#though it's a movie the general sentiments of the subject matter stand true

[neptune-midheaven]

The Third House Placements and Their Handwriting Styles ~💖🌺🐚

Welcome back babes 😁🙏✨ I’m back posting someee bit but anything nonetheless ! This was a post I wanted to do for a while, this really intrigued me💫

I’m going to be talking about third house placements and their unique to the placement writing styles. Third house rules hands, arms, fingers and writing, correct !😄🎶 There is a correlation between handwriting and third house in astrology as it literlaly rules over it, so components in your third house astrology will dictate how this will look. Use all of the possible combinations you have in your chart ! 🙂☝️

For generational planet ruled signs, use whatever works better.

🔆Sun/leo ~

May have a gift in being very dramatic and showy whenever they express their ideas or in their communication they can be very bright and charming. They’re very talented at absorbing knowledge and facts, they usually are the types of people to dish out random facts about anything whoever you’re talking to them, they have so much random knowledge kept in their minds it’s almost funny. They’re silly and a bit childlike people,

Handwriting style 🦁

Regal, nice looking. They have a confidence to their writing, if the whole class wrote on one piece of paper, theirs would stand out more, maybe a “I can trust what they write is the best there is here” is what people reading over theirs would think.

🌙Moon/cancer ~

Loves sentimental things, talking about the past and family makes them feel good and safe, attachments to the mother, most likely missed her or their family whenever they had to go to school, homesickness at school

Handwriting style 🌝

Soft, homely words. Shyer? They write with a grace and their words are poetically beautiful. It looks like something out of a movie. Nostalgic, their ink is softer and lighter, their curves are soft, their lines and o’s are soft and so sensitive. SO gentle and calm. It’s sleepy?

💫Mercury/gemini/virgo ~

The wittiest, most social people ever. They’re all definitely extroverts, I am one with my gemini in 3rd house ova here 😘, they love talking, and never stop talking and love chatting about anything and never stop chatting about anything, they love walking up to random people and never stop walking up to random people and staring a convo with them out of nowhere 😀. My friends bully me all the time for this. I understand. The one kid in school with like all the answers, they just knew the answer to things and easily got good grades. People asked them for answers all of the time since they are so smart and intelligent, they absorb what they’re being taught so quickly they don’t ever let the teacher finish talking. They’re fast and versatile.

Handwriting style 🤸‍♀️

Fast writing, so many words. They write super fast and probably have so many typos in their essays and papers. Handwriting can look like crap 🤨😐. Like there’s no rush, you’re gonna get your paper done on time! You can’t read what they write al of the time because they rush through writing everything. Their letters and words look fancy somehow, like they were written by the scholar of all scholars, they’re just unintelligible words and sentences. Teachers may need to ask what the student with this placement writes because they can’t read it. Scribbles, jumbled and mixing up things all over the page. You can tell they write fast with the jagged lines and crooked n’s and t’s ajakksks.

💕Venus/taurus/libra ~

Very sweet and charming way of talking to others, they have strong persuasive powers with their honeyed words, they can almost charm you into doing anything, they seem so innocent and sweet. These people are very kind though of course! They love giving others compliments, strangers, their friends, their family, they’re such sweet people to have in your life. They attract partners and relationships by doing their daily tasks, lovers can show up suddenly when they’re running errands or they can attract a lot of interest at their school.

Handwriting style 🍓

The most pleasant, aesthetic handwriting i have ever seen, even if their handwriting is bad it still becomes an art style somehow, i don’t really know how else to describe that. It’s like no matter how bad it could possibly look or how incoherent it is, their script still manages to look NICE.

💥Mars/aries ~

Very loud voices, a bit like sun, but it’s more like their power and strength is used whenever they talk. They could be meaner or aggressive classmates, angry talkers, I know so many people with this placement who talk so mad, so much cursing, ranting and screaming. We love it all.

Handwriting style 🥵

Very rough and fast handwriting, similar to mercury; however, it has more fervor, the messiest and most impulsive handwriting out of all of the other placements.

🐚Jupiter/sagittarius ~

Loud and expressive communicators, similar to the sun here, but they’re louder and bigger. You can hear their voices from across the room and they’re usually the know-it-all’s in the classroom. Very friendly and fun to talk to, they talk about so many exotic and interesting things. They love to crack a joke or two. Also, it’s something about these peoples voices are just FUNNY. Like how they talk is like hilarious and jolly in a good way. It make you wanna crack up and feel good. They make you feel good and BLESSED when they talk to you.

Handwriting style 🍀

Larger letters, I’ve noticed they have bigger “holes” and like to expand their letters over the pages, their words go over the lines and it could be messy usually, sort of like mars fashion but it’s just wider words on the paper.

🪐Saturn/capricorn ~

Very punctual people with perfect punctuation. They hate it whenever their thoughts are messy or unorganized, it makes it hard for them to think thoroughly like they are expected to. They’re the smarter most mature minds in the room. Very deep, daddy voices. IDK HOW TO DESCRIBE IT. THEY SOUND LIKE THEIR DADS. ITS CRAZY. They talk with so authority and sureness, their diction is so perfect it makes everyone mad.

Handwriting style ✏️

Perfect handwriting, they hate it when their sentences look off or unstructured on a page. The most rounded o’s, the straightest lines and perfect length for every letter they write. Correct punctuation once again, their words look like they were printed by a typewriter.

🌪Uranus/aquarius ~

Very different minds, they could feel strange or odd in school, like they were just the oddball learners, had weird interests, or was a huge nerd over so many subjects. Crazy coffee drinkers, the ones with monster drinks and twenty textbooks that are about to fall out of their open backpacks because they rushed to get to school on time. The craziest people actually, their minds are like on drugs, they can be hard to keep up with.

Handwriting style ⚡️

Weird ways they write certain styles of their letters and their words can “come out” of the page. They write SO fast this is usually why they take harder classes in school with more work just solely on the fact they can write much faster than anyone else. Maybe comic-book looking writing? They’re dynamic and crazy like harsh lines and crazy o’s, there’s something unique about the way they write.

🌊Neptune/pisces ~

Such idealistic thinkers. They want to see the good in their surroundings, they do need to be careful with this because surroundings and things can be deceiving. They can absorb such much of their surroundings, they can be quieter communicators because of this. It can be taken advantage of since they’re overwhelmed by conversations or they can be easily fooled by the wrong people. Like they believe things that aren’t even true? Or they like tell a lot of white lies when they’re talking that make people go like uhh is that even true?😀😀 But they play it off when they’re caught lying, it’s very deceptive. The quietest kids in school that either did drugs or tried to escape class by doing some illegal stuff, or they just left. Some were never seen at school.

Handwriting style 🌀

The sleepiest handwriting I’ve ever seen. It’s provably hard to read what they write. Faded words maybe? Faded words on faded paper. So poetic though, it’s pretty but not in a venus way, it like captivates you. It’s hypnotizing they way they draw out their e’s and their a’s have a dreamy tail that connects to their next letter.

🥀Pluto/scorpio ~

Obsessive minds, they want to know everything possible, they want to reach the deepest depths on information and knowledge. They are motived and driven to know as much as they can, and they always seem to succeed. They’re very smart. The kids in school who would keep to themselves or would obsess over what the teacher taught them, the way they communicate is like they’ve read the same page over and over again for days. Obsessive.

Handwriting style 🖤

Darker, hard to see words, they can have obsessive writing. It’s perfect but fast writing, maybe a bit scary that they have the ability to write so much with so much power? People can be freaked out with just how much they know already. So their words can be very persuasive, so the letters would be magnetic, you love their writing once you read one of their essays. You’re obsessed, just like they are.

[sammysdewysensitiveeyes]

"Explorers raided tombs and paraded the remains of ancient monarchs and dynasties to their homes. Mummies were unwrapped at social affairs and examined—and it was such a popular pastime that tourism companies in Egypt sent such delights to European countries to satisfy their morbid curiosities and struggled to fuel the growing trend."

“So you see,” Sebastian continued, “There is a historical precedent for this sort of thing. I’m hardly the first businessman to notice the wasted resources just rotting away underground. Or stuffed into an urn, depending on customs and family sentiment.”

“There’s historical precedent for a lot of fucked up shit, Shaw. That doesn’t make it okay!” Pyro stared, aghast, at the website. “Does the Council know you’re doing this? They can’t possibly approve!”

“Are you going to run and tattle on me?” Sebastian sneered. “That doesn’t seem like you, Allerdyce, but you have become more of a conformist rule-follower in Krakoa, it seems. At any rate, some of the Council are aware of my side business. They have elected not to bring it to a vote in meetings, so presumably I am breaking no law of the island.”

“But….it’s wrong. It’s bloody grotesque is what it is!” Pyro exclaimed.

“Is it better or worse than burning people to death during a bank robbery, or as part of some half-baked political protest?”

“Oh, give me a fucking break, Shaw!” Pyro snapped. “I know I’ve done some bad things – “

“Some bad things. What an adorable generalization, ducking out of all serious responsibility – “

“I know I’ve killed people, okay?” Not quite as many as some X-Men wanted to pretend, though. He mostly went for guards, police officers and soldiers, who, as far as Pyro was concerned, had it fucking coming. He hadn’t wanted to kill people to rob a bank, and there was never a need to if the civilians were smart enough to stay well back.

“But killing people doesn’t mean I can’t draw any moral lines, ever,” Pyro continued. “And I’m drawin’ a line right here. This is not okay.”

“Why not? Who does it hurt, really?”

“Well, surely the people whose bodies are getting rented out to sickos! No one would want that.” Pyro wasn’t sure he could articulate the sick churning in the pit of his stomach. It was something that went beyond logic, just a deep sense of disgust that seemed to well up from the center of his being. He was an open-minded fellow, he was willing to play fast and loose with a few morals, but surely some things were just….wrong. Right?

“What they don’t know won’t hurt them,” Sebastian said, waving a hand dismissively. “And apparently X-Factor is running some very interesting experiments with discarded mutant corpses over in their appropriately named “Boneyard.” And I’m quite confident that Sinister is probably churning out clones in his little lab, no matter how he might deny it. So whats the harm in my business?”

“Just because other people are doing it doesn’t make it okay! It’s like a….desecration, isn’t it?” Perhaps there was some of his Gran’s staunch Catholicism lurking under the surface, despite Pyro’s current status as…well, not an atheist, exactly, more like an agnostic who didn’t want to think about things too hard. He had to admit, a childhood of Mass and Confession and Hail Marys really got under your skin, no matter how long ago you walked away from the church.

“All this fuss over discarded meat,” Sebastian shrugged. “That’s all it really is when you remove religion and sentiment from the equation. Really, Allerdyce, I’m surprised at your squeamishness.”

“Are you really okay with it, then?” Pyro asked. “Letting some human fuck a mutant corpse? That’s what they’re doing it, isn’t it?”

“Not necessarily. I believe that’s the most common activity, but a few people want to cook and eat choice pieces.”

“Oh, that’s perfectly all right, then.” Pyro’s words were so heavy with sarcasm, they practically thudded onto the floor.

“Understand, Allerdyce, I find all this personally distasteful. I am disgusted by the idea of necrophilia, and even cannabalsim. But I see no reason to deny others, if there is money to be made. The ‘sickos’ will pay top dollar for discrete fulfillment of their taboo desires.”

“But do you really want to be putting mutant corpses in human hands? Haven’t they got scientists trying to study us or clone us or whatever? Put our DNA in Sentinels to make super-weapons?”

Sebastian laughed heartily. “Really, I didn’t think you were so naïve. Mutants have been in the public eye for several decades. The various governments of the world have been capturing mutant test subjects for a very long time. There are hundreds of mutants buried in graveyards and millions in the heavy layer of ash that still covers Genosha. If some enterprising human scientist wants mutant DNA, it would be very, very easy to lay hands on it. In fact, your own corpse is probably preserved in a government lab somewhere. In other words, there’s no point in closing the barn door at this point. The horses are long gone.”

Pyro couldn’t resist a full-body shudder at the thought. He knew, deep down, that his body was probably stuck in a metal drawer somewhere, or cut into chunks sitting in labelled glass jars. The US government had probably been interested in him as a Legacy Virus victim, back before the cure. It shouldn’t matter, but somehow, it did.

“And the bodies are only available for a limited amount of time, at any rate,” Sebastian continued. “Aside from the obvious natural impermanence of a corpse, I’ve had Sinister inject the bodies with a kind of “kill switch.” After five days, the corpse will dissolve, leaving no trace behind. The humans are only paying to rent, after all.”

“But wait…..” Pyro ventured. “What gives you the right to sell other people’s bodies? Shouldn’t they be the ones to profit off that?”

“What gives people the right to collect discarded trash?” Sebastian said, spreading his arms wide. “Would you begrudge the little old lady collecting aluminum cans for a few pennies from a recycling center? Or the struggling student who takes a sofa from the side of the road? That’s all these corpses are. Trash. Their previous owners have shiny new bodies – bodies gifted to them by Krakoa and the Five, by the way – and left no instructions as to disposal. I don’t use bodies from people who requested to be cremated, or some kind of ritual burial. Just bodies have have been carelessly tossed aside, by people who clearly don’t care.”

“Oh, well I’m sure you’ll be happy to explain that to everyone else, then,” Pyro said. “I’m sure they’ll all be totally understanding.” He realized a moment later, with a nervous twinge, that threatening to tell on the unscrupulous businessman while you were sitting alone in his massive castle and no one else knew where you were was a very stupid thing to do. Fuck. He should have at least claimed to have evidence left with a trusted friend or something, but he’d only just stumbled across this, while exploring the so-called “dark web.” Maybe he could bluff his way out of this.

“I told you, some Council members are already well aware,” Sebastian said, sitting back and regarding Pyro across steepled fingers. “I don’t think you’d find those in authority quite as willing to turn on me as you imagine, Allerdyce. In fact, it’s entirely possible that any attempt to inform the public will lead to a hasty mind-wipe for you.”

“I’ve got proof. I left it all on a flash drive with……” Freddy? Dominic? Mystique? “….a friend,” he finished, not wanting to actually put anyone else in the crosshairs. Hell, Mystique might even know about this. He’d like to think better of her, but she always had schemes within schemes going. He wondered which telepath on the Council might be in on this. Was Sinister a telepath? That arrogant piece of shit Exodus? He seemed too high-minded to approve, but that mission in the Savage Land had shown Pyro that Exodus did not give a single fuck about mutants that he considered weak or “unworthy.” Frost? Even Xavier? Pyro had never trusted that creepy bastard. Something about him had always seemed too good to be true.

Sebastian laughed again. “Oh, you think I’m going to kill you? That’s cute. Allerdyce, you are not in some ridiculous detective story. I am a practical man, and despite your bleating about morals, I know you are, too. I am willing to make you an offer. It’s an easy job. All you have to do is ‘keep mum,’ as they say.” Sebastian wrote a number down on a piece of paper, and slid it across the table.

It was, in fact, a very nice number. Enough to make some of Pyro’s disgust quickly fall away.

“After all, why shouldn’t you enjoy the same kind of luxury experienced by Krakoa’s elite? You serve aboard the Marauder, and you’re obviously on the lowest rung of the crew. None of the power and privilege weilded by the X-Men, none of the wealth bestowed by birth on Christian Frost, my own son, and the Von Struckers. And you do significantly more work than for the Hellfire Trading Company than those spoiled idiots. Why not take a little something for yourself?”

Pyro’s mind whirled. Of course, taking the money now would mean he was “in it,” so to speak. And if the secret got out, he’d probably be implicated along with Shaw, at least in the eys of his fellow mutants. Which would hurt a bit, after all his heroics with the Marauders. He was starting to feel, at least a little bit, like a good guy.

But on the other hand, if Sebastian was telling the truth, and some of the Council already knew, trying to tattle would just get him in the shit. It was all well and good to have movies about heroic whistle-blowers, but in the real world, they got slandered, ruined, and sometimes murdered. No one would stand up for a relative nobody like Pyro, especially if Frost and Mystique already knew. At best he’d just get mind-wiped.

It would be safer to just walk away and keep his mouth shut. And if he was going to walk away anyhow, why not pick up a paycheck for it?

They were just corpses, right? What a resurrected mutant didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.

And it didn’t seem to actually be breaking any Krakoan laws.

And it was a lot of money.

And Pyro really did like money.

It wasn’t like he was a proper journo anymore, was he? No need for integrity.

Pyro pushed the paper back across the table.

“You’ll need to add a zero to that number before I’ll even consider it,” he said. “And this is just for silence, understand? I’m not gonna be your employee, don’t start expecting me to fetch and carry.”

Sebastian grinned, making a mark on the paper, and held it his hand to shake.

“I knew you’d see sense. It’s a pleasure doing business with you, Allerdyce.”

OOC: I was going to make that sillier, but the more I thought about it…..Sebastian probably would bribe Pyro to shut up, and Pyro would probably just take the money. He’s trying to be “good,” but not that good. Also, no offense intended to Exodus. After the story in the Quicksilver min-series, when Pyro is working with Acolytes on a mission for a supposed Legacy Virus cure (which doesn’t exist), Pyro probably holds a serious grudge against him.

[nicodigiovanni]

DOMENICO DI GIOVANNI ( CODY CHRISTIAN ) is a 17 year old JUNIOR student at Broadripple Academy. HE is originally from LOS ANGELES but moved to Broadripple A YEAR ago. HE is DRIVEN and RESOURCEFUL but can also be ENVIOUS and DECEITFUL.

BASICS

Name: Domenico Di Giovanni

Age: 17

Grade: Junior

House: Malleray

Cabin Room: 2, Junior Cabin

How long have they been at Broadripple: a bit more than a year

Where are they from originally: Los Angeles

Extra curricular: Soccer Team Captain, Swim Team member, Buddy Program

CHARACTER AESTHETICS

Untucked shirts and loose ties, worn sneakers, board shorts and athletic shirts, hair that are ‘fashionably’ messy, a fake rolex, sunglasses to hide bloodshot eyes, sundown on the ocean, an eagle as a coat of arm, a whisper in your ears, an old camera, handwriting that looks a lot more like hieroglyphs than actual English, the sweet exhaustion after intense training, an adrenaline rush, the roar of a Ducati, the tension of sneaking out at night, a golden cross necklace, a swiss-army knife as a keychain, a bonfire on the beach, a room that looks like a tornado has just been there, a tangle of athletic medals, a stack of movie posters, a zippo lighter because, come on everyone knows they are cool.

TRAITS

Positive Personality Traits: ambitious, driven, resourceful, playful, friendly, brave, loyal to his friends, passionate, open minded,

Neutral Personality Traits: competitive, nostalgic, emotional, stubborn, guarded, prideful, materialistic

Negative Personality Traits: envious, jealous, deceitful, selfish, vulnerable to peer pressure, reckless, boastful

FACTS

Domenico is the firstborn scion of an impoverished Italo-american family, he actually has some noble blood in his veins and is proud of his ancestry. His family migrated to the states after WW2 and had actually enjoyed a luxurious existence for a few generations, when Nico himself was a little kid they still had money, but a string of misfortune and bad business deals had left them with little

His parents are obsessed with the idea of social status and have drilled its importance into him, to the point that Domenico dedicates his life in its pursuit. No matter the cost, personal or otherwise.

Failure is not an option.

He grew up with the expectation of royalty and the wealth of a lower middle class kid

He has always lived on the periphery of wealth though, frequently doing odd jobs from rich family friends and looking for afar at the glamorous life of movie stars and socialites in his native Los Angeles. Craving for the ability to join him himself. Unable to see that hanging around with the friends he actually had made him way happier. In fact he has a lot of fond memories of the time spent back home, but pretends to himself that he had moved on and doesn’t care anymore.

He had pushed himself hard during high school to get an athletic scholarship and finally earned his ticket to Broadripple. The young man is legacy, but his family could definitely no longer afford to send him there.

While Domenico is extremely loyal to his friends, he has a very ‘the end justifies the means’ mentality, he plays dirty when he believes that his strength alone is not enough to ‘win’ and lies to get what he wants or just to make himself look more ‘important’ in the eyes of others.

He loves the spotlight and does what he can to get noticed. After his first year at Broadripple he had started to take up more responsibility at the school, mostly to increase his own standing

He is always on the lookout for college recruiters and will definitely use whatever trick he can in the books to up his chances of being selected

He constantly puts up a show of confidence.

He is passionate, he falls in love very quickly, but he is also pretty jealous and his pride tends to get in the way of things

He craves for true companionship, but so far he had been too blinded by his desire to ‘climb’ up.

Truth is, the pressure of his lifestyle is starting to get to him, but Nico is pretty good at lying to himself and is pretending that ‘everything is fine’ even as he keeps daydreaming about just dropping everything and go follow his passions

HEADCANONS

He has two younger siblings, Alessandra, a spirited 11 years old, that is very much loved by her big brother and Gabriele, who is only eight years old. Despite considering the latter annoying, he actually misses both of them. He dreads when his little sis will start dating

He is a huge horror movie buff and dreams to direct one eventually, but of course, his life has a more ‘serious’ path ahead so…

He loves the ocean and is very nostalgic about his home in California. 

He is a bit of an adrenaline junkie, but he tries to stay focused

He actually enjoys playing sports and if he wasn’t as focused on his endgame he would much likely derive much more pleasure from them

He had sneaked out at the pool during the night for a swim more than once

He is pretty handy, had done a lot of odd jobs in his life and knows among other things how to pick a lock.

He is very boastful and is prone to hugely exaggerate his skills and wealth.

His best subject is history, math is meh… 

He worships his Ducati and constantly tinkers with it, the motorbike is a birthday present from a family friend that greatly helped Nico while he was in LA. The two had spent the year before Nico went to Broadripple fixing it and it has an huge sentimental value to him. Nico doesn’t drive after drinking mostly out of fear of ruining it (rather than himself) in case of an accident. He had brought it straight from California driving halfway through the states and he would do it again

He has a family signet ring, but pretty much never wears it in public

He own a lot of expensive looking stuff that are actually knock off 

He wears his shirts religiously ‘half-tucked’

He enjoys playing board games (but deem them too nerdy) and is a very competitive player

He is proud of his legacy status

He isn’t proud of being a scholarship student and keeps that detail for himself

He deals MJ among the students to boost his income, but himself he doesn’t smoke frequently

Domenico is fully bilingual English\Italian and he swears (and thinks) in his family native language despite never having been in Italy himself

He has a small youtube channel where he comments the Italian soccer championship and other soccer trivia, he is not however a regular poster of content and keeps it mostly as an hobby (and an extra space to advertise himself to potential recruiters)

He isn’t bad in the kitchen and can make a few Italian dishes

Espresso for life (and made in the ‘right way’) the rest isn’t real coffee.

Sport = religion. To skip training is sin.

He jogs very early every morning

A previous roommate of his has left the school last year, Nico kinda believe that he had scared him off

He loves the Rolling Stones (coincidentally his dad is more of a Beatles type) 

He dreams about taking a sabbatical and making a road trip after graduation

Has ran from home a couple of times as a kid.

While he keeps it very well buried, Domenico has a bit of a playful, goofy side that emerges when he feels like he is free to be himself

He is also a bit of a prankster

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RETREAT

What do they think about The Retreat?

“This is supposed to be an exclusive and expensive academy right?” Turns to check if no one else is listening and then lowers his voice. “On the other side… thanks God right? At least they haven’t sent us back home…” 

Domenico doesn’t care about the retreat per-se, but he is worried that all the strange events might tarnish the school reputation, putting his own college future in jeopardy, or worse, ending up shutting down the Academy as he doesn’t exactly have many alternatives. He does miss a bit of privacy though and the lack of wi-fi frustrates him. While outwardly he pretends that he cares about the lack of amenities, it’s more of a show.

Do they have any previous experience with camping or other outdoors?

“Of course I do.”

Domenico is outdoorsy, but has never gone camping in his life, plus he is accustomed to a much warmer climate than Massachusetts and while he does his best to soldier through it, the experience definitely sucks. While he has no idea about how to build a tent or anything on the like at least he knows how to light a fire and can make a decent grilled meat if the need arises. 

What does their cabin bunk look like? How will they decorate their space?

“It’s not my room and let’s leave it at that.”

Domenico’s dorm room was adorned with movie posters (mostly horror B-movies), some of them hiding pictures underneath that a catholic school might not exactly approve (but that strike the fancy of a seventeen years old boy), piled up trophies, a small basketball hoop, random sport gear and clothes scattered here and there. He couldn’t bring much to his bunk and had packed most of his things in cardboard boxes to pick up for later. He keeps a picture of his siblings cheering at his birthday before he left for Broadripple and one with his former high-school team celebrating after a match.

Do they believe in the supernatural? To what degree?

“Nah... That’s all crap. It makes for a good movie though.”

Nico is fascinated by the supernatural, but he is not a believer, they are cool stories though and he likes the dash of adrenaline of a well told tale of horror. Besides, Broadripple might be a good subject for a movie right? In theory Domenico is Catholic and was kinda of observant as a kid, by now though, religion isn’t in his mind.

Are they easily spooked?

“Nop. Ehi what is that noise?”

Domenico likes to think of himself as brave and tends to worry about more mundane problems rather than supernatural or existential one. That said, sometimes the aerie atmosphere of the Academy actually gets to him and strikes the darkest corners of his imagination. Showing fear though, is embarrassing and Domenico keeps the feeling for himself, doing his best to crack a joke or put up a mask of courage.

AND FINALLY, 

A very dumb but (hopefully) fun quiz made by your admins, please share what result you got

you're the real danger

everyone talks about what they hear and see out in the woods but what about what's in the room with them? if everyone already thinks they're hearing things, it wouldn't be that hard to cover everything up

I must admit that I cheated a bit to get there, but Nico would definitely have done that himself, so I’m not ashamed to admit it. Besides, it’s kinda fitting of him :p

[ohcndrea]

ANDREA PEARSON ( ALISHA BOE ) is a 17 year old JUNIOR student at Broadripple Academy. SHE is originally from MILFORD, CT but moved to Broadripple 3 YEARS ago. SHE is CREATIVE and QUICK WITTED but can also be SHORT TEMPERED and JUDGEMENTAL.

task 1 under the cut – stats page here – wanted connections page right here

1. Full Name?

Andrea Mona Pearson

2. Preferred Names or Nicknames?

Andrea, Drea, or D

3. What does their name mean? Does it have any significance in their family? Do they like their name?

Andrea means Brave and Mona means Noble Good. The name Andrea came up after her brother was named Zachary, A to Z. The Mona Lisa is a gorgeous, famous piece of art of a mystery woman. While the name was originally just meant to be an homage, Drea rather likes the idea of being a mystery woman, whatever that might mean. She loves her name, she thinks it’s original and surprisingly artistic considering her parents. The only thing she doesn’t like about it is the nickname Andy.

4. Age and Date of Birth?

17, 30th of January ( making her an Aquarius zodiac )

5. Gender and Pronouns?

Cis Woman – She/her

6. Hometown?

Milford, Conneticuit

7. Does your character fit into any well known archetypes or tropes?

Literally every Aquarius trope known to man (elusive, creative, spontaneous, inconsistent, and stubborn). Equally distant and overbearing parents. The wanderer: never settling, always feeling as though there’s something more. Attention and approval seeking teenager, constantly needing to be validated. Cool Girl Complex, moulding herself to be what she thinks everyone wants, feeling as though she’s not being genuine because of that. Seemingly effortless, appears to not have to put much work into her grades, looks, or anything but it’s not quite the case.

8. How long have they been at Broadripple?

Since freshman year so three years.

9. What led them to apply to Broadripple? Was it a decision made by them or by their parents/guardians or somewhere in between?

Her brother attended an all boys private boarding school when he had been going through high school so it had already been decided Drea would be going to a private boarding school it was just a matter of which one. Drea chose Broadripple out of series of options provided to her by her parents. It was close enough to Milford that she could go home if she really wanted to, but far enough away that her parents probably wouldn’t come visit regularly. She could be free from her parents watchful, judgemental gaze, but not completely detached.

10. Whether they’ve been at Broadripple four days or four years, do they enjoy it? Do they like Broadripple?

In some ways she loves it, in others she hates it. Mostly she likes it. The pros outweigh the cons and the cons were always going to appear at any boarding school she attended. All her friends are there and she adores her friends. She dreads going back to Milford for summer, winter, and especially Thanksgiving break. She hates that her school shirts are itchy that her ass doesn’t look as good in the school skirt as it does in tight jeans. She hates the way teachers catch her when she tries to get away with breaking the rules, but she loves the adrenaline when she does get away with it.

11. What house are they in? Do they care very much about their house?

She’s in Melleray and she could not care less about her house. She uses house events as an opportunity to either lay in the sun or to try napping with her eyes open.

12. Who do they share a dorm with, or are they on their own for the moment? What are they like to live with? Are they clean or messy? Early risers or night owls?

She shares a dorm with Kat Bishop, her best friend and soul sister. Which is tragic for everyone around them. She’s somewhere between clean and messy. Things have a place but it just doesn’t look very neat. She also likes trying on five different outfits and hates putting clothes away so the end of her bed is usually covered in clothes until she gets annoyed at the weight on top of the duvet when she sleeps. Drea’s sleep schedule is a mystery to everyone. Some nights she’ll be awake until four am listening to old One Direction songs for no good reason at all and other nights she’ll fall asleep watching a movie at 7:30. But she’s certainly not a morning person. She will cradle a coffee and a bleary eyed look until second period at least. 

13. How is your character’s dorm decorated? Is it bare or bursting at the seems with personality? Any particular sentimental items from home?

Having been at Broadripple for three years Drea has collected some real junk in her dorm. She still has books from freshman year pushed to the back of her desk even though she should really just give them to the library. She has a lot of art supplies, multiple notebooks, loads of pens and pencils (shoved haphazardly in a small pot she got from urban outfitters one time that lives on her desk). Her wall is decorated in a small collection of postcards and photos. The postcards are generally museum postcards, copies of artworks she likes, but there are a few depicting the beaches of Spain and Portugal, the Eiffel Tower, the Sculpture of David, and Roman Ruins at sunset. Photos on the wall include some with her friends, some with her family. There’s also a couple of drawings scattered in amongst the rest of the images. Mostly by her, at least one by Jay. She has a peach crocheted blanket from home and an old Yale sweatshirt that she stole from her dad’s closet. They don’t stand out among the rest of her belongings and she doesn’t treat them any different but she would be very upset if she lost them. 

14. What is their favourite subject at school? Do they even have a favourite? Why?

Probably programming though she wouldn’t admit it. She likes the creative side of code, trying to make things work and look nice and flow. Second to that would be Chemistry, she rather likes science. It something that makes sense to her quite easily and it’s the more interesting of the “traditional” classes that she takes. Third, ASL. But again, she would never admit any of that because school is for nerds. 

15. Are they involved in any clubs? Which ones?

She’s in the Women of Broadripple Club and just like, really shouldn’t be. Her mom signed her up when dropped her off at Broadripple in her first year despite not contributing to the group at all she’s never been bothered to leave the group. She usually shows up to meetings hungover and has a little nap up the back.

16. How does your character feel about Broadripple’s Unofficial Clubs? Do they know about them? Are they a part of any of them?

She definitely knows about the Broadripple Boys Club and the Unauthorised Chastity Club but probably doesn’t think Broadripple Unsolved is real. BAU is just a bunch of nerds hanging out and thinking about jerking off aliens and calling it a club as far as she’s concerned. Feels kind of similar about the Chastity club but instead of jerking off aliens its jerking off God. She avoids the Chastity club at all costs, she really does not like dealing with them and would rather make fun of them from a distance. Now the BBC, she really thinks she should be one of them, she really does. But seeing as they don’t take female members, she’ll settle for trying to impress them, flirting with them, and stealing booze at their parties ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

17. Does your character participate in any sports? If so, what made them join the team?

She’s on the Cross Country team, in her freshman year she was also on the Track team but she decided in sophomore year that she’d rather just do cross country. She prefers it, track is such a competition to be the best and be the fastest, and she’s just not an especially competitive person. But she likes running, it really clears her mind so she kept up cross country.

18. What afternoon activities does your character do? Do they just do the one mandatory one or are they involved in multiple? Why?

She used to just do the one, just painting (because she’s an artistic ass bitch and it was her one school appointed time to be creative) but since having an argument with her parents over the summer she has since started tutoring. While she’s quite smart and gets good grades, she’s a horrendous tutor. She tends to get things in class very easily so explaining them to people who don’t understand them first go is very hard for her. She gets frustrated and probably ends up doing a lot of their work for them.

19. Do they miss their home when they’re at Broadripple? Do they often go home for the weekends or do they only go home during holiday breaks?

Not especially. She goes through phases where she might feel homesick, if she’s not talking to her friends for whatever reason and feeling rather lonely. But for the most part she likes the distance. In the three years she’s been at Broadripple she’s probably only gone home on the weekends two or three times. 

20. Did your character know Izzy De Santis or Maggie Monroe? 

She knew them both though neither well. She had written them off mostly as religious freaks that she didn’t want to associate with. Freaky minions of God that would tell her she was going to hell if she didn’t repent for the amount of booty pics she sent.

21. Has your character heard of Edith Lynch? Do they know the story?

She’s heard of her and she knows the story. During probably her first week of Broadripple the girls got together and told the spooky story and that’s what Drea thinks it is: a story. She knows Edith was real but she thinks the story she heard has probably been blown way out of proportion and she’s never looked into it so she has no idea if that’s true or not.

22. How does your character feel about Nighmore? Have they noticed the recently closed shops yet?

She thinks Nighmore is super weird. She gets a really weird vibe from the people and would rather go anywhere else but it’s just so conveniently close, especially since she doesn’t have a car. She has noticed the closed shops because Kat got hysterical about not being able to buy potatoes.

23. Have you made any aesthetic Pinterest boards/WeHeartIt collections for this character? Or playlists? Anything you would like to share!

She has a pinterest board and a weheartit collection lmao, also has a playlist but i’ll probably do a seperate post for that eventually

[jinjojess]

hey jess. again i agree with all your points over categate, i just wanted to point out something which is highlighted in an article on the mary sue (don't think i can send links in asks?). to sum it up, the point made is why is cate choosing the "straight actors can play lgb characters" hill to die upon as opposed to the "other issues that lgbt actors face in hollywood" hill? while i actually don't disagree with her, im just surprised by how adamant she is over that rather than other issues.

Anonymous said:excerpt from aforementioned article: “There aren’t even that many major films and television series that will include non-stereotyped, well-written LGBTQ+ characters to begin with, so we’re taking an already small crop of roles and then only considering straight actors? That’s not fair. This is not to say that straight actors should never, ever play LGBTQ+ roles for the rest of time, but it’s a little silly to feel the need to defend it with the statistics so far out of balance.”

I think that there’s nothing wrong with picking up the conversation from here and saying “Well, if anyone can play any role, then why don’t we have more major films that have queer characters in them?” but that quote from the MS isn’t exactly fair or even necessarily true.

Nowhere in the pieces of interview that I read did Cate Blanchett say anything to the effect of “only straight actors should be considered for LGBT+ roles”–if there was a part where she did say or imply that, then I stand corrected, but to my understanding, what was actually said was “this recent trend of thinking that an x role can ONLY be played by a real-life x is kind of ridiculous and goes against what acting is supposed to be at its core.”

That is way, way different than the snippet that’s getting passed around on social media by click-hungry websites.

And she’s right, it is a hotly debated issue right now! Even in fandom, there’s all this stupid discourse lately about who is “allowed” to write fanfiction about queer characters hooking up and all these weirdly prescriptive rules about how to go about it (particularly about m/m stuff), and I don’t see why we as a community are so jazzed about wanting to gatekeep like that. It discourages writers from wanting to talk about anyone besides themselves, which means we all get less of what we want. I want to read more stories about wlw, and I couldn’t give a fuck about the author’s identity so long as they write well enough.

So for me, it’s a similar concept here. If the straight actors were playing these gay roles in a way that was stereotypical and/or offensive, then I could see the outrage, but if the portrayal of the queer character is good and makes the average Hetero Harry and Cis Sally more comfortable and open to watching queer content, then how is that an objectively bad thing?

Yes, there are a lot of out-of-work queer actors. Yes, there are not nearly as many queer roles as straight ones. However, part of the issue with Hollywood is that it perpetuates “movie star culture” where the actors themselves become part of the product just as important as (and often more than) the content of the film itself. Hollywood is all about keeping a contained stable of household-name actors to sell products to the public. What’s the first thing advertised about a new movie coming out? The cast. How often do people go see a film knowing very little about it besides who the lead actors are? Why are they called “Steven Seagal movies” instead of “martial arts cop thrillers”?

There’s a very telling quote in the interview about how it was difficult to get Carol off the ground as a project, even though well-known actors were involved with it. It’s a thing you take for granted with Hollywood–if nobody famous is in the film, then who’s going to go see it? How the heck do you market that to the general public? Especially if it’s focusing on subject matter that isn’t as well-established in pop culture, like queer content, stories about racial minorities, etc.

So in a way you could see Cate Blanchett’s quote as an endorsement for straight actors to not get all “ew, no homo” and throw their weight behind projects like this so it’s easier to get more of that content made. Her statement to me sounds way more like “I am totally secure in myself and I don’t mind a future landscape where every other love story is queer, because I don’t have to be identical to someone else to empathize with them and be able to play their roles.”

Basically I don’t agree with the assessment that she’s dying on any hill here. I don’t think she exclusively cares about straight actors being allowed to play queer parts and nothing else. I think that it was a response to an interview question about something she feels passionately about–if you want to know what she thinks should be done about dismantling the clique-ish nature of Hollywood casting, then…ask? Like people irl generally aren’t spouting off their political stances every second of their lives, guys. 

If someone asks me “Do you think that anyone should be allowed to write queer stories?” I’m going to answer with a resounding yes, and say that I think the current gatekeeping sentiments are misguided and ultimately counterproductive. I’m probably not going to then spiral off and discuss how publishers need to be more accessible to LGBT+ writers, because at that moment in time, I might consider it obvious, or not entirely relevant to the question that was asked. Meanwhile, the headline the next day becomes “Tumblr User JinjoJess Passionate That Only Straight People Should Tell Queer Stories” (I am well-acquainted with this phenomenon, given that people take what I say on this blog out of context all the goddamn time, usually because I didn’t specifically reassure them that what they care about is important too).

So tl;dr, I feel like a lot of this is projection–I don’t think that this single response to a question that was asked during an interview encompasses the entirety of Cate Blanchett’s feelings on Hollywood and Representation. I also suspect that people reporting on this have an agenda to push, hence taking the quote out of context and twisting the words to make her look bad, and for many of them, that agenda is “get more clicks”, which has been proven to be easier to accomplish by pissing people off.

[jack-andthestalk]

Bad Decisions

Chapter 1

This is is my first attempt at I hope will be a multi part fanfic, obviously please say if you would like more ..

“Sassenach, did ye no hear me?

Clarie looked at him with a blank expression and prehaps a little annoyance in the look.

“Sorry Jamie, did you want me?

“Aye I was asking did you want to come with the rest of us to mill later for a dip”?

“Eh no, sorry Jamie I can't, if you’ll excuse me Im running late”

And with that she waved her beautiful head of curly hair and disappeared down the corridor. Jamie's stomach tightened He knew there was something seriously amiss with Claire this past few weeks but this was probably the first time she had blanked him so, she couldn't even bear to look at him.

The rest of the day he spent going over how wrongly he had assessed his plan in order to win Claire’s affections, he had long sought her attention, and had recently been inspired by a story Rupert had told him on winning his girlfirends Lizzie heart, and put his plan into action.

Claire lived on the border of his familys land, her uncle had bought several acres from his father about 6 years ago and with that Claire Beauchamp had swanned, flew or glided into his life...she was even at a young 12 years old the most beautiful thing he ever clapped his striking blue eyes on and although he didn't recognise it straight away, he later learned that he was falling in love with her while they struggled through their teenage years. But it was a big bridge to gap trying to turn them from childhood friends to something more as the years went on and Claire grew into a young woman it was hard to ignore her beauty, she was a fire cracker too in temperament too and extremely intelligent. But they had the awkard almost brother sister relationship due to their neighbour status and given that she was his sisters best friend, it only made it harder to get her to see him in any other light than the boy next door.

When Rupert began one night telling him over the stolen whiskey from his father Brian's stash, how he had eventually got lizzys attention , Jamie thought it was genius! he felt like alarm bells went off in his head. Lizzie Rupert’s girlfriend and long time crush simply had never noticed him so after Rupert began dating a string of lassies in senior year, it quickly got lizzies interest and the rest is history, they were now inseperable.

Jamie thought this was gold! He himself knew he could turn lassies heads, his height and build had come into their own the past couple of years and he worked hard in the gym and the football pitch to keep his fitness in top form. His red hair just made him stand out further, so he began his quest to date a few lassies from their year in the hope that it would have the same effect on Claire as it had on Lizzie.

He began with gusto after Hogmanay , he was nearly thinking he might not have to after His father Brian asked Claire and her uncle to spend Hogmanay with his family, he had spent a lovely holiday with Claire . Eating and drinking and lying on the couch in the family room watching movies with Jen and Ian, she had leaned up against him and he had slid his arm around her shoulder, he was in heaven . Later that evening he had grumbled over the sentimental movie Jenny had picked and she had laughed and looked up from his shoulder saying ‘poor baby’ in her cute little English accent, she was staring straight into his eyes so without conscious thought more a magnetic pull he had bent down and put his lips to hers beautiful full warm lips, and was just about to start exploring each other’s mouths when Jenny jumped up and turned on the lights making them jump apart. Damn Janet! God for the few seconds it lasted was like bliss He was sure he had turned her heart a tad after this but once they went back to school she had been quiet with him again and returned to their previous friendship status, so as he fought against the idea of dating others he eventually decided to start the dating game ...

The first few lassies were nice enough girls and he had no problem bringing them to the movies or for a bite to eat but they weren’t Claire and he missed her. He continued on though , a few times just in order to get right under her nose he had brought a date along with their mutual gang of friends , and although she was quiet with him and hoped he had seen a little bit of longing in her eyes she was nothing but courteous and even friendly to the lassies he had tag along.

Well that was until he had brought along the latest and last of his dates. Laoighaire Mc Kimmie, he had known Claire disliked her through school not sure exactly the reason but Laoighaire was the type of girl pleasant enough to the lads but didn’t exactly encourage female companionship, so he just put Claire’s dislike down to that. Laoighaire was pleasant enough to have on your arm and while she was a long way off Claire’s striking beauty she was a Bonnie enough wee thing. He had gone to a few of the lassies beds but that was more his cock in action than him and although the ending was the same he didn’t exactly feel any of them had set him alight . Not the way he felt when he only looked at Claire never mind having her in his bed .

Well it all went wrong after he brought Laoghaire out a few times, Claire left early the first time and didn’t rejoin the gang after that. He soon blew Laoghaire off , and Claire after much persuasion from Jenny rejoined the group outings but she all but ignored Jamie despite his constant invitations or try at flirtation .

That evening after thinking on Claire’s last reaction to him he could take no more and as much as he loathed to get her advise he knocked softly on his sisters door to seek her advise on the matter, as far as he was aware Jenny wasn’t aware of his true feelings for Claire but he could simply broach the subject as a concerned friend ... or that was the plan .

“Come in, oh Jamie what’s up?”

“Eh Jenny, I was just wondering ... Em .. the thing is..”

“Spit it out brother !!”

“I was just em wondering if you knew if there was .. eh .. something up with Claire?”

If Jenny was expecting this question she hid it well under her slanted blue eyes identical to his own .

“Wrong with her? In what way brother?”

Christ she wasn’t going to make this easy!

“Well it’s just she seems to be nearly off with me or something , I can’t quite put my finger on it but she seems to be running away from me every time I see her”

“Oh”

Jenny clearly knew exactly what was wrong .

She lowered her head and pressed her lips together.

“Well I’d imagine it’s to do with Laoghaire”

For a minute his heart soared so maybe his plan had worked if Claire was jealous over Laoghaire . Maybe she still thought he was seeing her, maybe she had engaged in the game to show him what he was missing .. well she needn’t bother with that, he knew fine well already..

“Oh right Jenny I see”

“Do ye though brother?”

“I think so aye, she isn’t keen on me dating the lassie”

“Well maybe that is partially it’ she replied hesitantly ‘but it’s more that you’ve hurt her truly’

Hurt her! Christ he hadn’t thought of that. Claire was too strong willed to have a bit of childish jealousy hurt her. God that was never his intention...

‘Jenny why ... eh what I mean to say is ..

Before he could continue Jenny cut him off.

‘It’s not the dating it’s the person you picked’ she continued. She looked at Jamie as if he could either be mad or stupid.

‘Oh right.. well I Dinna intend on seeing Laoghaire again so il explain that to her..’

‘Jamie I can tell you don’t know the full truth of it so I’m going to explain it to you like you’re 3’

He raised his eyes here but eager for her to continue ..

Laoghaire has treated Claire terrible since she joined our school 6 years ago has done all types of terrible unmentionable acts , wrote on the bathroom walls how Claire is a slut and to be honest that’s the mildest example’ tripped her up in public, called her names in front of the class, she has bad mouthed her to almost all of the football team , although I Dinna think that put any of them off wanting to date Claire’ she continued but that was Laoighaire’s intention.

The last part made Jamie’s heart twist, it never occurred to him that while he played his dating game he had stiff competition from nearly all of his team mates for Claire’s heart! Christ what if she ...

Jenny was on a role though, so she continued to explain as if he was three..

‘In general though she made Claire’s life a living hell’

Jamie wanted the floor to swallow him whole.

“Christ Jenny you cannae think I knew any of this.. I would never .. ever have involved myself with the lassie had I known ..’

‘Aye Jamie I ken that but it nae the point is it?’

‘Janet .. please explain to her I Dinna ken ..’

‘Jamie’ she stopped him.

‘Claire is the loyalist sole I know to her it shouldna mattered what Laoghhaire exactly did to her or if you knew the details of it ..you kenned well Claire didn’t like her, of all the girls you could have picked Jamie what possessed you to pick her!!’

Jenny was exasperated she looked like she wanted to kill him. He didn’t blame her oh god what a fool he was. He couldn’t answer her last question.

The answer stuck in Jamie’s throat, he couldn’t bring himself to confess to Jenny why he had chosen Laoghaire to get Claire’s attention , he already felt enough of a fool.

His heart was literally hurting in his chest. Oh god how would he ever make Claire see.

Jenny maybe having seen his crest fallen expression continued a little more softly.

‘Jamie if the shoe was reversed and Claire kenned someone you mistrusted she would never give them the time of day.. you know she turned down Tom Christie because she knows you dinna like him, Claire told him as much that was on account of her friendship with you, so when you had Laoghaire on your arm he took great delight in chastising her that you dinna return her loyalty, Claire just kept her head held high even though through those weeks you were seeing Laoghaire , she still picked on Claire and pulled her stupid silly tricks. Tell ya the truth Jamie I wanted to knock her out cold but Claire wouldna let me. Claire is too dignified . God even Ian, Angus and Rupert are annoyed at you for bringing that girl around our gang Claire hasn’t been the same since!

Jenny spat the last sentence at him,Jamie actually had a lump in his throat and he wanted to cry.

The look on his sisters face told him there was something else , at this stage he knew he had tears in his eyes so Jenny hesitantly continued but he knew she had to say it that this conversation had been on Jenny’s mind for longer than he realised . She loved Claire and was absolutely 100% raging with him for hurting her so.

‘Jamie’ she said at last ..

‘Of all the girls you dated for God’s sake Laoighaire is the one girl that is the least discreet .. do ye no think that even I have heard about you taking her to bed ? you honestly think Claire escaped Laoighaire taunting her of what it felt like to have you ?

‘Jesus Jamie!’ You do even ken the damage you’ve done to yer friendship.

Jamie thought he heard his heart break

[2indecisive4this-blog]

Kaitlyn x MC HCs (as per anon request)

1. Who is the early bird/ Who is the night owl?

Kaitlyn’s a major night owl. MC tries to keep up, but tends to pass out...often flopping right onto her. It can be inconvenient.

2. Who is the big spoon/ Who is the little spoon?

They switch, but generally Kaitlyn’s the big spoon. MC revels in the feeling of being totally enveloped in Kaitlyn’s embrace. When MC can’t sleep, she’ll grab Kaitlyn’s arms and pull them around herself. Though this wakes her up, she never minds and gives MC a loving squeeze and soft kiss on the back of her neck before falling back asleep.

3. Who hogs the cover/ Who loves to cuddle?

They battle for covers-custody constantly. MC usually wins, but relinquish the blankets because Kaitlyn’s “just too cute to say no to”.

4. Who wakes the other one up with kisses?

On the rare occasion Kaitlyn wakes up before MC, she'll pepper her with kisses until she wakes up (usually groggily groaning one of her celebrity crushes’ names “Oh Jen..” to get Kaitlyn feisty. It doesn't usually work “Aniston or Lawrence?”)

5. Who usually has nightmares?

Kaitlyn has frequent nightmares with monsters from her favorite horror movies, though she claims that she actually likes them. MC sees through her bluff though when she snuggles extra close and squeezes her a little tighter afterwards.

6. Who would have really deep emotional thoughts at the middle of the night/ Who would have them in the middle of the day?

They're both known to wake the other up to ask deep philosophical questions

“If you can sunbathe, does that mean you can moonbathe?”

“OMFG I WAS WONDERING THE SAME THING”

7. Who sweats the small stuff?

Kaitlyn. She's still fairly insecure about their relationship, often being worked up when her plans don't go exactly according to, well, plan. When she starts stressing, MC will take her face in her hands and kiss her nose, assuring her that “everything is perfect”

8. Who sleeps in their underwear (or naked)/ Who sleeps in their pajamas?

MC used to sleep in her pajamas but Kaitlyn's incessant whining that “pj are just extra distance between [them]”, they now both sleep “O’ Natural”. It's gotten to the point MC often forgets to get dressed when leaving their room in the morning. Needless to say, her friendship with Zack and Chris with never be the same again.

9. Who makes the coffee (or tea)?

MC makes it, though admits she probably doesn't need it with her “natural high on life”. Kaitlyn knows she needs it, and demands it “by the friggin gallon”.

10. Who likes sweet/ Who likes sour?

They both love the combination, often opting to buy both a pack of Swedish fish, and one of Sour Patch Watermelon. when it comes down to it though, the Swedish fish always gravitate toward MC and the Sour Patch Watermelon to Kaitlyn.

11. Who likes horror movies/ Who likes romance movies?

Kaitlyn LOVES horror movies. To death. Quite literally. MC doesn't like them but tolerates them for Kaitlyn's sake. Usually Kaitlyn tells her to “watch [her]” during the scary parts, and takes the opportunity to steal a kiss or two.

MC is a sucker for cheesy romance, romcoms in particular. Kaitlyn insists that “true love happens over time and can't be represented in an hour and a half” She will admit though, that “Drew Barrymore is smokin’”, and she'd “watch anything to see her in it”.

12. Who is smol/ Who is tol?

MC is tol, though just barely taller than Kaitlyn. Personality wise, MC is smol.

13. Who is considered the scaredy cat?

MC. She jumps at every little thing. Kaitlyn used to like scaring her, but at this point it’s too easy and she doesn’t even bother trying.

14. Who kills the spiders?

Kaitlyn, though MC always whines and asks her not to kill them. Once, Kaitlyn tried sparing a spider and instead dumping it outside (as requested) but a paranoid MC changed her mind and sent her back out into the wilderness to ensure it wouldn't return. It took hours.

15. Who is scared of the dark?

MC. She's “not scared, just apprehensive of what might be hiding in it”.

16. Who is scared of thunderstorms?

MC. She startles with each thunder clap and and shivers at the thought of lightning. Occasionally though, Kaitlyn can convince her to stand outside in it, and they kiss beneath the torrent.

17. Who works/ Who stays at home?

They both work, though MC tends to work from home (writing). Kaitlyn has spare time between gigs, and so they hang together a lot while they’re at home.

18. Who is a cat person/ Who is a dog person?

They’re both dog people, although MC also loves cats. Kaitlyn loves MC’s dog (MC sometimes gets a lil jelly over how much Bastien (“don’t judge”) loves Kaitlyn)

19. Who loves to call the other one cute names?

It’s been a sickening and undying competition between them for ever. It started with Kaitlyn calling MC “bunny” (after an embarrassing The Christmas Story -esque fiasco), to which MC countered “snugglebunny”. The most recent installment is “Snuffleupagus-bunny-pooh-bear I” (Kaitlyn’s creation) but with no end in sight, and with Webster’s Dictionary being the colossal reference that it is, the possibilities are endless.

20. Who is dominant/ Who is submissive?

Kaitlyn tends to be dominant, but they switch it up frequently (MC loves topping Kait mid “session”--Kaitlyn loves it too).

21. Who has an obsession (over anything)?

Kaitlyn’s ongoing horror movie obsession has grown tiresome for MC. If she has to sit through another Skin Goblins marathon, let alone being Kaitlyn’s Skin Goblin cosplay partner (it’s a two person costume), MC’s head might implode.

22. Who goes all out for Valentine’s Day?

MC openly obsesses over Valentine’s Day, whereas Kaitlyn tries to act cavalier (while planning an extensive surprise in secret).

23. Who asks who out on the first date?

MC asked Kaitlyn bc Kaitlyn still couldn’t fathom that MC was into her as well (old gay insecurities).

24. Who is the talker/ Who is the listener?

They take turns. It’s slightly ridiculous. Kaitlyn fished a clock out of an ancient chess set from her (limited) time in chess club in highschool. They take turns chattering for 45 seconds at a time before switching again.

25. Who wears the other ones clothes?

Kaitlyn.

Never.

Does.

Laundry.

Ever.

Hope that’s enough information to answer the question :)

26. Who likes to eat healthy/ Who loves junk food?

They both live on crap food (past the point of junk food). They’re working on it though, no more Cheetos with Cheez Doodle on top, only one or the other.

27. Who takes a long shower/ Who sings in the shower?

They both sing in the shower, although Kaitlyn’s singing is far less embarrassing (and yet she somehow remains more embarrassed while doing so? Again, old gay insecurities die hard).

28. Who is the book worm?

MC loves reading (mostly graphic novels at this point), whereas Kaitlyn’s Netflix addiction grows with each season of American Horror Story.

Even the bad ones.

29. Who is the better cook?

Neither of them can make a half decent meal alone without making an offensive mess. As near as they can figure though, two heads are actually worse than one, as when they work together nothing gets made except for a mess.

30. Who likes long walks on the beach?

MC and Kaitlyn like to ironically frolic along the shores, hand in hand. MC actually loves building sandcastles, while Kaitlyn actually loves stomping them afterwards.

31. Who is more affectionate?

MC is more innocently affectionate; opting to hold hands in public, sneak quick kisses, and give long tender hugs. Kaitlyn, although now confidently out, is still occasionally nervous (old gay habits) of PDA, but more than compensates in private.

32. Who likes to have really long (deep) conversation?

They both do, but MC’s subject matter tends to be lighter whereas Kaitlyn’s discussion topics usually derive from real-life examples she’s feeling guilty or regretful of.

33. Who would wear “not guilty” t-shirt/ Who would wear “sin” t-shirt?

Kaitlyn wanted to wear the “not guilty” shirt, but MC called her out.

34. Who would wear “if lost return to…” t-shirt/ Who would wear “I am…” t-shirt?

Kaitlyn's the lost puppy. They wear them so often that they've accumulated 3 pairs. Kaitlyn thinks it's funny to also wear the “I am MC” shirt without MC noticing. MC does not share the sentiment.

35. Who goes overboard on the holidays?

MC is obsessed. Kaitlyn tends to forget they're even coming up, tending to opt for belated holiday gifts (so she has the timeto buy them last minute). One year she got MC a single disposable razor left over from her 5 pack (“get it? Because you raze the roof?”)

MC did get it.

MC was not amused.

36. Who is the social media addict?

Kaitlyn's developed a bit of an obsession since becoming her band’s social (media) butterfly.

37. Height difference or age difference?

A tiny height difference, MC is a hair taller.

38. Who likes to star gaze?

They both LOVE it, often waking up on their front lawn after an especially starry night.

39. Who buys cereal for the prize inside?

They both will, but won't admit it; often racing the other to finish the box solely for the prize at the bottom. MC calculated the number of times it takes to reach the bottom and so feels confident she's getting the mood ring (little does she know, Kaitlyn already opened the bottom of the box, took the ring, and taped it back up).

40. Who is the fun parent/ Who is the responsible parent?

They don't have kids, but they have a dog! His name is Wilbur, and they're convinced he's actually a pig in disguise. They're both honestly abysmal dog/pig parents, but together they manage to walk him, feed him, and get him to the vet on time (usually).

41. Who cries during sad movies?

MC. Kaitlyn rolls her eyes, hugs her close, and hands her a tissue (though they have to share whenever a dog dies).

42. Who is the neat freak?

MC wouldn't call herself a neat freak, but Kaitlyn’s messiness pains her soul. She often reminisces to the brief period of time she lived with Rachel, musing that she “didn't yet know what a trash goblin truly was”.

43. Who wins the stuffed animals at the carnival for the other one?

They both try very hard and fail even harder, but have a great time and opt for cotton candy and caramel apples instead.”Food is the best prize anyway”

44. Who is active/ Who is lazy?

They're both pretty lazy, although MC tends to be pretty restless and hard to pin down. She spends a lot of their “Netflix and Chill” sessions pacing more than chilling.

45. Who is more likely to get drunk?

Kaitlyn doesn't drink anymore, though she has a growing suspicion that her “shirley temples really do [her] in”

46. Who has the longer food order?

Kaitlyn. MC tries to keep up, but Kaitlyn could eat everything on the menu and still have seconds. It's no competition.

47. Who has the more complex coffee order?

MC. Not that her order is overly complicated, but Kaitlyn drinks black coffee. 

“I like my coffee how I like my women, bitter”

“Hey!”

*winks *

48. Who loses stuff?

They both lose everything. Kaitlyn at least knows she left her things amidst her other piles of crap, whereas MC loses things everywhere she goes and has no chance of tracking them down.

49. Who is the driver/ Who is the passenger?

They tend to go by bus, but when it comes to it MC usually drives.

50. Who is the hopeless romantic?

Day by day, MC is, but Kaitlyn is excellent at creating massive gestures. MC loves them (and her) dearly.

Give me a fictional couple :D

[ts1989fanatic]

All 115 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked

From teenage country tracks to synth-pop anthems and little-known covers, a comprehensive assessment and celebration of Swift's one-of-a-kind songbook

Taylor Swift the celebrity is such a magnet for attention, she can distract from Taylor Swift the artist. But Swift was a songwriter before she was a star, and she'll be a songwriter long after she graduates from that racket. It's in her music where she's made her mark on history – as a performer, record-crafter, guitar hero and all-around pop mastermind, with songs that can leave you breathless, or with a nasty scar. She was soaring on the level of the all-time greats before she was old enough to rent a car, with the crafty guile of a Carole King and the reckless heart of a Paul Westerberg – and she hasn't exactly slowed down since then.

So with all due respect to Taylor the myth, the icon, the red-carpet tabloid staple, let's celebrate the realTaylor – the songwriter she was born to be. Let's break it down: all 115 tunes, counted from the bottom to the top. The hits, the flops, the deep cuts, the covers, from her raw 2006 debut as a teen country ingénue to "...Ready for It?" – her latest offering. Every fan would compile a different list – that's the beauty of it. But they're not ranked by popularity, sales or supposed celebrity quotient – just the level of Taylor genius on display, from the perspective of a fan who generally does not give a rat's nads who the songs are "really" about. All that matters is whether they're about you and me. (I guarantee you are a more fascinating human than the Twilight guy, though I'm probably not.)

Sister Tay may be the last true rock star on the planet, making brilliant moves (or catastrophic gaffes, because that's what rock stars do). These are the songs that sum up her wit, her empathy, her flair for emotional excess, her girls-to-the-front bravado, her urge to ransack every corner of pop history, her determination to turn any chorus into a ridiculous spectacle. So let's step back from the image and pay homage to her one-of-a-kind songbook – because the weirdest and most fascinating thing about Taylor Swift will always be her music.

115. "Bad Blood" (2014)

Melodically parched, lyrically unfinished, rhythmically clunky – this was a mighty strange pick for a single from an album as loaded as 1989. There are a million things Taylor has in common with Paul McCartney – one is that celebrity grievances tend to sound like a penny-ante waste of their time, even when they're totally understandable (unless you're a fan of Macca's "Dear Boy," where John Lennon is his Katy Perry). The single remix is improved by Kendrick Lamar – but he wasn't saving his A-game for this one.

Best line: "Band-Aids don't fix bullet holes."

114. "Santa Baby" (2007)

Yes, she made a Christmas album, which is full of contenders for the basement of this list. But an oldie about a gold digger wooing Little Saint Nick was perhaps a dubious pick for a singer still in her teens.

Best line: "I've been an awful good girl."

113. "A Place in This World" (2006)

Apprentice work from the debut, when she was still learning the ropes as a country songwriter. Yet, the seeds of greatness are already there. Historical significance: This was the song where Tay discovered rain imagery, which in her hands was the equivalent of Sir Isaac Newton inventing calculus.

Best line: "I'll be strong/I'll be wrong/But life goes on."

112. "Christmas Must Be Something More" (2007)

A hymn about how Jesus is the reason for the season, with the hook, "So here's to the birthday boy who saved our lives." Unlike most boys Swift sings about, Jesus didn't comment publicly.

Best line: "What would happen if God never let it snow?"

111. "I'm Only Me When I'm With You" (2006)

Could there be a less Swiftian sentiment? For better or worse, this girl is always herself. That's kinda the point.

Best line: "I'm only up when you're not down/Don't wanna fly if you're still on the ground."

110. "Two Is Better Than One" With Boys Like Girls (2009)

A long, long, very long duet with former Good Charlotte and Fall Out Boy tourmates Boys Like Girls, who are either from London or Nashville (they seem to switch accents at random).

Best line: "You already got me coming…undone."

109. "Out of the Woods" (2014)

Taylor loves to sing about boyfriends who are terrible drivers, but this guy takes the prize – he crashes her snowmobile and gets 20 stitches in the hospital. Call a cab, girl.

Best line: "Two paper airplanes flying, flying, flying."

108. "Silent Night" (2007)

This bizarre version manages to miss almost every single note in the melody. They sure were in a rush to get this Christmas album out.

Best line: "Shepherds quake at the sight."

107. "Both of Us" With B.o.B (2012)

Nice try at remaking "Airplanes," but that Hayley Williams lightning does not strike twice.

Best line: "Your money's all gone, and you lose your whip."

106. "The Last Time" With Gary Lightbody (2012)

Her duet with the guy from Snow Patrol. Unfortunately, their voices don't mesh at all – what, is he auditioning for a Spandau Ballet tribute band? The funny moment is the très Eighties synth-horn blurp at the three-minute mark.

Best line: "This is the last time I'm asking you this/Put my name at the top of your list."

105. "The Outside" (2006)

Still a rookie, still learning, still trying to get away with "read between the lines" and "the road less traveled by" in the same verse.

Best line: "Nothing ever works the first few times/Am I right?"

104. "Girl at Home" (2012)

A perfunctory cheating-is-bad homily, with barely any chorus.

Best line: "I feel a responsibility/To do what's upstanding and right."

103. "Come in With the Rain" (2008)

She leaves her window open overnight, just in case her ex falls out of a cloud. There's a great "oooh" in the second chorus – one of those moments you can tell she's an Oasis fan. (This song makes you suspect "Don't Look Back In Anger" is a fave.)

Best line: "I could stand up and write you a song/But I don't wanna have to go that far."

102. "Half of My Heart" With John Mayer (2009)

The real prize from his Battle Studies album is "Heartbreak Warfare"; this is lesser J.M., with an underexploited T.S. cameo and an increasingly irritating premise of hearts having fingers, which they don't. No wonder the girl in the dress cried the whole way home.

Best line: "Half of my heart's got a grip on the situation."

101. "The Other Side of the Door" (2008)

Again with the slamming doors. Tay Tay – even the great songwriters can get away with exactly one slamming door per career. And just to be on the safe side, she throws in pouring rain, photo albums, a little black dress (which rhymes with "mess" and "confess"), a guy throwing pebbles at her window….In other words, this would be the ultimate Swift song – except there are a hundred better ones.

Best line: "Me and my stupid pride, sitting here alone/Going through the photographs, staring at the phone."

100. "Superman" (2010)

A Lois Lane fantasy, left off Speak Now for good reason.

Best line: "Tall dark and beautiful/He's complicated, he's so irrational."

99. "Cold as You" (2006)

"I start a fight because I need to feel something" – give her credit for honesty, even in this raw phase.

Best line: "Oh, every smile you fake is so condescending."

98. "If This Was a Movie" (2010)

"Good evening, sir. May I help you? You're a guy in a Taylor Swift song who wants to stand outside the window in the pouring rain, begging the love of your life to forgive your sorry ass? Take a number and get in line. No, that line."

Best line: "But I take it all back now!"

97. "Sweeter Than Fiction" (2013)

A warm-up for the synth-pop of 1989, from the One Chancesoundtrack.

Best line: "What a sight when the light came on."

96. "A Perfectly Good Heart" (2006)

"It's not unbroken anymore"? Paging the eminent cardiologist Dr. Toni Braxton.

Best line: "Why would you wanna make the very first scar?/Why would you wanna break a perfectly good heart?"

95. "White Christmas" (2007)

Unlike "Silent Night," this was a yuletide carol she could handle, with a straight-down-the-middle country rendition.

Best line: "Where the treetops glisten."

94. "Never Grow Up" (2010)

A folksy fingerpicking change of pace on Speak Now, pining for childhood innocence – though it feels more like a leftover from the debut.

Best line: "You're mortified your mom's dropping you off."

93. "I Don’t Wanna Live Forever" With Zayn Malik (2016)

Neither she nor Zayn sound deeply interested in this dueling-falsettos battle from the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack. Maybe it works in the movie, but who wants to go find out? Really, they sound like two ghosts standing in the place of…sorry, sore subject, let's drop it.

Best line: "I've been feeling sad in all the nicest places."

92. "You Are in Love" (2014)

One of her through-the-years romances, this one featuring a snow globe.

Best line: "For once you let go of your fears and your ghosts."

91. "Mary's Song (Oh My My)" (2006)

Another through-the-years romance, but with a sweet homespun touch.

Best line: "I'll be 87, you'll be 89/I'll still look at you like the stars that shine in the sky."

90. "Highway Don't Care" With Tim McGraw and Keith Urban (2013)

A duet from McGraw's album Two Lanes of Freedom, with a guitar solo from Keith Urban. The plot: His ex is driving away, listening to a Taylor song on the radio, as Tay tries to coax the woman into turning the car around and going home. Perhaps McGraw's finest duet since his great lost Nelly jam, "Over & Over."

Best line: "I bet you're bending God's ear talking 'bout me."

89. "Change" (2008)

Oh, the fall of 2008 – Chuck and Blair were still an item, Suede was killing it on Project Runway, and "Change" was a de facto victory song for Obama, complete with a thumbs-up for "the revolution." Yeah, those were different times.

Best line: "These walls that they put up to hold us back will fall down."

88. "Nashville" (2010)

A cover of an obscurity by country singer David Mead, tucked away as a bonus on the Target edition of the Speak Now Tour Live DVD.

Best line: "Was that a blood or wine stain on your wedding dress?"

87. "The Sweet Escape" (2010)

From the same live DVD, a remake of the Gwen Stefani solo hit. Taylor's vocal sure fits the Gwen just-a-girl sensibility.

Best line: "I must apologize for acting stank."

86. "Look What You Made Me Do" (2017)

The reason fans once cared about rap beefs: They inspired great songs, whether it was Queens vs. the Bronx ("The Bridge" vs. "The Bridge Is Over" vs. "Have a Nice Day") or LL Cool J vs. Kool Moe Dee ("How Ya Like Me Now" vs. "Jack the Ripper" vs. "Let's Go" vs. "To Da Break of Dawn"). But this just sounds like a trivial time-waster by her standards – Swift's celebrity feuds are not really one of the hundred most interesting things about her. The main attraction here is the retro Panic! at the Disco vibe. Here's hoping it gets outshined by the rest of Reputation, the way "Shake It Off" was instantly eclipsed by the rest of 1989.

Best line: "It's much better to face these kinds of things with a sense of poise and rationality." Oh wait – that actually is Panic! at the Disco.

85. "Stay Beautiful" (2006)

An early stab at a take-the-high-road breakup song.

Best line: "He whispers songs into my window."

84. "I Want You Back" (2010)

A live acoustic tribute to the then-recently departed Michael Jackson, with a bit of Motown tremble in her voice.

Best line: "Now it's much too late for me to take a second look."

83. "The Way I Loved You" (2008)

She meets a low-stress boy who doesn't want love to be torture. Alas, this suitor is toast, because he reminds her how much she misses the manic pixie drama vampire she dated before. Sorry, dude – she loves the players, and she loves the game.

Best line: "He respects my space/And never makes me wait."

82. "Thug Story" With T-Pain (2009)

The classic T-Pain and Taylor duet from the 2009 CMT Awards, still T-Swizzle's finest rap performance.

Best line: "No, I never really been in a club/Still live with my parents, but I'm still a thug/I'm so gangsta you can find me baking cookies at night/You out clubbing, but I just made caramel delight."

81. "I Wish You Would" (2014)

One of her many, many songs set at 2 a.m. – clearly the most inspiring hour on Swift Standard Time – with a staccato disco guitar lick.

Best line: "We were a crooked love in a straight line down."

80. "Umbrella" (2008)

The Rihanna hit, briefly covered on the Live in SoHo digital album. Her finest Ri tribute remains her 2011 version of "Live Your Life" with T.I. onstage in Atlanta – sadly unreleased, but a duet that deserves to be enshrined for the ages.

Best line: "Stand under my umbrella, ella, ella."

79. "I Heart ?" (2008)

The trad country sound she soon left behind, from her Beautiful EyesEP.

Best line: "Wake up, and smell the breakup/Fix my heart, put on my makeup."

78. "Breathe" (With Colbie Caillat) (2008)

A gorgeous duet full of low-key nuances – her humming after the first verse, that "sorry, sorry, sorry" fade, the way Colbie's voice lifts hers.

Best line: "It's tragedy, and it'll only bring you down."

77. "The Moment I Knew" (2012)

A somber piano ballad about getting stood up on your 21st birthday.

Best line: "There in the bathroom/I try not to fall apart."

76. "Untouchable" (2008)

A rare case where she retools somebody else's song on one of her proper albums – the all-but-unknown Y2K-era rock band Luna Halo, who went on to open for Hoobastank. Her Fearless version sounds practically nothing like their original (though both name-check .38 Special's Eighties classic "Caught Up in You"). In fact, it's tough to fathom how she heard the original as raw material she could use – now that's ears.

Best line: "In the middle of the night when I'm in this dream/It's like a million little stars spelling out your name."

75. "Pour Some Sugar On Me" With Def Leppard (2008)

She makes a daring leap into the hair-metal mom market by teaming up with Def Leppard on CMT Crossroads, a move that works almost frighteningly well. Peak glam, especially when she asks the gender-torching question, "Demolition woman, can I be your man?"

Best line: "Do you take sugar? One lump or two?"

74. "Christmases When You Were Mine" (2007)

Taylor writes her own ace lovelorn holiday standard, ambushing her ex with one of those squirm-packed Merry-Christmas phone calls. Awkward question: "When you were putting up the lights this year/Did you notice one less pair of hands?" Eat your heart out, Mariah.

Best line: "I bet you got your mom another sweater."

73. "American Girl" (2009)

A bang-up claim on the Tom Petty classic – she used his original as her live entrance music for a while. Then she switched to Lenny Kravitz's "American Woman."

Best line: "Oh yeah! All right!"

72. "Invisible" (2006)

A teen ditty about a boy who doesn't realize she's alive, from pretty much the last moment in history that was possible. Clever pop-obsessive touch: The final steel-guitar twang echoes Elton John's "Rocket Man." If you think that's an accident…this is Planet Tay. There are no accidents.

Best line: "We could be a beautiful miracle, unbelievable, instead of just invisible."

71. "Jump Then Fall" (2008)

Ironclad rule of pop music: Songs about jumping are never a bad idea. Dig that "listens to Sublime once" vocal.

Best line: "I watch you talk, you didn't notice."

70. "Breathless" (2010)

Digging deep in the Nineties modern-rock crates, she does right by a previously obscure (to me) nugget from the New Orleans band Better Than Ezra – from 2005!, 10 years after their MTV hit! – as a charity benefit for the Hope for Haiti Now album.

Best line: "I'll never judge you/I can only love you."

69. "Superstar" (2008)

"You smile that beautiful smile, and all the girls in the front row scream your name." No relation to the 1970s Leon Russell ballad immortalized by the Carpenters – except they're both poignant ballads about groupies crushing on distant guitar boys. Well, as Journey warned, lovin' a music man ain't always what it's supposed to be.

Best line: "You sing me to sleep every night from the radio."

68. "Crazier" (2009)

Her ballad from Hannah Montana: The Movie, snagging her a cameo in the film. (But the highlight of the soundtrack will always be "Hoedown Throwdown.") This is where Taylor and Miley crossed light sabers – although they'd meet again. Great title, too – even Taylor might probably admit Miley had her beat in this department, at least until the "Blank Space" video.

Best line: "Every sky was your own kind of blue."

67. "Innocent" (2010)

Little-known fact: Did you know Kanye West once went onstage to interrupt Swift's acceptance speech at the VMAs and threw a misogynist tantrum about how she didn't deserve an award? Strange but true! "Innocent" was her song publicly forgiving him – seven freaking years ago – then they both released brilliant albums, and we all moved on with our lives. Dear Lord, if only this story had ended there.

Best line: "It's okay/Life is a tough crowd."

66. "Come Back…Be Here" (2012)

A yearning prayer for a rock & roll boy on tour, weak in the knees as she pleads for him to jet back on any terms he chooses.

Best line: "I guess you're in London today."

65. "Tied Together With a Smile" (2006)

An unsung highlight of the debut – a teen pep talk about self-esteem.

Best line: "Seems the only one who doesn't see your beauty/Is the face in the mirror looking back at you."

64. "Last Christmas" (2007)

Tay does the Wham! legacy proud – she should have also covered "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go." The ache and quaver of her voice fit the George Michael melancholy; this might be the saddest "Last Christmas" since the original. Plenty of us communed with this version last Christmas, the night we said goodbye to the guy who wrote it. R.I.P., George Michael.

Best line: "A girl on a cover, but you tore her apart."

63. "Tell Me Why" (2008)

From Neil Young to the Beatles, "Tell Me Why" songs are tough to screw up, and even at 19, Tay's too seasoned to let that happen.

Best line: "I need you like a heartbeat/But you know you got a mean streak."

62. "Beautiful Eyes" (2008)

If you're a fan of Swift's Nineties modern-rock radio jones – one of her most fruitful long-running obsessions – check out this shameless tribute to the Cranberries. (But did she have to let it linger? Did she have to? Did she have to?)

Best line: "Baby, make me fly."

61. "Everything Has Changed" (2012)

She and Ed Sheeran wrote this duet together in her backyard while bouncing on a trampoline, because of course they did.

Best line: "All I've seen since 18 hours ago is green eyes and freckles and your smile."

60. "Love Story" (2008)

Romeo meets Juliet: proof that star-crossed teen romances never go out of style. She's kept going back to the well of Shakespearean tragedy, quoting Julius Caesar in the "Look What You Made Me Do" video. It's never been clear what the line "I was a scarlet letter" is doing in this song, but now it's a hint that Tay was just a few years away from going full Hester Prynne in "New Romantics."

Best line: "Just say yes."

59. "Speak Now" (2010)

In real-life weddings, the preacher hardly ever invites the groom's ex up to interrupt the ceremony. But if you're a fan of Tay in stalker mode, this is priceless – crouching behind the curtains in the back of the church, waiting to pounce. "Horrified looks from everyone in the room" – you don't say.

Best line: "It seems I was uninvited by your lovely bride-to-be."

58. "Shake It Off" (2014)

A clever transitional single – great verses, grating chorus, pithy lyrics with a shout-out to her obvious inspiration, Robyn's "Dancing on My Own." As a lead single, "Shake It Off" might have seemed meager after 1989 came out – she was holding back "Blank Space" and "Style" and (Lord have mercy) "New Romantics" for this? But "Shake It Off" got the job done, serving as a trailer to announce her daring Eighties synth-pop makeover.

Best line: "It's like I got this music in my head, saying it's gonna be all right."

57. "Better Than Revenge" (2010)

One of the basic rules of stardom is "never punch down" – don't go after somebody one-thousandth as famous as you – but rules were made to be broken, and Taylor is the girl made to break them. Here, she goes Bruce Lee on a sexual rival who may or may not be the actress who had Alyssa Milano as her babysitter in the erotic thriller Poison Ivy 2. But as usual with Swift, her self-owns are the funniest part of the song.

Best line: "She thinks I'm psycho because I like to rhyme her name with things."

56. "Welcome to New York" (2014)

People sure do love to complain about this song – in fact, the most authentically New York thing about it is how it sends people into spasms of mouth-foaming outrage. An explicitly queer-positive disco ode to arrivistes stepping out in the city that invented disco – "You can want who you want, boys and boys and girls and girls" – that will be bugging the crap out of you in rom-coms for years to come. (It made me throw a napkin at my in-flight screen during How to Be Single, when Dakota Johnson's cab is going the wrong way on the Brooklyn Bridge – and I love this song.) Bumped up a few bonus notches for pissing everyone off, since that's one of this girl's superpowers.

Best line: "Searching for a sound we hadn't heard before/And it said welcome to New York."

55. "Drops of Jupiter" (2010)

I mistakenly thought this Train hit was deep-fried garbage until I heard Swift's version and realized, "Hey, she's right – this is the best soy latte I've ever had!" Props to Tay for bringing out the hidden greatness in this song – the stargazing lyrics and her voice go together like Mozart and tae bo. (The astrophysicist in my life would like me to point out that you can't "make it to the Milky Way" because that's the galaxy we already live in. In fact, you couldn't leave the Milky Way if you tried. Science!)

Best line: "Tell me, did Venus blow your mind?"

54. "Haunted" (2010)

Enchanted to meet you, Goth Taylor. We'll meet again.

Best line: "Something keeps me holding on to nothing."

53. "Today Was a Fairy Tale" (2011)

Don't let the title scare you away – it's a plainspoken and genuinely touching play-by-play recap of a worthwhile date. In fact, "Today Was a Fairy Tale" and "If This Was a Movie" should trade titles, since this one feels realer and would make a better movie. It could rank higher, except she hugely improved it when she rewrote it as "Begin Again." (Docked a couple notches for coming from the soundtrack of Valentine's Day, which is the most dog-vomit flick Jessica Alba has ever made, and I say that as someone who paid money to see The Love Guru.)

Best line: "I wore a dress/You wore a dark gray T-shirt."

52. "All You Had to Do Was Stay" (2014)

A 1989 banger that could have made an excellent single – it sounds a bit like "Out of the Woods," except with a livelier chorus and a stormier range of electro-Tay sound effects.

Best line: "Let me remind you that this was what you wanted."

51. "Eyes Open" (2012)

Finally, her long-overdue metal move, from The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond.

Best line: "Every lesson forms a new scar."

50. "Treacherous" (2012)

"Put your lips next to mine/As long as they don't touch" – now there's an entrance line. Taylor braves the ski slopes of love, with a seething acoustic guitar that finally detonates halfway though.

Best line: "Nothing safe is worth the drive."

49. "You Belong With Me" (2008)

One of her most pop-friendly early hits, singing in the role of a high school geek crushing on her best guy friend. When he comes out in college, they'll have a few laughs about this. (And never let us forget the wisdom of Alicia Silverstone in Clueless: "Searching for a boy in high school is as useless as searching for meaning in a Pauly Shore movie."

Best line: "She wears high heels, I wear sneakers/She's cheer captain, and I'm on the bleachers."

48. "I Almost Do" (2012)

A Red slow jam that could have worked even better sped up into a punked-out rocker – though it's plenty affecting as is.

Best line: "Every time I don't, I almost do."

47. "...Ready for It?" (2017)

If by "it" you mean "literally any song that isn't 'Look What You Made Me Do,'" the answer is "extremely ready." A major rebound from her previous release, a week earlier – the chorus of this one actually sounds like a Swift song, with a little air in the mix, giving the room she needs to pull off her intricate breathy effects. Max Martin knows how to shape a production around her voice. A hopeful omen for the rest of Repu TAY shun (hey, I just got that).

Best line: "You can be my jailor/Burton to my Taylor."

46. "Stay Stay Stay" (2012)

"Before you, I only dated self-indulgent takers" – but here she turns into a self-indulgent taker herself and (surprise!) she likes it, a phone-throwing nightmare dressed like a grocery-shopping daydream. She finally meets a guy who can roll with her mood swings – even if she's more in love with the mood swings than with the guy.

Best line: "You came in wearing a football helmet and said, 'Okay, let's talk.'"

45. "Safe and Sound" (2012)

She ventures into rootsy folkie territory on the Hunger Gamessoundtrack, teaming up with the Civil Wars and producer T Bone Burnett, exploring crevices of her voice she hadn't opened up before. Everyone steps out of their comfort zone, and it works. The Swift-Burnett connection raises the question of how long it'll take her to collaborate with Elvis Costello, a songwriter with whom she shares some fascinating affinities. At the very least, Tay should cover "New Lace Sleeves."

Best line: "Don't you dare look out your window, darling/Everything's on fire."

44. "Ronan" (2012)

A little-known charity single for cancer research, unlike anything else in her songbook. She wrote this about Ronan Thompson, a four-year-old Arizona boy who died of neuroblastoma, after she read his mom's blog. She turned the blog entries into a disarmingly eloquent ballad (crediting Maya Thompson as co-writer) and performed "Ronan" at the Stand Up to Cancer benefit. You might expect it to be manipulative and obvious; it isn't.

Best line: "We had our own secret club."

43. "You're Not Sorry" (2008)

A dramatic piano-and-strings ballad from Fearless, showing off how much her voice has deepened between her first two albums.

Best line: "It's taken me this long, baby, but I figured you out."

42. "I Know Places" (2014)

She goes all Kate Bush, pursued across the moors by the hounds of love. This 1989 deep cut is underrated, but count on "I Know Places" to loom large in her canon over the years.

Best line: "My love, they are the hunters, we are the foxes."

41. "Bette Davis Eyes" (2010)

Her kickiest left-field cover, from Speak Now Live. "I'd love to play you some music that I'm a fan of that's come from L.A. – is that OK?" she asks the West Coast crowd, strumming her guitar. "This one came out in 1981 – eight years before I was born!" Virtually nobody seems to recognize it or sing along. Kim Carnes hit Number One with "Bette Davis Eyes," but it was written by the great Jackie DeShannon, the only songwriter to collaborate with both Randy Newman and Jimmy Page. (Page wrote "Tangerine" for DeShannon!) The fact that Swift loves this classic ode to romantic espionage explains a lot.

Best line: "She's pure as New York snow/She's got Bette Davis eyes."

40. "Wonderland" (2014)

Why did it take her five albums to get to Alice in Wonderland? Needless to say, Taylor Alison Swift fits right in on the other side of the looking glass, with white rabbits and Cheshire cats. Feed your head!

Best line: "It's all fun and games till someone loses their mind."

39. "The Lucky One" (2012)

She's so lucky, she's a star. For the record, T.S. did cover "Lucky" live once (and damn well, too), as a Britney tribute in Louisiana back in 2011.

Best line: "It's big black cars and Riviera views/And your lover in the foyer doesn't even know you."

38. "Wildest Dreams" (2014)

You rang, Goth Taylor? At first this might have seemed like a minor pleasure on 1989, but it really sounds stronger and stronger over the years, especially when she hiccups the words "my last request ih-ih-is." The video features giraffes and zebras.

Best line: "He's so tall and handsome as hell/He's so bad, but he does it so well."

37. "White Horse" (2008)

Teen Romantic Tay meets Bitter Adult Tay in a superbly disenchanted breakup ballad that gives up on princesses and fairy tales.

Best line: "I'm not the one you'll sweep off her feet/Lead up the stairwell."

36. "Starlight" (2012)

"Oh my, what a marvelous tune" seems like a dauntingly quaint chorus, yet she makes it stick, in what sounds like an F. Scott Fitzgerald-themed whirlwind romance. That hook comes straight from the AC/DC playbook (specifically, the opening lines of "You Shook Me All Night Long") – the sign of a truly sick pop scholar.

Best line: "We snuck into a yacht-club party/Pretending to be a duchess and a prince."

35. "Picture to Burn" (2006)

The dawn of Petty AF Tay, as she serves her ex beatdown threats. Every boy who ever complained when Taylor wrote about him – this is where you officially got fair warning.

Best line: "Let me strike a match on all my wasted time."

34. "Forever and Always" (2008)

She added this to Fearless at the last minute – just what the album needed. It's a blast of high-energy JoBro-baiting aggro on her most anomalously shade-free album. "It rains in your bedroom" is a very on-brand Tay predicament.

Best line: "Did I say something too honest? Made you run and hide like a scared little boy?"

33. "Back to December" (2010)

One of the rare ballads where she goes crawling back to an ex she treated like dirt – and she's surprisingly effective in the role. Although breaking into the guy's house is a little extreme. (If she's blocked by the chain on his door, that means she already picked the lock, right?) And sorry, but you're seriously dreaming if you think I'm bothering to Google the name of that Twilight guy, don't @ me.

Best line: "It turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you."

32. "The Best Day" (2008)

Her tribute to Mama Swift. A weapons-grade tearjerker and not to be trifled with in a public place. NSFW, unless you are a professional crier.

Best line: "You were on my side/Even when I was wrong."

31. "The Story of Us" (2010)

You could credit this hit with single-handedly driving John Mayer out of the pop heartthrob business and into the Grateful Dead – which is just one of the things to love about it. Along with the Joey Ramone-style way she says, "Next chapter!"

Best line: "See me nervously pulling at my clothes and trying to look busy."

30. "How You Get the Girl" (2014)

She busts out her trusty acoustic guitar, teardrop stains and all, just to turn it into a beatbox.

Best line: "Stand there like a ghost shaking in the rain/She'll open up the door and say 'Are you insane?'"

29. "Hey Stephen" (2010)

Loaded with classic girl-group flourishes, right from the opening "Be My Baby" drum beat. Plus, it begins and ends with her finest humming solos. If she wanted to hum on every song, she could make that work.

Best line: "All those other girls, well, they're beautiful/But would they write a song for you?"

28. "Should've Said No" (2006)

A pissed-off highlight of the debut, with an Oasis-worthy chorus. Savor the perfect Liam Gallagher way she milks the vowels of "begging for forgiveness at my fee-ee-eet."

Best line: "It was a moment of weakness, and you said yes."

27. "Last Kiss" (2010)

Toward the end of Speak Now, when you're already wrung out from sad songs and begging for mercy, this six-minute quasi-doo-wop ballad creeps up on you to inflict more punishment. One of those flawless Nathan Chapman productions – so sparse, so delicate, flattering every tremor of her voice.

Best line: "I'm not much for dancing, but for you I did."

26. "Teardrops on My Guitar" (2006)

One of her defining early smashes – and the one that marked her crucial crossover to the minivan-mom adult audience, where country stars do most of their business. It also inspired the first anti-Taylor answer song – Joe Jonas sang, "I'm done with superstars/And all the tears on her guitar" in 2009, on the JoBros' instantly forgotten Lines, Vines and Trying Times.

Best line: "Drew walks by me/Can he tell that I can't breathe?"

25. "Sad Beautiful Tragic" (2012)

She must have heard a Mazzy Star song on the radio that morning and thought, "Hey, this sounds like fun." All the details are in place, from her woozy Hope Sandoval mumble to the way Nathan Chapman nails Sandoval's exact tambourine sound. Such an underrated Red gem, one she's almost never done live. Would any other songwriter on Earth have the sheer gall to get away with that title? Let's hope nobody tries.

Best line: "You've got your demons, and, darling, they all look like me."

24. "Mine" (2010)

"You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter" is one of those hooks where she seems to cram a whole life story into one line.

Best line: "I was a flight risk with a fear of falling."

23. "This Love" (2014)

A meditative 1989 nocturne – half acoustic introspection, half electro reverie – as she genuflects in the midnight hour.

Best line: "I could go on and on/And I will."

22. "22" (2012)

Approximately 22,000 times more fun than actually being 22. The best song about turning the double deuce since Neil Young's "Powderfinger," if not the Stratford 4's "Telephone," it's also her first shameless disco trip, with that Nile Rodgers-style guitar flash. But the power move is that "uh oh" into the chorus – the oldest trick in the book, except she makes it sound brand new every time.

Best line: "This place is too crowded, too many cool kids."

21. "Mean" (2010)

A banjo-core Tay-visceration of people who are mean, liars, pathetic, and/or alone in life, including the ones who live in big old cities. Always a concert highlight, showcasing her murderers' row of a band, the Agency.

Best line: "Drunk and grumbling on about how I can't sing."

20. "I Knew You Were Trouble" (2012)

It slams like a lost Blondie hit, from somewhere between Parallel Lines and Eat to the Beat. The way she sings the word "drown-i-i-i-ing" alone makes it.

Best line: "He was long gone when he met me/And I realize the joke is on me."

19. "Tim McGraw" (2006)

We knew she was trouble when she walked in – or at least we should have guessed from her debut single. You couldn't make this up – a nervy high school kid shows up with a country ballad she whipped together after math class one day, about slow dancing in the moonlight to the pickup truck radio: "When you think Tim McGraw/I hope you think of me." Within a couple of years, she's an even bigger star than McGraw is.

Best line: "He said the way my blue eyes shined/Put those Georgia pines to shame that night/I said, 'That's a lie.'"

18. "Style" (2014)

Not always a subtle one, our Tay. This extremely 1986-sounding synth-pop groove is full of hushed-breath melodrama, where even the guy taking off his coat can feel like a plot twist. (Why would he keep his coat on? This is his apartment.) And the long-running songwriting badminton between her and Harry Allegedly is pop call-and-response the way it ought to be – no matter how much misery it might bring into their personal lives, for the rest of us it means one great tune after another. (Yeah, OK, plus the one about the snowmobile.)

Best line: "You got that James Dean daydream look in your eye/And I got that red lip classic thing that you like."

17. "State of Grace" (2012)

She opens Red with one of her grandest love songs in arena-rock drag, and the U2 vibe makes sense since she's also got a red guitar and the truth. If "State of Grace" is her U2 song, what's the U2 song that sounds most like Taylor? Probably "All I Want Is You," though you could make a strong case for "A Sort of Homecoming."

Best line: "Up in your room and our slates are clean/Twin fire signs, four blue eyes."

16. "Sparks Fly" (2010)

"Drop everything now! Meet me in the pouring rain!" Oh, this girl loves her precipitation scenes, but "Sparks Fly" really brings the thunder. It shows off her uncanny power to make a moment sound gauchely private and messily public at the same time. (The new Waxahatchee album has another excellent song called "Sparks Fly" – no relation.)

Best line: "Just keep on keeping your eyes on me."

15. "Fifteen" (2008)

"In your life you'll do bigger things than date the boy on the football team/I didn't know that at 15." Still south of her twenties, she sings her compassionately, sisterly yet hardass advice to her fellow teenage girls. (Spoiler: Boys are always lying about everything.)

Best line: "We both cried."

14. "Ours" (2010)

Like so many of her songs, "Ours" sounds like it could be channeling the 16-blue mojo of the Replacements' punk-rock bard Paul Westerberg. (Melodically, it evokes "When It Began," though it feels more like "I Will Dare.") Especially the best line, which is possibly the best-est "best line" on this list, and which I sing to myself a mere dozen times a day.

Best line: "Don't you worry your pretty little mind/People throw rocks at things that shine."

13. "Begin Again" (2012)

"You said you never met one girl who had as many James Taylor records as you," indeed. Sweet Baby Tay drops a deceptively simple ballad that sneaks up and steamrolls all over you, as an unmelodramatic coffee date leads to an unmelodramatic emotional connection. She's always been outspoken about her mad love for her namesake JT and Carly Simon, but "Begin Again" could be the finest collabo they never wrote.

Best line: "You don't know why I'm coming off a little shy/But I do."

12. "Fearless" (2008)

Oh, Fearless, it's easy to take you for granted sometimes. The first time I heard her sophomore record (the record company literally played it over the phone for me because they were so afraid of it leaking) I thought, "Holy cats, this is a perfect pop album. She'll never top this." Then she topped it three times in a row, to the point where it's one of history's most curiously overlooked perfect pop albums. The title anthem gathers so many of her favorite tropes in one chorus – rain, cars, fancy dresses, boys who stare at her while driving instead of watching the damn road, shy girls posing as brave and faking it till they make it – and builds up to a swoon.

Best line: "You're so cool, run your hands through your hair/Absent-mindedly making me want you."

11. "Enchanted" (2010)

The moment where this bittersweet symphony leaps from a nine to a 10 comes at the 4:25 point, when it feels like the song has reached its logical conclusion, until the Interior Monologue Voice-Over Taylor beams in to whisper: "Please don't be in love with someone else/Please don't have somebody waiting on you." In the final seconds, for the coup de grace, she duets with herself.

Best line: "The lingering question kept me up at 2 a.m./Who do you love?"

10. "Our Song" (2006)

The hit that made me a Swift fan, the first moment I heard it in 2007 – it knocked me sideways in the middle of lunch. (The CW played it as interstitial music between afternoon reruns of the Clueless sitcom and What I Like About You.) "Our song is a slamming screen door," what a genius hook. I Googled to see who wrote this; it turned out the songwriter was also the singer and – how strange – she was just starting out. I hoped she might have at least another great tune or two in her. This song and that voice have kept slamming those screen doors ever since.

Best line: "We're on the phone, and you talk reeeeeal slow/'Cause it's late and your mama don't know."

9. "Red" (2012)

The mission statement for Red, this century's most ridiculously masterful megapop manifesto. Eurodisco plus banjos – the glitter-cowgirl totality Shania Twain spent years trying to perfect, with a color-tripping lyric worthy of Prince himself, faster than the wind, passionate as sin. Plus, her all-time gnarliest pileup of Swiftian metaphors. (Nitpick: What kind of crossword puzzle has no right answer? What self-respecting puzzlemaster would sign off on that?)

Best line: "Lovin' him was like driving a new Maserati down a dead-end street."

8. "Clean" (2014)

Love is the drug. "Clean" is the stark synth-folk ballad of an infatuation junkie struggling through some kind of detox, with a big assist from Imogen Heap. An intense finale for the all-killer homestretch of 1989.

Best line: "Ten months sober, I must admit/Just because you're clean don't mean you don't miss it."

7. "Holy Ground" (2012)

Nobody does zero-to-60 emotional peel outs like our girl, and "Holy Ground" is her equivalent of Evel Knievel jumping the Snake River Canyon. Note the sly brilliance of how she steals that Eighties guitar riff from none other than Billy Idol, making this her "White Wedding" as well as her "Rebel Yell." (Though the lyrics are about dancing with herself.) A highlight on the Red tour, showcasing Tay's drum-solo skills.

Best line: "Hey, you skip the conversation when you already know."

6. "Dear John" (2010)

A slow-burning, methodical, precise, savage dissection of a failed quasi-relationship, with no happy ending, no moral, no solution, not even a lesson learned – just a bad memory filed away. "Dear John" might sound like she's spontaneously pouring her heart out, but it takes one devious operator to make a song this intricate feel that way. ("You're an expert at sorry and keeping lines blurry and never impressed by me acing your tests" – she makes all that seem like one gulp of breath.) Every line stings, right down to the end when she switches from "I should have known" to "You should have known."

Best line: "I'm shining like fireworks over your sad empty town."

5. "We Are Never Getting Back Together" (2012)

Like, ever. Her funniest breakup jam, because it's her most self-mocking. She could have made the guy in this song a shady creep—a cheater, a liar, a scarf-stealer, etc. But, no, he's just a needy little run-of-the-mill basket case, exactly like her, making the same complaints about her to his own bored friends, though his complaints can't be as catchy as this chorus. And the video is a gem, especially when she's wearing the Tay Is Seriously Mad Now glasses. Where is that indie-rock bar that still has a pay phone?

Best line: "I mean, I'm just like, this is exhausting, OK?

4. "Blank Space" (2014)

A double-venti celebration of serial monogamy for Starbucks lovers everywhere, as Tay zooms through the whole cycle – the high, the pain, the players, the game, magic, madness, heaven, sin. Every second of "Blank Space" is perfect, from the pen clicks to the "nasss-taaaay-scarrr" at the end. The high might not be worth the pain, but this song is.

Best line: "Darling, I'm a nightmare dressed like a daydream."

3. "Long Live" (2010)

This is her "Common People," her "Born to Run," her "We Are the Champions." An arena-slaying rock anthem to cap off Speak Now, for an ordinary girl who suddenly gets to feel like she rules the world for a minute or two. "Long Live" could be a gang of friends, a teen couple at the prom, a singer addressing her audience. But like so many songs on Speak Now, her secret prog album, it reaches a point where it feels like it's over and Tay's bringing it in for a landing, except that's when the song gets twice as good. In the final verse, she makes a gigantic mess. (Actual lyric: "Promise me this/That you'll stand by me forever." WTF, girl, you were doing so well there.) Yet that's the moment that puts "Long Live" over the top – a song nobody else could have written, as she rides those power chords home. That's Taylor: always overdoing it, never having one feeling where six would do. Long live.

Best line: "I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you."

2. "New Romantics" (2014)

The way Taylor exhales at the end of the line "I'm about to play my ace-aaah" is perhaps the finest moment in the history of human lungs. "New Romantics" is where she takes the Eighties synth-pop concept of 1989 to the bank, with a mirror-ball epiphany that leaves tears of mascara all over the dance floor. She tips her cap to the arty poseurs of the 1980s New Romantic scene – Duran Duran, Adam Ant, the Human League, etc. – yet sounds exactly like her own preposterously emotional self. (One of my weirdest moments of recent years: explaining this song's existence to the guys in Duran Duran.) "New Romantics" is hardly the first time she's sung about crying in the bathroom, but it's the one that makes crying in the bathroom sound like a bold spiritual quest, which (when she sings about it) it is. The punch line: Having written this work of genius, exceeding even the wildest hopes any fan could have dreamed, she left it off the damn album, a very New Romantic thing to do.

Best line: "We show off our different scarlet letters/Trust me, mine is better."

1. "All Too Well" (2012)

So casually cruel in the name of being awesome. This towering ballad is Swift's zenith, building to peak after peak. For "All Too Well," she teams up with her trustiest collaborators – songwriting sensei Liz Rose, producer Nathan Chapman – to spin a tragic tale of doomed love and scarves and autumn leaves and maple lattes. It's full of killer moments: the way she sings "refrigerator," the way she spits out the consonants of "crumpled-up piece of paper," the way she chews up three "all"s in a row. No other song does such a stellar job of showing off her ability to blow up a trivial little detail into a legendary heartache. (That scarf should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, though in a way it already is.) You can schaeden your freude all over the celebrity she reputedly sings about, but on the best day of your life you will never inspire a song as great as "All Too Well." Or write one.

Best line: "Maybe we got lost in translation/Maybe I asked for too much/Maybe this thing was a masterpiece till you tore it all up/Running scared, I was there, I remember it all too well."

[xxntigo]

MIDTERMS: In-depth reaction of "Batch '81” and “Kakakaba ka ba?”  Film Reaction 2019

This film Batch ‘81  was made to awaken the young society and the parents. There are hundreds of complaints about the victims of this fraternity issue but it seems the school per se is not quite sensitive even on most of the results is the death of a loved ones none other than very young students. As part of the status symbol of being part of a well-known fraternities is one of the main reasons why they cannot avoid it.

Sid Lucero, as one of the main characters in the film, is a student from one of the universities in the country, he was attracted by the prospects of joining the Alpha Kappa Omega, one of the school's most prominent Greek-letter organizations. He took a turn to consider a new direction in his life, as his mother planned for him to take up zoology and eventually continue to medical school.

Together with other six young students who wanted to be a member of this fraternity  he (Sid) voluntarily join the process of acceptance or the so called initiations or hazing.although initially they were fifteen applicants .Showing the numbers are quite giving an ideas that there are still eliminations process giving  the thoughts of how prestigious the group then.

The entire film will make you into a roller coaster emotions when the events become violent even the clenching of fists and grinning of teeth would  not be enough to express anger.

In the movie it is shown Sigma Omicron fratman as the opponent of the Alpha Kappa Omega who eventually Ronnie was killed.Revenge and fighting for brotherhood idealogy that was taught by an adult member.

This film was made by the director showing the poor relationships of a family. Parents are not on their top priority as to how to nurture their child or children.It was given in this movie that during that time the school has no ground to protect the student's welfare.The limitations of the parents on which is to ensure the safety of their children while they are inside of the premises.

If the father of one of the characters in the film was also present as an overseer more so that this parent is a subject of a disoriented family ties.The participation of an adult during the hazing is questionable at all instead of guiding them into a better disposition on how to accept one person into the idea of brotherhood unless they themselves suffered into the ordeal of their previous masters.

Mike De Leon wants to express his point on this movie about the government’s stand on this matter .Issues over  the power also has questions on how the authority can achieve by anybody who has the connections .An edge and an opportunity used by the higher authorities to manipulate youth  and teach them ideologies that this was part of good example of brotherhood. Part of the film shows bravely the lies of the government and how capable of doing ill things especially to the innocents , loyal and strong. It uncovered  the true face of the world where the powerful are the manipulators.Brutally murdered by being paddled and tortured that no parents of the victims could stand the ordeal .To those who survived the hazing on the movies it cannot comprehend the pains and traumas to their co-students who didn’t make it.And at the end of the the acceptance of  Lucero, Ledesma, Magtibay, Santi Santillan, and Ding Quintos - are officially welcomed into the fraternity. 

The director’s heart was clearly seen in every detail of this movie coming from a very tragic moment of their lives as a young and promising child who is just wanted to experience the belongingness as most of the fraternity are made into belief that brotherhood is the main source of being focus in the life of a student and until he graduated. The Batch ‘81 was a big boom to the hearts of all the victim’s parents after losing their child to this not so explained purpose of hazing that even death could attain the goals of making believe that it is just an accident and not intentionally by killing someone but to prove how far they can stand the demands of being a member of a prestigious group.And the role of the school shows that there is no weight to prevent this and why?

The content of this story stated that the parent's dreams for their child are undoubted shows their love and concern of their future who will be taken away not only to their child’s heart but also into their hearts as well. In the part of the young students, it was also shown that they still have the choices either to back out or to join and they can even tell their parents about it. But the sad and truth about it due to peer pressures and the eagerness to become a member as to fill in their ego and they always end up deciding to join and during the hazing moments, there are no chances for them to escape or to surrender.This is the tragic part of a fraternity legend no retreat no surrender because of the reality that is new members made it surpass the test. There is also seen in this movie that two of them Ronnie and Arnie Enriquez decided to leave but when their leader Vince found out Ronnie was tied in an electric chair in this scene the possibility of the chance to die was given as an example to every young student how come they still join and willingly submit themselves to the other senior member.

The scene took place in the basement and the presence of the electric chair made it clear that somebody from the authorities provide that thing to be used for tortures .

They are pressured and the truth of a matter the parents also need to be on guard to their children. Physical abuse and verbal abuse also took place while having hazing moments.Subsequently, even the government knew about it, there is no strong actions were taken. Thus it shows the bearing of the family also plays a very important role in how to avoid the children to involve themselves unless they were emotionally searching for acceptance too. Concerning this matter about family ties which play a vital role in pursuing the stop of this fraternity. The story also shows the values of the lives of the young ones who supposedly the a future of the next generation. In this film, it was not only the people who are involved in the fraternity but it was addressed the attention of the parents.

Here the application and the relation to Adverse Childhood Experiences had a great role in the importance of the children's upbringing.The environment where they grew up with, the influences of the people around them, the values, the reactions towards incidents and the realization of the things that should be involved with that might their life put  into danger.

The first hands-on that will remind their children what are the things that they should avoid outside their homes. Parents can teach them by giving quality time and effort on how to overcome peer pressure. The clarity of every boundary of the signs of danger that might take their life without realizing it.Experiences are the best teachers meaning if the youth have a good foundation at home and they are bonded with love and secured with the assurance of acceptance no matter what the consequences arose.

A very profound knowledge that should be dealt with, it is better to prevent than suffer irreversible consequences.

This is an encouragement to every Filipino family that children are the most fragile to handle but worth to nurture at an early age.Their experiences will lead them into a future that they will use on how to decide on the present situation that they are into. Parents cannot be on the 24/7 on guard their children but whatever inputs on their young minds they will use it the futures. They can handle things and decide properly especially during the hardest part of decision making. In line with this film the movie producer also had the sentiments because she experienced the traumas with his very own child .To end, the film elaborated on the truth behind the fraternity upon joining the organization and the question is, Is It worth fighting for? then a convincing eye-opener to all the parents and students.

Kakabakabakaba is a musical comedy romantic film produced in 1980 Mike de Leon as a director. 

The story are about  two couples Christopher de Leon and Sandy Andolong the other couples are Jay Ilagan and Charo Santos who found themselves in conflict with the foreign commercial giants that control the Philippine economy, the Japanese and the Chinese. Also in this film, religious issues are involved and that is the Catholic Church which has great influence in the country. The film shows on the Philippine economy and society as some evil-minded used their powers for their greediness and had an illegal activity cast in Apo hiking portrayed as main villains.

The first part of the story is one the reality of being a handler of illegal drugs without knowing that you are caring for the substance especially via airport and that what happened to Christopher de Leon since the money involved with are tremendously high even at the expense of the life of the courier. The funny moments on how to take back the drugs under his possessions are the most dangerous while it was made in a comedy genre.The director’s ideas were simply hiding the reality but exposed the tactics and strategy of those who are involved with the drug businesses.

The not so good to tell the authority because the lives of the people around the courier will be at stake and the possibility of being killed is a truth. This part of the story was a strike to warn the people who are into a traveling mode of life and at the same time alarmed the government that this is existing and happenings.A wistful of information about the dealers, courier, and the buyers are tackled into this comedy film. There are claims of marking your steps away from this bad and illegal business. Though it brought out the main objective of this movie still the need for the cooperation of the people in the society were also impacted.

Johnny and Melanie (Charo Santos) with their friends Jay Ilaga and Sandy Andolng on the event of being young and feel free they were involved in a non-music playing, opium-containing cassette tape. The highlights of the movie when they have to face to face between the Japanese Yakuza played by Johnny Delgado and the Chinese Mafia which eventually they all tried to escape and hide away from the church. Though there are some points that it seems that religious things were not that much accepted by some people.

The point was shown that the Filipinos are helpless when they became the victims especially if its drug issues then. It also tackles that it seems that the Catholic Church was dragged to these movies and yet the intentions were not as clearly stated then .but as everybody knows Filipinos are known for being religious.

.Johnny also found out that the priest and the nuns are fakes on this part of the movie elaborates that even in a religious organization can be used by these people making up or cover themselves into a spiritual thing on which the Filipinos are into high respect.

The movies again show the impact of the reality when it comes to the major problems during that Era- drug-related the most and the hardest to deal with. The target of these problems is the youth who are the main victims and most of them died at an early age. There are scenes about partying and having fun with friends that might put the lives in danger.The plot of the movie emphasizes the two cultural joints Japanese and Chinese, though it sounds so offensive it has to be tackled because the results of the drugs are heinous crimes like rape, murders, and other evil things. The part that speaks about imperialism and religion is the choice of the director’s stand. Also, the hidden mask of the religious group was shown on this film in the scene where the nuns are wearing a party dress under their religious clothes are made struck into one's mind but it is a reality though.

After three decades the realities of this film are still important and have connections to the present situation. Undeniably the guts and the will power of the director Mike de Leon has substantiated the grounds of being the focus of the objectives of the movie.

The whole point of the story is to make a move on how to unleash the people who are involved with the drug syndicate businesses even though it is very hard to fight back. Strong willed and fearlessly this film was made pointing the setback of being passive. The objective of the movie is a continuous  legacy of a direction towards changes though it may take too long but the goal is to educate each and everyone especially the youth. That legacy is already seen today in the present times .It was not lost the essence and the heart of the director’s effort back then. Seems that was made just like yesterday and the impact are still going on and on

The frames of this story are clearly seen from afar and the contents are remarkably genious.

From the sifting moments of danger acts the stones are removed what left behind are gems. 

[thenatureofnarrative]

Best Films of 2018

The basis of my annual list is simple, these are the films that were, for me, mesmerizing and memorable. These were the cinematic experiences that either provoked a depth of emotion and/or provided a whole lot to talk about. These are the films that I could not forget and I cannot wait to see again. After you read this year’s list, you can also find last year’s list here. 

1. You Were Never Really Here

You Were Never Really Here is quite simply the best film of 2018. Writer/Director Lynne Ramsay has crafted and created a lean, assertive and suspenseful narrative that dives deep into a traumatic mind and experience. Structured within the framework of a hero’s journey, a man who rescues victims from sex trafficking, Ramsay provides us with a rare perspective in which only a troubled and traumatized mind can truly save others from the same peril. In addition to this, even though the dark and disturbing material might be difficult for some, it was remarkable how little exposition was provided for the viewer. Instead of spoon-feeding her audience, Ramsay treats us with respect and allows us to discover the story for ourselves through visual cues and revelation. Though one can’t help but draw comparisons to Scorsese’s Taxi Driver, YWNRH still stands on its own with award-worthy performances, cinematography, editing, directing and musical score. On DVD - Amazon Prime - iTunes.

2. First Man

Director Damien Chazelle has made three feature films to date. All three are Oscar nominated/winners. All three are great films; but First Man is Chazelle’s masterpiece. From the first five-minute sequence you realize you are experiencing a story from history in a visually intimate and visceral way. Every frame of this film, along with every note of Hurwitz’s angelic score, draws us into Neil Armstrong’s excruciating life and vocation (what was effectively the story of Job). While a crowning achievement for all mankind is the vehicle for this narrative, it’s the traumatic cost and sacrifice that only a few families suffered that serves as the real heart and soul for this moment in history. A truly mesmerizing experience with heart-breaking performances. On DVD - iTunes.

3. Annihilation 

Writer/Director Alex Garland has quickly established himself as this generation’s Stanley Kubrick. With audacious, strange, and compelling stories that examine the boundaries of human consciousness and cosmic meaning, there is no one doing what Garland is doing. Though Annihilation might be short on (or intentionally avoid) too many answers or explanations, ultimately it was the mystery that I found to be so fascinating and absorbing; and even more so upon repeated viewing. In addition to the screenplay, the cinematography, musical score and visual effects are all award worthy. On DVD - Netflix - iTunes.

4. Mission Impossible: Fallout

This just might be the biggest surprise of the year. With Mission Impossible: Fallout, writer/director Christopher McQuarrie has not only created the best Mission Impossible movie to date, but has also produced one of the best films of the year! With Academy Award worthy cinematography (from Rob Hardy who also did Annihilation), direction, and musical score (and little moments of homage to every previous film in the series), Fallout stands apart, not only as an incredible action film, but also as a remarkable (and unexpected) film noir, bringing a greater depth of emotion to this ongoing narrative. On DVD - iTunes. 

5. BlacKkKlansman

There is something to be said for a film that is wildly entertaining and compelling and yet still manages to be provocative and powerful. That’s not an easy tightrope for any filmmaker to walk, but in the case of BlacKkKlansman, director Spike Lee was more than up for the challenge. Some critics have suggested that this film is too heavy handed, and on the nose, that it leaves no room for anyone from the “other side” to enter in and learn from it. And the fact of the matter is - - that’s true - - this is an asserative, confident and competent narrative that is a work of protest. There’s little room for education here, just a true story told in a manner only intended to amplify the voice of the oppressed. On DVD - iTunes.

6. Won’t You Be My Neighbor? 

Director Morgan Neville’s documentary about Fred Rogers is the antidote we are all in need of. Sometimes we feel the need for a sweet, charming and sentimental story that might lift our spirits, but what is so profoundly beautiful about, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, is that this is a true story, and many of us bore witness to it. Many have been inspired or know the calling to live a life of love, but what this account of Mr. Roger’s life reminds us, is that it is possible. By faith and intention, action and perseverance we can indeed know and live out our sacred belovedness. This is such an important film, and everyone should experience it. On DVD - Netflix - iTunes.

7. Eighth Grade

As the father of a middle-school aged girl, this endearing film was difficult to watch at times, but the sheer authenticity of writer/director Bo Burnham’s script ultimately steers the story towards it’s beautiful and heartfelt end. Not a single scene seems staged, all of the painfully accurate awkwardness, fear, courage and humour feels as if it was captured for a documentary about thirteen year olds. There is much to learn here, for parents and teens alike, and for that I am grateful. On DVD - iTunes.

8. Roma

Here is a film that will haunt you, in a good way. With a pace and patience that is true to life, director Alfonso Cuaron slowly grips our hearts as we follow the days and difficulties of a young maid's life. The cumulative emotional effect is an incredible achievement of sound design and cinematography. Even as we watch in the comfort of our own homes, we grow in empathy and understanding of young Cleo because our eyes observe the entirety of her interactions with this family and our ears are immersed in the sounds of her neighbourhood. Roma is a rare cinematic experience and achievement. On Netflix.

9. Wildlife

Paul Dano's directorial debut is a stunning and delicately framed tragedy. This quietly paced account of one family's struggle to find meaning and purpose, both together and apart, is a perfectly observed and heartbreaking tale. Carey Mulligan is at her best portraying a wife and mother who is both terrible and understandable; but ultimately this is a treasure because of Diego Garcia's stunning cinematography and Dano's delicate direction. On iTunes.

10. Vice

What director Adam McKay has done here is too exciting to ignore. This film has been criticized for being a mile wide and an inch deep, and it does indeed leave you wondering "why" at the end of it all, but I think that might be it's strength. This is not an essay or a deep journalistic dissection, this is a simple, straightforward, and wildly entertaining portrayal of intelligent people being driven by an obsession with power. And as unsatisfying as that might be, after examining a real-life sith-lord of sorts, the truth is...maybe that's the only answer there is. On iTunes March 12.

11. Green Book

The reason to see this film is for the performances. Both Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali provide incredibly committed and nuanced portrayals of these real men (I know we’re all in awe of Christian Bale’s transformation into Dick Cheney, but I was in awe of Viggo’s physical transformation in this film without prosthetics). Roger Ebert once said, “movies are an empathy making machine,” and what is so incredible about this film is that we get to witness the transforming power of empathy over the course of an eight-week road trip. On iTunes - On DVD March 12.

12. 22 July

Director Paul Greengrass was the only person for this job. His documentary style of storytelling is less about the cinematic experience and more about the history to behold. This is a terribly difficult film to watch, and yet, it's account of present-day rationalized-idealogical-evil could not be more important. Film is a powerful force for shaping cultural discussion and dialogue, and 22 July is the film that keeps us talking about the most persistent face of terror in the Western hemisphere today. On Netflix. 

13. Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far On Foot

Struggle with addiction and stories of recovery can be richly rewarding and redemptive, but oftentimes the subject matter is over dramatized and emotionally manipulative. Which is why director Gus Van Sant's long-titled film adaptation is a rare and wonderful achievement. There is nothing overly sentimental or manipulative here, just a raw and real portrayal of what the twelve-steps from addiction to sobriety really look like. Ultimately this memorable story is in the hands of the actors and both Joaquin Phoenix and Jonah Hill give authentic and nuanced performances. On DVD - Amazon Prime - iTunes.

14. Hearts Beat Loud

In 2018, A Star is Born, was the film about musicians that got all the attention, but I believe it was, Hearts Beat Loud, that offered a more moving, thoughtful and sincere story about artists. In this story, one musician and father (Nick Offerman) is past his prime and struggling to figure out the next chapter of his life, while the other musician, his daughter (Kiersey Clemons), is more sure and certain about her future but is still struggling to find her way with her art and with love. The result is a sweet and sincere story that just might be the solution to some of life’s sad ailments. On DVD - Netflix - iTunes.

[makeroomforthejolyghost]

OK!!! saint-loup. it is saint-loup o’clock. i do not have these thoughts well formulated so this might get kinda long n messy but i promised myself i’d Talk This Out w/ myself on this reading, so. icee straw kazoo.

ok so saint-loup is the narrator’s friend tho like... to the extent this term is applicable in friendships m’s kinda The Unrequiter, often exhibits w/out expressly saying that he feels kinda guilty for Using Him or at least for like. not being able to match the energy saint-loup brings to the relationship. in fact the main thing he consistently notices in saint-loup is energy, strength. but also solicitude! which combination to me seems weird? i’m fond of saint-loup but he makes me uncomfortable, i think bc while, on one hand, his slightly sophomoric intellectualism and nervous quickness and tendency to be officiously solicitous*--which 3 traits m associates w/ saint-loup’s ability to assimilate quickly (3.98, 153)--all remind me of me, and also of many people i’ve known, but then...? on the other hand, i have never seen those traits (esp. solicitude) in a strong person; saint-loup is passive-aggressive and i have only ever observed that demeanor in weak people--most of them sick, bats and/or non-men; certainly not in a straight-passing man (as saint-loup does at this time) if he’s also healthysane--since passive-aggression is so. roundabout, and mind-over-matter &c. like. all the things i have in common w/ saint-loup are traits i’ve developed because i’m not a man, not straight, not neurotypical, not strong, u know? and certainly these traits are ones people like me are supposed to dislike in ourselves, but i find that recognizing them in someone usually makes me more comfortable around them, because... well, you know. because the ways in which we’d be likely to hurt each other are basically the same?

meanwhile early in volume 3 you get this scene where saint-loup introduces m to a bunch of his friends, all adorably over-eager to Show Off m’s intellect, make sure he makes a good impression, and

“No? You don’t agree about Stendhal?” he went on, with a naïve confidence in my judgment which found expression in a charming, smiling, almost childish glance of interrogation from his green eyes. “Oh, good! I see you’re on my side. ... The Chartreuse is after all a stunning work, don’t you think? I’m so glad you agree with me. What is it you like best in the Chartreuse? Answer me,” he urged with boyish impetuosity. And the menace of his physical strength made the question almost terrifying. (136)

N.B. THO that here and elsewhere m fuckin glories in that strength. here, for example:

My departure depressed me less when I was no longer obliged to think of it alone, when I felt that the more normal and healthy exertions of my energetic friends, of Robert’s brothers-in-arms, were being applied to what was to be done (179)

but also, before we even GET to rachel:

“I’m furiously jealous,” Saint-Loup said to me, half laughing, half in earnest, alluding to the interminable conversations apart which I had been having with his friend. “Is it because you find him more intelligent than me? Do you like him better than me? Ah, well, I suppose he’s everything now, and no one else is to have a look in!” (Men who are enormously in love with a woman, who live in a society of woman-lovers, allow themselves pleasantries which others, seeing less innocence in them, would never dare to contemplate.) (153)

idk, like. i’ve had multiple people talk that way to me? but i possess what almost seems like an “only we can say it” sentiment about it--only people who don’t pass for straight men, maybe, or only weak people, neurotics. and saint-loup has that entire demeanor he seems to think he’s entitled to it as an intellectual or maybe just picks it up from m and rachel but it’s weird on people whose intellectualism does not compensate for frailty of body and/or “willpower,” idk. he does the fuckin... what do i mean, um. OH!--i associate his flirtatious self-deprecation w/ the thing women do in victorian books and in old movies; the thing lizaveta nikolaevna does in demons when she asks what’s his face whether he’d still wanna hang if she broke her leg. and possibly i’m wrong to see saint-loup’s comments as the outpost of a similar thing? but

“You know,” I said, “I did come to say good-bye to you the day I left Doncières. I’ve never had a chance to mention it. I waved to you in the street.”

“Don’t speak about it,” he replied, “I was so sorry. I passed you just outside the barracks, but I couldn’t stop because I was late already. I assure you I felt quite wretched about it.” (233)

haha yeah no i don’t think i’m wrong. so maybe it’s like the last few days’ irritation at hearing my mom employ the detached, bodily-self-contemptuous infodump tone i often use irl to talk about My Limitations--sitting like i do then, w/ that buzzardy hunch as though to tell a secret, and w/ the same aporetic expression--without having also to euphemize, circumlocute, pause and screw up her face and twist her wrist around for long intervals, blushing, trying to think of a less self-flattering [vulnerable] word for what she means, like i would in that situation. but i think it’s... also that i’m uncomfortable on m’s and rachel’s behalf? that in order not to intimidate or seem to condescend he adopts a piece of their demeanor that makes him look harmless. because like. another way in which saint-loup attempts to Regain His Dignity (or at least vent frustration) during his fight w/ rachel is that when the journalist w/ the cigar refuses to put it out, um,

“Would you mind, sir, throwing away your cigar? The smoke is bad for my friend.” [...]

“There’s no rule against smoking that I know of,” said the journalist. “If people aren’t well, they have only to stay at home.” [...]

“In any case, sir, you are not very civil,” observed Saint-Loup to the journalist, still in a mild and courteous tone, with the air of appraisal of a man judging retrospectively the rights and wrongs of an incident that is already closed. (239-40)

and see THIS IS ME this is exactly how i act when i’m angry at someone in public (incl. or maybe esp. if that someone is myself ha), fuckin carrying on another conversation in the background as proof ur Still Sane, BUT THEN

[A]fter the courteous words that he had just uttered, he brought down his hand with a resounding smack upon the journalist’s cheek. (240)

AND LIKE?? i don’t think this would creep me out nearly so much if the pretext (tho obv not the reason) for it weren’t. an ableist comment. “If people aren’t well, they have only to stay at home.” but i’ve more than once gotten angry w/ someone, chewed someone out, for saying something ableist to my friend (tho in the case that comes to mind the comment could be applied to me as well), and in my experience that kind of vicarious anger is?? because you know your friend’s upset about it but don’t know what to say to help them, so you resent the perp for showing you your own impotence, for distracting your and your friend’s attention from more important things w/ their needless judgmental bs. and THAT makes sense here? but without those other layers--of 1. “this insult implicates me also” and 2. “you have upset my friend and therefore obliged me to Avenge them since i don’t know how to make them feel better”--it’s... weird. it’s just so Not His Fight i guess, and. i’ve actually written a similar scene, too? in which case some of the interest was in like... the assumption by stronger people that we’ll be flattered to see them use their greater strength in defense of Our Honor, when. no, saint-loup; that’s a nonsensical n paternalistic pretext to vent ur own unrelated anger? m neither needs nor wants a healthy person to punish ableists’ contempt of his ill health? and in fact it’s embarrassing in the first place when ppl respond to our not making a fuss by making the fuss for us?? blugh! i don’t know. i can point out so many gross things about this but still am not satisfied i have identified The Thing About It that makes me so uncomfortable; maybe it’s just because at the same time i do understand both m’s fetishistic admiration of saint-loup’s strength and aristocratic solicitude and saint-loup’s paternalism itself. i’ve been on both sides, tho without the... punching. thing, ha. on that note:

Now that to the measured conversations of the diplomats, to the smiling arts of peace, had succeeded the furious onthrust of war, since blows lead to blows, I should not have been surprised to see the combatants wading in one another’s blood. ... Fortunately the journalist who, staggering back from the violence of the blow, had turned pale and hesitated for a moment, did not retaliate. (240-1)

M OH MY GOD ur purely academic understanding of How Fights Work! sees a guy 2 whose general opinion on violence he defers punch someone n is just like “well, shit, this is it, we’re all gonna die” fdlahgsdf ur......my favorite, and also, same, but possibly this is a mistake we both oughta quit making. Fuckin Liberals &c. &c.

*appropriate since he’s a sergeant!! but what i mean is e.g. when rachel (his gf w/ whom he needs to break up) makes him feel small in public saint-loup will then try to get back some dignity by turning to m like “You oughtn’t to stand about in the cigar smoke like that, it’ll make you ill” (3.237). it’s like what i said yesterday about my own solicitude--that it’s about liking to feel useful, liking for there to be a subject on which you know what to say. but it’s jarring to me to see this sense of return to familiar ground detached from same-feeling--to see the “useless person’s dream come true” phenomenon in a situation where saint-loup has no obvious reason to consider himself an expert other than his general aristocratic + busybodyish(!!!) tendency to anticipate people’s interests, to want to Know Everything about his friends.