre during and after it?

Now, a year after my ACL was reconstructed and both my meniscus repaired, the teachers still ask my regularly how my knee is doing - so sweet and thoughtful. A few months after the surgery, when I could start attending classes again, they kindly modified exercises to slowly get me back on track. With weeks of complete immobility, the shape that barre had put me in during the preceding nine months was definitely the reason why my quad didn't disappear completely; why the muscles and ligaments in my injured knee, as well as in my entire legs and hips, were so strong and flexible and I got back in the swing of things so quickly again. It was also a great form of rehab due to all of the careful and precise holistic exercises, which were very much in line with what my physiotherapist prescribed. Also, it was the thing I missed the most in my time on the couch covered in ice and painkillers because of the great general workout, atmosphere and people. 

4) You're a long-time committed student at Barre 2 Barre. What are some of your recent discoveries this far into your barre journey? Are there things you've learned or experienced in barre that apply to other areas of your life? 

After nearly two years, every class is still super tough and rewarding. There is always something new to learn and something familiar to perfect even further. Sit down one inch lower (in a broad wide second position with your feet and knees perfectly aligned towards 10 and 2 o'clock), come up one inch higher on your toes (distribute your weight equally on all toes!), look straight (when you're busy circling, pulsing and balancing various parts of your body simultaneously), hold your arms stick-straight and keep them in your peripheral vision (with those 'light' weights in your hands), lengthen your tailbone down towards your feet (no arching of the back!), square your hips down towards the mat (imagine your hips are headlights!). The barre 2 barre teachers are all very creative, observant and good at giving individual feedback - via verbal cues, touching you lightly or chatting to you after class. As for Jess, who manages the studio, I'm constantly inspired by how passionate she is - always incorporating new exercises into her routines while simultaneously organising cool events and collaborations with everything from local charities to creative startups to large corporations. I first met one of my best Singaporean friends when she was displaying her sustainable fashion designs in the studio (I won one of her beautiful dresses in a barre challenge, haha!). Recently, I've realised that I would like to take it to the next stage, explore my fascination with barre on a deeper level, in terms of the physiological workings and benefits of each exercise as well as sharing that knowledge with others, and have signed up for Barre 2 Barre's upcoming BarreAmped Certification in Thailand. So excited about that! Whether it's the alignment of body and mind, or the idea of immersing yourself in something that's good for you, or spending time with people who energise and inspire you, or simply making an effort: there are so many beneficial aspects to barre that most certainly apply to my life in general - both privately and professionally. The fact that you can experience all of that whilst wearing comfy yoga pants and listening to nice music are just icing on the cake.

5) Who would you recommend barre to? 

Absolutely everyone - which I also do! I've dragged my boyfriend (multiple times!), friends living in Singapore as well as friends visiting from Europe and Australia along, and every single time, I've enjoyed seeing how surprised each and everyone is at how incredibly hard the classes are. Most of them find it fun and fascinating as well, fortunately. With class levels ranging from basic to advanced and some focussing particularly on yoga, pilates, cardio, dance or firing up your big muscle groups, there's something to most tastes. As such, I would recommend it to anyone who cares about their wellbeing - who wishes to immerse her-/himself in a very mindful way of exercising and stretching her/his entire body. It's suitable for most ages and fitness levels, and especially if you have issues with one or more areas of your body. There always are modifications available in case you are recovering from injuries, pregnant or otherwise in need of special attention. 

6) What else is part of your fitness, nutrition, or wellness routine/philosophy to support your barre practice? 

I like running and swimming as cardio supplements allowing me to relax my mind, see sights when abroad and really feel the benefits of the strength obtained through barre, just as I bike and walk everywhere possible (and sometimes impossible (I'm looking at you, bike-lane-less roads of central Singapore!)). I aspire to keep exercise as the opposite of a stressfactor, something that doesn't require too much planning, is a natural part of my day and keeps me equilibrated rather than exhausted. On weekends, my boyfriend and I will go kayaking or do yoga at a local studio or at home, whether it's in Singapore or elsewhere. Lately, we got a basketball, which we play around with at the local community centre. I'm not any good, but it's fun and it does help training my sense of precision, endurance and balance. In general, what's important to me when it comes to wellbeing is trying to maintain a sense of harmony by listening to my body and how much, how, when and why it wants to move, stretch and be nourished. We subscribe to a weekly veggie box from an organic farm in Indonesia, which 'forces' us to cook healthy vegetarian meals several times a week. As we travel and in general eat out a lot, it's important to us to at least know what we put into our bodies when we can - and know where the ingredients came from and what effort goes into preparing them. Even when eating out, I try to steer clear of synthetic or overly processed or fatty foods and instead stick to lean options of sustainably grown veggies, grains and fruits or meat from animals I think have led a happy life. They're mutually reinforcing: you don't want to come to barre feeling heavy, bloated or dizzy because you haven't been eating well, just as it would be a shame to ruin the great feeling that barre gives you by filling your body with bad stuff. I'm not a fanatic though: I do like to drink wine after work or at the weekends - or a few cocktails at the monthly Barre 2 Bar events. Lastly, since moving to Asia, I go for reflexology at least once a week - I've been to at least 20 different parlours all over Singapore, and find it quite extraordinary what they can do... pamper my feet between all of the renovation, flexing and pointing they're exposed to at barre, haha. 

[fictionstuff]

Fire Force 炎炎ノ消防隊

Plot: Spontaneous Human Combustion: a chaotic phenomenon that has plagued humanity for years, randomly transforming ordinary people into flaming, violent creatures known as Infernals. While Infernals make up the first-generation accounts of Human Combustion, the second and third generations became known as pyrokinetics—people gifted with the ability to manipulate and control their flames while remaining human. To combat the Infernal threat and discover the cause, the Tokyo Armed Forces, Fire Defense Agency, and Holy Church of Sol produced their answer: the Special Fire Force. Young and eager third-generation pyrokinetic Shinra Kusakabe, nicknamed Devil's Footprints for his explosive ability to ignite his feet at will, becomes a member of the lively Special Fire Force Company 8. Upholding the brigade's duty to extinguish the blazing Infernals and lay their souls to rest, Shinra is determined to become a hero who will save the lives of those threatened by the flame terror. However, this is not the hero's game Shinra imagined. The Fire Force is a fractured mess of feuding brigades, abnormal Infernal sightings are increasing all over Tokyo, and a shadowy group is claiming to have answers to the strange fire that caused the death of Shinra's family 12 years ago. Faced with many obstacles within and outside the Fire Force, Shinra fights to uncover the truth behind the burning mysteries that have kept him in the dark [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Episodes: 24

Main Characters: Fire Force Company 8 (way too many)

Points: 8.5/10

The show excited me so much, I picked up the manga after the 20th episode, because I never wanted to miss it, especially if they didn't announce a second season. Gladly they did though, because there is still so much to come, so many great fights and so many more revealing moments, because Fire Force features a world of fear and mystery: humans simply explode and burn away (if they don't become horned demons or monsters). It's indeed a fight against fire for the fire force, although it may be questionable to fight fire with fire, because that's mostly what they do. There are different levels of humans and many can already control their power of fire. The anime very closely adapted the source material. I can attest to that since I watched and read both at the same time.

The first few episodes were okay-ish, but when the pace finally picked up, Fire Force turned out to be super exciting. So once you get through the first 5 episodes, you'll be captured by the charm that is a roller coaster ride of crazy fights and thrilling mysteries. The reveals and explanations come in slowly and even after many more manga chapters, there is still a lot that hasn't been explored, so there are still many questions, especially after that first season. That's why a second season is already in the making, so we should watch out for that.

Fire Force is a very refreshing take of a shounen series, the concept is completely original and promises many golden twists. The animation also gradually improved throughout the series, which is a major plus point, because the first fights weren't exactly flashy and mostly consisted of pictures being chained to one another to look cool (it was statical at best). Within Fire Force you will find many pretty consistent fighting scenes, that look awesome and also portray how nicely those flames can look like.

A minus point for the anime (and manga) can be the fanservice, which happens quite frequently. I got used to it after a few episodes and sometimes I even thought it was quite amusing for the story, but I know it's not everyone's cup of tea.

After reading through the manga I can safely say I prefer the source material, but the anime adapted everything accurately, which is pretty good in my opinion. Canon divergent stories often happen to lose momentum. The manga is from Atsushi Ohkubo who also is the mastermind behind Soul Eater, which I still have to check out, but the man is a god, he knows how to create worlds that fuck everything up, I guess.

I've read up on the criticism for most characters being generic and undeveloped, but you need to keep in mind that this is just the set up for the story; the first season. It probably doesn't even feature half of the story, so it's safe to assume that many characters will show up again and receive proper development within the plot (which is true for the manga). After 24 episodes there's barely anything I can say about the characters, especially for Company 8, which is a bunch of dynamic and weird characters who work together extremely well. We have Shinra, the absolute main character, who lost his family to the fire and thus wants to uncover the secret and save people. He's got a knack of smiling in dangerous situations (or when he's nervous) and for now he is indeed a generic character, but not the type of annoying main hero. He's hard working and smart and clearly out to understand what happened to his family. The rest of the company are too many to mention, but we have a super cool captain, who has absolutely no fire power, a lieutenant who is non-cholant and strict, Maki a super strong girl, Iris (who will play a more important role in the future) a sweet young and innocent girl, Arthur a complete idiot but strong fighter once he's in the knight zone, Tamaki who will also be featured way more in season 2 as she has barely been introduced in the first as someone who can do nothing but get herself undressed, Vulcan a very cool engineer who's had a rough past and Licht, who is a crazy genius with ulterior motives.

None of them are exactly stereotypes or boring, I swear, there will be at least one character that will intrigue you. The criticism is absolutely stupid for the story has barely taken root in the first season. In comparison to my absolute favourite World Trigger, Fire Force has been adapted extremely well. I can't wait for a second season to air!

Ni no Shou

Plot: After his confrontation in the Nether with his younger brother Shou, Shinra Kusakabe's resolve to become a hero that saves lives from the flame terror strengthens. Finding a way to turn the Infernals back into people, unraveling the mystery of the Evangelist and Adolla Burst, and saving his mother and Shou—these are the goals Shinra has in mind. However, he has come to realize that attaining these goals will not be easy, especially with the imminent danger the Evangelist poses.The Evangelist's plan is clear: to gather the eight pillars—the individuals who possess Adolla Burst—and sacrifice them to recreate the Great Cataclysm from 250 years ago. Having been revealed by the First Pillar that the birth of a new pillar is approaching, Shinra is determined to protect his fellow pillars from the Evangelist. Thus, the fiery battle between the Special Fire Force and the Evangelist ignites. Together with the Special Fire Force, Shinra's fight continues as he uncovers the truth about the Great Cataclysm and the nature of Adolla Bursts, as well as the mysteries behind human combustion. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Episodes: 24

Points: 8.75/10

There is so much unnecessary hate on MAL for this season, even though there might be even more hate across the web, that this anime really doesn't deserve. Surely it has its own faults, but there are much worse series all around. Someone mentioned that this may be due to David Production working on this instead of Jojo (something I'll never ever watch in my life), so it may be due to jealousy but otherwise, I've seen many childish reviews of people who watched season 2, although they didn't like the first one as in it bored them and they never got into it and on the other hand they simply tried to find reasons to make it look bad, when in fact they simply had no idea about plot or characters. This is awfully childish. It's awfully normal that when a normal human is burned, they die, but a second or third generation won't just die as they are firstly used to fire and control it to a certain degree or why so ever aren't Shinra's feet burned? All these things are brought forward simply to make it seem illogical and boring.

The pacing is on the other hand is indeed a point that isn't really good, as it dreadfully drags on and relies to much on flashbacks and pieces and bits of information that has already been handed to us in the last season or even just in the last few episodes. That's in contrast to everything else a small annoyance though. There are many other good points of the show: an interesting premise and plot development, many lovely characters (which will never be completely developed due to the sheer number) which are being introduced to us anew or now shown for the very first time. We get to know a lot of fire companies and we dive much deeper into the world and get more information on the white clad.

The second season consists of quite a few interesting arcs, which are all very much existent in the manga as well, which is a delight, because I really like the manga, although many do prefer the anime.

We get introduced to Inka, another pillar and someone who obviously holds no love for the world or maybe she just likes to wreck havoc. She'll be shown more often in the future and I hope to know more about her, but I am not sure they'll ever focus on her again. Another new character is Juggernaut and a few others from fire companies, who won't receive much spotlight or die in combat which was sometimes quite unexpected. Juggernaut on the other hand is a lovely new character who's timid and shy but shows he can fight just fine, if he gathers his courage and tries his best. We also get the sensational Joker and Benimaru duo as they investigate the Holy Sol Temple and the “fake” religion? Apart from that we also meet the pillar Nataku Son, who has been experimented on and watched over by another company, where we also meet Kurono, a blood thirsty crazy man I'd say, but he isn't exactly a murderer either. There are still more scenes of him in the future which might be quite interesting to those who were intrigued by his character. Another small sub arc consists of the Nether investigation where Maki is being drawn from company 8 to serve in the military area until she decides to show her family, where she truly belongs and man, that was epic. Maki lives and breathes to help humans as a fire fighter, that much is clear and Maki remains one of the best female characters. Whil Ogun in this season was seriously the best. I think he’s truly one of the most interesting characters and a strong one at that and someone who shares quite a deep bond with Arthur and Shinra.

Not much yet has been revealed though, just bits of the cataclysm and that creating a second sun is probably the ultimate goal. Hopefully there will be a season 3 in the future. There is still a lot of material in the manga with many many interesting twists and turns.

The animation is even better than in the first season, thumbs up, David Productions.