#«seeing it in theatres sounds like it would be an Experience but in this case we'd be

[cthonicascendant]

«hngh i want to see the new spiderverse movie so bad but i have to wait. :( it looks so good from all the art, fanart, and meta i've seen thoughhhh.»

[toscrollperchancetomeme]

I think it could also be about creativity, though? Sam's technique is pretty good, but there are famous singers that go even harder vocally, but lack a little in terms of interpretation imo. And he kept delivering the lines in a different way, adding more attitude to it instead of singing it every verse in the same monotonous way. I think everyone is better at some things than others, and even their qualities can be improved with time and practice, but Sam not having a music career and pulling this off in whatever short time he had to prepare is impressive. And I think in a way it must be more terrifying because it is new territory and he's doing it alone? With acting at least you have scene partners that can help you get to that place. But I always see singers getting self-conscious on recording sessions, even when the producers are praising them, they keep finding flaws where there isn't any because being alone and able to hear themselves like that adds so much to their pressure and perfectionism, while singing live and feeding off from their fans is usually more liberating, fun and relaxing and you're just allowed to feel and not thinking too much. Anyway, I think most people are happily surprised and really enjoying it. I've personally said the same thing about him, I'm not a singer, but I'm passionate about music and follow some vocal coaches on YT... And even among musicians I'm obsessed about, I don't listen to their earliest songs that much because it almost sounds like different people. There's one singer that I basically skip their first four albums because on their fifth record things just reached a divine level (and I loved those albums, but after #THAT the bar was set too high so I only listen to like 1/3 of their discography). And I'm assuming Sam is still recording and he hasn't 'peaked' yet, either vocally or creatively, I believe future stuff will be even better, but we're off to a great start.

There's some very valid points in here, thank you! :)

It really does boil down to how one defines "singer" of course, and I get that there is only so much nuance one can put in a live reaction. I'm not a recording artist, I have written one song 10 years ago with the 5 guitar chords I know and it was shit. :D I just had a few years of vocal training and I enjoy interpreting music and do some community level musical theatre stuff. But I define myself as a singer. Maybe what irks me a bit that it's the same vein of dismissive treatment that musical theatre actors get around here (here being Germany): You're not a real singer because you're actually an actor, but you're not a real actor because you're doing musical, etc etc.

So, as is often the case, I'm seeing this through the filter of my own experience, in this case how I've seen really great professionals treated and often gatekept from breaking out of their genre. It's a complicated issue. I genuinely don't think that anyone meant harm or offense to Sam, but I wish people would be a bit considerate before defining for someone else who and what that person is or is not - especially while they are delivering a great performance. I think at this point Sam has proven that he can do it, and is, actually, a singer. But I'm also really curious about where his vocal journey will go and I can't wait to hear more! ;-; <3

Oh and I would absolutely love to see vocal coaches reacting to the song! I hope that happens soon, I'm really curious what they think. :)

(Also thank you so much for sending me an ask about this and being thoughtful and everything? I came back to tumblr for this fandom when S2 started airing and the experience has been nothing short of wonderful, I'm a bit humbled by the increasing engagement some of my posts are getting. ;-; )

[guppygiggles]

Like Real People Do, Part 4! ♡ (Casper x Avery)

☁️ Summary: Casper and Avery's relationship grows. Avery comes over to watch a movie that has an unexpected *scene* for Casper. Shenanigans ensue.

☁️ Warnings: Suggestive, very romantic, STUPID gay, the tickles you've been waiting for™, classic Avery teasing -- ABSOLUTELY NO MINORS

☁️ Author's Note: If you feel like I didn't go off the rails enough here, stay tuned because I swear to god, I'm just getting started~

This is a series now!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4 *you are here

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

If you just got here and want to know more about my characters, you can read my comic starting right here!

Avery came to visit me the night after we went to the fair. And the next. And the next. 

Occasionally we'd skip a day or two, if he was working on research late into the night, or if I had after-hours systems testing at my job, but before long we had spent the equivalent of a week together. Then a month. Then two. 

Sometimes I would cook for him, helping him experience all the culinary delights he had denied himself due them being “unnecessary” pleasures. He found most dry food intolerable, but he loved all kinds of soup, fruit, and especially ice cream. I made sure to always have a case of sparkling water on-hand, too, just for him. 

Some nights, he would take me back to his lighthouse and we would spend the evening together there, sipping tea and playing board games on his tiny kitchen table (Avery usually won). We shared affectionate hugs and glances. Sometimes, he would touch my hand across the kitchen table as I pored over how to beat him at cards, making me lose my concentration. He always carried me home before it got too late. 

When we weren't together, we texted; sweet greetings, inside jokes, photos from our lives. We playfully competed against each other for who could make the most bored face while working, or who could take a prettier sunset picture. True to his word, he also texted me when he needed things; strange mechanical parts, books about advanced scientific concepts, refills for his tea cabinet. 

I let him take point and followed his lead, never initiating, allowing him to discover and express his feelings in his own time. He was shy, but he could be playful at times, too – I wasn't sure if he knew it, but his teasing flustered me out of my wits. I was fairly certain he didn't know about… that, but there had been some close calls; a good-natured nudge to the ribs that sent me reeling, or a hug that ended with his fingertips lightly grazing my sides. I recalled one incident at the movie theatre when he whispered a little too close to my ear, necessitating me to hold my breath until he was done speaking. That time, I thought I wouldn't make it. 

It was autumn, my favorite season. I had not grown up around deciduous trees, and I was delighted to watch the foliage in Port Oleander cycle through a rainbow of warm hues. The sun was beginning to set as I stood in my kitchen, gently stirring a pot of homemade miso soup – Avery's favorite – when my phone buzzed. 

What are you doing, dewdrop? 

makin soup for you :3 

Ooh, what kind? 

its a surprise!! 

I'm sure I'll love it. 

Hey, I wanted to ask you something… Do you want me to stay the night tonight? 

“Wow,” I thought. That was a big step for Avery. We'd cuddled a bit before, but not in bed, and we'd never spent the night, either. My heart beat a bit faster. What if I did something embarrassing in my sleep? Would he notice if I wasn't wearing my binder? Would he care? 

I took a bit too long to answer, so he followed with:

If you're not comfortable, I totally understand. 

no!! i would love for you to stay over. my beds not as big as yours but i think it's comfy.

Sounds good! I can't wait to see you, dewdrop. I'm bringing a movie to watch. 

which one!!! 

Hehe… it's a surprise. 

can't wait💙

+++ 

It wasn't long before Avery arrived. As I opened the door, I grinned at the sight of him in his fall outfit. It was the first really cold day of autumn, and he'd worn an alpine sweater, a blue scarf, and jeans instead of his usual slacks. I rushed into his huge embrace, burying my face in his soft chest. He was especially tall and fluffy that day – I estimated he was about six-foot-five (195cm ♡) – which told me he was well-hydrated and full of energy. I inhaled as I nuzzled into his chest -- he smelled like cloves and old books. 

“Hello, dewdrop,” he said fondly, squeezing me close to him and stroking my hair. “It smells wonderful in here." He took a seat on the couch, setting a DVD on the coffee table. 

“It'll be done soon! Are you hungry?”

“Casper, I'm always hungry when you're cooking.” 

I giggled, sampling the soup as I walked over to him. “Is this the movie you brought?”

“Yes, I wasn't sure if you'd seen it, but you said you liked old animated films. This is one of my favorites, so I thought I'd share it with you.”

It was a copy of The Secret of NIMH. It made sense that Avery liked it – understandably, he had a penchant for fringe science and supernatural concepts.

“Oh, I love this movie!” I had a copy of it, too, but it was in storage somewhere. 

I brought two bowls of soup over to the couch. Though I was pleased with how it came out, I wasn't particularly hungry; I was too riled up, thinking about Avery staying the night. I noticed that he'd brought a canvas bag with him. I wondered what his pajamas looked like. I wondered about a lot of other things, too. 

“Ahh, you scamp, this is my favorite! Thank you for making it, it's delicious,” Avery chirped, sipping the clear broth greedily. I never tired of watching him eat; the liquid entering his mouth and then being swept up in the swirling vortex of his head, disappearing in an instant. The hot soup made him steam a bit, little whips of vapor rising from his skin. 

I put the movie in and turned off the light, snuggling into his side. Though his sweater was soft, I wished that I could feel his bare arm instead as he wrapped it around me. His cool fingers rested on my forearm, and I could feel the wind rushing beneath his skin. 

We watched the movie quietly, every now and then making comments on the score and animation of the Don Bluth film.

“Justin reminds me of you,” I said, grinning. 

“Oh, really? Hehe. He is charming, isn't he? He's just like me, for real.” Avery put his hands on his hips and struck a playfully haughty pose, just like in Justin's introduction scene. The temptation to take him down a peg was immense, but somehow, I resisted. 

“Dude, you cannot pull off slang like that at all,” I said, laughing. 

“Got you to giggle though, didn't I?” 

I blushed, but summoned some confidence and fired back anyway. 

“Pfff. Just like Mr. Ages said about Justin, you're a feather-head, too.” 

Avery laughed openly, causing me to get a terrible case of butterflies as he trembled against my body. 

“I can't argue with that,” he said. 

We watched the movie a while longer. The scene with Jenner in the auditorium ended, and the next scene featuring Jeremy started to play. He was tangled up in his string, as usual, and was involved in some banter with the suspicious old shrew, who was admonishing him for sneaking around. She paced back and forth on screen, rigging up Jeremy's string to nearby branches and hoisting him into the air.

Suddenly, I remembered this scene. My body stiffened a bit against Avery, and I felt my ears beginning to flush. Without meaning to, I held my breath. 

The mice kids were calling Jeremy a turkey, and demanding to know where their mother was. One of them jumped on top of Jeremy, clawed fingers scratching his sides as he laughed, crying, “No, stop! You're tickling!” 

Luckily, the scene was over quickly. I exhaled as quietly as possible, but then, Avery paused the movie. My heart dropped. 

“I've noticed something about you,” he said slowly. 

“Y-yes?” I tried to sound normal. I sounded nothing close. 

“Whenever this topic comes up, I observe a kaleidoscope of emotions from you. You flush, stutter, look away, squirm, and hold your breath. I've let it slide many times, but now, I'm curious. This tickling… has an interesting effect on you that it doesn't seem to have on other humans. 

“I know what tickling is, in theory, but it’s a human behavior that doesn't exist in Cirropa. I'm dying to know what about it gets you so… flustered like this? And why you're so desperate to hide it from me.” 

I swallowed hard, suddenly and painfully aware of every contact point between Avery’s body and mine, especially his fingers resting on my arm. How could I explain this without saying it out loud? 

“Ahh, well, um… it's… I just…” I babbled incoherently. My breath came in short gasps as my fingers and toes grew clammy. 

Avery shifted on the couch, turning to face me. In the glow of the TV screen, his eyes were intense, but there was the faintest hint of a smirk playing around his lips. 

“I am a scientist, you know. If you don't tell me, I'm not afraid to test a hypothesis. But let's clear this up first, at least – does it make you uncomfortable in a bad way? Is it painful for you? I have a feeling it's the opposite… very opposite… but I have to be sure.” 

“Ahh, errrr… no…” 

“No, what?”

“No, it… doesn't make me uncomfortable in a bad way, and it isn't painful.”

“Hmmm… what isn't?”

“What?”

“What isn't painful, Casper?” 

“...” 

“Oh, stars. This ruffles you so badly you can't even say the word, can you? Oh, dewdrop… you know I have to try it, now.” 

Alarm bells went off in my head as I felt my blush flood from my ears, to my cheeks, to the rest of my face. I scrambled backwards from Avery, but with such speed I almost couldn't detect it, he was on top of me, one knee on each side of my hips. 

I screamed. 

“No Avery! Nohohoho plehehehehease don't hahahahaha!”

“My god, I haven't even touched you yet! I hear you saying no– do you really want me to stop?” His smirk was huge now, and I could barely stand to look at him. He knew exactly what he was doing. 

I hid my face in my hands, causing Avery to giggle.

“I knew it! Humans are so cute sometimes! Here, sweetheart, I'll give you one last out. If you want me to stop, snap your fingers.” 

A moment of silence passed, my hands still firmly covering my face.

“Hehehe… Alright, then. You quite literally asked for it.”  

With that, I felt Avery's fingertips light on each side of my ribcage. He started softly and deftly flexing them, gently skittering along the sides of my body. 

I'd been tickled plenty of times before, by previous partners and friends. Generally, they were so excited to tickle me, so caught up in a moment of playfulness that they dug their fingers into me… which did usually tickle quite a lot, but it also hurt a bit, too, and made it difficult to enjoy. 

Avery's tickling was entirely different. He was methodical, comprehensive. Playful, but gentle. His fingertips were incredibly soft and dexterous as they prodded and kneaded along my ribcage. Avery worked with delicate scientific instruments, and he tickled like he did, too; it was like nothing I'd ever felt. 

“Ahahahahahaveryyyy!! Hahahahaha!” I cried, squirming beneath his fingers, my unrestrained hands grabbing uselessly at his forearms; he was so strong, it didn't seem to phase him in the slightest. 

“Hehehe, you are so sensitive to this! Oh, this is so cute, Casper! If I had known you liked this sooner, I would have already played with you like this so many times. I wonder where else you're ticklish? If we go by evolutionary theory, it would probably be a vital point, like here,” he teased, his soft fingertips moving from my ribcage to the sides of my neck, his cool fingers gliding merrily along my bare skin. 

I blushed so hard, I was sure my whole body must be red. 

“AAAHAHAhahahaha!” I squealed, reaching my hands up to protect myself. I could feel moisture beginning to bead in the corners of my eyes. Avery's fingertips tickled so much, it was like an eclipse for my mind, blocking out any thoughts and leaving only the delicious torture of sensation. 

Avery stopped, looking down at me with concern. 

“You're starting to cry, are you okay?” He asked, his brow furrowed as he reached out to cup my hot cheek in his soft palm, gently wiping my tear with his thumb. 

“Hehehe… I'm okay, Avery… I cry when I laugh sometimes,” I said, placing my hand reassuringly over his. His cold skin was a relief, as I was already starting to sweat. 

“Hmm… if you do things like cry, and say ‘stop’ out of instinct, how will I know when you're ready for me to really stop?” 

“Aheh, well… time for some vocabulary, I guess. That's called a safeword, but safewords don't always work with this, because sometimes you're laughing so hard you can't get it out. I've found it's better to tap out,” I showed him by tapping my fingers on the couch, “but it's always good to check periodically, too.”

“What other words should I know?”

“Well… there is ‘ler’, which means someone who likes to ‘teekay’ other people, and ‘lee’, someone who likes to be ‘teekayed’.” 

“So… does that mean you're a lee?” 

I chuckled; my turn to smirk. 

“No, I'm the ‘secret third thing’ – a switch. Someone who likes both.” 

“O-Oh.” Avery blushed exquisitely. 

“You wanna give it a try?” 

“It does seem like fun…” 

My heart was pounding. “Why don't we move to the bed, then? You can't really stretch out on this couch like I can. You'll be more comfortable there.”

“Hehe… lead on, dewdrop.” 

[fymoonbyul]

[Show Review] At her solo concert ten years after her debut, Moonbyul shines brighter than ever

"I never thought about going solo, at first. It just wasn't something that crossed my mind," Moonbyul said.

Mamamoo’s Moonbyul is back in Singapore for a concert. But this time, the 31-year-old singer-rapper is here as a solo artist.

She had been to Singapore on multiple occasions, and her most recent was last year, for sub-unit Mamamoo+’s fan concert.

Titled [MUSEUM : an epic of starlit], Moonbyul was glowing and shining in her own right, for fans to know and see her as herself, instead of in a group setting. Held at the Capitol Theatre, here are four highlights from her show.

1. Solo concert only came ten years after her debut

Moonbyul is one-quarter of Mamamoo and she has pretty much toured the world with her bandmates. But this solo world tour is special to her as she finally has the chance to embark on this voyage, ten years after her debut.

However, Moonbyul had her fair share of doubts, which probably explains why she’s only going solo now. She shared via a video played: “I never thought about going solo, at first. It just wasn’t something that crossed my mind”.

She added, “I wasn’t sure I would still be a singer ten years later. But when the opportunity to be a solo career was presented, it felt like the beginning of a new dream.”

2. Crisp live vocals

Mamamoo is a group that is known in the industry for always bringing live vocals to the audience. Moonbyul, a member of the band, demonstrated that during her solo show too. Hearing her resonant vocals and rap live? Chef’s kiss.

She also made the effort to sing songs that were not originally on her setlist. And she presented them with acapella.

Even as an avid concert reviewer, I was sold by Moonbyul’s live performance. Her vocals sounded exactly like her studio version, and everyone in the crowd would agree too. While she’s a rapper, Moonbyul never fails to hit every high note with ease.

3. Endearing bond with fans

Moonbyul has a close-knit relationship with Moomoos, a term endearingly given to Mamamoo’s fans.

On some level, they’re like her friends to whom she sometimes dishes advice. Between her songs, Moonbyul said: “No matter who is around you, before you think of others, you should love yourself first.

“Because if you love yourself, you get to share that love with others,” she added.

Another case in point: before she performed an unreleased song titled Take Off, she said, “If you are a Moomoo, you would know what song this is”. Of course, the crowd would know, responding with defeating cheers.

4. Fans sing the encore instead

Encore stages are always the time for artists to sing a few songs before they officially part. Rarely do they get their audience to sing with them, let alone by themselves.

Not for Moonbyul.

“You know I wouldn’t be singing it, right? You would be singing the encore,” Moonbyul later chimed in and accompanied the crowd in singing too.

For concerts, the show’s setlists are usually planned. But Moonbyul prefers to go freestyle at times. She took in song requests from the crowd during the encore.

For an idol to be so comfortable in their element and be able to perform without excessive pre-preparation, it’s refreshing and respectable. And this just shows how much experience Moonbyul has under her belt.

[autumnwhistles]

Last Life: The Unofficial Musical – help required?

As some people know, I'm working on making a musical version of Last Life! Throughout making the first song, some people have asked if there was any way to help, and after some thinking I've finally organised my thoughts. The roles I'd love some help with are below:

(The first song is here in case you want to know what style I'm going for, and there's more information about it in the pinned post on my profile.)

Subtitling – some people have already offered to help with this (thank you!). Self-explanatory, just adding the lyrics I've posted to Closed Captions at the right timestamps.

Promotion (ie on Twitter because I don't have an account and don't really want to get one tbh) – also self-explanatory, this would basically be reposting with permission to let it reach a wider audience.

Creative help – mainly helping to streamline the plot, as I feel right now there's a lot of it but not all of it is necessary, and also want to set more things up early on and give more people attention. This might work better as a group thing so ideas can bounce off multiple people – I was thinking of making a Discord server to discuss this?

Vocals and voice acting – if needed I can sing everything, but it would sound weird if everyone was me, and with dialogue (which there will be some of) it'd be even weirder. Especially for bigger voice/dialogue parts, acting and singing experience would be preferable (and for singing, specifically styles where you have to act through your singing eg musical theatre), and you should have a decent microphone to record it through. It doesn't have to be super fancy, just no device mic etc. If people are interested, they could tell me what type of singing they like to do/what range they have etc, and I'd probably ask to hear a recorded video clip (around 1 min, maybe more) of singing something as well*. With voice acting parts, it depends on how big it is – if it's bigger, it would be nice to hear some sort of clip (maybe I can send the dialogue when written) as well. The character doesn't have to have the same person singing and speaking for them (though they shouldn't sound completely different). Depending on how many people are interested, I might hold auditions via google forms (submitting something)?

Instrumentals – the sound engine I use is pretty good, so that would mainly be used for accompaniment, but for solos/parts where the instrument is in focus, actual playing would really enhance it. Instruments I can see being subject to this are the violin, viola, flute and oboe, but others may come up. This would generally be on a song-by-song basis though.

Possibly someone to help manage this, since I'm not used to organising bigger projects and I'm not too great on keeping everything organised.

I'll take care of composing, lyrics, production, and the singing for some characters (the number again depending on how many people are interested). I'll try to release more content/snippets as well so people (especially those involved in vocals) know more of what's going on.

(everyone involved will be credited obviously!)

*If you want to help with this but just by eg adding some vocals to the chorus part, this probably isn't necessary though!

[prideoftheknights]

WINTER TROUPE 10TH PLAY: NOMADIC BARTENDER 【CHAPTER 1】

MASTERLIST | NEXT CHAPTER

translation under the cut!

Customer A: One gimlet please.

Guy: Understood.

Customer B: ...The way he mixes the drinks so masterfully is clean.

Customer A: Ah, you're right. Each and every movement he makes is really smooth.

Customer B: Whenever he makes cocktails, it feels like he's doing some sort of magic...

Customer A: Even just watching is fun too.

Guy: Thank you very much. Sorry to keep you waiting.

[Bell ringing SFX]

Syu: ......

I think I'll have a gibson today.

Guy: Coming right up.

Syu: Winter Troupe's next play should be beginning soon, right?

Guy: Yes. We'll be having a meeting about the contents of the play soon. I'll be happy if you're able to come see our play again.

Syu: Seems like the Spring, Summer and Autumn troupes all had the last member to join playing their second lead roles this time, so Guy will be next right?

It'll be a big day for the master who's always serving me delicious drinks, so I'll definitely be watching.

Guy: ...Thank you for waiting.

Syu: The bar's always crowded but strangely, I find it relaxing here.

That reminds me, I was thinking of bringing an old friend here next time. I might've told you before but this man used to be my dad's assistant.

After my dad passed, he left the group and we lost contact. But the other day, I met him by chance.

Guy: Since that is the case, do feel free to meet up at the store. I'll be waiting for you both.

Tsuzuru: To start off, we've decided the lead will be Guy as planned before; so next up, we'll have to decide on what the theme will be...

Guy-san, do you have anything you wanna do?

Homare: Since our fourth plays, Guy-san has racked up a lot of experience; he's even become a prominent theatre nerd. Wouldn't anything be fine?

Guy: Actually, since I'd known I would be the next lead for quite a while now, I've already thought about this in advance.

Do you think you'd be able to write a story about a job again, a bartender theme?

Izumi: Bartender?

Guy: I started my bar because I wanted to promote Zafra's culture in a different way from Citronia, but now it's become a big part of my life.

That's why I wanted to face it again through a play.

Tsumugi: If our play is set in a bar, there'll be a mature atmosphere that only we can create as the Winter Troupe!

Tasuku: And it suits Guy-san, too.

Izumi: But the job theme overlaps with our previous play Sunny Blanc though, so we need to make sure to differentiate the two properly.

Tsuzuru: How about we mix the bartender profession with something else?

Izumi: Something else, huh... Like a bartender who works in a market stall? I think there's a manga that has a story like that.

Tasuku: How about mixing bartending with battle?

Hisoka: Come to think of it... Earlier, customers were saying that Guy's cocktails looked like magic.

Tsuzuru: Magic... How about a bartending wizard?

Homare: Indeed, winter troupe has not performed many plays with a fantasy genre.

Azuma: I think the wizard aspect will suit Guy's mysterious image.

Tasuku: Sounds good.

Tsumugi: There'll be a clear difference between the florist theme of Sunny Blanc, so I'm in favour of this idea too.

Tsuzuru: I'll be moving forward with the script in this direction, then.

Izumi: We'll be counting on you!

Guy: I'm looking forward to it.

Izumi: (It's been a while since his last lead role, so Guy-san's all fired up now. I wonder how this next play's gonna turn out~)

Guy: ......

Azuma: I haven't seen that charm in a while.

Guy: I'm reporting to my father about me being the next play's lead.

Azuma: ...I see.

Guy: It's impossible right now, but I hope there will be a day where I get to tell him this in person.

Azuma: I'm sure your feelings will reach your father.

Guy: ...Yeah.

MASTERLIST | NEXT CHAPTER

[floof-ghostie]

casually leans on wall and hands you a microphone. how was the spiderverse experience i want all the deets (ive already watched it dw about spoilers👍🏾)

Ohhhh Strap in we're gonna be here for a while (Imma do this in point form for this, because so many thoughts, no energy for real paragraphs

Okay the animation. THE ANIMATION MEDIUMS. So many cool methods. I loved the colour changes in Gwen's universe. HOBIE'S ENTIRE THING, THE WAY HE'S ANIMATED OMG

Mumbattan is such a cool city, I love mashing irl cities to make one cool megacity so much it's such a lil fave worldbuilding thing of mine

Pavitr is so great, I love him, idek how to talk about him I just like him a lot. Him and his gf make such a cute pair too!

Also him saying "I don't use product, just coconut oil, prayer, and good genetics". I love him

The chai tea scene. God he's so great

THe character design is amazing and sososososo cool!! I love that we see the characters change (Gwen's hair growing longer and pinker, Miles' growth spurt, Peter B.'s bathrobe, MAYDAY's LIL SPIDER HAT THAT MJ PROLLY MADE FOR HER).

I love Pravitr's costume glowup. Thank you to whoever arranged for that.

Also, Hobie??? His lace coded boots?? His locs??? HIS FUCKING PIERCINGSSS??? HOW HE COMPARED A FUCKING VOID TO CAPITALISM??? Him taking a liking to Mayday, and straight up SHOWING MILES HOW TO GET OUT OF THE FORCE FIELD WITH A LIL SMIRK?!!! I need him. Need his gender. I love his anarchist ass.

His design really calls back to the punk scene in England, and I love the way he reminds me of old newspapers

Speaking of Hobie, holy shit that guy was flirting with Miles. I know what you are (pls Hobie do u like enbies?)

"I hate the AM, I hate the PM (prime minister probably, idk for sure) AND I HATE LABELS" I love you

Daniel Kaluuya, thank you for your service.

Also Hobie and Gwen make such a funny friendship. But I don't ship them.

The themes of growing up, and Miles' parents being worried about Miles and the people he's with...I nearly cried in the theatre, and I don't normally cry during stuff.

You can just tell that black people were making the big decisions for this movie. Aaron and Rio asking Miles why he took the braids out. Jeff and Rio being like "On time means 5 minutes early", I felt so at home watching this movie. I'm not even from Brooklyn but I just felt so at home at all the interactions Miles had with his neighbors. Even the random storeowner.

Like ppl were speaking aave, using patois, Hobie's accent. And none of that was played for laughs (except for Hobie's lingo but that's a little different bc he's British)

I love how Miles' Ganke is so different from Peter Parker's Ganke. It's such a fun detail how Miles' Ganke was like "I'm not gonna be your guy in the chair".

I love that despite the general "Canon" for Spider Man, there are some differences! I love those intricate details!

And the way the lady in the office was so hasty to force the narrative of them "struggling" when that really wasn't the case? Hit real close to home. I just love the Davis-Morales family

I love the way that the Spot isn't like a general "mildly bad" villain like I originally assumed. I really thought he'd be kind of a "setup" villain, or something that they'd have to clean up and THEN Miles would take care of Miguel and them.

I especially love the way that The Spot is someone from the first movie, who we don't even know until his backstory is brought up.

His voice is also perfect too. He sounds like a complete loser.

Miguel O'Hara. Meet me outside, I just wanna talk

No For real though, he talks a lot of shit about Miles being "The Original anomaly" when his ass needs to inject himself with some kinda spider-fluid to maintain his powers??? Mind you, he tried to force himself into a reality that wasn't his.

This guy is just an A-class hater. What do you have against Miles, honestly???

On the subject of the Spider Verse I think it's so cool how there were so many callbacks to the original canon of Spiderman! I loved seeing the og live action Spider Men in the film too!

And the easter eggs! I couldn't keep up with them all!

Also, wtf was Childish Gambino there. I mean I'm not mad, I actually found Miles' staring at him really funny

I love Issa Rae's voice! But Jessica, queen, please don't fight, you is PREGNANT

Also idk why but for some reason I thought Jessica and Miguel were married in the beginning. Not completely sure.

Gwen being like "Can you adopt me?" when first meeting Jessica...She's so real

Also Gwen is so sososososo so so trans. It's so great

THE ENDING FUCKING DESTROYED ME ARE YOU KIDDING???? 42-Miles being the Prowler?? I'M NOT OKAY BUT I'M SO EXCITED to see what happens!!

But in all seriousness, all the feelings in the movie talked about and the the things left unresolved for the next movie is just. You can tell this was such a labour of love and all the animators were so happy and excited to work on it. I cannot wait for Beyond the Spider Verse!! I'm still buzzing!!

[loverlylight]

More Cinderella's Castle thoughts!

-Everyone was perfectly cast, like they're all amazing and versatile actors so no matter what roles each of them played it would have been awesome, but everyone's roles felt somewhat catered for them in particular, if that makes sense? Which I'm sure is somewhat the case, but I disgress.

-Jeff brought such a fun chaotic energy to The Narrator, it was wonderful to watch. The makeup and outfit was also splendid, and there was this impish physicality as well, he was just so much fun.

-I loved the band being named and mentioned in universe! So much fun, and we were all cheering so much whenever they'd come on stage. Obviously because everyone is grateful to Matt for the creation of Pulp Musicals, of course.

-...speaking of, it really was odd watching Putrice, Tadius, and the Prince interact on stage given that my brain has been at least 85% Pulp for the last half a year

-I was fortunate enough to be able to sit front row, center stage. For most of the play this was absolutely amazing, getting to see the actors so close and seeing the intricacies of their facial expressions, the costume, set design, all those wonderful details that can fade into the background if you're too far away. ...the downside is that at the part of act 2 when the Prince turned around to reveal the sparkly purple codpeice it was, like, just a few yards away from me. Pretty sure I audibly said "oh God" and buried my face in my hands.

-I really like Tadius and Ella's friendship! I especially love how they handled the hints of romance, particularly how nothing happens in the show. There are hints that something might happen between them if they decide to explore that in the future, hints that Tadius has some form of feelings for her, but canonically they're just friends and have a good, solid friendship that feels very organic.

-Crumb was adorable at all times, but I especially love when Joey was no longer in control of the puppet and just reacting, it was hilarious~

-I ship Ella with Tadius, Lucy, Justine, AND the Fairy Queen of Sweet Dreams

-Ella was so freaking badass, like... AUGH I love her so much!

-I honestly kinda ship Rancilda/The Prince. They had fun chemistry, especially with the "blowjob joke" bit.

-Like EVERY line the Prince had was sexual, it was impressive but it also started to blend together after a while.

-For a moment there I honestly thought we might have a bad guys win situation, they did a really good job of leaving things so it felt like there really is no way back from this.

-Ella's outfits were so amazing! The multi-colored dress and the one from the end especially, just... oh my god I am such a lesbian you guys.

-I love how the entire theatre loved the bits where Tadius talked about going against the royal family. I love him so much <3

-I also love how the theatre went nuts at the "let's go" before the final song, there was just so much energy in that room and it was amazing.

-The music in general was just... DAMN. Don't get me wrong, I loved the demos, but I can't wait to hear the final versions again when the digital ticket comes out because they all sounded so amazing.

-Looking forwards to the digital ticket in general, like... being there, seeing it live, it was such a precious and amazing experience that I'll treasure. But I'm also looking forward to being able to watch the whole show again, both with renting the digital ticket and when the pro-shot comes out!

-The 2023 performance of VHSCC is still my favorite Starkid production ever, I don't know what if anything could top it (PLEASE re-release the digital ticket or put it up for permanent purchase or on Youtube, PLEASE), but while I know the fact that this is the most recent show and the only one I got to see live is coloring things, Cinderella's Castle is definitely one of their top musicals in my opinion. Currently it's at the number 2 spot, and while it's possible things might shift once the initial excitement wears off, I can't see it dropping much lower-- certainly not below the top 5.

-I almost certainly have even more thoughts I should try and get down while the experience in relatively fresh but I'm gonna have a long shift tomorrow and I'm Sleepy. Goodnight!

[paper-land]

Just a note: this post started as a discussion of and is going to spend a decent amount of time discussing Yannick Mirko’s firing and replacement in Ride the Cyclone, but I realized I wanted to address my experience with ablism in theatre in general. I can’t force anyone to read this, but if you have the time and you care about representation in theatre, I’d to ask you to try and hear what I have to say

TLDR: Yannick Mirko's speaking out is bringing more attention to ableism in theatre, I added some examples I've seen to emphasize that ableism in the theatre world is really common

Literally I take a break from writing my papers for finals for like 10 minutes and I find out that Arena Stage cast Yannick Mirko’s able-bodied understudy to play Ricky in their production of RtC.

For anyone not caught up, Yannick Mirko is the first disabled person to play Ricky Potts, a canonically disabled character, in the musical Ride The Cyclone. He was unjustly fired from the production he was in (the McCarter atheater) because of their disability. They had one medical emergency and was told that his disability was too unpredictable that he would be replaced by his understudy, who is not disabled.

Now, onto the Arena Stage production. Three of the seven cast members played the roles they are in now in the McCarter Theater production (Jane Doe, Mischa Bachinski, and Noel Gruber). Two are playing their original role from a different production (Constance Blackwood, Ocean O’Connell Rosenberg). One appears to be playing their role for the first time, though I could be wrong on this (The Amazing Karnak). The only cast member of the Arena Stage production who, as far as I can tell, was an understudy for their first production is their Ricky Potts. Ricky is being played by the able bodied understudy who took over the role when Yannick Mirko was fired from the McCarter Theater production. He was also reportedly referred to by his disability aids during the rehearsal process, rather than his name.

This is genuinely disgusting. Theatre is already so discriminatory to disabled people and the McCarter Theater and Arena Stage productions have so far only proved that they can get away with it. Admittedly, I have minimal social media presence so there could be conversations I haven’t seen, but I have seen a maximum of 5 people talk about this.

It’s very much worth noting that most productions I have been in or seen we’re willing to bend over backwards to make sure an able bodied actor could stay onstage. I’ve been in five shows where an understudy was sent out. Three because the actors had Covid and two because the actor was in the hospital and would not be discharged until after the show was over. This may sound like a lot of productions with understudies, but I’ve been in theatre for 11 years. I’ve been in 30 shows. Five shows, especially mid-pandemic, is nothing. I have been in shows where directors have done everything in their power to keep an able bodied actor in a lead role (including many cases of severe illnesses and one with a concussion and staples in his head). I’ve seen an actress onstage while she had broken ribs. I’ve seen a friend perform after slicing her leg and spraining her ankle. Ive seen a different friend come to a three hour rehearsal after spending the morning vomiting. Two different people I know have performed with dislocated joints. I’ve been onstage when I was so sick I couldn’t breathe or speak. I’ve been onstage when my glasses broke and I couldn’t see as far as the people around me. Most actors I know who have left productions only left because they could not physically return or because they were fired for actually valid reasons (skipped nearly half of the rehearsals so they could go on vacation without informing the director).

If these were fine, if I’ve been praised and seen actors praised for doing this, why was Yannick Mirko fired for one medical emergency? Easy answer: Ableism.

One less-than shocking part for me was realizing that I’ve worked with one of the people who was involved in the McCarter production for an awards show. I watched her work with disabled performers in one of the other acts. And, mind you, by “work with,” I mean that she told them their spots and expected them to know where to go. She was absolutely lovely to everyone else (especially leads but I don’t want to get into the treatment of ensemble actors right now, that’ll probably be a different post one day).

I also want to discuss my experiences with ablism in theatre, as someone who has witnessed it and, very recently, started experiencing it (to, admittedly, a significantly lesser degree than many).

The first show I was in with a disabled actor, I was 14. My friend was made to climb multiple set pieces despite her leg not being fully functional. She’d been in a wheelchair for several months at school that year. I didn’t fully realize something was wrong until she started complaining about minor pain to me. She never wanted anyone to go to the director and she never went on her own.

My next is when I was 15. I didn’t realize what was really happening for many years. He had missed several rehearsals with no word to our directors and was made to leave the show. This sounds normal enough, I mentioned someone else who was forced to do the same earlier on. This would be normal if the director hadn’t checked in on and allowed able bodied actors who had done the same thing back into the show. I figured at that point in my life that he’d just missed more shows or assumed that he’d come to the mutual agreement to leave. I don’t have answers, but I’ve started to doubt those beliefs in recent years.

My next show with a disabled actor was when I was still 15. We had one disabled actress, a girl in a wheelchair. The show was set in a high school. She was in onstage twice. The first time, she sat on the side during a group number and sang with us (she was never taught any choreography. The second time, a cast member brought her on, she was crowned prom queen, and then she left the stage and was never seen again until curtain call. Honestly, at the time, I thought it was weird that we were treating her as less capable and not allowing her into any more of the show, but it’s hard to bring that up with anyone. Especially when everyone you try to talk to about it defends the choice. Everyone said that she was less capable or that she’d stick out or that her wheelchair would get in the way. I didn’t feel I could address it, so it was left unsaid. She went to school with me for five years and I never saw her in another production.

It took several years to be in another show with a disabled actor. My school was by all accounts really great about our treatment of disabled people until it came to extracurriculars.

My most recent show that I’m talking about was not technically with a disabled actor, but one who was injured for the entire rehearsal and performance process and was treated similarly from what I could see. It was last year. They were cast in the group that was onstage the least. Nobody in that group was invited to any vocal rehearsals and they were all in one choreography rehearsal. They were also made to stand at the bottom of a set piece on their own because they couldn’t climb it like the rest of their group.

I’d also like to discuss my experiences since finding out that I have a wrist problem that will likely impact me on and off for the rest of my life. For context, I have limited mobility in one of my hands due to a problem with my wrist and thumb. I cannot fully bend my wrist in any direction, nor can I comfortably straighten my thumb all the way or make a fist with the thumb on the inside.

I’d also like to note that I am currently in university taking a creative writing minor, so that sucks because my wrist and thumb do affect my ability to type and write, so it flares up a lot. I also really like to draw and sew for fun and I’ve had to greatly limit my ability to do the things I enjoy. I’ve been in two shows since I went to my doctor because of the pains and four shows since the pain started affecting my abilities to do things.

This first show I was in after my wrist got bad was a very dance heavy production that consisted of two group numbers and a solo or duet for every cast member. The worst part for me was dance warmups, where we were instructed to do many things forced us to put large amounts of pressure on our hands. Primarily different forms of lunges and pushups. I would cry after every day’s warmups. I could barely hold my props.

The next show, I actually worked crew on. I was involved in props, costumes, and makeup, as well as moving sets/props between scenes. I made props with box cutters and scissors I could barely hold. My hands shook so hard when I was trying to melt the edge of a ribbon to keep it from fraying that I dropped a match (thank god I was outside and on pavement). I sewed costumes until I couldn’t do anything for the rest of the day. One of the worst parts was when I hand-sculpted multiple special-effect-makeup prosthetics for one of our actresses. I could hardly hold my makeup brushes or my dummy head that I was sculpting on by the end of every one I made (three sets, for context, every set used two pieces). The other worst was moving sets. I was originally set to move a desk for an office scene that was so heavy that I cried after our first rehearsal and requested to be switched to a new job. I was given a bookshelf that was on wheels. Two of the four wheels were broken and I had to pick up the shelves to get it into the correct position anyway. This show was actually the reason I went to the doctor about the wrist pains.

My next show was actually an improv workshop followed by two performances. I spent the day of the workshop painting for a school activity. I ended up in a wrist brace for the full workshop. I have never seen a group of people so cautious around me, nobody was even willing to touch that arm, which made a certain amount of improv very strange because we were doing a lot of physical stuff with each other. Everyone else was grabbing hands and stuff and they were just awkwardly standing next to me. I ended up taking off my brace for the performances so that I could feel like a part of the show. and hurting myself because I should have been wearing it.

The last show was a recent production where off-and-on through the rehearsal process, I was in the brace. There were many comments made asking about why my wrist was still hurting me, which I assume is a certain amount of ignorance because yes, my wrist still hurts, I haven't been able to move it properly for half a year. However, I was not given a single costume I could wear the brace with and another cast member was instructed to pull my by the arm that was hurt. Luckily, between pain meds and excessively taking care of myself, it didn’t hurt during production week, but I’d still call that some bad treatment.

Basically, theatre sucks for disabled actors. Please, help bring awareness to this. If you’ve seen or experienced ableism, I encourage you to speak out. Yannick Mirko is a wonderful performer and an inspiration to me. He’s been through so much. Also, I’m not fond of cursing, but fuck McCarter Theater and fuck Arena Stage. Cast disabled actors as disabled characters and don’t replace them with an able-bodied understudy.

[downthe-f4ndom-rabbith0le]

My Wonder (Spencer Reid x Reader) - The Confession

My Wonder (Spencer Reid x Reader) - The Confession  Word Count: 3863 Reader insert: she/her pronouns. She is not American unless you are, just has a previous history in American law enforcement. Warnings: mentions of murder, crime scene, guns, near-death experience, slow-burn romance, and some MAJOR FLUFF!  Spoilers: none

All his life, Dr. Spencer Reid has been told he is a genius - gifted, different. When you, a new member of the BAU, arrive, he expects the same weirded-out reaction from you as everyone does. But when you don't, and you instead find him interesting, Spencer finds himself forming an attachment to you. And as the years go on, is it really any wonder that he falls for you?

This is six times you secretly say I love you to Spencer: your love confession to one another.

Full story | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

He didn't hear your heart-stopping compliment again until it was almost too late.

After the Staunton case, you and Spencer had been... odd. Well, mainly Spencer, as he spoke as little as possible to you during cases, and always offered to go with anyone else but you on certain tasks. He even stopped coming over to yours for movie night each Saturday, claiming each time to be busy or unwell. It was Spencer's only way of ensuring nothing like that night ever happened again.

He convinced himself the moment was fleeting, just a mixture of chemicals in his brain combined with the adrenaline of being with a beautiful women he very much admired that made him read the signs wrong. You were friends, that was all you were, and all he would ever allow you to be.

This went on for three months.

And you were miserable.

Emily, JJ and Penelope recognised the change in your demeanour at work first, and when they found out the reason behind it, they slapped Spencer upside the head on their way out of the office one Friday afternoon and took you with them, promising a wonderful night out on the town.

That night, to Spencer's eventual annoyance, you'd met someone. A charming young firefighter named Riley who lived in Washington DC and was just in town to see family.

That night, you hooked up. And the next morning, he asked you on a date. That date led to another, then more. You were on your way to another one tonight when you got a phone call from JJ saying they found the latest unsub's house and were planning a raid on it.

Spencer knew you were on a date when he also got the phone call to come along. Despite his distance (by his own choice, he always had to remind himself), he kept tabs on you, checked in on you via others. And while the girls of the team were awfully mad at him, they always answered him when he asked how you were doing.

'You know, for a genius, you really are quite stupid,' JJ told him when he asked about you.

He quirked his eyebrow, genuinely confused. 'I'm sorry?'

'She's heartbroken,' Penelope added. 'Her best friend just gives her the silent treatment out of nowhere after what sounded like a magical night at the theatre. Who wouldn't be upset by that, Reid?'

'I just,' he paused, rallying his thoughts into words that couldn't quite describe how he felt. 'It's complicated.'

'Love shouldn't be complicated, Reid,' Emily interjected, a soft but sad smile gracing her painted lips.

Spencer swallowed thickly at that. 'W-What do you mean?'

Derek finished making his coffee and took a sip of it before answering. 'We all see it, Reid. You don't have to deny anymore how you feel.'

'I'm not denying anything, Morgan.'

'Maybe not to us,' Derek continued. 'But you are definitely denying it to yourself. All I can say is don't wait until it's too late. She's already slipping away.'

That's when Spencer found out about your dates with Riley, and an ugly, selfish, hurt part of him wanted to scream with anger. Mainly at himself, but the damage was done and he had to get over you.

But when you showed up to the unsub's home, your FBI bullet-proof vest on and mascara slightly smeared under your eyes, he was beyond confused. And concerned.

'You're here,' he stated matter-of-factly.

'You sound surprised,' you answered stiffly, loading your gun without even glancing at him.

'To be honest, yeah. JJ and the rest all said you were out tonight. I figured you-'

'What? That I would ignore the call because I had something personal planned?' You finally looked up at him, and man did your cold stare pierce him like an arrow. 'This is my job, Spence. I knew, same as you and everyone else, that I would have to make some sacrifices to do it. So please, don't think so little of me just because I attempted to have a life outside of it.'

He grew more concerned at your choice of words. 'Attempted?' he asked, but then he looked closely at your smeared mascara, at the redness circling your eyes. Like you'd been crying-

'Don't worry about it,' you muttered, brushing past him to meet up with the team. 'You haven't for about four months now.'

Spencer tried to ignore the sting your words brought with them as he followed you to the rest of the team, forcing himself to put the case in front of you. But he'd done that for the past four months as you had so brightly pointed out, and look where it had landed him.

'Now remember,' Hotch started, bringing the team and some other officers in to brief, 'this unsub may use this place as his base to build his bombs, but don't discredit the idea that he wouldn't blow it up to save himself. Tread carefully but be vigilant, he is in the house somewhere. Now move.'

Spencer followed you into the house through the front door, gun and flashlight at the ready. All that could be heard were the soft but swift patter of footsteps as the FBI and local police ran in. The lights were on, but no unsub.

You were silently directed by Hotch to investigate the back end of the house, to which Spencer and Derek followed. You focussed on maintaining your breathing as you tried not to think about your date, Spencer, your heart thrashing in your ribcage. Only the unsub mattered.

The three of you broke into the last room of the house, the laundry. Upon entry, you spotted him, the unsub, running out the back door into the backyard.

'Hey!' you called out, immediately breaking into a sprint after him. You broke out of the laundry onto a cemented path towards a clothes line, chasing after him towards the fence line. But as you stepped off the path and onto the grass, something gave way beneath your feet, followed by a resounding click that had your freezing with fear.

'(L/n), keep going!' Derek shouted from somewhere behind you.

'Hold up!' you cried, throwing an arm back behind you. 'I think the yard is full of bombs.'

'Well, let's go around the front and get him in the back streets, come on!'

'I can't,' you replied back, slightly breathless from running, but also from the fear constricting now your airways.

'Why?' You didn't have to see him to know it was Spencer, concern dripping from just one word.

'Because I'm standing on one.'

Spencer knew it was physically impossible, but he was sure his stomach just dropped out of him and onto the bomb-littered grass around them. This was bad. Like very very bad.

'Shit,' Derek breathed out before bringing his wrist up to his mouth. 'Hotch, the unsub got away over the back fence, send some men to intercept him two blocks north from here.'

'Got it,' Hotch answered efficiently.

'And send the bomb squad out here. Yard is like a mine field and (L/n) is standing on one.'

After that, it didn't take long for the rest of the team to run outside, making extra careful to stand only on the pavements as they got as close to you as they could. Spencer stood the closest, standing directly in front of you as the bomb squad swept the yard for the rest of them.

'I've got some good news and some bad news,' one member of the bomb squad said as she came up to the team. 'Good news is it's the only bomb in the yard.'

'And I just managed to find it. Super,' you muttered, your tone shaky although the intention was to lighten the mood.

'Bad news is it's a pressure-triggered bomb, meaning that if you move even a fraction it'll go off. Also, by stepping on it, you've set of a timer until it explodes. The only way to disarm it seems to be a code of some kind.'

'How long do we have?' Spencer asked, not bothering to mask his desperation. This couldn't be happening. Of all the people, it had to be you.

'Six hours now,' she said grimly. 'My team and I will do everything we can to dismantle it and shut it off manually, but it's built quite strong so it'll be tough to crack open without setting it off. Your best bet will be to get an answer from your bomber.'

'Uniforms just called in,' Rossi said. 'They're bringing him in now.'

'Good,' Hotch said with a ferocity that would send most people running for the hills. 'He's gonna give us that code one way or another.' He turned to you, determination blazing in his eyes. 'Hang tight, (Y/n). We're gonna get you off that thing.'

'I'll hold you to that,' you joked, and you were grateful to receive a soft smile in return from Hotch and the rest of the team. Except for Spencer, he couldn't find it in himself to smile. He could barely think no thanks to your dangerous position.

'I'll stay with (Y/n),' Spencer said, his voice strained compared to his usual calmness.

'Reid,' Derek started, 'you're our best bet to crack open this guy. If we find something-'

'Then I'll have my phone ready to pick up. I'm not leaving her.'

It surprised you the strength you heard hidden underneath his fear. It was there in his eyes too, blazing like Hotch's, except with more warmth, more determination.

Derek looked to Hotch, and Hotch just nodded. 'Okay fine, but you better pick up on the first ring.'

'Promise.'

'I'll stay to help with the bomb squad,' Emily said while also looking at you.

'No,' you said as Hotch, Derek and JJ left. 'You all should go. In case he somehow remotely sets it off himself.'

'We're not leaving,' Reid said firmly, making eye contact with you. 'Not until you're off that bomb, you hear me?'

You wanted to argue, trying to be selfless and strong. But the truth was you were terrified, and to hear Spencer's strength where you lacked helped you push your pride aside and nod in agreement.

Time had flown by and it was now the last ten minutes. Spencer had received phone call after phone call but nothing had been helpful. They'd tried two potential codes already but they didn't work. The bomb squad quickly realised that they only had three chances to get the code right and so they were down to the last chance.

'You guys should really leave,' you said amidst your chattering teeth. It was now just after midnight and your thin button up and the bulletproof vest were not cutting it anymore. Spencer wished he could give you a blanket, a jacket, his own shirt for God's sake if it would keep you warm slightly.

'That's not going to happen,' he answered without hesitation.

You yawned, eyes threatening to droop close. Your legs had gone numb long ago. You were unsure how you were holding yourself up. It certainly wasn't by adrenaline. Perhaps you were frozen in place.

'I mean it, Spence,' you said, bracing yourself as another shiver threatened to spasm your entire body. 'It's the last ten minutes. You should be clear in case it goes off.'

'I'm not going to do that.'

'Damnit, Spencer. Of all the times to be stubborn, you choose now?'

'I'm not being stubborn,' Spencer argued. Were you purposefully trying to tick him off now? 'I'm trying to save your life!'

'You're right, you're not being stubborn. You're being plain stupid,' you retorted. You weren't sure why you were suddenly so angry, you just didn't like him playing the hero when he didn't have to.

'Yes! I am stupid, I admit that. I'll announce that to the entire neighbourhood right now if you want me to! Because if it weren't for me being an idiot, you wouldn't have had those dates, you wouldn't have had a date tonight, and maybe you wouldn't be stuck standing on a bomb right now!'

You stared incredulously at Spencer. He blamed himself for your situation? For Riley?

Despite the bustling of people around them, everything grew silent as youO stared at one another, Spencer's chest heaving as he sucked in air hard.

'Spence,' you said softly, your anger suddenly dissipating. 'I don't blame you for any of this. I would've ended up on this bomb one way or another. Or even worse, it could've been you standing on it. And as for Riley...' You thought the tears would come up again like before, but your eyes remained dry, and your heart didn't pull harshly.

Not for Riley, anyways.

'Did something happen between you two?' Spencer tentatively asked. His tone bordered on concerned and hopeful, demonstrating his torn mindset to whatever you were about to say.

You nodded. 'I told him I had to go to work, which wasn't unusual, but he just flipped. Said he was sick of me choosing you guys over him and that he was finished.'

He hated himself for feeling the slightest bit happy at the news, but his best friend instincts kicked in, and all he wanted to do was reach out and hold you. 'I'm sorry. You could've said no. We would've understood-'

'Spencer, I will always choose you guys over anyone,' you interjected, and the complete seriousness on your face reflected your sincerity brighter than the full moon above. 'I will always choose you, Spence.'

It was then Spencer saw it: the same feeling he'd had swirling in his stomach for months reflected in your eyes. It scared him, but what scared him more was that it would all be gone soon if he didn't do anything about it.

He would be too late, just like Derek said.

The bomb squad lady and Emily walked up to them both, and Spencer did not like the grim expressions on their faces.

'I'm sorry,' the bomb squad lady said. 'It's the last five minutes. There's nothing else we can do but clear out of the blast zone.'

'What about the code?' Spencer pressed, but Emily shook her head.

'Reid, they've gotten nothing out of him. We've got to go.'

'But we can't just leave her here-'

'Trust me, Spencer, I don't want to either!' Emily cried, tears pricking at her eyes at the thought of you dying. 'But we can't do anything for her here. I've got the remote to input the code if they get another one, but until then, we've got to clear from the blast zone.'

'No.' Spencer shook his head vigourously. He couldn't accept this. He wouldn't accept this.

'Spencer,' you tried gently. 'It's okay. I can do the rest alone. I want you to be safe.'

'Well, too bad, because I'm staying.'

You squeezed your eyes shut as tears rushed down your cheeks. 'Damnit, Spencer. Please, just go. Don't make this harder than it already is.'

Spencer took a daring step towards you, the tops of his shoes dangling just over the edge of the pavement. 'I won't abandon you. Not again.'

You were most likely a blubbering mess, your heart hurting so much at the thought that he would get caught up in your mess. 'God, why don't you just leave-'

'Because I love you, (Y/n)!'

The four of you stood dumbfounded as his proclamation echoed through the yard, the house, the street back out the front. Hell, Spencer hoped the whole world heard what he said, because he felt free for the first time in months, weightless, powerful.

And it was all because of you.

'I love you,' he repeated again, softer this time. As the reality of the situation came crashing down on him, tears of his own sprouted in his eyes and ran down his cheeks. He'd finally built up the courage to tell you, and you were minutes away from being blown up.

Through your tears, you find it in yourself to chuckle a little. It's watery and gross-sounding, but Spencer likes it none the less because it's yours, and you haven't lost complete hope. 'Talk about great timing, you big idiot.' And then there it is, that bright smile he saw day one in the office. You wore it with such pride, such strength it pulled at Spencer's heart strings painfully. 'You truly are a wonder, Spencer Reid.'

'One minute,' the bomb squad lady said, her tone frantic now. 'We've got to move! Now!'

'Reid, come on!' Emily cried, backing up with the bomb squad.

'I won't abandon her,' he replied, never taking his eyes off you.

'Reid please!'

Before he could reply, though, his phone buzzed, and he immediately answered the call. 'Please tell me you go it.'

'HOME! The code word is HOME!'

'Punch in HOME!' Reid called out to Emily, keeping Derek on the line as he stared at you. If you were to die, he was gonna make damn sure the last thing you saw wasn't an unfamiliar face.

'Are you sure?'

'We're out of time! Do it!'

'Spence...' you muttered. But you never finished your sentence, as your breath got caught while watching Emily punch in the code into the device. You closed your eyes. Soon you would be in eternal darkness. You would not fear it, but embrace it.

But when nothing happened, you dared to sneak a peek at what was going on. You saw Spencer first, who looked at Emily, who looked at the device in her hands. The deathly silence was finally broken at the sound of a green light on the device switching on. You then heard a hundred tiny clicks somewhere underfoot and felt yourself being pushed up back onto level ground.

Spencer finally looked back to you, eyes blown wide with hope he dared not realise. That same hope fuelled your frozen, tired legs, to take the tiniest of steps forward, and when nothing happened, you took your other foot off the bomb and collapsed forward into Spencer's arms.

His heart pounded faster than the jet that flew them all over the country every week as he cradled you simultaneously gently and tightly. You sobbed into his chest, your arms circling around his back and pulling him as tight as possible.

Oh, how he had missed your touch, your affection, your love, you.

'It's okay, you're okay,' he soothed, patting your hair down with one hand while he cradled you with the other. 'I'm here. We're all here.' He realised suddenly he'd dropped his phone, and so with one hand, he reached down and picked it up, bringing it to his ear. 'She's off.'

He barely heard the cheers of excitement and relief on Derek's end before he was hanging up and helping you to your feet. After that, it was a whirlwind of the bomb squad excavating the bomb, paramedics arriving, and CSU investigating the house.

After giving his statement of events to the local police and finishing speaking to other officials, he found you wrapped in a trauma blanket in the open back of an ambulance.

'How are you feeling?' he said as he approached you.

You broke free of your own world to look at Spencer, and a soft smile managed its way onto your lips. 'Well, I can feel my legs again so that's a start. And you?'

'All the better now that you're not standing on a bomb.'

You chuckled, though a red tinge dusted your cheeks out of embarrassment. 'I must admit, it's true what they say about your life flashing before your eyes the moment before you die.'

'Really? What did you see?' Spencer had read articles about this kind of stuff before, but had never spoken with a person who'd experience it themselves.

You didn't answer straight away, instead standing up to face him fully. Your legs felt like jelly a little but you stood strong. 'I saw you,' you replied easily, as if breathing air. 'Only you.'

Spencer couldn't hold it back, his fear, his relief. It all came bubbling out in an ugly sob as he pulled you into a bone-crushing hug, pressing his face into your hair, using your scent to calm himself. He felt you sobbing too, how your body shook with your own anxieties.

'I missed you,' you said, your words muffled into his chest.

'I know, I'm sorry,' he murmured. 'I missed you, too.' He pulled you back slightly so that he could see your face. He wiped at your tears and forced his best smile just for you. 'But I'm back now. And I'm not going anywhere. That is... if you want me around.'

You heard his silent question, and it made you smile how confident and shy he could be simultaneously.

'Spencer Reid,' you murmured, like what you were about to say next was your biggest secret, 'of course I want you around. I love you.'

He chuckled with relief, tears still pricking at his eyes. But your words sealed your fate, as he used his small amount of confidence to grab the back of your neck gently and pull your lips to his.

You were the sweetest thing he'd ever tasted, and dare he compare you the most addictive drug he could ever hope to get high on. He couldn't get enough of you, and it was such a relief to finally let it out how much he needed you to breathe.

You were equally breathless, simultaneously feeling all consumed by Spencer's love without also having enough of it. Your fingers danced in the soft curls at the nape of his neck, threading yourself into him as much as possible. The truth was, the past four months were torturous.

'I'm not going anywhere.'

As you both finally broke apart, you pressed your foreheads together, nervous giggles of teenagers bubbling up in you both. This was fresh and new, but the love you had for one another had been there all along. No one was going anywhere.

'Finally!'

You and Spencer looked up to see the rest of the team watching from afar, with Emily and JJ smiling giddily, Derek and Rossi trying to suppress laughter, and Hotch having the simplest of grins on his lips.

'Oh, babygirl is going to have a field day when she hears about this,' Derek said, walking up to clap Spencer on the back and give him a hug. 'Well done, man.'

'It's about time,' Rossi said as the rest of the team joined you both. 'I thought I was going to have to take matters into my own hands.'

'Thank God you didn't,' Emily said, both her and JJ giving you a hug. 'As much as this has been traumatic for all of us, I'm so glad it brought you back together.'

'Say that to my poor legs,' you whined, but you hugged them just as tight. Truthfully, you felt the same. And as Reid held you in his arms that night, having refused to let you out of his sight after your brush with death, you couldn't be more grateful for it, too.

[astralfuchs]

Given how “unique” a Miku concert would be I’m surprised Crypton themselves didn’t send some team members or equipment personally to make sure things are set up right bc other than some performers that might hide their face/wear disguises idk how many usual concert locations have something prepped for “holo” projections compared to Japan and their Vtuber boom (although I’d rather buy a plushie from a booth but hopefully at least the theatres would have good sound quality)

Sucks for any workers scrambling and getting hate/hope it doesn’t affect the sales of any other indie ppl performing their concerts

The weird thing is it worked before. I went to miku Expo 2018 in cologne and 2020 in Berlin. Both times it was an actual hologram concert with the same band as magical Mirai. Neither of these two locations had a concert like this before, I'm pretty sure. All of the equipment must've been toured around with thew Miku Expo crew. Going against advertising and expectations (basically all of these concerts, and like all of them in recent years were holographic) without notifying buyers beforehand and also not even afterwards when people keep asking is, to put it lightly, customer unfriendly at best and a scam at worst.

I arrived a bit late in 2018 since I only had standard so I don't know how it was there, but in 2020 people went around giving out free stickers and badges, or general stuff they got from other miku events. One of them seemed to be a huge meiko fan so when she gifted me something I gave her the meiko badge I got from the random gacha button bags. Stuff like that really made it feel like a community coming together, so reading that giving out badges, stickers, etc. wasn't allowed this year, even for people who specifically got an okay from cfm and also got their stuff stolen from is surreal.

I had vip in 2020 and as far as I know everyone got their vip merchandise, which doesn't seem to be the case this year, which makes no sense because you would know how many people at this location have the vip ticket. Another thing I read is that vip ticket holders were supposed to be let in earlier for merchandise and the concert hall but it didn't happen, which also worked flawlessly before in my experience.

Merchandise being not enough for everyone is sadly not new, I was in line for it in 2018 and when I was three people away the store people shouted they were all sold out, which was very much a bummer but I thankfully bought the penlight and t-shirt beforehand in the online store so it wasn't too bad for me and as I said I was quite late to the so definitely in the latter half of the people that got in. Still should've been more but I would chalk it up to being the first concert in Europe and them not having expected such a huge crowd maybe. How this is still the case 6 years later and in America where there were concerts way before 2018 is beyond me.

I don't know if this is because of crunchyroll (it probably is tho) but I can't say cfm is innocent either since they partnered with them and it's their job to ensure everything is up to standard, which clearly didn't happen.

For me, I was really happy to hear there was going to be a Europe one again, especially since I really loved it, it is such a magical experience so the last year's being online only made me super sad since it isn't the same in the slightest, but seeing it's also partnered with crunchyroll I decided against it. It's because I loved it so much that it really saddens me to see what is currently going on (also probably why I wrote so much, very sorry). Miku Expo is one of the best, magical and insane events you can go to as a vocaloid/piaproloid fan and I wish for all fans, people who've been in the Fandom longer and already have been to Miku Expo, and newer fans that didn't have the chance yet, to have that same experience but this is not it. This being someone's first miku expo experience is just a sad thing to think about considering what a massive downgrade the experience is. I hope there will be official statements soon and that the people who are currently experiencing it still have a good time.

[murillo-enthusiast]

To Le Maréchal Soult,

I understand you visited Bessières' domain yesterday, and I feel the need to explain, if you will keep this in your confidence. I fear the likes of Larrey or Ney would do Jean more harm than good, although it also pains me to allow Jean to remain in this state.

You were one of the longest lived of us, and thus you are fully aware of what was uncovered after Jean's death. I knew enough of it before I passed on. Jean had hidden it from me, he hid a lot of things from even the people who cared most about him towards the end of his life. Now, I fear, he's hidden from himself in shame.

He doesn't fully remember everything about that young lady, the opera singer. I think he's shoved it far down in the back of his mind he can no longer recall the details, if at all, and wouldn't be able to recount fully what transpired between them. Nevertheless, his memories bleed out into the domain of his afterlife, manifesting in that terrible theatre.

There is something broken inside his mind. As Lannes would say, he's fucked up.

He loved the theatre when he was alive, yes, but it's also the source of his deepest shame. One of them, I think. I count myself as a very brave man, as you know, but I even I would hesitate to fight some of the demons lurking in the shadows of his domain. It makes me quiver.

When I first passed on into the afterlife and found him again, I had so many questions for him, about him, that woman, and what really happened. It did not end well.

I have personal experience to believe that forcing any sort of confrontation on the matter will be of little to no help to him.

For Jean, what he has in the afterlife isn't the nightmarish hell that we see when we venture into his sanctuary. He sees the lovely, gilded performance halls and operas we were all familiar with in our lives. It's best to play along for his own good.

With greatest regards,

@your-dandy-king

Having received this letter after gazing upon Bessières' afterlife with Lannes, Soult responds with this:

Dear Maréchal Murat,

It is good to hear from you and I hope you are doing well.

I am sorry to hear of what you have discovered of our friend's malady. I will not speak or share this with any other soul; you have my utmost promise.

Perhaps what startled me about his realm was how it seems to, in a manner, be akin to that which afflicts myself, my men and Marshal Lannes; yet while we are sound of mind, with our condition scarcely disturbing us and hidden under a "glamour", it seems that the metaphorical manifestation of Marshal Bessières' demons is expressed outwardly in the domain he inhabits, and that he is unaware of this. That last point is what concerns me the most. We can all very well handle disquieting, even if Lannes is prone to mock Bessières about it, but such willing self-delusion is a cause for concern.

I will take a moment to ask that you do not share what I have revealed to you about our conditions. I do not wish to dwell on it. While the situations are dissimilar and the rules that govern our respective afterlives do seem to vary, I share this in the hopes that any information may illuminate or lead to the resolution of our comarade's affliction.

The way that you speak of these demons appears to be rather less metaphorical than is usually the case. I must ask, out of a usual prudence that may hopefully will prove to be unjustified, whether you are being literal in these demons posing a threat, and whether that threat is to us or to Bessières himself.

Perhaps this may be overly cautious, but I am very well aware that things may not be as they appear to be.

I will play along, as long as it is safe to do so. Perhaps seeking to stage an opera will aid in this endeavour.

My regards to you and your family,

-- The Marshal Duke of Dalmatia

[ingravinoveritas]

Hiya, I am the anon from a post you reblogged regarding Michael Sheen and his female co-star from Amadeus (her name is Lily btw and she looks like a version of Sarah Silverman). For a total of 4 weeks he was rehearsing in my work building and I saw a few instances between the two. In the last week he was rehearsing on site I saw them lunching together. Both respectively on either side of a table reading their scripts quietly with no interaction. They weren't talking, or looking at each other. Just eating and reading. Towards the end of their lunch together, she got up and gave Michael a big hug whilst he was sitting down. Honestly it looked like she was consoling him. From the moments I have seen of them together I get a sense she really admires him and looks forward to being around him. Although it sounds like a stretch I do also get a sense that she is quite flirtatious. There was an occasion where Michael was sitting at a table and she was sitting on a table leaning toward him (cue imagery of secretary trying to pursue her boss). I do get the impression on his end that he is being careful around her. Perhaps he finds her attractive? Or perhaps he's trying to keep his distance because of his family situation? I also read your observations regarding AL not posting about Christmas and her family coming in from Sweden. Honestly I think they're coming in so that they can look after the kids and give her a break. She probably is exhausted herself because Michael has not been at home. But it definitely appears like he lives an exhausting separate life from them. I mean on NYE and NYD he is doing 3 performances in total. His regime must be sleep, eat, work, repeat and with his kids in tow that leaves little room to breath and have Mum and Dad time. So it makes sense to have trusted family over to look after the kids. On Tuesday I did get to see opening night of Amadeus. Was trying to spot a platinum blonde AL in the audience. I was pretty close to the stage maybe she was towards the back of the theatre. I kinda thought that she would post some kind of praise about Michael having a successful opening night, alas no. Michael and Lily kiss twice, and I could tell who the fans were in the audience because they were gasping when it happened. Or maybe they were gasping because it was uncomfortable to watch. I found it uncomfortable out of pure jealousy than the actual scene itself. He genuinely is a profound performer especially when the performance goes for 2 hours and 50 mins his stamina to be on point is remarkable. Anyway here is my tea. Simply observations. I do wonder if there is some connection between him and Lily. I wonder if she has become his confidante away from his home life while he is in Sydney. I can't imagine he has people to talk to that aren't his family in town so she just might be the respite he needs. Sorry for this being so long. Hope it is of some interest.

Hi, Australian Anon! Yes, I did see and quite enjoyed the message you sent to @problematicwelshman​, and I found it all very interesting, just as I do this. So I appreciate you writing in to share some more info with me! I love that you have this firsthand experience of Michael and have gotten to see him in the weeks leading up to the opening of Amadeus.

I think we’ve always known that Michael takes the weight of any production he is in on his shoulders, and I am sure that is especially the case here, where he is in the leading role. So to then have two small children and AL in tow on top of all that must undoubtedly be exhausting, and as you said, it would make sense for her family to fly in from Sweden to give her a break (at the very least, to attend the official opening night of the play after the previews, which seemed to be last night, rather than on the 27th). 

It’s also fascinating to hear about his interactions with Co-star Lily (who I am going to call such to distinguish her from his daughter Lily). I think we know that Michael has had a tendency to engage in dalliances with his co-stars (Lizzy Caplan and Caitlin Fitzgerald from MoS and Rachel McAdams in particular come to mind. David is a whole other separate case...). And Michael being magnetic and having a level of charm that just naturally draws others to him is not at all surprising, nor is the thought that CS Lily might have become enamored with him.

What’s interesting to me is his deliberateness in being careful around her. I can certainly understand the reason why, with him very publicly being there with his family (by “very publicly” I mean it being mentioned or noted in multiple interviews with the Australian media, all of which felt like deliberate PR). But it seems like just having another woman look his way makes Michael uncomfortable, or possibly afraid that whatever arrangement he and AL have in place will go to hell if he’s even slightly suspected of cheating. If that is the case, I find that a very strange and sad way to live, being in a relationship that seems to be so greatly lacking in any kind of trust.

I had hoped that if AL made a post regarding opening night, it would shed some more light on the strangeness of recent events. But what she posted did not do so, and managed to make things even weirder than before. AL seems to have used opening night to promote herself, as the caption barely mentions Michael (not even by name) or the play, and the pictures are of her posing with the poster of him the way a fan would. There is also not a single picture of them together. (Yet interestingly, they did take a picture when they went to see David’s play Good in October...)

As you said, it seems like Michael and AL are living separate lives together (which I also alluded to in this post) while in Australia. I completely understand the exhaustion of taking care of two little ones while Michael is working and that that is most likely why her family flew in, but the blanks you’ve filled in regarding CS Lily add to an already complicated/strange picture.

Thinking about AL’s caption on Insta, I feel like it was really her trying to seem “deep” and like she knows anything about the play/opera, but in reality, I don’t see her as much of a classical music aficionado, and I have a feeling she found the play boring. You mentioned CS Lily being his confidante while away from home and I could see that, too. AL is his actual girlfriend--not to mention an actress herself (supposedly)--but he apparently needs respite from her and seemingly can’t talk to her about anything, least of all this role and his preparations for this play which has consumed his life for the past month. I one hundred percent believe Michael has been talking to David on WhatsApp or Zoom, but he seems like the kind of person who needs someone to talk to in person as well, to feel their energy and body language in the room with him. It’s very likely, then, that CS Lily has become that.

I also appreciate the tea on the kisses between Michael and CS Lily, because no doubt that has created some tension/attraction (which I think is natural and a normal part of a performance, because you need that to effectively convey the emotion of the scene). But kissing someone for a few takes on a TV or film set is different from kissing someone every night on stage for a month straight, so who knows if that’s been part of the conversations he and CS Lily have had (or part of why AL has seemingly distanced herself from Michael since they arrived in Oz).

So yes, those are my thoughts on the whole situation. I think it will be interesting to see what unfolds as the run of the play continues (and after it ends later in January and they go back to the UK, for that matter). I guess we’ll see what happens...

[acaseforpencils]

Victoria Roberts Talks about Animation.

Today's interview on Case is a little bit different—I had been seeing Victoria's lovely animations on Instagram, and asked her if she might be interested in talking about them on here. She kindly obliged, so I sent her a loose list of questions to consider, and she sent me back such an incredible rumination on her experiences that I replied back to her "This is so cool! You are so cool!" because though I was expecting something incredible (Victoria being Victoria after all!), it wouldn't be dramatic for me say that I was thunderstruck! Anyways, I hope you all enjoy reading what she has to say as much as I did! —Jane

Find this print here!

On Animation

I’m so fortunate to be working on what I love.

It’s been a long haul in a way. I came to New York City from Sydney, Australia, because I wanted to run away with the Wooster Group-that is, do theatre. Or film. I was already a cartoonist, and I became one under contract to The New Yorker, an enormous privilege, thirty odd years ago.

But since last month, thanks to a software named Callipeg, I make an animated short every week, for which I do the voices, called “Axolotl Mondays.” Finally, I’m in the movies!

To be a performer and tell stories, or at least vignettes, is my passion. At nineteen, with $5000 from the Creative Development Fund of The Australia Council, we made “Goodbye Sally Goldstein”, a five minute animated film. I had three collaborators:

Rob Rogers, composer and musician, Kathryn Pentecost, and Jacqueline Field who drew and painted. From the sound recording, inking and painting, to the shoot, it took six months to complete. My favourite task in all of this was doing the sound breakdown, which consisted of manually running the soundtrack tape through a reader (not sure what the device was called) and jotting down the length of each sound so that you could animate to the soundtrack.

David Deneen founder of Film Graphics was my inspiration and coach. What I knew about animation came from time spent over the school holidays in his studio thanks to my mum, who worked in advertising and got me the gig. They were making an animated ad for Witchy Brew, an ice cream, and I remember they said it wasn’t until they boiled spaghetti that they got the right sound for the witch’s cauldron. 

Every animator had a different style, and each animator’s desk, covered in drawings, felt like a different universe. Val Udowenko and Don Mackinnon were stars in this creative shop that went on to win the Academy Award for Bruce Petty’s “Leisure” in 1976, Best Short Film. To watch David Deneen solve a problem from idea, to script, to film, was my university. 

I left school at sixteen and got a job painting cels for Hannah Barbera. The studio was run by Zoran Janjic, and his mum Zora, ran the painting department. Her “quiet girls please!” in a rich Yugoslavian accent resounded often. It was a big studio.

Sometimes we were on a network deadline so tight that Bill Hannah came to Sydney. We were paid per painted cel, working overtime, and we would try to get scenes with many mouths, as lips were very quick to paint. We stayed in over lunchtime and Mr. Hannah ordered in for us, fried chicken and coleslaw. “Would anybody like more slaw?” he offered, and the painting department cracked up at his American pronounciation of “slaaaaaaaaaaw.”

Again I had the good fortune to hear the soundtrack for a series called “Wait ‘til Your Father Comes Home,” an animated sitcom. I loved the soundtracks, and again remember the sound more than the drawings, and longed to be a creator of some sort.

Some characters come to the world with more dialogue than others. A cartoon strip though roomier than a gag cartoon with a drawing and one line of dialogue, isn’t enough space still for some characters like Nona Appleby, an Australian octogenarian character I have drawn since I was 16. Finally I started to play her on stage, and that gave Nona the opportunity to say everything that is in her heart (it’s a lot!). I maintain that I am a vessel, and the characters do all of the work. 

“Axolotl Mondays” is mid-step between the page and theatre. There is the element of time in a video, which is delicate and wonderful. A friend gave me gift of a six week editing course at MEWSHOP in New York City, which gave me a very good base for cutting and thinking about time. We learned at one of their lectures that “Annie Hall” started out as a film with a stream of consciousness dialogue, but that Diane Keaton’s performances were so extraordinary that it became another film in the editing room. I mention this to underline the malleability, possibility and difficulty of film.

These videos start out with a soundtrack usually, but I learn something new each week about how movement and time on screen works. My animation style is very basic, which fortunately suits my drawing style. It’s detail and timing, and other possibilities which I am learning about that make a piece “sing.” As with most of my work, I rarely know what I am doing. It’s the mystery, the discovery, that keep me on board. 

Callipeg is like having an old-style animation studio at your fingertips. Everything is done on the iPad. It’s so much faster than paper and cels, and cameras-and so accessible. Really a beautiful software, plus the creator’s tutorials are delivered in a native French accent!

Instagram Links:

Kathryn Pentecost is at BohemianPalaceof Art

Rob Rogers is rogers_bob

Jacqueline Field

Don Mackinnon

———-

If you enjoy this blog, and would like to contribute to labor and maintenance costs, there is a Patreon, and if you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee, there is a Ko-Fi  account as well! I do this blog for free because accessible arts education is important to me, and your support helps a lot! You can also find more posts about art supplies on Case’s Instagram and Twitter! Thank you!

[nine-of-words]

Lunar Conjunction (August)

M Cambion x M Werewolf Reader

Wordcount: 5929

Content Warnings: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex (Reader Tops), Knotting, Transformation, Scars, Eye Injury (Old), Prosthetic Hand

Sheesh, these characters have existed in one form or another for more than a literal decade now. I wrote this as an anniversary present for Mason last year, so it’s full mushy - but it seems fitting for these two to be the first ones I post here.

One day I’ll make the unfinished project they originated from, but it’s unlikely that it’ll be anytime soon. I just can't resist revisiting my dearly beloved gay immortal steampunk werewolves every so often.

Looking out at the empty planetarium is almost eerie, with how devoid of other signs of life it is in the otherwise populated museum housing it. 

Though, it’s made less unsettling knowing it is only this empty because you've bought out every other ticket for the rest of the evening. Normally you would avoid such a flagrant, wasteful show of your wealth, but in this case, you only had your beloved's happiness in mind.

After a full day of city sightseeing, you wanted to ensure he would be relaxed enough to truly be able to focus on this experience - to really drink it in. Something that simply wouldn’t have been possible for someone of his disposition in a theatre packed full of people.

…And, perhaps a bit selfishly, you wanted to have the privacy to watch his reaction to something this precious, completely unimpeded by the presence of random strangers.

"Oh, what a grand room this is…" August wanders down the aisle between rows of seats ahead of you, looking around at the open space in the middle when he arrives there. “Some sort of theatre?”

True to his inquisitive nature, he’s been trying to piece together what you’ve had planned since you mentioned you had a specific activity scheduled this evening, whereas the itinerary has been loose for the rest of the day.

"Very spacious in the middle. If it weren’t for the seats, it almost resembles a ballroom…" His voice trails off with a hint of suspicion as he glances back at you.

“Do not fret," You chuckle. "I would not dream of asking you to ballroom dance again."

"I would hope not, not after last time." He turns to face you and his eyes glint mischievously before his expression softens. "Though, I don't think I would decline, when it's just the two of us to ourselves like this…"

Reassured he won't have to stumble through stiff and jerky ballroom dancing, August defaults to what he does best.

"So, not a ballroom, not an average theatre as it lacks a stage… I would think it must be some sort of playhouse, but there is no stage."

"No, neither of those. Though it is technically a sort of theatre."

“Hmm… And for what function would the floor be made of glass, exactly?” He strokes his chin in thought, the way he often does when he’s deep in analysis, his hooves making light clicks against the surface as he wanders. “It seems a strange choice for purely aesthetic reasons…”

“You will see very shortly.” You say, stealing a glance from the pocketwatch in your breast pocket.

Right on time.

As if checking urged the minute hand to finally lurch forward, the overhead lights click off in unison.

Spooked at the sudden darkness, August reaches for your hand, slightly hesitantly in his lack of vision, whispering your name softly for reassurance.

"Everything is okay. The darkness is part of the experience." You give his hand a squeeze.

"O-oho- You haven't brought me here for anything untoward, have you?"

"Hmh. No, though now that you have put the thought in my head, it sounds like an excellent plan for a later date."

Before he can make the playful response you are anticipating, the ethereal, electronic music starts filling the room, signaling the start of the presentation.

Typically during shows like this, there is an announcer reading off a script of helpful information about the cosmos. You had suggested they take an extended break when you unofficially reserved the planetarium for the time slot. 

You're sure they're skilled in their own right, but August could surely run circles around them, just based on the limitless time he now has to devote to his precious interests. Moreover, you knew that the majority of August's enjoyment of this would be bubbling over with information to share with you.

The glass wall wakes up from its dormant, translucent state, now shifting between deep,velvety dark blues and cold violets. Astronomical bodies of various sizes dot the space- Stars, planets, comets - a reflection of all of Hearth's cosmos moving in a slow arc around you, spinning gently on an axis as it does around the actual planet, impossibly far above you.

“Oh…!”

The reflected light of a shimmering asterism passes over his face as he looks up in awe, making his golden eyes almost sparkle like stars themselves in the night against the indigo-hued shadow of the theatre.

“Beautiful, isn’t it? It is called a planetarium."

"Planetarium, planetarium…" August repeats, committing the word to memory. "I- I've never seen a place quite like this before... It is almost beyond comprehension, just how glorious it is. It's like an orrery, but an illusion across the entire room?"

"An interesting comparison. I suppose it is simply a large, intangible orrery - at least in principle."

"But however does it work? It must be magical in nature, surely!"

"Thread-based illusion, cast upon a Ley grid within the glass."

"How marvelous!" August gushes. "I never would've thought to apply Thread to Ley in such a manner… But now I have quite a few experiments to try when we get home, hah-"

He looks down for a moment to cradle his chin in thought, then recoils.

"Ah-!" August yelps in astonishment, seeing that the projection extends over the glass surface of the floor as well, producing a weightless effect. "That's why the floor is made of glass!"

His hand clutches your arm for stability. Even with your firm constitution, the illusion is tricking your body into feeling the sensation of floating weightless, out in space - or at least, what it might feel like, so you’re sure it’s having a similar effect on him. You place a supportive hand on the small of his back, in case the sudden impression of free floating makes him unbalanced.

Soon, your protective hold has let August relax, and he’s become completely enthralled 

“There’s the Elven Diadems, northern and southern; and there’s Rowena seated on her throne, then the Chained Prophetess is over there…”

His eyes sweep the artificial sky, looking for something specific.

“Ah, there they are. The Warg and the Hunter’s Hound.”

“One of your personal favorites, if I recall.” Your hand squeezes the dip of his side affectionately.

“Yes. They were my favorites before as well, but now they seem to have a lot more of a meaning, coincidentally…” He chuckles, leaning into your touch. “Oh, look at that!-”

You continue listening to him gush about the various heavenly bodies for quite a while, completely smitten by his passion for the subject, as you always are. 

Eventually, his voice grows hushed, his commentary spacing out until eventually you’re watching in silence. After a while just taking in the splendid view together, you realize that the end of your allotted time is drawing near.

“It will be time to depart, soon.”

He blinks, seemingly startled out of his awe-struck trance by the deep timbre of your voice. He’s had the tendency to falter at loud, booming voices for as long as you’ve known him, and while you’ve made a lot of effort to soften your voice over time, the ingrained projection needed for your orders to be heard over the tumult of battle is hard to fully tamp down, even after all this time not needing to use it.

“Have you enjoyed it?”

“I… I have. Everything that you’ve shown me today has been so new and bright and… simply stunning… I’ve had a wonderful time.”

He is being genuine in his appreciation, but even the small mask of a smile can't hide the streak of melancholy in him - not from you.

"What is vexing you?"

“It’s just… It’s all a bit…”

His voice wavers slightly before his thought fades into nothing.You patiently wait for him to continue, but when he struggles to find his words, you offer the next word for him.

“Overwhelming?”

He nods in affirmation, looking more guilty than anything else as a set of tears streak down his cheeks, brows furrowed and soft lips pouting.

“Take a deep breath, and then another.” You direct, and he complies. You use a calloused hand to wipe away his tears, then graze over the golden smattering of freckles on his cheek, then finally to gently tuck a strand of loose golden hair behind one of his gracefully pointed ears.  “Good. Now, tell me what is haunting that lovely mind of yours.”

“I could have gone my whole life without ever encountering something of this nature if even the slightest thing had been different. How many other precious things are out there that I’m completely unaware of? That I’ll never discover- That I don’t even know exist to look for? Let alone things that are truly unknowable to us in the first place… Must I always be in the dark about something or another? It… It’s a terrible, hungry thought.” 

You wrap your arms protectively around him and draw a hand across his back in soothing strokes.

Living one’s entire life on Rowena Isle was as an insulating experience for him as it was for you, after all. The culture shock when you started to learn what the rest of the world beyond the sea had to offer was a truly harrowing experience, so of course it would be for him, as well…

“My apologies, beloved. I did not consider how taxing all of these new experiences at once would be for your psyche. I should not have rushed the process.”

“N-No, you needn’t apologize! You've done nothing but try to share something very special with me, and I am truly thankful.” August sputters, his hands finding the fabric of your shirt and clutching close to you for comfort. His bright eyes turn up to gaze at you once again, still glassy with emotion but at least no longer spilling with tears. “Everything you've shown me on this trip has been so amazing! I don't regret it at all, even if I was uncomfortable at times. I’m simply… not expressing myself well, is all…”

“Still, perhaps it would have been more wise to introduce them to you at a slower pace. It was never meant to bring you to tears; at least no ones of sorrow.”

“It is… not a bad sorrow.”

You allow him the time to gather his thoughts, holding him secure in your arms.

“It’s true that it’s all new and… and the ramifications are so frightening to me, and yet… There is something about that which is so absolutely marvelous.”

The familiar spark of curiosity is clear in his voice once more.

“Oh, is it?” You realize you haven't given your lover enough credit. 

He may be of a gentle and timid disposition, but he is by no means a fragile soul, and he's proven that to you time and again. To be that stunned by something so foreign and immediately bounce back with renewed interest and vigor - that is the August that you know.

“Yes. For the longest time I thought the stars were completely out of reach to someone like me, and yet- in this room someone has managed to capture their very essence and hang them on the walls.” He lets out a shuddering sigh that morphs into a bewildered laugh. “I am a small speck in this dark endless sky, but it means there will never be a shortage of new, bright things to come to know- to grow to love.”

"You undervalue yourself. You are worth every star in the sky to me."

“Whether I am worthy or not is… debatable. More importantly, though I am small, I am not alone.” He says, voice barely louder than a breath, and his slender, soft fingers graze up the sides of your face, affection clear in his touch. "You are here with me."

“That I am. There is no place I would rather be.”

“It’s such a shame it was a short visit.” August sighs again, this one much lighter, as he hugs you tightly. “I think I could stay here in the dark with you for days on end.”

You can’t help but feel validated that your idea to bring him here was so successful in the end.

“I will build you one at home, if you would so like.” You whisper into his ear.

He looks up at you and his eyes grow wide - they might as well be twinkling in reverence.

You feel his body press flush against your solid trunk, guiding your head downward with his gentle hands at the back of your neck, to press loving kisses to your lips.

“I will take this as a glowing endorsement.” You chuckle low between each peck.

Clearly swept up in the emotion, it doesn’t take long for the kisses to deepen, his fingernails lightly digging into your neck. He groans a soft, sweet noise of desire against your mouth.

It takes all of your self control to not sweep him off his feet and start groping him right here. He seems to be thinking much the same, the way he’s rubbing his torso against yours.

He says your name, the quirk of a naughty smile on his face.

“You know I only have one thing to offer you in return.” Signs of lust creep into his excited expression, his desperate grip, his breathless voice; but most of all, the thick, pheromonal scent hitting your nose. “Will you have it?

“I would take you right here, if I were a more reckless man.” You growl deeply, feeling the words rumble out from your chest. “But the evening grows short, my love; The moon is almost seated in her throne. We’ll need to get back to the hotel first, lest some poor museum worker get the shock of their life.”

“Hhm-” August huffs an affirmative laugh against your lips.

Luckily, you had the foresight to book a hotel only a brisk walk away. The nagging pull of the nearly risen full moon is still able to be squashed down - you've been doing this a very long time, after all. So, despite your skin itching and muscles straining, you're at least able to keep yourself restrained - for now.

You're barely inside the privacy of your hotel room until your mouth has found his, and your hands have found his body, creeping up under his buttoned shirt to feel the soft skin of his sides. Your fingers clench against his flesh, threatening to elongate into savage claws.

Neither of you bothers with flipping the light switch; not only is it not needed given the fact that you both have the ability to see in darkness, but because the room you booked has a glass ceiling designed for stargazing, letting more than enough late dusky light into the room to see what you’re doing. The convenient view of the night sky was a major contributing factor in your decision, and it provides more than enough lighting for this.

"Mmn." August hums in appreciation of the pressure in your grip and places both of his palms on your chest, feeling your hard muscle through the knit of the sweater you wear. 

Those dexterous hands of his move to the hem and pull it up, a lilt of amusement in his voice against your lips as he continues. 

"Firstly- I enjoy the look of this sweater on you far too much to see it torn to shreds."

You pull the garment up over your head, tossing it to the nearby wardrobe. August shifts his hands’ attention to unfastening the shell buttons on the crisp white shirt underneath.

As soon as he's gotten your shirt open, he lets out a pleased sigh, lovingly appreciating the carved lines of your chest and torso with his hands. He traces his fingers along scars old and relatively new, causing your nerves to prickle from the dulled, numb sensation of the various pinkened streaks on your flesh. The sensation clashes loudly with how eager your skin is to change, itching to sprout fur.

"And we can't forget this." August's hands raise to the sides of your face, gently hooking under the strap of your eyepatch and smoothly raising it off your face. He tosses it onto the wardrobe with your sweater. Fingers gently touch the scars around your ruined eye as well, softly kissing your cheekbone, before trailing down your jawline to your mouth, slowly speaking how much he adores you through tender action. 

His tongue sweeps yours and you feel his attention shift to unbuttoning your trousers. Even the graze of indirect pressure on your groin is almost unbearable, every nerve ending in the area lit up and overly sensitive. Before he can fully unfasten the fly, you interrupt him.

"Undress." You break the kiss and command with a growl, through quickly sharpening teeth. You release your hold on him to allow him to do so. "I do not trust they will stay whole if the task is left to me."

August says nothing in response but moves out of your grasp, towards the bed, turning to face you when he gets there. He smiles coyly, unbuttoning his own shirt now, much more leisurely than he had yours. You watch with intense interest as more of his bronze skin is gradually revealed, barely keeping yourself together. The cold light from above glints off the metal ring of the collar on his neck.

He lets the dress shirt slip from his shoulders and fall to the floor, then continues working at the many buttons of his well-tailored, high-waisted trousers. 

You're barely hanging on as you watch - between the pull of the imminently rising moon and the strong sense of desire for your partner pooling in your core.

After a torturously extended period undoing them, they crumple in a pool at August's hooves, along with what's left of your composure when you take in the sight of him, completely bare save for the collar around his neck and the strappy black underwear he's wearing. He looks at you expectantly and beckons you with a flick of his finger, a bulge of arousal clear through the minimal fabric left covering him.

You stalk forward, not yet creeping on all fours, but certainly more predatory in stance than is the norm for your normally immaculate posture. You seize him by the hips and forcibly move him backwards onto the bed. You stand at the foot of it, looming over him.

August lets out a huff of air from the impact, but it's quickly replaced by small noises of pleasure as you lean over to kiss and drag your teeth down his chest, down to his soft stomach and along his cut line. You grip the back of his legs possessively and press his flesh harder against your mouth - hard enough to leave marks, but not nearly hard enough to break his skin.

Your teeth snag on one of the straps at his leg, and you rend it in two, the stretchy fabric retracting with a snap against the soft fat of his thigh, causing August to yelp. The noise incites you further, and you completely obliterate the remainder of the garment without a second thought, fiercely ripping it from his body, the sound of tearing fabric making your skin tingle and pupils constrict. He’s rendered nude, nothing left providing him any cover save for the shapely, warm gold ombre of fuzz framing his cock and thighs.

“C-Careful.” August breathes, more of a feeble request than a command as he looks warily down his torso at you, the threat of your pointed teeth dangerously close to his delicate, now very exposed dick. Given its engorged state and the needy, familiar expression of excitement on his face, you take the statement as a friendly reminder more than one of true concern.

You draw yourself up, pulling one of August’s legs up with you with ease, hooking his calf over your well-built shoulder. He’s held aloft, his upper back and forearms the only points of contact with the bed. His loose golden hair tumbles downward around his face, pulled by gravity.

With his leg secured in your thick palm and the weight of his body stable, you rummage through the pocket of your trousers until your hand finds a familiar glass vial. 

One of the unexpected benefits of having so many magically-inflicted scars is the salve you use on them to reduce the lingering pain of mana burn also doubles as an excellent personal lubricant - it differs slightly from the silky, floral scented formula you typically use in the bedroom that August is so fond of, but it’s far from the first time you’ve used this as a replacement in a pinch, and it’s not drawn any complaints so far.

After popping the top off the vial, you smear the oily substance onto the cold metal of your prosthetic hand. You don’t use it for this every time, but it keeps things interesting when you do; moreover, with your state as it is, you feel it’s the safer option to avoid any unfortunate slips of your restraint that would result in a sharp claw in such a critically vulnerable area.

August helpfully opens his unsecured leg wider, watching you prep your hand in obvious want. Once you’ve sufficiently slickened your fingers, you recork the vial and toss it aside.

You take an indulgent moment to tease your finger at the base of his spaded tail, relishing in the small noises of mixed pleasure and ticklishness he makes, and the way his body squirms at the sensation. Then, two smooth, slick metal fingertips easily sink into his entrance, drawing a gasp from him. You can feel the tremor run down his body through his legs from the sudden shock of the unwarmed metal. 

“Yes-” He sighs in appreciation and presses back against your encroaching touch as best he can despite his awkward positioning, immediately seeking more.

You draw your fingers out and press them back in, getting deeper with each repetition. Working him open, you spread them apart and swivel them, set on touching every little space of his inner walls.

It only takes a bit of stroking and stretching his insides for him to be relaxed and whining in need, likely due to the sheer amount of training you've done with him over time. 

He groans pitifully, wriggling his hips to try and get your now thoroughly warmed fingers even deeper, to no avail. Knowing him, if he had any ounce of leverage in this situation he’d be trying to climb on top to ride you by now. 

Instead, he whimpers and resigns himself to his fate, wrapping the hand that’s not stabilizing himself on the bed around his cock and beginning to stroke himself.

"Oh, is that how it is? We have just barely gotten started." You huff, critical. "You are in for a very long night if you cum this early, August."

"Nnh-" He trembles at hearing his actual name from your lips and looks up at you with pleading, glassy eyes, his breathing already to the point of panting. Precum dribbles down onto his stomach. "It'll be- Mmngh- be a long night either way…"

“Just look at you. Greedy.” You chide in a low growl and press a particularly hard prod against the fleshy bulb inside of him. “Absolutely lecherous, as is usual.”

“Mmhm-” After an open-mouthed, full body shudder, he smiles, complicit and smug, and bucks his hips forward into his hand. "I think- ahh- you quite enjoy it."

His adorable ears flick, turning more canine as his arousal heightens. It becomes difficult for him to resist shifting form in response to strong emotions, rather than him being bound to the pull of every full moon, as you are. Despite this, he's never been the best at practicing self-restraint…

“Indeed,” A smirk forms on your own face, as a lustful groan builds in your chest, watching the sight of him pleasuring himself while your fingers plunge inside of him with the same goal. “You must truly want a planetarium all to yourself.”

Your words are just barely intelligible at this point as your grasp of speech unwinds. It’s usually the last thing to go, and given the full claws on your hand now digging into the flesh of August’s leg and the restlessness coiled in your body ready to snap- the itching, burning rippling through your veins, up to the surface of your skin - your full change could happen at literally any moment, now.

“I do- I want everything you have to give!” He cries needily, his now pronounced fangs a flash white between his dampened lips. ”Give me everything!” 

You make an affirmative noise somewhere between a grunt and a growl, in place of what would normally be a ‘Very well’ from you.

You pull out your fingers, making August whimper weakly in protest, and hastily push aside your already partially removed trousers and the soft fabric beneath, freeing the heavy girth that’s been straining against its confinement since you set foot back in private.

Once your hips align with your target, you push your cock inside of his prepared hole - he does deserve it, after all.

“Uungh!” August groans loudly in pleasure at your intrusion stretching him, letting his full voice out. He’s come a long way from the timid, excessively shy person that wouldn’t make so much as a peep the first time you had sex. “Nnngh-”

 You cradle the arch of his spine, firmly keeping up the leverage taut as you begin to pump inside of him. As soon as you start a modest rhythm, his hand completely forgets its task - both of his palms move to the bed at his sides, balling fists in the sheets. 

Painted nails lengthen into a long pair of glossy claws of his own. You can hear the sound of tearing fabric where they pierce the mattress.

It’s difficult to start slow. He’s so soft and welcoming, and warmer by the second. His ass pulls you in as much as you’re pushing into it. The pressure of his walls is sublime, squeezing tighter around you every time he clenches - a small pocket of personal hellfire.

Wisps of blue have cropped up in the darkness, casting ghostly, flickering cold light below. 

“S-Spirits, that’s so good!” He moans, his brow knit in effort, and sweat starts to visibly bead on his forehead. His voice echoes slightly now, in the ethereal way it does when his demonic nature asserts itself. “More, more!”

Appeasing his request, you pick up the pace and force of your thrusts, increasing in intensity until the wet sound of your flesh slapping against his pervades the room. 

Your senses are so heightened from being close to your change that you can feel every minute sensation in a concentrated manner. The way he feels, the sounds, the sight of him, his thick, pheromone laden smell, the consuming heat of his body- The rising level of your excitement is seemingly the last straw, pushing your restraint to finally snap.

You’re unable to resist the urge any longer, now being under the light of a risen full moon. Your body starts to transform in totality. The pain of the situation is mercifully lessened to nagging discomfort by just how many moons of this you’ve endured.

Silvery grey fur sprouts on the back of your hands first, then runs up the skin on your limbs before spreading out over your body, the itching finally assuaged. Your muscles swell and twist, your joints snapping from the pressure. Your spine extends into a full, bushy grey tail, and your ears stretch and raise, two furry, perked triangles. Your nose and mouth grows and splits into a fully lupine maw - long and full of razor sharp fangs, frothed slobber already dribbling from your pulled lips from being so worked up.  Your bulk nearly doubles as you reach your fully monstrous werewolf size - everywhere - shredded off what was left of your clothes that hadn’t managed to be disrobed.

You can feel the inside of August’s body tighten around your thickened, elongated cock, the organ filling him further to make room for its mass. You’re stopped from plunging to the hilt by the quickly swelling bundle of flesh at the base of your phallus. It grinds wet against the tense ring of muscle at August’s entrance.

“Aaangh- B-Big-!” August throws his head back, all attempts at eloquence abandoned as he grunts and gasps, trying to adjust to the sudden change in girth inside of him. His forked tongue hangs out of his parted mouth, the shock of blue complimenting his tan skin beautifully. “Al-Always S-So big- Mnngh!”

A growl escapes your chest through your bared newly minted fangs, so aroused and driven on by primal lust that you’re unable to slow your pace even slightly. Your clawed mitts grip him tighter, and your robust, furry quads thrust your throbbing cock into him harder and faster, as deep as the tighter fit and the sudden spherical flare will allow.

Your mechanical claw moves from the small of his back to the crook of his knee on his free leg and pushes upwards, spreading his legs open as far as possible, trying to facilitate cramming your knot inside him. 

After a few more ragged pumps into him, you can feel some progress. August’s hole stretches in small increments, taking more of the swollen bump bit by bit. Deep growls escape your throat with each savage thrust. 

With a particularly strong jerk of your hips, the resistance finally yields. Your fat, over-swollen knot pushes past the fleshy ring with a pop, quickly sucked up into August’s body.

“O-Oh- Nnngh-” 

You’ve barely been moving a few moments before your lover tenses below you and his hole contracts around you as hard as it can, preventing you from pulling out of him.

"Aa-anngh-!" August's body is wracked by tremors below you, his voice broken by intensity as he cries out, and his claws puncturing the bedding. He hits his peak fast, cum streaking out of the tip of his swollen head. 

Because of the steep angle you're holding him at, his spunk lands on his own face and hair, some even getting into his open mouth where his tongue lulls out. Given his dreamy, blissed out expression, and the frantic heaves of his chest, he doesn't seem to mind much at all.

He watches you with the same glazed, reverent expression, keeping himself clenched and you tied to him as you continue. You thrust ferociously with a primal lust, despite the lack of room to draw out. 

The tight squeeze feels divine - every slope of August’s inner walls bearing down and rubbing you in a sweet embrace. You chase down the building feeling of pressure in your lower spine, still growling low. Your movements become harried and wild, and finally, your balls tense up. The growls in your chest turn into a full blown snarl as you spout a fountain’s worth of cum inside of him, continuing the movement of your hips as you empty your load.

After the spasms subside, you use the increased amount of lubricant to draw yourself out of him, an overflow of your own seed filtering out in absence of your cock.

“Aaah-” August groans breathlessly, wincing at the lack of fullness as he holds his undoubtedly sore abdomen. “U-Uh?”

He lets out a noise of surprise as you use your grip on his knee to flip him over, shoving him farther up the bed, so that he’s chest down, on his knees- his round, perfect ass propped in the air.

“N-Not finished, huh?” He pants breathily, lust rising in his voice again. “Go ahead, use me as you see fit- Nngh-!”

He’s cut off as you grab his hips and sink your still rock hard cock into him to the hilt once more, the force knocking the air out of him.

You continue to wildly rut into him, filling him with more rounds of cum, then repeat several times over. You carry on long after he passes out and the gathered wisps have extinguished themselves, using his limp body for relief far into the wee hours of the morning. Eventually you fully exhaust yourself, and pull out of him one last time before collapsing to sleep beside him.

Some hours later, you wake to golden morning light beginning to filter in from the glass ceiling, a man once more in the warm rays of the sun. 

You sit up and roll one of your shoulders tentatively, your weary bones creaking with your movements. In your stirring, you notice your lover is also awake, watching you groggily from his position laying on his back next to you.

“How do you fare this morning?” Your brow knits in slight concern, always worried that despite him assuring you otherwise, that one day you will physically hurt him beyond repair. “Sore, I assume.”

“A little sore, yes. And quite sticky…” He laughs, noticing your look of concern and countering it with a loving smile of his own, reaching out to grab your hand. He places a light kiss onto your hardened knuckles. “Moreso hungry. Absolutely ravenous.”

“We shall have to fix that, then. I have a few places in mind for breakfast, but it seems whichever is the closest one is in order.” You shift your weight to rise out of the bed, when you feel his palm catch your forearm.

“Wait,” August says softly, pulling you back before you can leave the bed. “Lay with me a bit longer, if you would.”

“... Of course, my beloved.” You settle back against the headboard, shifting to hold him in your arms, his warm skin soft against yours. You could never fail to oblige him. “We can have something delivered, if you prefer.”

After sorting out the food order, a few minutes of tired quiet pass. August sighs a contented, thoughtful sigh, his body still limp and relaxed as he draws a hand slowly across the soft hair on your chest.

“Mmm, now, that is the sound you make when having a particularly poignant thought.“ A husky, affectionate chuckle rumbles in your chest. “Just what topic has you pondering this deeply so early, my dear?”

“Oh, nothing too philosophical, truly. Mulling over all the things I experienced on this trip.” He laughs lightly in response. “Everything is so new, but most of the things weren’t so different from those at home; just some minor permutation on the same idea. Even that beautiful glass room that holds the night sky - the planetarium - is still the same night sky I’ve seen while stargazing so many times before, just seen through a different lens.”

“That is true. Living long enough reveals that very few things are completely original. Especially when home is particularly stuck in its old ways… so much of the outside world has taken and improved upon what is there.”

“Yes. But how beautiful it is, that there is still a vast unknown that remains to be found in things that are so familiar, just by turning them in the light.” 

“You know,” You say and lay soft, venerative kisses on his face and neck, drawing a sweetly affectionate, drawn out hum from him. “Perhaps you should take up poetry - I think you are simply a natural.”

“Perhaps I will consider it…”

>> ✨ MASTERLIST >> ☕ KO-FI

[rndyounghowze]

Review 527: My Mama And The Full-Scale Invasion

Written By: Sasha Denisova

Directed By: Yury Urnov

Simulcast By: League of Livestream Theater

@wilmatheater tinyurl.com/Mama-Invasion-Tix

While sitting in The Wilma Theater to watch this beautiful play we got friendly with a wonderful couple sitting in the seats next to us. They talked about seeing a show in-person and then watching it on demand later. We told them that we had seen both an on-demand show at the Wilma and plenty in-person yet we had never gotten to see the same show done both ways. Then we saw our friends at the League Of Livestream Theater (LOLST) were going to be running a Simulcast of this show that very weekend. We decided that now was a great time to cross that item off of our critic bucket list.

photo credit Johanna Austin

It is worth mentioning that The Wilma Theater is dedicated to offering all of the shows in their season as a VOD option after the in-person shows have closed. This is how we found their particular brand of staging and fell in love with their art. We just knew that we had to see the kind of art that uses projections, and video, sound, and movement in-person. On-Demand video is not just about accessibility it’s a way to introduce broader audiences to Philadelphia style theatre.

The League of Livestream Theater shares the same mission except expanded to theater companies across the whole country and live as it’s happening. At the beginning of every live stream executive director Jim Augustine tells the audience about how the live performance will be “beamed” directly into your home as it is happening. We’ve said this in another review but they create streams so well done that they feel like they were “digitally native”like they were always meant to be seen on a screen. Yet now that they are streaming a show that we’ve seen in-person is our opinion any different?

Even though you lose the broadness of seeing the entire stage at one time the what you gaijn in exchange is a focus on more intimate moments giving us close ups of faces, and spotlighting the performers in new ways. Through the framing of the camera we are zeroed in on the performers. When you are forced to focus on what’s happening in the moment and not looking around at every part of the stage scenes start to resonate in a different way. You might hear all this and think that corners were cut, projections were lost, or that all the wonderful set and lighting design was sacrificed to put the performers front and center. That’s not the case. This is one of those times where “different but just as good” actually makes complete sense.

Yes it is true that we couldn’t see some of the projections because of the camera angles. Yet whenever that happened the titles would come up on the screen. If you had never seen the show in-person you wouldn’t even know what you were “missing”. In effect you’re not missing anything. The folks at LOLST are artists. Yet instead of making their own art their job is understanding the show, understanding artists that made it, and transposing that onto the screen live in front of an audience from all over the map.In fact, in the final scene where we meet the real Mama her face filled the entire screen and it was like we were talking to her ourselves.

It is very fitting that we had this experience watching a show created by a Ukrainian artist that found a theatrical tribe that rose to the occasion to translate her work and bring it to an audience in Washington DC and Philly and then talk about an organization that is in the same business. You can call them artistic translators. Very few of the creative teams of the shows that will make up the LOLST season are considering how their work will look on an LCD screen or through a camera lens. When they enter the rehearsal room they are thinking in terms of the theater seats and making sure all of the lines and actions will read all the way to the back row. This is where LOLST comes in. They share the same mission with everyone, this work should be seen all over the world. The folks behind the camera are just another set of artists on the team making sure that a new contingent of audiences fall in love with The Wilma Theatre just like we did.