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spiketheguy · 3 months ago

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TADC+Cue: Dear Diary…..

NOTE: This is based on an TADC AU featuring the fan character Cue as part of the cast. The events of this story are set a day before the Pilot episode, written from Cue’s perspective.

Apologies in advance if this comes off as overly cringe ^^’

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Dear Diary,

HIIIII, Hello there~ :DD

It sure has been a while since I last wrote here. Feels like the days go by so quickly when you’re having fun at the circus, hehe. So, what has happened since last time?

Well, quite a bit to say the least! ^^

I’ve been on SOOO many adventures with the others that it's hard for me to comprehend which one of them was my favorite. Like, like that one adventure where we were split into two bands of pirates hunting down the big treasure. It was me, ‘Checkmate’ and good ol’ ‘Chuckles’ pitted against ‘Buttons’, ‘Ribbons’ and that bloody ‘Rabbit’. He tried shooting my head off point-blank with one of the cannons because he thought I could use a new head, whatever that was supposed to mean ;:T

What else? Oh, the time we were playing hide and seek in an oversized grocery store. I tried to play off as a giant watermelon that day, hahaha….my body couldn’t be found for hours afterwards but it was worth it :D

Oooor-mmmm-OH!, that one where we were in a detective thriller mystery. trying to sniff out just who was the culprit that murdered the owner of the Marvelous Marble Mansion. I was soooo close to figuring out who was the guilty party but I was sadly off by a few details, so ‘Buttons’ got the win on that day. Good for her, at least, but I’ll get the win next time >:3

There’s been plenty more than just those examples but knowing me, I don’t think I could list them all if I even tried, hehehe…hehe … .heh…….

….mmmmmm….……Can I be honest with you?……..I mean…..I suppose I CAN, cuz…. you’re my diary and all….

I….I don’t know if I could ever tell this to the others….but, umm, I kinda….want to stay here. Like, here. At the circus….

I’m saying it like it's a bad thing and if you were to be sentient or something, you might think “Ohhh but Cue. Wanting to stay here at the circus SHOULDN’T be a bad thing, right?”

Well, no. I don’t think so, anyway… It shouldn’t be, because I like it here. I’m having fun here. Yeah, I get hurt a bit here and there, lose my head in the odd accident, or when ‘Rabbit’ decides to play another one of his stupid tricks on me!! >:[

It can be rough, but I can look past all that. Especially when every day brings with it even the slightest sense of joy and merriment. A reason to smile and enjoy my life. It’s way more than what I could ever get back….well, back there….That old place….

….”So what’s the problem?” you might think. Y’know, if you were a sentient diary….

Well, let’s just say that….the other guys? My friends? They don’t share the same feelings. They all just want to get out of the place. Get those headsets off and all that…

Like ‘Ribbons’. First thing that comes to mind with her, the times when she just breaks down crying and wanting to leave. Now on the one hand, I’m not exactly a fan of when the good vibes get killed by a breakdown, and frankly, I don’t know anybody who would be. On the other hand though, I can’t help but feel bad for her whenever she does break.

And I’m not just talking about that flimsy, %$!#-ing mask that practically breaks every day! Like, what the %$!# does ‘Chatters’ make them out of?! Cheap plastic and pinky-promised hope? ;:< I have tried fixing that thing a couple of times as a way to cheer her up. She thanks me, and I appreciate that, but I’m not sure if those kind gestures really helped out. At least, not in the long run anyway…

Then there’s the newer member. I think her name was ‘Zoo-Loo’? She hasn’t taken part in ma-wait. No, not ‘she’, ‘They’! OK, my mistake.

But ‘they’ don’t really take part in a lot of the adventures ever since they joined. And the one time they did, I got partnered with them on that mystery adventure I mentioned, and ‘Zoo-Loo’ just wanted NOTHING to do with it and left me to do a lot of the sleuthing. Not exactly partnering material, they are. I wonder if it's got anything to do with the fact that their body looks like it got cobbled together from a toy chest. I mean, I’d probably be a little miffed too, thinking more about it…

But leaving me to my own accord is still way more preferable than what that ‘Rabbit’ does. Aw man……what happened between us two? It doesn’t feel that long ago when we used to get along pretty well, laughing at the odd practical joke here or two. Then those practical jokes got more frequent, and much more sinister.

After a while, it seemed as if he figured something out that just I’m not smart enough to even comprehend. But it just makes it seem like he’s found a way to, well, ‘cheat the system’. If I could put it into words. And only he seems to find it hilarious now. I’d much rather laugh with him like we used to…

At least I got ol’ ‘Chuckles’ for whenever I do need a good joke to laugh at. I tell ya, his jokes never fail to get my sides splitting. I guess I’m just easy to amuse, hehe…..but, even he’s been acting up lately. It didn’t seem all that obtrusive at first, just him making the occasional comment about ‘finding the exit’ and all that. From my perspective, it seemed like he was taking things well. Now, he just has these moments of cracking up and looking for the way out like a frantic cat in a cage, rambling on and on about ‘the exit’. So I guess I was wrong with that assumption earlier. Perhaps I should try talking to him about this tomorrow. Before it's too late and he……well, you know…..he winds up like Queenie……

Ohh man, Kinger! My old friend… He hasn’t been the same since we lost her. He’s not the same guy whom I had bonded with after first coming here so long ago. Back then, he seemed so much more level headed. I think a lot of that was to do with Queenie. Maybe because she was a chess piece like him, but those two really found a kinship between one another, and looked out for each other through those tough days…now that she’s gone, it's like part of him just…left with her……granted, it’s not like I can’t strike that occasional talk with him like old times. He’s not completely gone but, well…if I’m considered “the lights are on, but nobody's home” kind of guy, he’d be “the house feels emptier now”.

And last, but by no means least……‘Buttons’. Y’know, I still think about the day we first bonded. She had been at the circus for a few days and was still weary about the whole thing. I tried my best to make a good impression, but she just kept to herself the whole time. Then came that day, we were coming back home. The ‘adventure’ that day was pretty underwhelming, looking back……gosh, I can’t even remember what it was, it was that uneventful……but afterward, I felt like playing on my accordion to feel something fulfilling. Yet some way, somehow……THAT was what got her attention. Hehe, I’d toot my own horn but I don’t play the trumpet ^^;

From that day, we got to grow closer to one another. She’s really gotten to like the place now, which makes me happy. At least, I think she likes it.…… This might be about as silly as everything else, but I can’t help but see ‘Buttons’ as…like a sister to me…she’s helped me through a lot of things since, and I in turn helped her. Like we have each other’s back. And losing her……gosh, I-I just don’t know. Maybe I’d wind up like poor Kinger…but even as he is now, I wouldn’t want to lose him. We got so much between ourselves.

I don’t wanna lose those two from my life…frankly, I don’t want to lose any of my friends left here…not even Jax, for as much as I don’t like him these days..…it would all just, bring me back to before I came here… I don’t even know if I could ever go back…..back to that old place……I’ve lost track of how long I have been here that going back almost feels silly now……

It's not like I expect anybody to be waiting for me with baited breath and open arms, anyways. Not with how they see me…….

No, I just…I can’t tell them…… they’ll just make the same argument that I had heard back out there time and time again……I just can’t go back! They can’t make me!! I refuse to go back to them, I DON’T LOVE ME!!! MY F-……

……………………………

I-I’m sorry……I got a little heated there……writing all that down……

…I just, really don’t know if I should tell them about these feelings. But deep down, I know that they’ll find out about them at some point. Then what could I do? I could try and convince them to stay, see things my way perhaps, but……well, I guess giving it a try wouldn’t hurt when the opportunity arrives……and if all else fails, I got ‘Buttons’ to help me. She’d have my back in this, right?

……I’m asking an open book if it knows things……

….Well Diary, whenever that time comes, I can only hope they’re able to see things from my perspective……even if I don’t convince them to stay, I pray they can understand where I’m coming from, when I tell them I can’t go back….back to that old place……

But I think I’ve gone on in this diary long enough. But I can always rely on tomorrow to bring joy into my life here. Just what adventure is waiting for us from ol’ ‘Chatters’?

Maybe we could go skating on giant lollipops and popsicles?

Or maybe, we have to find our way through a literal house of cards??

Or-OR!-maybe even perform theater to a crowd of camera people?!?

Heck, maybe we might have a new member joining us!! Who’s to say? The possibilities are endless!!! :DDD

See Diary, this is the kind of excited feeling that the others should have, if you ask me. I can’t just have all the fun to myself, that’d be boring, and lonesome, and it would just bring me back to……

……I think now is a good time to stop, before I wind up in circles again……

Signing out, Cue

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#the amazing digital circus #tadc original character #TADC Cue #dear diary

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edvarddichtofen · 1 year ago

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its okay, besides, i spent my time watching a seven hour video of the complete, and unabridged timeline of COD zombies. and i ate a watermelon. im proud of the choices im making in life.

anyways, dear friend, i hope your day is going well, and will continue to go well! For now, i shall make more zombies memes to bombard you with :D

i think I've seen it, if its the same video I'm thinking of, my brother and I watched it and we were both left 🥴. Now we both joke around saying, "Oh, you're a COD zombies fan?? tell the lore by memory."

watermelon for the win 💯 it's even better if you put tajin.

the day is going good, but it's so damn hot that we're under excessive heat warning that it's possible it may reach 116°F, which I think would be 46°C; just the thought of putting pants on makes me cry and vomit.

I hope your day is also good, and if you're also in the heat to stay safe and drink lots of water.

#asks

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dreamings-free · 3 years ago

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BRINGING THE LOVE Get to know the wildly adored British pop star Harry Styles before his concert tour hits San Diego. San Diego Union-Tribune 12 Nov 2021

full text under the cut >

By Nina Garin

IT’S HAPPENING. After two COVID-19 postponements, Harry Styles will finally bring his Love On Tour concert to San Diego. And we are ready. We’ve been ready. We can’t handle how ready we are. We have our best outfits (hopefully they still fit after lockdown). We’ve made signs to hold up during the show (hopefully he can see all the way up to the balcony). And we’ve memorized every single set list (hopefully he’ll do a San Diego-centric cover — Andra Day? Switchfoot?).

If you’re reading this and are confused by all the enthusiasm, perhaps you are not aware of the greatness that is Harry Styles. Here’s a bit of background: Born in 1994, Styles grew up in Holmes Chapel, England (not too far from Liverpool, actually). In 2010, he auditioned for Simon Cowell on the seventh season of “The X Factor,” performing Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely.” That’s when the world was introduced to the musician, songwriter and actor that consumes so many hours of our days.

If that isn’t enough to win you over to Team Harry, here are 12 more reasons why we love him:

1. He put in the work

Though Styles didn’t make it as a solo artist on “The X Factor,” he was placed in the boy band One Direction with fellow promising singers Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan. (At 16, Styles was the youngest). The band signed to Cowell’s Syco Music label and released five chart-topping albums: “Up All Night,” “Take Me Home,” “Midnight Memories,” “Four” and “Made in the A.M.”

2. He’s loyal

Styles stayed in One Direction even after Malik left in early 2015, continuing with the band until it officially went on hiatus in December 2015.

3. But he’s also independent

In 2017, Styles released “Harry Styles” — a record that Rolling Stone called “a superb solo debut.” His follow-up, 2019’s “Fine Line,” was a global success thanks to songs like “Watermelon Sugar” and “Adore You.” That Grammy-nominated album is essentially why the world is in its current state of Harrymania.

4. He’s a star of stage and screen

Along with being a full-time rock star, Styles also takes on unexpected movie roles, like playing a soldier in Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk,” and it was recently announced that he’s joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Eros, brother of Thanos.

5. He gives back

“Treat People With Kindness” is a song from “Fine Line,” but it’s also the slogan he uses to raise money for charity. Styles has raised over $1 million for local charities through merchandise and ticket sales;

causes around the world include the North Texas Food Bank, the Munich Refugee Council and the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund.

6. He’s funny

Styles has been doing skits on “The Late Late Show With James Corden” since his One Direction days, including some “Carpool Karaoke” drives and a “Crosswalk Concert.” He also did a memorable Mick Jagger impression on “Saturday Night Live” a few years ago. In 2019, Styles was both the host and musical guest on “SNL,” and — bonus to local fans — in the sketch “Airline Pilots,” he actually says “San Diego.” (Squee!!)

7. He’s fashionable

Styles made headlines in December 2020 for being the first man to be on the cover of Vogue, and he did it wearing a dress. But even before that cover, Styles has always dressed provocatively and androgynously, with looks that include a pearl necklace with a frilly collar, a pink pantsuit and a custom Gucci leather suit with accompanying feather boa. Yes, queer icons like Billy Porter have been dressing this way for ages without the same attention and adulation, but in mainstream circles Styles is helping to change the dialogue around what’s acceptable in men’s fashion.

8. He keeps good company

Which is your favorite friendship? Styles and Lizzo? The two have covered each other’s songs and famously flirted on camera at the 2020 Brit Awards. Styles and Stevie Nicks? Clearly inspired by her 1970s rock vibe, Styles befriended the Fleetwood Mac singer-songwriter, who has has referred to Styles as the son she never had. In 2020, Styles inducted Nicks into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. What about Styles and Ed Sheeran? The two British pop singers have been friends for ages and even have matching tattoos.

9. Speaking of tattoos ...

The 27-year-old musicians has over 50 of them — from the oversize butterfly just above his stomach to the tiny guitar on his shoulder.

10. The gift of ‘Sign of the Times’

This one’s very specific, but anyone who watches dance in real life or on TV has seen an interpretation of Styles’ intense and moving song “Sign of the Times” — it usually involves a lot of floor work and stomping. It’s a staple at dance competitions around the world and has been performed on “So You Think You Can Dance.” One of the best versions is by Korea’s G.NI Dance Company.

11. He appreciates his fans

Usually when you dress up for a concert, you don’t actually expect to get noticed by the performer. But Styles is extremely attentive, treating his fans more like friends and joking with them throughout his performances. He reads and reacts to homemade signs, offers relationship advice, and even did a baby gender reveal for fans during a show.

12. The spirit of Harryween

The best thing about Styles is the level of enthusiasm and commitment he brings to anything he does, exemplified recently over Halloween weekend. He threw not one, but two costume parties/concerts at New York’s Madison Square Garden. On Oct. 30, he and the band dressed up as characters from “The Wizard of Oz” (Styles as Dorothy, obviously) and sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” then on Halloween night he wore a vintageinspired clown costume and performed Britney Spears’ “Toxic.” We can’t wait to see what he’ll do in San Diego.

#this is blessedly stunt free!#harry #love on tour #san diego #stylesnews #article #san diego union tribune #12.11.21 #press #m

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shefanispeculator · 3 years ago

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Blake Shelton was worried about the headline.

Following the first 10 songs of his final "Friends & Heroes" tour stop at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee Saturday, Shelton stepped offstage, and country music veteran John Anderson emerged from below it. There was an instant surge of energy from the near-capacity crowd, as Anderson, with Shelton's seven-piece backing band, crooned through a soft "Seminole Wind," followed by a boisterous "Money in the Bank" and the boot-scootin' "Swingin'," all huge country hits in the '80s and '90s.

And Shelton, half-jokingly, was just a touch jealous.

"Why do you all act so different for John Anderson?" Shelton asked. "I've been out here for 40 minutes, and all of a sudden John Anderson comes out here and the whole damn crowd … is line-dancing and (expletive). How do you line-dance in your seats?"

"The last thing I need is to wake up tomorrow morning and read the Wisconsin Post or whatever you have here, and the headline says something like 'John Anderson steals the show,'" Shelton continued.

Here at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, we don't take headline suggestions from people we're writing about. But that wouldn't have been an appropriate headline anyway — because Anderson wasn't the only one to steal the spotlight from Shelton.

And that's the beauty of the concept of Shelton's "Friends & Heroes" tour, which has been around for a few years but stopped in Milwaukee for the first time Saturday.

It gives Shelton a chance to share his sharp band and packed houses with veteran country stars who prove they've still got the goods, and are still beloved.

On Saturday, that included Martina McBride, who with her sparkling voice, brightened the night with the self-assuring gems "My Baby Loves Me" and "This One's for the Girls," before closing out with the shattering, and soaring, "A Broken Wing."

And the show also included Tracy Byrd, who actually got the strongest reaction of the three "Friends & Heroes" Saturday. He took full advantage of the runway, tipping his black cowboy hat and high-fiving any fans he could reach, hyping up the crowd with his magnetic stage presence and '90s and early-aughts party-starters "Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo," "I'm From the Country" and "Watermelon Crawl."

"Over and over again tonight, I have had my ass handed to me by these other singers coming," Shelton said near the show's end.

Shelton was, of course, selling himself short.

While the three guests were indisputable highlights Saturday, they performed for only 10 minutes each. Shelton, on the other hand, was on stage for the show's remaining two hours and 30 minutes, striving to fulfill an early evening promise to play "the longest country concert." (Eric Church routinely does three-hour sets, but this was an impressive marathon nonetheless.)

With the charm and charisma that's made him such a winning personality on NBC's "The Voice" for 21 seasons, Shelton handily slipped into various personas Saturday night, for the raucous "Boys 'Round Here," the moon-eyed duet "Nobody But You" (which he sang facing footage of his new wife Gwen Stefani singing back to him), or the outlaw-flavored "God's Country" and the George Jones classic "Ol' Red."

There were plenty of fun interactions with the crowd, too. Locking eyes with a guy in the front row for the love ballad "Sure Be Cool If You Did," Shelton chuckled mid-song, telling him, "Sing to her, not to me," gesturing to the man's date. And for "Hillbilly Bone," Shelton let himself get upstaged yet again, this time for a fiery duel between guitarist Beau Tackett and fiddle player Jenee Fleenor, the first woman to win the CMA Award for musician of the year.

Shelton was happy to share the spotlight, but after the performance, he feigned a bruised ego, and for the night's greatest moment, invited Anderson, Byrd and McBride to join him for a songwriter's circle session to see which of them had the greatest country song. (He also suggested George Strait, Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan and Luke Combs were going to be the judges … although they were going to stay backstage.)

"How many of y'all think if this was the 'Who talks the most (expletive) of the Friends & Heroes' tour competition, we'd already have our winner?" Byrd said, gesturing to Shelton, another case of the headliner being upstaged Saturday, for funniest line of the night.

Shelton did his rendition of "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking" solo on acoustic guitar, suggesting the lines "When you undress, do you leave a path/Then sink to your nose in a bubble bath" were about Anderson.

After the performance, Shelton did a little moonwalk victory dance, then playfully suggested they end the competition. But Byrd wouldn't have it, sparking a big singalong for a beaming "The Keeper of the Stars," followed by Anderson performing "Straight Tequila Night" (both with support from Shelton's band members). But it was clear, from fans and musicians alike, that McBride won this little competition with "Independence Day."

As they all left the stage, Shelton put an end to the jealousy act, saying some kind words about how much those three musicians inspired Shelton as he made his own ascent in the country music world.

"Those are Hall of Famers … you're never going to see something like that ever again," Shelton said. "My heroes, man, your heroes, man. Those are country music icons, all of them."

And Saturday's show suggested there was one headline Shelton will wake up to one day: "Blake Shelton inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame

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heylors · 4 years ago

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The one where Harry Styles and Taylor Swift reunited at the GRAMMYs 2021.

I just wanna taste it, I just wanna taste it Watermelon Sugar high Watermelon Sugar–

And the applause of the small crowd echoed in the studio they were in. It was ten seconds of clapping for Harry Styles who just opened the GRAMMYS with his hit single that is nominated for tonight. He bowed and fixed his hair while appreciating the cheers for him.

After his performance, he made a quick change and wore a custom made Gucci outfit with a fuzzy purple boa wrapped around his neck. He took photographs for the red carpet before proceeding to his seat.

After twenty minutes of waiting, the program resumed with the host presenting Taylor Swift to perform.

His heart suddenly started to beat faster than it did when he was opening up the GRAMMYS as soon as he saw his old flame on the big screen performing her song, Cardigan.

And when I felt like I was an old cardigan under someone's bed You put me on and said I was your favorite.

She then continued her performance by singing August and Willow.

Harry was able to sing along throughout the performance since he tried listening to Folklore. He's been always so amazed by how Taylor writes her lyrics and how she puts melodies into it. He remembers how she wrote 'Style' where she stated that he really got that James Dean daydream like... who writes like that? Who compliments their exes like THAT?

He was also stunned on how she wrote the bridge of Out of the Woods and how she narrated the downfall of their relationship in just a span of 20 seconds.

Taylor did the same thing as Harry after performing. She changed her wardrobe after going back to her seat with Jack and Aaron.

While waiting for the program to resume, her eyes explored the tent where a lot of nominated artists are seated but as soon as she laid her eyes to the man who inspired the album that was awarded AOTY last 2016, it never left.

She smiled behind her mask. She remembers how Harry would talk about how cool it is if he wins an award for himself back in 2012. She knew he was so passionate as her on writing songs about his feelings and seeing him 9 years later, nominated for the same categories with her at the GRAMMYS, is something that makes her feel cozy at some point.

Harry gazed at her the same time Taylor was gazing at him. His green and her ocean blue eyes collided once again after years of not seeing each other.

They both squinted and knew they both lowkey smiled at each other since their masks were covering their mouths.

After the quick intimate staring, they both looked at different ways and made themselves busy but they couldn't deny the fact that memories from the past starts to linger in their heads.

Before they can even zone out from their reality, the program resumed and they were about to announce the winner for Best Pop Solo Performance where they are both nominated.

While they are showing the nominees, Harry kept looking at Taylor's direction because he knows that she's gonna get the GRAMMY and didn't even thought of winning it for himself. He's already too grateful to be nominated alongside his ex and other wonderful artists.

Taylor on the other side is hoping for her old flame to win knowing how much it would mean to him plus, she knows he deserves it.

"And the GRAMMY goes to...."

"Harry Styles." Taylor breathed.

"Cardigan." Harry sighed.

"Watermelon Sugar, Harry Styles!"

Taylor smiled and stood up before anyone else. Even before Harry.

She clapped and looked at his direction. She starts nodding as if she was saying "Well deserved, Lad. Well deserved."

Harry proceed to give his acceptance speech for his first ever GRAMMY which he only dreamt of having. He grabbed the trophy and put it back seconds after holding it.

"Wow, erm..." He sighed before continuing his speech. He couldn't believe it, and the thought of winning something from a prestigious award show couldn't sink in that quick.

Taylor's watching him from her seat and couldn't help but to grin behind her mask all throughout his speech. She could tell that he's nervous because he speaks too fast and he kept looking down.

"All of these songs are fucking massive." Harry said and took a quick glance to Taylor so they made another eye contact.

"I feel honored to be among all of you so thank you so much." This time, Harry's eyes were locked in to Taylor and she didn't even looked away. She's just so proud of him and how far he's made.

Harry made his way out after giving his speech but he forgets to take his GRAMMY with him which made Taylor giggled.

Harry took some quick photographs backstage with his achievement and the thought of winning against those artists is still not sinking in for him. He went back to his seat since he's nominated for two more categories where in one of them, he's nominated alongside Taylor again.

It was time to announce the winner for Best Pop Vocal Album so Taylor and Harry made themselves comfortable in their seats since this is a big category to win.

Taylor was sort of anxious because out of six nominations for Folklore, she won nothing since the pre-show. This is her second to the last nomination.

Though she was worried about it, a part of her didn't care about the awards because she didn't even think of winning awards for the album that she only wrote to keep herself busy and to entertain her fans during the lockdown.

"And the GRAMMY goes to... Future Nostalgia, Dua Lipa!"

Taylor as well as Harry clapped and stood up for their good friend. Despite of not winning 5/6 of her nominations tonight, Taylor remained calmed and enjoyed the rest of their evening.

As soon as Dua ended her acceptance speech, Harry took a quick glanced at Taylor who's also applauding for her.

He's thinking of approaching her before he gets out of the tent since he's not nominated for anything already. A little catch up wouldn't hurt anybody aye?

After the cameras stopped rolling, Harry stood up and talked to some artists in the room before walking towards Taylor to start a conversation.

"Hey, good to see you." Harry greeted Aaron Dessner as soon as he reached their table, "Congratulations on your nominations. Folklore deserved!"

Aaron congratulated Harry too for winning his first GRAMMY.

"Thanks! I couldn't believe it either." He then turn his attention to Taylor who's sitting on her chair, listening to their conversation.

"Great performance by the way." He looks down to her and started the conversation.

Taylor stood up so she would be on the same level as him, "Thank you! Did you see it?"

Harry nodded, "Yeah."

"We were like so nervous because its the first time we played on National TV." She explained.

"Yeah, it was great." Harry responded.

It felt like it was 2012 all over again but everything's not out of place, and there's no trace of uncertainty. He could tell that Taylor is in a very grounded, and stable life which he failed to give when they were in a relationship. She looked as beautiful as the day that he lost her.

He always imagined that they would be standing here, talking to each other about how great life is going on for the both of them. After what they had in the past, Taylor was something for him. She will always have this piece of him that she didn't know she holds.

December 2012 ( I highly recommend to play Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers while reading this part. )

"Help me move this one, Babe." Taylor asked his boyfriend a favor as she holds a side of her couch.

"Let me do it. I workout for you, you know." Harry flexed his muscles and winked at Taylor before holding the other side of the couch.

"With your clumsy ass? Yeah right." Taylor chuckled and rolled her eyes. Harry mocked her accent which made Taylor giggle.

"Let's just move the furnitures please? So we could dance."

After they moved some tables and upholstered piece of furnitures, Harry puts on The Righteous Brothers' vinyl record and Unchained Melody starts playing.

He walked towards Taylor who's waiting for him at the middle of her apartment.

He holds her tight like it was the last time because he knows deeply that this is soon gonna last considering that their relationship is very fragile and tentative.

They swayed slowly to the music with their eyes closed, feeling each others' heartbeat.

"I wish we could stay like this forever." Taylor whispered.

Harry rubs her back because he knows she's tearing up, "I always pray for it, baby."

After seconds of silence, she spoke again but this time with her voice cracking.

"Do you think we'll make it?" Taylor.

"We'll make it right?" She continued.

Harry sighed and responded, "Of course, we'll make it."

He kissed her temple and hugged her as she starts to sob. She held him tighter than she ever did before, knowing that it could be the last time she'll be holding the love of her life.

"Well, its great to see you!" Harry tries to end the conversation since he still has things to do backstage.

"It's great to see you too, Haz." She tilted her head and flashed a smile at him.

He bids goodbye to Taylor and the others who were at the table and then proceeds backstage. He wouldn't be there when they would announce the Album of the Year but he is certain that Taylor is going to get it. He is so sure that he already have a draft of a congratulation-text for her.

Taylor watches Harry walk away and realizations just hit her on the spot.

They made it.

Separately.

But they still made it.

and she's happy for that.

She considered Harry as someone who would interrupt her wedding because he believes that it isn't over yet. That it should be him that she must marry.

Nine years later, she still considers him who would still go to his wedding but to not interrupt it. He would be there with a date on his arm, a date he loves truly because he found his person too. He would give a beautiful toast about love and growth... about relationships that are meant to be and relationships that are meant to send you on a path of change.

They will share a dance where he kisses her on her forehead just like what they did back in December of 2012.

He'll tell her that he is proud of her, of them, and of their history and she's thankful to hear that from him.

She's been thinking about the hearts she's broken on her journey here, and he tells her his heart was broken but it taught him about himself in only the way your first love can.

Taylor tells him she really loves this person he is with and he tells her that he's been planning to propose and a year later, she's at his wedding giving a toast about love that's meant to be and love that helps you grow.

"And the GRAMMY goes to... Folklore, Taylor Swift!"

Harry flashed a grin as he watches Taylor makes history for being the first woman to win Album of the Year three times from the television backstage.

"Joe.." Taylor let out a sigh of relief as she thanks his boyfriend.

"Who is the first person that I play every single song that I write and I had the best time writing songs with you in quarantine."

And when I walked up to the podium, I didn't forgot to say your name.

And on her way home to her boyfriend, her phone lits up with a message notification from someone she knew and might really never forget as long as she lives.

From: unknown

Congratulations! I knew you would make history. You deserve it, Taylah.

Send my regards to Joe, I would love to meet the lad someday.

All the love, H.

___

#haylor #taylor swift #harry styles #haylor fic #haylor au #grammys2021 #haylor 2021 #grammys #au #fanfiction #just wrote what i wondered happened that day where we all died dead on the spot

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dakbees · 3 years ago

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im curious about ptg and lucy for the kpop group ask thing! :) -haseulsbrow

hi mint!! its under the read more bc i am annoying with how much i love talking about them both afshkj

pentagon

favorite member / bias line

YANAN!! also hui. but tbh i have such a soft spot for all of them . like. more than a normal amount. something about them just makes my chest warm up like an elderly woman watching her grandchildren play in the back garden

which member I’d fight (& why)

i know honk is the go-to answer but i know for a fact he would lay me down so quickly. he would pick me up like a bag of rocks and suplex me into the ground. so for my own safety i would fight shinwon bc all i have to do is blow on him and he'll fold over like a piece of paper

favorite song(s)

oh this is so hard 😭 all of their songs are so good and it really depends on the mood im in... just off the top of my head, my favorite songs by a thin margin are when it rains at night, till..., off road, pentagon, you like, stay sane, 10s, and all right!

favorite thing about the group

literally everything about them. their music, their dances, their chemistry, their humor, their relationship with fans. but i think.. just the way they have so much fun on stage sets them apart from so many other groups. like its so common for groups to focus mostly on choreo and thats fine but with pentagon u can clearly see how much fun they have when performing its like they were made to be on stage and it makes watching them so fun and entertaining <3

something i’d like to see from them

KNNOVATION TITLE TRACK!! cube pls... we were so close to getting it this era its all i want.. also i want another pentagonf collab.. maybe have yuto feature in a song while the rest of onf are serving... i know its not gonna happen but that doesnt mean i dont want it

lucy

favorite member / bias line

wonsang.. something about him makes me so happy.. the way he always hold his hands in front of his chest, the way he gets so serious when producing, the way he always talks with a natural cuteness... he makes my heart melt a lil...

which member I’d fight (& why)

GWANGIL. he reminds me of my little brother with the way he annoys the other members and as an Older Sibling i cant let that shit go unchecked. also yechan and sangyeop could easily beat me and i could never touch a hair on wonsangs head.. so sorry gillie its fists up

favorite song(s)

honestly? i think flare will always hold a special place in my heart. it was the second song i ever heard from them and it completely blew my mind with how they used the sounds of a festival in the song! other than that i do also really love nanro, watermelon, and snooze (all for the same reasons lol). also one by one <3

favorite thing about the group

besides their music and talent? i really like their friendship with one another. i dont remember which member said it, but they said that when they hang out, its like hanging out with old high school friends and that just :'). someone on twt called them musical soulmates and i hardcore agree. just the way they are able to mesh so well together personality and music-wise is super heartwarming to me (also when gwangil called lucy his last chance at music *sobs*)

something i’d like to see from them

i NEED to see them do a full-blown pirate or adventure concept. the ost that they made for dungeon fighter is genuinely one of the best things ive ever heard and i was so surprised that they didnt win with it! forever upset its not on spotify so i just want at least a single i can listen to without having to go to youtube unu

#thank u <3 #haseulsbrow #answered

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hlupdate · 4 years ago

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On November 18, 2019, a website promoting a mysterious place called Eroda (“No Land Quite Like It”) arrived on the internet. Two days later, the official Twitter account for this fictional frown-shaped island began teasing local seaside attractions. You may have missed it, depending on which corners of the internet you choose to lurk, but not if you were a Harry Styles fan, a group that went into pure overdrive trying to figure out what it all meant.

I, for one, missed it at the time. I was unaware this account was cryptically quote tweeting fans as they tried to piece together what was happening, what it meant, and what it could be connected to (Greek Mythology and Lostwere a couple of theories posed in comments, Twitter threads, and Reddit). Meanwhile, the Columbia Records marketing department had been hard at work for months, devising this specific and highly-detailed campaign around the music video for Styles’ second single, “Adore You” from his second solo album, Fine Line, ever since he shot the video in Scotland in August 2019 (Eroda = Adore backwards — clever!).

But it was all leading up to the morning of Friday, December 6 when the video was released, one week before the full-length album arrived. Up until that point, I had never seen an entire Harry Styles music video, but what happened next was inevitable. Somehow, as a self-proclaimed boy band scholar, I had never paid much attention to One Direction. I kept a distant eye on Styles since they disbanded, intrigued by the decisions he was making in his solo career. But I hadn’t yet realized I’d been in the ring all throughout the fall of 2019, fighting to resist the inevitable fascination that awaited. First came the jab of Rob Sheffield’s Rolling Stoneprofile, followed by the cross of “Lights Up”, a song that cracked my Top 20 most listened to songs of the year despite being released just two months before Spotify so thoughtfully compiled that personalized playlist. Then there was the hook of his SNL hosting stint in November (and bless you Bowen Yang for that Sara Lee sketch), which then leads us to the “Adore You” video, the uppercut and ultimate TKO. I surrendered in what felt like a near instant. I was now a Harry Styles fan. (If we’re following this analogy, I sat up to spit out some blood after seeing that cover of “Juice” before my head quickly hit the mat again with a loud thud).

Maybe it’s not quite remarkable that I took time out of a Friday morning to watch a music video, but that I sat at my desk, in an office, with other people around (back when we did those kinds of things) and proceeded to wipe away a few tiny tears from under my eyes by the end of it, was an experience I had not been through… maybe ever? In a world of lyric videos and TikToks, actual, thoughtful, impactful music videos with a full (and sweet!) story are about as rare as a glowing and growing fish these days.

Ultimately, “Adore You” does everything a music video should do. In nearly eight minutes, this video uses excellent visual effects in a cool and interesting way, tells a compelling and heartfelt story, is anchored by an irresistible leading man and an adorable sidekick, is backed up by the catchiest song you could ever dream of, and culminates with a touching and hopeful ending. It’s a treat for the eyes and the ears and the soul. It’s innovative and the kind of thing that begs you to watch it more than once to catch all the details (and yes, I do tear up every time).

So one would think that an award show with the specific purpose of celebrating this type of creativity would be extra sure to nominate such a charming and effective clip, but alas, “Adore You” was overlooked in the MTV Video Music Awards main categories this year. Of course, some could argue that that fact only adds to the video’s credibility but I’ll do my best to not be that petty as I’m still rooting for it to win in the three technical categories where it picked up nominations: Best Visual Effects by Mathematic, Best Art Direction by Laura Ellis Cricks, and Best Direction by Dave Meyers, who remains one of the most inventive and influential directors of all time and whose videos with artists such as Missy Elliot, Pink, and Kendrick Lamar have been racking up nominations for nearly 20 years now. He also saw four other videos he directed get recognized this year: Normani’s “Motivation” (Best Chorography), Travis Scott’s “Highest in the Room” (Best Hop Hop and Best Visual Effects), Anderson .Paak’s “Lockdown” (Video For Good), and Camila Cabello feat. DaBaby’s “My Oh My” (Best Cinematography).

But I reached out to Meyers to specifically ask about the intricate details of “Adore You” and how it all came to be; how he captured such a vibe with the overcast and dreary weather, mixed so wonderfully with the charming oddities of the people that make up this world of Eroda. In addition to directing the video, he also co-wrote the story with Chris Shafer and said, “It’s the first idea that popped to mind after the first listen to the song, and the first idea I pitched to Harry. It was a story that underscored my understanding of what Harry stood for and felt it was necessary to tell it as a narrative to convey his optimism.”

The extended version of the video starts with a two-and-a-half-minute introduction to the world of Eroda, narrated by Rosalia. This includes the “peculiar” people and their professions on the island, meeting The Boy (Styles) and his glowing smile that most people try to avoid, and the quirky superstitions these people continue to live by. “It all served a purpose,” Meyers said of the details. “The superstitions were a set up for how society generally reacts to different things. They fear change or oddity, even if it’s what’s best for them.”

Meyers, however, did not share in that fear, as much of this video provided for interesting and new opportunities he had yet to experience throughout his decades-long career, which he listed off: ”Compelling narrative, CG character, remote location, Scottish crew (nothing fazed them),” also noting that all of the other characters in the video were locals as well. So perhaps they were less fazed by the atmosphere across the four-day shoot in Scotland, but as Meyers recalled, the “weather was nuts. It rained every 20 minutes, then the sun, then cloud over.”

However, it’s likely that Mother Nature is also a Styles fan, as Meyers recalled, “I seem to remember going up on the hill for Harry’s picnic with the fish and being worried that it was so gloomy. By the time we came to shoot, the sun came out. And then the sun went away as soon as the scene was over. Similarly, we had the worst storm when Harry was contemplating suicide at the start. Pouring rain, drenching him. So I guess in that sense it was fun watching how Scotland provided a backdrop for the emotions we were after.”

And hey, at least they had the weather on their side to add to the mood while shooting the video, as one of their main characters, well, didn’t exist. “It was very odd shooting with no fish,” Meyers admitted. “But was quite rewarding later seeing it dropped in and making empathic sense to the story we were after.”

Of course, the main character they did have on hand is an awfully useful and appealing one at that. Fans became enamored with the moment Styles uses the back of his hand to check the temperature of a coffee pot before dumping the fish inside the water so it could stay alive. I asked Meyers about this particular moment and he said, “The problem we had was apparent when Harry ran in and threw the fish in the pot. We all sorta felt — well, what if it was hot? So I believe Harry improvised that as a solution and we felt it was perfect for the character’s sensitivity and consideration for this poor fish.” And that’s not the only nice thing he does for his fish friend — he also serves him a tiny taco! “The taco was a whimsical way to express friendship between Harry and the fish,” Meyers offered. It looked pretty tasty, too.

The entire video serves as a showcase for what Styles does best and what makes him such a unique artist: his music, his acting, and his charisma, which Meyers knew would offer him a lot to work with. “Harry is a leading man. I felt that from my first meeting and wanted to play with his wonderful range of emotions. So finding a story with a real character arc was part of my focus in building this world.” Meyers described working on “Adore You” as an “all-around memorable shoot: awesome location, lovely Harry, compelling story, great effects, and… it worked.”

It did. And it was a risk: a video this complex and detailed (and one has to assume, costly), attached to a marketing campaign that proved to be even more involved, still came with no guarantee that the fans wouldn’t shrug it off. But as Manos Xanthogeorgis, SVP of Digital Marketing & Media at Columbia Records told Billboard last year, “When you have a video and a piece of art at such a level, it’s an incredible challenge for the rest of the team to build a campaign at that same level of artistry and creativity.” Oh, and that was only step one, as the marketing team engaged in “real-time marketing” with fans online, ensuring they would continue to remain engaged by dropping clues and clips in the lead-up to the video premiere and subsequently the album. “This whole campaign was around mystery and sometimes mystery is more powerful than knowledge,” Xanthogeorgis said. The Twitter handle has remained active throughout 2020, used as a continual marketing tool for Styles’ next videos including the Meyers-directed “Falling” and this summer’s hit, “Watermelon Sugar.”

With that kind of fan engagement, “Adore You” seemed like a no-brainer for the fan-voted categories of the VMAs this year, as they surely would’ve turned out to vote just as feverishly for this video as they did when searching for clues (about a made-up island, at that!). But hey, maybe MTV was just not interested in massive fan engagement this year — after all, it’s not like everything Styles does, including growing freakin’ facial hair, has the internet in a tizzy for weeks. Ultimately, as the impact of music videos (and certainly the ceremony celebrating them) continues to lose relevance, the disregard of this specific project simply feels like a missed opportunity to acknowledge a rare achievement in the art form.

While Meyers was sure to describe his inclusion in the VMA nominations this year as “lovely and flattering” (and he better have a moonperson in his possession this time next week, MTV!) it’s still puzzling why “Adore You” wouldn’t be included in the big categories, considering Styles is squarely within their demo, at the very least. That “Adore You” is also a technical and storytelling masterpiece, as well as a full moment that was used as inspiration both for the experience online and in-person at the Fine Line Spotify listening party last December, that also comes packed with one of the most enthusiastic groups of fans around, well, that should have had the entire network drooling.

Of course, some of this can simply be chalked up to a perfect storm. As far as his singles go, “Lights Up” was a nice appetizer, but “Adore You” remains the delicious entree (you already know what’s for dessert). “Adore You” is a perfect pop record if I’ve ever heard one (and I have) and deserved a special video. A Chris Isaak “Wicked Game” sexy vibe wasn’t going to work here. The song tells the story of such passionate, pure, and heartachingly naive and innocent love that it almost had to be directed toward a non-human being. Instead, Styles chose to inject those same carefree, sweaty, sticky, delicious, whimsical beach vibes into the “Watermelon Sugar” clip, which was the right choice, and not just for the summertime season (MTV has since added the Song of Summer category to the VMAs and included “Watermelon Sugar”).

But it’s “Adore You” that has melodies that bring a smile to the faces of babies, get your toes tapping even when you hear it in the dentist’s chair, and likely has my neighbors rolling their eyes when I sing along to it in the shower. The song is so simple it’s deep, a theme reflected in the video, as is the central reminder to help and care for others, a thoroughly 2020 message.

However, not all is lost. Both “Adore You” and “Watermelon Sugar” continue to rack up major spins at radio with the latter hitting number one on the Billboard charts earlier this month. Grammy voting kicks off at the end of September and Academy members should take note. Not only is Fine Line more than worthy of being acknowledged, but having Styles on hand to potentially collect trophies and perform is in your best interest when it comes to viewers and online chatter. Do not wait to take him seriously. This is the album, this is the time. Prove that you aren’t a bunch of stodgy old white men who think he’s just for teen (and um, thirty-something) girls, but that you understand the music he enjoys, is inspired by, and subsequently makes, is the same rock music you appreciate as well. An artist like Styles can be both of those things at the same time, and really, the best of both worlds. Give the album a listen, and then one more to let it all sink in. If you have not yet succumbed to the force that is Harry Styles fandom, I truly can’t recommend it enough — and please know that it will get you eventually.

#harry styles #articles #270820 #tw suicide mention

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kyotakumrau · 4 years ago

Text

2020.05.30 DIR EN GREY SPECIAL TALK - Q&A - Kyo and Kaoru - translation

(if you notice any mistakes, typos or have any comments, I appreciate them! ^ ^)

Joe (introduces the Q&A segment)- Question: Kinoko no sato or Takenoko no yama, which team are you? (it's a very popular question in Japan like are you a tea or a coffee person, or cream or jam first etc - those sweets are mushroom and bamboo shoot shaped, the chocolate content and cookie texture are different in each) Kyo- I prefer Kinoko (mushroom). Joe- Ah, you're Team Kinoko. Kyo- At first, I liked Takenoko (bamboo shoot) more, but I think everyone gets tricked by the cookie. Joe- The crunchiness of the Takenoko? Kyo- Yeah. But it's not about what's inside (?) Joe- I see, the chocolate part is more important. Kyo- Exactly. Joe- So as a result of thinking about chocolate, Kinoko wins. Kyo- Yeah. Joe- And how about you, Kaoru? Kaoru- Both are okay (laughing) Joe- (??) ok, both, thank you for the answer. A response of an adult. So many comments and questions.

Joe (reads)- 'You talked about getting tattoos earlier, please show us your new tattoos' (Kyo starts stirring) If possible. Kyo- How much will I get for it? Joe- How much? (in English) Depends on money. (=wanna see, pay...) (they laugh, a bit awkward) Kyo- Anyway, it's in a place you can't see. Joe- By the place you can't see you mean you shouldn't show it. Kyo- I would have to take my pants off. Joe- That would be a bit weird. Did you get any new tattoos, Kaoru? Kaoru- Nah. It's painful so nah. Joe- You didn't because it's painful? Kaoru- I'm paying for it, why does it have to come with pain? Kyo- That's how it is. Joe- Yeah... But talking with me on the radio, isn't that a torture? (laughing) Kyo- It is a torture. But I will write about tattoos in my post in Haiiro, so interested fanclub members should check it.

Joe (reads)- 'Kaoru, how many mugs do you have at the studio?' Kaoru- A lot. Joe- A lot. Okay. Next question, ah it's so fast, woah.

(he struggles with picking a question) Can both of you just talk together on your own? Go ahead! (... XD) Kyo- When you say 'go ahead'... (awkward chuckles XD) Kyo- Oh, I can read the comments here? Ah. I see.

Joe- Those two are not talking. Then, let's go with this. 'Kaoru, please tell us about some chords you just thought about' Kaoru- I don't know. Really. Joe- You're serious? Kaoru- Yeah, I can't think of any.

Joe- Actually, you both used to live together in the past, right? Kaoru- Yeah we did. Joe- When you were broke. Kyo- Eating beansprouts (=they are super cheap, even like 20~70 yen per pack). Joe- What did you talk about when you lived together? (he laughs to himself about eating beansprouts when broke) Kyo- When going to the studio we went together. Joe- So did you confirm like 'what time should we leave tomorrow'? Kaoru- What was it like? I can't remember anymore. Kyo- We probably did that. Joe- You lived on the same floor with a shared toilet right? In one apartment? KK- Yeah Joe- As fellow adults, after you came of age. Kyo- Yup. But, there was one more guy, from the company. We lived 3 guys together. Joe- Is there any story about that time you can share with us now? Kaoru- The living room was quite big. Because we had that space we had members' costumes (Kyo's painful reaction)there, preparing stage sets there and so on. There was a lot of stuff around. Joe- Hehe. So instead of a peaceful living space it was more like an office? Kaoru- But each of us had our own room. Joe- I see. So Kyo, can you share with us anything you remember from that time? Kyo- Costumes were by the window. And there were train tracks just in front of our windows. So you could see the costumes from the train. Joe- I see. So if by chance a fan saw that they'd know. Kyo- Probably. Joe- And the train passengers'd think 'what's that?'

Kyo- But at that time we really didn't have any money. I just remember being hungry. Joe- But beansprouts don't even cost 100 yen. Kyo- I think... we both got beansprouts... (?) Kaoru- We really couldn't buy much. We really didn't get much money then. Joe- Were you at least able to cook those beansprouts? You didn't eat them raw? Kyo- No, we cooked them. Joe- Which one of you did the cooking? Kyo- Each of us cooked. Joe- And each ate beansprouts. Kyo- That situation continued until around the time we did Nakano two or three day event in our indies period, maybe a bit after that. Joe- NO WAY. Kaoru- Yup, until around Nakano Sunplaza shows (=August 1998). It got slightly better around Shibuya Koukaido (=May 1998). Joe- ...oh. You were eating beansprouts until Nakano Sunplaza, that's some story. Kyo- I wasn't even able to buy McDonald's set. Really. I was so envious (of others). Joe- I see. So when you finally became able to feed yourselves as musicians, what did you eat then? As a 'finally, as a musician, I made it!' (KK both thinking) Kyo- Food...I don't have a memory like 'I can eat this because I finally made it', but there was a time when Tommy, our president now, learnt that we don't have money, he treated us to a meal and gave us some money. That time I had McDonalds. I only have this memory that I could die happily then it was so good. Joe- With the money you received you had McDonalds and it was delicious. Kyo- It was amazing.

Joe- How about you, leader? (watermelons are considered a bit expensive fruit, usually you buy a cut, not a whole watermelon) Kaoru- As for me... I got a whole watermelon and I was eating it by myself, that time I thought I'm not getting any income and felt really guilty. Joe- Like it was too expensive/lavish (?) Kaoru- As I thought that the watermelon started to taste bad. I finished eating it thinking 'I'm sorry mum'. Joe- Ah Kaoru- I thought it's much better to cut it into pieces and then eat. Joe- Yeah. That's also a good story.

Joe- There are so many comments. (reads) 'Kaoru and Kyo, what clothing brands are you wearing?' Kyo- I will make an instagram post later. Joe- What about you, Kaoru? Kaoru- Ah, it's something I received. Joe- Oh, a present. Is it a t-shirt? Kaoru- It's not a [cotton] t-shirt, it's hemp. Joe- Like linen? Kaoru- It's a type of folk clothing.

Joe (reads)- 'What do you usually talk about?' Kyo- About movies, mostly about the band, like 'this would be good for the next single' etc. Basically we talk about music a lot. Joe - About movies and music. Kaoru- Yeah. Joe- When was the last time the two of you talked together? Kaoru- It's been a while to actually talk. (not use messages) Joe- Really? Kaoru- Since Europe... yeah, no chance at the March show, the last time we talked properly was in Europe. So not since the tour. (silence)

Joe- Then as we have this opportunity, could you talk together for 2, 3 minutes? And I will pick up some questions. (he 'frames out' XD)

Kyo- Talking is actually not that easy... (We can hear Joe's laugh XD) Kaoru- Yeah. Joe talks a lot. Kyo- Yeah... (Joe laughs harder) Kaoru- Right? Just keeps talking... He enjoys having people at loss. Kyo- (laughs) I see.

Karu- Last week Toshiya was drunk, so it was quite interesting, right? Kyo- Ah, I didn't watch. Kaoru- I didn't watch after my part finished, but he was really drunk. (Kyo starts laughing) I felt sorry for Die (he laughs) Kyo- That's unusual. Kaoru- He was really drunk. Probably he was drinking while watching the show. (?) Toshiya can't really drink so much. Kyo- True, usually after we finish playing he will only drink a little. Kaoru- Usually until Shinya starts messing around. Shinya would poke fun at Fujieda. Kyo- Yeah. (he laughs) Fujieda, huh... ...silence >w< Kaoru- It's not easy to talk, huh! Joe! ( ??)

(Joe returns)- Sorry, you were troubled, but everyone wanted to see the members talking. I got some info from the staff that you're working on a project members produced (designed) t-shirts, but I don't know the details. Is it all settled? Kaoru? Kaoru- No, it's all settled. We will be selling t-shirts, each member making their own design. Just that. Joe- I see. Have you started designing? Kaoru- I've already finished, waiting for other members (?), but mine’s not printed yet, so I'm waiting. Joe- How about you, Kyo? Kyo- Just back side left. Joe- So the front design is done. Kyo (nods)- That's right. Joe- When will you start selling them? Kaoru- I don't know yet. Joe- Details will likely be posted on OHP. Or please check the fancub magazine. All members designing their own t-shirts.

Joe- So as you can't tour, can't play shows and fans can't see your shows, we all are getting restless. Kyo how do you feel about the current situation? Kyo- Hmm... I don't want to say anything inappropriate... there are so many things involved. I think that saying you want to do something is maybe not right. Forcing things is probably also not right, but saying that, it's also not good to do nothing... So, it will take some time until we can play shows, that's why, we all think about what we can do only at the time like this, all members think the same. Joe- I see. How about you, Kaoru? Kaoru- Right. One thing at a time. Next month baseball comes back, movie theatres will open. The possibility to hold shows will be after after after all those other steps. Joe- Like Kyo said, what you want to do and actually can do and what people will enjoy, you have to be able to make all three work well together. Kaoru- I'm doing everything with the mindset that we can do Pia Arena somehow, but there's still no announcement what will happen with the shows. If I didn't have this mindset that it’s possible, what then? But I'm thinking we should make an announcement. So. Joe- Of course there are many comments saying 'I want to go to the concert soon!' or 'We love you!' Kyo, are you checking the comments? (Kyo nods) Everyone, please stay strong a bit longer. What will happen with the July shows is something on everyone's mind. But at the current situation it's hard to say if they will happen or not.

Joe- There are many comments asking you to make masks. What do you think? Kaoru- Masks? Joe- Yeah, there are many comments, like that. Kyo- Yeah, I can see many. Kaoru- Joe- The pandemic situation might last for a long time. Right now you can buy masks in some shops fine, but seeing the masks used for example in France, most of them are quite distinctive. In Japan we only have white or some black, no other colours. So it'd be nice to have colourful masks or masks for summer. If anything it'd be great to have not only a t-shirt of your fav band but also a mask, as a message in a way. Look (at comments) DIR mask, DILL mask (laughing). Kaoru- But it'd be hard to fit ‘DIR EN GREY’ on a mask. Joe- But the same way you create tour t-shirts, do the same. Kaoru- Okay. In the end we will be wearing masks for quite some time. Joe- And when concerts start again it's very possible that fans will have to be wearing masks. So in the future t-shirt and mask will be a set for every concert goer. Kyo, did you see any interesting comments? Kyo- It's true that there are many comments asking about masks. So, if we have a chance to do it we will.

Joe- Will you do something like this special talk again? Toshiya said that in a situation there are no concerts for some time he doesn't mind doing it one more time. How about it, Kyo? Kyo- Well... I don't really want to do it. But before that, we had an audio stream, right? I wouldn't mind doing that again.

(bad connection time)

Joe- How about you Kaoru, would you do a talk stream again? Kaoru- Sorry, the connection is bad. (Joe repeats, probably) Well, once in a while... I will think about something we can do next.

(next Joe says musicians prefer to communicate with fans through concerts, but we can get some encouragement through special projects like this; but connection is bad again)

Joe- At the moment over 14969 people are watching us, can you [give us some message]? Let's start with Kyo.

Kyo- Huh, what should I say... We lost many types of freedom, all of us. It's tough. It's the same for me. Let's stay strong a bit longer. A bit more. Joe- And then, a message from the leader to wrap this up. Kaoru- The connection is still bad, can you hear me? Joe- Yeah, we can. Kaoru- It's a very tough time, but I'm really hoping we will be able to play concerts again soon. But, as I keep thinking about things we are able to do in this period, I'm waiting for the time we can all meet again on the stage.

Joe reads comments about all 5 members doing a stream together. Kyo- With 5 people... Kaoru- it would be hard to follow (?), it'd be hard to know who is talking at the time. It'd be difficult. Will all members.

(bad connection again, Kaoru repeats that with too many members it'd be difficult, 3~2 are better)

Joe- but there is a chance to have members create different teams. (bad connection, Joe thanks everyone for watching, he's also looking forward to the next dir show)

#dir en grey #kyo #kaoru #joe yokomizo #translation #DIRENGREYSP #薫 #京

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stylesnews · 4 years ago

Link

I, for one, missed it at the time. I was unaware this account was cryptically quote tweeting fans as they tried to piece together what was happening, what it meant, and what it could be connected to (Greek Mythology and Lost were a couple of theories posed in comments, Twitter threads, and Reddit). Meanwhile, the Columbia Records marketing department had been hard at work for months, devising this specific and highly-detailed campaign around the music video for Styles’ second single, “Adore You” from his second solo album, Fine Line, ever since he shot the video in Scotland in August 2019 (Eroda = Adore backwards — clever!).

But it was all leading up to the morning of Friday, December 6 when the video was released, one week before the full-length album arrived. Up until that point, I had never seen an entire Harry Styles music video, but what happened next was inevitable. Somehow, as a self-proclaimed boy band scholar, I had never paid much attention to One Direction. I kept a distant eye on Styles since they disbanded, intrigued by the decisions he was making in his solo career. But I hadn’t yet realized I’d been in the ring all throughout the fall of 2019, fighting to resist the inevitable fascination that awaited. First came the jab of Rob Sheffield’s Rolling Stone profile, followed by the cross of “Lights Up”, a song that cracked my Top 20 most listened to songs of the year despite being released just two months before Spotify so thoughtfully compiled that personalized playlist. Then there was the hook of his SNL hosting stint in November (and bless you Bowen Yang for that Sara Lee sketch), which then leads us to the “Adore You” video, the uppercut and ultimate TKO. I surrendered in what felt like a near instant. I was now a Harry Styles fan. (If we’re following this analogy, I sat up to spit out some blood after seeing that cover of “Juice” before my head quickly hit the mat again with a loud thud).

#harry styles #aug20 #adore you #decider #suicide tw

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broadstbroskis · 5 years ago

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surprises-pt 4 | mat barzal

part 3

You’ve rescheduled your second OB visit three times just so that Mat could be there, but he’s actually beaming when he arrives, so it seems like it was worth it.

“I promise it’s not that exciting.” You tell him, as you walk toward the door of the office.

“Are you kidding? This is awesome!”

You’re inclined to agree more with that statement when Mat’s mere presence brings out the star treatment and you don’t even have to wait before the nurse is bringing you back for your appointment.

She runs quickly through vitals, assuring you that everything looks good, and letting you know your doctor will be in shortly.

“What if your doctor’s a Rangers fan?”

“Seriously?”

“I mean, it’s a legitimate concern!” He cries.

You can’t help but burst into laughter. “Maybe she’s not a hockey fan at all.”

There’s a look of horror on his face for a moment, before he takes a deep breath. “I think that would be a little better than a Rangers fan. Microscopically, but better.”

Your laughter sets him off and you’re both laughing when Dr.McLaughlin enters the room. She smiles as the two of you try to compose yourself, greeting you and introducing herself to Mat.

There’s no need to kick Mat out for the Q&A session today, most of your more personal questions answered at your last appointment. In fact, you’re actually surprised when he starts firing off more questions than you’ve got, until he ends his questions with, “Are you a Rangers fan?”

“Mathew.” You snap. He is unapologetic in his shrug.

Blessedly, Dr. McLaughlin only shakes her head. “My husband would be very excited to know you’re in the office though.”

Mat nods, apparently satisfied, and you roll your eyes, offering an apology to her for him. She merely laughs, preparing to start listening to your baby’s heartbeat. “I have spent my entire married life apologizing for my husband. You don’t have to apologize to me. I get it.”

Before you have a chance to correct her, or the situation has time to get awkward, the thud-thud of your baby’s heart is swishing through the room. Your eyes are wide; she’d pointed it out to you last appointment, but it’d been so much softer. Not today.

Mat’s hand grips yours, squeezing tightly, and you lace your fingers through his, not letting go even as Dr. McLaughlin wraps up the appointment and lets you know the next ultrasound will be an anatomy scan and if you want, you may be able to find out the sex.

Exiting the office still hand in hand, you and Mat turn your discussion toward your orange. “It’s an orange now?” He grins.

You nod. “It’s an orange now.”

“So one day.” He says slowly. “You really might be growing a watermelon in there.” He laughs as you swat at his arm. “What are you thinking, girl or boy?”

A lot of people have asked you this, since you’ve started telling people. What’s your mother’s intuition telling you, one of your coworkers had pressed. Tito continues to insist the baby will be a girl. “I don’t know.” You tell Mat, honestly. “I don’t care either, really. Just healthy.”

Mat nods. “Yeah, me too.”

“You don’t want a mini-me to play hockey with?” You tease.

He gives you a look. “If I get a mini-you, I’m still going to play hockey with her.”

“I lack the hand-eye coordination to play stick sports; I’ll just give you that warning now. You’re in for some work.”

Mat laughs. “Well girl or boy, hopefully my genes win out on that one.”

You can’t help but agree, thinking about the one season you’d spent having to play field hockey because your middle school just needed a body to put on the field. “Yeah, fingers crossed.”

-----

“Fuck yeah!” Tito cries, as he does...something in the video game that he, Mat, and Brian are playing.

“Fuck you!” Mat shoves at him, competitive as ever, and then brings his hand up to his hair, brushing his fingers through the soft locks before refocusing, and SNAP goes the carrot in your hands.

“You okay?” Molly asks. The two of you are sitting at Mat’s breakfast bar, snacking, chatting, and occasionally laughing at how much more chill Brian is compared to Mat and Tito. Their chirps just roll right off his back.

“What?” You ask, too busy staring at Mat’s forearms to listen properly.

“You look a little flushed.” She continues.

“I’m fine.” You say quickly, but she’s already connected the dots and there’s a huge grin on her face when you look over. “Oh my god, stop.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You didn’t have to!”

“Ok then, how is it?”

“How’s what?”

She lowers her voice. “Pregnancy sex!”

You give her a look. “Um nonexistent.” She returns the look. “That might be my problem.” You admit. Right on schedule, according to both the book you’d downloaded to your Kindle and the app you’ve been following on your phone, pregnancy hormones have arrived, and they’re in full swing.

“You should just go for it.” Molly shrugs. “There’s no way Mat’ll mind, especially not when your boobs look like that right now.”

“They do look really good, right?” At least there was one benefit to all this.

“It is a shame you don’t get to keep them.” She agrees, sending you both into giggles, attracting the attention of all three of the boys.

“What’s so funny?” Tito calls over.

“Nothing.” You and Molly say simultaneously.

He looks like he wants to press the issue, but Brian shakes his head. “You’re better off not knowing. Trust me.”

Tito gives you one more side eye, before giving up and pausing the game to bring up dinner plans. “Nothing fried.” You wrinkle your nose as they all gather round. You can smell it already and even though the nausea phase has mostly passed, the thought of something fried makes your stomach roll.

“Chinese?”

“She said nothing fried!”

“Pizza?”

“Italian?”

“Pasta.” You nod in agreement and requests go around as Tito pulls up his UberEats app. Mat’s arm drops on your shoulder and squeezes, something he’s been doing more and more often since the two of you had gone to your doctor’s appointment together a couple weeks ago. It’s supposed to be comforting, a we’re in this together, kind of thing. But now that anything he did (or well, at this point, him or any man that even so much as breathed near you) turned you on, it was starting to become a problem.

“Are you okay?” He asks and you nod, unable to trust your voice if you spoke. He accepts the nod though, turning back with Brian and Tito to go back to their game while you wait for the food, and you manage to mostly ignore Molly’s knowing smirk as you can breathe a little easier.

For now.

-----

For now doesn’t last long, as Mat starts popping over more and more often. It’s not always for long- sometime he just stops in early in the morning before he leaves for a road trip, sometimes it’s just a quick minute before or after a game, only to say hello, see how you’re feeling, and if there’s anything you need.

Sometimes, though, sometimes he comes over and stays. You’ll come home after work and find him already in your apartment, unpacking takeout (the exact takeout that you're craving, somehow he always knows) or he’ll shoot you a text and ask if you’re up for a marathon of The Office after he finishes practice.

Those days are the hardest for you. When he’s sitting in your apartment, looking like he belongs there, freshly showered with his hair still wet, and smelling strongly of whatever scent you would have associated with him before you were pregnant. You honestly would have said it smelled amazing even before this; now, it’s absolutely intoxicating and certainly doesn’t help that thing where you kind of want to jump his bones.

It’s a little better when there’s other people around, something else to focus on. Sometimes Tito will join the two of you (although, sometimes, that honestly makes things worse for you); Molly and Brian frequently join you two for dinner, even if they don’t end up sticking around afterwards; and on rare occasions, the schedules will line up so that all five of you can actually get together for a lengthy period of time.

“What do you think about this one?” Molly flips her phone around toward you. She’s been obsessed with scrolling through nurseries on Pinterest during her down time, texting you pictures of her finds when she’s not in the same apartment as you.

“Pass.” Mat answers, before you even get a chance to. He’s sitting next to you on the couch, and had pulled your legs into his lap when you were shifting restlessly a few minutes ago, so his hands are resting on your kneecaps, where his thumbs will occasionally trace the outline of. Your left patella has never felt so arousing.

“I wasn’t asking you!” Molly huffs.

“Wait, I don’t get an opinion on this?” He looks between the two of you.

“Of course you do.” You assure him. “Molly!”

“Fine.” She huffs.

“We should start thinking about that.” He mutters to you. “Like what we’re going to do when the baby comes.”

“It’s on my list.” You tell him.

He raises an eyebrow at you. “You have a list?”

You nod, unlocking your phone and pulling up the notes app, before showing it to him. “It’s very long.”

He’s laughing by the time he gets to the end of it, which shocks you because your blood pressure spikes like ten points every time you open the damn thing. “You kill me.” He says, sounding almost fond. “This’ll be easy to crush.”

You look at him in disbelief. Easy to crush? Were you looking at the same list? Everyday you thought of something new to add to it! And sure, some of them probably would be easy enough to do, but the rest of them? “Mat, are you serious?”

“Yeah!” He says, and that sets Tito and Brian in a fit of laughter. Mat rubs your knee, in what you assume is meant to be a calming gesture but has the exact opposite effect, so you shove his hand off. You’re not going to be able to concentrate if he keeps that up. “You’re not alone here. I’m here. They’re here.”

Tito stops laughing to nod eagerly. “Team Baby!”

It’s the first time you don’t outwardly cringe when one of them says that, too touched at their willingness to help. For how supportive they’ve all been throughout this to both you and Mat, it really never fails to make you soft and pull on your heartstrings. “Start delegating.” Mat pokes you. “And let’s pick something and do it.”

“Right now?”

He nods. “You and me. Right now, let’s go.”

Immediately you know what you’re going to talk about. Your next appointment is approaching quickly and you’re not going in without having talked about this beforehand. “Do you want to find out the sex?”

“Yes.” Molly says immediately.

“Of course you do.” Tito answers, like you’ve offended his existence by even asking.

“Don’t be stupid.” Molly continues. “There’s so much we have to plan, so much we have to do.”

Mat’s ignoring the two of them, looking only at you. “Do you?”

“I don’t think I do.” You confess. You’d thought a lot about this, going back and forth, weighing pros and cons. And sure, there were a lot of pros to knowing, to having that extra bit of preparation, but…

Mat starts to grin, as soon as you finish speaking. “Me either.”

“What?’ Molly snaps.

He shrugs, resting his arm back on your thighs, and for the first time in a while, it doesn’t set your entire body on fire. “Everything else about this has been a surprise. Why change it up now?”

You beam at him, easily able to block out Tito and Molly’s (and even Brian’s, he’s getting way too comfortable if he’s starting to join in) outrage and attempts to argue their points. “You’re right.” You agree, feeling some kind of flutter in your belly when he smiles back at you. “The surprise will be good.”

#mat barzal imagine #mat barzal fan fic #hockey imagines #hockey fanfiction #hockey fanfic #nhl imagines #nhl fanfiction #my hockey fics #surprises series

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acciomanorian · 4 years ago

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The One Where Cardan Got Kicked Out of the Bar Part 2

Here you guys go! Chapter 2 of my Jurdan bar fic, The One Where Cardan Got Kicked Out of the Bar. I hope you guys enjoy it!! Part 1

If anybody had been looking at the lone tree in the park in middle-of-nowhere Canada, they would’ve seen what appeared to be a young man and woman appear out of this air, almost as if they had walked out of the tree.

Cardan and Jude looked around at their surroundings, trying to get a grasp on where they were. “Are you sure this is the place we’re supposed to be? I don’t see a bar anywhere around here.” Cardan shot Jude a dubious look, before taking another look around.

“Did you bring us to the right park? It said the bar would be across the street.”

“Of course, blame me. It’s not like you gave me the directions so that I could ‘poof’ us here. I believe those were your words, Jude dear.” Jude glared at him, stomping away in the direction of the sidewalk. Maybe a different perspective would help them find this bar.

“I will blame you!” she called over her shoulder. “You are your stupid overprotective antics are the reason we have to find some remote bar, instead of going to a wildly overpopulated one, with lots of dancing and alcohol.” As she reached the curb, the faint sound of music reached her ears, as well as the sound of engines revving.

Behind her, Cardan was muttering to himself, probably claiming that it wasn’t his fault that other men didn’t know when to take a hint. “Shut up for a minute and listen.” Jude grabbed his arm, pulling him closer to the road, not that it would really make an impact, his faerie ears being much more sensitive than her mortal ones, and therefore picking up sounds easier.

“Music,” Cardan said, grinning as he turned to Jude. “We are in the right place after all.” Grabbing Jude’s hand, he started to pull her in the direction of the music, the direction of the bar.

Rounding a corner, they came face to face with what looked like an oversized wooden shack. Parked outside were about a dozen motorcycles, lined up while their masters sat inside. A sign on the door said “All Are Welcome, Be It Criminals, Thieves, or Otherwise”. Yes, Jude thought, this is the place. Jude signaled for Cardan to open the door, and they slowly entered the bar, unsure of what to expect.

The first thing that caught Jude’s eye was the stage in the back, lopsided and broken in some places, but still inhabited by two hulking bikers, singing into a microphone. The second thing, or rather person, was a giant man walking towards them, easily a foot taller than Cardan, making him a beast compared to Jude’s small stature. She felt Cardan’s tail against her wrist, invisible to all, but still present as far as Jude was concerned. It was a warning, she knew, to not try anything against the giant in front of them.

Jude shot Cardan a nasty side eye, a small growl informing him that she had it under control.

“Welcome, newcomers. I’m Axel, the owner of the bar, Handlebars. Can I get you something to drink? We have about any drink you can imagine, and our bartender is really good at mixing up those fruity drinks everybody loves.” That last part was directed at Jude, who was a big fan of disappointment.

“Kettle One if you have it, on the rocks.” Axel shoots Jude a look, obviously not expecting her to order that, but his gaze softens as he notices the blade strapped to her thigh, the black of the brace stark against her tan skin below her shorts.

“And I will take a watermelon daiquiri, if you will. Tell the bartender to go a little heavy on the rum. The mortal alcohol does wonders for my body.” Another glance was shot at Cardan, but there was no judgement, as if Axel himself enjoyed the little umbrella drinks too.

“Yeah, just give me a minute, and I’ll be right back with those.” Axel walked away, leaving the couple to themselves.

“You better check to make sure those aren’t poisoned,” Jude whispered to her husband, as he snuck a hand around her waist. They had been here 5 minutes, and Cardan was already claiming dominance. Jude shook her head, even as she leaned into the touch.

“You underestimate me. I'm practically watching the bartender make the drinks right now.” He laughed softly. It wasn’t long before Axel returned with their drinks, handing them over before ushering Jude and Cardan further into the room.

“Daiquiri,” Axel said, getting Cardan’s attention from where he had been staring at the karaoke singers. Jude laughed at the nickname, but Cardan returned his attention to the owner, even as he pinched Jude’s side. “Are you interested in karaoke?”

Cardan raised his eyebrows, but said nothing. Faeries can't lie, so whatever Cardan wanted to say was something he would never want to admit out loud. “Cardan,” Jude sighed. “Just say it. Yes, you are interested in karaoke. I’m sure you could go up on that stage and sing whatever song you wanted.”

Suddenly, the rock music that had been steadily thumping through the speakers was replaced with the opening chords of a popular mortal song, that even those in Faerie has heard of. The two men on the stage grabbed microphones, and began belting out the lyrics to “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by the mortal musician Cyndi Lauper. Soon the whole bar was joining in, Cardan and Jude watching in amazement.

Once they finished singing, Cardan drained his drink before making his way to the stage. Jude watched as he whispered to the biker in charge of the music, before picking up a microphone and stepping on stage.

“Hi.” He was nervous, something Jude had rarely seen of her husband. It didn’t last long, though, as the music started, the opening chords of one of Cardan’s favorite mortal songs playing, something that Heather had hooked him on. “Some nights, I stay up, cashing in my bad luck…”

It wasn’t often that Cardan sang, and sometimes Jude forgot how good he was. As he reached the chorus, he was joined onstage by a couple of the bikers who had sung the last song, creating a melody that Jude found surprisingly pleasant, considering it all.

Jude heard a cough from behind her. Axel was still standing there, watching her face even as she watched Cardan. “So, your man seems to have found his thing here, what about you? What do you like to do for fun?”

“I fight.” As she said this, she noticed a target board on the wall, typically used for darts. Grabbing the knife from her side, Jude threw it straight at the target, hitting a perfect bullseye.

“You wanna try a round in our ring? You look as if you could give a couple of our fighters a run for their money.” Axel pointed to a curtain on one wall, from where Jude could hear grunts and the faint sound of fists hitting skin. She grinned, striding for the curtain and pulling it back.

Jude felt a hand on her waist. Cardan. His song must’ve finished while she was talking to Axel. “What are you thinking?” he asked, looking beyond the curtain.

“Just how I could take these men down easily,” she laughed. “What do you think Husband, ten dollars a win?”

“As much as I know you could handle yourself, I would rather you didn’t, Wife. A bar fight is what got us kicked out of the last bar, wasn’t it?”

“But Cardan, the difference here, is that this is sanctioned fighting, meaning that it’s approved. It’s not you putting a guy through a wall. And quite frankly, dear king, I don’t really care.” With that, Jude made her way through the curtain, calling out to the men waiting for the next fight.

“Ten dollars to the first man that can beat me in hand to hand combat. Any takers?” Jude looked around, sizing up her competition, even as several of the men laughed.

“What’s your name, Princess?” Asked one of the bikers, a man wearing just a vest and pants, his arms out on full display.

“Jude. Are you in, or what? And no qualms about hitting a girl, please. I’ve been itching for a good fight.”

“You know what, sure. I’ll fight you, Princess… and let’s increase this total. You win, and I’ll give you $100.” Jude looked back at Cardan, and nodded her head.

He still looked dubious, even though they both knew that Jude was the one coming out victorious. She was the only one who had been trained by a redcap, the only one who had battled a snake king and won, who had controlled an entire kingdom through any means necessary, the head of the Court of Shadows.

Jude stepped into the ring, throwing her weapons into the bin provided, even the ones she had hidden on her body. A fair fight was a fair fight. The man across from her did the same, taking off his vest too.

“You ready, Princess?”

“Beyond ready.”

A man in the corner announced their fight, “In one corner, we have newcomer Jude, and in the other, 5 time champion, Destruction.” Jude eyed the man, Destruction, scanning him from head to toe. “Folks, the fight begins in 5...4...3...2...1! Let it rip!”

The fight was quick, much quicker than when she fought her adoptive father. One second, the biker was rushing her, hand readying to throw a punch. The next, he was on the ground, bleeding from the flurry of punches and kicks Jude had landed, and unconscious. Of course, Jude was declared the winner… and a line began to form, the rest of the bikers waiting for their turn against her.

With a signal to Cardan, he began to collect the money from the fighters, the profits from Jude’s wins. And one by one, the men were dragged from the ring, unconscious and/or bleeding. Grinning like crazy, because they had finally found a true opponent, even as Jude smiled, wiping the blood from her mouth from the few punches that had landed on her. There was a small cut on her forehead as well, from a ring one of the bikers had worn, but Jude welcomed the pain, let it drive her through fight after fight.

Two hours later, Jude and Cardan returned to the main room, considerably richer. They made their way to the bar, where they ordered their own drinks before yelling across the bar “Drinks on us!”

“You know, if you enter that ring again, I might have to step up the stakes for those who try to fight you.” Jude turned around, to see Destruction standing behind her. “I’m thinking of free drinks for life, what do you think, Axel?” The owner nodded from where he was talking to Cardan. “You know, Princess, you fight a good fight. Where’d you learn to fight like that?”

Jude smirked. “Let’s just say that I had a good teacher. Don’t think I could say the same about you, huh?”

Destruction only laughed, before grabbing his drink, and raising a toast throughout the whole bar, “To Jude, the only girl who could take us all in one go.” The whole bar yelled “To Jude” before knocking back their shots.

“You guys are welcome back anytime, just so you know,” Axel said, getting up from his barstool.

And they did. Handlebars became Jude and Cardan’s nightly haunt, Cardan joining in on the karaoke, even as Jude continued her fighting, remaining victorious night after night.

One night, Jude was sitting at the bar, watching Cardan sing on the stage with his new friends, when she heard the bell on the door ring. It wasn’t unusual for that to happen, with bikers coming and going, but Jude still looked, always aware of her surroundings, and Cardans. She almost dropped her glass at who had walked through, her hands immediately going for her weapons. Madoc.

If you want to be added or removed from my tag list, please send an ask! Reblogs are greatly appreciated and I hope that everybody loves this fic!

@fantasyfox101

@ireallyshouldsleeprn

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#Jurdan bar fic #THe one where cardan got kicked out of the bar #its okay #jurdan #jude duarte #cardan greenbriar #tfota #fanfiction #we love our dumbass couple #tusermonique

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twiceblackvelvet · 4 years ago

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Dreams

pt. i. pt.ii. pt.iii. pt.iv.

April 15th, 2022. 13:42 AM. Los Angeles.

California sunshine, there’s nothing like it. Sure, it all beams down from the same star no matter where you are in the world. But there’s something different about the atmosphere. People don’t care here if you’re parading around in a cropped shirt that shows off more skin than you’d usually be comfortable with. They are too wrapped up in their own socially driven lives to bother you in passing unless they recognize you. Then it’s time to whip out the phone to selfie mode in hopes it gains them a few extra likes than usual. Wendy doesn’t mind, it’s only happened twice, but she’s accepted it as part of the package.

When people say Los Angeles is the city of dreams, they mean it. That’s mainly why she finds herself strolling down the busy street with boutique clothing stores galore and people riding around on skateboards, enjoying their lives however they wish to do so. The freedom to explore your dreams in the place that either makes you or breaks you being all too tempting. But, Wendy is determined to be one of the few souls that soar and reach the goal they set out to achieve when they arrived here, rather than let the city suck her dry and toss her aside as it has done to many others.

It’s been eight months since she packed up her things and moved here. Many of her friends back in Korea told her she’d regret it or that she’d be better off staying and never trying to break into the music scene in the US, but Wendy has always been a free spirit, unable to follow what could be the safe path and instead aiming for what she truly wants. That’s how she ended up in Red Velvet. She could have stayed in Canada all of those years ago, become a doctor or a lawyer, but she knew it wouldn’t have fulfilled her.

Singing just comes naturally. Without music, she’d be a shell of a person and definitely not in the position she finds herself in today.

After working non-stop for what feels like forever, sleeping in the studio rather than her fancy apartment she paid more for than she’d like to admit, and refusing to acknowledge the outside world, today is the day. Today, the world has been invited to listen to her first full album. Some last-minute changes to cater to Yeri suddenly backing out of appearing as a song-writer and producer were a little stressful to deal with, but luckily her team eventually agreed to remove the song. Though, if you ask them, being subjected to the torture of a grumpy Wendy who they’d grown used to being bright and fun is something no one should have to deal with, ever.

Before every release with Red Velvet, all the girls would have their own individual ways of preparing for it and calming their nerves. However, being alone now means Wendy can no longer practice hers, which was to focus on everyone else to distract herself from her own thoughts. Thus, the impromptu walk through the blistering streets and people watching is the only thing that feels appropriate. It also stops her from worrying about no one buying it and her hard work going to waste.

She misses four faces specifically whilst wandering.

“Oh my god, Wendy?” A shrill voice yells from behind her but before she’s even turned a full 180 degrees, arms are around her neck and wrapping her up into a crushing hug. “It is you, it’s been so long!”

Had it been anyone else or had she been unable to recognize the voice, it’s very possible that the random strangers passing by would have been instructed to call the police immediately. Thankfully, it’s not someone trying to attack her, well, unless you count affection as an attack, Wendy doesn’t.

“Tiffany, hey! It’s been forever.” She chokes out, arms still around her throat, making it difficult to speak.

No one bats an eyelid at the two girls admiring each other mere inches away from each other, though it feels like someone should be there to capture the moment, at least for fans to gush about. Wendy takes a moment to look at Tiffany. Her skin appears to be glowing more than the last time she’d caught up with her. She looks healthy… happy. It’s a breath of fresh air to see someone from her world here alongside her and not seemingly a broken shell of a person.

“You look amazing, wow! What are you doing here?” Tiffany asks, her voice still far too loud for a conversation in the middle of a busy street, not that Wendy minds.

“I live here now.” She replies bluntly, though, her conscious reminds her for a split second that even though neither of them is in Korea anymore, Tiffany is still a senior to her. Her tone softens naturally before continuing. “I came here after… well, you know.”

Tiffany nods in understanding, though her eyes show sadness for a split second. There’s no need for either of them to discuss the split of her group, Tiffany herself understands what it’s like to be apart from the very people you spent a huge portion of your life alongside.

“So, what are you up to?” The lack of words between them both makes Wendy blurt out, also, so Tiffany can stop looking at her so pitifully. “I’m on my way to grab a coffee if you want to join me? Catch-up?”

Though it was presented as a question and is a heat of the moment change of plans from what she was doing which was nothing, in particular, Wendy is grateful for this distraction that Tiffany has given her without knowing she has.

In the blink of an eye, Tiffany has linked their arms together and is dragging her halfway down the street to what she assures her is by far the best place for something way better than coffee.

When they arrive outside of an organic pop-up store that only serves vegan food and uses all non-dairy products, Wendy isn’t surprised. She’s read reviews about this kind of place lately, though she’s never ventured to any of them, deciding that the hype about buckwheat tea and the likes can’t be real. However, she’s been roped into this now and has no choice but to try something once they reach the counter.

“I’ve never been here before, what do you recommend?” She aims toward Tiffany, however, it gains the attention of the young woman stood near the till waiting patiently to take their order.

“The watermelon lemonade is popular, miss.” The girl whose nametag reads Olivia responds.

Her face is trying its best to put on a smile, though, Wendy summarizes quickly that Olivia does not have an accent that sounds like she’s from California originally, likely moved here to be an actress and just never received an opportunity to do so. Thus, she’s stuck putting on a different act, pretending to be enthusiastic about serving drinks to people that will “cleanse” them. To put politely.

“I guess I’ll go for that then.” Both Wendy and Tiffany offer her a smile before she darts off to prepare their drinks.

Tiffany tries to pay. Wendy won’t let her. They both try their best to be stubborn about it, however, Wendy somehow wins this round and thanks the heavens that Olivia is a lot better at her job than she expected as no sooner does she leave to make their order, she returns with two recyclable cups in tow. They sit outside and drink what Wendy reluctantly admits is a delicious watermelon lemonade whilst getting re-acquainted with one another.

Small talk is all that they engage in at first. Politely asking about each other’s families, if they’ve been up to anything special lately. Wendy doesn’t mention the album release, she’s not sure why. Tiffany tells her about how she will be on tour soon and how Wendy should come to one of her shows so they can sing together. Wendy agrees. The mood turns rather solemn when they reminisce on how young they both were when they first began their careers and everything they’ve been through in the music industry.

“Do you like it here?” Tiffany’s voice is soft and her face serious, something that Wendy is unsure she’s ever seen from her before.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s nothing like what I’m used to but that’s a good thing,” Wendy answers, surprised by her own honesty. “It’s nice to not feel judged and that it’s okay if I make a mistake. If I mess up something here, people don’t seem to mind so long as I’m willing to learn from it. It’s not like that… there.” Wendy wants to say home, but she’s not sure if she can call it home for either of them anymore.

“I know what you mean. There’s a lot more freedom out here.”

A comfortable silence falls between them, both pondering all the times they’d gotten on the bad side of people for whatever reason, big or small. Both being grateful that they still made it here, whilst some others are less fortunate.

Tiffany pulls out her phone to check the time, standing to place her cup in the recycling bin before turning back to Wendy, a lopsided smile on her face.

“Give me your number, I have somewhere I need to be but we should hang out again soon.”

Wendy obliges, it’d be nice to have a friend here. Someone who understands her. She finishes typing in her number and hands the device back to Tiffany who has pulled sunglasses with a huge frame out of thin air seemingly to place on her face.

“Hey, I know that things may seem a lot better here, and… they can be. But just keep your guard up. The music business is shady everywhere, it doesn’t matter where you are.” Tiffany gently rubs a hand down Wendy’s arm as she speaks. It's not as comforting as she probably believes it is. Whilst she doesn’t say whether she’s speaking from personal experience, Wendy assumes so and appreciates the advice.

"I will, thank you. Let's meet up soon!"

Tiffany turns on her heels to strut back down the street they walked down to get the juice that Wendy realizes now has made her nausea even worse. She watches her for a few steps before she turns back in place to holler in her booming voice that is way more fitting than the serious one just seconds ago.

“Congratulations on the album too.”

Wendy is stuck in place, jaw agape with confusion. Though she's happy that they didn't end up talking about it, she's slightly worried about how Tiffany knows about it without her mentioning it at all during their catch-up.

“How did y-” Wendy tries to ask but is cut off by an already leaving Tiffany who throws her a response over her shoulder.

“Check the charts, Seungwan.”

to be continued; here

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burnedbyshoto · 5 years ago

Text

Strawberry Milk and Watermelon Seeds

here’s my first thing on tumblr, enjoy!

The summer sun was excruciating.

Simply stated: summer sucks.

You sat on your couch, your head was thrown back, hair up, and you were wearing only some of the skimpiest clothes you own. The AC on the block had been shut off due to a power outage and you were not comfortable.

Thankfully for you, your best friend, and crush, Todoroki Shouto would be coming over soon with your favorite drink: strawberry milk.

“Why couldn’t I have an ice quirk!” You moaned to yourself as you tried fanning your face but grieved at the hot air that only blew back onto your face. “I’m going to die.”

Knock. Knock.

“Coming!” You shouted as you rolled off the couch and trudged to the door.

“You look atrocious.” Was the first thing Shouto told you as you swung open the door, face flushed from the heat.

“Aw, you look charming yourself!” You cooed back, stepping away from the door with an eye-roll. “Come on in!”

Throughout your high school career, the two of you became unlikely best friends. Nearly contradictory in temperament, it was a wonder on how you two could even get along.

“What did you bring me besides your amazing quirk and my drink?” You ask, jumping onto a stool by the island in the kitchen. Shouto, who had entered the house with a plastic bag, raised his eyebrow at you while placing the bad onto the counter.

“I feel like you’re using me for my quirk, y/l/n.” Shouto deadpanned as he ceased from opening up the bag.

“Oh, come on~!” You repudiated his claim with a wave of a hand, “I use you for the free things you purchase for me!”

Shouto snorted softly as he pulled out two drinks and half of a watermelon, “Strawberry milk, from that one Korean tea shop you love, and watermelon.” He revealed what he brought as he dragged a hand through his different-colored hair.

“You, Todoroki Shouto, are a beautiful angel in this devils armpit we call Japan!” You chirped grabbing the strawberry milk and immediately drinking it.

“You, y/l/n y/n, are a pain.”

⋆✭⋆✭⋆⋆✭⋆✭⋆

Long after the drinks had been drunk to completion, and the house had been restored to a habitable temperature thanks to the one and only Shouto, the pair sat outside with the watermelon between them.

“So,” You began, spitting out a watermelon seed as far as you could, “my parents decided this vacation of theirs would be lasting for another two months, can you believe them?!”

Shouto glanced at you, an apologetic hum leaving his lips as he spat out a watermelon seed as well, “Do you need someone to stay here with you?”

You scoffed, spitting out another seed trying to go further than Shouto had gone, “No, but it’s so tedious being home alone, plus I am a disastrous cook!”

Shouto smiled slightly as he shook his head, spitting out a watermelon seed further than any other seed had gone yet.

“Are you challenging me, Todoroki?” You asked, eyebrow raised, finger pointed at the half and half boy.

“No need, we both know who will win, y/l/n.” Shouto cooly stated spitting out another watermelon seed that landed closer than the last one had.

Defiantly, you took another bite from the watermelon, and with a fresh seed in your mouth, you spat it as far as you could. So, there you and Shouto sat, under the insufferable heat of the sun trying the hardest you could to send the seeds soaring.

Finally, being tied, you both saw the final slice of watermelon left and surged for it.

“I touched it first!” You shouted, shoving your body onto Shouto in attempt to use your body weight to shut him out.

Shove.

“You were the last one to spit!”

Push.

“Ladies, first!”

Shove.

“You’re not acting like one, so you must not be one.”

Shove!

The two of you toppled over onto the grass, Shouto above you with his hands planted on the ground by your head. The watermelon on the ground was temporarily forgotten. A blush spread throughout your face from the intimate position you two were in.

“You dropped the watermelon.” You whispered after what felt like ages as you were almost afraid to breathe, your heart roaring in your ears as the heterochromia boy stared into your y/e/c eyes

His eyes darted to the now dirty watermelon, before returning his gaze to you. “We can always buy more.”

“B-But Todoroki--”

“Call me, Shouto.” He murmured.

“Shouto...” You breathed as his sugary sweet lips connected with yours.

Strawberry milk was your favorite, but it’s safe to say you have a new favorite flavor now.

#bnha writing blog #bnha #todoroki shouto #todoroki shoto x reader #todoroki x reader #bnha x reader #mha x reader #feedback

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wt4kmm · 4 years ago

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WATER

We don’t even talk about death--cause dying ain’t gotta be done today

We not ready to die--we keep just getting this started

Our audacity surfaces as the blueprint

And the blueprints are the maps

Domestic & internationally

The faces of every person that died already--are surfacing everywhere

--as the blueprint to rebuild the bricks of this dynasty--

Breath...easy

This is survival of the fittest

We are the off springs of the fittest

The Victors of the Fitters

Breathe

Easy

These answers are for the questions we can’t afford to be scared to ask no more

I saw my greatest great great grandmother for the first time in a dream last night

We had the same pair of eyes--kinfolk

She fed me without fire

Designed me amour--adornining me without a needle and thread--but water and air

After going to sleep off of ginger water--

She reminded me of living & protection

That we are the new --we are the improved

that we should do something about staying here a little longer

“Y’all be so gung-ho-to go”

grandmother water speaks

“You have never belonged on the bandwagon anyway--the ride been too full--with an emptiness too foreign to the map and design of you. Woman Child, eagle, fire bird,, way maker flesh of my flesh and blood of my blood that disguises itself in the crevices of the wind--winter is blessed--you are chosen-and you should do something about staying here a little longer--there’s honor in dying for something but you become a different type of giant when when you don’t die when you’re supposed to--when it’s written--there’s no eraser. ”

I spoke back:

“It’s not that we really ready to die--

it’s just sometimes a lot goes into breathing—a lot of us ain’t done catching our breaths--a lot of us don’t know how to--a lot of us just know how to run --how to try to catch up--

if we all not standing in the circle holding hands--the magic won’t work

The broom will beat us up and the doors will open & shut without a hand on it-- the windows will break on its own the curtains will tangle us all up--

“That’s what happens when you try to catch up where you aren’t in the running”

She said worry about yourselves

She told me to stop to remember we are the alchemist of the sun--the function of the moon

the highest and the lowest points of truth & illusion

She asked “ever seen a watermelon destroy a volcanic fire?” we control where 92% of that water goes.

----------------------------------------------------------------

I’m from this

Round

Yellow

Brown

Crown

Oak

Purple

Heavy

Dark Brown

Dark and Black

Dark and Bright

*x2*

Never see through

while burning and never the same when shit hits the fan

Or a son hits the ground--or a daughter who doesn’t make it to tomorrow when all she was doing was laying down & Olu I think of your face everyday I look at mine in the mirror or in the wind when it’s late and I’m walking under dark trees--praying I don’t run into anyone who doesn't know that their trauma is mine too---hope he makes his mind up to see me & see the best parts of his mother

I’m from women who will talk you into the color: calm

While with a head full of chaos like a bullet bubbling in a barrel of a gun

Palms sweating--jittery off of coffee, making it happen, and 4 hours of sleep

Somehow cool—women maintain

We still get up and we feed the babies

I come from this

Stepping out of women

Spread thick across their own worlds like lotuses

Who on one shoulder

had the world on it

Who

On the other shoulder

Balanced the heaven in her head as simple as a “goddamn break” from trying catch up & the one Jesus tells her has pearly gates

--balances hell

like imaginary shapes she hides from herself to keep herself

never lost, for as sure as her hands stir the pot--there’s food

Sweet potatoes 36 ways

We are the women of the sun and the moon--we are the belly of a compass

Pickpocketing stars & rent money

We make a way out of no way--

10 dollars stretch against her bra & breast & lasting for weeks

Born into--

Women who use improvisation to become masters

Born into the challenge and the victory

Women who sit themselves out on cliffs to jump

and not die

Women who talk to God in classrooms

And practice him on athletic fields--and in the parking lot

We get audacity from grandmothers.

Working up the nerve as grand as 10,000 armies like a grandmother

Pot full of beans filling us for weeks --like Charlotte

Grandma would buy 1 whole chicken

Cook it and we’d have soup, lunchmeat, chicken & rice

Charlotte would spread it thin like she had 8 legs

Turns out she just has powers

9 lives like porch cats

My grandmother mean if that’s what you wanna call audacity

but she’ll give you and your kids her shirt if it’s cold

a house if it’s raining

if you standing outside barefoot

she’ll give you her shoes

It's audacity that makes up our rarest form of magic and magicians who look like us

Handmade by God disguised as Grandmothers

Mine made home fries & salmon cakes with sardines

Hardly ever baked, goods from scratch

Just payed home insurance

with formulas and rubrics in her sweat glands

Ever-y uphill--fight--counts more than any downhill fall

Deliberately she is made up solely of delivering herself

Mother

saves them all

Mother

save them all

I am from who gets scared of her own reflection

But remains a fact

up front

At attention

These mothers don’t take orders

But scriptures

And surahs--not in binded leather but in blue skies and blue water

Fingertips stitched with electricity and intuition

‘And that mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net’

And that “All dominions of heaven and earth belongs to Allah, he gives life and causes death’

Before hash-tagged, women who are

Yemaya and Oshun in spirit and in flesh

Who before the tabernacle was invented knows where the scriptures were stolen from in place of our land

creates justice,

gives justice,

is justice in the eyes

Of herself, without flash

Women who revere on foot

Who don’t know nothing about counting no money

but makes it all the way to three hundred and sixty

On foot--not using her hands & without a shadow of a doubt

The first one to choir rehearsal

And they all; always the last to leave--caught up in the ritual of praise; the holy ghost of the music who lurk in foyers & tambourines

When the lights go out

The women I come from rub their hands together like Birdman for fire, heat for the house

laugh and sing until there’s a rumble in the walls

Wash each others feet in lukewarm water

Chant,

Quote

Dance

Pray—

Sing loudly

while steadily bleeding

They laugh loudly together

Cause the blood...falling on them

Woman, I’m grateful for your mothership

Your chariots of rainbows

Whether in black and white or in color

Woman, your colors have turned darkness into day

I’ve never gotten the truth from the bible that I didn’t have to cross reference

With you as my study

You make me believe in the glare they said wasn't mine but I know it belongs to me

You are the reading rainbow of common sense

I’m breathing in your sacrifices

inhaling your truth -- I'm not just making it through

My life here, is an ode to you

I have turned into God, for you

I will challenge everything I do not believe as the truth

I will follow myself into any abyss--if the spirit uses me so

I will combat what was taught me— find it for myself

I will bring back what I have gathered and teach you to let go of the cross

And except your winnings as the ones you worked for

Challenging you to see yourself as God

Because woman you are my source

One could only create another

You deserve more than flowers woman you deserve to live

I will, in your honor, reach higher, lotus

For you--I will make a paradise out of birds--gamble everything where truth sees fittest

I will stand statuesque like two moose making love where plain eyes see fighting

She asked:

If a circle is solid, is it full or empty?

#poetry #poet #revolution #blackart #blackwriters #woman #blackwoman #writing #literature #culture #mothership #spirit #blackcreatives #blackcreators #artist #writers

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mamapriest · 4 years ago

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More Than 30 Years Later, Where Is the Cast of ‘Dirty Dancing’ Now?

Source: definition.org

The movie Dirty Dancing took the world by storm back in 1987. Everyone wanted to be Jennifer Grey’s “Baby,” dancing with Patrick Swayze’s character, “Johnny,” in his tight black pants and low-cut shirt (and stellar body). It was a journey of young love in a turbulent time, and it became a timeless, iconic movie, much to the surprise of everyone involved. The song at the end of the film, “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” has inspired people to dance in the decades since. It’s been more than 30 years since the film smashed box office expectations, and it remains beloved by people of all ages to this day. Where is the Dirty Dancing cast now?

Jerry Orbach (Dr. Jake Houseman) - Deceased

Jerry Orbach played the poor dad in Dirty Dancing who just wanted his two girls to behave like ladies. Everyone wanted Baby’s dad to be their own when they saw the movie. Orbach was already a successful actor when he got the part, having received two Tony nominations for his roles in Chicago and Guys and Dolls. After the film, he went on to land many film and television roles, including the voice of Lumiere in Disney’s animated classic Beauty and the Beast. If you don’t know him from that, you most likely know him from his 12-year stint as Lennie Briscoe on Law and Order.

Sadly, he passed away from prostate cancer in 2004 at the age of 69. When he died, he donated his 20/20 eyes to medicine, and now it is confirmed that two different unnamed people are walking around with one of Jerry Orbach’s eyes!

Cynthia Rhodes (Penny Johnson)

Cynthia Rhodes was the tall, statuesque beauty who played Johnny’s dancing partner. Her long legs and professional dance moves made people either want to be her or want to be with her. Cynthia has had a long career as an actress. In addition to Dirty Dancing, she was in Flashdance and Staying Alive. After filming Dirty Dancing, she retired from acting to raise her three sons with her husband, singer Richard Marx. Sadly, though it lasted 25 years, the marriage ended in divorce in 2014.

Jane Brucker (Lisa Houseman)

Jane Brucker, who played Baby’s annoying older sister, was every teens’ version of a nightmare sibling. Jane played Lisa with great style, even with her off-key singing voice in the talent show. She had a couple of other movie roles right after Dirty Dancing, including one in a movie called Bloodhounds of Broadway, but she’s spent the last number of years raising her two daughters. Maybe once they’re all grown up we’ll start seeing more from her again!

Miranda Garrison (Vivian Pressman)

Miranda Garrison played the vixen Vivian, who just wanted a few “dance lessons” with Johnny because her own marriage was lacking desire. She may have been unfulfilled in her movie role, but her real life has had no such issue. Not only did she assist with the choreography in Dirty Dancing, but she also went on to choreograph a number of other high-profile films, including Evita, Selena and, if you can believe it, The Skeleton Key. (We bet you didn’t know that thrillers have choreography, too.) All in all, she has nearly 50 acting credits on her resume, and an equal number of choreography credits. Wow!

Patrick Swayze (Johnny Castle) - Deceased

Patrick Swayze was every woman’s favorite part of Dirty Dancing. With his slick moves, good looks, and charming demeanor, he managed to steal the hearts of all his fans. As almost everyone knows, Swayze starred in many successful movies after Dirty Dancing. Most notably, he played lead roles in Ghost, Roadhouse, and Point Break. He tragically passed away in 2009, at the age of 57, after a brutal battle with pancreatic cancer. He left behind his loving wife, Lisa Niemi, of 34 years.

Jennifer Grey (Frances 'Baby' Houseman)

Jennifer Grey, with her off-kilter beauty, stole the hearts of everyone who saw Dirty Dancing in the 80s. Small acting roles and a 2010 win on Dancing with the Stars — fitting, right? — kept her in the public spotlight until 2015, when she landed a starring role in the Amazon Studios comedy Red Oaks. The show ran for three seasons and ended in 2017. She’s married to actor Clark Gregg, who is famous for his role as agent Phil Coulson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Kelly Bishop (Marjorie Houseman)

Kelly Bishop played Baby’s oblivious mom in the movie, and boy, did she make her mark. (Not that she needed too much help; she had already made a splash as Sheila in the famous musical A Chorus Line, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress.) After Dirty Dancing, she went on to have a long career in film and television. She’s best known for her role as the matriarch Emily Gilmore on Gilmore Girls, which she played for seven years. She is still actively acting, and in 2016 she reprised her role as Emily Gilmore in the miniseries Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.

Neal Jones (Billy Kostecki)

Neal Jones played Johnny’s younger cousin in Dirty Dancing (the one who helped Baby carry the watermelon). Billy has had a long career in both films and TV, with roles in The Devil’s Advocate, Law and Order, The Sopranos, Sex and the City, and Criminal Minds (pictured above). His last television appearance was in 2009. He may be finished with acting, but we hope to see him again!

Jack Weston (Max Kellerman) - Deceased

Jack Weston played the owner of the resort in Dirty Dancing. He had already had a long career in film and television, having acted professionally since 1949. He appeared in such films as The Incredible Mr. Limpet and The Four Seasons. After Dirty Dancing, he appeared in two more films: Ishtar and Short Circuit 2 in 1987 and 1988, respectively. In 1996, at 71 years old, he died of lymphoma after a seven-year battle. He was survived by his wife, Laurie Gilkes, and his stepdaughter, Amy.

DID YOU KNOW?

Jennifer Grey’s father is none other than legendary dancer and actor Joel Grey, of Broadway fame. He played the Master of Ceremonies in the 1966 musical Cabaret, and he reprised that role a few years later, in the 1972 movie version, alongside Liza Minelli. If you don’t know him from that, you may know one of his more recent roles: He played the original Wizard of Oz, alongside Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth, in the smash-hit musical Wicked.

Not many expected Dirty Dancing to be such a hit. Not only did it exceed its box office expectations by hundreds of millions of dollars, but it exceeded its stay in theaters by months! The movie was actually popular with every demographic, but it really appealed to teenagers. They continued to see it in theaters. It was in theaters for so long after its initial release, in fact, that it was actually still playing after it came out on VHS. (Remember VHS?) This movie, with a budget of only $5 million, generated $219 million in revenue, and was the 11th biggest moneymaker of 1987.

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