#I don't actually know if I'm allowed to use this rink...

[tea-time-terrier]

First time on the ice in a long while! Skates definitely need to be sharpened.

[pumpkinrootbeer]

m-m ..mikko factz pl- ease .. ?

Well yes!

As mentioned, Mikko can play piano— at least to some extent. Susanna posted an IG story where he's playing with his sister, it's SO cute

Speaking of sisters, Mikko has an older and a younger sister. Noora is three years younger than him and Laura is four years older. Mikko being a middle child to two sisters honestly explains SO much about him. tbh.

One of the Avs equipment managers helped Mikko set up a fantasy football team when he was a rookie with the Avs

Him and Georgie train together in the off season, and Georgie played on the same team with him in Finland! (TPS I believe)

Mikko used to be afraid/intimidated by Nate, so when he would have ideas about what they could do on the ice together he would make Gabe text them to Nate for him

He has a dog named Bobby (pretty sure that's his name) that he is just SO cute with

#bobbynation

Mikko and Gabe used to take off each others skates. Whoever scored more goals in practice got their skates taken off, normal intricate hockey rituals.

Mikko broke his foot in game 6 against San Jose in 2019, hid it, and then went on to play game 7 with his broken foot. I'm pretty sure there had to be an investigation into the Avs as to how they let a player play on a broken foot... 😭 Clown team

His dad is a construction worker

One of his pregame rituals is that he shoots two picks from center ice, one to each end of the rink. He would hit Lehky in the foot a lot, apparently

The year he was a rookie, Mikko was the only rookie so he had to pay for the rookie dinner on his own. It was like 8000 dollars. They bullied that poor Finnish boy 😭

Speaking of bullying, they made 18 yr old Mikko make fun of Jarome Iginla for being bald and having a fivehead. The next day Mikko apologized to him, said they made him make the joke and "Landy would have beat my ass if I didn't say it." dkkfkfkfjd

Mikko sleep talks

Him and Cale lived in the same apartment building for a bit and Mikko would carpool with Cale. He's said Cale is a very scary driver

Everyone knows about how he bullied Lehky's dad (cunt) but Bednar actually came out in defense of Mikko when asked about it! Said something like "You don't comment about what happens off the ice, that's crossing a line"

Him and his girlfriend are really stinkin cute

I could make a whole post about them dkfkfkkf

He owns part of a Finnish hot tub company which is possibly the most Mikko fact on this list

He played a lot of sports as a child, one of which being soccer

He's a highschool dropout (well, the Finnish equivalent of highschool. Couldn't finish his last year and play hockey)

Mikko has been fined twice ✌️ for embellishing but he got one of those fines revoked by writing an 8 point letter arguing that he had just fallen and wasn't embellishing. He had Avs teammates read over it for him and they said he could go to law school after hockey. Himbo allegations DEFEATED

Mikko is a little afraid of heights

He has played with #96 as his number since he was a kid. (In soccer because they weren't allowed to pick their numbers in his peewee league) The moment he could pick his number he went with 96 and he is very abnormal about his number. The Sidney Crosby effect.

Speaking of the number, Mikko actually didn't have the watch he gave to Roslovic on hand! The wait-list for the specific Rolex is years long. A Finnish silversmith heard about Mikko wanting his number and the kind of watch Roslovic wanted, and offered to give it to him. Mikko flew the guy out and it was a really cute moment. Mikko was also given a custom made necklace, and he went and signed every one of his jerseys the Canes had in their store for the silversmith to take back to Finland as a thank you.

Mikko texted Nate congratulations on Nate's thousand point

Mikko has kissed Cale's helmet and called him cute. Which I think is important and a good fact to give.

He used to not be able to tie a tie and had to get his Mom to pre tie ones for him to wear. There's also a video where Gabe is tieing his tie. Intricate hockey rituals

Him and his girlfriend met on a boat and there's a very cute video where they're dancing together on said boat

These are just ones I can think of off the top of my head! if anyone has some more please feel free to add 🙂‍↕️ I know I'm definitely missing cute Finnish facts that I haven't encountered yet dkkdkf

[solarnomoon]

ice ice baby - park sunghoon

the first time you went ice skating you almost fell. thankfully a taller guy was there to catch you. surprise surprise, of course it had to be sunghoon, king of the school, ice prince, whatever.

pairing >>> sunghoon x male reader

tags >>> college au, fluff, strangers to friends to more than friends (lovers?), ice skating, falling, idfk, sunghoon being a little forward

author's note >>> LOL hello i apologize for dying. i realize how much i miss this account and ive just been itching to come back so here i am

you knew coming to the ice rink was a mistake to begin with. i mean, come on, your ass was a fucking ice skating virgin: you'd never been before, so why would you even bother starting now?

alas, your best friend had stayed up all night watching yuzuru hanyu videos and all of a sudden, he felt the urge to begin ice skating, compelling you that it's "a calling" and if you guys didn't "drive to partake in the artistic media form that is ice skating" then you'd "lose the individuality that the human spirit guides us with."

...whatever that means.

at least he paid for you! a win's a win sometimes.

"c'mon y/n, you have to get off the railing at some point!" sunoo calls to you, skating in reverse to watch you. the edge had become your safety net, allowing you to actually move somewhat on the ice. sunoo on the other hand had somehow become a pro within the 15 minutes since you guys arrived, being able to skate forwards, backwards, eyes closed, anything possible. he even started gaining an understanding of how to spin, and was attempting to learn how to execute an axel.

you were still just trying to walk normally, not knowing how to know the difference between skating and walking. "sunoo, unfortunately i cannot let go of this fucking railing or i will die."

the boy just laughs at you, eyes rolling back. "you're exaggerating, just let go for one second!" you watch as he leaves you, gliding along the ice as if it was simply made for him.

building up the confidence, you finally stray away from the railing, letting go of your one protection spell from you upright and you on the floor. as you float along the ice, you feel that sense of freedom that sunoo was pestering you about, and you speed up, the skates on your feet becoming an outlet for your vitality.

but unfortunately, you were not yuzuru hanyu, nor were you kim sunoo. you misplace one foot, causing an imbalance in your body. you knew this was it. in front of all of these people, atleast 4 500 for sure, you were going to literally eat shit and die.

as you begin to fall, you brace for impact and close your eyes, but the collapse never happens, and instead, you feel someone's body holding yours, catching the impending descent to the ice.

"you okay?" the guy asks, and only after he said it was when you opened your eyes and looked up at him. though it takes you a moment, a flash of recognition eventually appeared in your brain. park sunghoon. king of the ice, king of the school. the renowned ice prince, the ice skater that competed in the olympics. "oh, y/n. are you okay?"

"y-yeah, sorry," you cover your face with your hands, muttering under your breath, "oh my god i almost died."

apparently it was in fact, not under your breath, because this gets a snicker out of the man, responding to you, "you did not almost die. maybe fall, but death is too much." he grabs you by the arm and skates you both toward the edge again, allowing you to grasp onto your lifeline once more.

"thank you, sunghoon. i'm sorry again for... i don't know. maybe it was a good thing, now you know that i'm shit at ice skating, i don't know how you do this." you observe him with your full attention now, noticing how he's dressed in a basic outfit with a beanie and headphones as if he knew that this would be a simple activity for him. not only this, but he has sunglasses on, presumably to hide his demeanor: he's kind of a celebrity around here.

"it's alright y/n, i told you already. plus, you're not that bad. you're just... learning." he seems like the last part was an afterthought, and you assume that he was going to say something more negative before changing his wording. "are you here alone?"

"nah, i'm here with sunoo. what about you?"

he flashes a quick smile, lifting his sunglasses to make eye contact with you. when he does, you look at his face closely, and realize he really is as cute as people say. you never really cared to notice him, as to you, he was just some guy that happened to have an expertise in ice skating. seeing him up close, you understand why people could develop crushes: his face was perfectly symmetrical with the only thing varied was the mole on his nose, but he has an extremely aesthetic face. his body was also perfect, broad shoulders with a smaller waist.

huh.

"just here alone. now i'm with you. so not alone." when he smiles, you could see how cute he really is, his fangs on both sides of his teeth accentuate his cuteness, offering a tinge of fierceness if he was focused. you both stare at each other for seconds too long, neither of you wanting to break the gaze. eventually, he looks away, saying to you, "wanna see something cool?" obviously you nod, and you watch as he skates away, accelerating before jumping right into a double axel, landing gracefully before coming right back to you.

you clap quickly, not wanting to let go of the edge for too long, "wow, impressive! i could do that too probably."

"oh yeah, cause you're like the best skater right? i think i've watched your videos before online." he motions a rectangle in front of him like a screen, "y/n l/n, triple axel, into a hydroblade, ending with two flying spins."

you scoff, flicking your wrist in front of him. "you know it bro, real recognizes real."

"for real." he looks at you with a straight face before bursting into laughter. "you're pretty funny you know, i'm surprised we haven't talked much before."

you scratch your head, "well, it's pretty hard when you're just the coolest, bestest, sexiest, beast of a skater." you joke with him.

"you think that of me?" he asks, one fang turning visible as he smirks.

"i was actually talking about me, thank you very much."

he hits his head in faux stupidity, smile not faltering from his face however. "oh, silly me. i should've known, like you said."

"what did i say?"

"real recognizes real." he removes his gaze from you to check his watch quickly before looking back at you. "you know, it's getting pretty late for a guy like you."

you whip your phone our from your back pocket. "sunghoon, it's literally 5:32 in the p.m. i can literally see the sun still."

he laughs awkwardly, "well, still late for a pretty boy like you."

"p-pretty?" you stare at him, wondering whether or not he meant to tell you that or not. "what are you talking about dude?"

"i said what i said. i meant that it's late, the ring closes at 6 today because of some hockey players wanting to run scrims before their tournament," sunghoon explains, leaning on the railing next to you. "i'm probably gonna leave soon anyway, so maybe you and sunoo can join me in getting dinner? if you want of course, i don't know if you have plans already."

"honestly, me and sunoo are supposed to get dinner with just each other, so maybe-" you begin to tell him, but then you notice sunoo talking to his crush on the other side of the ring, and a second later a text from said boy shows up.

[5:34 PM]

ALERT. CODE BLUE.

OK LOWKEY I REALIZE U DONT KNO WHAT THAT MEANS WEVE NEVER DONE CODES ANYWAY ICU TALKING TO SUNGHOON SO GO HANG OUT WITH HIM I WILL HANG OUT WITH MY MANSSSSSS XOXOXOOXO

"-you know what? let's get dinner. sunoo is actually busy all of a sudden." you roll your eyes when you make eye contact with sunoo, him giving you two thumbs up and a cheeky smile as his crush types something down on his phone.

"perfect. i wanted it to just be us. maybe i'll kidnap you and put you in my basement." the confusion on your face must've been evident, because he immediately follows up with "i was kidding. let's just get dinner." with that, he leaves you once again, skating around the rink with a few more tricks before coming back to you, signaling for you to follow him.

you do, getting out of the rink walking along the edge before sitting down next to him. you reach over to untie your laces, before sunghoon ushers you back, simultaneously getting on his knees in front of you, holding your right skate in front of him. "what are you doing?"

"untying your skate, why?"

"i can do it myself, you know?" you look straight into his eyes, tilting your head slightly.

"pretty boys shouldn't have to do anything," he suggests before giving you a little wink, causing you to turn away, not able to meet his eyes after his stupid flirtatious comment.

"w-well, what about you then!"

he removes your skate before moving on to the next one. "oh, so you think i'm a pretty boy huh? good to know." he unlaces your other skate before sitting down next to you, untying his own with haste. it clearly comes from experience, because it's no less than 15 seconds before he's up again, grabbing his sneakers, along with your own to your surprise. "here. so you don't have to get up."

"how do you know what my sneakers look like?"

"i saw you come in."

you lightly hit his shoulder. "so you were watching me the whole time?"

"cute boys deserve attention, wouldn't you say so?"

he goes back down to your feet and signals to put on your sneakers again. "i mean yeah but... you? finding me cute? hard to believe i guess."

"can't be that hard," you allow him to finish tying both shoes before helping him off the ground. you didn't even notice but he also had switched shoes with dexterity, leading you to wonder how much experience he has with these kind of things. "i've been watching you for a while honestly." he waves with his hands in front of you. "not like that, but more of like you're kinda like my school crush in a way."

you can't believe your ears. park sunghoon, king of the school, ice fucking prince, had a hallway school crush on you? y/n l/n. you didn't even feel like you stood out that much, just wanted to get your degree and leave. "school crush? there's just no way." you begin to walk away, not being able to face him without embarrassment flushing your face.

however, he clearly had other plans. "y/n." he grabs your arm, forcing you to look up at him. his eyes bore into yours, keeping you in a trance as you look at his face. "you're one of the cutest guys i've ever seen in my entire life. and i've seen a lot of people in my life already. please, just trust me when i say this."

and that was all the validation you needed. "oh. okay sunghoon. i trust you."

"good boy. now let's go get dinner, alright?"

and with that, he led you to his car to drive to dinner.

maybe the ice prince wasn't so cold after all.

[papillon-mechant]

Hiii could you maybe do something on strawberry and dealer Remus getting into a small squabble and he's so gentle and honey toned when trying to get her to forgive him?

Hi! Yes I love this idea because remus would obviously never get angry at her or yell, he just wants her to be happy

It was so stupid. So small and insignificant and yet it made you so angry. It's not like you had much of a right to either, he wasn't your boyfriend, that's not allowed of course. So what reason would you have to be so upset at what you found?

He really hadn't meant for you to see it. Not that he was hiding things from you, he just didn't want to make something out of nothing (i.e. what you're doing right now), and in all honesty, he forgot it was there. Last week during a delivery, his customer, the girl who worked behind the counter at the roller rink, had just gotten off work. She complained the whole time, gossiping about people Remus didn't know, or care about, and crying about how uncomfortable her bra was making her.

"I wish I could just get rid of it, ya know?"

In an effort to get her out of his car quicker, Remus muttered a quick "Why don't you?" while he searched the duffle bag in his trunk as fast as he could to find her order. He hadn't really anticipated her actually listening to him. Nor did he think she would just throw it in his back seat. But he just wanted her out of his car, so he didn't complain. He got her product, made the sale, and drove off without another thought.

Another thing he hadn't anticipated was you finding it on one of your post-bible study rides.

"Berry..." Remus coos, lifting your chin with his finger and forcing you to meet his gaze. His heart flutters at the sight, though he can't tell if it's from joy or sadness. While the sight of you so angry at the thought of there being someone else did boost his ego a bit, the quiver in your lip and the ghost of a tear that had passed through your perfect make up broke his heart into a million pieces.

You shake your head, moving away from his touch and crossing your arms over your chest and Remus tries not to think about the way the action causes your shirt to stretch down just a bit, revealing the golden cross necklace that sits just above the crease in your chest.

"Is she pretty?" You mumble under your breath, not really wanting to hear the answer.

"Darling, it doesn't matter if she was the prettiest girl in the world," the statement makes you cringe and Remus immediately regrets his words, "She was just a customer, it's not what you think." He steps toward you again and you step back. The two of you continue this chase until your back is flush against the library wall. Remus uses his arms to trap you on either side, making direct eye contact with you.

"Listen to me," he starts, his voice at a low whisper, "there's only one girl whose bra I want on the floor of my car, and I'm looking right at her."

this was longer than I expected sorry lol

[lucy90712]

Ice skating- Fermin Lopez

When it's winter and cold outside there isn't much to do especially when your boyfriend hates the cold and refused to be outside unless he has to be. Somehow I managed convince him to go ice skating with me I was expecting him to fight me on the idea but he happily agreed to go for our date night this week. I'm not sure if I have excellent persuading skills or if Fermin will just say yes to pretty much anything I ask because he loves me. Fermin doesn't know that I have been skating before, I went quite a bit as a kid and I have been a few times as I've got older so I know what I'm doing. I'm definitely not great but I can hold my own on an ice rink but I can't wait to see Fermin on the ice he's never been the most graceful person so I expect he'll be a little unsteady on his feet at best. 

Like always he came over before we needed to leave so that he could spend some extra time with me. That's something I love about Fermin he just wants to spend time with me so he'll always come over even when I'm not doing anything interesting or we have no plans as he just enjoys my company. Today he brought lunch with him so we ate lunch together and he helped me get ready by picking out a hoodie of his I have in my collection to wear over my outfit so I don't get cold. He also made me change out of the leggings I had on as he said I'd be too cold so I put some jeans on which he was satisfied with and allowed us to leave the house finally. The ice rink wasn't far from my place but Fermin can no longer just walk through the streets like he used to so he drove there and found somewhere nearby but quiet to park. 

We pretty much ran inside as there was a lot of people about and Fermin didn't want to spend ages taking pictures and signing things. He loves the fans he really does but at times like these he doesn't want to be disturbed as there has been occasions when I've waited like 40 minutes just for him to finally be let go by the fans. Once we made it inside there was a lot less people around and none of them seemed too bothered by our presence which was nice. Fermin paid and got our skates before taking me over to a bench so we could actually put them on. I did mine quite quickly as I've done it many times before and I know they need to be tight but Fermin was struggling as they were just too loose on him. He didn't want to admit defeat for a while but after a few attempts he asked for my help so I did his laces up for him. 

"Is my big baby ready to go" I laughed 

"I'm not a baby skates are just stupid how did you manage it?" he asked 

"I've been skating before I went quite a bit as a kid so I knew how to do the laces" I revealed 

"Why didn't you tell me I thought we would both struggle together now I'm going to look like an idiot" he said 

"You won't look like an idiot I promise most people aren't going to know how to skate" I said

"You'll hold my hand though right?" He asked 

"Of course I will can't have you falling over can I" I laughed 

Fermin didn't seem to appreciate my joke but still he grabbed my hand and I led him onto the ice. He was as stiff as a board to begin with but I held onto both of his hands and skated backwards so I could teach him how to skate. Fermin is a quick learner and he always listens to instructions so he worked things out pretty quickly and was able to skate next to me when I let go of one of his hands after a few rotations round the ice. As much as he was getting more confident his grip on my hand didn't let up I don't know if that was because he was scared of falling or because he just didn't want to let me go but either way I kind of enjoyed that he felt like he needed to hold onto me so tightly. 

We had a lot of fun together talking as we skated round and maybe laughed at a few people who fell spectacularly because it is kind of funny. There was also some amazing little kids who have clearly been having lessons that we just watched in awe both wishing we could do that. It had been the perfect date we got to go out somewhere and enjoy time together without really being disturbed at all. Both of us were having so much fun until some guy came speeding round the rink and slammed right into me. I didn't seem him coming as he was behind us but luckily Fermin is pretty strong as he was able to help keep me on my feet as otherwise I would've been on my ass in seconds. Fermin pulled me into his chest as we both came to a halt in the middle of the ice, his hands went straight to my face to see if I was ok as he can read me like a book by just looking at my expression. I've learnt to read him pretty well too but you didn't need to be a genius to see that he was mad and like really mad. 

"Watch where you're going mate" Fermin shouted after the guy who just kept going 

"Are you ok amor?" He asked 

"I'm completely fine I just didn't see him coming" I said 

"I'm not surprised he should've gotten out the way but he didn't because he's an asshole" he raged 

"It's ok forget about that and forget about him I'm not hurt so everything's fine" I said trying to calm him down 

"I'm glad you're ok but that doesn't mean that guy should get away with doing that" he continued to argue 

"Why don't we get out of here so we don't have to worry about him any more and before you do something you'll regret" I suggested 

"We should get hot chocolate to warm us up" Fermin said with a complete change of mood 

Thankfully there is a cafe just across the road from the ice rink so we headed straight there and ordered two hot chocolates with marshmallows. I left Fermin to get the drinks while I found a table for us both and he came back he had the two hot chocolates but also a cupcake which he put in front of me with a big smile on his face. I tried to share with him but he insisted that I sat the whole thing and who am I to say no to a cupcake especially one that was so delicious. Fermin quickly forgot about what happened with that guy and was just saying how much he enjoyed ice skating and that he wants to go again so that he can get good at it. Of course we can’t go that often but we agreed that we should go together again for another date night which I’m really looking forward to. 

[manic-pixie-aquarius]

Mike Wheeler, quick to defend Will but not El

No cause it's crazy that Mike didn't hesitate to stand up to bullies talking shit about Will in his absence, but when bullies started surrounding El with a camera, clearly about to humiliate her Mike just stood there. (As did Will, but to be fair we never see Will stand up to bullies. But he did aid El earlier when her diorama was broken).

Yeah, Mike was already upset that she lied, but she lied about having friends due to her insecurity. If my s/o lied about something like that to me, I wouldn't be that upset... I would be empathetic and try to help them feel comfortable by talking about my own experience with bullies and not fitting in at school... which leads me to ask once again WHY do people still ship Mileven??😭 They are not good together! I've been an advocate for El being single and learning how to be independent from Mike and men in general because there have been so many men with power over her her whole life who've dictated everything she does- INCLUDING Mike, and as much as I love him as a character, he is such a bad boyfriend to El!!!

(I saw a gif earlier of Mike saying this paralleling Brenner but can't find it anymore ughh)

Anyways, off of this tangent, Mike being upset and passive aggressive and overall unhelpful to El after she is humiliated is because he's actually upset with Will and therefore cannot be bothered by El's issues - which is entirely fucked up. Like bro that is your GIRLFRIEND. Just like you said to Will...

She's your girlfriend but you sure aren't taking your boyfriend duty that seriously... you didn't even want to talk to her after she got humiliated in front of her classmates. Everyone is focused on your quietly sulking ass at the dinner table, but you didn't even go through the brunt of the problems your girlfriend and best friend did (as far as we know, we don't see any major struggles Mike is going thru prior to season 4 --besides the hellfire club stuff--unlike El's bullying and Will's struggle with queerness. Those of us who aren't the GA know that Mike not writing "Love" is likely an internal issue with him falling out of love with El/struggling with his queerness). Like Will is initially upset at El because she keeps lying to Mike about her status and he's also mad about Mike not reaching out to him. El is mad at Will for telling the truth and also at Mike for not standing up for and helping her/probably for being scared of her and rubbing her mistake (hurting Angela) in her face "What did you do?!"/for him not saying he loves her. Basically, El has multiple reasons to be upset at Mike. And Mike's upset at Will for not reaching out/"being a douche" to El/for thinking that he should be a top priority along with El. He is also upset at El for lying, although he expresses anger at Will for not telling him about El's lying even though he didn't even know about the lying. In Mike's eyes, he isn't doing anything wrong even though he is a big subject of both Will and El's insecurities. So why is he sulking? If anything, El should be the one allowed to sulk and get the sympathy/empathy. But she doesn't, and Mike acting like the victim of this whole situation in this scene sends El over the edge.

I honestly love this scene because she had every right to be mad at Mike. And I'm not trying to let Will off the hook here, but he was trying to be noble by clearing any lies before they went too far, although they went too far anyway. He also has every right to be upset at Mike (as far as we know, because Will mentions that Mike didn't reach out which leads us to believe that the reaching out was one-sided)

Note: I haven't done a season 4 rewatch yet so correct me if I'm wrong about anything. I only rewatched the rink fight and Byers dinner scenes for this post!

[starlene]

1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11 and 37 for the musical theater asks! (no need to answer them all if I picked too many, I just couldn't choose between them)

1. How did you first get into musical theatre?

Depends on when I decide I really became a fan. Could be any of these, really, depending on how I look at it:

I saw Grease on TV when I was a kid and really liked it

I loved ABBA as a tween, and then, the Mamma Mia! world tour came to Helsinki

My mom started pestering me about going to theatre when I was a teenager, since I had only ever seen one play as a tween, and she thought going again would be educational for me (seeing Mamma Mia! in an ice rink didn't count as real theatre for mom); I decided I wanted to see the then-current Finnish production of Cats

4. Who is your favourite musical theatre composer?

Fredrik Kempe. I hope he'll keep giving us new musicals to love and cherish for decades to come.

5. Who is your favourite musical theatre lyricist?

I don't know if I really have one.

I enjoy thinking about and looking into musical libretti, in the sense that I want to find all the information within, and I do enjoy a bit of clever wordplay every now and then – but I'm one of the least poetic people you'll ever meet, and in general I don't really vibe with lyrics as a form of poetry. I know why, say, Sondheim is so revered, but I don't feel it very deeply myself when I listen to his songs. Does that make any sense? Since I'm not a person who feels lyrics with all their heart (like I can feel music, sometimes), I just don't feel comfortable choosing any lyricist as a personal favourite.

6. Who is your favourite musical theatre director?

Jakob Höglund. The absolute MVP of the Finnish musical theatre scene, for me.

I don't always go see his shows (I always prioritise interesting subject matter etc. higher than the director when I'm choosing which shows to see, no matter how much I like the director) – but whenever I do, I'm always in awe. He's also a choreographer, and he has a very unique, beautiful way of adding movement to the musicals he directs. It's a style that definitely wouldn't mash well with every show out there (and with the way many musicals are licenced and strictly superwised by their rightholders, I'm sure there are many musicals he'll never be allowed to touch) – but with the right material, his style absolutely shines. His Så som i himmelen was the most beautiful production I've ever seen, and likely ever will see, on Helsinki's biggest musical stage.

Tbh, I think without Jakob Höglund, I'd feel a lot more pessimistic about the current and future state of Finnish musical theatre than I already do. The musicals that he directs aren't just good versions of the source material – they're always new and different, not for the sake of being different, but simply because they're so uniquely and recognisably his. It's a vibe I don't get with many musical directors, and I love to see it.

The day he'll tackle either The Great Comet or Hadestown... that'll be a happy day indeed.

7. Who is your favourite musical theatre actor?

Alexander Lycke.

He's been a part of my musical enthusiast journey ever since I really kicked my musical madness into high gear with the 2010 Finnish-Swedish production of Les Mis, with him as Valjean. There are many other musical actors whose work I enjoy, but no one that's involved with so many different shows and experiences and memories as Alex. He's important to me in a way no other musical actor is, or probably ever will be.

Besides, he's the only performer whose Bring Him Home I actually and truly enjoy instead of only tolerating it. Without him, I really wouldn't think such a feat would even be possible.

11. What is your favourite overture?

I always love a good overture! Let's say Chicago's, simply because it slaps. Honourable mention to Så som i himmelen's as it exists on the cast recording, because it's absolutely beautiful... but also nothing like the onstage version, so it doesn't really count.

37. Is there a musical lyric, line, moment, etc. that lives in your head rent-free?

"Ze Führer wasn't a mousy little mamma's boy! Ze Führer was BUUUUTCH!"

Ask me some musical theatre questions for old and cynical musical theatre fans

[j0eyj0rdis0n]

CONCERT/MUSIC WRAPPED 2024

So I know the new year has started, but I've been wanting to post all the concerts I've gone to in the past year. I didn't get to do one for 2023 because I was dumb and forgot, so I'm not going to forget again lol!

This will include my thoughts on the concerts or any information that I deem relevant to share. These are my opinions so take them with a grain of salt!

MARCH 15th - Avenged Sevenfold, Poppy & Sullivan King

This was the first concert I went to with my current boyfriend! Avenged Sevenfold KILLED IT!! As a bass player, when I caught Johnny's pick I was freaking the fuck out. But Poppy had unfortunate stage presence and you could tell the crowd wasn't really feeling either of the openers. Their sets were SO long!! Especially for openers... Overall 8/10.

APRIL 6th - Kaonashi, Pains, Mugshot, Cell & Exiled IA (my first and only show with Exiled as their bassist!)

I had a great time playing my first show ever!! It was unfortunate the circumstances within Exiled, but I had a great time regardless and made lots of friends! 7/10

APRIL 15th - Necrogoblikon, Dragonforce & Dethklok

AWESOME SHOW!! The goblin from Necrogoblikon gave me a setlist and the lovely bassist for Dragonforce did the same. It was an awesome feeling knowing they wanted me specifically to get them! They had great crowd interaction! And don't get me started on Dethklok!! There was a great break in the show where Brendon did all the character voices, and the show was LOUD. I also got to meet the guitarist for Dethklok, Nili Brosh, after the show!! 10/10

APRIL 23rd - SESSANTA: Pucifer, A Perfect Circle & Primus

Was seated super far away so it was hard for me to see (as someone with glasses), but there wasn't really a whole lot to see anyway from what I could tell. The lighting design was beautiful though! Also I'll always be disappointed that there was no photos or videos allowed. But it was my first concert out of state! Even though I had to sleep in the airport both ways to get there... 6/10

MAY 1st - Nothing More & Wage War

Legendary!! I threw up three times lmao. (in the trash! I would never do that on the floor!) It was worth it. Most headbanging I think I've done in my life. Also got in the pit, I fell really hard and skinned my knees, they bled through my pants. 9/10

MAY 18th - Rippin' N' Rollin' 1: Polly Mall Cops

Super fun concept!! The skating rink here hosted a local band to play for the first time ever! They played in the middle of the rink while everyone skated around. As someone who loves to skate, has their own pair of skates, plays roller derby, and loves rock music, it was a total win. And it was PACKED! So happy to see the rink making good money! Also got to chat with the band, so fun! 9/10

JUNE 1st - Released "imposter/syndrome" with Fatherwounds

I don't have much to say about this one just because it was a pretty casual project just made for fun. I always have a great time working with my friend on music and I was glad we could actually release something together!

JULY 12th - Fit For A King, Hollywood Undead & I Prevail

Not quite an out of state concert but it was a three hour drive to get there. And none of us realized that there was two separate GA pits. So we were subjected to the back pit. And the crowd was LAME!! When the bands asked for crowd participation, from raising their hands, to screaming, to opening up the pit, the crowd never responded!! I was in agony because I knew if I was up in the front pit I would get shit going!! Hollywood Undead and I Prevail had fire sets though. Fit For A King was absolutely carried by the bassist. 5/10

JULY 23rd - Return To Dust, Tigercub & Chevelle

I got a free ticket so how could I possibly say no? I got to hang out with the DJ's from the local radio station and I got my poster signed by Return To Dust. They were so sweet! But the singer from Tigercub is a total asshole!! Or at least he treated me like shit. I love their music but fuck him. He was definitely drunk. 4/10

JULY 27th - Rippin' N' Rollin' 2: Tires & Glitter Density

Another good show at the rink! This one was more vibe-y electronic music so it wasn't really my speed, but I just love skating so it wasn't too bad. It was fun skating with my boyfriend. 5/10

AUGUST 15th - Hairball

Hairball never disappoints! They always put on a fire show and their outfits are killer! I've never been in such a crowd full of assholes before. I mean... I've dealt with some shitty people, but these people were HORRIBLE. Show was a 9/10 but the people bring it down to a 6/10

AUGUST 17th - Avatar, Ice Nine Kills & In This Moment

Another great concert! Avatar was amazing!! Everything I was expecting! And it was Henrik's birthday!! In This Moment had the same setlist as last time, which was fine, but I kinda wanted something different. She's stunning though. And Ice Nine Kills blew me away! That was my second(?) time seeing them and they played all the songs I wanted to hear! I LOVE WURST VACATION!! And Meat and Greet!! 9/10

SEPTEMBER 19th - Slipknot no.9 whiskey signing

This was leading up to Knotfest Iowa. They had their whiskey signing at a local grocery store here (which was wild btw) and it was PACKED. You couldn't find a place to park! I brought my limited edition 2000's Wait and Bleed CD to be signed since I couldn't purchase a bottle of no.9. But they never told us what members would be there so I was hoping there would be an original member to sign my CD since it was decently limited. But of course, every member there was one that WASN'T on the album... Of course I still got it signed and I was very thankful for the opportunity, but it's still mildly disappointing... and it was fucking HOT out. I waited for like 2 hours... 7/10

SEPTEMBER 20th - Vended album release signing

LOVE THEM!!! They recognized me as soon as I walked in the store! "Hey you've come to a couple of our shows right?" Damn right I have!! They're always super kind and I run into their girlfriends in town all the time! Saw Simon and his girlfriend Lilly at a Spirit Halloween this past October lol! Griffin also complimented my corset! 10/10

SEPTEMBER 21st - Knotfest Iowa 2024

It was a good time even though once again it was fucking hot. I pretty much saw every band who was there! Till Lindemann was such a treat! I am so in love with Jes and Constance... My boyfriend hand painted me a Slipknot jumpsuit and mask to wear! Also got to see a lot of my friends there, including Vended and their girlfriends once again lol! But the downside was Slipknot's set was cut short due to a thunderstorm. All of the crowd was ready to keep going, but apparently it was 'too dangerous'. Sigh... I really wanted to hear them play Scissors and Spit It Out... 8/10

OCTOBER 4th - Worm, Frozen Soul TX & Gatecreeper

Another fun time! This was my first deathcore show and I was having such a blast in the pit! I also got in for free because my friend works for the owners of the venue! Got to chat with the bands and take a picture too! 9/10

OCTOBER 19th - Seether & Skillet

Lol I called out of work for this one... Don't tell my boss. I mean the tickets were super cheap and Skillet was a bucket list band to see. And fuckkkkk they didn't disappoint! They played every song I wanted to hear and I knew every word! Got to hang out with the local rock radio DJ's again and meet the new guy! I love my homies at Lazer! Seether was average for me, I like more of their b-side songs and obviously they didn't play those. We left halfway through their set lol 9/10

OCTOBER 31st - Rippin' N' Rollin' 3: Haploid & Druids

As I've said before... I LOVE SKATING!! And I got to wear my Slipknot jumpsuit again since it was a Halloween show! Also Druids played a Nine Inch Nails cover so I was rocking outttt!!! 10/10

NOVEMBER 12th - Wind Walkers, Zero 9:36, Currents & The Plot In You

It was my boyfriend's birthday and his friend bought us all tickets so it was a free show. I really wanted to go to see Wind Walkers and The Plot In You. Wind Walkers played every song I wanted to hear. It was fucking awesome!! I caught a Currents pick which I gave to my friend because he wanted it so badly. (he loves currents) He ended up catching a Zero 9:36 pick so he traded me, which worked out perfect! 8/10

NOVEMBER 27th - Scene Queen & Babymetal

Scene queen was good! I knew a majority of her songs and she was super cute! The only thing that killed it for me was these bitches behind me who told me to stop headbanging. Fuck them. But seeing Babymetal for the second time was a dream come true!! I love Momoko so much! She smiled really big when she saw I knew the dances! (specifically her parts!) 8/10

[jordensgolde]

a wilmon au where wille works as an ice skating instructor for kids and one day this famous swedish popstar simon eriksson shows up to the rink in the middle of practice and claims that his team booked the rink to film a music video. except there was an accidental overlap and they actually didn't, but simon's like "whatever we're already here with all the equipment, just let us rock" and wille's like "yeah i don't care bro film your mv somewhere else, you celebrities have lost touch with reality" and the fuss ensues, and at some point wille asks "do you even KNOW how to skate??" and simon's like "no and i don't need to!". so simon's team waits until wille's done and the rink is empty and starts setting up equipment when wille comes up to simon and begrudgingly says, "i'm not allowed to let you in if you don't at least know how to keep your balance" and offers him his hand and takes him to the ice and simon falls before they can finish a single lap and they giggle and somewhere in the awkward messiness of it all wille finds himself thinking "he's not that bad and his hand is warm and i'd like to keep holding it"

[gayofthefae]

Hey! I love reading all your byler posts (I'm also exposed to Buddie/Chenford stuff through you and am fully confident in them despite never having watched the show(s?))

I was thinking about something in a recent post you made about innocent vs mature relationships:

"In season 2, Mike was in a sort of caretaking and protective role over Will. This isn't a bad thing but it also isn't exactly equal. With that, in the story itself, Will didn't see enough of Mike's flaws."

And, this wasn't really the point of your post, but it made me wonder what your thoughts were on the dynamic between Will and Mike where people see Mike in more of a protective role. Like idk d'you think that is an unequal thing of the past (s2) and their dynamic is no longer like that - and maybe people romanticised the caretaker role Mike assumed because it's proof that he cares for Will? Or dyou think their dynamic is still like that as a byproduct of the fact that Will is still affected by the Upside Down far more than Mike? Or do you think it's just their personalities and their relationship would still be like that if none of the supernatural shit ever happened?

Idk your comment just really made me think because I'd never ever considered that Mike's caretaker role in s2 made their relationship slightly unbalanced on Will's part, that it was something that needed leveling or 'maturing'. Maybe just cause ppl look at it through a rose-tinted lens, and it's ingrained as the sweetest testament of Mike's devotion.

Anyway I'd love to know what you think!

Hi! (tldr at the bottom if you like)

I can answer most accurately to my live perceptions at the time of watching each season. One of the reasons I actually didn't see the romance the first time around on season 2 was because I felt it was equal, of course, that is also in large part due to us having yet to see Will's POV on their relationship. Similarly, I actually didn't see Mike and El as romantic in season 1 and was surprised when they kissed for the same reason.

In season 2 with Mike and El, we saw more of El's perspective of their relationship so I got more on board. Same thing happened for me with Joyce's perspective on Jopp3r in season 4 where I was pretty indifferent on them before, so as a nerd, I have to acknowledge where those POVs come into play, not just behavior.

With that, I think their behavior has stayed much the same but they are no longer inequal because of the camerawork etc but like I said in the post you're referencing, also because of that fight that prompts the song in Will's playlist about coming down out of the clouds from idolizing someone.

I think their dynamic of protective still exists just in their personal inclinations but now outside of the power dynamic, which was more about idolizing each other. That was broken when they first fought because in Will calling him out, it built the trust required for future complicated situations that Will won't just fold even when he's in the right and will call him out. Though the roller rink fight sucks, I don't think it would have happened without establishing that. Mike was gentle leading up to their rain fight until he allowed himself to get defensive after Will allowed himself to get offensive, but not before then. And in the rink o mania fight, Mike initiates that time. And a lot of it was poorly communicated and impulsive, but I don't think he would have picked a fight if he still didn't think Mike would call him out and fight back. In the same way that he stops as soon as he sees Will stop defending himself.

And with the protectiveness, there's a change in it too in some ways. Because Mike's seen Will fight back now and knows he can and will, it's more like that one meme comparing them to the same thing with Lucas and Max: Lucas and Mike both know Max and Will can protect themselves but are protective of them anyways, simply because they don't want them to have to. That's their personal inclinations.

And I don't know if it's true about the characters 100% of course, I just remember not seeing it when I watched season 2 BECAUSE I felt like Mike was caring for Will and I as a viewer

I felt that shift that Mike semi-described himself that he hasn't had with El, from need to want. Will doesn't need him to protect him and he's independent enough from him that if he's mad, he will leave. Mike knows that now, maybe he believed it before, but a situation to confirm had just never arisen. Now, because Will has left, it shows him that Will coming back and staying is a choice and that he can fend for himself, so he protects him because he wants to since he trusts that Will would be okay without him. Love is choices, as I always say, and if you know someone can call you out on your bullshit an walk away, you feel no obligation to stay. And yet you do.

I hope that answered your question on my thoughts!

[bakurapika]

I need to lose weight for top surgery. I have had many issues with Disordered Eating for non-body-image reasons, maybe like half mental health, half not having money. So! Because I need to write everything down. Here are my guidelines for myself so far, making them up as I go. This is all happening in conjunction with a new med to help me with weight loss fyi.

Also the fact that the weight loss is 11 lb and not like 30 lb seems actually hypothetically doable.

NO removal, ONLY substitutions: I can sub out my usual large soda for a medium herbal tea. But if I would normally get a cookie and am hungry and nothing else can hit that spot affordably, I'm gonna still have to buy and enjoy that cookie. No excuses for skipping food.

Exercise must be FUN and NEVER a PUNISHMENT: I've previously had a gym (actually YMCA) membership that fizzled out because I did that thing where I skipped it for legitimate reasons a couple times in a row and then the habit was gone forever. I currently just got a membership to a gym near me and it is tentatively going well! No gimmicks, just trying to listen to my body and emotions.

Tried to get myself to do some chores today and was successful, but I caught myself almost going, "If I fail this, then I have to go to the gym..." No! Wrong!

However I did do, "If I succeed, I get to go to the skating rink tomorrow," which is something I tried and enjoyed but it's a drive and costs a little bit of money, so I haven't done again yet.

Only as LONG as it's CHILL: As long as I got to the gym and did something, I can call it good. I kinda have been trying to do at least 20 minutes and my time is going steadily up without me needing to make myself miserable about it. But yeah I don't need to keep an eye on the clock until I'm allowed to go home.

NOTHING you'd REGRET TOMORROW: Push myself only in a good way that makes me feel stronger. If there's an ow or a yikes, move on to something I know I'm capable of. In that vein:

EVERY day is LEG DAY: I have problems with everything from the lower back upward. BUT I realized when starting this, my legs still work... I used to enjoy doing the leg curl machine (which is apparently what it's called) back in high school... and like, there's no rule that says you have to work out your whole body equally.

I mean, there's probably a bodybuilding rule. But if I'm still at the "please god do anything to be less sedentary" stage so who cares.

Go by GENERAL weight and not OUNCES: I really don't want to get into a Cathy spiral here. I've been pleasantly surprised at the scale but this sort of needs to be going down and then maintaining, not a race to the bottom. And if the end goal here is to be weighed fully clothed in like, a month or two, and then again in several months, an ounce here or there when in my boxers doesn't matter so much as an overall weight trend. On that note, I CAN weigh myself more than once a day, but I can't take it seriously. I'm not tracking the numbers because I'm also not keeping track of calories or shit like that, because of the disordered eating thing.

This one's so easy in principal but so hard in practice: Make it a part of your SCHEDULE. I have evening plans on Tuesdays and Thursdays so it's easy to remember that in general, unless something unexpected happens or I'm really tired or something (again, it should be fun and I shouldn't do something I'd regret, so no pushing past exhaustion), after work, I'm going to the gym.

Weekends are still up in the air but I went tonight on a Saturday so maybe just any night I don't have other plans?

[casspurrjoybell-25]

Cold as Ice - Chapter 33 - Part 3

*Warning Adult Content*

Wren Ridley

The next day, Mom and Dad drove Fox to Providence early so that he could make it for the morning skate with his team at Brown's rink.

The rest of us stayed home for a little while longer until it was closer to game time before we piled into my car and drove to Brown.

Luckily it was cold enough out for me to justify wearing a turtleneck, so the hickeys from Landon went unnoticed.

"Wren, turn the heat on," Fawn exclaimed loudly from the back seat.

She sat in the middle and leaned forward so that her face was in between Robin and me.

"The heat is on," I replied.

"Well, it's not reaching back here."

"We're going to cook up here if he turns it up," Robin said, turning to face her.

"Huddle together and use each other's body heat for warmth."

Fawn smacked him on the shoulder and leaned back in her seat.

She was the only one complaining but that was typical.

Colt was leaning against the window with his face buried in his cell-phone, headphones in and drowning out the rest of us.

Raven was reading some romance book with a half naked man on the cover.

It seemed that the only thing that passed the time for Fawn was complaining.

"This is sexist," Fawn grumbled, causing Robin to let out a shocked laugh.

"How so?"

"It just is," she said.

"Women always have to be cold so men can be comfortable."

"What the heck are you talking about?"

"There is actually a study about how office temperatures are based on male preferences, often leaving women cold and uncomfortable at work," I added, earning a look of confusion from my brother.

"Okay but this isn't an office building," Robin replied.

"I'm just saying, she's not wrong."

"Alright, alright," Robin relented, turning the heat up.

"I will turn it up just for you, little Fawn."

Shocker.

Robin was not one to deny his siblings anything.

The rest of the ride had a lot less complaining and by the time we reached the ice rink, it was almost game time.

Our parents were already in the stands, saving a row for the rest of us.

When we found them, Dad was sprawled across three seats while Mom had put each of their jackets and her purse in three others.

Dad was decked out in Northeastern gear.

He had a zip up sweatshirt, a t-shirt under that, a hat and even a small flag.

Mom's attire was simpler, just a quarter-zip with a Northeastern logo in the corner.

"You guys made it," Dad exclaimed, standing up.

"Good thing too because that was getting really uncomfortable."

Mom kissed each of her children on the head as we filed into the row and took our seats.

"Wren, sweetie, if you want to go sit with some friends that's okay. Don't let us keep you," she said as I sat beside her.

She was just bluffing anyway.

Mom wanted us all to be together to watch Fox play like we used to.

I didn't even know if Stella and James were in Providence.

They could have each gone home for Thanksgiving.

I doubted Stella did since she chose a school so far away from home to have an excuse not to have to go visit.

"I'll stay here," I said. Mom smiled and tossed an arm around me, squeezing me into a hug.

Sitting next to Robin during this was a big mistake.

He was loud an obnoxious, bumping into me whenever he stood up when something he found exciting was happening.

I could barely follow along with this, not because it was difficult but because I found it so boring.

Fox was playing well apparently and my whole family stood up when he scored a goal.

Mom was gripping my arm every time Fox was even on the ice, either out of nerves or excitement.

Robin let out a loud 'boo' when Fox got sent to the penalty box during the last period.

"Bullshit call," he exclaimed.

"What happened?" I asked, looking down at the ice in confusion.

"Guy got caught up in Fox's stick and they called him for tripping," Robin explained, shaking his head with irritation.

'Okay, whatever that meant.'

I assumed tripping other players wasn't allowed and warranted a penalty but what did I know.

When Fox got out of the penalty box, he immediately got a breakaway with the puck.

My whole family stood in anticipation and when he scored yet again, a chorus of cheers came from all of them.

Even Colt seemed like he was into the game and I didn't think he liked anything other than his cell-phone and his video games.

Fox's team ended up winning, which probably wasn't all that difficult for them.

I wasn't sure that Brown had a great hockey team, not that I followed it that closely.

"Oh, that was such a good game," Mom said happily as we walked out of the stands and toward the exit.

"I'm still mad about that bullshit call on Fox but at least he scored because of it," Robin said, walking ahead with our mother.

Once we got outside, we just stood around waiting for Fox.

Our parents wanted to bring us all out to dinner and had made reservations at a place not too far from the rink.

"Oh, Wren," Mom called out, grabbing my attention away from my phone.

"Isn't that your friend over there?"

Dread was what I felt at that moment.

There was only one 'friend' from school that my mother had ever met and it was the last person I needed walking over here when Fox was bound to show up at any moment.

"Landon," she called out, waving at him.

"Mom, wait," I started but it was too late.

He saw us.

He saw my mother waving at him to come over and against his better judgement, he did.

Most likely to avoid seeming rude to my sweet mother but part of me wished he just ran away.

He said something to the guys he was with, presumably guys from his hockey team and started walking toward our group.

Robin glanced at me with wide eyes but didn't say anything.

Even Fawn looked over at me with a sort of panicked expression.

"Landon. It's good to see you again," Mom said with a kind smile.

"Yes, you too, Mrs. Ridley," Landon politely replied.

"Sweetie, just call me Vanessa," she said.

"We're about to head out to dinner. You should come with us. We never get to see any of Wren's friends."

"Oh, that's alright. I wouldn't want to intrude."

"You wouldn't be intruding. Please, I insist."

"Mom," I started, hoping to move this along before Fox showed up but of course, it was too late.

Fox stood at the other end of the group, throwing a murderous glare Landon's way.

At that point, I really didn't know what to do.

He had seen him and sure, I could probably find some way to explain this away if our mother wasn't so insistent on Landon coming to dinner with us.

If he had just been passing by and being polite, this could have been explained away in few words.

Fox's glare seemed to grow darker and it was like he knew this had something to do with me because he turned that glare on me and our parents, being oblivious to this, greeted Fox with smiles and rounded us up to the cars so we could go to dinner.

Mom walked beside Landon, leading him to my car like she was afraid he would escape if she strayed too far.

All I could feel was Fox's fiery glare on the back of my head as we went to the car.

[capsensislagamoprh]

"What the hell did you do?!" Yuri hissed at Mila.

"What? What are you on about now?" She'd been half asleep, staring into the distance, dreaming of questionable things with very suggestive bodies as she dragged herself back to the onsen during the ridiculously early hour of not yet noon. Trust Yuri to ruin her fantasies with his murder face.

"I spent the night on the roof because of you!"

"What the hell, Yurio. I don't know what you're on about, and I for sure didn't make you sleep on the roof. It's too early for this! Make sense!"

"Ah, allow me," Christophe smiled, handing Mila a cup of strong black tea. She took it, reveling in the caffeine as it touched her soul. Yuri sent her death threats through staredown. She took several deep breaths.

"Okay, go," she told Christophe.

"I got a lovely, riveting, rink side view of an interesting conversation last night."

Mila's lips twitched. "Okay, and?"

"Did you or did you not suggest, ever so slightly, that a particular ice skating bad boy would be delighted to perform live at a particular wedding?"

"What? Live? No! I did not say live."

"AH HA!" Yuri snapped, finger practically up Mila's nose in accusation. She blinked, leaning back. "You DID sick the old man on Beka! I knew it!"

Beka? Oh, this was new. Mila raised her free hand in supplication. "I did not tell Victor he would perform live at the wedding. Swear."

"What did you say?" Christophe asked with diplomatic grace as he sank into a seated position, motioning for Mila to join him. Yuri slapped his hands on the wood surface in a show of irritation as he knelt down, ready to spring across the table for blood if need be.

"I merely suggested," Yuri made a face that Mila's fingers twitched to snap a picture of, "a certain someone might be able to get him to make a track for them."

Yuri's eyes narrowed. A track didn't seem so bad, and Otabek was a kick-ass DJ. "That's it? That's all you said?"

"I mean, you do keep going on about how awesome his tracks are."

"Well, they are, but that doesn't explain why baldy was trying to get him to do something live, or whatever."

"It was rather upsetting, Mila," Christophe added. "Yuuri had to go up there," pointing to the ceiling, "to get him for their morning run."

"Morning run? It's supposed to be a vacation."

"Whatever, hag. Some of us don't slack so much."

Mila made a face at the younger skater before sucking down more life giving caffeine. "Why didn't you just ask him what's up anyway?"

"I tried! I told Victor it was a bad idea, but he insisted on bringing it up, and when it didn't work, he kept needling. Eventually Beka just went 'No', like he does, and then he was on the roof!"

Mila did indeed know Otabek's unrelenting 'No'. She'd been on the receiving end once or twice when her teasing crossed some invisible line the Kazakh had drawn. Maybe she did go too far. Time for damage control. "Look, all I did was mention, casually, something JJ said." She could feel Yuri mentally trying to rip her soul out with his teeth. "It wasn't bad, I swear!"

Christophe saw the Russian red in Yuri's eyes. "What was it?" he asked in his most soothing, let's-be-reasonable tones.

"JJ said he's heard Otabek sing, and he's not bad at it. Really good, actually."

"I don't see how that's a problem," Christophe admitted, turning his gaze to Yuri.

"The problem is he doesn't Do that!"

"Doesn't sing?"

"Not in public. He's so frickin’ shy it's like pulling i-teeth to get him to even go to the after parties for events. Fucking hell! If Victor keeps pushing he may just go home rather than DJ the dance floor!" Yuri dropped to his ass, arms crossed, a pout marrying his angry expression. Mila tried not to smirk. There it was. He wasn't mad at her, not really. He was worried his 'best friend' would go home and leave him to deal with Victor on his own. Alright. She'd relent. After all, she was after vengeance on Yuri, not driving Otabek away.

"DJ the dance floor?" she asked with her best I'm-not-being-pushy voice.

"Yuuri," Christophe supplied, "managed to get Victor to leave them alone for a bit by offering to talk to Otabek. They were on that roof for quite a bit this morning. Left for their run an hour ago."

"Behind schedule, and after Sleeping On The Roof!" The venom in Yuri's voice was less toxic than it had been a few minutes ago.

"Apparently," Christophe smoothly slipped over Yuri's fading rage, "Yuuri's compromise was to have Otabek DJ the dance floor for the reception. I have to admit, he had some good points as to why he didn't want to perform live. Victor's upset about it, but knowing he'll get a unique remix seems to have appeased his need for surprises. For now."

"So it's all good then, right?"

"No it's not all good! You did this on purpose! Admit it!"

"Yurio -"

"That's not my name!"

"- how was I to know making a suggestion would wind up with you sleeping on the roof? Why did you do that anyway? You could have just gone to bed."

Christophe not so subtly sipped his own cup of chi, interested in the tale.

"Because Beka was up there and wasn't going to come down until Victor backed off. You can't just let someone be alone on a roof all night! He could have fell off!" He made an annoyed tsk-ing sound as his eyes rolled.

"Was I really that bad?" a properly chastised Victor said, shoulder slumped as he slipped into the main room, still in his bathrobe and slippers. Sinking down next to Christophe, he let his head rest on the Swiss man's shoulder.

"Yes, You Were!" Yuri practically shouted.

"You got excited," Christophe cooed. "It happens."

"The Roof. Victor! The Fucking ROOF!"

"Why did he go up there anyway? Wouldn't it have been better to just, I dunno, go to his room or something?" Mila asked.

"He did. Baldy followed him."

Victor winced. Not only at the disparagement against his magnificent platinum locks, but that he had, in fact, followed the Kazakh trying to get him to at least think about the idea. He'd been just this side of drunk and it seemed like a good idea at the time.

"Yeah, but why the roof," Mila asked again.

"I dunno. He climbs things when he's upset." Yuri snarled as Mila raised a brow. "What?! It's a thing people do. Shut up!"

"M'kay. Well, I don't think that's the best solution."

"It's not like he knows where the ring is."

"Yes, he does. We all know where the rink is."

"Ring. Not rink. Boxing. He doesn't have his rink, too, " seeing Mila and Christophe look fascinated, Yuri flicked his glance to Victor. He was decidedly sparkling. Yuri got up, tossing his hands in the air. "Fuck it. I'm going out."

With a flair of leopard print vans and a quick snatching of his phone off the charger, Yuri stormed from the building.

"Well, that explained the upper body strength," Mila said with a grin.

"I suppose I should apologize to him," Victor sighed.

"Both of you should," Christophe smiled. "But I wouldn't. Let it rest and he'll probably let it go."

"Which one?" Mila huffed.

"If one does, the other will," Christophe chuckled as he rose to create some properly strong wake-up mix for Victor. They had a long day of preparing and song selection if they actually wanted a free DJ on for the dance floor. Christophe wondered if he could get Otabek to sync his gear up to a light show once it arrived. Thank goodness they had a few weeks still. He didn't know how many more major changes he could sneak into the event before Yuuri would have a panic attack, or Phichit threw his hands up in frustration leaving him to sort the whole thing out.

part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4

[zachsgamejournal]

COMPLETED: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge

This is what fun looks like.

We're going to talk about it: my past with TMNT. I grew up on this. Seriously, the first comic was released in 1984. That's when I was born. Though, honestly, I never read them. I did own all four turtles, their van, and their blimp. I dressed up as Donatello for my kindergarten showcase, and enjoyed all the movies from the 90's--including the musical tour: Coming Out of Their Shells.

But my favorite why to experience it was through video games.

I remember seeing the Arcade beat'em up at my local skating rink. It was four player and awesome. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle's II was available on the NES. My cousin had it and I regularly demanded we play it together. Unfortunately, at my young age, I could not hit A and B consistently enough to one-hit all the enemies and I struggled dodging dangers. Still, there was just something so approachable and fun about the experience. I loved the clever places they would hide foot soldiers and the environmental interaction. Also the skate board section was a blast.

I once rented Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1 on NES and I did not care for it. So moving on.

I bought TMNT 3 for NES, it should be better because it's the next game. I really appreciate the change in environments (the turtles start at the beach). It was neat how A/B now performed really cool special moves, but frustrating that it cost life to do so. Anyway, it was a fun game but I struggled to get very far.

I then saw Turtles In Time in the arcade and got really excited. I loved the wackiness of it, like stepping on a loose board and getting smacked in the face by the other end, Looney Tunes style. I didn't play much of the arcade, but I think I rented the SNES version once. Maybe?

In 6th grade, I made a new friend who had TMNT 3 for NES. I asked to play it, for nostalgia's sake, fully expected defeat but we actually beat the game in one sitting. I was impressed with us, and felt closure.

Anyway, seeing Shredder's Revenge previews I got it. Pixel-Art games are totally in right now, and will probable be a sub-genre for years to come. We also seem to have a habit of accelerating how quickly we reboot nostalgia. I don't know why 2022 was deemed as a good time to make a sequel but here it is and they nailed it.

Obviously it's got pixel art: easy win. But it has modern level of production design. The environmet does not appear to repeat like the classic games and there are tons of unique animations for the enemies: such as eating a popsicle or posing as a fast food clerk. While almost all the levels take place in New York City, they each feel very unique. Like in the classic games, the foot soldiers all look the same except for their color and wielded weapon, which match. This gives an easy indication to the player what kind of attacks to prepare for. There's multiple hover-board sections that help break up the beat 'em up action and keep up the fun.

Speaking of the beat'em up: this is where the game evolvied from the original. The older games basically had an attack, special attack, and jump attack. But there's a bit more going on here: jump attacks as you rise, attacks in the air, and attacks as you fall allow for a variety of strategies when facing different enemies. And each enemy seems to have their own weakness. Like the Triceratops guys (yeah, there are triceratops guys), they'll use their horns repel aerial attacks with their horns, but are week to basic ground attacks. Other enemies need to attacked exclusively from the air. Figuring out how best to beat your foe is key.

The game is short, which is why I beat it. Had it been longer I wouldn't have committed. I bought Xbox GamePass and plan to remain a subscriber. I'm trying out the streaming and I was excited to see a 3 hour game available. At one point I did get stuck on a level. It had two bosses and the pizza (health refills) were poorly placed. It basically took me switching to a character that had more extra lives so that I could sacrifice a life or two. By the time I beat it, I had actually gotten pretty good at it, so I maybe didn't need to switch.

The characters each level up. It's interesting. This unlocks new moves, special moves, hit points, and extra lives. The last part is a bit weird. I had committed to using Donatello through the whole game (he's my favorite) but my kids demanded I try the others. Don was already at level 5 and then I started switching around. April was pretty fun to use! But then none of my characters had enough extra lives to fight the double boss level. I switched back to Donny and finished the game that way. It's a little sad that the lives limit the player's ability to switch things up. But it's pretty easy to replay levels, so one could grind if they were inclined. The level-select map feels a lot liek the overworld map of TMNT.

The story was near non-existent. Shredder was collecting the parts for Krang and then unleashed Krang. But then they took over the Statue of Liberty and turned it into the Statue of Tyranny. It was funny and fit the weird themes of the older games and cartoons.

Anyway, it was a fun way to spend the afternoon. I'm sure my kids will want to play at some point.

[inspotlight]

❝    yeah,    i    know...    ❞    she    says,    looking    down    at    her    hands,    and    picking    at    a    cuticle.    he    was    always    talking    about    how    she    was    his    priority.    it    had    upset    her    in    the    beginning;    had    made    her    uncomfortable.    she    didn't    want    him    to    expend    so    much    energy    caring    for    her.    and    yet...    she    loved    that    he    did.    ❝    well,    yeah,    very    lucky.    just    not    when    it    comes    to    your    talent.    we've    both    worked    so    hard    to    get    to    where    we    are.    that's    not    lucky;    we    did    that    ourselves.    ❞    she's    happy,    and    maybe    that    in    itself    is    lucky.    the    last    few    years    have    been    so    hard    on    her    heart    and    now    that    she's    just    resting    with    her    head    in    his    lap,    it    feels    like    maybe    it    had    all    been    worth    it.    all    of    the    ups    and    downs.    ❝    moving    forward    feels    nice.    ❞    she    admits,    soft    smile    on    her    lips.    it    feels    good    to    be    able    to    be    so    comfortable    with    him.    she    hadn't    allowed    that    of    herself    and    it    felt    good.    ❝    oh,    good.    always    nice    to    have    confirmation    that    i'm    not    actually    being    the    ice    princess    people    think    i    am.    ❞    and    for    once,    it's    mostly    a    joke.    she    rarely    talks    about    her    reputation    at    the    rink,    but    it    feels    good    to    not    dance    around    it.    she    almost    can't    believe    he's    got    her    making    jokes    about    something    that    affects    her    so    much.    ❝    i    know    the    feeling.    i    could    get    used    to    this.    it's    nice...    feels    good.    yeah,    uh...    i    really    don't    want    to    get    hurt    again,    either.    ❞    she    says,    her    voice    much    softer    now    as    she    lets    the    vulnerability    slip    through.

    ❝    of course, yeah. i mean- it's like i've told you from the beginning...    ❞    he prioritized her, as his skating partner. they need to care about each other on some level. be able to trust each other, make sure each other are okay to skate. she has to be able to rely on him to lift and throw and catch her... ricky nods at her words, but it's clear it's not completely through to him. he's trying though.    ❝    i feel like it is on some level. but yeah i mean- i work hard- we work hard... every single day pretty much. but i am lucky, too.    ❞    her laying in his lap, being so kind... he loves this moment.    ❝    yeah... i've been through a lot the last few years... but we're here now. we're moving forward...    ❞    and he's trying to focus on that, and not on the past. not on the pain.    ❝    i feel like you have a reason most of the time    ❞    he says with a chuckle, giving her a little nudge.    ❝    well yeah- and if i'm not too careful i will get used to this. and i don't really want to get hurt, but...    ❞    he'd let her crush him. he knows that at the end of the day.

[awingedllama]

Hello, sorry to bother you! I know you're answering a lot of asks on this topic but as someone whose been curious for a long time I figure I'd come to you. I've always dreamed of a purely blank world, no ugly EA decorative buildings, at the most I'd love to delete everything from the worlds we have except maybe some trees and water. How would I go about this? I'm willing to use Studio, TOOL, or any other mods if possible.

hi! you're not bothering me, and i just realised for all the yammering i've done about my save file i haven't actually made a proper tutorial yet. woops

so removing world objects is achievable two different ways

1 (The Surprisingly Easy Way):

You can go into the .world files with Sims 4 Studio, navigate to World Object Data, click on the 'Edit' button next to Lots, and click the Remove button on any objects you don't want. There are more objects to remove in World Data as well. A quick visual guide:

Then you just replace the .world file you edited, similar to the way you'd install a lighting mod. The upside to this way is that you can stop certain objects from spawning, like the Seasons roller rink and seasonal food stands. The downside to this approach is that if you want to use a custom lighting mod, you'd need to import the creator's files (with their permission ofc, if you plan to share your edited .world file). Also, you have to re-replace the files whenever the game patches.

2 (The Also Easy, but Incredibly Tedious Way):

You can make each debug world object invisible/un-interactable by changing the Model and Footprint resources in Object Definition to zero (S4S will auto-fill the correct number of zeroes). Here is a tutorial on this method

This is the way I've done it for my save, so people can place the files in their game once and be done with it, no updates necessary, if they don't want the optional lighting (softerhaze has very kindly allowed me to use theirs!) or terrain colour edits.

I like this way because it's persistent, but I wouldn't recommend it if you'd be bothered by the objects disappearing in other worlds. If you hide an object this way, all instances of it are hidden, not just the ones in a certain world.

if you have any questions you can send me another ask or private message!