#firefly 2015

[kat-aa]

i would loveeeee if dan started posting his music opinions again. i miss hearing what he has to say, he’s always so precise and detailed and concrete with his opinions. like that man is RIGHT.

in high school i used to listen to his younows and take NOTES on what he’s been listening to and he introduced me to so so many artists and i miss that candidness from him

:(

i know streams/liveshows are so unlikely from either of them at this point but i loved how it was just an outlet for dan to yap. and by god did that man have opinions!! let me hear them again!!!

[diazmaximoff]

My weird little gang that lives rent-free in my head

[hilli98215]

Did a random haul from Thriftbooks and decided to get some movies instead of books. I know for a fact we don't own Atlantis and needed to get it. We have Cinderella in blu ray, but I wanted my own copy. Plus, I don't think I've ever seen one with this cover. I need it as a poster asap!

I know for a fact we don't have The Mummy although I think my uncle has it on VHS. This comes with a Collector's Edition booklet which is amazing to see.

I remember watching Firefly when it was on Netflix (I think) and loved it! I was amazed when I saw it on Thrift books and immediately needed it. The only downside is that the sticker lable needs to be taped or it will take parts of the box art off.

And finally, the Phantom of The Opera. It's a movie that I've come like over the years. I did not know when I ordered it that it was going to come in unsealed and still have the sweepstakes sticker on it. No, really sometimes you never know the condition of the product you have got to get when ordering from Thriftbooks. I mean, the sweepstakes is 20 years old. It's from 2005. What?! Okay then....

Also, physical media for the win!

@tending-the-hearth @storyweaverofgondor @queen-with-the-quill @roxycake

[mymarifae]

i talked about this on twitter but i really... don't understand the way people have been so - for lack of a better word - "bristly" about firefly being the trailblazer's romantic interest. i strongly suspect that this would not be a source of so much complaint if she had feelings for any other character in the cast, and that tells me that the fandom is seriously misunderstanding the nature of the trailblazer's character. they're not a player insert. they have feelings, thoughts, and a relationship to the world and other characters around them completely independent of the player. just because you have the option to name them at the beginning doesn't mean they aren't their own character, and that giving them a love interest is anything more than standard relationship development

obviously there are those who will never accept this and will thus make the whole thing weird but we can just let them be weird in their own little corners. and i knowww about the leaks for that... mmd thing hyv commissioned that's like, a gag video of firefly fighting other girls to win the trailblazer's affections or whatever it was, so that audience is being catered to a little bit, but did you really expect hoyoverse to pass up an opportunity to squeeze money out of every possible avenue...? (they do this fanservice shit all the time come on guys) Scratches Head. maybe it's just me, but i kind of don't caare about occasional promotional gag materials - so long as it doesn't bleed into the actual game and story and characters. which like, it hasn't. for the record.

i think it's fine for the writers to focus on firefly's relationship with the trailblazer even though it seems silly and mundane and trivial in light of all the things like... glamoth's cavalry, the genetic engineering and experimentation, the swarm, the mystery of the stellaron hunters, etc... in fact, i think it's fine ESPECIALLY because it seems silly and mundane and trivial. a major aspect of firefly's character is that she just wants to be a normal person. with normal, average, pointless-in-the-grand-scheme of things concerns. like having a crush on her new (?) friend. she is more than a weapon. she exists beyond the SAM suit. she wants a life that she chose for herself.

i seriously don't know what you guys are talking about because i actually think they've done a fine job of balancing the juxtapositions of her character. her past has its time and place, her budding philosophies and questions about herself have their time and place, and her (probable) feelings for the trailblazer have their time and place. again maybe if the concept of the trailblazer being a player insert held any water there would be more of a point to be had here. but they're not, sooooo there isn't

and y'know. i don't think we have the right to say that the progression of their relationship has been "rushed" given the trailblazer has an entire past life with the stellaron hunters that we don't know about yet. "rushed" - or maybe they're just picking things up from where they left off? and sometimes people just click together like that, so either way it felt fine for me. maybe I would have liked more time with firefly before the sleepie incident occurred so I get more emotional impact out of it, but my feelings =/= the trailblazer's. because they are not a player insert. they do not reflect my will 1:1. their attachment to firefly is solely their own. THEIR attachment to her is what ultimately invoked an emotional reaction out of me and sparked my own attachment to her, actually. it was their shock, horror, and GRIEF that got me

idk. maybe we need to spend less time thinking about ourselves and more time thinking about the trailblazer as an independent character. it might help this whole mess

[nasa]

NASA Inspires Your Crafty Creations for World Embroidery Day

It’s amazing what you can do with a little needle and thread! For #WorldEmbroideryDay, we asked what NASA imagery inspired you. You responded with a variety of embroidered creations, highlighting our different areas of study.

Here’s what we found:

Webb’s Carina Nebula

Wendy Edwards, a project coordinator with Earth Science Data Systems at NASA, created this embroidered piece inspired by Webb’s Carina Nebula image. Captured in infrared light, this image revealed for the first time previously invisible areas of star birth. Credit: Wendy Edwards, NASA. Pattern credit: Clare Bray, Climbing Goat Designs

Wendy Edwards, a project coordinator with Earth Science Data Systems at NASA, first learned cross stitch in middle school where she had to pick rotating electives and cross stitch/embroidery was one of the options.  “When I look up to the stars and think about how incredibly, incomprehensibly big it is out there in the universe, I’m reminded that the universe isn’t ‘out there’ at all. We’re in it,” she said. Her latest piece focused on Webb’s image release of the Carina Nebula. The image showcased the telescope’s ability to peer through cosmic dust, shedding new light on how stars form.

Ocean Color Imagery: Exploring the North Caspian Sea

Danielle Currie of Satellite Stitches created a piece inspired by the Caspian Sea, taken by NASA’s ocean color satellites. Credit: Danielle Currie/Satellite Stitches

Danielle Currie is an environmental professional who resides in New Brunswick, Canada. She began embroidering at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic as a hobby to take her mind off the stress of the unknown. Danielle’s piece is titled “46.69, 50.43,” named after the coordinates of the area of the northern Caspian Sea captured by LandSat8 in 2019.

An image of the Caspian Sea captured by Landsat 8 in 2019. Credit: NASA

Two Hubble Images of the Pillars of Creation, 1995 and 2015

Melissa Cole of Star Stuff Stitching created an embroidery piece based on the Hubble image Pillars of Creation released in 1995. Credit: Melissa Cole, Star Stuff Stitching

Melissa Cole is an award-winning fiber artist from Philadelphia, PA, USA, inspired by the beauty and vastness of the universe. They began creating their own cross stitch patterns at 14, while living with their grandparents in rural Michigan, using colored pencils and graph paper.  The Pillars of Creation (Eagle Nebula, M16), released by the Hubble Telescope in 1995 when Melissa was just 11 years old, captured the imagination of a young person in a rural, religious setting, with limited access to science education.

Lauren Wright Vartanian of the shop Neurons and Nebulas created this piece inspired by the Hubble Space Telescope’s 2015 25th anniversary re-capture of the Pillars of Creation. Credit:  Lauren Wright Vartanian, Neurons and Nebulas

Lauren Wright Vartanian of Guelph, Ontario Canada considers herself a huge space nerd. She’s a multidisciplinary artist who took up hand sewing after the birth of her daughter. She’s currently working on the illustrations for a science themed alphabet book, made entirely out of textile art. It is being published by Firefly Books and comes out in the fall of 2024. Lauren said she was enamored by the original Pillars image released by Hubble in 1995. When Hubble released a higher resolution capture in 2015, she fell in love even further! This is her tribute to those well-known images.

James Webb Telescope Captures Pillars of Creation

Darci Lenker of Darci Lenker Art, created a rectangular version of Webb’s Pillars of Creation. Credit:  Darci Lenker of Darci Lenker Art

Darci Lenker of Norman, Oklahoma started embroidery in college more than 20 years ago, but mainly only used it as an embellishment for her other fiber works. In 2015, she started a daily embroidery project where she planned to do one one-inch circle of embroidery every day for a year.  She did a collection of miniature thread painted galaxies and nebulas for Science Museum Oklahoma in 2019. Lenker said she had previously embroidered the Hubble Telescope’s image of Pillars of Creation and was excited to see the new Webb Telescope image of the same thing. Lenker could not wait to stitch the same piece with bolder, more vivid colors.

Milky Way

Darci Lenker of Darci Lenker Art was inspired by NASA’s imaging of the Milky Way Galaxy. Credit: Darci Lenker

In this piece, Lenker became inspired by the Milky Way Galaxy, which is organized into spiral arms of giant stars that illuminate interstellar gas and dust. The Sun is in a finger called the Orion Spur.

The Cosmic Microwave Background

This image shows an embroidery design based on the cosmic microwave background, created by Jessica Campbell, who runs Astrostitches. Inside a tan wooden frame, a colorful oval is stitched onto a black background in shades of blue, green, yellow, and a little bit of red. Credit: Jessica Campbell/ Astrostitches

Jessica Campbell obtained her PhD in astrophysics from the University of Toronto studying interstellar dust and magnetic fields in the Milky Way Galaxy. Jessica promptly taught herself how to cross-stitch in March 2020 and has since enjoyed turning astronomical observations into realistic cross-stitches. Her piece was inspired by the cosmic microwave background, which displays the oldest light in the universe.

The full-sky image of the temperature fluctuations (shown as color differences) in the cosmic microwave background, made from nine years of WMAP observations. These are the seeds of galaxies, from a time when the universe was under 400,000 years old. Credit: NASA/WMAP Science Team

GISSTEMP: NASA’s Yearly Temperature Release

Katy Mersmann, a NASA social media specialist, created this embroidered piece based on NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) global annual temperature record. Earth’s average surface temperature in 2020 tied with 2016 as the warmest year on record. Credit: Katy Mersmann, NASA

Katy Mersmann is a social media specialist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. She started embroidering when she was in graduate school. Many of her pieces are inspired by her work as a communicator. With climate data in particular, she was inspired by the researchers who are doing the work to understand how the planet is changing. The GISTEMP piece above is based on a data visualization of 2020 global temperature anomalies, still currently tied for the warmest year on record.

In addition to embroidery, NASA continues to inspire art in all forms. Check out other creative takes with Landsat Crafts and the James Webb Space telescope public art gallery.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!

[rostekhorn]

Firefly Rewatch - Objects In Space

"You're a liar. I don't think your intentions are honorable." "Well no, I'm a bounty hunter. That's not generally considered honorable." - River Tam and Jubal Early

Remember when bounty hunters were the bad guys?

A couple years ago, someone introduced me to Killjoys, from 2015, one of multiple shows that were clearly spiritual successors to Firefly. And one of the better ones; really, it's a good show. I need to go back and finish it sometimes.

But there's one notable little difference. Killjoys is about bounty hunters. Firefly, as the last episode reminds us, is about the kind of people bounty hunters make a living persecuting.

The Star Wars franchise, which Firefly probably owes more to than any other sci-fi, has gone the same way. Fifty years ago, Han and Chewie, the smugglers, were the heroes. Boba Fett, the bounty hunter after them, was the villain. By 2019, we had The Mandalorian, and now the main character was a bounty hunter. A few years later, we had The Book Of Boba Fett spin-off, which turned the original bounty hunter into a hero.

And again, those are good shows (well, the first one is). But it's hard not to see the change as being part of the copagandification of everything. In 1977, heck, even as late as the millennium, you were supposed to sympathize with smugglers like the crews of the Serenity and the Millennium Falcon. They were working people struggling to eke out a living under a system determined to grind them into dust. Bounty hunters were bottom-feeders; they might be working people in one sense, but the work in question consisted of feeding other working people to the system. You know those Republicans eagerly looking for women they can report for having abortions or immigrants they can report for not having their papers in order? Bounty hunters are that guy, full-time.

It says something about how the world's changed that those are the people the genre now expects us to sympathize with.

[metamorphesque]

im hoping to become a full time, full fledged toxic cinephile filmbro with an air of superiority and condescension. do you have a list of movies i should watch to start my journey?

ah! wrong door for toxic cinephile initiation — this is the department of the humble admirers of cinema. however, I’d be delighted to share some personal favorites if you’d like. the list may expand over time because.. well... cinema is a gift that keeps on giving (and my memory is a treacherous friend)

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964, Directed by Jacques Demy), Ararat (2002, Directed by Atom Egoyan), In the Mood for Love (2000, Directed by Wong Kar-wai), Fallen Angels (1995, Directed by Wong Kar-wai), Chungking Express (1994, Directed by Wong Kar-wai), The Godfather Trilogy (1972, 1974, 1990 Directed by Francis Ford Coppola), Le Bonheur (1965, Directed by Agnès Varda), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, Directed by Stanley Kubrick), The Color of Pomegranates (1969, Directed by Sergei Parajanov), Mirror (1975, Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky), Indian Summer (1972, Directed by Valerio Zurlini), The Men (1972, Տղա��արդիկ, Directed by Edmond Keosayan), A Piece of Sky (1980, Կտոր մը երկինք, Directed by Henrik Malyan), Mother (1991, Mayrig, Directed by Henri Verneuil), A Special Day (1977, Una giornata particolare, Directed by Ettore Scola), Grave of the Fireflies (1988, Directed by Isao Takahata), A Short Film About Love (1988, Directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski), The Double Life of Véronique (1991, La Double Vie de Véronique, Directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski), Three Colours Trilogy (1993, 1994, Directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski), Damage (1992, Directed by Louis Malle), Phantom Thread (2017, Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson), Léon: The Professional (1994, Directed by Luc Besson), Before Sunrise (1995, Directed by Richard Linklater), Perfect Blue (1997, Directed by Satoshi Kon), Notting Hill (1999, Directed by Roger Michell), Mr. Nobody (2009, Directed by Jaco Van Dormael), Spirited Away (2001, Directed by Hayao Miyazaki), Howl’s Moving Castle (2004, Directed by Hayao Miyazaki), The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003, Directed by Peter Jackson), Pride & Prejudice (2005, Directed by Joe Wright), The Phantom of the Opera (2004, Directed by Joel Schumacher), Alexander (2004, Directed by Oliver Stone), A Ghost Story (2017, Directed by David Lowery), Lust, Caution (2007, Directed by Ang Lee), Submarine (2010, Directed by Richard Ayoade), Inception (2010, Directed by Christopher Nolan), Jane Eyre (2011, Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga), Her (2013, Directed by Spike Jonze), Carol (2015, Directed by Todd Haynes), From the Land of the Moon (2016, Directed by Nicole Garcia), Frantz (2016, Directed by François Ozon)

[secondsistershelby3]

A MONSTER BUT NOT FOR YOU [2]

Pairings: Joel Miller x immune!Reader

Summary: you were born and raised in shit, like so many other people born during the apocalypse, you knew that things would be even more difficult since that fateful day in 2015, but did you ever imagine that people would no longer see you as a human being, or maybe someone would?

Warnings: !SPOILER TLOU!, typical violence of the last of us, angst, blood, quite specific descriptions gore, age gap, SMUT, 18+, obscenity, !Legal!, flashbacks, I will try to make Joel behave in a fairly canonical way

Words: 2,0k

Note: I'm glad people enjoyed the first chapter, I had this idea in mind for a while but I never had the courage to write it because I thought it was a bad idea

MASTERLIST

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4

Boston, 2023

Your skin was cold as ice, almost as if you were dead, even though it was hot in Boston. You felt almost helpless, as if you hadn't moved in a week. At the slightest noise you jumped up in the air thinking that whatever made the noise was coming into the room with you. The room was dark, except for a few slivers of light that came in from the window during the day, the chains had left a mark on your wrists from how many times you had tried to free yourself. There was only silence

"uuuggh WHAT THE FUCK!"

well not completely silent, since every day you heard a voice complaining and pulling on the chains in the room next to yours. You could hear them always asking her the same thing: "count slowly and clearly from 1 to 10", "now hold out your hand" "say your name slowly", you always heard her answer.

Count, Veronica, count Veronica, count Veronica, always the same answers

For you, they only came in to feed you, they looked you up and down and then they left. No tests, no questions, no 'courtesy'

You didn't speak, you only used gestures: you kicked, you gave the middle finger, you spat, you pulled but not a single word. You had been in that shitty room for a little over a week.

No torture, nothing like that, it wasn't because you were weak.

It was because they hadn't fed you since they put you in this room. Not the food that is usually meant, something else that you wanted to repress for days but that in the end you had to give in, a souvenir of that night, along with others.

You had your knees pulled up and your arms around them, trying to stay "conscious", in case someone came in.

The door in front of you opened and you threw yourself back against the wall, panting and feeling your face throbbing, as well as your arms and legs.

"you're still… well you" Marlene approached slowly, still remaining at a certain distance.

"you're not going to say anything today either?" nothing. That bitch didn't deserve a word from you, she just had to give you some fucking blood tests and blood samples, instead here you are.

"I know you don't like this, but if I had told your sister and brother they wouldn't have let me do it, and this operation is important and we're sure we can do it with you" you were sweaty, out of breath but you still managed to give her a threatening look and suddenly you tried to sprint with your little strength but the chains were too short and they pulled your wrists for the umpteenth time. Marlene remained still where she was.

"you'll understand that all of this is for the greater good" you remained on your knees staring at a fixed point while you heard the door close and you returned to the dead silence, you don't know how much you would have resisted your impulses and you didn't want to find out.

—

"I told you that you couldn't trust Marlene, damn it!" Thomas whispered to Denise as they walked quickly to the building where they had left you because Marlene wanted to do some "tests"

"She seemed trustworthy, I.. I thought I could trust her…" Thomas turned quickly towards his sister, making her stop suddenly "that's why we shouldn't trust the fucking Fireflies" Thomas looked her straight in the eyes and sighed before starting to walk again.

Denise loved you and only wanted the best for you but she thought she could trust her, they both trusted the Fireflies, but for a while you had your doubts about that group, but they gave you extra rations, a comfortable place to sleep and in exchange they wanted you for a blood sample or test, but never for that long. They had to understand that Marlene wanted to screw them

While walking through the streets of Boston the two ran into some F.E.D.R.A. soldiers that surrounded where it looked like there had just been an explosion.

"it must have been those fireflies again" Thomas sighed - "yes.."

they only had one thing in mind, to have a talk with the boss of the fireflies

—

You hadn't counted how much time had passed since Marlene had spoken to you. But you knew that you were getting worse by the minute, your veins were pulsing all over your body and your almost primal instincts were struggling to get out and you were about to let go of everything, close your eyes and abandon yourself to the darkness.

But gunshots prevented you, you raised your head suddenly and opened your eyes wide, the gunshots continued and were reciprocated, you also heard people shouting commands from one side to the other, people running on the stairs, going up and down.

And then the door opened

"sir there's a little girl here"

it was your chance to recover and escape, but it wouldn't have been nice, not for you, nor for this F.E.D.R.A. soldier.

The darkness obscured most of your body.

"are you infected?" the soldier continued to slowly approach

"I'm sorry…" you whispered

"what-"

screams

gunshots

grunts

blood…

so much blood

the soldier was dead.

—

Tommy moved carefully as he entered the building with Denise and as he closed the door trying not to make any noise he felt a tap on his shoulder "Tommy…" his sister Denise's whisper scared reached his ear

"What-" as soon as Thomas turned he saw two dead bodies in front of the stairs. One was a firefly, the other was a soldier of the F.E.D.R.A.

"fuck…they got in" - "and if they got in it means they'll find her" they looked at each other at the same time and hurried up the stairs, fuck being silent, the F.E.D.R.A. had found the fireflies and that meant they would find you too.

Thomas went with the gun pointed in front of him as he checked every corner before moving forward, Denise looked at his balls with her revolver.

As they climbed another flight of stairs they heard the first voice

"Joel!"

fucking Marlene.

Thomas turned to Denise and put his index finger in front of his mouth to signal for silence. They stood against the wall as they walked forward, the voices getting closer and closer

"Ellie" was still Marlene's voice, it sounded authoritative as if she was scolding someone.

Thomas leaned forward slightly and saw 5 people, Marlene, next to her presumably a firefly, a girl who couldn't have been more than 15 years old on the ground, a man and a woman next to her. He could shoot one of the two unknown adults and they might have had a chance. Thomas took a breath and aimed the gun at the adult man, he put his finger on the trigger.

"Thomas, wait!"

Everyone turned around and the two smugglers immediately pointed their guns behind them.

"Don't shoot Joel!" Marlene stopped them immediately.

"Where the fuck is our sister Marlene?!" Thomas continued to keep his gun pointed, Denise did the same standing next to him.

"everyone put your guns down first, we're not enemies" Thomas raised his eyebrow

"oh no? so taking my sister as a guinea pig by surprise isn't being enemies?! - "now calm down and put your gun down Thomas and I'll give you your sister back" Marlene held one hand in front of her for safety while the other rested on the wound

Thomas looked from Marlene to the two strangers. "they have to put them down first"

silence fell in the hallway. "Joel does as he says" Joel glared at the head of the lights "Do it!….please"

Joel looked at Marlene and then Thomas and motioned for Tess to put her gun down, Thomas and Denise put theirs down in return.

"where is she?" asked Thomas as he slowly approached the group, continuing to check the two in front for safety. Marlene nodded towards the door next to the girl on the floor.

Denise looked at her brother and rushed to the door, took a deep breath and turned the doorknob and pushed it, letting light into the room.

Denise opened her mouth wide and gagged when she saw the scene in front of her, she put her hand in front of her mouth to keep from vomiting and turned her head to the side. Thomas put a hand on his sister's shoulder and tried to get his courage up to go in.

A F.E.D.R.A. soldier was lying on the ground with part of his guts hanging out, he had bite marks on his neck, his intestines were hanging out of his body. There were bullet holes on the walls, there were several.

Thomas turned his head to look for you but he didn't see you "fuck..fuck, fuck"

He immediately turned to Marlene and went angrily towards her, but the woman next to her raised her gun towards him "what have you done?!" Thomas had a look more than furious

"Thomas" Denise looked behind Marlene

"no christ now she have to listen to me, she have no idea of ​​the seriousness of the actions she have done!-"

"Thomas!" - "WHAT?!" he turned her head towards her sister angrily. Her sister had a worried look as she pointed her head towards the stairs, behind Marlene.

When your brother turned his head in that direction, he finally saw you, you had blood on your clothes and a little on your face, you were breathing fast, your face almost tired "holy christ.." he whispered before rushing towards you, your sister did the same, Thomas put his jacket on you. They just hoped that the two of them hadn't seen the body in the room.

"we had a deal Marlene, a fucking deal!" - "I had to do it, I needed you to help me carry the girl" Marlene sighed in pain with her hand on her hip as she looked at Thomas

"and I still need her" Thomas' eyes widened with an almost amused expression

"are you kidding us!?" your sister spoke to that statement

"my soldiers are dead and having your sister is more than indispensable, and I need you too" Marlene turned her head towards the smugglers

"Who is she?" asked the woman

"to you? She's a cargo"

"we don't smuggle humans and not with other kids" - "but how old do you think we are excuse me?" your brother looked at the stranger with anger

"he had to escort her to the government building, I had squadrons and armored vehicles but not anymore and you are the only ones who can do it"

"you are fucking crazy" your brother laughed

"there will be some fireflies there and they can escort you to Wyoming, that's where you want to go, right?" Your brother had an arm around you as he looked at you. Yes, they had wanted to go there for a while, they had heard that there was a community of survivors and they could finally be safe but they didn't know how to get there, but they didn't know if they could trust Marlene as much as they do now.

"and for you there will be more than a battery, I can give you also an armored vehicle with a full tank, weapons, supplies, I swear" Marlene turned her head towards the two smugglers then pointed her finger at you

"she may seem like a little girl, but you don't know what she is capable of, she is as much as you if not more, it will be more than essential" you looked with a cold gaze at the two strangers in front of you

"who said we accepted?" - "I swear I'm telling you the truth Thomas, I know what I'm getting into if I don't tell you the truth this time"

Thomas looked at Denise as the smugglers walked away to talk "I don't want to put her in danger" your sister spoke

"I can do it" for the first time in a week you had uttered a word "if this takes us to Wyoming…I can do it" you turned your head towards your brother more than determined

You walked down the stairs with your brothers behind you while you looked at Marlene without saying anything.

You had been locked up for almost 14 days but you finally got out but how long would it take you to get into trouble with these new "companions"

—

I swear the interactions with Joel will come, but first I wanted to introduce everything a bit

[d-criss-news]

Tony First-Timers: With Maybe Happy Ending, Darren Criss Didn't Go Chasing Fireflies

Darren Criss will accept “dedication” if you’re looking for a word to encapsulate his relationship with the New York theater community. But if he’s being honest, some other words fit better: “I would more call it an obsession and an affliction—really addiction,” he tells Broadway.com Editor-in-Chief Paul Wontorek. But there’s no use fighting it. The stage has got him by the short hairs. “I’m such an eye-roll ‘theater person,’” he says, resigned to his fate. “It’s just what I eat, breathe, sleep and sh*t.” Maybe Happy Ending, the show that’s given Criss the first Tony nomination of his career (two technically—one as a performer and one as a producer), isn’t his first Broadway rodeo. He took over lead roles in revivals of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (2012) and Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2015) and played Bobby in the 2022 revival of David Mamet’s American Buffalo. But in all those cases, he admits, “I’ve hedged my bets pretty well.” Hopping into successful productions of popular musicals. Reviving an American classic. “I haven’t exactly been risky.”

Tony First-Timers: Darren Criss of MAYBE HAPPY ENDING | Broadwaycom

Maybe Happy Ending—an unknown title about futuristic Helperbots falling in love and discovering the beauty of life’s impermanence—qualifies as one of the biggest gambles of the season. Now, with a 10-time Tony-nominated hit on his hands and a pair of nominations for himself, Criss gets to experience the thrill of beating the house. Although he describes it more like the Buddha reaching nirvana than a feverish gambler walking away with the jackpot. He defers to the wisdom of Maybe Happy Ending: “There's a moment in our show where Oliver's trying to catch a firefly, and Claire says, ‘Just stand still,’” says Criss. “There's a lot of poetry to that—of just staying your course and letting those fireflies show up in front of you.” He’s chased down his fair share of fireflies: Hedwig, American Buffalo, his stint as Seymour in the off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors. This one, however, landed on his shoulder—fragile and fleeting. “Everything is transient. Nothing is guaranteed. Just like the way people have taken to the show. That was never guaranteed,” Criss says. “The firefly light goes on and off. How much battery life do you have in these amazing magical moments? That is my feeling at all times with all things.” Even in the midst of a career high, laurels thrown at the feet of the project he’s put his heart and soul into, Criss is prepared for it all to fade into a memory. “I'm just passing through, man,” he says serenely. “I just thank my lucky stars that this firefly showed up.”

[UHQ] Darren Criss, Sadie Sink, Justina Machado, Conrad Ricamora, Nicole Scherzinger and Jeb Brown (Photo by Emilio Madrid for Broadway.com)

[staytrueblue]

All Actor Barry Sloane clips & content:

Scenes broken down by show: contains spoilers

Just for fun because I really love how he portrays emotion as an actor. Some analysis is included.

2002 Brookside

2003 Pleasureland

2007 Hollyoaks

2010 Holby City

2012 Revenge -pending

Aiden Mathis trained alongside Emily under Takeda. Eventually, the two became involved in a romantic relationship. (Wikipedia)

2013 Father Brown- completed

Simeon Barnes, the local blacksmith is the first suspect, but it's his wife who confesses the murder!

2013 Penthouse North

2015 The Whispers -pending

Wes Lawrence, a high-ranking Defense Department operative Wes is Lena's estranged husband, Minx's father, and Claire's former lover. (Wikipedia)

2015 Saints and Strangers-completed

Edward Winslow, a sweet very religious man as one of the first pilgrims landing in the US and facing all the turmoil there is.

2016 Shameless-completed

Ryan. A house flipper rich dude.

2017 Longmire-pending

Zachary "Zach" Heflin (seasons 4, 6), a new deputy hired by Walt, who later becomes romantically involved with Cady. (Wikipedia)

2018 SIX: Currently ongoing

Joseph “Bear” Graves. Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator. Joe "Bear" Graves a.k.a. Foxtrot Delta 1/FD (Wikipedia)

2019 L.As Finest-completed

Dante Sherman. The brother of club owner and gangster Ray Sherman who knows Nancy McKenna from her criminal past/childhood. (Wikipedia)

2019 Bluff City Law-completed

Jake Reilly, a senior partner at Strait & Associates. Defense attorney. (Wikipedia)

2023 The Bay-pending

Chris Fischer. High school teacher and main character love interest.

2023 The Company You Keep-completed

Connor Mcguire, Patrick's son involved with the Irish mob. (Wikipedia)

2024 Passenger-pending

back to masterlist

kiss divider by @firefly-graphics

[kuwdora]

Saturday Morning Vid Recs - Space and Robots

@tafkarfanfic asked me for vid recs that are similar to the following vids:

Data’s Dream by GayleF (Gayle) and TasheryS which premiered at Escapade in 1994 - made on a VCR!! - and was remastered by morgandawn in 2004. Definitely check out the Fanlore page about Data’s Dream. Star Trek + multi-source.

Starships by bironic. Multi-source. The history of Starships on Fanlore.

These two vids are iconic. Please check them out and learn about their history from the Fanlore page, it's a great look at some vidding history and culture. Amazing vids, do love. As for some recs. I love this kind of prompt. More vids like [this vid] is so much fun. I dug deep into my vid rec archives and brain and bookmarks. I’ve also crowdsourced some recs from the vidding discord. Thank you to @rukbat3, @sandalwoodbox, @fairestcat, @monkeyswithjetpacks, @grammarwoman for the reccing help! And everyone else I might have forgotten.

From Land to Sky - and kicking ass while you're there!

Landsailor by @singlecrow/raven. Multi-source. Swades (We, The People); Master and Commander; 3 Idiots; The Dish; The West Wing; Parks and Recreation; Flight of the Phoenix; NASA archive footage; Apollo 13. ❤️ We're gonna need a bigger boat. Come O’ Eclipse by melodytree. Tenchi: The Samurai Astronomer. Calendar-making! Math puzzles! Astronomy! Politics! Eclipses! Oh my! Galaxyrise by starlady. Multi-source. Apollo 13 (1995), Interstellar (2014), Gravity (2013), Europa Report (2013), Contact (1997), The Martian (2015). This vid is full of so much wonder! The sky calls to us/If we do not destroy ourselves/We will one day venture to the stars. Going through space with the world by bironic. Space Exploration RPF. ❤️❤️❤️ From "day in the life of an astronaut" videos to international stardom; or, Chris Hadfield and his adorable mustache. Monsters of the Cosmos by CherryIce. Thor/MCU. Jane Foster/Science.Cherry’s editing is goddamn incredible. In the last century, black holes have gone from being mathematical curiosities to real objects in the cosmos. This is a vid about Jane Foster and her one true love, Science. Also, Thor is there. Toxic by JinkyO. The Planets (TV - 2019). Humanity/The Solar System. This vid is so fucking brilliant and makes me cackle in love and awe so much. It's dangerous, I'm loving it. Sci-Fi Friday in a Blender by Luminosity. Multi-source. Farscape, Battlestar Galactica and Doctor Who. So much happening in this vid. This is among one of the earliest vids I remember watching and became obsessed with back in the day. Supernova Girl by @usuallyhats. Multifandom. Doctor Who, Star Wars, Babylon 5, Steven Universe, Andromeda, Farscape, Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, Mass Effect, Stargate. So many wonderful brilliant amazing EXCELLENT supernova women and girls. Zoom, zoom, zoom. Space Girl by @aurumcalendula. Multi-source scifi. Inspired by Charmax’s Space Girl vid and Bironic’s The Greatest. This vid has a great selection of newer tv shows and films and it’s fun to play spot that character. But also this vid will grab you by the heart, too. Utterly brilliant, perfection. A must watch!! 'I've been as far in hyperspace as anybody can.' One Girl Revolution by bessyboo. Star Wars, original and prequel. Padme and Leia!! Seeing these two focused on in one Star Wars vid is an adventurous kickass ride. I'll be everything that I want to be. Space Girl by charmax. Multi-source scifi. One of the most beautiful epic space vids out there! I know I’ve recced this before and I’ll rec it again and again and again. My momma told me I should never watch Sci-fi but I did, I did, I did.

Robots! More than wires.

If a Machine by caramarie, Multi-source. Robot narrative focusing on machine origin, intelligence, and interaction with humanity. And Human fallibility. An incredibly rewarding watch and rewatch. This is the story of cables and copper wirings. Electric Avenue by @monkeyswithjetpacks. Multi-source robots! Nate’s multi-vids are always so fun, especially when it’s showcasing classic cinema and all these excellent serials. Electric Avenue has source from 1919 to 2015. His editing is always on fucking point. Don’t miss this vid. We’re gonna rock down to electric avenue. Everybody by @kuwdora. Star Trek, the Borg. This vid was actually inspired by the Backstreet Boys original music video. I still have the vivid memory of watching or rewatching the original music video in @ars-amatoria ’s kitchen. And then at some point realizing it is perfect for the Borg. Am I original, am I the only one? Fembots by Grammarwoman. Multi-source. Sexy sharp editing and fun use of all the sources. The intersection of women and technology: a spectrum of clones, AIs, gynoids, cyborgs, and other artificial creations. On by @rhoboat77. Star Trek: Picard. A Soji fanvid. Rho has the sharpest editing skills this side of the Internet and this Soji vid is so fucking badass and worth 100 rewatches. Can’t hold me down cuz you know I’m a fighter. Que Sera Sera by @ohvienna. Star Trek Voyager and Picard. Seven of Nine.Nobody vids their Seven of Nine love like @ohvienna. You gotta watch this if you love Seven. Whatever will be, will be…"

Journey through Space.

To Touch the Face of God by destina. Multi-source. The Right Stuff (1983, )The Dream Is Alive, From the Earth to the Moon (TV).This is one of the most beautiful moving vids you will EVER, and I mean EVER see. From Chuck Yeager, to the Mercury 7, and on to Apollo and the Space Shuttle Program (STS) - a very human history of the triumphs, joys, and tragedies of the USA's journey into space. Doctor Who on Holiday by sisabet. Farscape, Battlestar Galactica and Doctor Who. A mashup vid of Luminosity’s Sci-Fi Friday in a Blender. This vid inspired me so much. And I have 10 very intense ideas about how I would do my own remix of this vid if I were to make it right now. Fly Me To the Moon by thirdblindmouse. Multi-source. This vid has everything! Alien sex! Xenophilia! Zero-gravity sex! Mpreg!!! Because everyone knows this song is about space sex. Game Night in Space by garrideb. Multi-source. This vid!!!!! IS! SO! MUCH! FUN!! Game on! How are you going to spend those long nights on your starship? Play games, of course! Space poker, space chess, space Monopoly… this is a fanvid celebrating game night in space, set to Don't Stop Me Now by Queen. Starships (Monochromatic Remix) by @monkeyswithjetpacks. Multi-source. See the Fanlore page on the history of Starships (Monochromatic Remix). ALSO check out jetpack-monkey’s extensive notes and side-by-side comparison vid of the original vid and his vid!! He matched Starships shot-for-shot! Most brilliant work ever. The vid notes aren’t on the ao3 page so I HIGHLY recommend checking out the notes on his dreamwidth page! This vid is 10 million kinds of brilliant and technical prowess and perfection.

Vidshow Rec

Alien Invasion! - 30 vids curated and organized into a show by @tafadhali for VidUKon 2024. Featuring films and tv shows: Nope, Attack the Block, Pacific Rim, Venom, Doctor Who, Stargate Atlantis, Star Trek, Prey, Smallville, Rowswell, Supergirl, Arrival, Starship Troopers and more.

Follow these tags to keep up with vid recs this summer:

#saturday morning vid recs

#kuwdora recs

A helpful guide I wrote:

How to Leave Feedback on Fanvids

[quasi-normalcy]

The claim that Firefly was the greatest science fiction series ever was ridiculous in a world where Star Trek, Doctor Who, Babylon 5, Stargate, and Farscape all existed, and it's even sillier now that Battlestar Galactica (2003), The Expanse, Dark Matter (2015), For All Mankind, and Foundation also exist.

[lochallthedoors]

Noel Interview With The Huffington Post, March 23, 2015

Lyrics for notable anti-nostalgia song "While the Song Remains the Same":

Hold that thought don't let me go. We can dance beneath the fireflies on an empty road. It's a shame how a memory fades to grey. We let love get lost in anger chasing yesterday. Find me a place where the sun shines through the rain. Find me the pleasure in the pain. While the song remains the same let it go on and on and on… Take me back to the town where I was born. 'Cause I'm tired of being a stranger and I'm miles from home. We can hide by a lonely windowpane. We can walk the streets of my life while they still remain. Hold that thought don't let me go. We can dance beneath the fireflies on an empty road…

[operafantomet]

Hi there. Idk if this question has been asked before, but where do they find the fabric for the mandarin coat?

I'd say there are as many answers as there are versions of the costume. But some pointers:

Many of the early versions were made with partly antique embroidered textiles from the Qing dynasty. These were a popular collector's item in the 19th and 20th century, to the point where some of them were never intended for use in China, they were made as souvenirs. The original design by Maria Bjørnson suggests antique Chinese fabrics, with a hem showing the classic water-and-mountain motif, the collar being a cloud collar usually seen in women's attires, and the hat a decorated winter hat.

Even if all these costumes are made from scratch rather than bought, I thought it could be interesting to compare it to a similar authentic Chinese robe - without the collar - dated to the 1890s and sold by Augusta Auctions some years ago:

This robe has a badge - an insignia of rank and position of a Mandarin official in the Qing dynasty. These were used both on the chest and back, and the bird or otherwise animal told onlookers all they needed to know, if the person was a civil or military employee, and how high up in the system they were. The badge is not featured in Bjørnson's design, but it has showed up in a few costumes. Maybe most proninently in Michael Crawford's original West End costume, which Bjørnson would have supervised:

To my eye it looks like many of the elder costumes (up until c. 2005) used a lot of antique or vintage fabrics, but used on a new base. Details to look for is distinct gold couching, re-used badges, special dragon embroideres, antique collars and tabards, fringework etc. I am quite convinced some of these are antique or vintage details, like the China blue tabard with water and mountain motif used by John Owen-Jones in West End c. 2002:

The cuff and details on one of the original Australian robes, and continued to shine in the World Tour up until 2015 or so:

The tabard of the Swedish/Danish version, first made in 1989 and still in use in 2019 (maybe not too visible in the stage photo, but definitely when seen up close backstage!):

As a contrast, newer costumes tends to be brassier and bigger, with less embroidery and more appliquées and trims. It looks to me like they mostly rely on new fabrics and materials, maybe with some elements of elder embroidery. This collar made for Ben Lewis in West End is a good example:

And the recent German version, here seen on Mathias Edenborn in Hamburg. It's a costume I got to study up close and I couldn't spot any particular details that looked old:

And this Broadway robe with what looks like a very new firefly pattern brocade and embroidered gold trims appliquéed on:

So why this change? I guess it depends on what is available. Qing textiles has become more rare on the open market, and more expensive. Elder textiles are also more fragile, while new textiles will handle wear and tear, dry cleaning etc. better. Some of these costumes are used on stage up to eight times a week, after all.

Due to the fragility of elder textiles, they may have to cover the embroidery with fine mesh. This dulls down the effect and makes the costume heavier, so it's not always ideal. Better then to use new stuff. Here's an early 1990 West End one covered with mesh, to protect the embroidery:

A last aspect is of course that by using elder textiles you may put specific meaning-bearing motifs on which ideally shouldn't be there. The beautiful embroidered Indian fabric with elephants and swastikas - in India a symbol of the sun and good luck - which appeared in an unfortunate Danish Elissa skirt is a good example. Luckilly the costume crew knew what they were doing by including the five bats - for good luck - on this Broadway Mandarin robe:

If you plan on making your own costume, I would say: Create the base of a Chinese brocade (silk or synthetic) with predominantely black or dark blue base and polychrome pattern. As an inspiration, here's the robe, collar and tabard - fairly undecorated - in making for Scott Davies (top) and Ben Lewis (bottom) in West End, with photos generously shared by head-of-costume Ceris Donovan:

For the back: Go for a main motif, and build everything around that. And layer! Gems upon trims upon embroideries upon fabrics. The more structure, embroidery, couching and details the various materials has, the better. And then add some on top of that.

Note that it varies if a production do both the robe, cloud collar and tabard. Some production only do two of these, some do all three. But whatever the case, the costume with hat should create angles, texture and lines that makes him stand out from the previous scene, where he wore black and white and tight-fitting clothes.

In West End I think they source it in the many amazing fabric shops in Brixton and Soho, including Borovicks, as well as antique dealers. For Broadway I know a lot was bought in the fabric district in NYC. Other productions may be equipped with fabrics and trims from these, or they may source their own materials locally. I also noticed that the Chinese (left) and Japanese (right) productions tend to use more red and purple fabrics for their versions, which I would think was also locally sourced:

So yeah. As many answers as there are versions out there...

[supernaturallyliterate]

I can’t stop thinking about the phrase “locked down” in reference to Taylor Swift.

Very rough evidence compiled below.

First we have the infamous “love locked down” instagram posts from 3/6/2015 and 3/6/2016

Then we have spade’s message 1/18/2019:

This came after Spade had done some clue reveals and people were speculating on their identity (specifically that Spade is Taylor Swift). Spade can’t say anything cuz their lips are “lockedown”

And Taylor lyrics:

Cowboy like me

And the skeletons in both our closets

Plotted hard to fuck this up

And the old men that I've swindled

Really did believe I was the one

And the ladies lunching have their stories about

When you passed through town

But that was all before I locked it down

Sweet Nothing

I spy with my little tired eye, tiny as a firefly

A pebble that we picked up last July

Down deep inside your pocket, we almost forgot it

Does it ever miss Wicklow sometimes? Ooh, ooh

I think Taylor sang “deep inside your locket” when she did it as a surprise song???

Also there’s lockets in DWOHT, Run, and Sad Beautiful Tragic

Guilty as Sin?

I keep these longings locked

In lowercase inside a vault

I feel like this is something. Lockets, locked down.

My theory is that Taylor & Karlie locked it down—they got married—years ago. And it’s just been “invisible” or “deep in a pocket”. Buried.

But it will be revealed soon!

I have to get back to work but Gaylors PLEASE HELP ME PUT IT TOGETHER

[thephoenixcave]

FF6 Art Masterpost (updated Dec 2024)

I'm Julia. I've been in the fandom a LONG time. Here's a selection of stuff I've done and made over the years, for your browsing pleasure.

Search the tag #the phoenix cave or #thephoenixcave to see art, comics, and merch all jumbled together.

Animations & Voice-over Mini Comics

Terra and Edgar Keep Watch by the Fire (2025)

"Fireball" FF6 Tribute Video, WIP (2024)

Edgar Makes Kissy Faces during a war council (2025)

Edgar Makes Kissy Faces, Terra's Reaction (2025)

Terra's Reaction with Gau Coloring (2025)

Lizzo "Boys" FF6 30th Anniversary Tribute, completed (2024)

Lizzo "Boys" as individual gifs (2024)

Locke asks how you spell "Fenix" (2024)

Locke is Struttin' (2024)

Lizzo "Boys" WIP 8/23/24 // 8/18/24 // 7/28/24

Sabin Loves Banana Bread (2024)

Terra the Beautiful Gorgeous Angel (2024)

Setzer doing a hip thust dance WIP 7/24/24

Animation Practice: Terra turns her head (2024)

Happy Birthday Edgar and Sabin- Aug 16 (2023)

Terra's Daily Affirmation (2024)

Setzer's Daily Affirmation (2024)

Mini Comics

Edgar x Terra Mini Comics

Edgar Gets Punched in the Face (2025)

"I Don't Like that Belt" (2024)

Sketch- little kisses (2024)

Edgar Wants Attention (2024)

Edgar Steals a Book- sequel to "attention" (2024)

Blue Ribbon - NSFW (2023)

A Coin Story Part 1 (2022)

A Coin Story Part 2 (2022)

Learning to Dance Long Version (2021)

Learning to Dance Short Version (2021)

The Road to Narshe Part 1 (2021)

The Road to Narshe Part 2 (2021)

Cheer Up Kisses (2021)

Movie Night (2021)

Walking Together (2021)

Ice Cream Part 1 redraw (2022) + Part 2 (2020)

Teamwork (Fighting the Dragon) Part 1 (2021)

Teamwork (Fighting the Dragon) Part 2 (2021)

Sleepytime in Purple (2021)

Terra Gets Drunk at Christmas (2020)

Not Edotina Mini Comics

Twin Talk, WIP uncolored (2025)

Gerad Part 1 (2023)

Gerad Part 2 (2023)

Sabin Needs a Towel Part 1 (2023)

Sabin Needs a Towel Part 2 (2023)

Opera- Locke and Celes Swap Places Part 1 (2022)

Opera- Locke and Celes Swap Places Part 2 (2022)

Opera- Locke and Celes Swap Places Part 3 (2022)

Opera- "Oh Noo You've GOT Meee" (2022)

Relm's I'm With Stupid Shirt Part 1 (2022)

Relm's I'm With Stupid Shirt Part 2 (2022)

Character shirts - Casual Day at Kefka's Tower (2022)

Sexy Jail (2022)

Relm and Sabin Kitchen Duty (2022)

Casual Day at Kefka's Tower (2022)

Scott Pilgrim Tribute (2022)

Opera- Ultros's Note (2015?)

Opera- Celes Keeps her Boots (2015?)

Opera- Celes Joins the Battle (2018?)

Opera- Setzer Pink (2018?)

Locke Rescues Celes from South Figaro (20??)

Art (an incomplete list)

Happy Birthday Cyan - Jan 3 (2025)

Early Morning In the Figaro Marketplace (2024)

At the End of a Rough Day (2024)

Just You, Me, and the Fireflies (2024)

The 30th Anniversary Tribute (2024)

The Swing Feat. Celes (2023)

Terra Coming Out of Her Well to Shame Humanity (2023)

Esper Terra is Deamy Soft Pastel (2023)

Animated Gifs 1

Animated $12,000 magitek cake

Animated Kefka I Could Kill Someone (2021)

Locke's Selfies

T-shirts - Terra Locke Sabin and Sleepy Edgar (2022)

T- shirts - Edgar's 6:10:50 shirt and Celes (2022)

T- Shirts - Terra's Mom Shirt (2022)

T- Shirts - Setzer's Ante Up Shirt (2022)

FF6 Band - Celes the Diva (2022)

FF6 Band - 80s Glam Rock (2022)

FF6 Band - Terra on lead vocals (2022)

Terra Baking (2019?)

It's 6:10:50 Somewhere Shirt

At Home With You (Red Figaro) (2020)

Sabin at the Farmer's Market

Sprite Redraws Locke

Locke Moons Celes

Esper Terra shakes her ass on White Snake's car (2022)

Esper Terra can't stop laughing

Terra Animation Test 1

My favorite Edotina

FF6 27th Anniversary Pic

Good morning Locke (2016?)

Get the Newsletter (2021)

Edgar's brain is rebooting (2022)

Stuff you can buy

Available at www.thephoenixcave.com

All Printable Activity Sheets

Magicite Necklaces and other Jewelry

Accessory Pouches

Giant Magicite (all sold out)

The Making of the Giant Magicite

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