#wow normal elle art!!!!

[ellearts]

Liam art for @theereboseffect pallete challenge

Tagging: @isacksteban @finn95o @ace-race-ace

Sorry if I forgot someone!!!!!

[im-not-drowning-you-are]

Remus “suggested” that I should do this. I personally see this as quite unprofessional.

I’m Regulus Black, if it is not obvious enough. If you call me anything else, especially my deadname, I will have Evan send Barty after you. Barty does not take transphobia nicely.

I use He/Him. If you use anything else, it’s off to Barty you go.

I am sixteen years of age, and I am a Slytherin.

I will not discuss my sexuality. It does not seem relevant.

Do not question my heritage. Nothing is wrong with it. I am, however, French. That is all I shall say.

I might occasionally use this for my poetry. If my so called “brother” interacts with my writing, I will auto-defenestrate. Do not test this. If you are not Sirius, you will likely find my poetry and ideas with #the poetry yet to be written and #the poetry of the stars

I do like to dabble with painting and many different arts from time to time. Ideas for these will most likely be under #the art yet to be done and #the art of the stars

My violin is one of my passions.

If you spell or use the wrong type of grammar, I will not hesitate to point it out.

I am not an illegal animagi. To suggest such, would be incorrect. Do not look into it.

My Acquaintances

@pandora-roses - She is my best friend. I do not have a lot of those, but she is one of them.

@girlinthemeadow - She is a little crazy, but I do like her.

@bat-b0y-barty - He is fine. I tolerate him more than I should. He only occasionally makes fun of me, so he’s perfectly fine.

@evans-roses - He is considerably better than Barty. Do I occasionally want to throw myself into the lake because of them both, maybe, but he is better. I murdered his relationship, though. I don’t deserve him.

@redwearingred - She is better than most, and is really nice to read literature with.

@everyhouseishaunted - He is a great person to read pieces of literature with.

@siriusly-loves-the-moon - If you see him, run. Or he will. Depends on who you are in relation to him.

@marlene-mckickin - I do not know he well enough beyond her friendship to Lily and the fact that she is dating Dorcas.

@go-lonedove-xo - He is the book man. Pandora seems to enjoy his company. I killed him.

- I do not interact with him much, so I cannot say.

@mary-mary-not-contrary - She dislikes my brother, which is always a positive.

@dumb-german-boy - He is in my brother’s so called “boy band.”

@frank-n-bottom - I barely know him.

@alice-the-fortescue - I barely know her.

@paintsandpencils - She is friend of Remus.

@euphemia-effie-potter - Mrs. Potter. She is the mother of my fiancé. James Potter.

@prongs-plural - Mon amour. Mon fiancé. Mon soleil. Who the fuck is he?

@narc1ssa-bl4ck - Je jure que si tu gâches ma vie, je vais foutre la tienne en l’air.

@bella-donna-black - Je la déteste. Je la déteste. Je la déteste.

@beetlethebards-second-coming - Elle me fait du mal. Elle me fait du mal. Elle me fait du mal.

Playlists with my friends and others are located below.

If you want to join, just ask @bralnwashed or myself (or literally anyone. Someone can get you in touch)

I do have a life, so I won’t be active 24/7

My regular account is @the1970sdeadgaywizard-regulus

I write things there

I use he/him most often, but literally anything is fine

My name is Regulus (wow, inception)

I DO NOT MEAN TO BE RUDE WHEN GRAMMAR POLICING, IT JUST MAKES SENSE

If there is anything that I end up reblogging here that makes no sense, chances are I was stupid and didn’t switch over accounts

I do not normally speak like a sickly Victorian child. These few sentences, however, do seem to prove otherwise. That could quite possibly just be an issue that only occurs to me.

Do I curse? Idk. We’ll see as time passes (I do when I deem it necessary or in character)

I don’t support JKR. Also, basic stuff, if you are a jerk, you will be blocked. I don’t take hate. Constructive criticism, sure, but hate of people who have done no harm, heck no.

I do actually love the arts and play violin.

I am a Slytherin.

I use passive aggressive periods for the heck of it. It seems very Reg.

Any French that I may use will probably be translated. I will check a few times using different things, though.

[reggiedarlin]

The Boy in The Band.

Chapter three:

Sirius received the email that night. He opened it on his laptop and read everything he needed to. To say he was excited was an understatement, he called Lily to come round so they could fangirl over getting to meet the people they’ve been in love with since Year 10. “I can’t believe you get to meet Remus on his birthday!” exclaimed Lily unbelievingly. “I can’t believe I get to meet him at all! It’s so crazy, like out of all the entries and mine was picked. Just, wow!” spoke Sirius still in a haze about everything. “I’m so excited I can’t believe I get to come with you as well! I cannot wait to meet James!” “I bet you can’t.” smirked Sirius. Lily threw a pillow at him.

In the next few weeks, Sirius kept finding himself checking his phone. He and Remus had been messaging some of the messages were about the meet, but most were just friendly conversations like they had been friends for ages and Remus wasn’t an A-list celebrity in a rock band. Lily’s birthday had passed at the end of January and Sirius had managed to get Lily a special message off James courtesy of Remus as he had told the older man all about how much Lily loved James.

 “Sirius Black, we are meeting the Drowners in two days! We need outfits!” Lily and Sirius had come up to Manchester from London for the meet and they both still needed outfits. “Where should we go?” Sirius asked Lily who has family here so she knew more than he did. “I think the Trafford Centre would be our best bet and if we don’t find anything there The Arndale is about nine miles away so we can get a taxi there.” said Lily checking directions between the two places on her phone. The pair set off from their hotel to the Trafford Centre.

“Holy Jesus.” gasped Sirius as they walked in to the centre. The centre was a two story building with a glass roof as if you were in a giant conservatory room and the walls were covered in renaissance art with giant, stone pillars holding the marvellous building upright. “It’s great right, this isn’t even all of it. There’s a China Town, golf course, cinema and wait till you see the food court!” Lily announced excitedly. After Sirius had had time to take in all Lily had told him they set off looking for outfits. After about half an hour of looking, Sirius having found a band t-shirt and ripped jeans to go with his Docs and leather jacket, they had come into New Look and Lily immediately saw something she liked, it was a ditsy, pastel green wrap dress that tied at the side. Lily came out of the changing rooms in the dress, Sirius loved it. It hugged her curves in all the right places, it hung flatteringly on her round hips and made her breasts perk up, but not so they were extremely noticeable, Lily loved it too. “Lily. You have to get that dress, if you don’t I will, and we both know I would pull it off,  but I have to say you look even more stunning than you normally do. So Lily bought the dress and they headed to to food court before going back to the hotel.

****

“Remus,Remus!” chanted James down the just picked up phone. “James why are you calling me I thought you said you were going to Trafford?” came Remus’ thick Welsh accent down the line. “Yeah I’m ‘ere, but I just saw the most gorgeous girl in my life! She had strawberry, red hair that was wavy and she was trying on a dress with, who I ‘ope, was ‘er friend. It looked amazing on her and bloody ‘ell Remus she was just bloody gorgeous.” ranted James frantically to his friend.  “Woah, woah. Calm down mate. If you liked her that much why didn’t you just go up to her and ask for her number?” questioned Remus confused why his mate hadn’t just gone up to the girl. He was 22 for heaven’s sake. “Because, Remus, her friend was wearing a Drowners sweatshirt. How much bloody attention would I ‘ave drawn to me self if I’d gone over and he’d freaked out.” “That’s true, but mate don’t worry abou’ it if it were meant to be then you’ll see her again.” Remus told his mate walking back to their lounge sofa, holding his phone to his ear with his shoulder while trying to peel an orange at the same time. “You’re right. I’ll be back ina bit see ya mate.” “See ya Jamie” Remus hung up and turned on the TV. It turned on to the news, Remus almost dropped his orange at the headline. “Drowners competition winner Sirius Black spotted in Manchester today with someone who seems like a girlfriend. Sirius was seen, as in the picture, wearing the same brown Drowners sweatshirt he was wearing in the picture that won him the competition.” Remus took a second glance at the girl next to Sirius in the photo and he realised she looked exactly like the girl James had described to him on the phone mere moments ago. He had to admit James had good taste she was stunning, on the bigger side, but stunning nonetheless. It hit Remus like a brick. James had seen Sirius. It all matched up, the Drowners sweatshirt, the red haired girl James had been entranced with. He frantically reached around for his phone needing to check he had seen a brown sweatshirt. James picked up on the third ring, “’Ello? Remus, I spoke to you like two minutes ago-” “James! The girl you told me about was her friend wearing a brown Drowners sweatshirt?” Remus interrupted needing answers. “Yeah ‘e was. Why?” “You just saw Sirius Black and that was Lily! You know, the one I got you to do the birthday message for because she’s been in love with you since she was like 15!” Remus told the other lad his words getting faster and faster as he kept going. “NO WAY! IT WAS! HOLY SHIT! I WONDER IF HE’S BRINGING HER TO THE MEET TOMMOROW?” shouted James hoping he would be able to talk to her and get her number. “I’ll message him!” “Ok, thanks mate.” This time James hung up the phone. Remus opened Instagram and went to his messages. He clicked on Sirius’ account and typed a message;

@Remus.Lupin: Hey, I was wondering who are you bringing to the meet tomorrow, if you’re bringing anyone that is x

@Siriuslygay: Hey, I’m just bringing my friend Lily. She’s hoping to talk to James if she can. Like I’ve said before she really loves him x 

@Remus.Lupin: Oh right ok x

@Siriuslygay: Why’d you ask? x

@Remus.Lupin: Oh just wondering is all. See you tomorrow x

@Siriuslygay: Ok, see you tomorrow x

[tabloidtoc]

Star, May 3

You can buy a brand new copy of this issue without the mailing label for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Shiloh Jolie-Pitt

Page 1: Christina Aguilera at 40 -- she talks about child stardom, learning to love her body, and what she wants her daughter Summer to know

Page 2: Contents, Renee Zellweger, Phoebe Dynevor and James McAvoy at the BAFTAs in London

Page 3: Mariska Hargitay and Law & Order: SVU co-star Ice-T take a selfie during a break from shooting the cop drama in NYC, Heather Graham at the beach in Mexico, stepping into the America's Got Talent studio Sofia Vergara elevated her casual cropped jeans with strappy platform sandals in L.A., Jason Momoa cutting a rug with an unidentified partner ahead of filming a scene for his upcoming fantasy film Slumberland in Toronto

Page 4: Colton Underwood comes out -- saying he's the happiest and healthiest he's ever been, the former Bachelor clarifies his orientation

Page 5: Lena Dunham is no stranger to controversy, so it comes as no surprise that her foray into fashion design has also come under fire as she partnered with a plus-size label to create the capsule collection 11 Honore x Lena Dunham, but the kicky line quickly came under fire as critics are calling it tone-deaf, mediocre and not inclusive at all since its largest size is a 26 and some are even going so far to call Lena a grifter who gained weight in order to make money off the plus-size community but Lena, who underwent a hysterectomy at 31, has pointed to early menopause as the cause of her straight-up gut -- while Lena refuses to be intimidated by bullies, she is listening to the complaints about sizes and is planning to address it

* Once a cautionary tale of the perils of child stardom, at age 40 Macaulay Culkin is a father himself as he and girlfriend Brenda Song welcomed a son, Dakota -- he's finally overcome his demons and Brenda has been a huge influence on his life and helped him get back on the straight and narrow and he's even pursuing acting again, shooting season 10 of American Horror Story; his life has taken such a positive turn

* A year after announcing her split from Jay Cutler, Kristin Cavallari is seeing the upside of divorce, saying it's made her a better mom in some ways because she has her kids half the time now so when she has them for her week, she is so incredibly present with her kids Camden, Jaxon and Saylor and she is not distracted by her phone or anything else; she is with them -- Jay and Kristin each have the kids 182.5 days a year and court papers also revealed that her ex is allowed two phone calls and two FaceTime or Skype calls a week and vice versa so now every moment is precious and if someone is having a temper tantrum or something, she remains calm because she knows that she is losing them in a few days

Page 6: Gwen Stefani is widely thought to have had some help in the nips and tucks department, and as her wedding to Blake Shelton approaches, he is starting to object to her constant tweaking of her face -- she's always messing with it by getting more fillers and Botox and Blake is afraid of what he'll see at the altar and he's freaking out at Gwen's increasingly extreme beauty routine which is becoming increasingly over-the-top; Gwen can barely move her face to smile at him anymore and it looks weird -- while he frets, he's trying to reassure his wife-to-be because Blake thinks she's beautiful just the way she is

* As an executive producer on the long-running Law & Order: SVU, Mariska Hargitay has tasked the writers to come up with more storylines featuring one of her favorite characters: defense attorney Trevor Langan, played by none other than her husband Peter Hermann -- Mariska and Peter originally met and fell in love when Peter guest-starred on the show and she loves to keep that magic alive by bringing him back to play Trevor but the trouble is he is busy with his own gigs as a series regular on Younger and his recurring role on Blue Bloods and Peter loves working with his wife, but he has his own acting career apart from Mariska -- still, he may soon have his day in court because Peter understands how Mariska feels and is trying to work his schedule to allow him some guest spots in the near future

Page 8: Star Shots -- Lenny Kravitz with a guitar flaunted his well-sculpted midsection during a stroll on the beach, Suki Waterhouse with her on-the-go grub on the set in Liverpool

Page 9: Louisa Jacobson and Taissa Farmiga and Denee Benton on the set of The Gilded Age in NYC, Conan O'Brien sipped on a soda at lunch in L.A., Katy Perry in the American Idol bathroom

Page 10: Kate Hudson with mom Goldie Hawn and kids Ryder and Rani, Kate Hudson twirled solo modeling in a pal's swimwear collection, Jude Law's daughter Iris Law who will make her acting debut in Danny Boyle's upcoming Sex Pistols biopic makes a call in London

Page 12: Kelly Osbourne handed out items at a food distribution event as the Islamic Center for Southern California, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in the gym, despite a no-social warning a cheeky Nicole Kidman shared a pic from the set of Aaron Sorkin's Being the Ricardos in which she portrays Lucille Ball

Page 13: Anabella Sciorra and Donnie Wahlberg gloved up for a Blue Bloods scene in NYC, Heidi Klum and husband Tom Kaulitz started their morning during a walk on the beach in L.A.

Page 14: Travis Barker showed off his body art stepping off a Hollywood tour bus shirtless after filming a music video, a cheerful Britney Spears gave a fun look into her wardrobe in a pink floral frock, Scott Disick and Amelia Hamlin color-coordinated for a walk near the beach in Miami

Page 16: Lamar Odom and Aaron Carter put up their dukes to promote their Celebrity Boxing Match in Philadelphia, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and husband Nick Jonas at the BAFTAs in London, Ellen DeGeneres on the phone during a stroll in her main hood of Montecito

Page 18: Normal or Not? A denim-on-denim clad Jay Leno scratched an itch while filming a project in Los Angeles -- not normal, dressed in a Siggi sweatshirt Katie Holmes picked up some seasonal blooms on Manhattan's Upper East Side -- normal, Kate Beckinsale multitasked during a car ride by applying undereye patches -- not normal

Page 19: Gavin Rossdale appeared to be pleased with his Kitson purchase by doing a little dance after leaving the popular L.A. store -- not normal

Page 20: Fashion -- stars wow in statement-making capes -- Gisele Bundchen, Charlize Theron, Zoey Deutch

Page 21: Greta Gerwig, Elle Fanning

Page 24: Justin Bieber: How Love Saved Me -- the formerly troubled pop singer gives praise for wife Hailey Bieber

Page 25: Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles' romance has already cooled and the pair are giving each other space -- turns out Olivia and Harry don't actually have much in common -- the two jetted to London after wrapping Don't Worry Darling, but they were soon waylaid by their respective responsibilities as Olivia has been spending time with her kids Otis and Daisy while her ex Jason Sudeikis shoots Ted Lasso while Harry, who was spooked by how quickly intense things got, is gearing up for his role in My Policeman -- for now, the two have decided to reassess things when they're back in L.A., which leaves the window open for Jason, whose strategy was to let her and Harry fizzle out, then see where she is at, and it's going according to plan

* Jennifer Lopez calls off her relationship with Alex Rodriguez

* Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher are better than ever after overcoming a rough patch, one that had their inner circle convinced they were headed for divorce -- Mike had a serious roving eye that made Carrie anxious and she would treat him like he was Mr. Underwood and tensions between the two were at an all-time high when the pandemic hit, forcing the two into extra one-on-one time, but as it turns out, their new routine is just what they needed because they set boundaries, divided up tasks and put time aside for fun things and they prioritized romance, which has made all the difference -- Carrie and Mike are re-committed to their marriage and they've been through so much so much and neither wants to throw it away

Page 26: Cover Story -- Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's model kid -- Shiloh Jolie-Pitt the gorgeous teen is ready for her close up, but Brad and Angie are at odds about Shiloh's new passion -- Shiloh's been experimenting with girlier styles lately, including growing out her hair and she's at the age where she's starting to change things up -- Brad isn't thrilled about Shiloh's modeling dreams and idea of her walking into the lion's den gives him cause for concern -- Angelina began modeling at 16, just one year older than Shiloh and Shiloh knows that's what set her mom on her path to fame and Shiloh is constantly asking Angie about the pros and cons of the modeling world

Page 29: Model Kids -- these celeb offspring also know how to strike a pose -- Hailey Bieber, Sofia Richie, Amelia Hamlin, Lily-Rose Depp, Brooklyn Beckham, Paris Jackson, Kendall Jenner, Corinne Foxx, Ireland Baldwin, Margaret Qualley, Kaia Gerber, Leni Klum, Patrick Schwarzenegger

Page 30: Prince William and Prince Harry: Behind Closed Doors -- the estranged princes are forced to reckon with their rift as the royal family gathers for Prince Philip's funeral

Page 32: High Anxiety -- it's not so simple for celebs who struggle with panic attacks -- Emma Stone, Stephen Colbert, Amanda Seyfried

Page 33: Hugh Grant, Ryan Reynolds, Ariana Grande

Page 36: Beauty -- nail it -- self-care essentials to score the perfect at-home manicure and pedicure -- Kaley Cuoco

Page 38: Style -- cute cases -- step up your tech, and fashion, game this season with a trendy cellphone cover -- Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Page 40: Entertainment

Page 48: Parting Shot -- Corey Feldman embraced wife Courtney Anne Mitchell as the two ventured out for a romantic outing in L.A.

[ellewords]

(not me reading this back and thinking you could make a drinking game out of this ask because of how many times i say “because” lmaooooo)

i’ve never actually seen wgm but i really love the idea of hinata being on the show, because i feel like he would be so starry-eyed the entire time. literal ✨👄✨ at everything because he’s never thought about what being married would be like and now suddenly he gets to experience it??!!?! he fumbles through all of it, and the fans love him for it because a lot of the other participants seem so smooth and suave, but not with hinata! he blurts his thoughts out as they come, he’s clumsy in situations that would normally require him to be put-together, he makes a huge deal out of every little thing. the first time his partner brought him a bouquet of flowers, hinata literally turns bright red and starts rambling so fast the audio just barely picks it up—

“you didn’t have to but that was really nice of you, i’ll get you something next time, hey, the flowers smell sweet, oh no, that’s actually you, you smell so nice, have you always smelt that way, you should definitely tell me what body spray you use because i might just have to get some of that—“

and the fans eat it up. and so does their partner who absolutely adores him even if hinata doesn’t quite get/see it.

i feel like it would also be hilarious if the partner was someone who isn’t necessarily the biggest (by choice, they don’t want to be in the spotlight all that much) but because of a really big project they have out soon, their team thinks they should get some of that pr. maybe a painter or a sculpture? one that has gotten a lot of attention as of late because their art is a little controversial/suggestive but has somehow managed to keep most of the media on the actual art and not on themself. they come off as really shy and recluse, but the second they get on the show, hinata brings them out of their shell, and that makes the fans like them even more. they love getting to see the artist behind everything and they especially love seeing how their artist brain translates into the real world. and just the idea of hinata being the kind of person who would be able to make even the most introverted person go a little crazy is something i think would be hilarious on reality tv.

anyway, hinata gets a lot smoother as they continue on, and it absolutely floors the fans because he’s so different from when he started. he holds his partner’s hand like it’s nothing, he says super sweet things without missing a beat, he holds eye contact without looking like he’s trying to win some unproclaimed competition. but he doesn’t realize he’s doing it, and the partner is too nervous that he’ll get weird about it to say anything.

by the end of their time on the show, fans can see how deflated the partner is even though they’re really good at hiding it still, and hinata is off too, but he can’t tell why. he is still chipper and all over the place, and the partner is still more open and engaging, but their energy is off. hinata chalks it up to them going to miss the time they shared together, but even that doesn’t feel quite right.

after they leave the show, hinata is super excited to see that the partner has started doing more community stuff (charities where they show up in person, giving art classes to people that donate certain amounts to organizations and projects that they support, going out in public and doing sketches/paintings of people on the street for reference later and recording tiny interviews with them as they do it to make a new documentary of the process or something). he gushes about it all over his social medias and anywhere else he can get someone to listen because they don’t have the time to actually ever meet up with the way their schedules are. he even starts posting behind-the-scenes clips that he had taken (with the permission of the partner) to engage with both parts of their fan bases.

and the partner does the same for hinata. they do a bunch of pieces of the jackals and sells them to get both of their communities involved and supporting them even if they can’t go to the actual games. their instagram is flooded with designs of new projects for them and even more of them of just hinata, all of which have captions that target just hinata (“wow, my ex-husband is so fine 🥵” “that’s your man? mhm! look at him! yeah, that’s mine” and other stupid, cheesy ones that make the fans feral because damn, they really have come out of their shell, huh?!)

the internet loves it, and they love even more that hinata seems to become the person at the beginning of the show all over again, flustered and a mess and tripping over his feet. a new hashtag starts because of it about the two of them being in love still (as a joke) and people upload some of their favorite moments of the pair together. when hinata sees it, he tries to play it off (horribly) but when he finally gets to talk to their partner about it, there’s a calmness in their voice that eases him just a little bit, and suddenly he’s aware of why exactly leaving felt so wrong.

this got a little sidetracked, but i don’t even mind, lololol. also, i definitely need to check out the show after this because i love the fake dating/marriage idea. thanks for putting me on to it! make sure to drink water, have a snack if you haven’t eaten in a bit, and take deep breaths! -🌙

— from elle ! okay but hinata and a painter/artist!partner is literally such an amazing idea to dive into, this now lives in my head and i will continue thinking about it for days on end. i absolutely love everything that you’ve sent aaa i’m actually screaming, i had a difficult time picking which part of your hc to focus on bec so many things popped into my head. but i ended up choosing to kind of pick up where you left off for my little addition (under the cut as usual) tysm for this 🌙 anon ! take care <3

᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃

hinata’s blush grows redder every second he spent staring at his phone, his twitter mentions filled with photos, edits, and even fanmade animations of the two of you. your shipname was trending again, all after you posted a rare photo of yourself in msby merch. you looked cute, that much was evident to hinata. then again, he always thought of you as cute — from the second you walked into set, all shy and nervous, from the minute you left it, your arms wrapped wrapped around his neck. why was he acting like this? filming had ended months ago; he’d grown more confident around you, hadn’t he?

your name flashed across his phone screen, interrupting his train of thought — you were calling him. his heart beat sped up, fingertips immediately moving towards the ‘answer’ button.

“hey shoyo!” you greeted, enthusiasm very much evident in your voice, “did you see the picture i just posted?”

“i did! um...you look great.” he mumbled, unsure if you had heard him, heat continuing to rush towards the apples of his cheeks.

“thanks!” he hears your chuckling from the other end of the line, and a small part of his mind convinces himself that you were somehow teasing him. “you’re coming tomorrow, right?”

“what’s tomorrow?”

“my photo exhibit, silly.”

ah, that. hinata could imagine you shaking your head, biting your lip as you attempt not to burst out into laughter at his cluelessness. the beating of his heart is more rapid now, thinking of how you anticipated his answer, how you wanted him to be there. “i was only kidding, of course i’ll be there.”

“sure,” you replied like you didn’t really believe him, “i’ll see you then.”

—

hinata was the one who convinced you to get into photography. truthfully, you wanted to try and exploring other mediums beside your usual set of paint and pencils.

“maybe i should try taking photos.” you joked, gently nudging his shoulders as the two of you browsed various film cameras. the crew had taken a brief break from filming, but you and hinata still wanted to continue exploring the various antique shops that lined the street.

“go for it!” he replied without missing a single beat, quickly rattling off a list of potential subjects, “you can take photos of plants, or maybe animals, really pretty scenery...it’s not even going to matter because i know you’ll end up taking really amazing photos.”

and when hinata insisted that he pay for the camera you chose, you decide on a subject.

__

the gallery is empty. well, at least the reception area is.

hinata’s dressed in his finest button-down and slacks, black dress shoes clicking against the white granite tiles. the receptionist directs him to the floor where your exhibition is meant to be held — right at the very top.

his brows furrow, there should be more people here. photographers, critics, fans even. he should’ve been greeted by reporters, by the surely hundreds of people all excited to see your work. you had only grown in popularity since your appearance on wgm, the number of people going to your exhibits only ever increasing. he should know, hinata’s been to every single one over the course of the show’s run. he knew what to expect. and it was certainly not this.

the elevator dings, indicating that he had reached the top floor. still, not a single person there. the frown on his face only deepens. hinata catches a glimpse of the exhibition’s title, “beyond the cameras: a retrospective”

the glass door is unlocked, hinata pushes through them only to be greeted with pictures of the last subject he expected: himself.

framed on the white walls of what possibly was tokyo’s most famous gallery were photos of him, glossy and bright, colors vivid and alluring. and they weren’t just any photos too, they were photos taken on the rare occasions wherein cameras weren’t following your every move. there were photos of him from nights he snuck you in the gym to teach you how to play volleyball, ones of him covered in paint taken in your studio, ones of him attempting to make you breakfast. all of which had him looking away from the camera.

that is until he reaches the final photo, the only one that had you in it as well, taken the night before the final day of filming. he was looking at the camera, but you were looking right at him — your gaze soft, the corners of your lips forming the smallest of smiles.

“so maybe i lied,” hinata heard a voice speak from beside him, recognizing it as yours almost immediately, “the exhibition is actually tomorrow. i just wanted you to see it first.”

“but why me?” he asked, biting the inside of his cheek.

“just because.” you shrugged, not even turning to look at him, gazing at your final photo — just like he was.

but hinata feels it, the tightening in his chest, the tension that enveloped your bodies as the two of you continued to stare straight ahead. he hears it, the ringing in his hears, the hammering of his heart, the unevenness of his breath.

you stand next to him, just a few inches separating you. hinata’s hand is drawn like a magnet to yours. at first your knuckles graze, and hinata holds his breath. then his fingertips push in between yours, you bite your lip. finally he he grasps your hand, a quiet exhale escapes you both.

you tear your eyes away from the photograph at the same time he does; your gazes meet. and just like that, you finally reach the same understanding as him, of just why leaving felt so wrong.

᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃

a question: how would the hq boys (specifically timeskip) act on a variety show like we got married?  |  written on the margins masterlist

taglist : @haikyuutothetop @crystal-lilac @tobioespresso @sushijimawakatoshi @itsmeaudrieee @pantherhappy @jesssobs @mysticstrawberryballoon @cloudedsky_29

join my hq taglist here. <3

[acoolchickouthere13]

February 27, 2019: Taylor drops Easter egg

Feb. 28, 2019 abigail drops matching Easter egg and quotes Panic! In a post about Taylor(EASTER egg)

March 2019 Karlie and JK move into 211 Elizabeth St.

March 4, 2019 LA

(Wears the same shirt December 2019)

Taylor announces her mom is battling cancer again- Elle article “30 things I learned before 30” march 6, 2019

“Being sweet to everyone all the time can get you into a lot of trouble. While it may be born from having been raised to be a polite young lady, this can contribute to some of your life’s worst regrets if someone takes advantage of this trait in you. Grow a backbone, trust your gut, and know when to strike back. Be like a snake—only bite if someone steps on you. Trying and failing and trying again and failing again is normal. It may not feel normal to me because all of my trials and failures are blown out of proportion and turned into a spectator sport by tabloid takedown culture (you had to give me one moment of bitterness, come on). BUT THAT SAID, it’s good to mess up and learn from it and take risks. It’s especially good to do this in your twenties because we are searching. That’s GOOD. We’ll always be searching but never as intensely as when our brains are still developing at such a rapid pace. No, this is not an excuse to text your ex right now. That’s not what I said. Or do it, whatever, maybe you’ll learn from it. Then you’ll probably forget what you learned and do it again.... But it’s fine; do you, you’re searching…. Banish the drama. You only have so much room in your life and so much energy to give to those in it. Be discerning. If someone in your life is hurting you, draining you, or causing you pain in a way that feels unresolvable, blocking their number isn’t cruel. It’s just a simple setting on your phone that will eliminate drama if you so choose to use it….Apologizing when you have hurt someone who really matters to you takes nothing away from you. Even if it was unintentional, it’s so easy to just apologize and move on. Try not to say “I’m sorry, but...” and make excuses for yourself. Learn how to make a sincere apology, and you can avoid breaking down the trust in your friendships and relationships….Before you jump in headfirst, maybe, I don’t know...get to know someone! All that glitters isn’t gold, and first impressions actually aren’t everything. It’s impressive when someone can charm people instantly and own the room, but what I know now to be more valuable about a person is not their charming routine upon meeting them (I call it a “solid first 15”), but the layers of a person you discover in time. Are they honest, self-aware, and slyly funny at the moments you least expect it? Do they show up for you when you need them? Do they still love you after they’ve seen you broken? Or after they’ve walked in on you having a full conversation with your cats as if they’re people? These are things a first impression could never convey.Playing mind games is for the chase. In a real relationship or friendship, you’re shooting yourself in the foot if you don’t tell the other person how you feel, and what could be done to fix it. No one is a mind reader. If someone really loves you, they want you to verbalize how you feel. This is real life, not chess.

Learning the difference between lifelong friendships and situationships. Something about “we’re in our young twenties!” hurls people together into groups that can feel like your chosen family. And maybe they will be for the rest of your life. Or maybe they’ll just be your comrades for an important phase, but not forever. It’s sad but sometimes when you grow, you outgrow relationships. You may leave behind friendships along the way, but you’ll always keep the memories. Fashion is all about playful experimentation. If you don’t look back at pictures of some of your old looks and cringe, you’re doing it wrong. See: Bleachella. How to fight fair with the ones you love. Chances are you’re not trying to hurt the person you love and they aren’t trying to hurt you. If you can wind the tension of an argument down to a conversation about where the other person is coming from, there’s a greater chance you can remove the shame of losing a fight for one of you and the ego boost of the one who “won” the fight. I know a couple who, in the thick of a fight, say “Hey, same team.” Find a way to defuse the anger that can spiral out of control and make you lose sight of the good things you two have built. They don’t give out awards for winning the most fights in your relationship. They just give out divorce papers. I remember people asking me, “What are you gonna write about if you ever get happy?” There’s a common misconception that artists have to be miserable in order to make good art, that art and suffering go hand in hand. I’m really grateful to have learned this isn’t true. Finding happiness and inspiration at the same time has been really cool. I learned that disarming someone’s petty bullying can be as simple as learning to laugh. In my experience, I’ve come to see that bullies want to be feared and taken seriously. A few years ago, someone started an online hate campaign by calling me a snake on the internet. The fact that so many people jumped on board with it led me to feeling lower than I’ve ever felt in my life, but I can’t tell you how hard I had to keep from laughing every time my 63-foot inflatable cobra named Karyn appeared onstage in front of 60,000 screaming fans. It’s the Stadium Tour equivalent of responding to a troll’s hateful Instagram comment with “lol.” It would be nice if we could get an apology from people who bully us, but maybe all I’ll ever get is the satisfaction of knowing I could survive it, and thrive in spite of it….I’ve come to a realization that I need to be able to forgive myself for making the wrong choice, trusting the wrong person, or figuratively falling on my face in front of everyone. Step into the daylight and let it go.”(x)

Feb. 2019 probably when ME! music video is shot(it’s either feb. 9 or March 9). “A record player is playing in the background[of the music video]. “It’s an old-timey, 1940s-sounding instrumental version of ‘You Need to Calm Down,’ ’’ Swift says. (x)

March 12, 2019 hung out with SelGo AND SHE’S HOLDING BENJAMIN BEFORE ANYONE KNEW ABOUT HIM ITS AN EASTER EGG WOW WTF

March 19, 2019

April 19, 2019 The Netflix movie “Someone Great” premiers, which she says in an Ellen interview May 15, 2019 is the inspiration for DBATC

April 22, 2019 NY

April 23, 2019 uses female pronouns in “NYD” at Time 100 Gala

[nbapprentice]

there’s so, so, SO much nonsense surrounding this game that i’m gonna do my best to separate it into digestible bits, with its own categories. even then this is... wow. it’s big.

Warning tags will be added at the start of every section, but the general gist is: incest, pedophilia mentions, fetishization of rape and abuse, fetishization of mlm, fetishization of people of color, racism, ableism, nb erasure and transphobia. aside of the warnings, this post will also touch upon Scummy Business Practices

let’s get going

Dana Rune’s and Elle’s lack of moral fiber: #incest #pedophilia#rape and abuse fetishization #homophobia

tl;dr: dana loves incest porn, elle loves guy on guy rape, and the both of them are friends with at least one pedophile

dana rune has run, is still running an incest zine (please visit my faq on what i think about “thats not really incest” and “it’s just fictional!”). The Arcana, as a dev team, clearly does not care, as shown in their e-mail responses.

dana also very much doesn’t care and has reacted to any criticism on this by dismissing people and blocking actual incest victims who tried to contact her about it claiming it was for her “mental health”

in some tweets she claims she “interprets” the characters as not siblings, but she never really cared enough to cover her ass when it all began (she happily admits she’d “cross the incest line”)

dana has commissioned artists who also ship incest, draw near-pedophilic art that’s supposed to pass as acceptable because the character involved is supposedly not a minor despite looking like a child down to wearing pigtails (the character is also wearing a racist-ass belly dancer outfit), AND even made white-washed fanart of The Arcana.

dana follows twitter user kapymui who also produces incestuous Fire Emblem art

dana has retweeted omocat long after it came out that omocat is, at the very least, consuming pedophilic content (on “omocat didn’t know what shota meant!”: yes they did)

moving on, elle has a long, long, LONG history of fetishizing mlm and the rape and abuse that comes with yaoi and had a rich, RICH “yaoi” tag before they deleted their tumblr

they curiously deleted their tumblr right after i made this reblog

shortly after that, tumblr user thalassiq remade and started attacking and insulting any blogs criticizing them - even people providing support in IMs. Since this doesn’t match Dana and Elle’s normal pity parties I’m personally willing to believe they were just a person wanting to start shit - but it’s so telling how Elle used this chance to dismiss everyone who disagrees with them by calling them “children” and did not even bother to offer a kind word to people who were harassed and even had their trauma mocked by this person. It costs 0 dollars to say “that was not me but I’m sorry about people who were hurt.”

Dana and Elle are close with Ava’s Demon creator Michelle Czajkowski aka that one person who endorses child porn of her characters, and even had her draw a promo image for the game. Michelle has been creating highly sexualized content of her minor characters for a while now.

ok so elle and dana are gross freaks, how is that related to the game?

oh it’s very very related

Dana Rune’s and Elle’s lack of moral fiber that’s Actually Inside The Game or The Game’s Blog: now with more #racism #fetishization of poc and mlm #whitewashing #fat hate #pedophilia #nb erasure #transphobia

tl;dr: the arcana is filled to the brim with racism! so much of it! haha holy shit! and that’s not even where it ends!!!

their game is rated PG-13 but includes incredibly sexual situations such as Julian making this fucking face while getting off on pain. This isn’t the only time Dana and Elle use their videogame aimed at young teens to showcase their kinks and fetishes. I have no issue with NSFW or titillating content, as long as it’s rated accordingly. This content is NOT and it’s a blatant disregard for their audience just to have a larger, more pliable demographic and have more money sent their way.

if you start your argument with “well, teenagers look at porn” 1. shut up 2. theres a HUGE difference between teenagers going after adult content aimed at adults, and adults creating content they know will be seen by kids barely starting puberty

as pointed above, dana has 0 qualms literally commissioning people who make whitewashed fanart of her own fucking game that’s supposed to be all about the inclusivity and safe spaces

thearcanagame blog has a pattern of reblogging whitewashed fanart (before you come in swinging with the good ole “ITS THE LIGHTING”: 1. no it isnt 2. the artist should’ve picked better lightning then 3. i draw and post shit online too so dont come telling me i just dont understaaaand),

fanart of their fat characters showed skinnier than they are in their sprites (although to be real for a moment - Portia is curvy at most and them behaving she’s fat rep is HILARIOUS).

going back to NSFW content: nadia and asra are overwhemlingly sexualized in the game, and were the first to have sexualized CGs and sprites introduced.

CGs: Asra’s here, here aND HERE, Nadia’s here with a NSFW warning because she’s just got her whole fucking ass out. Sprites: Asra’s thank god for whoever compiled it all in one image, Nadia’s and once again, NSFW warning lmfao!

Julian’s sprites on the other hand are noticeably tamer, including the one where he’s fucking strapped in leather. His only sexual (NSFW warning because its literally softcore tentacle porn WHICH, ONCE AGAIN, SHOULDN’T BE PUT IN A GAME AIMED AT 13YOS) CGs were also included months after Nadia and Asra received any of theirs.

Through all of the updates, people have constantly requested that Asra and Nadia’s sexualization be toned down, and time after time The Arcana just churned out fetishistic, hypersexualized content at an absurd rate, especially when compared to the one white love interest.

Oh, speaking of the one white love interest: Julian is based off of Jeff Goldblum (this is not spectulation - they p much bring it up at any given time) but like. If Jeff Goldblum was white. They base their favorite love interest off their supposed favorite man in the world but casually leave his skin tone behind. Lmao.

they also play favorites very obviously - in the prologue, Nadia and Asra have a romance paid scene each. Julian has a scene... that requires no coins. Julian was also the first LI to receive three CGs, two of them requiring no coins, while both Asra’s and Nadia’s first CGs were behind a paywall

Dana and Elle have been notoriously skittish about confirming or denying their characters’ ethnicities. After hyping for weeks on thearcanagame that they would confirm the character’s races they basically made a post that amounted to “well they’re not white lol!”

they only relented after the perfectly understandable outrage... and posted a thread about it on Elle’s twitter. Nothing on the actual thearcanagame blog. Anyway, here’s the thread. Note how there’s mention of Julian being Jeff Goldblum... but nothing about him and Portia being Jewish (or “fantasy Jewish” as it were).

The one time they did confirm their jewishness dana then backpedaled and said she shouldn’t have done that lol.

another fun tidbit of how well The Arcana handles race and how much it cares about feedback from fans: an ask was sent about an anon begging for Nadia to step on them. The blog, with the finesse of a bunch of horny dumbasses, didn’t just publish the ask, but approved of it (even though the fans of color had long, long, LONG been telling everyone not to fetishize Nadia into a “step on me kween” wet dream). People were outraged, of course, and the blog ~apologized~ and said they were still learning.... then a new chapter included a scene of Nadia stepping on the Apprentice. 🙃

not to mention elle, on their twitter, made a passive aggressive “women can be doms?” tweet, trying to twist it into a “yr oppressing women” angle (when the issue is that women of color are always constantly portrayed as aggressive and domineering)

Now for a wombo combo of racism and Elle’s fetishization of mlm:

the devs have spoken at length of how Julian’s and Asra’s relationship was quite unhealthy. In a paid scene in Asra’s route, they’re depicted as Asra being disgusted w Julian touching him+Julian following Asra to his shop when Asra refused his offer to go with him (aka julian... stalked him lmfao).

.......... this scene is promptly followed by a highly sexual scenario where Julian’s pain fetish is played up. Remember how this game is rated PG-13? Me neither. Asra’s previous disgust with Julian is also forgotten, for some reason (and by some reason i mean Elle wants to make them fuck w/o buildup or logic).

Then Asra’s route has yet another paid scene dedicated to Asrian, even though he’s supposed to not even like Julian! And be head over heels with the Apprentice! But Elle just has to make these two be entangled despite insisting their relationship was not good for either of them!

Now here’s the kicker: Julian doesn’t have any paid scenes related to his romance with Asra. Note how it’s one of the brown LIs whose route is highjacked by the white LI, but not vice versa. Hmmmmm.

Now, on the topic of Asra: thearcanagame has said repeatedly that he’s nb and uses he/him pronouns, and promised (since last year) that there would be dialogue where he speaks about his gender

as of the making of this post such dialogue still does not exist

so basically asra is the nb to dumbledore’s gay: anyone who just plays the game w/o keeping up with the official blog has no idea of what asra’s gender is supposed to be.

aka he’s not nb. he’s just a cis guy. the arcana just doesn’t want to put its money where its mouth is, i dont care if elle is nb themself. the team made a promise which has not been fulfilled yet and i suspect will not be.

instead, our introduction to canon nb characters is... these two.

By “these two” i mean neither vulgora nor valdemar are even fucking human, and stick out like sore thumbs with their monstruousness.

so our nb rep is... non-human villains. a few books later one of Nadia’s sisters with they/them pronouns shows up, but that’s too little too late on top of the fact that we should’ve known Asra was nb from the first to begin with. It’s a fucking embarrassment and an insult.

at least two villains are visibly disabled (Lucio’s missing arm and Volta’s blind eye+intentionally asymmetrical face). Julian’s eye doesn’t count because, spoilers, he’s not lacking an eye and even if he was it’d still be hidden behind a dashing eyepatch instead of grotesquely displayed as a sign of his lacking morality.

BUT WAIT! IT DOESN’T EVEN END THERE!

The Arcana Exploits The App Business Model To Price Their Full Game at $500, $1000 if the three extra routes make it out, and they never delivered their Kickstarter rewards:

tl;dr: you heard me

the original price per route was planned on being $1.99

they took that “subject to change” really seriously, it seems, because now each route, once the game is fully out, is estimated to cost around $170 each.

both those screenshots are taken from this post which explains in detail just how truly scummy all of The Arcana’s business model and decisions are: https://mysticmicrotransactions.tumblr.com/post/174308723344/dishonesty-from-the-arcana

the tl;dr is basically what’s listed in the beginning of this section, but other highlights from that post are: the use of addictive gambling mechanics such the Wheel of Fortune, and the dazzling calls to action in the new mini-game.

something that The Arcana supporters forget (or choose to ignore) is the fact that for a long, long time the game did not have the mini-game or the log-in rewards for coins. Players depended only on the gambling of the WoF or paying absurd amounts of money for the new chapters.

the devs went from playing the victims who were unable of controlling prices to (as spoken of in the link from mysticmicrotransactions) saying the making of the game (a pathetic little app game backed by a studio and a kickstarter) justifies the prices

they also gave people false hope about maybe changing the prices in the future, all while bleeding money from loyal players in “micro” transactions

the arcana literally added a $99.99 coins option on their latest update

in case it hasn’t sunk in yet: you can pay a hundred dollars upfront to the arcana, and you still will not have access to the whole game

there is no defense to this

none

“it’s free stop whining” let me explain:

“spend months on end accumulating fake currency or pay hundreds of dollars up-front to be able to play” is a scummy business model no matter how you look at it

if i can spend $60 upfront to play an AAA game there’s no excuse to demand more than that for a game with much smaller and, honestly, inferior content

the combination of there being already far and few games featuring lgbt characters and characters of color AND the little cult of personality set up by Dana and Elle makes people feel that spending money to support them is an acceptable expense.

it’s not

manipulating people into spending ridiculous amounts of money and then claiming “it’s their choice” is just scummy business, baby, and thats all the arcana does

the devs are brats who instead of admitting $500 is absurd for a game instead write petty little caricatures into their game - like, lbr: dana, elle, if i could afford diamonds in my hair i wouldn’t have even bothered with your shitstain of a game

despite bragging that ppl would get the full story w/o needing to pay, the paid scenes are pretty much required - the first few books of julian’s route have no romance without accessing any of the paid options. you dont even get so much as a kiss in without handing coins over. many, many people were baffled when julian had a teary break-up scene when from their perspective they hadn’t even started building a relationship.

wow that’s more than i ever thought it’d be

and i’ve been aware of their bullshit for near a whole year now!

i don’t have much of a note to end this on, other than: the arcana just isn’t even that good. it suffers from weak writing, pathetic character development and above all actually harmful content. do not try to argue with me on any of these points unless you’ve read all of that, because whatever you have to say i’ve likely mentioned before. if you still are that determined to yell at a me on the internet, please preface your argument with the phrase “I’m a pee pee poo poo man” so I know you’ve read everything in here. thank you!

[eldritchsurveys]

637.

Do you ever judge people based on if they believe in God or not? >> You know, it’s funny -- I’m more likely to make snap judgements about atheists than Christians. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve met my fair share of annoying proselytisers and hateful fundamentalists, have had “exorcisms” performed on me, the whole nine. I am definitely wary of Christianity as an institution, with good reason. But I’m really tired of the superiority complex that atheism seems to encourage (again, just like with Christians, not all atheists are like this -- but enough are). The fact that I dare to interpret my life and my reality in a non-materialist, often-arcane fashion immediately puts me at odds with a lot of atheists because their first thought about anything other than strict materialism is “only idiots believe that”, and I’m not going to let some other equally-in-the-dark human being treat me like an idiot because of something this personal (and this arbitrary!). Somehow, Christians telling me I’m going to hell because I listen to death metal or masturbate or whatever is less deeply irritating to me than that.

Do you ever brush your teeth in the shower? >> No. I can see why you would, though.

Has your printer ever stopped working at the last minute and you had a paper due the next day? What did you do? >> ---

Are you sometimes scared to express your opinions in fear of what others might think? >> It’s more like... I don’t feel like dealing with other people’s baggage, you know? Their inflexibility of mind, or baked-in prejudices, or superiority/inferiority complexes, or whatever. It’s really not worth it all the time. I could be putting my energy to better use than fielding off other people’s contempt. So I wouldn’t say my reticence is fear-based as much as it’s... boredom-based. lmao

Do you have a girl that is strictly a friend that isn’t related to you that you can go to? >> Yawn.

Have you ever painted your nails on only one hand, forgetting about the other one or getting side-tracked? >> No.

Have you ever tried sucrets? >> I don’t think so.

Would you date someone that smokes? >> I don’t date, but in general being a smoker isn’t something that puts me off a person. Being rude about smoking and not accepting that not everyone wants to breathe in their secondhand cancer air would, though. And if you smoke cigars, no thanks. Cigarette smoke is bad enough but cigar smoke is twice as bad.

What about drinks? >> Again, it’s not the act of drinking that puts me off a person, it’s to what extent their drinking affects their life and the lives of those around them.

Have you ever gone to one of those parties where everyone is falling around drunk everywhere? >> I don’t think so. I mean, maybe one or two people depending on their tolerance? But not the whole damn party.

Are you “the good guy”, or “the bad guy”, or somewhere in between? >> Yes.

Do you ever erase the numbers off of surveys just because they annoy you? >> No, the reason numbers tend to disappear off surveys when I take them is because when I paste the survey into this text box, tumblr automatically formats it like a numbered list, and when I unformat it the numbers go with it.

Person you like shows up at your house: you … >> ---

Last person you talked on the phone with? >> ---

Do you think you will have the same best friend a year from now? >> ---

Do you have siblings over the age of twenty-one? >> No.

Will tomorrow be better than today? >> I mean, today’s going to be pretty good. I’m going to play video games for hours to make up for the fact that I couldn’t all weekend.

What do you hear right now? >> Nothing.

What was the last thing to go into your mouth? >> Water, I think.

Do you usually tell people when you’re mad at them? >> I operate under the assumption that most people won’t care whether I’m upset with them or not, so I don’t bother informing them. That might be a maladaptive way of thinking, but so far I haven’t had much cause to question the notion, either.

Honestly, how is your heart lately? >> Beating.

Do you miss anyone? >> No.

Are you waiting for a phone call? >> No.

If an ex said they hated you, what would you say? >> I wouldn’t say anything. That’s their business, not mine.

What would you do if you found out your most recent ex was in a relationship? >> Hope that that person doesn’t go through what I went through. And if they do, hope that they have the presence of mind to leave sooner rather than later.

What do you think when someone kisses you on your forehead? >> First of all, who is doing that...

What do you usually do right when you wake up? >> Look at my phone to see what time it is.

Are you looking forward to anything? >> Yeah, playing WoW.

How late did you stay up last night? >> I got home at around a quarter past eleven, so I think I got to sleep shortly after midnight.

Do you truly hate anyone? >> No.

Would you ever get a tattoo? >> Of course.

In the past forty-eight hours, have you hung out with a girl? >> I hung out with a lot of people on Sunday.

Were you happy when you woke up today? >> Yes, very happy to be back in my warm comfortable bed and not in that janky loud motel.

If someone liked you, would you want them to tell you? >> I mean, it’s not going to change anything on my end, but I wouldn’t act weird about it if someone told me.

Would you rather go back a week or go forward? >> ---

Would you ever smile at a stranger? >> I’ve done so.

Who was the last person to text you? >> Sparrow.

What are you doing today? >> Playing video games, vegging out. Just enjoying being home.

Truthfully, is there someone you used to date that you miss? >> Not right now.

Have you ever gotten burnt by a cigarette? >> Yeah, on purpose.

Have you ever been so bored that you started drooling on yourself? >> What...

Do you brush your teeth right away when you wake up? >> Not right away, but soon enough after.

Do you have someone of the opposite sex you can tell everything to? >> ---

Want to get smashed tonight? >> Nah, I’m good.

What time are you getting up tomorrow? >> I don’t know, whatever time I wake up.

Are you happy with the choices you’ve made? >> Like, throughout my entire life? Some were fine, some were mistakes, some don’t even register in my memory anymore.

Think back to last June; were you single? >> No.

Have you ever made someone laugh when they were crying? >> Probably. That’s my only method of consolation -- distraction.

Describe how you feel right now. >> Neutral.

Would you date someone three years older than you? >> ---

Do you prefer to shower at night or in the morning? >> In the morning.

Do you think more about the past, present, or future? >> The present.

Are you okay with the life you live? >> Sure.

Could you handle living with the last person you texted? >> I do live with the last person I texted.

Was the last book you read for fun, or was it for some type of assignment? >> Everything I read is purely for my own interest/delight.

Have you accomplished any goals you set for yourself this year so far? >> The only “goal” I ever set is that Goodreads reading challenge, lmao. But even that’s just for fun -- if I don’t read 50 books in a year, it’s not like I consider myself a failure or something. Quantity doesn’t even mean anything. It’s just something to keep track of, I guess. (Also, when I do those end-of-year book surveys, it’s easier to just go look at my challenge because then I can see at a glance what books I read that year.)

If you could go forward in time and see your life 5 years from now, what would you hope to see? >> ---

Are there still movie rental stores where you live or have they all gone out of business? >> There’s one down the road from me, like a 10-minute walk. Family Video just refuses to go down without a fight, I guess. They jumped on the CBD bandwagon really fast, too -- revenue is revenue, I guess, lmao.

What was the last thing to annoy you or make you upset? >> When I realised I’d left my laptop and phone chargers in the motel room. *facepalm* Thank god for Amazon one-day shipping.

Do you think you would be a good match for your celebrity crush/es assuming you have one? Why? If you don’t have one, who was the last person you saw that you found attractive? >> There were a lot of attractive people at Elle’s wedding.

When looking for something to watch on TV do you tend to pick shows you know you like, or try new shows that look interesting even though you’ve never heard of them before? >> Either. Just depends on what I’m in the mood for.

Have you ever been ditched by someone only to find them out and about with someone else? >> No.

How old were you when you had your wisdom teeth removed? >> ---

What is the last song you sang out loud? >> I don’t remember.

Where was the last job application you filled out sent to? >> ---

Have you ever been fired from a job? >> No.

What do people tell you your voice sounds like? >> I don’t recall the last time anyone commented on my voice at all.

What financial class are you? >> Poverty class.

What poster is hanging closest to you? >> It’s not a poster, it’s an art print. It’s called “Heimdall” and that’s basically what it is, I guess. But very, very intricate and multilayered. One of those “stare at it for five hours and still see new things” kind of artwork.

What time did you go to bed last night? >> Sometime after midnight.

Do you watch any reality shows? >> Not regularly.

Are you more comfortable with men or women? >> ---

Do you think you’re fat? >> Sometimes I do. It’s all just societal bullshit, though, because I’m technically not fat (and it really shouldn’t even be a big deal if I was).

Have you ever borrowed money from someone and never repaid them? >> Probably.

Do you have a pet cat? >> Yeah.

What is worse: physical or emotional pain? >> I’m not going to rank one as “worse” than the other. Pain is pain.

If you had to get up at 6 AM tomorrow morning, would it be painful? >> Probably. It’s not my normal getting-up time.

How is your hair? >> Fine.

Who was the last person who called you? >> ---

How long does it take you to fall asleep at night? >> Not long, because I don’t go to bed until I feel good and sleepy.

How many people have you had strong feelings for in the year of 2012? >> You know what I had strong feelings for in 2012? Drugs.

What are you doing for your next birthday? >> I have no idea. Probably going to Chicago like usual, although the idea of going to Canada is still on the table if we can get passports by that time.

Would you go on a date with someone right now if they asked? >> Not unless it was explicitly understood that I am aromantic and this is a platonic outing.

Do you believe that if you want something bad enough, you’ll get it? >> Sometimes that narrative is fun to entertain.

Last movie you watched? >> The Nightingale.

Who were you with? >> Nobody.

Who came over last? >> ---

Have you ever wanted to be a ballet dancer? >> No.

Does your family keep tons of leftovers in the fridge? >> I do not.

Favourite FRIENDS character? That is, if you like it. >> ---

Skullcandy headphones, yay or nay? >> Yeah, I like them.

Are you thinking of getting another piercing? Where? >> No.

Do you love when people remember little things about you? >> Sure, it means people actually paid attention to me and cared enough to remember, which goes against some of my less helpful self-talk.

Do you ‘bless’ strangers when they sneeze? >> No.

How many phones have you gone through? >> Too many.

Have you always lived in the house you currently reside in? >> No.

Do you think your future will be a good one? >> ---

[thebeginningaftertheendfr]

Chapitre 1 : La lumière au bout du tunnel

Je n'ai jamais cru à toute cette histoire de “la lumière au bout du tunnel” où les gens, après avoir vécu des expériences de mort imminente, se réveillent en sursaut, le corps couvert de sueurs froides en s’exclamant : « J’ai vu la lumière ! » Mais me voici actuellement dans ce soi-disant “tunnel” face à une lumière éblouissante, quand la dernière chose dont je me souviens était de dormir dans ma chambre (d'autres l'appellent la chambre royale).

Suis-je mort ? Si c'est le cas, comment ? Ai-je été assassiné ?

Je ne me souviens avoir fait de tort à personne, mais là encore, être une puissante personnalité publique a donné aux autres toutes sortes de raisons de vouloir ma mort.

En tous cas…

Je gravitais lentement autours cette lumière vive et, puisqu'il semblait que je n’allais me réveiller de sitôt, je ferais aussi bien de m’approcher d’elle.

Le voyage semblait prendre une éternité. Je m'attendais à moitié à ce qu'un chœur d'enfants chante un hymne angélique, me faisant signe vers ce que j'espérais être le paradis. Au lieu de cela, ma vision s'est transformée en un flou de rouge vif alors que des bruits attaquaient mes oreilles. Quand j'essayai de dire quelque chose, le seul son qui sortit semblait être un cri.

Les voix étouffées sont devenues plus claires et j'ai entendu prononcer un :

« Félicitations Monsieur et Madame, c'est un garçon en bonne santé. »

Attendez…

Je suppose que normalement, je devrais penser à quelque chose du genre “Merde, est-ce que je viens de naître ? Suis-je un bébé maintenant ?ˮ Mais étrangement, la seule pensée qui semblait surgir dans mon esprit était : “Donc, la lumière vive au bout du tunnel est la lumière qui traverse le vagin d’une femme…ˮ … Haha, n'y pensons plus.

En évaluant ma situation de manière rationnelle, à la manière d'un roi, j'ai remarqué, tout d'abord, que peu importe où se trouvait cet endroit, je comprenais la langue. C’est toujours un bon signe. Ensuite, après avoir lentement et douloureusement ouvert les yeux, mes rétines ont été bombardées de couleurs et de formes différentes. Il a fallu un peu de temps à mes yeux de bébé pour s'habituer à la lumière. Le médecin, ou du moins ce qui y ressemblait, en face de moi avait un visage peu attrayant avec de longs cheveux grisonnants sur la tête et le menton. Je jure que ses lunettes étaient suffisamment épaisses pour être à l'épreuve des balles. La chose étrange était qu'il ne portait pas de blouse de médecin et que nous n'étions même pas dans une chambre d'hôpital. Je semblais être né d'un rituel d'invocation satanique parce que cette pièce n'était éclairée que par quelques bougies et que nous étions par terre sur un lit de paille. J'ai regardé autour de moi et j'ai vu la femme qui m'a poussé hors de son tunnel. L’appeler ma mère devrait être plus juste. En prenant quelques secondes de plus pour voir à quoi elle ressemblait, je dois admettre qu'elle est vraiment belle, mais cela a peut-être été causé par ma vision à moitié floue. Plutôt qu'une beauté glamour, je ferais mieux de la décrire comme étant charmante, dans un sens très gentil et doux, avec des cheveux auburn distincts et des yeux bruns. Je n'ai pas pu m'empêcher de remarquer ses longs cils et son nez guilleret qui me donnaient envie de m'accrocher à elle. Elle était tout simplement imprégné d’une sensation maternelle. Est-ce la raison pour laquelle les bébés étaient attirés par leur mère ?

J'ai décollé mon visage et me suis tourné à droite pour distinguer avec peine la personne que je supposais être mon père, reconnaissable par le sourire idiot et les yeux larmoyants avec lesquels il me regardait. Immédiatement, il a dit :

« Salut petit Art, je suis ton papa, peux-tu dire papa ? »

J'ai regardé autour de moi pour voir à la fois ma mère et le médecin de campagne (pour toute la certification qu'il semblait avoir), rouler des yeux alors que ma mère réussissait à se moquer.

« Chéri, il vient de naître. »

J'ai regardé de plus près mon père et j’ai pu voir pourquoi ma charmante mère était attirée par lui. Outre les quelques connections défaillantes qu'il semblait avoir en s'attendant à ce qu'un nouveau-né articule un mot de deux syllabes (je vais juste lui accorder le bénéfice du doute en pensanant qu'il a dit cela par joie de devenir père), il était un homme très charismatique avec une ligne de mâchoire carrée parfaitement rasée qui embellissait ses traits. Ses cheveux, d’une couleur brune très cendré, semblaient être courts, tandis que ses sourcils étaient épais et féroces, surplombant ses yeux comme une épée en forme d’accent circonflexe. Pourtant, ses yeux avaient une certaine douceur, que ce soit de la façon dont ses yeux tombaient un peu vers les bords ou de la teinte bleu profond, presque saphir, qui rayonnait de ses iris.

J'ai entendu la voix de ma mère dire :

« Hmm, il ne pleure pas. Docteur, je pensais que les nouveau-nés étaient censés pleurer à leur naissance. »

Au moment où j'ai fini de vérifier…heu je veux dire observer mes parents, le médecin en herbe s'est simplement excusé en disant :

« Il y a des cas où l'enfant ne pleure pas. Veuillez continuer à vous reposer pendant quelques jours, Mme Leywin, et faites-moi savoir si quelque chose arrive à Arthur, M. Leywin. »

Les deux semaines qui ont suivi mon voyage hors du tunnel ont été un nouveau type de torture pour moi. J'avais peu ou pas de contrôle moteur sur mes membres à part pouvoir les agiter, et même cela me fatiguait rapidement. Je dû rapidement me rendre à l’évidence : les bébés n’arrivaient pas vraiment à contrôler leurs doigts. Je ne sais pas comment vous annoncer cette nouvelle les gars, mais lorsque vous placez votre doigt dans la paume d’un bébé, il ne l’attrape pas parce qu’il vous aime bien, il l’attrape parce que c’est comme se faire frapper sous le genoux par le docteur ; c’est un réflexe. Oubliez le contrôle moteur, je ne peux même pas excréter mes déchets à ma discrétion. Je n'étais pas encore le maître de ma propre vessie. C'est juste… sorti. Haa…

Du côté positif, l'un des rares avantages auxquels je me suis heureusement habitué était d'être allaité par ma mère. Ne vous méprenez pas, je n’avais aucune arrière-pensée. C'est juste que le lait maternel avait un goût bien meilleur que les préparations pour nourrissons et a une meilleure valeur nutritionnelle, d’accord ? Euh… s'il vous plaît, croyez-moi.

Le lieu d'invocation de démons sataniques semblait être la chambre de mes parents et d'après ce que je m’imaginais, l'endroit dans lequel j'étais actuellement coincé serait, espérons-le, à une date antérieure à ma mort, dans le passé de mon monde, lorsque l'électricité n'avait pas encore été inventée. Ma mère a rapidement anéantie mes espoirs car, un jour, elle a guéri une égratignure sur ma jambe quand mon idiot de père m'a cogné contre un tiroir en me balançant. Non pas avec un pansement et un bisou magique, mais avec une lumière éclatante et brillante, et un léger bourdonnement s’échappant de ses mains effrayantes.

Où diable suis-je ?

Ma mère, nommée Alice Leywin, et mon père, nommé Reynolds Leywin, semblaient au moins être de bonnes personnes, sinon les meilleures. Je soupçonnais que ma mère était un ange parce que je n’ai jamais rencontré une personne aussi généreuse et chaleureuse. Tout en étant portée sur son dos grâceà une sorte de sangle pour bébé, je suis allée avec elle dans ce qu'elle appelait une ville. Cette ville, Ashber, était plus un simple avant-poste, car il n'y avait ni routes ni bâtiments. Nous avons marché sur le chemin de terre principal où il y avait des tentes des deux côtés avec divers marchands et vendeurs proposant toutes sortes de choses – allant des nécessités quotidiennes courantes à des choses sur lesquelles je ne pouvais pas m'empêcher de m’étonner, comme des armes, des armures et des pierres … Des roches brillantes !

La chose la plus étrange à laquelle je n'arrivais pas à m'habituer était les gens qui portaient des armes comme si c'était un sac de créateur de luxe. J'ai vu un homme d'environ 1m70 portant une gigantesque hache de guerre plus grosse que lui ! Quoi qu'il en soit, maman n'arrêtait pas de me parler, probablement pour essayer de me faire apprendre la langue plus rapidement, tout en faisant les courses du jour, en échangeant des plaisanteries avec diverses personnes passant ou travaillant dans les stands. Pendant ce temps, mon corps s'est de nouveau retourné contre moi, et je me suis endormi… Merde ! Ce corps inutile.

Assis sur les genoux de ma mère qui me caressait dans son sein, j'étais intensément concentrée sur mon père qui récitait actuellement un chant, qui sonnait comme une prière à la terre, pendant près d'une bonne minute. Je me penchai de plus en plus, tombant presque de mon siège humain en m'attendant à un phénomène magique, comme un tremblement de terre fendant le sol ou un golem de pierre géant émergeant. Après ce qui semblait être une éternité (croyez-moi, pour un bébé qui a la capacité d'attention d'un poisson rouge, c'était le cas.) Trois rochers de la taille d’un homme adulte ont émergé du sol et ont heurté un arbre à proximité.

Au nom de… c'était quoi ?

J'ai agité mes bras de colère, mais mon père idiot a interprété cela comme un "WOW" et a eu un grand sourire sur son visage en disant :

« Ton papa est génial hein ! »

Non, mon père était un bien meilleur combattant. Quand il a mis ses deux gantelets en fer, je me suis même senti obligé de laisser tomber mes sous-vêtements (ou ma couche) pour lui. Avec des mouvements rapides et précis qui étaient surprenants pour sa carrure, ses poings avaient suffisamment de force pour briser le mur du son, mais étaient suffisamment fluides pour ne pas laisser d'ouverture. Dans mon monde, il aurait été classé comme un combattant de haut niveau, dirigeant une escouade de soldats, mais pour moi, c'était juste mon idiot de père.

Pour ce que j'ai appris, ce monde semblait être un monde assez simple rempli de magie et de guerriers, où le pouvoir et la richesse décidaient de son rang dans la société. En ce sens, ce n’était pas trop différent de mon ancien monde, à part le manque de technologie et la légère différence entre la magie et le ki. Dans mon ancien monde, les guerres étaient devenues une forme presque obsolète de règlement des différends entre pays. Ne vous méprenez pas, bien sûr, il y avait encore des batailles, mais à plus petite échelle, et des armées étaient encore nécessaires pour la sécurité des citoyens. Cependant, les différends concernant le bien-être d'un pays reposaient soit sur un duel entre les dirigeants de leur pays, limité à l'utilisation du ki et d'armes de combat rapproché, soit sur une bataille simulée entre pelotons, où des armes à feu limitées étaient autorisées, pour des différends plus petits. Par conséquent, les rois n'étaient pas l’homme ventripotent typique assis sur le trône et commandant les autres par ignorance, mais devaient être le combattant le plus fort pour représenter son pays.

Assez parlé de ça.

La monnaie dans ce nouveau monde semblait assez simple d'après les échanges que ma mère avait avec les marchands. Le cuivre était la forme la plus faible de la monnaie, puis venait l'argent, suivi de l'or. Bien que je n'avais encore rien vu coûter autant qu'une pièce d'or, les familles normales semblaient très bien pouvoir vivre de quelques pièces de cuivre par jour.

100 pièces de Cuivre = 1 pièce d’Argent

100 pièces d'Argent = 1 pièce d'Or

Chaque jour impliquait de perfectionner mon nouveau corps, de maîtriser les fonctions motrices résidant au plus profond de moi. Ce régime confortable a rapidement changé.

Chapitre suivant

[torontotravelblog]

Things to do this week in Toronto

What's happening in Toronto April 22-26, 2019

MONDAY, APRIL 22 (EASTER MONDAY)

Spring into Easter at the Toronto Zoo: Join for special on-site animal encounters, daily Meet the Keeper Talks, the chance of catching a glimpse of our Veterinarians at work in the Wildlife Health Centre.

Easter Lunch at Miku Toronto: Celebrate Easter with a special menu only available for Monday.

Easter Day at MARBL: Celebrate this Easter weekend with family and friends. We'll be offering Easter exclusive menu items, as well as perfecting your dinner with a bottle of wine, hand picked by our sommelier.

The Best of The Second City: The Second City’s Touring Company comes home to Toronto for an unforgettable night of classic and original sketch comedy, along with hilarious unscripted improvisation.

Queer and Present Danger Collective: Spring Queening: Hosted by Bethany Daniels featuring Sam Sferrazza, Amethyst Barron and Jade Niles Craig. Headlined by Al Val.

Cher at Scotiabank Arena: Cher performs in Toronto with special guests Nile Rodgers and Chic.

Humber Valley Art Exhibition: This guild from Neilson Park Creative Centre presents an exciting juried art exhibition with a mix of subjects, styles, and media by their highly talented member artists.

The Wow: Fax My Life: The Wow returns for April for an office themed comedy spectacular. Toronto's all-star sketch comedy collective gives you a uniquely themed full-blown spectacle every single month..

TUESDAY, APRIL 23

Gene Domagala's Toronto Places, People and Buildings, Including the Beach: Local historian Gene Domagala reviews Toronto places, people and buildings of interest, including those in the Beach.

The Bourbon Excursion at Jump: Kick off the evening with a welcome cocktail before tucking in to a four-course dinner paired with J.B.’s finest bourbons. Featuring homestyle fare such as Mortadella Lasagna, Tamarack Farm Lamb Shoulder, and Peanut Butter Baked Alaska.

#PitchItYork at Seneca College Newnham Campus: Showcasing York Regions brightest entrepreneurs, Open People Network has partnered with Seneca HELIX for #PitchItYORK! Pitchit is an interactive and fun pitch event to help entrepreneurs showcase their company to potential clients and angel investors.

RSI Leadership Dinner & Dialogue Series: To explore how trusted AI can advance and sustain the competitive advantage of your business and the markets you serve, join our AI-focused dinner and dialogue for C-suite executives.

Caméra Stylo Launch Party! The Cinema Studies Student Union's Undergraduate Journal Caméra Stylo is having their annual launch party.

Kelvin Wetherell at Cafe Mirage: Cafe Mirage Grill and Lounge presents Kelvin Wetherell on Nov 6. The performance runs between 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm in the evenings with a 15 minutes break in between. Cafe Mirage is one of the leading restaurants in Scarborough.

101: Cannabis: Canna-Curious? Learn your CBD’s from your THC’s and join us for a conversation on all things cannabis. Our panelists will be able to answer all of your burning questions: from wellness to entrepreneurship, to education and responsible use.

Hot Breath Karaoke at The Handlebar: Ridiculous game show style karaoke, with prizes.

Westway Christian Church Food Bank: The Westway Christian Church Community Food Bank is open for clients to receive food on Tuesday evenings from 5-7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24

Fashion Art Toronto at Daniels Spectrum

Fashion Art Toronto is a showcase of contemporary and experimental fashion and arts The five-day multi-arts experience will inspire and intrigue guests through runway shows, photography exhibits, art installations, live performances and short films.

ALSO ON WEDNESDAY

Once Upon a Refugee: Chapter II - The Unrehearsed Plan: Once Upon a Refugee is a community education event celebrating the experience and contributions of refugees, hosted by North York Community House. The evening will have music, storytelling, food, and theatre.

Etobicoke Voters: Claim Your Right To A Vote That Counts! Fair Vote Toronto presents an information session on voting reform and Proportional Representation.

City of Toronto information session on aerial spray program for Gypsy Moth: The City of Toronto will implement an aerial spray program this spring in seven Toronto wards to protect the tree canopy and vulnerable trees from European Gypsy Moth infestation.

Blockchain Revolution Global: The first truly worldwide conference for blockchain in enterprise. Speakers include Imogen Heap, music maker & founder of Mycelia, who will also perform live at the EBA gala.

An Evening of Poetry Readings with Toronto's New Poet Laureate: Join Toronto's new Poet Laureate for a thought-provoking night of spoken word. In the first public appearance of his laureateship, Toronto's literary ambassador A.F. Moritz will be reading alongside three young poets at The Poet Presentation Centre.

Showtime! Disney Edition at The Drink: A live music showcase featuring performances by Aaron Bell, Michala Todd and Charlotte Ferrarei. This time they'll be serving you live Disney music.

Who run the world? QTBIPOC: A free drop-in workshop series on relationships for youth. Learn skills and connect with other 2SLGBTQ Black, Indigenous and youth of colour (16-29) at this Beyonce-themed workshop series on relationships-- with pals, family, partners and yourself.

THURSDAY, APRIL 25

In Her Voice: Amy Spurway Crow Launch

Please join Amy Spurway in conversation with author Emily Saso at Ben McNally Books as part of the 'In Her Voice' event series. They will be discussing Amy’s debut book Crow, followed by a signing. Books will be available for sale.

ALSO ON THURSDAY

Digifest 2019: Digifest is a three-day design and tech festival as well as a startup event, organized annually by the Digital Media and Gaming Incubator at George Brown College.

Leadership & Social Entrepreneur Knowledge Cafe 2019: Seminar of interest to entrepreneurs, professionals, activists and mentors for the next generation of leaders.

16th Albert Lahmer Memorial Lecture: Andrew Larsen: Join Toronto children's writer Andrew Larsen, author of The Man Who Loved Libraries: the Story of Andrew Carnegie, for the Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books' 16th Albert Lahmer Memorial Lecture.

Art-Bound at Camp Tech: Have you heard about art journaling? Come and find out what the fuss is all about. The Art-Bound workshop is an introduction and exploration of art journaling.

Coco & Cowe presents Coco Con: Media: The second event of the Coco Con series. Catriona Smart and Halla Rafati will be joined by Vanessa Craft, Editor-In-Chief for Elle Canada.

Moonstruck at Bad Dog Comedy Theatre: By way of inspiration, its cast will take the details of one audience member’s dream to create a hilarious and magical show. Completely made up on the spot and never to be repeated, this show is sorta like a dream (no, better).

Cozy Fun Comedy Show at 120 Diner: Featuring: Velvet Wells, Sarah Ashby, Luba Magnus, Jesse Singh, Honey Bennett, Freddie Rivas, Desirée Walsh

RuPaul's Drag Race Viewing Parties: Fans of the hit reality television series can watch new episodes every Thursday at several spots around the city, including Apt 200, The Gladstone Hotel, The Beaver and Striker.

FRIDAY, APRIL 26

András Keller conducts the Royal Conservatory Orchestra at Koerner Hall

Hungarian violinist, Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of Concerto Budapest Symphony Orchestra, and founder of the Keller Quartet András Keller leads The Glenn Gould School’s Royal Conservatory Orchestra.

ALSO ON FRIDAY

Metric with July Talk at Scotiabank Arena: Toronto-based rock bands Metric and July Talk perform in Toronto.

Fairlawn Avenue United Church's 58th Annual Book Sale: Shop for gently used books, DVDs, CDs, and LPs.

David Newland CD Release: Newland's CD release party will take place at Hugh's Room Live.

Toronto Lit Up: Mike Barnes: Join Biblioasis and the Toronto International Festival of Authors in celebrating the release of Mike Barnes’ Braille Rainbow: Poems through Toronto Lit Up!

Dinner for Vegetarians in High Park: Join us to check out the all-vegan restaurant The Goods. Everyone welcome. RSVP via email.

Acid x Untitled presents Justin Cudmore at Black Eagle: Brooklyn's rising star of the Queer techno scene Justin Cudmore joins Aeryn Pfaff and Ceremonial at The Black Eagle. Hosted by Miss Moço. All genders welcome. No room for discrimination.

Flashback Friday: A Time Travel Cabaret: Come witness the past, present and future like you've never seen them before through some of the cities best burlesque, drag and gender performers.

Redwood Comedy Cafe: A weekly comedy showcase featuring Canada's top comedians at the intimate Redwood Cafe in Little India.

ONGOING

Jude Ifesieh presents: 'Beauty in Lines' at Visions Gallery: Jude Ifesieh has developed a unique style, building complex images from a myriad of simple, colourful strokes and dots. His resulting works express the innate beauty of life and nature, bursting with healing energy, fertility and fresh possibilities. Runs until May 12.

Art Show & Sale by Marley Berot at Starving Artist Restaurant: Trini-Ja Canadian Marley Berot is opening her first show at the Starving Artist Restaurant and Gallery at 467 Danforth Avenue. Her acrylic paintings will stay on the walls until May 18.

VideoCabaret: Too Good To Be True: A dark comedy by the marvelous playwright Cliff Cardinal, who recently won Double-Doras, and an Edinburgh festival award for writing and performing Huff. Runs until May 19.

Next to Normal at CAA Theatre: Winner of three Tony Awards, Next to Normal explores a suburban household affected by mental illness. With a gripping story and a surging contemporary rock score, Next to Normal is a raw depiction of a family in crisis trying to overcome the past. In production until May 19.

PRECIOUS: An Exhibition of Contemporary Art and Jewellery: By creating precious artwork and art jewellery from everyday and discarded items, Micah Adams, Christine Dwane and Lawrence Woodford remind us that our world is shaped by the decisions we make. Whether disposable or sustainable, beauty is everywhere. On display through May 23.

Being Japanese Canadian: Reflections on a Broken World at the ROM: Explore the original exhibition through the eyes of curators Bryce Kanbara and Katherine Yamashita. Runs until May 25.

The post “  Things to do this week in Toronto “ was originally seen on toronto.com by Whatson

IV Vitamin Drip Therapy Toronto Clinic - The IV Lounge

[collegefashion]

Hautelinks: Why Betsey Johnson Sold Her Company, Best Summer Recipes, Eyeshadow Palette Controversy, & More

Wow, this is awesome: A 10-year-old girl has sent more than 1,500 art kits to kids in foster care and homeless shelters during the pandemic.

Fashionista explains why fine jewelry is still selling really well during the pandemic. I hadn't thought about this, but they're totally right: I have seen the "sporty rich" look eeeeverywhere...

Apparently Huda Beauty is facing a class action lawsuit for their "Neon Obsessions" palettes which apparently aren't safe for eye use (!!) I felt like I learned a lot about beauty labeling from this article -- and can definitely see why someone would sue.

I will forever be a fan of Betsey Johnson. <3 This piece on her from the New Yorker has so many interesting details about her fashion empire and why she sold.

Allure did a fab interview with Christine from the blog Temptalia. I've been following her forever so it's great to see her recognized!

Also, from Temptalia, 26 plant-inspired eyeshadow combinations to try, perfect for summer weather!

Plus size ladies, GabiFresh's newest swimwear collab is seriously SO cute.

How to Recreate Your Favorite Restaurant Dinners at Home, via The Everygirl.

More recipes: The Best Summer Recipes to Try Now. That watermelon salad looks incredible.

Vogue takes a look back at Harry and Meghan's best fashion moments as a couple.

ELLE explains how fashion designers are getting extra creative in quarantine. I hope some of this continues once we hit our "new normal"...

Free People has a killer denim cutoffs tutorial perfect for creating a perfectly distressed pair of shorts.

Refinery29 shares a few genius ways to upgrade instant ramen.

Gorgeous: Urban Decay's new Naked Ultraviolet palette is coming soon and we're already dreaming up some summery eyeshadow looks.

And speaking of eyeshadow, here are the 10 classic palettes that are actually worth the hype.

Aw, this is cool: Coronavirus canceled Ramadan celebrations around the world, so one player recreated them in Animal Crossing. <3

Here's how to create beachy "s" waves with a flat iron. If you haven't tried this, definitely give it a shot -- it's surprisingly easy.

Cosmo has some tips on shopping more ethically, and they even explain why "sustainable" and "ethical" aren't necessarily the same.

And finally... baby hippo!! It doesn't get cuter.

[voyagelitteraire]

Chers Bookeurs, Chères Bookeuses,

J’espère que vous allez bien et que vos vacances d’été se sont bien passées. Il y a environ deux mois j’ai commandé ma seconde box livresque chez Mille et Un Livres. La box du mois d’août a pour thème LES TOURNOIS CÉLÈBRES.

Mille et un Livres c’est quoi?

Mille et un Livres est un site offrant des box livresques Young Adult avec différents thèmes chaque mois. Mille et un Livres est une petite structure familiale qui a commencé à commercialisé des box en avril 2016 grâce à Milena.

Il existe différents formats de box, le premier prix propose un roman YA grand format publié récemment, 3/4 objets livresques inspirés du thème du mois, une note explicative concernant les objets présents dans la box et un bonus.

Coté tarif…

Les frais de port: Box standard: €5 pour une livraison en point relais et de €6.70 pour une livraison à domicile Maxi box: €5.95 pour une livraison en point relais et de €7.50 pour une livraison à domicile

Mon avis sur la Box …

J’ai suis allée chercher ma box en point relais le 28 aout. Elle avait été livrée quelques jours plus tôt ce qui correspond aux dates prévues d’envoi des box. Je n’ai rien à redire sur le timing toujours au top. J’avais tellement hâte de découvrir cette seconde box que je n’ai pas arrêté de synchroniser mes mails pour voir si une confirmation d’envoi n’était pas arrivée. Une fois la confirmation reçu j’ai du actualisé le suivi de colis une bonne vingtaine de fois. Oui je suis un peu monomaniaque.

J’ai a nouveau commandé le format Maxi Box car la première était vraiment au top et plus j’ai de goodies mieux je me porte. Cette box contenait donc un livre inédit – pour une fois il s’agit d’un livre en édition collector et non une parution récente. Il y avait également 8 goodies : 3 marques pages, une carte, un bloc note, un porte clé, un sachet de chocolat bio et une pochette pour livre. Place à la présentation des goodies! 

Les Goodies

Une pochette pour livre sur le thème de Warcross réalisée par Nouvia Kit ainsi que BookChic. Cette prochette est mon article préféré de la box, elle est juste magnifique! La pochette est parfaite pour un livre grand format et est rembourré donc adieu les coins abîmes et les pages cornées! J’ai tellement hâte de voyager avec.

Un jolie porte-clé Ready Player-One créé par Abby Malaga Art. J’adore Ready Player-One du coup quand j’ai vu qu’il ferait parti de la box j’ai immédiatement sauté dessus. Ce porte-clé est une très belle surprise et mes clés vont l’adorer!

De la poudre de cacao bio Harry Potter illustrée par Cameron McCafferty. J’aime Harry Potter, j’aime le chocolat chaud. Quoi demander de plus? L’emballage est super jolie!

Un Marque-Page Hunger Games réalisé par Haimeart. Nous n’avons jamais assez de marques-pages, il faut toujours que je choisisse un marque-page en fonction du thème du livre et celui là est parfait! Un peu sombre mais les dessins sont magnifiques. Il y a un côté Katniss et un côté Peeta… Je ne me suis pas encore décidée sur lequel mettre en avant en premier.

Une carte de Wade de l’univers Ready Player-One réalisée par SnCinderArt. A nouveau, un goodie Ready Player-One, je suis aux anges! Cette carte est superbe et j’aime beaucoup la façon dont a été dessiné Wade. Je vais la garder précieusement dans ma box à cartes!

Un Bloc Note Harry Potter à nouveau illustré par Abby Malaga Art. Moi qui avait besoin d’un Bloc note! Ce Bloc Note est illustré “Le Tournois des Trois Sorciers” et est juste wow! J’adore. Je l’aime tellement que je ne pense pas être capable de gribouiller dessus comme je fais en temps normal avec mes bloc notes!

Une bande de photo cabine créée par iparwing. Un marque-page de plus dans ma collection et probablement un de mes préférés! Sur cette bande photo nous pouvons voir Emika (Warcross), ART3MIS (Ready Player-One), Cedric (Harry Potter) ainsi que Finnick (Hunger Games). Que du beau monde!

En bonus puisque j’ai commandé ma Maxi Box durant la première semaine de vente j’ai également reçu un petit marque page Finnick Odair réalisé par It’s Looovely. J’adore ce petit marque page aimanté. C’est le premier que j’ai dans ce model et je le trouve tellement pratique! Plus besoin d’avoir peur de perdre son marque page avec son système d’aimant!

  Côté livresque…

Avant toute chose, je tiens à préciser que j’ai décidé de ne pas me spoiler le livre qui allait être proposé dans cette boite malgré que Mille et un Livres l’ait annoncé il y a plusieurs semaines sur instagram. En effet, comme je vous l’ai annoncé précédemment, ce livre n’est pas une publication récente puisque le livre date du 11 décembre 2018. Mille et un Livres ont choisi pour cette box de nous offrir une Edition collector publiée par l’Agence Sélène.

Le livre choisi pour ce mois d’Août est donc Babel d’ABK. Lorsque j’ai lu le résumé du livre j’ai immédiatement craqué pour le livre et j’ai décidé de mettre en pause ma lecture du moment pour lire ce livre là en priorité. Le thème du mois LES TOURNOIS CELEBRES m’avait déjà beaucoup donné envie alors je peux vous assurer que mon petit cœur de lectrice est conquit!

Résumé : “Babel, dernier bastion de l’humanité, est une cité protégée du monde extérieur par une barrière climatique, où les plus riches s’accaparent toutes les ressources et où les plus pauvres sont condamnés à le rester. Blue, Mylo, Kolin et Alec, orphelins de la Zone Six – une des Zones les plus défavorisées de Babel –, sont des étoiles montantes du Light Game, un jeu de combat spectaculaire et dangereux où se mêlent illusion et réalité, un jeu qui peut les rendre célèbres… Alors que leur équipe vient de se qualifier pour le plus important tournoi de Light Game, ils se retrouvent piégés au cœur d’une conspiration qui les dépasse. Et la ville tout entière devient bientôt l’arène où ils devront survivre. Ballottés sur l’échiquier des puissants, ils ne peuvent compter que sur leur amitié. Mais celle-ci résistera-t-elle aux amours naissants, aux secrets et aux trahisons ?”

Voilà voilà le contenu de ma box livresque du mois. Pour faire un petit bilan de satisfaction je metterai 12/10 à Mille Et Un Livres. Cette box est la deuxième que je commande chez eux et je ne suis à nouveau pas déçue. Le contenu de chaque box est merveilleux et plein de surprises toutes plus originales les unes des autres, le contact avec eux est très simple grâce à instagram. Les box sont certes un peu cher mais nous en avons pour notre argent! Je retenterai l’expérience dès que possible !!

Box Livresque – Mille Et Un Livres Chers Bookeurs, Chères Bookeuses, J’espère que vous allez bien et que vos vacances d'été se sont bien passées.

[writingacrossborders-blog]

Hormones Are the Actual Devil

Chapter Eight

I think that this trip might actually kill me. Is that dramatic or what? It's like I am in a case study about teen stereotypes and hormonal imbalances I swear to god. I haven't messaged Elle back since the museum incident and I feel like a complete dick about it, but I think that I needed a day or so to just clear my brain . Ever since Mr. Beret was spotted, every nerve in my body seems to continually be chanting "you are bi, you are bi, YOU ARE REALLY FREAKING BI" and I want nothing more than to shut it up. If teenage life and emotions weren't confusing enough as is, imagine being attracted to pretty much everyone you lay eyes on that are your age. Yeah, it DOES suck, thank you for understanding.

So, I am sure that you can imagine my non-surprise when we turn up at mom's friend, Isaac's, house and I am immediately drawn to his son Alex. He is probably a year or two younger than me and you can just tell by looking at him that he is really nerdy and pretentious, but honestly it totally works for him. With a flick of his dad's hand, he is tasked with keeping Kitty and me occupied upstairs while all the adults catch up in the living room and I am trying really hard to focus on acting like a normal human and not on Alex's tight black skinny jeans, but it's not working very well.

We reach the top of the landing and I glance around, smirking at the sign on the door at the opposite end that reads "Alexandre's Room: KEEP OUT". I have the exact same one at home.

"Your room?" I point to the door.

"What gave it away?" He chuckles in response. Kitty clamors ahead and before I can stop her, she opens it up and walks inside. My whole body wants to shrivel up in horror. She's always been bad about following the "knocking rule" at home, but I didn't think that she would be so disrespectful in someone else's house.

"Kitty! You can't just enter people's rooms as you please!" I shout at her, probably too aggressively.

"Don't worry about it, honestly." Alex shrugs and I feel my face get warm. He pushes the door all the way open and gestures for me to come in as well. Kitty is sitting at the end of his bed and looking up at the constellation stickers he has stuck to his ceiling.

"Your room is so cool!" She squeals. "Also it's really clean. Danny's bedroom at home is really messy and stinks like cheese." Never have I wanted to strangle her more.

Alex raises his eyebrows at me before laughing. "Cheese, huh?"

"It does not smell like cheese. I think the smell that my rat of a sister is referring to is that of workout clothes and maybe a bag or two of stale Funyuns." Kitty's mouth is hanging open like a giant gaping hole, something I am sure that she picked up from a movie or music video.

"Danny, I am not a rat. Take it back you meany."

"I heard that rats are really clever and they definitely would know what cheese smells like." Alex tells her. Her pout turns into a devious little smile and I watch the two of them high-five about my cheese room. Despite the fact that they are ganging up on me, I can't help but grin myself.

"Not fair!" I say, but soon we are all caught up laughing together and it feels so good to just let go for a second and laugh until it actually starts to hurt my stomach. As we wind down, I watch Alex carefully as he gathers up some paper for Kitty to draw on and feel shocked as he offers some to me. "Oh, it's alright, I don't really draw."

Kitty rolls her eyes, "What he means is he thinks drawing is dumb and for kids." Wow, she really is out to paint me like the bad guy to Alex.

"On second thought, I will give it a go." He smiles as I slip a couple of pieces of paper and a pen from his outstretched hands while Kitty gives me a suspicious look. Honestly, it's fair enough for her to be skeptical since I turn her down every time she asks me to draw with her four times a week. Everything inside of me is telling me that I am making a mistake as I lower my pen to the paper. Art is not a career or even a productive hobby, I think to myself as lines start to flow onto the page. How many years did I have to watch my dad's ambitions and hopes become unattainable and crippling until I came to this conclusion? Far too many, probably. I run lights for the drama club at school, but that's about as far as I let my creativity take me. That being said, the comfort and peace I feel as we all sketch for the next half hour takes me aback. While it might have been the need to impress a guy that persuaded me to pick up the paper in the first place, my mind goes blank soon after and my body takes over the drawing, letting me relax for the first time in months. Suddenly, I hear a cough and I look up to see Alex and Kitty watching me draw so intensely, that my heart stops and the drawing soon after.

"Dude..." Alex looks awestruck and Kitty's eyebrows are knitted so tightly that I think her head is going to explode.

I look down at my paper, nervous at what I am going to see that would merit such reactions and feel everything inside of me grind to a halt- in fact, I am 90% sure that I am not even breathing. There are so many lines and so many patches of darkness that I can't tell what it is at first until I look at the light between it all. In the middle, in the light bits, is undeniably a portrait of my face.

"Don't really draw, my butt." Alex says to Kitty in an imitation of my voice and she smiles covering her mouth with her hands, no doubt giggling at the fact that he said "butt" and not the fact that I can actually draw despite years of staying away from creative projects on purpose.

Waves of fear and interest ride through me as I keep looking at the picture. Did I really draw this? The door to Alex's bedroom flies open and I look up to see my dad peering in. Before even noticing that I am doing it, I move my drawing out of sight and look up at him.

"Really dad? This family needs to seriously work on knocking before just bursting into a room." He nods once and then announces it's time for dinner downstairs. I am surprised he doesn't berate me for my tone, but he looks really distracted and lost in thought. We all get up and start to file into the hallway.

"Dan, can I talk to you for a second?" Dad pulls me to the side and I agree hesitantly. "We will probably be staying here for awhile and since there is only one guest bedroom, I was wondering if you would feel comfortable staying in Alexandre's bedroom while we are here?" I am not even sure that I nod before he says, "Good, good, I knew you would be easy going about it."

He squeezes my arm and heads down the stairs and then I am stuck ruminating about the fact that I just agreed to share a room with the guy whose body I was just checking out an hour before. Dear god, did I mention that I hate hormones? What the hell am I supposed to do?

Chapter by: Abigail

[chloemetz]

It’s finally time to let you all know what I read in September, maybe a little later than normal. It’s better late than never! So, there’s a bit of a mix in the month of September. I read a few shorter things just to try and get my reading mojo going.

So, let’s get cracking shall we!

A Spark of Light – Jodi Picoult

I was lucky enough to get an early release copy of this novel, especially as I have read almost all of Jodi’s books. This is another novel with multiple perspectives and a tough subject matter. Set in a women’s health clinic, a gunman holds hostages. A range of beliefs, backgrounds and more. I’ll recommend this novel – perhaps not my favourite of Jodi’s but still a worthwhile read.

  She Wants It – Jill Soloway

Jill is one of the writers of the Amazon hit show Transparent, who came up with the idea after her own parent came out as Transgender.  I didn’t know this before reading. I don’t know what his book was trying to be at all, it started as a memoir but certainly didn’t finish that way. I wasn’t keen on this one at all.

[Dis] connected – various

Wow, wow, wow. This is absolutely beautiful, one of my favourite collections of the year. Want to know my full thoughts? My review is here.

Lovely Seeds – R.H. Swaney 

I received this from Netgalley too and it is a truly beautiful collection that really spoke to me. If everything is a little overwhelming and you need to feel okay this is a great one to pick up.

Ask Me His Name – Elle Wright

This was a heavy book but also beautiful. Elle’s son Teddy died when he was merely a few days old, every parent’s worst nightmare. This details how she and her husband got through the initial shock and how they continue each day while keeping Teddy alive in their thoughts and hearts.

Sun – Wilbert Van der Steen

This was a really great read. I flew through this with an intriguing art style and a story that I was really invested in, I absolutely loved Lucien and his relationship with his Grandfather. I will not spoil anything in this review BUT I thought the ending was fantastic and I can’t wait to read the next instalment! Another great read thanks to Netgalley.

      Oops a little late but better than never at all! Here's what I read in September! It's finally time to let you all know what I read in September, maybe a little later than normal.

[kutee-boutique-fan-blog]

Crochet Shirt

Do you love it? https://kuteeboutique.com/shop/crochet-shirt/

Crochet Shirt

Aren’t members being offered pre public release tickets. Crochet Shirt. membership means nothing. get it together and give your members something besides a newsletter. That’s exactly why I didn’t become a member! Just a key ring & a drive around it doesn’t cut it for me! The membership doesn’t provide for anything. (& I’m not that far away either!)

Crochet Shirt, Hoodie, Sweater, Ladies T-Shirt

Crochet Hoodie

Normally people that become Members of this kind of development not just want to help and support it by being a paid member but get some recognition for their support. As you said the keyring and a drive isn’t enough in my opinion.  I’m thinking of selling my place in Murray Bridge in the next 12 months… 3BR, 2 modern bathrooms, modern kitchen, new 3 bay steel frame garage, deck, patio… And only 30 mins drive up the f/way… Just finishing some tennis.

Crochet Sweat Shirt

Food for thought..? Members so far have only received about 3 email news letters for their hard earned membership fee, hope it gets better for the founding members otherwise I cannot see any point in continuing my membership.  looks like the creek has lost their round before the enduro and most likely be a night event in the middle of the week sometime now.

Crochet Ladies Tee

Crochet Shirt, V-Neck, Tank-Top, Long Sleeve T-Shirt

Crochet Ladies V Neck

I love the part when Elle is in the salon after she broke up with Warner and sees his brother getting married to a smart girl in the magazine and she asks the lady next to her “This is what I have to be! Do you know what this is?” And the old lady says, ” Practically Deformed??!!” So funny! And of course any part with Bruiser! He’s the cutest!

Crochet Unisex Tank Top

Bailey did a really cute tutorial week her inspiration was from Elle on legally blonde it is a super quick and easy do you a favorite part in legally blonde we love the bend snap. Reese I Love Art I have some Beautiful very nice pieces of Art, some small and some large and 3 Indian Art Pieces that are very Rare I have been offered a lot for them but I enjoy them with my Collection.

Crochet Unisex Longsleeve Tee

Wow SO Eye Popping Awesomeness Queen Shero Reese Diva Goddess Movie Star fashion Darling Artistic creative writing Muse To This Happy silly gay guy who Love’s writing and Inspirational uplifting positiveness in Crochet Shirt ! Whose The Gorgeousness Guy ? Yummy ! Be Happy silly Glam glittering fabulously wonderfully joyfully spectacular always ! Smooches and hugs for Queenie Shero Reese And Cupcake Friend !

[makastyle]

Nicknamed the East Coast Oscars by many, the Met Gala is held on the first Monday of every May. Anna Wintour ( editor-in chief of Vogue since 1988) throws the most elite fashion event of the year inviting the biggest names in fashion and Hollywood. The annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute marks the grand opening of each year’s exhibit. The exhibit’s theme sets the tone for the  gala night, so guests are expected or encouraged to dress according to the theme. While some opt to go all the way and take the risk, others tend to make a splash of their own on their own terms.  Either way, it’s a fashion lover’s paradise as well as a memorable night for stylistas everywhere.  This year’s theme was honoring fashion designer Rei Kawakubo, the founder and designer behind Comme des Garçons. She is the only living designer to be honored since Yves Saint Laurent in 1983. Kawakubo, known for being quiet and reclusive, tends to shy away from the media and interviews, because she believes that her designs speak for themselves.  She is known to object on having to explain beyond the title she gives each collection. Her inspiration goes against the norms of the fashion world. Her anti-fashion inspired designs are rather innovative and belong in a category of their own, with all their different shapes, sizes and deconstructed looks. While her creations might seem outlandish and confusing to the masses, there is a beauty in knowing that they came from scratch and that her designs are truly visionary,  unlike anything we see day to day and certainly far from boring. They are memorable. These are just some of her designs from past seasons. Yannis Vlamos/Indigital.tvConde Nast Archive / Vogue.comYannis Vlamos/Indigital.tv

As you can see Kawakubo’s designs are anything but ordinary. Let’s see who took that risk and what the others wore last night!

THE RISK TAKERS

Katy Perry in Maison MargielaGetty Images/ Neilson Barnard

*Gigi Hadid in Tommy HilfigerNeilson Barnard/ Getty Images

*Rihanna in Comme des  GarçonsGetty Images/ Neilson Barnard

Lily Collins in Giambattista ValliGetty Images / Dia Dipasupil

Pharrell and Helen Lasichanh in  Comme des  GarçonsGetty Images/ Neilson Barnard

*Lily Aldridge in Ralph Lauren Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

Solange in Thom BrowneNeilson Barnard/Getty Images

Cara Delevingne in ChanelGetty Images/ Neilson Barnard

Kate Bosworth in Tory BurchJamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Kylie Jenner in VersaceNeilson Barnard/Getty Images

Ruth Negga in ValentinoBen Gabbe/Getty Images

ELEGANT GLAMOUR 

Gisele Bündchen in Stella McCartneyNeilson Barnard/Getty Images

Emily Ratajkowski in Marc JacobsNeilson Barnard/Getty Images

*Zendaya in Dolce and GabbanaNeilson Barnard/Getty Images

*Blake Lively in Atelier VersaceDimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images

Kate Hudson in Stella McCartneyNeilson Barnard /Getty Images

*Jennifer Lopez in ValentinoNeilson Barnard/Getty Images

Elle Fanning in Miu MiuDimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images

Diane Kruger in PradaNeilson Barnard/Getty Images

Katie Holmes in Zac PosenNeilson Barnard/Getty Images

Ladies in RED

If you were busy doing a double take over all the red this year, you weren’t alone. The reason behind the crimson color was an ode to Rei’s transitional collection back during the Fall of  1988. Brighter colors made their way into her collections at a time when she was designing mostly with black. At the time, she declared that “red was the new black.”

Joan Smalls in TopshopGetty Images/Dimitrios Kambouris

Rose Byrne in Ralph LaurenNeilson Barnard/Getty Images

Taylor Hill in Carolina HerreraDimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Emma Roberts in Jonathan Saunders for DVFTaylor Hill/Getty Images

In conclusion, we all understand the Met Gala is a time for guests and designers to take risks and at least try to do their best to adher to the theme.  Comme des  Garçons certainly deviates from the idea of your typical red carpet fashion. It’s avante garde, abnormal and more than likely leaving many baffled. I hand it to Helen Lasichanh who went full theme ahead. However, this doesn’t mean that I don’t have questions. Such as …how did she eat or drink? She certainly didn’t have access to her hands….did Pharrell spoonfeed her? So… many…questions!! Rihanna also honored the theme in a beautiful abstract design from one of Rei’s recent collections. She looked stunning, but then again, does Rihanna ever look anything less than gorgeous?  Some others who took risks were Gigi Hadid who I believe is one of the only humans who could ever make such a lack of color look bold and beautiful.

Last but not least there was Zendaya, J-LO and Blake. Ohh J-LO, I love you so. I am beyond thrilled that she went with a design by Valentino that was inspired by classic hollywood. Even though, this wasn’t exactly honoring the theme, I think it was outside of the realm of the glitz and glam she normally wears. I don’t know about you, but I am over the naked dress trend, so I would like to see more of this and less than less, if you get what I mean. The robin egg blue gown beautifully complimented her natural beauty and reminded me of something either Grace Kelly or Jackie O may have worn back in the day.  PS. What about her and A-Rod making their official debut as a couple? I mean wow….talk about one good looking duo.

Then there was Blake who was a vision in custom Atelier Versace. The beautiful train was so exquisite and must have taken hours upon hours to design. Her beautiful sapphire earrings were just an added bonus to their marvelous look.

Finally, there was Zendaya in a beautiful Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda collection design. Her hair and makeup were perfection. I find it hard to believe that there is anyone else on this planet that could make this gown look any better. Who else could wear a dress with parrots all over and look this amazing? Yes…I am looking at you Nicole Kidman. Zendaya won this battle. Your Gucci comes in second.

I have listed my favorites below. Tell me your thoughts and comment who made your best dressed list? 

Zendaya

Jennifer Lopez

Blake Lively

Gigi Hadid

Lily Aldridge

Rihanna

1. Zendaya in Dolce & Gabbana

2. Jennifer Lopez in Valentino

3. Blake Lively in Atelier Versace

4. Gigi Hadid in Tommy Hilfiger

5. Lily Aldridge in Ralph Lauren

6. Rihanna in Comme des  Garçons

RED CARPET RUNDOWN- MET GALA 2017 – Honoring REI KAWAKUBO Nicknamed the East Coast Oscars by many, the Met Gala is held on the first Monday of every May.