#tried something new: reviewed a tv show :)

[sooniebby]

Hello, how about first time with soft dom hitoshi shinso? shy reader.

Maybe size kink? shinso's cock is like, uhm, HUGE!!

ఌ 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐎 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐎𝐒𝐇𝐈

꧁ 𝙃𝙞𝙩𝙤𝙨𝙝𝙞 𝙭 𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧 ꧂

Word count › 2.2k

Rating › NSFW

Warnings › none

Kinks › small size kink and creampie

╭┈─────── ೄྀ࿐ ˊˎ-

╰┈─➤ ＢＥＧＩＮＮＩＮＧ

(Name) was nervous to say the least. He had been dating Hitoshi for over twelve months now and this was the first time he was staying at his place for the weekend. (Name) knew that Hitoshi had been leaving with Aizawa for over a few months by now after something that he wasn’t told. 

He was curious but knew to not ask incase Hitoshi got embarrassed. 

What (Name) was mainly worried about was having sex. They were a year old couple and hadn’t had sex once. Whenever (Name) tried to hint that he wanted it, like tugging at his pants, Hitoshi stopped. He had never seen his boyfriend naked! 

Just what the hell was Hitoshi hiding? 

(Name) had come to the conclusion that Hitoshi had a small cock. 

That’s why he never wanted to have sex! He must’ve been embarrassed. (Name) smirked to himself, ah, poor Hitoshi. He would have to show his boyfriend that a small cock won’t bother him. (Name) was a virgin himself but nothing a few BL mangas couldn’t fix on what a top needed to say. 

Needless to say, he was ready to dominate his boyfriend and have him screaming the night away. 

In retrospect, it would be (Name) that would be doing the screaming. 

(Name) sat in Hitoshi room’s bedroom as he waited for him to finish his shower. He read a BL just like this moment. The bottom had finished showering and the top threw him on the bed and they just started fucking. 

It would be hard to throw Hitoshi on the bed as (Name) was on the smaller size but no matter! As top, he must try his hardest. 

The door to the bathroom opened as Hitoshi came out… 

Already dressed. 

Ah. 

Hitoshi softly smiled at (Name), “ready to watch the movie?” 

(Name) simply nodded as Hitoshi turned on the tv in his room. It was a medium sized tv sitting on his dresser. (Name) wasn’t sure why he felt so dejected at his plan failing but he pushed it away. Couples shouldn’t rely on sex anyway. 

It wasn’t like he was horny all the time… 

Like he wanted to have sex with Hitoshi every time they make out… 

No… 

No, he was normal. 

Hitoshi sat down on the bed, leaning towards (Name) as he pressed play for the movie. It was a thriller movie that had good reviews. (Name) pushed away any horniness he felt earlier and decided to enjoy his time with his boyfriend. 

He could always try again later. 

ꕤ

He didn’t. 

He didn’t get to try again later because before he knew the weekend was over and he was back in the dorms. (Name) cried himself to sleep last night. The week went by just as fast as the weekend. It was already Friday when (Name) got the thought he never wanted. 

Maybe Hitoshi didn’t like him. 

He knew it wasn’t reasonable. Hitoshi was honest. He would’ve broken up with him if he wanted to. But why haven’t they had sex yet? It’s been longer than six months. A full year! They were second years now. 

Was he undesirable? 

Should he get as sexy as those tops in the BLs? 

Possibly. (Name) groaned but decided he must do it. 

To get the sex he deserved from his boyfriend. 

It started out simple. He followed what the BL manga told him. Tops usually acted stoic and wore looser clothes. Sometimes tighter to highlight their muscles but (Name) didn’t have muscles so he ignored that step. It was an experience. 

Hitoshi and many of his other classmates thought it was a bit weird how different he was acting. One even commented that he must’ve been copying Todoroki. But it did get Hitoshi to pay more attention to him so (Name) believed it was in the right direction. 

His little experience only lasted a full week until the next Friday when Hitoshi was in his dorm room and said: 

“You’re going to be done with this weird act soon, right?” 

“Uh, no! It’s the new me!” (Name) grinned, quickly frowning at the unimpressed look his boyfriend gave him. The white noise of the movie in their laptop filled the room as the two boys stared at each other on the bed, waiting for the other to speak. 

(Name) bit the bullet. 

“I know why we haven’t had sex yet!” He gulped, a blush on his cheeks. 

Hitoshi blushed himself. “Oh… How’d you found out?” 

“Oh, uh, just process of elimination!” 

“I’m sorry. It’s just my two past partners were pretty scared by it that I was scared you’d do the same. I wanted to keep dating you.” Hitoshi muttered, a look of regret on his face. 

(Name) grasped his had and smiled. “I would never be scared of you. Having a tiny dick isn’t such a bad thing.” 

Hitoshi looked up in confusion. “Huh?” 

“What? Was…. Was that not it?” 

“No, it wasn’t. I have a big dick, (Name).” 

(Name) stared at him as if he didn’t believe it. Hitoshi sighed and reached down to pull of his pjs bottom, giving his boyfriend a clear look at the behemoth of a cock. It had to be seven inches… It wasn’t even hard yet! 

“It’s a bit scary, I know. We don’t have to do anything you aren’t comfortable with.” Hitoshi said, going to pull up his pants only to be stopped by (Name). 

“No…” (Name) blushed, licking his lips. “I like it.” 

Hitoshi felt his brain stutter as (Name) moved off the bed to get in between his legs. (Name) moved Hitoshi’s hands away and pulled down his pants even further, blushing at the large cock that slapped him in the face. He shuddered, noticing how it was almost as long as his face. 

“(Name)! You don’t have to!” 

“It’s fine,” (Name)’s one hand could hardly fully cover the cock. “I’ve waited a year for this.” He whispered, licking the red tip in front of him. Hitoshi cursed, grasping the bed sheets beneath him as he watched in awe at his boyfriend. 

(Name) hated himself for not thinking straight. Yeah, he wanted this but he wasn’t sure what to do. He couldn’t just put in his mouth—it would instantly hurt his jaw. For the moment, he could only kitten lick the tip, enjoying the groans he got from his boyfriend. 

“(Name), I want you.” Hitoshi whispered, grasping at (Name)’s hair. (Name) smiled, pressing a wet kiss on the red aching tip in front of him. It shocked himself at how bold he acted right there but anyone would get so horny that they act so differently if they had to wait a year for sex. 

“Have me, please.” (Name) muttered, a blush on his face. 

It happened so fast, (Name) wasn’t sure what happened. One minute he was on the floor and the next he was on the bed, clothes long gone. Hitoshi was still clothed, only his bottoms pulled down so his cock was free. 

(Name) should’ve been feeling so exposed at being the only one naked but he loved it. He felt like Hitoshi was truly in control right now. Hitoshi reached over the nightstand by the bed and fetched out lube from the drawer. 

It was still full. 

Hitoshi raised an eyebrow. “You never masturbate?” 

“Not as much… It’s a bit weird,” (Name) muttered, looking away in embarrassment. 

Hitoshi simply chuckled as he poured out a decent amount on his fingers. He glanced at his boyfriend and a small smile formed on his lips as he poured some directly on (Name)’s bubble butt, right between the cheeks. (Name) gasped, stuttering on about how cold it was. 

(Name)’s breathing hitched as he felt a finger slip into him with ease. He moaned at the long fingers that caressed his insides. The cold lube soon didn’t bother him anymore as he bit his lip, trying to limit his sounds. 

They were still in the dorms. 

“Just tell me if it ever hurts,” Hitoshi whispered, pressing a kiss on his inner thighs. 

(Name)’s cock twitched on his stomach as he nodded. He hadn’t noticed Hitoshi pushed in a second until he heard squelching from his own hole. Hitoshi grinned at the look of shock in (Name)’s eyes. It was certainly a sound he never made himself. 

The lube on his skin and inside made him feel so loose. His fingers slipped in so easily it made him wonder if (Name) was lying about masturbating. It was like his hole was eagerly welcoming him home. 

“Your hole is just welcoming me home, (Name),” Hitoshi said, smirking at the whine (Name) let out. 

“Don’t say that….” He cried, arching his back at the feeling of something inside him. Whatever it was, he wanted Hitoshi to touch it again. Hitoshi read his mind because that was the only spot he was touching from then on. 

(Name) had long forgotten about holding in his moans. His back arched with each finger thrust as he screamed out for more. The sinful squelching of lube was now comforting to him���telling him he was getting looser for Hitoshi’s large cock. 

Ah, he couldn’t wait. His cock twitched as pre-cum leaked on his tummy, coating his stomach in white. Unsteady whimpers left his lips as drool rolled down his chin. His breathing was sharp and heavy as he whimpered out Hitoshi’s name with each press against something inside of him. 

But then it was gone. 

(Name) almost screamed. He finally turned his head to look at Hitoshi and blushed. His boyfriend stared at him with a small smirk. Hitoshi was sweaty and his right hand was covered in lube, dripping. 

“I want you to cum on my cock—can you do that?” 

(Name), under any normal circumstance, would’ve cried out in shame. But right now, he nodded in excitement. Hitoshi was quick to press his hard seven inch cock at his dripping hole. 

To his shock, Hitoshi teased him first. 

Hitoshi held his cock and rubbed it against the lubed slick hole, pressing in just enough to almost slip in before pulling away. It was torture. Each time, (Name) was just about to push the boy away and take it himself. He wasn’t sure how many times he was cruelly teased before Hitoshi’s cock slipped in with ease. 

(Name) opened his mouth in a silent scream as his cock went off in quick squirts of semen. Hitoshi stared in shock as he watched his boyfriend keen in ecstasy with his toes curled and mouth wide open. He quickly leaned down and kissed him, earning soft moans from (Name) as he shakily wrapped his legs around his waist. 

Hitoshi saw that as a go ahead and quickly began his thrusting. He had been waiting for this. His cock was in wet, tight heat that hugged him like a glove. It felt as if (Name) was going to break from how small the boy was. 

(Name) pulled away from the kiss. “You’re so big…” He groaned. 

Hitoshi slowed down his thrusts, “it’s okay, you can handle it, (Name).” He pressed a chaste kiss on his lips, grinning at the giggle he earned. (Name) wrapped his arms around his neck and pulled him in for another kiss. 

Their first time was, of course, going to be a bit short. Hitoshi had never actually fucked anyone and (Name) was better than his fists and any toy he used on his cock. The tight heat that clenched around him randomly sent him into a light frenzy. 

He screwed himself over on waiting this long to fuck his lover. 

The thrusts began to get faster and more sloppy. Sounds of the bed creaking and (Name)’s occasional surprised screams from his prostate being stimulated meant the other students knew they were having sex. 

Hitoshi wasn’t looking forward to those awkward stares in the morning. 

“I’m gonna pee!” 

Hitoshi hummed, “it’s not pee. I’m close to.” He grunted, reaching over to grasp (Name)’s legs and pushed them towards his lover’s head. (Name) squeaked, shocked at how his body could hold this position with ease. 

What other positions could he do…? 

A grunt left Hitoshi’s lips when (Name) suddenly tightened around him. He stared down at him with a little shit eating grin. Yeah, he’d manhandle his boyfriend more. 

The squelching of too much lube, squeaky bed, and whimpers that could make any man cream his pants—their first time was certainly better than what they could dream of. 

(Name) screamed out as he came a second time but a bit more watery. Hitoshi was right behind him, thrusting in deep as he released inside. A moan left (Name)’s lips as the warm liquid entered his body. A gasp stuttered out of him as Hitoshi began to shallowly thrust in him. 

��Hitoshi….” 

“Sorry… Just making sure it stays inside.” He muttered, coming to a stop as he helped move (Name) to lay on his chest as he plopped down on the bed. 

(Name) hummed in content. He could feel a few drops slip out but he was too tired to care. 

“(Name)…” 

“Hm…?” 

“Promise me to never act like Todoroki ever again. I like you just as you are.” 

╭┈─────── ೄྀ࿐ ˊˎ-

╰┈─➤ ＥＮＤ

Fourth fic!! There wasn’t much plot to this so I had to improvise a lot! Hopefully you like it!!

Next fic for Saturday is another BNHA character! Thanks for reading!

[rubyreduji]

ahegao and arousal — ljh

summary: jihoon just wanted to have a nice night watching anime with you, how was he supposed to know the show he picked was a hentai?

tags: smut (minors dni!) warnings: explicit unprotected sex, hentai, ji is kind of a perv, creampies, spanking, scratching, finger sucking, pinning, multiple orgasms wc: 3.6k an: ANON I SCREAMED WHEN I READ THIS LIKE AHHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH I LOVE YOU i made up my own anime plot for this hehe but watched wotakoi while writing bc office romance

orignal request: woozi and reader are at a sleepover and are both anime geeks but what’s playing is not anime and more hentai

Akira, long time secretary at Hayashi Corp, spends her days doing errands for her boss, Hiroshi, and keeping the office running. The mundane pace of her life is suddenly thrown for a loop when the new data analyst, Kaito, is hired.

That’s what the description of the show Jihoon picked said. It sounded like a cute little work place, slice of life romance anime at the time of Jihoon scrolling through what show to watch with you tonight. Oh how wrong he was.

Last week you hunted Jihoon down and insisted that it has been far too long since you two had a day to spend hanging out just you two, so Jihoon invited you over for an all night anime marathon. It’s no secret that you two are giant anime buffs, and so it was difficult for Jihoon to find something that both of you have yet to see. So when he came across this new anime he thought it was the perfect pick. It had an 8.7 review and tropes that Jihoon knows you enjoy, making it the perfect show to watch with you.

The show started out fine, a bit cliche but overall carrying the same cute aesthetic of all romance animes. Sure there were a few throw away fanservice bits, but Jihoon didn’t think anything of it. Until he did.

Jihoon’s ears burn as he tries to figure out where to look. He can’t look at you, that would just make him even more flustered, but staring at the TV is out of the option. Even as Jihoon stares at the wall, he can’t escape the lewd sounds playing out of the speakers. He can’t exactly tell what the characters are saying due to it being in Japanese, but from the excessive moaning and slick sounds, he can interpret it.

The show was going so well, to the point where the two of you were starting to root for a male lead, and then all of a sudden Akira is being cornered in an empty meeting room by Hiroshi (who is the wrong male lead, by the way) and their clothes are flying off and then Jihoon had to stop watching.

His curiosity gets the best of him though and Jihoon glances at the TV, just to take a quick peak, only to get a full view of an animated cock being slid into an exaggeratingly wet pussy (why is it uncensored!?). She cries out as the subtitles read, “He’s so big!~”. The image changes to the bouncing of Akira’s unnaturally large tits as Hiroshi starts to thrust into her. Above her tits is the image of her face, screwed up into a classic hentai ahegao. 

Now, Jihoon is well…a man, and men have certain urges that need to be taken care of every once in a while, and Jihoon often finds himself looking to certain content to help out those urges. He of course carries shame for it and would never actually admit that he watches hentai (a lot), but it's a fact that’s hard to hide when his body is reacting to the scene the way it normally would if he was watching it alone.

You haven’t spoken a single word since the scene started, and Jihoon just prays to god that you’re not looking at him or his lap.

Now in theory, Jihoon could just turn the TV off but then that would force both of you to face the reality that you have now consumed porn together and Jihoon doesn’t think he can handle that. Just thinking about it makes Jihoon’s dick twitch even harder.

Jihoon takes a shallow breath and finally risks a glance over at you. He’s shocked at the sight. Your bottom lip is placed between your teeth, being chewed up as you stare intently at the screen. Your knees are pulled to your chest and there’s a slight gleam in your eye as you watch the scene. Is it possible that you’re…enjoying this?

Jihoon allows himself to get a better look at you, as it’s clear you’re solely focused on the show. He watches as you take a shaky breath, your thighs squeezing together as well. The sight drives Jihoon just slightly insane, and it doesn’t help you’re in the skimpiest pair of sleep shorts and a tank top, sans a bra. 

You and Jihoon have been friends for a while. You two met coincidentally at an anime convention, You were cosplaying as one of his favorite characters and Jihoon made sure to get your socials. You were interested in his own socials though, noticing the OST covers he uploaded occasionally. When it was revealed you two are from the same area, you two quickly became close. Now, nearly six years later, you’re one of Jihoon’s closest friends.

The only thing is, Jihoon has a fat, massive crush on you. He has for years now. It doesn’t help that the characters you cosplay the most are either some of Jihoon’s favorites or characters who are the biggest victims of fanservice behaviors. One time you cosplayed a character who fell under both categories and that night Jihoon shamefully jerked off to the pictures you sent to him.

And now you’re here, dressed in revealing clothes, sitting on Jihoon’s couch, invested in the porn scene playing on the TV. 

Jihoon eyes travel down from your face to your chest, where your tank top does a poor job of hiding your cleavage. He can see the way your chest swells with each shuddered breath. It’s clear now that you’re very into this, and Jihoon wonders for a brief second how wet your panties are.

Jihoon then quickly chides himself, looking back at the wall and away from you. That’s where his gaze stays until the scene ends. Once the show goes back to being a seemingly innocent romance anime, Jihoon finally allows himself to glance over at you. To his surprise you’re staring back at him.

“I, uh, can’t believe she’d hook up with Hiroshi,” you say, breaking the silence between you two. “Clearly Kaito is the better choice.”

Jihoon coughs, clearing his throat. “Y-yeah. It’s also kinda weird since he’s her boss…”

The conversation fizzles out quickly after that and you and Jihoon go back to watching the TV in awkward silence. Jihoon can still feel the ache in his cock as he watches the characters fumble around each other. 

Jihoon can barely even focus on the show, too busy trying to think about anything that will get his boner to go down. He’s not sure what’s happening on screen when all of a sudden you start squealing.

“Oh my god Jihoon, it's happening!” You launch yourself across the couch to grab at Jihoon’s arm. He’s startled for a moment, his skin burning where your fingers dig into his flesh. He glances at the TV to see Kaito walking Akira back to her home.

You don’t let go of Jihoon as you settle down next to him, your body now pressed up against him rather than across the couch. God Jihoon swears his cock has never been so hard in his life. He’s sure the pillow placed over his lap is anything but subtle.

You’re not looking at Jihoon though, too invested in the conversation the two characters are having. Jihoon glances down at you, only to realize that was a bad choice as he’s now staring straight down your shirt at your cleavage. For a moment Jihoon thinks about how he wouldn’t mind seeing how your boobs bounce while he fucks you.

Jihoon’s still focused on you solely, when you gasp. He glances at you and then the screen to see the two characters posed in a kabedon. It doesn’t take long for the two to start making out and Jihoon can already anticipate what’s going to happen next. Your fingers dig into Jihoon’s arm before you realize what you’re actually doing. You go to pull your hand back, but you stop halfway through, your fingers just barely ghosting Jihoon’s arm.

“We can just skip this scene,” Jihoon finally says, seeing the internal conflict going on in your mind. He moves to reach for the remote but you stop him.

“N-no, it’s okay,” you tell him, in a voice that’s smaller than normal. “U-unless you don’t want to!”

“No, it’s uh, it’s fine,” Jihoon says. You give a slight nod, not moving your hand away.

You and Jihoon quiet down once more, staring at the TV, both of your cheeks warm. On screen Kaito is bending Akira over the counter, his cock pulled out and rubbing against her slit. Jihoon hears the labored breath you take, as your fingers slightly tighten on his arm.

Jihoon flits his eyes to glance at you, noticing the intrigued look back on your face. His fingers twitch on his lap as he stares down at your thighs, pushed together. The lewd sounds of moans and squelches fill the living room and Jihoon is five seconds away from getting up to go relieve himself in his bathroom.

Jihoon knows you. If something goes wrong you’ll both just brush it off and forgive and forget it. Fuck it.

Jihoon reaches out and slides his hand over your thigh. You jump a bit and Jihoon goes to pull back, but you stop him.

“No! You’re uh-, you’re fine.”

Jihoon just nods, trying to pretend like his mind isn’t reeling right now. His thumb brushes over your bare thigh, caressing the skin.

Your thighs are soft and he does his best not to full on grope the fat there. Just touching you like this has Jihoon’s cock leaking desperately in his boxers and he thinks about how good it would feel to touch in other ways as well. The swell of your breasts under his palms, his plump lips against your tender neck, his hard cock nestled inside of you.

Jihoon lets his mind wander too much, and the last image makes him squeeze your thigh hard, causing you to let out a moan.

“Fuck, Jihoon,” you mutter.

“I’m so sorry!” Jihoon shouts, quickly pulling his hand away. You’re quicker though, grabbing his hand and placing it on your upper thigh, his fingers just barely brushing against your crotch. Jihoon’s mouth goes dry.

“F-finish what you started, Ji,” you tell him, your voice thick with lust.

Jihoon gulps and nods. He moves his fingers to press against you harder and you automatically spread your thighs to give him more room. Jihoon can already feel how wet you are and he stifles a groan. You let out broken gasps as Jihoon continues to rub at your clit through your shorts. 

Jihoon can’t take his eyes off you, staring at you the way the swell of your breasts heaves with each breath. Jihoon shifts his position to face you so he can reach out his free hand. It hovers over your chest for a moment before he finally pushes forward, grasping your boob in his palm. Your breath stutters before you release a low moan. Jihoon can feel the clench of your thighs around his hand. 

Your pussy is dripping now, soaking straight through your panties and shorts. Jihoon’s cock is also leaking, begging to be slid into your warm walls. His cock strains against his shorts, like it’s trying to break free from the confines itself.

Jihoon groans and pulls his hands off of you and you whine. You’re not left untouched for too long though as Jihoon hooks his fingers into your waistband and starts to pull your shorts down. You lift your hips to help him out, pulling your top off your body as well. Even though your clothes did little to cover you up, seeing you fully naked drives Jihoon insane.

He stares at your slick pussy and he nearly drops to his knees then, thinking about how heavenly it would be to be in between your thighs, but his dick twitches a little too hard and he knows he has to get inside of you now. Jihoon pushes his shorts down his legs and his cock finally springs free.

“Jihoon please,” you whine and Jihoon groans. He sits back down on the couch and grabs you, pulling you onto his lap. You look pretty, perched on Jihoon’s thick, pale thighs. Your pussy rubs up against his cock and Jihoon can feel your arousal spread across his length, lubing it up.

“S-shit,” Jihoon curses. Your fingers grasp his shoulders tightly, your fingernails just starting to dig in, and the slight sting goes straight to Jihoon’s cock.

“C’mon Hoonie,” you mumble. “Just fuck me.”

That’s all Jihoon needs to properly line himself up and slam right into you. You whine loudly at the feeling as Jihoon slides right into you, your cunt already so need that there’s no resistance. Just as Jihoon expected, your walls are soft and warm as you clench down around him.

Jihoon grasps your waists, slowly guiding you up his length before pulling you back down. Jihoon can see you biting down on your lip as you roll your hips against him. He reaches up and gently pulls your lip out from between your teeth with his thumb. Before Jihoon can tell you he wants to hear your moans, your tongue darts out and licks at the pad of his thumb before you lean down and take his whole thumb into your mouth.

Jihoon’s hips buck up into you as you suck on his thumb, your tongue swirling around it. You look down at him with your sultry eyes and for a moment Jihoon wonders if you’ve wanted him just a long as he’s wanted you.

You gradually speed up your pace until you’re fully fucking yourself on Jihoon’s cock, fast and hard. You pop your mouth off of Jihoon’s thumb, finally letting your moans flow free. To Jihoon, you sound like an angel singing. As you bounce in his lap Jihoon can’t help but stare at your tits as they bounce in front of his face. He realizes that if he stares for too much longer, he’s going to cum too soon.

He leans forward and starts to pepper kissings along your neck and chest. His fingers trail up your torso until they come to your tits. He palms at your chest, hard and mean, desperate to feel you up as much as he can.

Your fingernails dig into Jihoon’s shoulders even harder, slightly dragging up and scratching him. Jihoon would never consider himself a masochist but the pain burns delightfully and suddenly he wants you to tear up his whole back.

“F-fuck, Ji~” you whine. “Your cock feels suh’good.”

Your cunt squeezes Jihoon’s cock, so close to milking him for all that he’s worth. Jihoon doesn’t bother taking his mouth off of you, just humming against your collarbone. Jihoon’s body feels like it’s burning up, the feel of your soft skin pressed against him, your warm cunt wrapped around his aching cock. If he doesn’t cum soon he’s sure that he’ll implode.

Jihoon reaches between your body and snags his finger on your clit, rubbing at the bud rapidly to get you closer to your orgasm. You gasp and whine as your hips get more frantic, breaking your steady pace.

“G-gonna cum,” you say between broken breaths. You lean down and capture Jihoon in a kiss. The feeling of your lips against his is new and Jihoon already can’t get enough of it. Jihoon pushes his tongue between your lips, licking into your mouth to taste you better.

You move your hands up to cup his face, tugging him into you even harder as your body trembles in his grip. Jihoon can feel your walls fluttering around him as you reach your high. That’s all the signal Jihoon needs to let go as well, finally letting himself spill right into your cunt. Your hips soon come to a stop and lift up off of him as your body slumps down onto his.

“You know,” you mumble into his neck, your fingers now playing with the hair on his nape, “I’ve always kind of fantasized about this happening.”

“W-what?” Jihoon asks, his mind already dizzy from his orgasm and now your words aren’t helping.

“You’re hot Ji. Like, I’ve never met an anime nerd as buff as you. You’re also just like…really nice and caring? I don’t know, ever since we met a small part of me has always wanted to fuck you.”

“Shit,” Jihoon groans. “You’re saying that we could have been fucking for years now? Baby I don’t think you know how badly your cosplays turn me on.” 

“You’re gonna turn me on again,” you murmur.

“Good,” Jihoon responds. “Because I still have one more round in me.” Even after cumming, Jihoon’s cock is still hard and he easily flips you around and presses you down against the couch. Your face is now buried in the cushions as Jihoon pulls your hips up to meet his.

“S-shit,” you gasp.

Jihoon pushes his thumb against your folds, rubbing at them for a moment before pulling one to the side. Your cunt is shiny from your arousal and as Jihoon forced your entrance open, some of his cum from earlier starts to spill out. Jihoon is tempted to finger fuck it back into you, but it’s not too much of a loss when he can just give you fresh load.

Jihoon’s tip rubs up against your slit, teasing you. You wiggle your hips slightly, begging for him to put it in. Luckily, Jihoon is just as desperate as you are and pushes his hips forward, his tip easily sliding into you.

You just had Jihoon inside of you and yet the feeling of his cock rubbing up against your walls as you moaning and drooling on the couch cushions.

“So good for me,” Jihoon mutters to himself. “Fuck how do you feel ever better the second time.”

Jihoon’s hips slam into yours, rough and slow, making each stroke intentional. His grip on your hips is tight, making sure you stay in place as he fucks into you.

As much as Jihoon loves staring at your tits bouncing in his face, the view from the back is just as good. He can’t help himself as he lifts his hand up, letting his palm smack against your ass as he brings his hand back down. He watches satisfied as your ass recoils, the fat jiggling deliciously. He repeats this action a few more times until he’s sure your ass is warm and stinging from the hits.

“H-hoonie, faster, please,” you beg. You push your hips back, trying to force Jihoon to pick up his speed.

“You need more, baby?” Jihoon coos teasingly. “Want my cock to pound your little pussy?”

“Yes,” you sob out. “Need you to fuck me hard.”

“Okay baby, your wish is my command.” Like a switch flipped, Jihoon starts to plow into you, the head of his cock ramming into your g-spot with each thrust.

Jihoon slides his hand up your spine, his fingers coming up to cup around the back of your neck, and he pushes down, holding you against the couch. It’s dirty, your ass sticking up in the air as your face is squished against the cushion, but that just gets Jihoon going even more.

“You look so pretty like this,” Jihoon tells you. “Back arched just for me.”

You can’t even respond, just letting out a spew of babbles and moans. Your fingers grip onto the edge of the cushion and Jihoon wonders if it’s second nature for you to dig your nails into something when being fucked. He’ll have to test that another time, your nails raking over his back as he fucks the life out you.

For now he’ll stick to railing you into tomorrow.

“S’close,” you slur. “P-please. Need to cum.”

“Aww, you need to come? Okay baby, cream all over my cock.”

Jihoon continues to abuse your sweet spot with his cock as your body tense under him. Your cunt clenches down tight into a vice grip as you whine high pitched and loud. Jihoon rubs at your hip as you orgasm. It isn’t until you fall spineless to the couch that Jihoon allows himself to fill you up once more. He milks himself dry inside of you, making sure you’re stuffed full. Jihoon knows you’re on birth control (you’ve complained about the change in hormones to him before) but the knowledge that Jihoon pumped you full with two loads still drives him slightly insane.

Jihoon slides out of you and slumps down on the couch as well. You shuffle around so you can cuddle up into his side and press a soft kiss to his jaw.

“This was fun,” you mumble and Jihoon laughs.

“Yeah…we should do it again.”

You grin. “We should.”

Before Jihoon can say anything else, you’re both caught off guard by a loud shout coming from the TV. You both whip your heads back to the screen, it seems in the midst of your own fun you both forgot what started it all.

A smirk crosses your face as you look at Jihoon. “You know, for my next convention maybe I should dress as Akira. I think I have a blazer sitting around in my closet somewhere…”

The thought alone sends Jihoon’s mind reeling. The thought of you dressed up in a tight blazer and short skirt, knowing that the character is from a hentai. He’s not sure he would be able to keep his hands off of you.

“And who knows, maybe you could dress up as Kaito with me.” You send a wink Jihoon’s way and it’s enough to have Jihoon’s dick twitching to life a third time.

Oh yeah. He definitely won’t be able to keep his hands off of you, but something in Jihoon tells him you won’t mind too much.

taglist: @ckline35 @toruro @jeanjacketjesus @namjoonbaby @n4mj00nvq @lovelyhan @ovai @scorpiobitch88 @im-gemmy @lllucere @tulipgarland4 @embrace-themagic @sulkygyu @leejihoonownsmyheart @synthetickitsune @yeosayang @miraclewoozi @d0nghyck @soonhoonietrash @violetvoo @yongi-lee @spilled-coffee-cup @morklee02 @17kwans @candidupped @ressonancee @m1nghaos @1-800-jeonwonwoo @anothershorthuman @chwecardcaptor @dinoissupreme @speaknowlwt @hyneyedfiz @aaniag @jwnghyuns @flwrshwa @valentxi @heavenly-mobo @pandorashbox @enhacolor @starlight-night0 @todorokiskitten @miriamxsworld @just-here-to-read-01 @sunnyteume @debsworld23 @seuomo @tinkerbell460 @feat-sun @kpopmalesmutreblogs

join my taglist: here!

[afternoondreaming]

No Business Like Show Business (1/?)

It’s no secret that Mr. Puzzles isn’t the most…Creative guy around. So he makes the shrewd business decision to hire you- the screen writer! What could possibly go wrong? [Okay so my secret is that I adore Mr. Puzzles and that he’s my comfort character but I…Really don’t like SMG4 as a whole. Personally I just don’t like the show when the TV ain’t in it. So, forgive me if anything is inaccurate in regards to the world or lore! I’m working off the Wiki here ｡°(°.◜ᯅ◝°)°｡. Either way, this is the first of hopefully many chapters! Lemme know if you want more! Also RIP formatting]

The TV producer sat in his chair, hunched forward with his elbows against his knees as his electronic head rested against his steepled hands. Darkness ensconced him in his eerily quiet office, only the dim light of his own screen and the countless monitors in front of him for any light. His defeat at the hands of the SMG4 crew had been… Humiliating, to say the least. Not only did they beat his screen in, but they had bested him at his own game. What he dedicated his very life to. Television. They had gotten their five stars so much quicker than he did and with seemingly much less effort. There was no possible way the crew had studied more in the realm of film and video than him— he had literally seen everything! From eternal classics to infomercials, Mr. Puzzles could perfectly recall every piece of cinema ever created. And, despite all that work, he still lost.

“No, no use in dwelling on that now.” He muttered to himself, aching for a smoke. “What can I do differently…?” Rising from his chair, he began to pace his office as he wracked his brain. Perhaps branch into Japanese styled game-shows? No, he couldn’t possibly. If his ultimate game-show didn’t work, then zany Japanese game-shows wouldn’t, either. Maybe foreign films? Too niche an audience and it wasn’t as if his Italian endeavor went splendidly. What hadn’t he copied (or rather referenced) yet? There had to be something…!

His frantic patrol of his office stopped short. Maybe… That was the exact problem. He hasn’t made anything new. His knowledge of all things film was encyclopedic, but his creative muscles? Woefully inept. He had always produced everything alone. Scripts? Him. Effects? Also him. Hosting? Who else could possibly do that job? Not as if he would let anybody else take the helm; but if he hired a screen writer… Maybe he could finally write an original enough script to get a five star rating. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

You had heard of Puzzlevision before, I mean, who hadn’t? They were a juggernaut of the industry. Pumping out content hand over fist (for better or for worse). Yet, they were an enigma of a company at the same time- nobody ever seemed to have any work connections to them despite all the content they produce. It was the golden ticket of job opportunities. So, just like many of your coworkers, you submitted your résumé to their business address. Never expecting to hear anything back like the many others who tried their hand at it. However, currently, you sat in shock staring at the letter you just opened on your desk. The small TV logo on crisp letterhead, with a whole message to boot.

‘Dear Applicant,

Puzzlevision Studios has reviewed your submitted résumé and would like to thank you for your interest in our company. Given your stated qualifications and past headed projects, we would like to offer to you the title of Screen Writer. If you would like to pursue this opportunity, please visit the studio at the return address during regular business hours.’

Puzzlevision had never even answered applicants before, much less an affirmative response. Surely more talented writers had to have applied? It wasn’t as if you were inept. In fact, you had worked on many successful projects. Leading them through any bumps in the road you might have faced and being well regarded amongst your peers. But, a job at Puzzlevision… It all seemed too good to be true. Your coworker, Tori, rounded your shared cubicle wall to say her good mornings to you as she always did. “Yo!” She chirped, leaning on your shoulder as she looked ahead of you absentmindedly. “What’s got you so star struck? …Oh shit.” Her eyes must have skimmed your letter, given she was now just as shocked as you. “Well look at you! I can say I worked with a big shot before they got big~!”

“Yeah…!” You replied, excitement beginning to replace the shock. Of course you had to take this! You liked your company, sure, but anyone would give for an opportunity like this. “I gotta draft my resignation…! Pack up my cubicle, get my clothes dry cleaned for the interview- oh God I wasn’t expecting this.”

“Chill, chill!” Tori crooned, patting your shoulder gently when she removed herself from it. “No need to panic. That’ll get you nowhere. Just take your PTO today and draft the resignation while you get your things in order. Once you get the gig, we’ll grab a celebratory dinner, ‘kay?”

“Definitely!” You quickly grabbed the things you had just set down to start your day, ready to depart posthaste for all your prepping. “Tell the boss I’m outta here! Text you later!” You bolted back towards the entrance, waving back at Tori as she called out a goodbye. This was going to be a whirlwind.

[brucequeensteen]

why did head (1968) flop so badly, you may ask?

the short answer is: terrible promotion. why the promotion was so terrible is another question entirely. there are two schools of thought: 1) bob rafelson and jack nicholson were being deliberately avant garde and obtuse (maybe to attract a certain psychedelic audience) or 2) deliberate malicious intent from columbia pictures to get rid of the monkees (by November 1968, when the movie premiered, the monkees TV show had been cancelled for 2 months).

(LA Times, 2008)

what exactly was the ad campaign? Well, it was originally supposed to be Bob Rafelson's head displayed for a few seconds smiling at the camera--according to Wikipedia this was a spoof on Andy Warhol's short film Blowjob (1964). but in the end it was John Brockman, even more unknown, and he was just the guy who was supposed to be filming the clip.

from Andrew Sandoval's The Monkees Day-by-day Story (page 210). explains more about why they did this. Micky also says he thinks it was a way to get back at the monkees for striking on the first day of filming when they found out they would get no creative credit for the film and had been "getting ripped off pretty badly" basically for years.

another factor was the critics reviews. obviously Head is not your average film, and loads of reviews looked down on it as psychedelic garbled trash. they didn't get it. there were positive reviews of course, but most people just didnt get it (and you cant really blame them - its at its most enjoyable when you are a) a bit of a freak, b) a total anti-capitalist, or c) substantially aware of the horrors the monkees were going through at this point. no film critic at the time ticked all 3 of these boxes). i think at this point bob rafelson panicked, because he wanted the film to do well, he just wanted it to do well independent of the monkees (hubris). there's a funny story about the night before the movie premiered in new york, he and jack nicholson got arrested for putting up stickers promoting head, after jack tried to put one on a police officer's helmet. and it makes me wonder why he then didn't fight harder for the film to do well.

it's funny (re: sad) how so many things came together to bring about the doom of the film: bob rafelson and jack nicholson's own cockiness about how well the film would do, their complete disregard of the what the monkees themselves wanted, the studio being tired of the monkees/already having cancelled the show, the whole phenomenon dying out a little since record sales had gone down (the last album they put out was in february 1968 - by this point it was november, and the Head album wouldn't be released until December)...

another peter quote because I trust him the most (again from the day-by-day story, page 210)

Mike over the years has said different things, at one point calling Head an assisted suicide (pertaining to his own desires to kill the monkees phenomenon and be seen as a serious musician), at other points calling it a murder (which i think is how peter continued to see it throughout most of his life, while simultaneously recognising its artistic and cinematic merit, and also saying the soundtrack was the record he was proudest of besides headquarters 1967). but here's something Mike said in the Head commentary (some time in the early 2000s) which i find simultaneously funny and devestating:

so yeah. the main conclusion is that nothing was in Head's favour for it to do well. there were conflicting visions, conflicting motivations, a total lack of interest from Columbia pictures, and no one was on the Monkees' side, not even really the monkees themselves. the world just wasn't ready for the crazy anti-monkees monkee movie. their swag was too different. everybody wanted to kill them. but they didnt have to cos they killed themselves it happens right at the start of the movie and again at the end. WATCH HEAD.

[em-harlsnow]

Something I’ve had in my mind for a while, so I did a little speed-write:

When he gets back from his therapist, Mickey’s on the couch with his laptop open in front of him.

He doesn’t make a big deal of anything, just looks up, smiles and asks how it went. Today it wasn’t too taxing, just one of the fortnightly appointments that they can afford now. Ian smiles back.

“It was okay.”

“Just okay?” Mickey looks up from the laptop, paying full attention.

He blows out a breath. “Yeah. It was fine, really. Nothing huge.” He says, because nothing huge was revealed, nothing huge was said. Therapy just takes a lot out of him energy-wise.

“Okay.” Mickey replies, placing a hand on his knee, squeezing, and then returns to the screen.

“What are you looking at?” Ian asks, trying to peak.

“That stupid shit you like. Pin Interest or whatever the fuck.”

Ian rolls his eyes. “You like it, Mick. And I know you know it’s called Pinterest.”

Mickey shrugs.

“So, what are you looking at on Pin Interest?” He smirks and Mickey snorts.

“Tattoo ideas. I was thinkin’ of getting another one.” Mickey’s gaze is laser focused as he scans through images, saving some and scowling at others as if they personally offend him.

Ian’s eyebrows raise in surprise. “Where do you want it?” He tries to picture his husband with more tattoos and very much likes the image. He likes his current ones too much to not want him to get more.

“I dunno, man. Some sleeves are cool. But they take ages to build up. Maybe just one on my shoulder to start.”

“That sounds good.” Ian tries to get closer, but he still can’t really see what Mickey’s looking at. “Can I see?” He asks, pointing at the device.

Mickey sighs like he’s the most annoying fucker on the planet, but he tilts the screen towards him anyway.

He can see now that Mickey’s searched up ‘black tattoo shoulder men’ and there are just piles on piles of buff men with shoulder tats.

“I like the snake one.” Mickey tells him, pointing at the picture he means. It’s a serpent winding around the top of the guy’s arm, tangling together and going down to the bottom of his bicep.

“Yeah, that one’s cool.” Ian agrees. “What about that one?” He points at one with a fine lined dragon reaching onto the guy’s peck.

“I guess, but I don’t want it too thin, you know? When they do it too intricate, the lines all blur together.” Ian hums in assent.

“Show me what you already have saved.”

Mickey clicks through the website, and Ian catches a glimpse of his pre-existing boards before he goes to the tattoo one. There’s one called ‘wedding’ and one called ‘apartment’ and one called ‘dope shit’. The cover photo of ‘dope shit’ is an aesthetic image of two beers and two cigarettes clasped in two hands. Ian’s not really surprised that this is what Mickey considers to be ‘dope shit’.

In the folder is a lot of similar things. Snakes, dragons, one cat with bat wings. One looks like a weird cross between a gun and a dagger. They’re all pretty hot, and Ian tells him about his favourites.

“I was thinkin’ of drawing it myself. I don’t wanna just copy what someone else has.”

“What did you do for this one?” Ian asks, grasping Mickey’s forearm.

“Drew it.” He explains simply, eyes not leaving the screen.

“Yeah? It’s good. You should draw the next one, too then.”

Mickey hums in agreement but continues to browse the website, probably looking for ideas.

Ian clicks on the TV, starting up an episode of New Girl while Mickey’s distracted.

They sit in peaceful silence for a while, until Mickey speaks again.

“There’s a tattoo place up the street. The reviews seem good. Don’t wanna go somewhere if they’ll just fuck it up.”

“That’s true.” Ian pauses. “If you’re getting one, I might get one too.”

Mickey raises his eyes brows in that expressive way of his. “You want a new tat? Fuckin’ copy cat.” He grumbles, but with the way he looks Ian up and down he can tell he’s not opposed.

“Yeah, been thinkin about it for a bit.”

“Oh yeah? What you thinkin, tough guy, I’ll look up some ideas.” Mickey suggests, already looking back at ‘Pin Interest’.

“Don’t worry, I already know what I want.”

When he doesn’t say more, Mickey huffs impatiently. “Gonna keep me waiting all night or what?”

Ian smirks and leans forward. “I was thinkin’ of an ‘MM’ tattoo, right here.” He tells him, pointing at a spot on the inside of his wrist.

Mickey looks surprised, and fond, and happy all at once. Even so, he tuts at him. “Tshc, you don’t have to do that just because I got your name.”

Ian rolls his eyes. “I fuckin’ know that, dork. I like the idea of having a more permanent thing than the rings.”

“Yeah, coz you keep fuckin’ losing your rings.”

“Well I’m sorry I don’t want it to fall down a drain or something, Mick.” He laughs, exasperated. “But a tattoo won’t fall down the drain.”

Mickey looks at him, and he’s so happy that Ian can’t help but wind their fingers together.

“You don’t want it to look like Mandy Milkovich, though. Gotta get my middle initial, too.”

“Wouldn’t her initials be ‘AM’? For Amanda?” Ian raises his eyebrows. Mickey scrunches his.

“Oh yeah.”

“You hate your middle name, anyway. And ‘MAM’ looks like I got something for my mum, I want this for you.”

“Yeah, you already got those titties for Monica.” Mickey jokes lightly and Ian pushes his side.

<3333

i might write a next part, where they actually go get them!

[lhoandbehold]

The deficit of finished stories is so profound.

Streaming services cancelling everything after s2 and leaving the stories unfinished.

Franchise stories that need to be part of a connected universe, so every film or series fizzles out into open endings, in order to leave space for spinoffs.

Not to mention whenever a complete, finished story turned out so popular that the producers decide to order more of it, smashing a perfectly finished thing back into pieces just to reassemble it again but never quite as fully as it was before.

But in extension of this, I have been listening to a lot of weird audiobooks lately. They're books I choose without doing much thinking or research - a cool title, check of the genre and a glance at reviews to see how it's generally received. I'm being exposed to a lot of stories I wouldn't necessarily choose if you put them in front of me and asked me to choose. A lot of them I didn't love or even really like, but at least they are finished stories. They started and they ended. They said something, or tried, and then they were over.

And it makes me feel curious and excited to have things come to an end. It makes me wonder what other stories could be put into the world, how I would do it.

it makes me want to go see more weird indie films in the cinema, chase down fresh short films and find new authors I never heard of.

Instead of sitting in the quiet after watching a brilliant but cancelled tv-show, trying to figure out what the meaning of it all was.

[southofeerie]

modern west wing social media hcs

i feel like charlie would have the most normal social media acct and following, like maybe an instagram where he posts pictures of himself (mostly for family), and like a twitter where he occasionally retweets his friends or bartlet. he likes making fun of other people (especially senior staff) for being too stuck to their devices, and a large online presence would take away that ability

CJ’s twitter is less incendiary than she’d like, since she’s the face of the bartlet administration, and so a lot of it is discussing policy or clarifying briefings. she does retweet a lot of good edu sites or interesting articles she finds. she herself trends a lot, she’s pretty famous online as a political icon ala AOC or bernie sanders, and she gets a lot of edits made online from press conferences (which she enjoys bragging abt to the other staff, while making fun of them for being out-of-touch). CJ also has a private instagram that hogan had her make, but she only posts extremely blurry pictures of coffee and her goldfish with captions like “hogan said to post to remind people that im alive”. toby always replies with “sending the pictures to MOMA. breathtaking” and danny replies with “breaking news. press secretary reveals she is still alive. more at 7”.

leo does not have social media because he still has a flip phone and a brick laptop. he says he prefers hearing bad news out loud or reading it on physical paper, but really, he just can’t figure out how to work it. im talking types “google” into google, then types “hello find me a map of the united states of america” in the search bar. margaret tried to help but seeing him type google into google physically pained her

josh is banned from twitter (after he pissed off three midwestern states, basket weavers, and most hollywood producers in the first week in office). cj regularly checks to make sure he hasn’t made a new account. he has a public instagram, but cj looks over captions before he posts (he once tried to ask the president for permission to get a new account but the president sided with cj). most of his posts are about encouraging people to vote or be more politically active. he is also not allowed to reply to comments on the instagram, so he reads them out loud in a mocking voice to donna. unbeknownst to him, there is a white house deputy chief of staff twitter page run by donna (with cj’s permission) that discusses white house initiatives and shares fun anecdotes abt day to day work. anytime someone tells josh they love his twitter account he assumes they mean instagram, and nobody tells him until bartlet is two years out of office

donna, like charlie, has an instagram mostly for her family back home, but also has a twitter where she talks about tv shows she likes and her hobbies, that has a decent following. she might have a tumblr but again it would be abt tv shows and hobbies she has

toby is on goodreads and instagram (but only to leave sarcastic comments on his friends’ posts). he hates twitter’s word count limit and how it’s owned by elon musk, and rants abt it often. he leaves lengthy reviews on any political commentary article in the comments section. this has been brought up in the briefing room, to the point where cj has a recording of herself saying “toby ziegler’s online rants are not indicative of president bartlet’s views. if you have any questions please direct them to ziegler himself”

president bartlet has facebook </3. there’s a white house twitter page run by an intern, but he’s not involved with that. he posts fun facts about national parks or ancient latin novels, but each fact starts with something like “joshua lyman, 🧍‍♂️deputy chief of staff, 🇺🇸doesn’t understand the true beauty of yellowstone national park 🙄🏞🏜🤦‍♂️”. most people think it’s a parody account and cj doesn’t want to correct them

abbey does not have facebook, despite her husbands insistence that it’s better than twitter. on the rare occasions she uses her account it’s mostly to discuss important medical breakthroughs and her daughter’s work

sam has a really popular instagram, where he posts selfies and pretty pictures of the white house and captions like “having a great day at work today!” or “white house at sunset.. gorgeous”. he posts on his story a lot, and comes off as very relatable to the public. he’s cj’s dream social media user

will bailey runs campaign social medias pretty well but his own twitter account is mostly for promoting the campaigns. occasionally he retweets stuff his friends post, or tweets out funny jokes he hears.

margaret is tumblr famous, but never posts abt her job. her posts regularly wind up on other sites. she hasn’t told anybody and doesn’t plan to

[bengiyo]

La Pluie Deserves a Standing Ovation

I hope y’all didn’t think I’d forgotten about this show after the finale. I was just traveling and have been too busy to write this final review.

La Pluie has been one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve had as a viewer of TV ever. This show told us exactly what it was from the very opening scenes, and then spent the entire show paying that off. This show opened with an explanation about soulmates, and then immediately countered that with Tai’s parents’ divorce, the note that the pairing of people is ultra-rare, and a happy couple that wasn’t a soulmate pair in a café. Throughout the show it repeatedly stressed that love is about how we treat each other and not something you win via a lottery. It’s so rare these days that we get a show that trusts their audience this much to follow the thread and think about the big ideas along the way.

Doubt and Faith in Acts

One of my favorite things I observed in the show is that only Patts and Tien consistently make the kinds of choices that lead to long-term love without getting their asses handed to them. @shortpplfedup observed during her catch up that this story featured four different kinds of believers: an apostate, an agnostic, a believer, and an atheist. It’s notable that the apostate (Tai) and the atheist (Lomfon) are the ones causing the most harm to other people in the way they treat others.

Throughout the show, both Tai and Lomfon keep making standoffish choices. Tai has cut off his mom and avoids his coworkers. Lomfon is rude and standoffish. Neither of them is able to hold on to their loves because they are incapable of letting go of their own bullshit.

Conversely, Tien goes out of his way to take care of his brother, his family, and eventually Lomfon. I actually liked that Tai and Lomfon had to make opposite choices in the finale. Lomfon needed to show in his actions that he was serious about Tien, whereas Tai needed to show in his words that he was actually listening to what Patts had been asking for.

For Patts, he doesn’t believe that he and Saengtai are meant to be together because they’re connected by the rain. He does the work of caring for Tai because he is kind. He loves Tai because he’s Tai and not because he’s his soulmate. Patts stays present for Tai. He respects his boundaries. He tries to help Tai deal with his problems. He trusts him.

The Ambiguity

As a lapsed Catholic, I gotta say that I really love the way this show ended without fixing all of the soulmate stuff and giving concrete answers. I like that the show holds firm to its conviction that love is not ordained by the narrative; it is something built by people doing the work to be together. I love how this show challenged the notion of the narrative itself mandating the characters be together and instead reminded them (and us) to be present for our loved ones and to listen to their needs.

I think this show would have been weaker if Tai and Patts had restored their rain connection at the end. Besides, I think it gives them room to play with that idea if they get a second season. I also liked that Tien started hearing someone at the end of the season. He is a believer in soulmates, and I think it’ll be interesting to see someone as earnest as him face that challenge.

Releasing the Tension

Before I get to wrapping up, I want to reiterate again that this show has two plot-relevant blowjobs in it. So often these shows tease us and then don’t release the tension. Worse, when they do release the tension it doesn’t always feel like it’s something the characters lean into with their new dynamic.

After episode 5 ended, @ginnymoonbeam teased me for having a moment of panic that maybe I was misreading the show and that somehow Patts wasn’t into Saengtai because of how often I’ve been tricked or teased. Instead, these two end up making out on the floor and Patts was going to blow that man. Then, we don’t cut away from them. We watch them talk about what happened and why Tai is holding back.

Going further, they let Patts and Tai find peace and closure with Nara. Moreover, they treat Nara’s heartbreak seriously. She isn’t ejected from the group, and is allowed to be disappointed and sad about the loss. At the end of the show, they also confirm our suspicions about her and Dream.

It’s just incredible to have watched a show that didn’t rely on teasing us and instead treated the sex and intimacy seriously.

Thank You To Everyone Who Watched La Pluie

I cannot overstate how much joy I got from watching this show along with all of you. When @lurkingshan and I began writing earnestly around episode 4 in the hopes that more people would join us on this show, I did not expect so many of you to actually give it a try.

I think, if you have held off on watching this show because you’ve been waiting for confirmation about one plot point or another, just watch it if you’re still on the fence. When you do watch it, try to let go of what you think is supposed to happen or what you want to happen, and instead respond to what the show is giving you. This has been the most legible show at this caliber I’ve experienced since I Told Sunset About You (2020).

At no point did this show try to trick us about anything, and it trusts us to keep up and engage. This show is better when you lean in. It’s better when you discuss it with others. For a show so much about questioning belief, it is amazing how much this show rewards you for believing in it. I don’t know a better show this year.

I have a lot of folks I want to acknowledge here at the end, including but not limited to:

I want to thank @wanderlust-in-my-soul, @pharawee, and @liyazaki for letting me use their gifs in my posts.

I want to thank @lurkingshan and @ginnymoonbeam for being first through the door with me and committing to getting more folks to watch this show.

I want to thank @respectthepetty and @absolutebl for regularly sticking it out for shows and giving them an earnest watch through their lenses.

I want thank everyone else who contributed incredibly thoughtful writing to this experience, including @shortpplfedup, @syrena-del-mar, @neuroticbookworm, @wen-kexing-apologist, @chickenstrangers, @recentadultburnout, @williamrikers, @heretherebedork, @shouldiusemyname, @sunshinechay, @fadelikeclouds, @slayerkitty, @chinzhilla, @indigostarfire, @iguessitsjustme and @rocketturtle4

See you all in the next show!

[strawberrylollipop26-blog-blog]

Movie/Show Round UP

I haven't done one of these in awhile. As always, my thoughts are short and to the point. I don't go in depth. I'm not a professional reviewer, just my thoughts.

Under the cut there are reviews for Fly Me to the Moon, Inside/Out 2, Despicable Me 4, A Quiet Place: Day One, Dune Part 2, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, The Fall Guy, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Civil War, Madame Web, Argylle, Abigail and The Bikeriders. TV shows: Legend of Fei and Halloween Baking Championship.

Fly Me to the Moon: I saw this movie during a three show day at the theater. It was the middle movie and the biggest question mark. Turns out, the whole 'did they or didn't they' land on the moon theory was actually interesting. While I have zero interest in a rewatch, definitely worth attempting for first time viewers.

Inside/Out 2: This movie was exactly the same as the first. There's nothing new here except for possibly children experiencing new emotions. As an adult, I was bored.

Despicable Me 4: Cute. This film added nothing.

A Quiet Place: Day One: I thought it was nicely done. Still, didn't knock my socks off like the first one. My spouse wanted to know exactly how people learned to be quiet. I tried to tell him that they showed it in the second movie. He wanted more of a show. He was also annoyed that we know nothing about the aliens and it's the third movie. Slight spoiler, I wish we didn't know something about a certain character because it would've made the ending decision so much more impactful.

Dune: Part 2: Well, he tried to warn them about what would happen. I like the action that happens even though it all folds into a pretty box.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire: I barely remember this movie. It was sort of reminiscent of the previous one. A typical unite to defeat the super evil blah blah blah.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes: Disturbing T!k T0ks regarding the leads aside, this movie was enjoyable. Although, I had no idea a new movie series was starting. There were quite the few holes left so I'd see the second one.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die: I saw this before the previous one so I was quite confused in certain parts. All in all it was enjoyable. There are some funny moments. I've had the urge to watch again.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire: I haven't seen this in awhile. From what I remember there's a side character hero in here that's pretty funny. Pretty textbook, you know what's going to happen before it does.

The Fall Guy: I've heard people talking about this one and disliking it. I thought the whole purpose was to have an outrageous fun movie showing crazy stunts the doubles do. Is it the best movie? No, but if you like action it's worth a watch.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga: I'm an action girl. I highly valued the first Mad Max. This movie is obviously character based therefore slower to catch the stages of development (it's even told in chapters). I was bored. All the story shows in the normal character faced adversity, lived a hard life, finally goes for their revenge. Zero interest in a rewatch. I'll turn on the first one again.

Civil War: A weird movie full of numerous holes. A waste of my time.

Madame Web: I thought it was okay even though this movie was review bombed. There's nothing special about it, but it's not the worst movie that people complained about. Then again, to each their own.

Argylle: Another movie that was review bombed. I also guessed the likely story in this one. I think this movie suffers mostly from trying to be too many things. It goes for serious, yet wild and fun, yet logical. I think if the movie with the effects stayed 'out there' then people would've found it more enjoyable. Maybe.

Sidenote: My husband is always surprised that me (comedy hater) loves Rat Race and Joe Dirt. My response is always the same. Both movies are unapologetically insane. They don't take themselves seriously at all. I think Argylle should've done this as they had moments before deciding to become a serious spy movie.

The Bikeriders: First of all there's a narrator to this movie. Threw me off a bit at first, I normally don't watch those type of movies because i feel it leaves off clues. The movie's okay. Practically a drama in a bikerider setting. There isn't much mystery so another one that's easy to read.

Abigail: I enjoyed this movie until the ending. Not much I can say without spoiling.

Legend of Fei: I finally finished this show. Took me forever as it has good episodes, and others I cared less for (admittedly skipped scenes). Some characters were so annoying. Thankfully, Fei stopped passing out which was killing me. Xie Yun is my absolute fave. I might be biased, but all his scenes were so much fun except for the ones where he's sick :( . I've read reviews where people say they can watch this repeatedly, I'm not one of them. One and done. Sort of reminded me of WoH main storyline.

Sidenote: I love the one scene where he's reminiscing the past in his dreams and he no longer has money. The way this man kept opening up his pouch and dumping it over to make sure there were no coins. So relatable in my younger days.

Halloween Baking Championship: An era has come to an end or at least caught up in the seasons. I really like this cooking show. I hope people have some out of the box creations in the new year coming up.

[just-prime]

I'm not sure if you've been watching The Acolyte, but my critically high levels of sodium over the Ahsoka series have returned with the revelation that Rosario must have fought Lucasfilm over fight/lightsaber training stipulating in her contract.

Manny Jacinto, who came to the role with a black belt in Tae Kwon Do trained for four months for his fight scenes before filming. Rosario repeatedly said in interviews that she trained for two hours a day while filming, and it was clear that she thought this was a lot.

I tried to write it off last year. Budget and time constraints, George Lucas overspent and Disney is doing things differently, the prequel era is dead-

No.

No, this is not the case.

Prequel era love and care in the arena of bringing characters who are expert sword wielders and martial artists to life is alive and well at Lucasfilm.

Daphne Keen fights like Ahsoka plucked from the middle of the Clone Wars and brought to life. Dean Charles Chapman's saberwork is a beautiful hybrid of Obi-wan and Anakin with lightning fast, graceful Soresu and saber spins, lightsabers are deadly once more and used in ways we haven't seen outside of animation and video games, and characters far, far older than 11 ABY Ahsoka have kinetic, energetic choreography because a 42 year old Jedi is nowhere near over the hill, and I'm done with being gaslit about her age.

There are many issues with this show, yes, but there are no cameos (save for one blink and you miss it), no name dropping to make the audience tear up and feel something based on the hard work of previous content. Nuggets are plucked from the EU and made fresh, like the delightful and creative use of cortosis. New force worshipping sects with their own beliefs are brought to life without being the Nightsisters. The galaxy feels large again.

It's everything Ahsoka wasn't and shows just how soulless an effort that show was. Ironically this is the show that's getting raked over the coals while nearly all criticism of Ahsoka was met with dismissal despite the show being desperately mediocre.

If you had asked me to go in without behind the scenes knowledge and tell you if Filoni or Headland was the one new to Star Wars and who was approaching this effort with genuine love of the material and passion for world building and adventure, it wouldn't be the guy who was recently made Creative Director.

I'm sorry for once again paragliding into your inbox (yes, this is the salty anon from last summer lol), especially if you aren't interested in The Acolyte, but it just sheds so much light on everything wrong with Ahsoka and how valid our criticisms were. Salt doesn't have an expiration date, so I hope this is a little bit of vindication!

Hello, hello! Hang up your paraglider, you're always welcome in my ask box.

I have been watching the Acolyte! I'll admit, I saved off answering this until the final ep had come out so that if there were any more cool fight scenes, they were not missed in my response.

Thoughts I had Pre Finale

All in all I agree completely.

While flawed (personally I feel like the acting on Osha and Mea is the weakest part of the show as a whole, as well as the fact that this very much felt like a movie idea stretched into a tv show) the Acolyte has been legions better than the previous slop that Disney Star Wars has put out recently. You know why? Because I had fucking fun watching it. Sure, afterwards I'd usually say something along the lines of 'wow the pacing is a bit weird' but all in all? Actively enjoyable. It never made me angrily close the D+ tab mid episode.

It's also been a facinating litmus test for what people are able to be chill about Star Wars and which ones are not able to handle it. The amount of reviewers and reactors whom I previously had massive respect for who just are acting like utter tools is really getting on my nerves.

Because in sooooo many ways this has been exactly what people have been asking for. A new perspective, with new ideas that isn't just focused on the Skywalker saga. And on top of that, holy fuck the fights are glorious. You are absolutely right, both Dafne Keen's and Tommon's fights prove just how well you can have lightsaber skills look from a single person, as well as the Wookie fight showing off some truly impressive choreo between the three.

And then you have Manny Jacinto...hello ARMS

The man is by far the standout joy of the series (followed closely by Sol) as the man just oozes charisma. His big fight against everyone was brutal and I'm glad to see that lightsabers are once again deadly in the Star Wars universe. Watching him mow through a legion of Jedi was so incredibly satisfying to watch, and again he is just knocking it out of the park with the choreo. LOVE the way that they've introduced cortosis into live action, especially in a fighting style. Headbutting a lightsaber was fucking amazing to witness. Though it's actually not the first time that it's appeared in Canon star wars, as it appears in the second canon Thrawn book, Thrawn : Alliances!

The exploration of the Dark Side is being done in such an interesting way, because none of the practitioners we've seen would self identify as 'dark side users' at all. Because sure, you have Manny Jacinto who is out being evil because the Jedi were going to label him as dark side either way so he might as well defend himself, for him it's just the way he connects with the Force. But you also have the witches, who's mind infiltration is certainly Dark Side, but are just out here living their best witchy lives. They live by their Thread, regardless of what the Jedi would call it.

As always, also the "the jedi need to be the coolest and the morally purest people in the whole wide world" people are having hissy fits, which is just like...no? Stop being allergic to nuance? We've seen time and time again how the Jedi were in fact a child taking cult (yes, yes they are, if you disagree i'd recommend going and rewatching TPM which spells it out pretty clearly) usually we've just been on the Jedi's POV so it seems justified. The Sol flashback episode I think shows off this mentality very well. He had good intentions, sure, but all in all, he wants to take and even Trinity calls him on it. It's a fascinating examination of what decades later would lead Anakin down a path of desperation.

Speaking of Anakin...People getting suuuuuper protective over Anakin's super special status as 'the chosen one' was also rather surreal to witness. Personally, I don't see how this invalidates his 'the chosen one' in the first place? But people were definitely scraping the bottom of the barrel for things to complain about, as opposed to offering actually constructive criticism, of which there are plenty of options.

Thoughts I had Post Finale

All in all, nothing really changed for me, as usual, the pacing was absolutely fucked and the action was absolutely incredible, and in the end, I enjoyed the experience of watching it.

I certainly appreciate seeing more of the Jedi actively covering shit up, both in little ways as well in big ways.

Also *waves* Hi Plagueis!

My main little gripe

I really don't get why they needed to actively tie Mr. Darth Hotpants over here to Venesta specifically? I get the want to connect him to an established character, it just rang a little hollow for me. I think I'd have preferred it if he was just a rando youngling who never even got to being a Padawan cuz the Jedi kept trying to basically de-dark side him ala grade schools punishing for being left handed. Donno, I just think that would have been a bit more compelling.

My main BIG gripe

Why...THE FUCK...did they split up??? They burned waaaay more time having their little heart to heart then had it been all three of them fucking booking it to the ship. I just don't get it. I don't get why Mae or Osha would want to leave each other again, and I don't get why Manny Jacinto would willingly give up an additional fighter. I get the whole "There can only be two" bit, but A) Plagueis is already there on the island, so Osha makes it three and B) Osha's probably going to be more motivated with a little living reminder of the Jedi's lies being right there and present and C) Osha and Mae are both so fucking powerful why would anyone just let one half of the pair walk away????

It just didn't fit with any of the character's previous actions so it annoys me.

Kinda ended as I began, relatively neutral on it all. Think if pressed would give it a 7/10 just because the action was SO FUCKING GOOD, otherwise it would probably be lower due to the rather painful pacing issues and the meh acting on display from Amandla Stenberg which was just such a huge shame cuz I know she's got more range than this.

Mainly, I just really really hope future shows take from this just how good lightsaber combat can be when you have properly trained performers. THIS should be the standards, and it's painful that its not.

As always thank you for dropping into my ask box! You always give me so much to work with it's a joy to respond :D

[mirageofadesert]

Looking back on my first year as a c-drama fan!

This year I fell - first down a flight of stairs - and then (because I couldn't walk properly for a few weeks) down a rabbit hole of cdramas!

In total, I have watched 28 dramas since May. I actually finished 17 of them. I re-watched 8 of them at least once. My most rewatched show is Till The End Of The Moon, followed by Love Is Sweet and The Untamed!

Shows I loved

Till The End of The Moon: This drama triggered my hyperfixation, and I still love it so much. Tantai Jin became my new obsession.

Love is Sweet: This one surprised me because I don't usually care for romantic dramas. It made me more open to different genres.

The Untamed: I watched this for the first time in 2019, and now I can appreciate it even more.

The Sleuth of Ming Dynasties: It took me several tries to get into the drama because the political setting was too complicated. I'm glad I didn't give up. Wang Zhi became one of my favorites!

New Life Begins: I was just looking for something light in between and was quite surprised how much I liked the show.

Things I learned as a newbie:

Cdramas are an acquired taste. Sometimes it's worth going back to a drama that you initially gave up on.

To avoid spoilers, it's best to skip the intro and especially the outro.

I love my characters unhinged.

Apparently it is okay to share leaks from filming.

Never believe anything that comes from yxh accounts.

Shippers are toxic in any fandom.

C-drama fans are a bit older than K-pop fans, but they can be just as unhinged and have trouble distinguishing between how to treat actors and the fictional characters they play.

My ADHD is better regulated when I watch shows in a foreign language while reading the subtitles. I don't get bored watching TV, which is rare!

Shows I dropped, and what I learned from it:

Hidden Love: I still don't like romances that have no significant plot beyond the relationship. Especially if I don't care about the characters at all.

Back from the Brink: Sometimes dramas that start well become an unwatchable, rage-inducing mess halfway through, and it's not worth sticking it out to the end.

Beauty of Resilience: I'm a character-driven audience. If the characters aren't compelling and the story isn't interesting, I don't care about the show.

Ashes of Love: I hate childish FL with baby voices and naive personalities. I need better written female characters. I'm on my 3rd attempt to watch this show and I only have a handful of episodes left, so I'll actually make it to the end (eventually).

I've dropped a lot more shows and actually watched some to the end that I didn't like very much in the end, but those are the ones I learned the most from.

What will stay with me:

Tantai Jin: I'm still obsessed with this character. He is everything I need in a fictional character.

Luo Yunxi: This will come as no surprise to anyone who follows me, but my obsession with TTJ soon extended to Luo Yunxi.

Bai Lu & Sun Zhenni: While I appreciate both of them as actors, it's their fun and uninhibited personalities that made me fall in love with them!!

Costumes: I adore the detailed costumes and hanfu styles, and do prefer costume dramas to modern ones.

Food & drinks: I'm now looking into more Chinese foot now and how to cook vegetables in more interesting ways. I also bought "moon cake stamps"... so wish me luck!

New online acquaintances: I have made some new friends online who I can fangirl with to my heart's content!

What I'm looking forward to in 2024:

I'm really looking forward to Luo Yunxi's upcoming dramas, Follow You Heart, Shui Long Yin and Immortality (🤡). I'm also looking forward to Sun Zhenni's first leading role!

There are still many dramas I want to watch, but haven't found the time for. Like A Journey to Love, Goodbye, My Princess, Nirvana in Fire, Then Miles of Peach Blossoms and The Blood of Youth.

I'm not sure what else I'll post here next year. Probably more reviews and content related to my favourite actors. Let's see if something triggers my hyperfixation soon!

Happy New Year!

[archoneddzs15]

My review of Sonic x Shadow Dark Beginnings (all 3 episodes!)

When Anime Expo 2024 took place sometime around July 6th, 2024, Sega took to the rings to showcase their big plans surrounding the upcoming Sonic x Shadow Generations projects, namely the Dark Beginnings prologue animation. Needless to say, fans were very excited, and so was I, I have to admit. They spent the first 30 minutes giving some new fans an explainer regarding Shadow's fragmented backstory, and then it was time to turn the lights on to unveil the teaser trailer for Sonic x Shadow Dark Beginnings. This is the exact same trailer that was then uploaded to YouTube on the official Sonic channel though the version uploaded on the official Sonic channel is actually full-screen and viewers can see more of the animation without all this close-up stuff.

Months went by, and the 4th edition of Sonic Central was broadcast to the world. Among the sea of merchandise announcement from the likes of First4Figures and LEGO and so on, they showed even more animation in the form of a brand-new trailer showcasing to fans what to expect during that time. It was confirmed that the animation would be split into three episodes and thank God it was not spent on filler crap like Disney Marvel would do for utter shit like Echo or Moon Knight or the countless mountains of shit that would air on Japanese TV, especially those endless samurai dramas. Each episode was less than 10 minutes long. Short and sweet.

Well, with all 3 episodes satisfying quite the majority of Sonic fans around the world, and the new Sonic X Shadow Generations game breaking over 1 million copies on release day (October 25, 2024), were they absolutely worth it? Let's find out.

All descriptions for the plot are taken from Sonic News Network, but I'll save my thoughts in the conclusion portion of this article.

EPISODE 1: SHADOW AND MARIA

Episode 1 starts on the Space Colony ARK, fifty years ago. Maria runs down a hallway with Shadow in hand, eager to show him something. When they arrive, Shadow, concerned, asks her what’s wrong. Maria smiles and assures him that everything’s fine, gesturing to the breathtaking view of the northern lights (Maria refers this through the galactic name of Aurora Borealis, which is so profound you will see it on every desktop wallpaper out there). However, just as Shadow begins to relax, Maria suddenly collapses, and Shadow catches her in his arms.

Shadow gently reminds her that the colony's low gravity only keeps her condition in remission and that she shouldn’t overexert herself. Maria nods, understanding, but admits that she can’t help it; the beauty of Earth always stirs something in her, and she looks forward to returning to it one day. Shadow, however, is unsure as he’s not sure if there’s a place for him on Earth. He’s frustrated that despite being designed as the Ultimate Lifeform, created to cure Maria’s Neuro-Immune Deficiency Syndrome (NIDS), they’ve made no progress. Sensing his distress, Maria pulls him into a gentle hug, reassuring him that they’re doing their best and that, for her, spending time with him is enough.

Suddenly, an explosion echoes through the ARK as Emerl (from Sonic Battle) breaches containment. Panicked, Maria pleads with Shadow to go and save her grandfather, as she notices that Emerl is headed for his lab. Though shaken by a dark premonition of the future G.U.N. raid, Shadow reassures her, promising to rescue the professor. He tells her to stay back while he handles the situation.

Shadow rushes to the scene and finds Emerl gripping Professor Gerald by the lab coat. A brief struggle ensues, with Shadow and Emerl exchanging rapid punches and kicks; the Gizoid copies and counters nearly every move of Shadow's, including his Spin Attack when he tries using it. Shadow finally manages to find an opening and delivers a powerful punch to Emerl, but when the blow lands, reality itself cracks, and then shatters around him like glass, which is when he begins to realize that something is off about what he's remembering. Suddenly, he finds himself elsewhere on the ARK looking down on G.U.N. spaceships approaching the colony, a soldier announcing their intent to board; Shadow knows this is the prelude to the G.U.N. raid where they killed nearly everyone onboard to erase all evidence of the ARK's experiments, but he notes that it’s occurring too soon, as if time itself is unraveling.

A rumble is then heard as the ARK suddenly tilts, and Shadow begins to slide as the station lurches to one side. Once again, as he smashes into the window overlooking the G.U.N. ships, reality fractures like glass, and Shadow tumbles through the darkness only to find himself landing in Professor Gerald's prison cell, scrawled with the scientist's mad scribblings. The professor himself sits silently at its center as the light above him sways back and forth. Shadow experiences another series of disorienting flashes and horrific visions of Gerald's execution by G.U.N. soldiers as he approaches, intent on getting his creator out, but the professor suddenly teleports further back with the room seemingly warping into a long hallway. Determined, Shadow chases after him, only to be thrust into a black void filled with crimson lightning and floating debris. Amid this chaos, Shadow sees a vision of Maria being shot. Her final words to him echo in his mind: “Remember!” As Shadow continues his endless descent, the clouds form an ominous, three-eyed figure (you know who, Black Doom) who reaches out to him with clawed, three-fingered hands.

In a flash, Shadow jolts awake in the present day on a cliffside, clutching the yellow Chaos Emerald. Gasping for breath, he fires a blast at a nearby tree, realizing that everything he’d experienced was just a nightmare. As the dust settles, he looks up to the sky, seeing the shattered moon. He mentally comments on how this was no ordinary nightmare as he turns his gaze to the distant ARK leering back down at him, wondering if "he" (again, Black Doom) could have survived. Which proceeds to...

EPISODE 2: FINDING THE WAY

Determining that he needs answers after this unnerving event, Shadow rushes off, and this episode picks up. We go back 50 years into the timeline where Maria is seen walking down a hallway, about to enter a room, when suddenly a boy named Abe (who grows up to be GUN Commander Abraham Tower) runs past her, shouting for her to keep that "freak" (Shadow) away from him. Briefly annoyed at Abe for his rudeness, Maria steps into the room and finds Shadow staring at a container holding a Death Leech. Concerned, she asks if he's alright. Shadow, with a heavy tone, replies that he is, but admits that he was created by Professor Gerald using the Black Arms' DNA, the same DNA as the "disgusting, heartless" larva inside the container. Though he may look like a hedgehog, he says, in reality, he’s no different from that creature. Maria responds by hugging Shadow, reassuring him that what he's feeling isn't the truth. She tells him he has a big heart, and though it may be difficult for him to show it, she knows deep down that he genuinely cares about her and everyone else. Unbeknownst to them, Abe watches from the window of the door, conflicted at first but then glancing back down at the floor with a hateful look, giving back into his dislike of Shadow and his nature. Maria comforts Shadow further, telling him that while he may be struggling to find answers now, she's confident that one day he will, and that he'll also find more people he can trust.

The scene fades to the present day, where Shadow is launching an assault on several of Eggman's samurai armor-clad Egg Pawns at Hidden Base. His goal is to reach a spacecraft that will take him to the ARK, as he suspects the Black Arms may have returned. He's joined by Rouge, who states that she's gathering intel for G.U.N. with E-123 Omega also on-scene and providing backup, though Rouge informs him that this is only a supply depot when he tells her of his intentions.

After Team Dark focuses their efforts on and easily destroys a giant, autonomous Egg Breaker that shows up to the battle, Rouge tells Shadow she can take him to a spacecraft. However, she makes him promise to attend Sonic's birthday party in return, much to his chagrin. As the episode ends, she teasingly asks if he's interested in raiding a G.U.N. base. The answer shall be revealed in the third [and final] episode.

EPISODE 3: TO THE ARK

Explosions go off as Team Dark (Shadow, Rouge, and Omega) infiltrates the base. While Rouge prepares the shuttle for launch, she comments on how G.U.N. funded the research that created Shadow, only to seal him away later; she raises this point to remind him not to seek any vendettas tonight. As a LZ-12R/Blue Falcon mech confronts the trio, a grinning Shadow responds that G.U.N. isn’t his enemy tonight, just an obstacle in his path. During the battle, the mech fires at them, but Omega keeps it distracted as Shadow manages to grab one of the missiles and launch it back. The G.U.N. soldier inside narrowly avoids the counterattack by launching flares that disorient the missile. Undeterred, Shadow teleports on top of the battle mech and grabs the missile again as it passes by, hurling it directly into the vehicle's hull.

The G.U.N. soldier tries to get a clear shot, but Shadow's teleporting makes it impossible to track him. As Shadow free-falls, the Blue Falcon fires a wave of homing missiles. Shadow destroys several in mid-air before using Chaos Control to freeze time, rapidly taking out the remaining missiles in a massive explosion. Shadow then Spin Attacks straight through the Blue Falcon, sending it tumbling out of the sky; the pilot panickily tries to eject, to no avail. Shadow teleports onboard and forces the cockpit open, seemingly ready to attack him, but instead punches the mech itself, un-jamming the ejection mechanism and allowing the soldier to escape before the Blue Falcon crashes into the ground. Shadow then boards the elevator leading to the shuttle, although not before Omega complains to Shadow that he (Omega) wants to destroy the Blue Falcon.

Rouge then tells Abraham that she retrieved the intel he requested, which was data on the Time Eater. Abraham notes that this came at the cost of millions' worth of G.U.N. assets, to which Rouge apologizes but insists that Shadow needed help to save the world.

Abraham sighs and admits that despite the previous bad blood between him and Shadow, he knows Shadow saved the world from Black Doom and would have supported him if he had just asked. Rouge sarcastically responds by pointing out that Shadow has never asked for permission. When Abraham suggests that she could’ve convinced him otherwise, Rouge smiles and says that only one person ever had that ability, with Abraham acknowledging ruefully that her point is true, and that said person was lost to them a long time ago.

As the shuttle heads toward the Space Colony ARK, Shadow reflects on a possible future for Maria had the GUN raid that ended her life not occurred, thoughts that begin to hurt him. He acknowledges after stopping himself that said future was taken from him long ago and, as the episode ends, reaffirms that he needs to focus on the mission at hand: eliminating whatever threat lurks onboard the ARK.

CONCLUSION

So what did I think of all 3 episodes?

In one word, fantastic! More of this, please! I was actually surprised at the sudden jump in quality of animation style. We've sure come a long way from Sonic Mania Adventures 7 years ago and now they are coming out with such a masterpiece like this? Dang! I guess all that waiting was definitely worth it.

[starssoblue]

miraculous: ladybug & chat noir, the movie | a(n in-depth) review

prefacing this to say that i recognize a lot of feelings about this movie are related to a frustration with experiencing the tv series for five seasons since 2015. i, however, went into this as a brand new fan, having finally tried the series just since april of this year. so those feelings of frustration aren't going to be present in this review and it's coming more from a (somewhat) objective place, considering the film as its own entity. (spoilers abound.)

marinette:

so i'm a marinette dupain-cheng shooter, i'll fight for this girl forever because of how targeted the hate is for her (and leading female characters in general). but i have to say, even though the movie did a good job not having her be the completely messy pre-teenager she is in the show (especially around her crush), i found that the character change was a little strange.

i think, despite how flustered she gets, marinette in the show is a very strong character. she's a child who spent three years being relentlessly bullied by a politician's daughter (chloe) that people she was generally (she has no good friends but she has an amicable relationship with her peers because they all grew up together) friendly with stayed away from her, for the fear of becoming that girl's next target. she tries her best to stay out of this girl's way because of this bullying, and her defense is to keep quiet and not draw attention to herself so she can get through the school day without being harassed. this harassment leads to marinette having intense anxiety and a lack of confidence in herself, despite having strong opinions and being an otherwise passionate person. meeting her new friend alya, who is very self assured, inspires marinette to not allow her bully to walk over her anymore, and when she gets her first win as ladybug she finds the strength to finally stand up for herself. though she remains a target of that bully, this newfound strength helps her not allow that experience to reign over her life and this gives her bully less power.

in the movie, marinette (there was one trailer that implied she was "the new girl" but the movie itself does not really give us this impression—her scared meekness would make more sense to me if she actually were a new girl in school but more on this later) still grew up in paris with those same peers, but has so much crippling anxiety she has no baseline relationship with anyone. instead of it being mere general awkwardness, the film decides to make her especially clumsy to the point of insane catastrophes constantly happening around her (i guess for her entire life?), and this chaos makes the entire school laugh at her and spread rumors about her, so she has no friends at all. (would make a lot of sense if she's the new girl unless the point is the entire school has been making fun of the wasian girl since maternelle that she's still infamous in lycée for it and spent her entire life without a friend until alya filmed chloe harassing her and saved her, which is... concerning. or wait, is it because they've just entered lycée so they're all technically "new" even though she's lived in paris her whole life because they're starting grade 10 together? but what are the chances that no one she knew from collége are in this school with her now? so she enters lycée, is so clumsy and catastrophes happen around her that she develops a reputation for herself and people like chloe know her by name because she's become that infamous that quickly? but in the song 'reaching out,' marinette sings that she always dreamed of calling paris home, which seems to suggest that maybe she's new in paris. but their bakery seems too established to be new... i don't know. tbh this is information we shouldn't have to guess, and this lack of clarity is something i struggled with for this film.)

as an introverted person, marinette's anxiety and fear of leaving her comfort zone resonate with me, but i feel like while this is explained in the show as a result of years of bullying, it's portrayed here in the extreme. i understand that she's afraid at school because of all the rumors and the disasters that follow her, but even on the streets when she was singing to herself, random people would wave to her and she'd (sing) to herself, "i can't show my face!" even though nothing embarrassing or disastrous had even happened. she's just deathly afraid of people. i don't think this in and of itself is an issue, but it definitely needed more explanation or build up. is marinette this terrified and timid because something (worse than what happened in the series?) happened to her here? is it because she's (new to paris? again, they don't really say but it would fit better if it were true) wasian and she feels out of place in largely white paris? is it more about her biracial identity rather than clumsiness? who knows. so i feel just more background and character development would elevate the movie. arguably, she could just be an anxious and introverted person, but the portrayal of these characteristics just seemed a lot more surface level than they are in the show. i guess this is an example of a limitation a creator has with a film—they can accomplish so much more with years of subtle hints in a series and lay the foundation for certain backgrounds and traits, but in a movie they have to figure out what to tell us, what to show us, and how to develop it in under two hours. sadly, i feel with marinette, as a result of this time crunch, some of the film's portrayals ended up being weak.

(there's this scene all over twitter celebrating marinette standing up to chloe after her newfound confidence as ladybug—i am actually very confused why this was pointed out as a difference from the series. once marinette realized through alya and her first success as ladybug that she didn't need to be afraid of chloe anymore, she stopped. she constantly argues with her, doesn't put up with her bullshit, and even is sometimes mean to her (i'm not going to judge her for it—that girl bullied her badly for three years straight sooo...). i like the scene in the movie too, but my point was that it's consistent with the show and not an actual change.)

people love to attack marinette for some instances where the character in the show was used for absurd comic relief, and i appreciate that the movie doesn't do this with her much. i do think the female characters in miraculous, series and film, would all be better written if written by women, but i digress.

i like that while film marinette tries to reject the earrings just like series marinette, she fails because the magic that has chosen her won’t just let her throw the earrings away or give it to someone else. though she doesn’t randomly decide to give the earrings to alya here, she does try to throw them out a window and they kept coming back to her because she was the chosen one. this was a nice change. i never thought it should be that easy for her to just re-gift them to any random person when they chose her specifically for a reason. 

adrien:

adrien agreste in the series is outgoing, full of energy, lonely but eager to make friends, kind of optimistic. his mother has only been missing for six months at the start of the show, while he's in the public eye, working almost full time as a teen model and the face of his father's massively successful high fashion brand. his circumstances, his public image, the fact that not much time has passed and he's still a 13 year old child all lead him to resist being too affected by his grief (he's obviously still affected but it's not a crippling part of his life, and though he experiences loneliness and has moments of being withdrawn and sad, he retains a relatively optimistic and outgoing nature that influences his outlook on life and his interactions with his peers. he's socially inept through lack of interaction with kids his own age and homeschooling, but he's willing to learn and this, as well as his pure heart, are what define this character.

adrien in the movie is different, but in a way that is realistic and understandable given the changes the film made to his background. he's more quiet, withdrawn, lonely but chooses to stay that way and intentionally pushes people away as a coping mechanism for grief. though in both universes his father's role in his life decreases once his mother vanishes, and he essentially loses both parents rather than one, in the show, being a model and the face of his father's brand allows him to continue having a place in his dad's life even though his father treats him like dirt. in the movie, the time period in which his mother has been missing in his life seems to be much longer, and there has been no indication that adrien has anything to do with his father's work. with his grief affecting him for a greater length of time, his age being older, and his dad being an absentee parent for several years rather than a few months, it's no wonder that the adrien we meet in the movie chooses to pull away from people, allows the sad feelings to dominate, and just overall lacks the energy and optimism show adrien possesses. (i'm also not sure if it's even his first day of school or if he was homeschooled his whole life—chloe claimed she wanted to show him around, but nino interacts with him like they've been friends for more than just a day and he's known him for at least a little while).

honestly, i really like the changes here, despite being tv adrien agreste's #1 fan. this insight into his feelings about his parents, his resignation about his constantly deteriorating relationship with his father, his fixation on the piano which was an interest he shared with his mom, how palpable his feelings of nostalgia and longing are for his mother... the way he was a child when she disappeared and now he's a teenager still thinking about her, always missing her... it was such a natural portrayal of love and grief and though you can see which circumstances prevent show adrien from turning out this way, movie adrien is such an understandable and empathetic character. you really feel for him the whole movie. i think his (possible) lack of fame adds to this too (he doesn't seem to be a model in this, he has no schedules and isn't driven around everywhere, there are loads of photos of him at home but they could just be photos parents put up of their only son). at the end of the day he's a teenager with a father who neglects him constantly for his business and his own grief that he feels very alone, and these feelings keep him from wanting to get close to anyone else, either because he's sad or just afraid of further abandonment. i found the character so incredibly relatable and it was interesting seeing a more vulnerable side to this character, a vulnerability show adrien only occasionally demonstrates, a vulnerability more hinted at in the show through chat noir (but this is an essay for another day).

most importantly, show and movie adrien are both total dorks. the essence of this character is portrayed well in the movie, i really didn't mind the changes because in the end he was still recognizable as my sad sunshine adrien agreste, and i hope people look past the surface differences to recognize and appreciate him for who he is.

plagg plays a bigger role in adrien’s life in the series than in the movie. i love their relationship so i missed that here, but i also feel like maybe they didn’t need him to be looking out for adrien and essentially taking care of him (gorilla does this in the series too, and he wasn’t needed in the movie as adrien has the freedom to largely come and go as he wants and use public transport, something series adrien could never do) because of how much less restrictive his life is in this iteration. 

ladynoir:

the film introduces ladybug and chat noir as "two rival heroes." plagg and tikki themselves are called rivals. eventually ladybug redubs them as "partners" after she and chat noir find a rhythm and master fu also tells them they're stronger together, so i am puzzled why they even tried introducing them that way. in the show, ladynoir aren't rivals at al—they've always been a team. and in this movie, despite those initial comments, it's no different. there's banter and flirtation for sure, but the most "rival" these two get are when they first meet and are goading each other into an argument over which hero is better and who is the sidekick (before they've done anything lmao) and that one fun volkswagon ad when they race each other. i love the flirty competitive sparring, the way they tease each other, when they're just messing around and being playful in the 'stronger together' sequence. you really watch these two become best friends, and like the series, chat noir falls in love with ladybug like a thunderbolt (a coup de foudre!) while for her, you see her affection for him grow the longer they work together and get to know each other. i don't think this is as much of a departure from the series as stan twitter would have you believe, but it does spend more time on their dynamic in one setting than any episode ever does (ladynoir is developed over time in the series, little by little, and their cute flirty dynamic is very reminiscent of how they're portrayed in the first two seasons before the guardianship and other miraculous holders complicated their relationship. at their core they've always had great chemistry and a strong connection). i like both developments tbh, but that one scene of them training together and having fun for a significant amount of time was so lovely to see. don't get me wrong—there are some great moments these two share outside of battle in the series too, but it's been a while since we've seen this dynamic there with everything else going on that it felt so nice to return to this, and in such a huge way too.

the one thing i miss is chat noir calling ladybug "milady." it's such a cute thing he does in the series, and though i enjoyed that "insane!" / "watermelon!" banter, i do miss this being what he calls her all the time. (there is a song called 'my lady' that chat noir sings to himself after he falls in love with ladybug, and in the very last line of the song he calls her this, but otherwise it's just not a thing in the movie.) it really doesn't matter, but i still mourned its absence.

adrienette/adrinette:

the first time i watched this film, i did not like the first adrien/marinette meet-cute at all. to be honest, i wasn't being fair. the first miraculous scene in the series that had me completely enchanted was that umbrella scene in origins, and it is the foundation for this ship and why i love them so much. every bit of the original scene is perfection, with the careful finger brush, the soft smiles, the way their eyes meet and marinette hears a thunder clap (an actual coup de foudre) in the distance as the instrumental 'in the rain' plays in the background... that scene was so spectacularly constructed, it was always obvious nothing this movie did was ever going to match that.

and that's okay.

watching the film a second time, i found that while the umbrella scene still is incomparable, there are things i did like about marinette and adrien's first meeting. the way marinette asks for "a little luck" and she follows the light through the bookshelves to see adrien, who approaches her himself because he thinks she might be in need of help, asking her if she's okay or seeing the distressed look upon her face and wondering if she's crying. it's different from origins, but in some ways it's the same—marinette was distressed, adrien approached her first, she's thrown by his kindness and flustered by his beauty. they have some kind of moment and in the end, he offers her an awkward but gentle smile.

but in origins, they already had history. she didn't care and barely realized he was famous or even connected to her dream of becoming a fashion designer. his looks don't register to her until she's already fallen in love with him. and it's his initiative to correct the misunderstanding between them and show her kindness despite her being harsh and unfair to him that makes her take a second glance, and once she does, she falls in love fast. though i do see the essence of that moment—the being drawn to adrien's kindness aspect—in the movie's library scene, it's less impactful. she doesn't know adrien, so there is barely a conversation between them, and other than his concern over her and his offer of a helping hand when she falls, i don't really see what he does that makes her fall strongly in love with him. if it's still his kindness, it just feels weaker. one could argue that her instant attraction to him is because of his cuteness, and this is what flusters her, and his kindness (less impact than the series, but in this new universe, barely anyone in this school has ever shown marinette kindness rather than gossiping and laughing about her clumsiness so maybe to her this is a real moment of kindness) is only secondary. it's not all that clear. either way, marinette is fascinated by him to keep looking at him before she even falls and he offers to help her up, so the meeting feels a lot more shallow (he had noticed her distress and asked if she was crying before, but i don't know... is just asking about her enough kindness to get that reaction from her? it makes sense after he helps her up but the fascination before.. maybe i'm just longing for the impact of the umbrella scene and this was actually fine...?). the scene ends with adrien's confused, soft smile when he says "she's so weird" to himself (they barely interacted, so i don't know if i'd call it a "fond smile" but it's not the malicious thing some people on social media have been making it out to be. in this iteration adrien tries not to interact with many people, so it's a big deal he was kind enough to still reach out to her. this meeting probably stuck out to him as something unordinary and the comment felt more like he was curious about her more than anything else. it ends up being important to marinette because her clumsiness makes people usually mock her, but he didn't do that, so her instinct then is to try to talk to him (and ask him out, probably?). not the big momentous falling in love scene from the series, but it is still a nice moment for these characters as they're established in this universe.

i think one of the reasons this ship feels weak to me in the film is that outside of this moment, adrien and marinette's friendship development is reduced to a musical montage.

if the movie had used this moment to develop their relationship further, i probably would have actually liked the romance here. while ladynoir had scenes of interactions and ladybug and chat noir getting to know each other and becoming comfortable with each other and literally becoming bffs who trust each other as only two people in the world who share a singular unique experience can, all the development adrien and marinette have is shown through one musical montage in the middle of the movie. (they do have a small interaction at the fair, but this is around the time adrien is first coming out of his shell so it’s very brief.) in the montage, you see many shots of adrien and marinette hanging out with alya and nino in picnics and at the movies, and he looks more at ease with each outing. and you also see adrien opening up to marinette specifically about his mom, sharing photos of her, and finally working through his grief rather than withdrawing from everyone. but because this is a five second scene in the midst of a musical montage illustrating the passage of time, we never get the words exchanged, the scene is glossed over and the impact is only felt by fans of the series who know what this means to him. (fun fact: the film has adrien trusting marinette enough to feel so close to her he talks about his mom with her before he talks to ladybug about her and how in his grief he pushed people away before he met her. though ladybug was the catalyst to him opening up to people, i do find it meaningful that he opened up to marinette first. but this is still a crumb and you have to be looking to make those connections in order to see them. the film should have shown adrien falling in love to some extent outside of the mask as well, he’s supposed to have some kind of inner conflict and it’s hard to believe that he does here with all the missing pieces.) i’m not sure if casual viewers would even notice it in the midst of all the other scenes happening as the theme song plays in the background. had we seen more of stuff like this, gotten some kind of explanation that over time adrien had started to feel for marinette too and this montage is proof of it (it shows that they’re friends and he trusts her now to some extent, but it’s so fast it barely registers. you can’t deduce he’s in love with marinette here, whereas in the scenes with chat noir you see ladybug actively struggle with her feelings, develop affectionate feelings for chat noir, and feel bad for rejecting him because of that, not just because it sucks to have to turn someone down), then that would have been fine. but that’s not what happens. after this montage we barely see adrien and marinette together at all until she tries asking him to he ball and he says he’s sorry but there’s someone else. though his rejection was soft, and you do see him look upset he had to reject her, there was no doubt he was going to reject her here. the core conflict—that they’re in love with two people, one they fall in love with like thunder and another that slowly builds in their heart—is so badly illustrated in this movie. you can see the intention is there if you’re looking for it, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. 

though i appreciate that marinette didn't struggle to find her words around adrien in this film, and appeared more realistically flustered and anxious rather than the over the top thing they do in the series, i still feel like the adrinette in the series is overall written and developed better as a ship. in the tv series, you see this initial conflict —chat noir falls fast for ladybug, who turns him down because marinette fell just as fast in love with adrien agreste—turn into marinette forming a friendship with chat noir, whom she then starts to get close to outside and in the mask, as adrien starts to fall in love with marinette. the series is now at a point where adrien and marinette are actually in love, despite never actually falling out of love with their superhero counterparts, so that if it finally leads to a reveal (which it hasn’t yet), it would be incredibly moving.

my issue is, without this adrinette relationship development, the reveal feels less impactful. if you’re frustrated the series hasn’t given you this moment yet, you feel satisfaction seeing it in the conclusion of this film solely because of the progression of the series. without it, looking at the moments in this film alone, it feels halfhearted. though marinette is ladybug, it’s an idealized version of herself she’s created to take on the challenge of being a hero. these characteristics are still hers, but it feels like someone falling in love with a celebrity. though this isn’t wholly true—chat gets to know ladybug’s vulnerabilities too as they get closer—it’s still not fully her the way marinette, as a normal person who now has the confidence being ladybug provides her echoing in her daily life too, is. so her struggling with her feelings, turning chat noir down reluctantly before adrien rejects her, but still reaching out to him once discovering they’re the same person—you just see that she falls in love with all sides of him. but it’s less clear for adrien. you can analyze that montage and make a deduction, but it’s not as explicit. instead, it just feels like he rejects who she actually is for her heroic persona, and that makes the reveal feel one-sided (unless you carry over your feelings of frustration from the series never giving us this moment).

it sucks that adrinette was underdeveloped because as far as scenes go, the reveal is actually quite beautiful. adrien has tears in his eyes when she introduces herself as ladybug and he realizes she liked him all along, but if we knew why those tears of relief and happiness appeared upon realizing the girl of his dreams was marinette, it would mean more. [he’s also at this ball wearing the bow tie marinette made for him that she threw into the trash after he rejected her, and i’d love to believe that this isn’t a continuity error, but it probably is. it’s hard to imagine adrien felt so torn up about rejecting marinette (after ladybug already rejected him??! like it really felt like he’d like to go to this ball that he never asked ladybug to go to alone rather than with marinette, which is…not great ) that he went by the trash, saw his name on a box and opened it up, realizing she made him a gift, and then chose to wear it. he literally doesn’t think about marinette once in this film after he rejects her so this feels like a reach… unless it was intentional, in which case they should have written so much more to make this (and this ship) clear.]

gabriel agreste:

i can't remember if origins explained how long gabriel agreste had the butterfly miraculous and if he used it right away upon acquiring it, but what i liked in the film was that it was clearly explained that he had had that artifact for a while, done research on its capabilities, considered the risks and rewards, and then after a long time of deliberation finally made the active choice to do what he knew was wrong just because he loved his wife so much he would never be able to live without her. ("if chaos is the way, i will burn the world and lose myself to do so!") each time he misuses the miraculous to hurt people, it takes a toll on his physical and mental health, making him look haggard and act more crazy and reckless (this happens in the series as well—season 1 gabriel isn't season 5 gabriel but he becomes more villainous over time).

one thing that confuses me though is that gabriel got a sense of the chaos and terror committed with the butterfly miraculous upon just touching the item, but the series and later on in the film, it's explicitly stated that this miraculous isn't inherently evil. in the show there are many reasons why ladybug and chat noir historically were called to fight, but in the movie it seems to be implied that it's this one miraculous alone that summons them through creating chaos in the world. but it's also allegedly 'good'—this contradiction is confusing (and my friend who had no knowledge of mlb was so lost watching this movie). i don't think the show does much for romanticizing this decision the way the film does, and it certainly doesn't make us believe that gabriel agreste felt forced to make this decision and had doubts he overlooked because he was that desperate. i mean, his desperation comes across in the series in other ways but not in a sad lonely man who is struggling to live without his wife way. the film humanizes this stupid, terrible man in a way the series fails to do so (which makes sense given some of the atrocities he goes onto commit that film gabriel doesn't come close to doing). this softer portrayal works for the movie as many of the things i dislike about m. agreste are never portrayed, leaving him a bit more of a sympathetic villain even as he terrorizes all of paris. he still sucks though, just on a lesser scale. 

when gabriel tells the story about how much adrien's mother meant to him, and how difficult it was for him to face the sadness in adrien's eyes upon losing a parent (tbh he's so dumb. his son finds it hard to cope with one parent leaving him so his solution is to make him lose the second parent too just because it was hard to deal with his son's grief on top of his own...dumbass), he says it was only after she was gone that he learned about the miraculous. does this mean that in this universe adrien actually wasn't conceived using the peacock miraculous and the coma emilie is in at the end is caused by something else? gabriel and adrien both speak about his mom like she's dead. and at the end it's revealed that like in the series, emilie is still alive but in a magical coma. did he just mean that they already knew about the peacock miraculous and what he learned about was the butterfly miraculous and then the wish the ladybug and black cat miraculous combined make? i'm lost. (maybe it's just really huge a continuity error?

i saw a lot of people wonder why adrien in the show doesn't argue with his father or blow up at him the way adrien does in the film. aside from the fact that gabriel agreste in the movie is a lot less criminal than the abusive doucheface he is in the series, it doesn't look like adrien is being controlled by his father if he's a sentibeing here too and the worst thing gabriel has done is be an absentee parent (bad, but it's not the locking your kid up, forcing him to work since he was a child, controlling his every second of every day, having your employees follow him around and spy on him for you, trying to control who he interacts with on a daily basis, forbidding him from hanging out with friends, trying to akumatize him or exploit him in other ways, being emotionally abusive, etc etc). adrien in the series being younger, experiencing his father being an ass only since his mother disappeared six months ago and taking nearly a year to realize his treatment isn't normal and he physically can't resist his dad's orders even if he wanted to... they're in such different predicaments. older adrien with less manipulation and abuse would have an easier time yelling at his father. tv adrien also eventually argues with his dad in season 5, but it takes a lot to build up to that and then the series quickly destroys all this character development because of a hole they wrote themselves into, but that's an essay for another time... i don't think these can be fairly compared. (that said, i clapped hard when adrien told his father he lost his dad a long time ago. his father made a decision not to act like a parent once he lost his wife and it's been a long while since then, he's essentially raising himself at this point.)

it's this change in adrien and gabriel's relationship that allows the end of the final battle to make sense in the movie in a way they wouldn't make sense in the show. tv gabriel agreste doesn't care to hurt his son—you see this constantly explored in different timelines. there is a reason why there's so much fanfiction guessing gabriel would exploit adrien if he learned he was chat noir, or actively try to trade him for his wife. movie gabriel, however, stops right away the second he realizes that the teenager he was ready to hurt was actually his son. hell, even earlier, he called adrien to leave the fair before sending akumas there because he didn't want him to get caught in the crossfire. tv gabriel would never. (i guess show gabriel also does this mid-series sometimes but it's so inconsistent...granted show gabriel doesn't know what his son is even doing most days unless he's leaving the city—the one very aware of his schedule is nathalie sooo maybe it's an issue of knowledge. either way, by season 5, gabriel tries to deliberately put his son into harm's way and even akumatize him sooooo....) so that heart to heart they have that helps gabriel deal with his grief and talks him down from being a supervillain any longer is a beautiful moment (the scene itself has the prettiest animation of those two embracing as purified butterflies surround them), but one that the series would not be able to replicate (that character is really not redeemable there even though they kind of tried).

chloe:

to be honest i don't really care for her in any iteration of this, but i did find it interesting that while she said she offered to show him around (as she does in the show too), we never see adrien with chloe in this movie ever. he doesn't talk about her, he doesn't acknowledge her. i always see their friendship as one created by circumstance—when you're kids and your parents' friends only have the one child you're left to interact with so you become "friends" but that friendship isn't anything deep despite it being one of your first. not going to analyze their relationship in the show because while it's not the best friendship some people in fandom fictionalize, it does have some complexity, but in the movie, i'd honestly argue they barely know each other. chloe mentions adrien on multiple occasions. but he doesn't once talk or think about her. he's already friends with nino (is he new in this? chloe said she wants to show him around, but he's already hanging out in a library when we first see him and he already is friends with nino enough for nino to try to invite him out—is it that he's new but this time it's not his first day we're seeing? i don't know, it's unclear), and they make plans to hang out. you see a montage of him hanging out with nino, alya and marinette later, but nothing on chloe. if she wasn't so extremely anxious, i'd wonder why marinette believes chloe at all when she suddenly claims to be the girl adrien likes. i saw some people say chloe in the film is more redeemable than chloe in the series, and while this is true (because of things chloe does to aid a supervillain in seasons 4 and 5 that can't really be undone) i don't see much of a difference in her relationship with marinette. she's not a "rival" (rival suggests a largely harmless competitiveness—marinette isn't competing with her. she's trying to stay out of her way so chloe doesn't hurt her). the degree of bullying is possibly different (we don't really know. movie chloe threatens to strangle marinette with her own hair, so while she's probably not the sole reason marinette has no friends this time, she's still pretty much an actual bully, though a little more aware of being shamed via the internet for her crimes, though not so much at school in front of people... probably because irl people she can control but on the internet, as a politician's daughter as well as a famous hotel heiress, she is bound to face backlash for herself and her family...?) but it's still not great enough to be claiming this character deserves serious spotlight or a redemption arc (honestly she's hardly in the movie). like the series, i get the impression that there is some racism at work here too, but it's not as strong as it is in the show (marinette being this white girl's main target for no reason, her talking to her like she's inhuman, the way the entire school is so quick to dismiss her whenever she's targeted by lila or chloe without ever investigating anything because a white girl cried wolf, and then chloe's actual comments to marinette's uncle, the way she stresses the 'cheng' part of her surname when she's addressing her, etc. etc. the film doesn't do any of this).

there's a scene where chloe is ordering sabrina to locate marinette so she can harass her, and sabrina finds marinette but chooses to lie and pretend she couldn't find her. though sabrina in the series slowly evolves and learns to listen to her own conscience, i like that outside of chloe's line of sight, she knows what's wrong or right. though this is true of series sabrina too, she doesn't act on this sense of morality. i like the change that she does in the film, at least away from chloe. it's the bare minimum but at least it's something.

the music:

it took me a whileeee to care about the music here, but i still find a lot of the music just largely forgettable. (honestly i was hoping for disney classic level music in this animated film, so i guess i have no one to blame but myself there. it doesn't help that i'm obsessed with the actual instrumental music in the series—'in the rain' is one of the most beautiful songs i've ever heard. also i was hoping for ce mur qui nous sépare, but i guess that was a hopeless dream. i was hoping, if they were excluding it, the song wouldn't apply in the movie because there were less "walls between [them]" than in the series, since it was ending in a reveal, but the film doesn't actually go that route... more on that later.) despite the fact that the music wasn't my favorite part, and i really think the movie would improve if there had been a better balance between story development and music (the film really suffers from too much unneeded music in favor of less story development), i did really enjoy some of the songs and the usage of series throwback musical motifs was excellent. also really enjoyed the usage of 'careless whisper' in this movie lmfaoooooo, comedic excellence.

(unpopular opinion: i really didn't mind that lou sings for christina. it doesn't fit well at all, but i heard about it long before i watched the movie and was just expecting it. it's not the best because their voices are so different, but it didn't really take me out like i thought it would, and i got used to it really fast.)

in the first song marinette sings about believing in herself. the visuals are gorgeous. the film brought to life her sketchbook, evolving the mundane to the most elegant of clothes. honestly would love to see and hear more about marinette's passion for design and her dream of becoming a designer. the film barely touched upon it (the show could go into this more too! they do sometimes but i want moreee), but it would be nice to hear where marinette's inspirations come from, why this dream is so meaningful to her. what i found interesting was, in the show marinette exclaims that gabriel agreste is her favorite fashion designer. but movie marinette doesn't mention him ever. does she know about him? is he less influential to her here? she walks by his showroom on her way to school but that's the extent we see of anything in this vein. curious.

though i don't think the 'you are ladybug' song was a necessity (adrien didn't get a song about becoming chat noir, but i guess he didn't need the extra encouragement, since he was ready to go instantly), i did actually enjoy it. lyrically it isn't strong, but it's a fun back and forth between marinette and tikki, and the way the song pays homage to the miraculous ladybug theme song is beautiful (the entire "i have one job / i'm good at it / i've been doing it for so many years" follows the tune to "another day / i'm back at school / i look at him, he's so cool" in the series theme song, and i especially loved "but why me? / i'm nothing special, bug / wait and see / what you're capable of" sung to the melody of "oh oh oh / he's got me spinning 'round / oh oh oh / my feet are off the ground." just TOO GOOD). the rap where tikki channels lin manuel miranda made me die of laughter, but also i really can't get over her going, "we'll come THISCLOSE to dying and then we'll do it all again!" as a selling point to convince this teenager to put her life on the line for all of paris. the other part of this song i really loved was the polyphony at the end when marinette and tikki sang their own melodies at the same time—not just because it sounded nice but because i died over tikki saying, "i'm about to kick your butt if you don't start to listen" lmao.

my entire theater laughed at hawk moth’s song (the song was okay, but the concept of hawk moth singing took me out lmao). it did have the feel of a classic villain song in movies like anastasia or the lion king, but it wasn’t as memorable. i do think it expressed gabriel agreste’s mental state really well though. 

reiterating that i really don’t think marinette needed 3.5 different songs about the same theme, but the best song lyrically/musically/vocally is definitely ‘courage in me,’ hands down.

maybe it’s because i adore the fuck out of the music drew ryan scott sings as ’christopher wilde’ in the disney channel movie starstruck, but i love the song chat noir sings after being lovestruck by ladybug after their first meeting (sung by the same man). the visuals of him literally singing with his head in the clouds were excellent, the character song fit him so well, and i think the melody had such a dreamscape feel of falling in love. i actually really like the lyrics in this song too (“it’s been a while since i smiled and meant it” adrichat my bb ;A; ) and my favorite part is “then she appears like a dream in a dream!” i think this song also does what music is meant to do in a musical—add to the story so that part of it can be told in song. so we get adrien basically saying he’s been withdrawing from people for sooo long, and this encounter with ladybug in which he almost died is the first time he’s felt something in a long time. this musical interlude leads to him hanging out with his friend nino at the fair (he said ‘whatever’ when nino first asked him to go, but the difference in his expression and the fact that he seems more smiley and enthusiastic in this encounter, and even hopeful enough to ask his dad to actually come to the fair and hang out with him already demonstrates a change in his demeanor), actually having a conversation with marinette, and then a montage of him no longer choosing to deal with his grief alone and finally reaching out to others, so you can see how that moment with ladybug (and all the other moments of them getting to know each other afterward while fighting or training) really did impact his life.

the miraculous title musical montage around the middle of the movie was too excellent and showed the passage of time really well, both as ladybug and chat noir, and as adrien and marinette. this was a great way to develop parts of the story (it also depicted marinette’s character evolution, making her more self confident in her daily life and no longer being an anxious messy creator of catastrophes). it was also nice to just hear a familiar song. (chat noir smiling goofily to himself after seeing ladybug smile at “and when i see her smile, that’s when she becomes miraculous” is my fave—it's just so well done, i love.)

‘stronger together’ is one of those songs that i love the first half of but find the second half too messy. the sequence is gorgeous, the scene is one of my favorites in terms of relationship development and animation in the entire movie. and i am weirdly in love with the part of the song where it pauses before he sings “take my hand!” and the music picks up. it’s so playful and flirty and the essence of how ladynoir are depicted in this movie, and i love that. the vocals are lovely. there’s a musical motif throwing back to one of my favorite instrumentals in the tv series—'the last dance' which serves as the background of so many touching ladybug and chat noir moments in the show—at the end of the song where she ponders the mixed feelings inside her heart before ultimately rejecting chat noir (“what is this feeling now? i cannot fall for him…” / “we could be great, i know / i’m falling for you.”). as a song, this back and forth dialogue feels so random tacked on here but it is a musical so i guess that fits, i just found the whole thing kind of messy. but i love that they did this dialogue to the melody of ‘the last dance’ because it’s such a gorgeous melody and a sentimental throwback. honestly even if i only like half the song, the scene itself is a film highlight and i fucking cry over the cheesy cute “you save the world every day with your mask, but the girl behind it saved my heart” he says to her that causes her to gasp (same).

film additions that are just better:

the animation, obviously. (THE HAIR TEXTURE! THE SCENERY! THEIR EYES? I CRY I CRY.)

i am fond of the fact that their miraculous lights up (flickers? glows? there's light of some kind) when the city is in need of ladybug or chat noir to save the day, and just kind of guides adrien and marinette to where they need to go. this is a big difference from the series where they have to physically encounter the danger themselves (and they do! because in the show, most of the people akumatized are people they know, random adults in their lives or the kids in their class). and at least one of them has to be present to call the other one to appear. this is not necessary in the universe of the movie. it's also more realistic because hawk moth isn't specifically targeting the kids in his son's class, but is akumatizing people at random all over the city.

i also really loved the fact that tikki and plagg use magic to choose their own chosen holders, rather than master fu doing a random test in the middle of nowhere and hoping to attract people of pure heart out on the street. it helps add to the lore that they're actually chosen, and that they're fated and compatible, and i love that a lot. (there is a scene where he, while trying to chase tikki, ends up in the middle of the street in front of oncoming traffic, and marinette risks her life to save him. but this wasn't used as a means for him to choose her for the ladybug role, but rather as a means for identifying that she was destined to be ladybug and tikki had chosen her. i will add that while i love the concept, the scene itself made me laugh because he sounded crazy interacting with her, no wonder she ended up being scared and running away from him.) the fact that adrien spots a black cat that leads him to the black cat ring and marinette spots a ladybug that guides her to the ladybug earrings... *chef's kiss* i'll confess, i wasn't a fan of every single person they choose throughout history being called ladybug and chat noir (in the series, they choose their own names. ladybug is self explanatory but the fact that adrien's mom used to read him a bedtime story about a hero named chat noir and this resonated with him so much he chose to name himself that immediately upon discovering he has powers means so much to me), but this really wasn't a significant change and i only care because i love adrichat so much.

it was a cool detail in the scene where marinette meets tikki that she awakens like the genie in aladdin (she even calls herself a genie in this one rather than a god. it doesn't matter, but i prefer kwamis being called gods. tikki then goes on to talk about how she can't grant wishes, when we know the black cat and ladybug miraculous can grant a wish in exchange for an equal price which is the entire plot of the movie, but this terminology preference is unimportant). the way she noted all the societal changes and how much time has spent since she's been needed to reawaken was very fun.

in the tv series, gabriel agreste akumatizes himself when he thinks ladybug and chat noir might guess his identity as hawk moth, hoping that if he appeared as a victim they'd be off his trail. while this serves its purpose in the show, i thought it was really cool that film gabriel agreste decided his dark heart would be stronger than the people he's been akumatizing, and instead of continuing to sit back and use innocent civilians for his means, he chooses to akumatize those negative feelings he always carries with him and turn into the ultimate villain himself. and he succeeds, becoming a villain that is so strong, he gets the earrings himself and nearly gets the ring. though i liked that he did this, something about this battle still felt really anticlimactic. it's probably a pacing issue because i really did love that final scene between gabriel and adrien, but everything happened so fast it didn't feel as epic as it seemed they were going for. additionally, i know that the point was ladybug and chat noir are only unbeatable if they work together and they were not at all united this final battle because their feelings got in the way, i was still really troubled that the only reason they won against hawk moth is because he backed off. had chat noir's mask never gotten torn, he would not have stopped...

(i also have to ask, since his identity gets revealed on a large scale and the newscasters even announce that it was him the whole time, does he actually get consequences? like he did back off, but he was still terrorizing the whole city for months... if he's exposed, shouldn't there be ramifications? i can't tell if he went to prison. the movie did not say.)

where the series shines more:

to someone who has never seen the series (i watched this initially with a friend who knew absolutely nothing about mlb), the powers are confusing. in the series, origins explains really well what cataclysm and lucky charm do, how they can only use them once before given five minutes before detransforming and needing to re-transform to use the power again. the series makes use of this, creating tension with the five minute rule (which is explained to only apply to them while they're children, so once they "mature" the time limit will disappear and they'd be able to use their powers over and over without fear of exposing their identities). while the movie does not need to stress over the time limitation (as the film aged up the characters from 13 to 15/16, so i guess they've already hit 'maturity'), it spends no time on explaining what a cataclysm is (a power chat noir doesn't even use until the final battle, and NO EXPLANATION IS GIVEN. WE'RE JUST SUPPOSED TO KNOW HE ALWAYS HAD THIS ABILITY HE NEVER NEEDED TO USE UNTIL HAWK MOTH WAS READY TO KILL HIM) and there are no lucky charms.

actually, the entire battle format makes little sense. in the show, ladybug and chat noir have to figure out what object hawk moth akumatized to turn civilians into his supernatural army, break the akumatized object, free the butterfly, and then purify it. in the movie, all they're really told is that they're meant to fight these beings, and after they win, ladybug can purify the butterfly. there isn't an explanation for when the butterfly leaves the akuma—no objects are being broken; they're literally just fighting until the monster can exist no more. this is strange to me because these fights have no rules. it's just, literally physically defeating a creature until the magic can no longer hold it.

i don't know how i feel about this, but i liked how the series does it. because it's an emphasis on physical strength, the movie lacking lucky charms makes sense, but what i always liked about that was 1) it called back on ladybug being the embodiment of good luck that her power would be chance, and 2) it was specifically marinette's time to shine. her strength in the series is her creativity, her creative approach to problem solving and use of her clever mind is what sets her apart and makes her the best ladybug in the series no matter who else has worn the ladybug miraculous. without this, i felt like a big essence of the character was missing. (the film does call upon her intelligence and creative mind in some scenes, like in the first battle where she uses her yoyo somewhat strategically to stumble her way through traffic and save chat noir, but it wasn't enough for me. i guess it was supposed to be implied that she planned the gargoyle to get hit by the train and the collision released the akuma, but the film is so unclear about this. it looked more like a happy accident rather than marinette using her brain to save the day.)

in the show, ladybug also has the ability to undo akuma damage when she throws her lucky charm into the air and shouts "miraculous ladybug" at the end of each battle. since lucky charms are absent in this iteration, it makes sense this isn't a thing either. (i guess it could also be tedious to show this in the movie after every single attack whereas once an episode is fine, but they could have just shown it once and implied it always happened. instead, what they implied was that after every battle, the damage to the city was actual damage and the city had to deal with the infrastructure hawk moth damaged until after the final battle, when ladybug gave master fu the butterfly miraculous. upon reclamation of that miraculous, fu told her that she, as the holder of the miraculous of creation, could (now, i guess?) use her power to rebuild the city. instead of it being a lucky charm thrown into the air with an incantation that creates a swarm of butterflies spreading over the city for an immediate cure, it's marinette directing her power slowly to every corner of the city and actually creating to undo the damage. this made for a very pretty scene that i really liked, but imagine how awful paris would look if in the series, none of that damage was ever fixed and it would have taken til the end of season 5, ten months after hawk moth started terrorizing the city, for anything to get restored (actually this wouldn't even happe if the show universe worked the same way because they don't reclaim that miraculous at the end of season 5).

so one of my main issues with this film is that a lot of the major themes and didactic messages are just constantly shoved in your face rather than learned by the characters. i think the series—because it has the time—does this better than the film because it allows characters to fail and learn things on their own, rather than having the message delivered in big "life lesson" quotes to the characters all the time that it doesn't at all feel natural. (so the film constantly tells rather than shows.) for example, on her way out of the bakery, marinette randomly asks her mom, "how do you make your dreams come true?" this conversation comes out of nowhere (they were talking about her embarrassment from her dad's antics and her lack of friends right before), and it's followed up with a lesson in believing in herself. it might have made sense had her mom encouraged her to embrace who she is and related that to her reaching out of her comfort zone to consider befriending some of her peers, but that doesn't happen. (it does lead to a song about believing in herself and how if she did so she'd reach her true potential, which is nice, but feels so disjointed from the conversation that happened before it, it was a bit jarring.) when marinette meets master fu on the street, he randomly says to her "who saves a life saves the world" and scares her. but then moments after, she ends up somewhere a ladybug leads her to the same words written on stone. we really didn't need master fu saying this to her when she was going to encounter the message anyway (especially as it comes into play significantly at the end of the movie in the final battle when fu reiterates the quote).

i cringed so hard in that scene after their first fight where master fu appeared out of nowhere just to say “before you discover who i am, you must first discover who you are.” like... okay?

similarly, this is how i felt about the "stronger together" theme. i love that this message is important to the plot—chat noir and ladybug literally are stronger together. but this is constantly being stated rather than the movie trusting the audience to realize it on their own. in the show, ladybug and chat noir work best as partners. their teamwork and trust in each other makes the entire show. here, they work best together also, and their powers even amplify during the moments of teamwork rather than when either of them try to take on a fight alone. i thought this was an interesting change (i love both), but i really like the two of them discovering this on their own through trial and error rather than having master fu mention it to them once and they just spend the entire movie constantly thinking about it.

the one “life lesson” that i thought was more naturally expressed was when chat noir, before being a cute goofball and teasing her, realized ladybug was a little hesitant to accept the mission, and he said, “i understand you’re afraid, but failure is not your enemy—your fears are.” though his delivery was lighthearted, the message stayed with her and she even parrots it back to him later. this is how a film expressing such “life lessons” should do it—through natural progression rather than a bunch of fortune cookie quotes thrown at you over and over again. (though the scene is different, it was reminiscent of the scene in origins when ladybug panics because of how they messed up their first fight, and chat noir reassures and encourages her, inspiring her to continue being a hero despite her being afraid of making more mistakes. this is another example of the film having corresponding but distinctive scenes that i still really enjoyed even though they were different from the series.)

actually, that scene towards the end of the film when tikki reminds marinette that she's ladybug even outside of the mask was really well done too (as well as its reference to the earlier "you save the world every day with your mask, but the girl behind it saved my heart" scene). i loved seeing marinette muster up all the strength she has to try to free chat noir from hawk moth's grip. that one shot of her tackling him out of the way of hawk moth's attack as herself untransformed is so beautifully animated.

overall:

honestly, ignoring all those tweets arguing the movie is better than the series (they're incomparable—there are things the film does better, but overall the development of the series spread out over a hundred episodes is way better than a movie limited under two hours with way too much music), i found that the movie was fun if it wasn't taken seriously. as much as we all hate astruc i don't think it can replace the series even with the things it did better, but i don't think it was meant to (despite what tons of great marketing tweets by fans have claimed). it's just another way to enjoy these characters that mean a lot to us, another iteration of a story we cherish. i do hope the writing improves and the lessons come more naturally in the sequel, but even if it's just a continuation of this i'll eat it up every time (especially now that the movie approaches territory the series has never come close to: marinette and adrien know their feelings for each other and their identities, a fanfiction reader's dream! and maybe they can retcon the adrienette and explore whatever was meant to be conveyed via that montage so that the relationship works on both sides of the mask). i hope anyone familiar with miraculous (and those even curious about it) go and enjoy this film on netflix because it's still a fun ride, and i'm really glad i had the opportunity to experience it at the cinema and laugh and cry all the way through.

[spacerangersam]

Been thinking about how I would've handled the ending of ghosts if it absolutely had to end with Alison and Mike moving out, and it was going to be bug unless I wrote it all down, so here it is:

Firstly,  I think up there needs to be more build up to it during season five, it can't just come out of nowhere in the final episode. There needs to be a bit more tension between the ghosts and the Coopers (preferably with the Coopers sometimes being the ones to upset the ghosts so it's not all one sided, or else it kind of just makes the ghosts look like terrible people), and a bit more hopelessness each time their money-making attempts fail. Not enough that there's no funny or happy moments, just enough that it's clear something has to give.

I think that episode where the ghosts really upset Alison and they spend the entire time trying to make it up to her should be the final episode before the xmas special, and it shouldn't end with them giving her a good review. Instead, they tell her that she can leave. If it's too much, of they're too much, if it'll be better for her and Mike, if it'll be better for the baby, she can go. They'll understand, and they'll love her regardless.

They all leave her to think on it and the season (almost) ends on Alison, just absolutely gobsmacked, alone on her bed.

Cut to the Xmas episode. The baby hasn't come just yet, but she's due soon and the Coopers have to make a choice on the manor. Alison and Mike actually talk about leaving, the pros and cons, and Alison is obviously reluctant to leave, even if she won't admit it. But, when Mike makes an off hand comment about it being a shame they can't all spontaneously move on, Alison gets an idea. While the ghosts have their own b plot (maybe about how they'll handle life after the Coopers leave, with some flashbacks to xmases before the Coopers came), she tries to find a way to help them all move on. She tries fulfilling their last wishes (most of which she can't do because they're impossible), she tries bringing in the priest, she tries everything she can think of, but nothing seems to work.

Finally, just as she's about to give up, she finds a blog written by someone who can also see ghosts. They suggest holding a seance of sorts, and say some ghosts will move on if encouraged/given explicit permission.

It's a long shot, but they try it. Her and Mike sit in a circle holding hands, the ghosts around her, and she closes her. One by one, the ghosts steps into the circle  and Alison tells them how weird and wonderful they are, how much they've changed and grown, how much she loves them, and then that it's time for them to move.

When she's gone through every last ghosts, she finally opens her eyes. Miraculously, it worked. They're all gone. And she immediately breaks down. She clings to Mike, sobbing, and he hugs her back, a bit teary eyed too. They were her ghosts, but he still cared for them too, in his own little way.

The final moments of the episode are a montage (preferably accompanied by an acoustic cover of an upbeat song to really kick in the misery), showing them: driving away from the manor, them moving into their new home (the ghost board hanging in on the wall), the baby arriving etc etc

The very last second though, while her and Mike are sitting down, watching TV, Alison sits up and goes "Oh fuck I forgot about the plagues!" Cut to the plague ghosts, just chilling in the sauna of Button Hotel. End scene.

Obviously this isn't perfect or anything and won't be for everyone, but I think it's the kind of ending I would have preferred.

[aissa-snapped]

Vikings and Hairstylists

Summary:You get the opportunity to work on the set of Vikings. But when you meet your celebrity crush, how will you react? Will anything happen between you two?

A/N This was so exicitng for me to write. I hope yall will enjoy this as much as I did.

Word count:8795

You couldn`t believe it. You got the job! This was so unbelievable, that you kept repeating the memory of how it went down.

You were fresh out of Beauty School, looking for a job. Ever since you started watching hair braiding tutorials on youtube, which was a few years back, you found a new passion for hair. You watched every hair video, hair routine, hair products reviews there was on the internet, and you couldn`t wait to one day become a famous hairstylist, specializing in braids and giving people the hair of their dreams.

With that in mind, you were trying to gather your thoughts and come up with a strategic plan that could allow you to launch a career in this field. Maybe I should ask around at salons to take me in as an assistant. That would give me a good start. You thought. Many people started off as just that, hairstylist assistants. But that was not to be looked down upon, for it was the best way to practice and learn more tricks.

You were getting tired, and decided to just let the idea rest at the back of your head, and switched to scrolling through Instagram. It was as if the Gods were guiding you towards your path, because it was at that very moment that you opened the app, that you saw something that was a clear sign of the Higher Beings listening to your cries.

`` FELLOW VIKINGS FANS, WE ARE ANNOUNCING SOMETHING VERY EXCITING. WE ARE OFFERING OUR FANS A CHANCE TO COME ON SET AND WORK WITH THE AMAZING VIKINGS TEAM. WE ARE HAVING 5 OPEN SPOTS FOR NEW HAIRSTYLISTS, TO COME AND WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR CAST. REQUIREMENTS: -A DIPLOMA THAT LEGALLY ALLOWS THE PERSON TO WORK AS A Hairstylist and -A PORTOFOLIO OF PREVIOUS HAIRSTYLES DONE ON VARIOUS TYPES OF HAIR ( LONG, SHORT, CURLY,STRAIGHT) SEND US YOUR PORTOFOLIO TO OUR E-MAIL, ALONG WTH A VIDEO OF YOURSELF DOING AN INTRICATE BRAID (YOU CAN USE A REAL PERSON OR A MANNEQUIN) WE WILL SEND AN E-MAIL TO THE 5 LUCKY PEOPLE WHO WON THE CONTEST.

It was utterly shocking. Mouth agape, you re-read the announcement at least ten times, before finally squealing in happiness. You were a HUGE fan of the TV series Viking, hence you were trembling, and with shaky hands, you closed your phone, taking deep breaths in and out to calm yourself.

Moments later, with a clear head, you re-read the requirements, and frowned at the one year experience requirement. Your beauty school lasted exactly one year, and you had to also help at the salon you were studying at, so you wondered if that can count as experience. As for the portofolio, you had done some amazing hairstyles on your models, and, thank the Gods, you were now more than ever grateful for the fact that youve had this inclination towards braids, because half of your phones gallery was full with photos of you doing all sorts of braid variations on your friends. You even took inspiration from the show, and tried to recreate one of the most complex braids on your models. So your portofolio was pretty solid.

It had been days after you sent the requested things to the Vikings e-mail, and you couldnt sit still for not even one second. You kept checking your e-mail, your Instagram dms every hour, fidgeting with your phone all day long. You told your family and closest friend about this of course, and they were all very happy you found this opportunity, tho you could tell by their eyes that they felt sympathy for you, knowing you`d never get selected out of all thousands of fans out there.

And you, too, started to believe it slowly, after each day passed away without any feedback from the Vikings team. So you decided you wouldn`t sulk around, and you started enjoying your free time by meeting up with your girlfriends and forgetting you even submitted the e-mail.

Until one day, when it was late and you checked your e-mail for a confirmation code for an app, that you saw another e-mail had been sent, and when you saw who was it from, you almost threw your phone up to the ceiling, almost smashing it in excitement. The Vikings team had written back to you, expressing their amazement and eagerness to have you as a new member of their team.

And now you were on a plane, on your way to Dublin, to start working on the set of Vikings. This was still so surreal, you had to hold back giggles and excitement, not wanting to look like a maniac to the other people around. Oh, if only they knew where you were going.

Once youve landed and got your baggage, you were met with a large crowd of people, each standing and waiting for someone. You glanced around the crowd, until you noticed a man in a black, fancy suit and a woman standing next to him, holding a big sign with your name on it. You rolled your baggage over there, greeting both of them politely. '' Hello there. I am Emily. And this is Kevin, one of the drivers. We will take you to the hotel now, and in the meantime, I will explain to you briefly tomorrows schedule.'' She smiled kindly, putting a hand on your back and guiding you towards the exit, while Kevin took the baggage for you, carrying it towards the car.

The ride was about twenty five minutes, enough for Emily to give you a rundown of how everything works around there. Tomorrow, you were going to be picked up by the same driver at around 5 am, and then taken to the set. You were going to meet Shaila, the main stylist, who will guide you and show you what you have to do. It seemed easy enough, only, you couldn`t believe you were going to meet the actors you were only used to seeing on TV. You were especially nervous to meet Alex, who plays Ivar. Emily also explained how the filming of season 5 was beginning officially tomorrow, and that you would witness first hand how the magic happens.

Once you reached the hotel, you glanced at the name. Conrad Dublin. 5 Stars. Damn It looked extremely luxurious. You were dearly hoping you wouldn`t be the one paying for the stay.

Emily helped you check in, while Kevin brought in your luggage.

'' This is yours.'' She handed you a keycard, with the numbers 203 on it. '' Today is your free day. As its only 3 in the afternoon, you can feel free to explore the area. The center is less than a kilometer away. Theres tons of pubs around here, stores, supermarkets. The company will take care of your bills for the room. Unfortunately, we do not offer an included breakfast pack with the stay, but seeing you are on set more than half a day, we have a buffet there, so you don't have to worry about that. my suggestion, don't stay up too late. Go to sleep earlier, and don't forget, be out here before 5. Other than that…'' She trailed off, seemingly trying to think if she told you everything you needed to know. '' Well, I guess that`s it. Feel free to explore the city. Bye.'' She waved and left with Kevin.

You went to your room, plopping down on your bed. It was a small hotel room, but honestly who cared? It was so luxurious, and so well kept, you were at first afraid to touch anything. You inhaled the fresh smell of the sheets, sighing in contentment.

You wondered, were you the only one staying at the hotel? Or were there other cast/crew members?

You took a nice cold shower, trying to get off that travel dirt off of you. You got out of the shower all energized, ready to go for a little stroll. Changing in a simple oversized shirt, with a David Bowie picture on it, and comfy sweatpants, you grabbed your phone, placing your keycard inside your phonecase and took the elevator down to the lobby.

Taking a brisk walk, you took every second to glance at various buildings, appreciating the infrastructure. As Emily said, there were tons of pubs, and in your 10 minute walk, you saw at least 5. You loved the Dublin atmosphere. For a capital city, it wasnt as crowded or as loud as you would have guessed. Or maybe that was just because you werent necessarily in a touristic area.

You decided to turn back around, after 30 minutes of walking, deciding this was enough walking. On your way back home, you stopped at a supermarket, called Fresh and bought some junk food that would get you going until the next day.

You finally reached your hotel room, plopping onto the bed yet again and turned on the TV, for some background noise. You opened your bag of chips, along with you store bought coffee, and started snacking, while texting your family, letting them know you got to the hotel all safely. When it was around 10 pm, you decided you should listen to Emily, and go to sleep.

You were rudely snapped out of your deep sleep by your alarm, ringing insistently. With a grunt, you quickly turned it off, and after a few seconds of staying motionless, you rolled out of bed with a long sigh. You brushed your teeth, washed your face with some cold water, to get the puffiness out of your eyes to go down, and then went straight to the pre-established clothes you decided on wearing the previous night. You weren`t aware of any dresscodes, so you decided not to overdress, nor underdress. So your final decision was a pair of clean, simple jeans, a plain white shirt, and a pair of green converse. You hoped this would suffice. Grabbing your handy-dandy backpack, packed with your essentials, you headed towards the exit of the building.

It was really chilly outside. The sun wasn't even up yet, and well, considering it was still 4 50 am, it wasn't a shocker. Down at the lobby, you couldn't see anybody. Not even the receptionist.

A couple of chuckles were heard behind you, and you turned to see a group of 4 girls coming up to you.

'' Hey… You don't happen to be the new hairstylist…for you-know what, do you?'' A blonde girl asked.

You were wondering if thee girls were the other 4 contestants that won. '' For… The.. Show you mean?'' You asked directly. The other 3 girls giggled, and the blonde one smiled. '' Yeah. That`s what I meant. I had to make sure you're not just a random person. You see, we signed some papers, that forbid us to tell other people where we actually work.''

'' Oh..really?''

'' Yeah. Anyway, I am Aurora. The ginger one is Phoebe, that one is Amalia and Cassie.'' She presented, pointing to a curly haired girl, with ginger hair, respectively two brunettes, one with long hair, Cassie and the short haired brunette Amalia.

'' Yn.'' You replied timidly, slightly intimidated by how beautiful these girls were.

You 5 started chatting, asking each other basic questions, such as how and why you got into this field, for how long, and other personal ones, until you were interrupted by the arrival of Kevin, who waited patiently and silently for you all to climb into his vehicle. He greeted you all with a short mornin and then remained silent throughout the whole car ride, that was fortunately filled with the conversations struck by the girls.

Half an hour later, you came to a stop, somewhere far from the city, on a hill, that looked pretty much like it was in the middle of nowhere. But at a second glace, you notice, you were in some form of parking, for there were many cars around the place, scattered messily over a mile, and tons of trailers at a walking distance. You girls were guided by Kevin through a little gate, who was guarded by a security man, and after checking your ID`s, you were told to go find trailer number 13.

You felt your nerves resurfacing. You were actually here. On the set of one of the most streamed shows. Luckily, you werent completely alone, as you had the new found girls by your side. You all found the trailer, and by public demand, you were chosen to be the one to knock on the door. Shakily, you used your knuckles to hit the door two times, hoping someone inside heard it. After you all heard a faintcome in`, you opened the door and stepped into the trailer, with the rest of the girls following you.

Once inside, you noticed three typical hair stations you'd see at any salon, with a mirror each, and pictures of the actors with the hair on. At last, you glanced at the far end of the trailer, bent down, a woman. She quickly stood up, and that's when you finally glanced over her frame. She was a woman in her mid 40s, with a chubbier figure, mid length hair, with some blonde highlights all over. She looked very kind, like a mother that would bake you cookies every day.

'' `Ello girls. I'm Shaila. The main hairstylist. '' She shook hands with every girl, listening in return for each of their names.

'' Right. So let's get straight to it. This is the first week of filming season 5. We have an awful lot of new characters, and old ones that need an upgrade. Today is Monday. We don't usually film on Mondays. We test new hairstyles, see what works, what doesnt. We prepare for the shooting days. Michael told me about the contest. Ever since I told him we need more stylists, he's been doing the most to gather some new ones. The thing is girls,'' at this, she was giving you all a nervous look. '' This week you 5 will be on probation. That means, by the end of week, we will announce which one of you will be staying here permanently. I know the announcement said 5 people will be working here, but truth is, in the meantime, we have found 4 other stylists that are more familiar with working on a movie/TV show set. But, we are in need of one more. So you have until Friday to do your best, impress us and we will decide who will get the post.'' She finished, studying each girl independently. There was a dull silence.

You glanced at Aurora, next to you, but she was looking down. Shaila was waiting for someone to ask a question, but after a few moments, she took the silence as a que to speak again.

'' Alright. So each one of you will be working closely to one of the other main stylist. I am now going to tell you who is going in which trailer.'' She then proceeded to assign each girl to a separate trailer. '' You Yn, will be working in this trailer with me. Alright… Now-'' she glanced at her watch.

'' Oh dear, we need to hurry. It`s 5:30. The cast will be here any minute. You girls go ahead. We will see each other at lunch. '' She shooed them off, shutting the door behind them. Once you were left alone with Shaila, she turned around and grinned at you.

''So… Yn. Beautiful name. Unique. Here let me show you.'' She pointed at each seat. '' In this trailer, we work always on the same three people. Look here.'' Glancing at her pointy finger, you followed it and saw there were several pictures with whom you recognized as the Ragnarsons, with the focus on their hair, from different angles.

'' We mainly work on Ubbe, Hvitserk and Ivar`s character here…'' She trailed off. '' You know who they are I assume?'' You nodded quickly.

'' My colleague, Peter, works alongside me. And you see, Ivars hair was, so far, short. So there wasnt much to do. But as for this season, we are going to change his hairstyle, because his hair has grown out some more and we have more options. You see, as characters evolve, so does their hair. So we were in need of someone new to work with us. Because without a third stylist here, it would be too difficult for us two to finish their hair on time.''

With widened eyes, you looked at her, amazed that you will be meeting one of your favorite characters in a few. You nodded along with everything Shaila was saying, to show her you were paying attention.

Soon enough, Peter joined you two. He was a rather tall scrawny man, short gingered hair and a slight beard coming through. He was super funny, and very energetic, for the fact that it was this early in the morning. But that could`ve also been an added factor from the coffee in his hand.

You were getting more nervous by the minute, knowing the three main characters of the show would be walking in at any given moment. Peter and Shaila were conversing casually, not the least bit worried or nervous, as you were. Which was understandable. They`ve been here for quite a long time.

Lacing at your smartwatch, you felt your heart jolting, when you heard faint masculine voices, fastly approaching the trailer. Now, more than ever, you felt as if your heart would jump right out of your body. With a loud creak, the trailer`s door was forcefully opened, in stepping the boisterous boys. You first saw a bearded man, with his sides shaved, and a base cap on, greeting Shaila and Peter. Second, you saw a young man with quite longer hair than the first one, holding a beer in his hand, and laughing obnoxiously loud at someone behind him. And then, you saw… Him.

Your celebrity crush, the most handsome man youve ever set eyes on. He was talking in a language you couldnt comprehend. Must be Danish. Sporting a simple black shirt, and grey sweatpants, hair in an improvised man bun, he stepped into the trailer last, shutting the door loudly behind him.

The boys all struck up a conversation with Shaila, while each going to their assigned chairs. It was only after another minute, and Shaila mentioning there`s someone else in the trailer, that they all glanced at you, through their respective mirrors.

You made yourself look as small as possible, for it was under their gazes that you felt like a little mouse in a wolf`s den, if that makes sense. They all smiled at you, and one by one, got up from their seats and lined up to greet and shake hands with you.

'' Jordan Patrick. Nice to meet you.'' The bearded man presented himself, giving you a firm handshake. You could hear a very strong Australian accent from him. '' Yn.'' You said quietly, hoping he won't make you repeat it. '' Marco.'' The second man seemed to have a little smirk on his face, and took it a step further and kissed the back of your hand.

You blushed furiously, even forgetting to say your name back. Last, but not least, Alex approached you. '' Alex. Nice to meet you.'' He grinned, waiting for you to shake hands, but when you reached out, he instead put his arms around you, pulling you into a bear hug. You took a second to react, and when you came back to your senses, you hugged him back, but not with the same intensity, as you feared you would come off as a crazy fan. Your cheeks were so hot, you could feel it.

When he pulled away, he winked at you, and when he turned around, he grinned at Marco. He got seated back in between Marco and Jordan, looking at the former. ''Fik hende til at rødme'' He said something to Marco, not that you could understand it, and he started laughing while Marco was scoffing, almost jokingly. ( Made her blush)

Shaila showed you how a normal day looks like in the trailer, explaining theoretically and visually how she worked on the boys hair. She showed you reference photos and other sketches of how she was imagining Ivar`s hair this season.

'' I want to start today with something simple. Can you do Dutch braids?'' She asked. You nodded promptly.

'' Good. Please start with a central braid, and then two smaller Dutch braids on each side of his hair.'' She showed you, using her fingers, where she imagined each section to start and end.

With clammy hands, ( you quickly wiped them on your jeans, trying to be discreet) you picked your rat tail comb, and started sectioning the central part for the braid. While doing so, Alex was watching your every movement, making it even more difficult for you to calm down.

Once you had each section parted and clipped out of the way, you slowly started working on the biggest braid. The first few strands of the braid were beginning to create the shape of the it, and you were getting into your element. Before you even realized it, you had the first braid finished, and began working on the side ones.

The other actors were chatting with each other, occasionally Shaila piping in, or Peter saying a very corny joke. You loved Alexs laugh. It was so genuine and filled with happiness. You could only imagine what it must feel like to hear it every day. You sighed.Oh great, nows not the time to daydream about being his gilfriend.

Alex glanced back at you after he heard you sigh, lifting one eyebrow at you. Making eye contact through the mirror, you refrained a smile appearing on your face, and immediately looked away from him. You heard him chuckle quietly, and then engaged back in a conversation with the other guys.

You notified Shaila, hoping she will satisfied with your work. Alex looked at you, giving you a thumbs up and an encouraging smile.

'' Hmm.. You could`ve added a bit more gel here. See these tiny fly aways? And tease the hair at the roots just slightly here on top, for a bit of volume. We want to make sure it appears they have lots of hair. '' She continued analyzing each braid carefully, humming to herself.

''But overall, this is really good. You did great. For your first day. '' She patted you on the shoulder.

Alex winked at you, causing you to turn away from him to hide your blush. Damn he really is flirty you thought.

When all the guys were finished, they all ran out of the trailer to check the set, run lines and gods know what else actors do.

You were left with Shaila, while Peter left the trailer to smoke a cig. The woman pulled a head mannequin out of a cabinet, and began showing you typical braids they do on extras, teaching you and giving you tips here and there where she felt like it.

Hours later, you were starting to get hungry. It had been hours of you just standing in the trailer. Shaila insisted on showing you every single little tool in there, explain to you how a real work day unfolds, since she didnt consider this particular day to be one at its full intensity, which quite frankly scared you, because this was already too much, but if this wasnt the hardest, then what was to come?

Around lunch time, the two adults led you towards the lunch tents. It was like at a festival, with big tents, dozen of wodden benches, and so many people, it was crazy. Shaila showed you where to go to get your food from, and then she left back towards the trailer stating she had some work to finish up for tomorrow.

You felt so intimidated by the number of these people, and you hoped you could see the girls somewhere, so you could go to them.

Once you grabbed your lunch, which was mostly mashed potatoes, some tomato salad and some grilled cheese, you desperately tried spotting some known faces around here, for a second time.

It seemed impossible in this sea of people, so you now decided to walk towards the exit, hoping to find an empty table, but as you were passing between tables, you heard someone yell out your name.

You turned your head and tried to find the person who shouted, and almost instantly you spotted Alex, waving his hands highly in the air, as if attempting to make himself noticeable for you. You stood there motionless, unsure if he was actually the one to shout at you, but when you saw him make a hand gesture that signaled for you to come over, you took slow, self-conscious steps towards him.

He seemed eager to have you approach, and once you reached his table, he put his hand on your back, guiding you to sit down next to him.

Now that you were finally settled, you looked around the table, and you almost screamed. You saw Marco and Jordan, but also recognized Alexander Ludwig, who plays Bjorn. and then you also observed a beautiful blonde girl, sitting next to him, whom you knew to be Georgia Hirst.

You were sat down next to Alex, who himself was sat between yourself and Marco, and then on the opposite side, you had Georgia sitting right face to face with you, next to Jordan and then finally Alexander.

'' Alex, who have you brought here?'' Asked Alexander, with a teasing tone and nudging Jordan to join in on his teasing.

'' Oh. She`s the new hairstylist in my trailer.'' He put his left hand on your right shoulder, squeezing it softly.

You laughed softly. '' Uhm actually… I`m on… probation. We will find out who stays here permanently at the end of the week.'' You chuckled nervously.

'' Well, I Know you will. Cuz you were so good with your hands.'' Alex said, seemingly not aware of how that sounded. Once the other guys started laughing and hooting at what he said, he blushed and tried to correct himself. ''I- meant shes fast. She worked really fast. Thats what I me- Oh Shut it'' He reached across the table to whack Alexander on the arm from all the teasing he was doing.

You looked at your food, starting to feast on it and ignoring the comments flying around you.

'' And what is your name?'' You made eye contact with Georgia, who seemed to be the sweetest and the most normal person from this table.

'' Yn.'' You replied shortly, and then started eating some tomatoes, hoping no one would talk to you anymore, because you were hungry and wanted to be left alone.

''So…? Tell us!'' Alex insisted, looking at you and waiting for something from you.

Confused, you frowned your eyebrows at him, shrugging '' Tell you..what?''

'' Well about you. How you got here, how long have you been doing hair, have you watched the show?''

And so you answered all their questions. Well, more than 90% of them were fired by Alex, but occasionally one of the other guys would also ask you something as well. Georgia listened intently to what you had to say, but then calmed Alex and the other boys down when she noticed you were starting to get overwhelemd.

'' That`s enough. Let her eat.'' And with that, the boys listened like good children, and left you tending to your food.

Right before you all left, he saw you standing up ready to leave, so he asked you to give him your instagram.

You were quite embarrassed to have him look at your profile, knowing the photos you`ve taken were not nearly half as good as his, but then you also thought, he asked for it, so he should suffer the consequences.

You were back at the trailer, and for the next hours, you were told to recreate some hairstyle Shaila showed you on a picture, until it was finally time to go home.

You were completely exhausted. And you were scared for tomorrow. You went to the parking lot, found Kevin and jumped into the car, finding relief in being able to sit down and give your legs a bit of relief. The other girls approached the car one by one, and when you were all in, you all started sharing your today`s experience.

'' I met Harald Finehair GUYS. UGH he was so fine.'' Amalia said, exaggerating and making you all gag and giggle.

'' Ew stop it. He`s way too old for you. But I met Georgia Hirst and Ida. They were super nice.'' Phoebe added.

When you told them about who you met, they all seemed a bit.. Jealous? They gave you a fake smile, and then quickly changed the subject.

Once you reached your room, you sighed in relief, finally you were alone. You took a shower, dried up and then you pulled your phone out, noticing all the unread messages from your frineds. After you answered them all, you went on Instagram out of habit.

You went to see you had some notifications. iris2002 liked your post 3h carina0_donnell liked your post 4h alexhoeghandersen liked your post 6h alexhoeghandersen liked your post 6h alexhoeghandersen started following you 6h

WAIT WHAT??!?!!? HE FOLLOWED ME BACK?! SHIT I mean, it was expected. After all, he did just ask for your Instagram didn`t he?

You checked your dms, seeing as you had some unread messages on there as well, but the one that popped before everyone else, was from the same person who had followed you back a few hours ago.

You shakily opened the chat, not knowing what to expect.

Heej. What are you doing? Hiii. I just got back to the hotel. im so exhausted

I know how you feel you hungry? do you maybe uh wanna grab some food? I know a few good places around Dublin :))

You blinked rapidly, your heartbeat rising. Was that for real? You kept clicking on his name, checking to see if he is the Real Alex. You left him on read for a few minutes, while you were contemplating on whether or not you should go.

With sweaty hands, you unlocked your phone again, and decided to give him an answer sure... let's do it. I'm starving

great. which hotel are you staying at? Conrad Dublin

gotcha. I'll be there in half an hour

`Half an hour? shit. I need to get ready.

You got out of your freshly put on pijamas, and rummaged through your luggage for some decent clothing. You opted for another oversized t-shirt, with a Jurassic Park logo on it, and your trusted shorts, who fit on your bum perfectly. Messing with your hair a bit, you ruffled it, and then you decided you`d just tie it in a bun. You grabbed your trusted perfume, and sprayed it once on each side of your neck.

You grabbed your fanny pack, strapping it over one shoulder and put your phone inside it, grabbing also some cash and your keycard.

The moment you stepped into the elevator, you felt your heart once again start galloping inside you. How could this happen, and on the first day?

Once you stepped into the lobby, you were aiming for the exit, until you saw a familiar guy sitting on one of the couches, on his phone. You studied him a bit. He looked so effortlessly beautiful. He was wearing a black hoodie, along with some jeans, paired with sneakers. He had his hair in a manbun, but that only made him look even hotter.

He was scrolling on his phone, with his back rested on the couch, one arm on it, and legs spread out in front of the coffee table.

It didnt take him too long after youve reached the lobby to take notice of you. When he finally did, he quickly put his phone back in his back pocket and stood up, taking long and fast strides to reach you.

'' Hey.'' He approached you and pulled you in a hug, kissing you on your temple once he let go of you.

'' Hello…'' You said timidly, not knowing what to say next.

Alex seemed to be such an expert in keeping up a conversation going, that he never allowed any sort of awkward silence fill the air. He grabbed your forearm, pulling you softly towards the exit. '' So.. What are you in the mood for?'' He broke the peaceful silence once you stepped outside. '' Mmm… Honestly? I dont know. I dont want anything fancy, but not junky either. Maybe pasta?'' You laughed awkwardly. He smiled and giggled.

'' Then pasta it is.'' He led the way, and started asking about your personal life back at home the whole way to the restaurant.

Once you`ve reached it, you read the name Sano Pizza. Looks good from the outside.

'' It`s one of my favorite restaurants. They have some amazing Pizza. And the spaghetti should also be up at the same level.'' He praised the place. You smiled and followed him inside.

He led you between many tables, and then finally in a more private and calm section, he found an empty booth for the two of you. When you finally sat down, you noticed the QR code being placed on both corners of the table, making you scoff.

Alex looked at you curiously. '' What`s the matter?''

'' This. I cant scan the fucking menu. And its so frustrating to me cuz then I have to search it up on the internet, and it takes so long. Like, give me the goddamn paper menu and we`ll be good.'' You complained, sighing in annoyance.

Alex seemed to not take your attitude too seriously, as he chuckled at you and pulled his phone out, scanning the code in less than a second and handing you his phone.

'' Here. Take a look and then let me know what youd like to eat.'' You flushed at his actions.Yeah, it was a small gesture, almost insignificant. But still, it made my heart flutter.` You went over the menu on his phone, and when you were finally ready with your order, you handed his phone back. He took it gently, cupping your hand slightly when you passed it to him.

''Alright.. What will it be then?'' '' Penne Quattro Formaggi. Aaand a lemonade.'' You nodded to yourself, thinking that`ll be good enough.

'' No dessert?'' He asked nicely. '' Nah. Im good. I probably wont even finis the pasta.'' You laughed. '' Why?'' He joined in your laugh.

You shrugged. '' I always eat half of it, then I get full and I have to sit and let my stomach digest the food. I don`t know why. The food is too dense.'' ''Dense?'' He asked, amused. ''Yeah…dense.''

He chuckled and when he saw a waiter, he waved for him to go over there. He ordered the food, and then he turned back to you, propping his chin on the palm of his hand, admiring you.

'' Uhh.. '' You chuckled nervously. '' So…'' '' What do you think? You liked your first day?'' '' Well.. It was.. Intense. A lot of new info at once, but Ill get used to it. That is..if.. Ill stay..'' You trailed off, almost with a hint of sadness, thinking of the possibility of not staying permanently.

Alex placed his warm hand over yours, rubbing your kunckles with his thumb, reassuringly. '' Youll stay. Ive seen you work. You did a great job.'' You waved a dismissive hand at him. '' No Im serious! Hey. Ive seen others work. And so far, no one has been as skilled with their hands as you.''

'' Oh… I dont know. Well see.'' ''- And even they happen to Not choose you, which, theyd have to be nuts not to, Ill talk to them personally. I`ll go straight to Michael and ask him personally we are buddies, me and him, and-''

You shook your head and giggled at him. '' Its okay. If I dont get the job, then maybe they choose someone else for a reason. Maybe Im not made for this environment. And thats okay. I`ll accept it.'' You interrupted him, assuring him you were willing to take a blow, if needed be.

Time seemed to pass so fast with him. He made you feel so at ease. He had this natural charisma about him. You were laughing the whole time, not being able to stop, he was that funny. At one point, the food showed up, and you both calmed down and dove right in.

The young actor definitely knew where to take you. The food was exquisite. You enjoyed every little bite, savoring the flavors, and filling your stomach with enough food to keep you running till the following day at lunch.

Another hour had passed, and it was already 8 pm. It was already pretty dark outisde, and you wanted to walk a bit. You kept glancing out the window, noticing faint silhouettes and buildings in the distance.

Alex followed your gaze, then turned back to you. '' What is it?'' He asked concerned.

'' Oh nothing. I just really wanted to take a stroll, to walk some dark alleys and enjoy the Dublin vibes at night.'' You admitted dreamily.

'' Well, let`s do it.'' Alex said, standing up. '' Wait a second ok?'' He grabbed his phone and went up front, talking to the waiter who served you. When he came back, he helped you up, and then locked arms with you, putting his in his pocket.

'' Wait. We have to pay first.'' You pulled him back. He shook his head, smiling.

'' Already did. We can go.'' He continued pulling you towards the exit, while you were frowning, looking back and forth between Alex and the waiter, that was at his computer thingy.

''But-when?'' You were now outside, and you couldn`t help but let the chilly weather embrace your body.

'' When I left the table. I payed on my phone.'' He explained simply.

'' Ok. How much was my part?'' You said while you were zipping your fanny pack in search for cash, but Alex took your hand away, zipping your fanny pack back up, and shaking his head.

'' It`s on me.'' '' No!'' ''Yes. It was my idea to invite you. Where did you say you wanted to go?'' He changed the subject fast when he noticed you were trying to pay him back.

You huffed, and pointed a finger down a darker alley, which seemingly looked to be empty. He nodded his head at the alley, as if asking for a confirmation that was the one you pointed at, and when you nodded, he pulled his arm that was locked with yours out, and instead draping it over your shoulders, pulling you as close to him as posssible.

You guys started walking in a comfortable silence, the only sounds available coming from behind you from the main street, from which faint voices could be heard.

'' So… Why did you want to walk this way? Was there something in particular you wanted to see?'' He asked chuckling, squeezing your shoulder.

'' No… I just…enjoy walking down dark and empty streets. It`s so… I don't know. Peaceful I guess.'' You answered, while looking around you and taking notice of the buildings.

'' You do this often?'' He furrowed his brows. '' You walk at night, alone?''

'' Well… Yeah I do that a lot back home. Sometimes I even go out to listen to some music, or glance at the sky and observe constellations.''

'' Look, I know you are an adult and you decide what you want to do, but maybe you shouldn`t do that here.'' He stated, with a low and serious tone.

'' And why is that?'' You questioned, quizically.

'' Well because…'' He licked his lips in a stressful manner. '' I dont know what its like back there in you country, but here in Dublin, the streets get dangerous at night. That is why we always go out together clubbing or something. But none of us go out alone. It`s not… The safest.'' He took a breath of air. ''Especially not for someone like..you.'' He said lowly afraid you might misunderstand his words.

You choked out a laugh, and turned your head to the side to look at him. '' Someone like… Me? What do you even mean by that?'' You laughed, and locked eyes with him, challengingly.

'' Well… Haha.. Dont take it as an insult. I meant a girl like you. You are pretty, lets not be modest. Any guy would glance at you when you would be walking anywhere, but at night, there are people out there who might not have the best intentions and would try to harm you.'' Alex gave you a worried, showing complete honesty.

You didn`t even respond, but simply blushed and shook your head. But just then, ahead of you, you both noticed a small group of people coming in your direction. You could only see their shadowy silhouettes, but that was enough for Alex to move you both to one side of the street, opposite of the group, ensuring he was standing between you and them.

Tho it was a small gesture, you flushed, thinking how much of a nice and genuine guy he was. He paid for your dinner, he was being so kind and funny, you honestly didnt know if he wasnt faking this all just to sleep with you.

You kept walking, turning random streets, until it was pretty late at night, and you both agreed to head back, since the next morning was starting very early for you. He insisted on walking you back to the hotel, tho you reassured him youd be fine by yourself. He didnt give you time to argue, pulling you towards the hotel.

So now when you were finally in your hotel room, having taken your second shower of the day, you got in bed, ready to sleep. Right before you were about to close your eyes, your phone screen`s illuminated, letting you know you had a notification. Sleepily, you opened your phone and saw a message from Alex sent on instagram.

I had lots of fun. hope you did too good night see you tomorrow :))

You didn`t even open the app, but just smiled at the message and went to sleep, with a grin on your face.

The following day, same way, you got ready, met the girls down at the lobby and then you all left for the set. You stepped into the trailer, in a much more confident way than yesterday. You chirped a morning to Shaila and Peter, and then you got to setting up your tools. Shaila greeted you also, explaining that today was more serious, and that she will work on Alexs hair, and youll help her out, so you could see exactly what you`ll have to do in the future.

Not long after your arrival, the three Ragnarssons stepped into the trailer, first Jordan and then Marco and lastly Alex. The first two greeted you, while heading towards their seats, but when Alex stepped into the trailer, he immediately locked eyes with you, giving you a charming smile. He came to you and hugged you, kissing your right cheek when he pulled away.

You stood there motionless, trying to hide your blush. Alex grinned at you, and then snapped something at Marco in Danish when he kept teasing him.

Peter got to work on Jordan, and in the meantime, Shaila and yourself got to work on Alex. The middle aged woman explained as she went along, how she was envisioning his hair, showed you what products and in which order to use, and overall, you felt like you were back in beauty school, when all you had to do was sit next to the teacher and watch her work on the mannequin.

Only in this case, you actually got to help, holding hair sections, handing Shaila tools or products and such. It was a very nice experience. You felt really important, knowing you were helping in building a character`s visual side.

Alex was being his funny, extroverted self. He was joking around with Shaila and you as well, occasionally him softly grabbing your arm and rubbing it at certain times. One hour and a half later, you were done with him. He had intricate twists on his head, giving him a true Viking air. They looked really hot on him.

He got out of the chair, admired his hair closely in the mirror and then thanked you both.

'' Ah you women are amazing. My hair looks fabulous.'' He complimented, joking towards the end with a girly voice and posing funnily. You laughed at his antics.

Alex had to leave for the makeup and costume trailer, so with a respectful ( but exaggerated bow) he kissed you on the cheek once more, leaving you with the other guys who looked at you funny and started teasing you as well.

The day went by slightly faster, since you had so much more work to do. You were entrusted with doing hair for some extras, which was nice. You got compliments here and there, filling you with confidence.

The end of the day was approaching, and you couldn`t wait to get back to the hotel, so you could sit down and relax.

You were heading towards the parking lot, but felt someone running behind you. You felt strong hands encircling your waist, lifting you from the ground slightly. You yelled in surprise, but calmed down when you saw it was Alex, laughing acutely at you.

''What are you doing?'' He asked casually, falling into a walking rhythm with you.

'' Going home. You?''

'' Oh. Well same. Hey, you didn`t answer my message yesterday. Why is that huh?'' He interrogated you, poking your sides, causing you to squirm from how ticklish you were.

'' Oh-Al-St-o-p. I uhm.'' You struggled to say, since he kept poking and tickling you. '' Well. I was very tired. But I did read it. I just didn`t have the energy to text back. Sorry.'' You responded apologetically.

'' `S okay. Just wanted to make sure you were fine. Anyway, wanna go out tonight as well? Or you could come over to my place. I can tell Marco to leave the place so we can-''

'' Alex, what exactly are your intention?'' You interrupted him, getting straight to the point. '' I dont know what youre trying to do, but Ill tell you what I wont do, and that is having a fling. Or sleeping around.''

Alex frowned, confusion all over his face. '' Wait… WHAT?! N-.'' He sighed, frustrated. '' THat`s what you think I was trying to do?'' He chuckled bitterly. '' Wow… Thanks for thinking so low of me.'' He snapped, taking bigger and faster steps in front of you, getting ahead of you.

Realizing what you`ve done, with widened eyes you jogged towards him, grabbing his arm to stop him in his tracks. He turned around, with his jaw clenched and hurt yet angry eyes.

'' Im sorry. I didnt know what to think of it. You were so nice and amazing, it truly felt surreal, as if it was all an act.'' You explained, getting emotional. '' I`ve had… bad experiences with guys acting all nice and cute and then being complete dicks once they got what they wanted. And I was only trying to avoid getting hurt.'' Your eyes were getting watery from all the explaining, and at that, Alex softened his gaze.

'' I didn`t want to assume anything. But to me it seemed impossible that a guy like YOU, would ever be interested in someone like me. And I am terribly sorry for insulting you. '' You said sincerely, letting a tear drop fall onto your cheek.

Alex let his forehead rest on yours, getting really close to you. Raising both his palms, he cupped your face, using his thumb to wipe the cheek off your face. Kissing your forehead, he then nuzzle his nose against yours, as if silently asking you to stop apoligizing.

'' Youve got nothing to apologize for. Its not your fault you were surrounded by idiots. But please, just give me a chance.'' He begged.

You nodded slowly, announcing you wanted to forget the previous embarrassing moment.

Alex pulled slightly away, to be able to look at you, smirking. '' Did the other jerks give you such a loving and sweet kiss?''

Frowning, you looked at him with a tilted head. '' What kis-'' You were interrupted by his soft lips shutting you up. You closed your eyes, enjoying the moment. He left his lips lingering on yours for a few more seconds, but not daring to try to take it any further.

When he felt like it was enough, he pulled away, leaving you both out of breath. You smiled, looking at him and giggling. He joined in on your giggling, pulling you in a comforting side hug. You stayed hugging each other`s sides a few more minutes, until you saw the girls approaching, and other people coming into the parking lot. You pulled away, with difficulty, since Alex was trying to hold you there.

Finally freeing yourself, you waved at him goodbye, giving him a grin.

The next days went better and better. Each passing hour, it felt as if you were learning and constantly perfecting your skills, giving you more confidence. You were eventually allowed to do half of Alexs hair, Shaila still insisting shed have to go over your parts as well to perfect them.( perfectionist much).

Alex and you were being close every morning, him giving you a hug and a kiss on the cheek, but not taking it further in front of the others.

Time flew by so fast, that you stepped into Friday and realized, today you were going to find out who was going to stick around. Shaila texted you 5 to come a bit earlier in her trailer, where she was going to announce the winner.

'' Right. So, I want to preface by saying you are all talented. That is why you got here in the first place, which was already a big step. With that being said-'' She grabbed some papers, looking through them.

'' I want to thank you girls for having you here. You helped us a lot, as much as you also learned a bit of how the magic happens in these chairs.'' She used her free hand to slap the back of one of the chairs.

'' Alright. This was tough. But the final answer is…''

''Yn. Congratulations.'' She said in a neutral tone, clearly trying to hide her excitement.

You squealed in happiness, hugging Shaila and then each girl in return. You could tell they were looking at you bitterly, but you couldn`t do anything about that.

'' No hard feelings?'' You asked them.

They smiled sadly, hugging you one last time, before they were all escorted out. You barely had any time to let this new information sink in, when the young actors were already making their way inside. You locked eyes with Alex, grinning from ear to ear, nodding your head, silently telling him that you won.

He immediately understood your message, sprinting towards you and picking you up, spinning you softly. He laughed in happiness, and then with a newfound boldness, he attacked your lips. You gasped, taken completely by surprise, but nonetheless enjoying it.

The guys whistled, and when Alex pulled away, Marco patted him aggressively on the back, as a congratulation.

Shaila fully entrusted you this day to work on Alex alone, and when the three actors left the trailer, Alex rushing to plant another kiss on your lips, the woman pulled some brand new black t-shirts out of a cabinet, with the History Channel logo on them, handing you the clothes.

'' Welcome to the Vikings team, dear. We will need you around here.'' She greeted you officially, hugging you.

[namjhyun]

DRAMA REVIEW | Mayfair Witches (2023)

I have mixed feelings about this tv series. I have never read the books, so I don't really know if the things that bothered me will be develop and resolve further into the story, but if i had to define this first season in one word it would be "exasperating".

I enjoyed the lore surrounding the Mayfair family and New Orleans, I wish I could have learn a little more about and the powers each women in the show have are incredibly interesting to me.

That said, some plot lines are just dumb and the character development isn't there.

We are presented a family where men have no supernatural power and each women is born a witch, yet they are ruled by a patriarch instad of being a matriarchy. We are also supposed to believe none of these smart, powerful and independent witches has ever tried to take over as the leader of the family.

Like I said, the lore is interesting but underdeveloped which inevitably has consequences on the mystery surrounding the Mayfair family. After watching a full season, everything about the story of this show is vague at best.

I have seen Alexandra Daddario is other projects before and she has never being the strongest actor and while I think she gave a decent performance, I can't help but wish they had cast someone different in the leading role. She wasn't a compelling actress and you could tell she was trying so hard to give a good performance. Especially when you compare to other actress and actors in the show that seem to effortlessly slip into their respective roles.

As for the development of Daddario's character, Rowan, it's weak and this is mainly because of a badly estructured script that is trying really hard to be something that isn't.

What this show did right was make me interested in the books they are based on because, like I mentioned before, the story of this family seems to be really interesting. That said, I will probably watch the second season because I am curious if they will be able to do better execution.

Rating: 6/10