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#Center Stage Theater
sapphorror · 10 months
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your-local-granny · 6 months
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Being critical of art is all fun and games until you are the art that is being critiqued :(
#God I was feeling so good today but duuuude I’m so scared abt the opera from purely a technical standpoint#like I’m not even stressed about fucking anything up anymore it just hit me that like. I invited people to see this and it might be bad :(#due to variables outside of my control!!!! I hate not being able to fix things#I would be less stressed if my mother wasn’t seeing it but tragically I’m proud of what /i/ am achieving so I really want her to be there!!#but I know it’s going to be SUCH a fucking let down after the other shows she’s seen at my school like#the productions she saw were SO GOOD on a technical standpoint and both of the productions this year were so bad :((((#like even conveptually I don’t even know if I’m fully convinced and I’m in the show!!!#And idk. It’s hard when you don’t have an extended family (or like much of a family at all)#so the only people coming to your show are like. Broadway technicians#the closest thing I have to an uncle is a lighting designer and a stage manager my mother knows#very fun sometimes. Other times I want to throw myself onto a pyre#Why do the stakes have to be so high why can’t they just be happy to support me :)) I shall never be the center of her world. Ah well#But also we would not be as close as we are without our shared love of theater production so. Catch-22#And at the end of the day I’m more sad that I can’t be proud of the show#it’s not anyone’s fault it just is and I need to be okay with it#I worked really hard and it matters that I’m doing this#GOD SORRY!!!#vent#portal of rambling
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Still slowly (VERY slowly 😭) making progress on replaying Fire Emblem Engage so I can get back to the point I was at before my save got deleted and continue my liveblog. As I’m doing that I decided it had been too long since I enjoyed an otome game so I have also been playing Jack Jeanne!
It’s funny when I first heard the news of Jack Jeanne being localized it actually didn’t catch my attention. But like a week ago I saw a random post about it praising it and then I looked it up and saw it was getting a TON of praise. I also looked up some non-spoilery art and info and thought the style looked gorgeous and liked the bits of story and gameplay I found. So I said fuck it and bought it like four days ago.
And WOW I am happy I did!!!!!
First off, the art in this game is BEAUTIFUL! Sui Ishida, the writer and artist for Tokyo Ghoul, is responsible not only for the gorgeous art and character designs but also did a bunch of other stuff for this game (even writing the lyrics for the songs which is incredible). Seriously the amount of time I spend just staring at CGs is nuts, they’re all so incredible whether they’re comedic or dramatic. The character designs are all so wonderful too and so expressive!
The music is so incredible too! The background tracks are great and fitting for the situations. So far I only just finished the Newcomers’ Performance so the only vocal songs I’ve heard so far are the main theme Jack & Jeanne of Quartz, and the two songs for The Sleepless King: Fortune Color is Crystal and Beyond the Plane Tree. Bruh….I never skip the main theme that’s how good it is. And it’s sung in character by the heroine and the six LIs. I went and bought the mp3 for it I’ve been obsessing over it that much. Fortune Color is Crystal was not what I expected considering the nature of the play it’s in but it’s so catchy! And holy fucking shit Beyond the Plane Tree is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard, the harmonies in it are so 😭😭😭😭 I’m playing this game blind (with a spoiler free guide) so I haven’t listened ahead to the other songs but I was so impressed by these three that not only did I buy the mp3 for the main theme I ordered the vocal collection since the other songs aren’t available for mp3 download.
The story is definitely interesting me so far. Like I said I’ve only just finished the Newcomers Performance so I’m not that far in the story but it managed to hook me in entirely despite the seemingly simple sounding premise of “heroine disguised herself as a boy to attend all boys academy”. I’m actually surprised by how many times so far I actually forgot our heroine is supposed to be in disguise 😂😂😂 Not because the game doesn’t use the premise properly but more because there’s so much shit going on!!! And it slowly introduces new characters and plot points so that I’m always eager to see what happens next. Especially in terms of the plays (oh yeah this takes place in a theater school sorry I forgot to bring that up)! With this first play I was excited to see who was cast in what roles, the plot of it, watching the rehearsals, and seeing it all come together in the end in spectacular fashion! I like the stat raising element, nothing complex or luck based about it so it’s not aggravating. I’m totally in love with the rhythm game aspect, though it means whenever we get to the actual plays I’m more focused on getting a top score than watching the video of the performance. But that’s what the gallery is for right? The interesting thing about this game from what I hear is that, unlike typical otome games, Jack Jeanne is like 80% common route. Like while you make choices that earn affection and can pick who you hang out with, the LI specific routes don’t come in until WAAAAAY later. I thought I would mind since I generally prefer more romance in my otome (sounds silly but people who play otome games probably understand what I mean) but so far I don’t care because the story is just that enjoyable (and it’s not like there’s no moments at all).
And then there’s the characters. I like when MCs are voiced and I’m especially glad Kisa is voiced since this is a story about theater. I really like her so far she’s sweet and a hard worker, I can’t wait to see how she grows as both an actor and a person! I love her standing up to Otori and doubling down on seeking assistance and working together during practice. And I love how sweet and bell-like her voice is! Suzu (to the surprise of no one because I’m Miss Predictable) is my fave. Sweetheart, earnest, energetic, puppy in human form? Yeah that’s a LI tailor made for Willow! I love how much he has already grown as an actor from how robotic he sounded when he first practiced his lines to his PHENOMENAL performance for his first time on stage in The Sleepless King (which by the way how did my boy Suzu not win any award for that performance?!?!?! This game is rigged😡). And bruh I nearly fucked up both rhythm game segments for the Newcomers Performance because of how blindsided I was by how beautiful his singing voice is (don’t know why I was so shocked I know his VA is incredible). Sou is so soft and sweet so far and I can already see some hints for where his story might go (possibly about him not standing out as much?). I like that he’s in the know about Kisa and I do love me some childhood friend romances! Mitsuki makes me laugh with his tsundereness but I love how compared to typical tsundere characters he’s more softspoken and doesn’t go heavy handed on it. Negi is so funny so far I really enjoy whenever he’s onscreen talking a mile a minute or causing his own little brand of chaos. Kai seems super kind and I love that he seems like an animal expert, I wanna know more about him. And Fumi is just super cool to me, his design to his voice to his personality. I really love this Quartz squad, they’re so lovable and have such enjoyable dynamics with each other! Regarding side characters I’m only just beginning to know some, and I know there are a ton I have yet to meet, but I really like the ones I’ve met so far. They’re either kind, funny, a mix of both, or have yet to really display any trait that makes me feel one way or another. The only side character I have strong feelings towards as of where I am now in the game is Otori. And even then I find him enjoyably annoying. He’s talented and knows it, but he’s also an annoying dick and I enjoy proving him wrong. Also he’s hilarious without ever meaning to be, which keeps me from being too annoyed at him.
Anyways yeah that’s my ramble about Jack Jeanne so far! There’s probably a ton I missed or forgot but I just wanted to gush for a moment about this great game! I’m having so much fun so far and can’t wait to see what the rest of the game is gonna bring. I’m at the very start of June so it’s the Summer Performance next!
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strazcenter · 2 years
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Raise Your Glass and Welcome the New Year Right
Raise Your Glass and Welcome the New Year Right #fromtheblog
Countless venues, parties and events scheduled for the evening of Dec. 31 will insist that theirs is “the place to be” this New Year’s Eve. It’s all wishful thinking, no matter how much elaborate planning has gone into them. Way too many variables when humans are involved. Besides, one person’s THE place to be is another person’s existentialist “No Exit” hell. There’s no pleasing…
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blairveith · 2 years
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Week 2.
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glacialswordsman · 1 month
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ᴛᴀɢ ᴅᴜᴍᴘ 𝟏 / ?
☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ behind the scenes. ⊰ ooc ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ on stage. ⊰ ic ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ beneath the mask. ⊰ headcanons ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ fanmail. ⊰ answered asks ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ pass the script. ⊰ ask prompt ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ shine the spotlight. ⊰ promo ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ intermission. ⊰ queue ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ character study. ⊰ musings ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ afterpiece. ⊰ dash games ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ between engagements. ⊰ dash commentary ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ break character. ⊰ crack ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ center of interest. ⊰ self-promo ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ cinematography. ⊰ video ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ artistic director. ⊰ my art ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ expository scene. ⊰ closed starter ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ curtain time. ⊰ thread ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ curtain call. ⊰ thread end ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ death at the box office. ⊰ dni ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ dramaturgy. ⊰ aesthetic ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ encore. ⊰ music ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ aesthetic distance. ⊰ wip ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ mise-en-scène. ⊰ art ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ improvisation. ⊰ open starter ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ melpomene. ⊰ introspection ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ dressing room. ⊰ visage ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ soliloquy. ⊰ one-shot ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ public address system. ⊰ psa ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ theater program. ⊰ pinned ⊱ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ slapstick. ⊰ meme ⊱
#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ behind the scenes. ⊰ ooc ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ on stage. ⊰ ic ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ beneath the mask. ⊰ headcanons ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ fanmail. ⊰ answered asks ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ pass the script. ⊰ ask prompt ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ shine the spotlight. ⊰ promo ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ intermission. ⊰ queue ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ character study. ⊰ musings ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ afterpiece. ⊰ dash games ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ between engagements. ⊰ dash commentary ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ break character. ⊰ crack ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ center of interest. ⊰ self promo ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ cinematography. ⊰ video ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ artistic director. ⊰ my art ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ expository scene. ⊰ closed starter ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ curtain time. ⊰ thread ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ curtain call. ⊰ thread end ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ death at the box office. ⊰ dni ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ dramaturgy. ⊰ aesthetic ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ encore. ⊰ music ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ aesthetic distance. ⊰ wip ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ mise en scène. ⊰ art ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ improvisation. ⊰ open starter ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ melpomene. ⊰ introspection ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ dressing room. ⊰ visage ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ soliloquy. ⊰ one-shot ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ public address system. ⊰ psa ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ theater program. ⊰ pinned ⊱#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ⸺ slapstick. ⊰ meme ⊱
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o-the-mts · 8 months
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Ghost light, Wang Center for the Performing Arts, Boston.
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sonnyjohnson · 17 days
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RIP James Earl Jones an EGOT Winner an Iconic actor and voice of Mufasa and Darth Vader
January 17, 1931-September 9, 2024
"One of America's most distinguished and versatile actors” for his performances on stage and screen. Mr Jones has also been recognized as "one of the greatest actors in American history" He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1985. “He was honored with the National Medal of Arts in 1992, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2002, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2009 and the Honorary Academy Award in 2011”
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thenoticeblog · 1 year
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Willow: House of Griots | Friday, June 2nd @ 8:30pm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: [email protected]  | More Info: thenoticeblog.com/willow
The Notice Blog presents
Willow: House of Griots
a Live Stage Reading of an Afrofuturistic  Thriller "Willow" at HERE Mainstage 
NEW YORK, NY- The Notice Blog, (aka The Notice Foundation) an award-winning NYC-based production company is presenting a live stage reading of "Willow", an Afrofuturistic time-traveling thriller by Emmy Award Winning Producer, Paul A. Notice II at: 
Willow: House of Griots Friday, June 2nd @ 8:30pm Here Arts Center | 145 6th Ave, New York, NY Doors open at 8:00pm.   Buy Tickets here 
CAST
Ashley Noel Jones .......................... Willow David J. Cork …................................ Chegge Kelly Thomas .................................. Vanessa Cameisha Cotton ............................ Diane *Suzanne Darrell ............................ Janet Capri *Kirrin Tubo .............................…...... Taina   D. Malik Beckford ............................ Kalief Diallo *James Edward Becton III ............... HNIC Glenn Quentin George ................….. Cece Paul A. Notice II ............................... Marc Aware 
*These Actors are appearing courtesy of Actors' Equity Association
"Willow: House of Griots" is an Afrofuturist, Anti Capitalist, Womanist Horror Film set in the alternate reality of “Moja One,” where a successful 1811 German Coast Slave Revolt leads to a multi-ethnic near-utopia, outlawing White Supremacy and most systemic instruments it uses. However, in this reality, consuming others grants one electrical power, regenerative healing, and the memories of their victim - a metaphor that viscerally reveals capitalism’s inherent violence, and toxic allure. Desperate to pay rent, or risk being eaten alive, Willow, a brooding elected observer of alt worlds & timelines, better known as a Griot, navigates her way to Power.
""Willow" is my practice in radical filmmaking: meant to push the Overton Window to the Progressive Left, root it in Queer, Womanist history, and wrap it in thick, unflinching Blackness. I want people to see this and think to themselves, “Why not?” Why not dream of true liberation?  Or maybe even, “What is True Liberation?”"  -- Executive Producer & Writer Paul A. Notice II
Buy Your Tickets TODAY at: bit.ly/willowstagereading
Support Us!
"Willow" is funded by The Notice Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that produces and supports BIPOC, Queer, Immigrant, and Formerly-Incarcerated narratives in film, media, and the performing arts. You can support “Willow” and our production through a tax-deductible contribution to our nonprofit. Make a Tax-Deductible Donation today.   You can also support us through Black Thoughts! Black Thoughts is a CBD-infused Mango-Shea butter that donates 10% to the United Negro College Fund and the Movement for Black Lives.
Additionally, on Sunday, June 18th 6-8:30pm, there will also be a Screening of the film version of "Willow" + Q & A discussion at Stuart Cinema & Cafe 79 West Street Brooklyn, NY 11222. Tickets are $25. 
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rabbitcruiser · 2 years
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World Theater Day
The theater has been one of the most popular forms of entertainment since the Greeks, and the acting industry today is a hard but potentially prosperous career. If you have ever been in theater or seen a live show, you know how fun theater can be. It may seem like a dying industry due to the movie industry taking its role, but for those who love the art of theater, then you should know about World Theater day! Let’s find out about this special holiday and celebrate it!
Learn about World Theater Day
World Theater Day has been created to pay tribute to this incredible form of entertainment. People have enjoyed going to the theater for many years now. It is a great way to spend time with loved ones and to witness live entertainment. There is just something magical about the theater, isn’t there?
History of World Theater Day
Initiated in 1961 by the International theater Institute (ITI), each year theaters across the world celebrate the value and importance of theater, and this holiday acts as a wake-up call for governments, politicians, and institutions to see its value to society and for economic growth. ITI also host a yearly message, spoken by a chosen famous theater performer, to share their reflections on the art of theater and its future. The first of those messages were spoken by Jean Cocteau in 1962.
This message is translated into over 50 languages, read for thousands of spectators, and printed in hundreds of newspapers. It also spreads the message by broadcast to all corners of the world through their institutions. Because ITI has over 90 centers throughout the world, the institute also encourages colleges, schools, and theater professionals to celebrate this holiday as well.
The date of this holiday also corresponds with the opening of the Theater of Nations season in Paris. The goals of this holiday, according to ITI, is to promote theater in all corners of the world, bring awareness to the value of theater in all its forms, to help promote local theater communities on a broader scale, and to share the love of theater with others.
How to Celebrate World Theater Day
While many of the celebrations happen at ITI locations, it doesn’t mean you can’t join them. You can contact and coordinate it with the ITI Centre or Cooperating Member in their country or region to participate. You can also read/hear the message of their chosen speaker and spread it across social media using the hashtag #worldtheaterday.
If you want to do something of your own, visit your local theater and support them by donating to their affiliated organizations and maybe buy tickets to see some of their hosted concerts. You can even join a theater program and learn music and acting in your local area. It’s lots of fun and you can even encourage your friends to join in on the action and make it a group activity.
One show that we recommend is Top Hat. If you can’t watch it at a theater near you, you can always watch the film! Irving Berlin is deemed one of the greatest ever songwriters in American history by a lot of people. The composer and lyricist lived a long and colourful life and the world was lucky enough to be blessed by his phenomenal talent.
When he passed away in 1989, at the grand age of 101, his legacy certainly did not die. Many still celebrate his achievements today and there is no better example of this then Top Hat the Musical. Top Hat the Musical achieved massive success. A lot of this success has derived from the incorporation of Berlin’s music. After all, he did write the original songs that were incorporated in the 1935 original film featuring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers.
In fact, this is deemed to be one of his most notable and loved works. Two of the songs – ‘Cheek to Cheek’ and ‘Top Hat, White Tie and Tails’ – are now considered to be American classics. If you are looking for a great sing-a-long you are assured to love the musical version of Top Hat. It doesn’t matter whether you have seen the original or not. And don’t worry; the show is not merely about songs, the plot is fantastic and really funny too!
Or, what about We Will Rock You? One of the main reasons why this show created such a buzz is because of the fact that it incorporates an array of well-known and well-loved Queen songs. This is what immediately draws people to go to see the musical in the first place. Yet, once the reviews started pouring in people discovered that there was a lot more to this show than having a sing-a-long to the hits from the world-famous rock band.
And so those who are not even a fan of Queen started to go and see the show and they were as equally as impressed as the biggest Queen admirers were. Belting out iconic tunes by Freddie Mercury and co is by no means an easy challenge. Yet the cast does it to perfection. They have embodied the big anthem feel that Queen has with all of their songs and they manage to get the whole theaters and arenas rocking. When taking on such massive songs quite often it is easy to fall short, but it’s definitely not the case when it comes to this rocking musical.
And finally, for those of you who think talent shows are ruining the music industry, you will definitely love the plot of this show. It follows a world whereby rock has been killed and commercialized pop music runs riot. Many would say that we are not far off from this happening in the current day. Yet, it’s unlikely that all humans will have ID cards rather than names anytime soon – as they do in the musical.
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sunmimir · 28 days
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Remus Lupin, a quiet visual arts student, had always preferred solitude and sketchbooks over social gatherings.
However, during an end of semester performance showcase, he found himself in a darkened theater, his eyes glued to the stage as Sirius Black, the star of the performing arts program, took center stage, commanding attention with effortless grace and raw, genuine expressions.
The performance left Remus breathless as he realized that art could live and breathe, just as Sirius did on stage.
Remus had always appreciated beauty in art, but this moment made him see it in a whole new way
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irisbleufic · 4 months
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REVIEW
Gatsby: An American Myth (Welch, Chavkin, Bartlett, Majok, & Tayeh; American Repertory Theater)
Something that most adaptations of Gatsby get wrong, whether film or stage, is the treatment of characters as archetypes rather than individuals. Symbolism drowns out most genuine attempts at capturing emotional connections and conflicts of personality. They forget that this story is not only a failure of the so-called American Dream; first and foremost, it’s a tragedy of failed roles and relationships. Almost every one of the players is attempting to be someone they are not, and even as they reach for what they believe they should want, they reveal with increasing fervor what they actually want. This is the heart of what makes Welch’s new adaptation so devastatingly, disarmingly unique, so true to its source.
The set design is literal wreckage. Crushed and warped automobile chassis scaffold the moving staircases, and concealed trap doors. The backdrop shows no clear incorporation of the infamous Eckleburg billboard; rather, it is made up of a dotted grid resembling headlights. These play out effects ranging from a downpour to camera flashes to, briefly and only once, a pair of eyes that make no effort to hide behind the owlish frames of glasses. The only thing infusing this jagged framework with meaning is the people who move through it.
The lighting design works with the set’s incongruences, deepening or excavating shadows as needed. The brightness, when it flares, is blinding. Jewel tones either enhance or diminish a costuming scheme that is composed of either very pale or very dark shades, no in between. And whether it’s the post-apocalyptic black and gray cabaret garb of the ensemble or the wealthy protagonists’ pale suits or the gunmetal and gray denizens of the wasteland, everyone’s trouser and skirt hems are conspicuously rimed with reddish dust. The visual effects are nearly impossible to describe without sounding like I had some kind of desperate fever dream.
So far, I realize that these descriptions of the set and lighting design sound like this production is about to fall into the trap of overplaying symbolism, but please bear with me. With all of that established, I can focus on what’s truly extraordinary here, what’s meant to and does shine unhindered. The acting, musicianship and vocals are all so precise that it was hard for me to believe this show is still in previews. It feels Broadway ready, West End ready, major international tours ready. If I was the production crew, I’d turn this loose on a massive scale from the get-go without a second thought.
Much like with Hadestown, the musicians are not down in an orchestra pit. They’re characters in their own right, present on the stage from start to finish on tiered risers that run up from the center on each side from one of the catwalks. I’m sure Chavkin’s involvement as director has everything to do with why this show feels so much like, moves so much like Hadestown. The company is on an equally small scale, about 23 - 25 people including the principals.
Costuming among the ensemble is delightfully gender agnostic. I mention a cabaret aesthetic earlier in this review, and I’m not kidding. If you had shown me the ensemble costume designs without showing me the principals’ designs, I would have assumed I was looking at a Cabaret revival. They’re the most talented dancers I’ve seen occupy one stage in more than a decade. The choreography relies on movements in eerie unison for a significant portion of the show, but not without allowance for individual flair within those constraints. The guy sitting next to me, when I spoke to him at the intermission, said he works as a choreographer in regional theater, and he’d never seen anything like this. I couldn’t agree more; the dancing is singular, and as impressive as the musicianship is, the dancing and unusual body movement are maybe the greatest achievements of this show on the living, breathing end of things. I could have watched the dancers for those three hours without any dialogue or vocal intervention and still understood the story. That takes so much fucking doing.
As for the principal cast, they’re constantly among the ensemble; when I say these are all triple threats in the purest sense of that terminology, I really mean it. You always expect a few of the principals to be less dance and movement focused, more polished on the acting and singing side, but this show gives you terrifying proficiency from every angle. Even the guy playing Meyer Wolfsheim is at the center of what I think is the most memorable dance number in the piece. I’ve just never seen such versatile principals all in one production. What’s even more extraordinary is that I had never heard of or previously seen any of them, and that takes some doing given how much live theater I’ve consumed in several decades of life.
Ironically, the musical composition is the one aspect of this production on which I’ll be spending the least time. I need not tell you why Welch and Bartlett were perfect for this job. They understood the assignment, and then some. There’s not a single weak number among the track listings, and I desperately hope they release a recording soon. The standout numbers all have something in common: they showcase Soleia Pfeiffer as Myrtle Wilson. You can tell that’s the role where Welch sank most of the sound that’s considered her signature style. I don’t even need to describe it; you already know what I’m talking about. What’s impressive otherwise is the restraint, the lack of over-reliance on that signature style.
The principals are fucking perfect. I’ve kept this review tautly professional without meaning to thus far, but from here on out is where I start bleeding feels all over the post. If you don’t already know who my blorbos are due to my writing history with a Gatsby-related novel (The Pursued and the Pursuing, 2021), you’re going to know by the time you’re done reading this. You’re going to know exactly who I love and why, who I hate and why, who I ship and why. But you’ll also know that I approach all three of those elements from a place of enjoying every moment of those characters, even the ones I hate. Nobody’s performance put me off or struck the wrong tone when taken in context of the novel and how the tragedy of how their relationships play out.
For a long time, I’ve been saying that there are certain support roles, certain sidekicks, that make or break the higher-profile person to whose side they’re stuck, ride or die, until the bitter end. Horatio is a great example that I’ve ranted about before; if your Hamlet production has a lackluster Horatio, then it doesn’t matter how good the Hamlet is. You have nothing if you don’t have the binary star system at the heart of that harrowing universe. I’ve seen other adaptations of Gatsby consistently fall apart because Nick Carraway is treated like the kind of voyeur who doesn’t matter, the kind of voyeur who serves as the audience’s eyes and ears, and nothing else. Anyway, this is all to say: Ben Levi Ross as Nick might be the most compelling argument I can make for the fact that the creative team behind this show understood the assignment. He’s awkward, warm, sincere, and reactive in all of the ways you need Nick to be. He’s not a passive observer; he’s in the middle of everything, and he knows it. There’s a self-deprecating response he makes when one character, Jordan if I’m not mistaken, quips that maybe he’s the reason for Gatsby’s parties for all he knows. “Maybe I am,” he says, and the tongue-in-cheekness belies a gutting meta-sincerity. We believe Daisy is the point, Gatsby believes Daisy is the point, but what’s borne out every breathtaking moment of this production is that Nick is the point. He always was. He’s also given his due as a gay man in context of the story for the first time ever. I might make some folks mad when I say Nick has always been gay; I’m going to point you to Myrtle’s apartment party and the hookup with Mr. McKee as textual evidence in the novel. The kiss with McKee, the hookup with McKee, is unapologetically here. His lack of belonging everywhere else he’s ever been, because he is gay, is unapologetically here. One of the most memorable numbers in the show hinges on the hope feels at being able to be himself in New York. Queer fans of Gatsby have been waiting a long time for this. Anyone who’s read the text closely and understood him has been waiting a long time for this. I’ve been waiting several decades as a reader, and I would’ve waited forever to have Nick so fully, lovingly realized.
One of the other things that Gatsby adaptations have persistently gotten wrong is the titular character himself. The invention of Jay Gatsby hides the underlying James Gatz, makes it feel as if that old self is truly subsumed, as if it never mattered. But Isaac Powell gives us a Jay who’s exactly as he should be, who can’t hide beneath his own attempt at artifice and reinvention worth a goddamn. He’s young (as young as Nick; they’re 32 and 30 respectively both in the novel and here), painfully earnest, and just barely keeping a handle on the criminal shit he’s had to do in order to get where he is. When he says old sport to Nick, it’s not an affectation; when he says it to Tom, it becomes a biting insult. This is a Jay who knows where and why he’s vulnerable; he latches onto Nick like a not because he sees a man close to Daisy that he can exploit, but because he sees another young man who’s equally vulnerable, equally an outsider, equally haunted by the things they had to do in the war. From the moment they meet, they are almost always touching—a hand on the shoulder, on the back, getting in social harm’s way for each other, eyes seeking each other without cease in the most crowded of settings. When Jay takes Nick to lunch to meet Wolfsheim (who has in this production taken on the function of Dan Cody as well), it’s not to have somebody else vouch for the artifice of who Jay Gatsby is. It’s taking Nick to meet his fucking father-figure, and all of the messy, sincere “if you hurt my boy, I’ll kill you” sentiment that Wolfsheim aims at Nick was the moment I knew just how much the Nick’s loss by the end was going to hurt. Jay’s love for Daisy is a ghost of itself, even if as painfully earnest as everything else about him. Meanwhile, his attachment to Nick is so disarmingly genuine from the start that you understand the true tragedy you’re about to watch untold: these men who need each other, maybe even were made for each other, each prove unable to step outside their parallel distractions from what they truly are to each other. Jay’s interactions with Daisy and Nick’s interactions with several male and/or gender ambiguous members of the ensemble have something in common, which is a shocking level of physicality. This show had an intimacy coordinator; that’s the level of no holds barred we’re talking about. When you look at Tom and Myrtle, you can see why that was merited, too.
Speaking of Tom (Cory Jeacoma), the treatment of him here is every bit as scary as it should be. There’s no attempt to make him palatable, unlike what I’ve seen done with him in other adaptations. He towers over everyone else in the cast, I mean everyone, to a physical degree that’s uncomfortable. The way his wife, lover, and friends all flinch when he gets too close to them speaks volumes to the fact that he’s an abuser in every sense of the term. Even Nick, the prodigal college friend from Yale, is on eggshells around him (which, by the hotel blowup at the end of the show, becomes a sneering, reckless contempt, one of the driving forces that drives Nick to put himself between Jay and Tom whenever real harm is on the table). At the same time, this is a Tom who sincerely loves his wife and was only ever using Myrtle as a fling. You can tell he never meant any of the promises he made Myrtle. When Daisy tells him she didn’t stop the car on purpose, it’s as if his wife’s unapologetic act of manslaughter (“It was her or me!”) is the thing that wins him back. They aren’t careless people; they are people who consciously choose, day in and day out, to use others until they’re bored or done with them. The ruthlessness of Tom and Daisy as a couple is impressive, played up to a level that I feel more adaptations should do without fear of exaggerating the text.
As mentioned above, Daisy (Charlotte MacInnes) is no delicate, nervous creature who can’t help her actions under duress. She knows what she’s doing every bit as much as Tom knows what he’s doing. They use people, hurt people because they get bored and restless and enjoy it. I respect a Daisy who’s in control of her actions every step of the way even if I don’t like her; it’s better than trying to depict her as weak and at the mercy of the men around her. She’s a pragmatist and a survivor. So many of her songs are about choices and being conscious of those choices. She is a person you should fear every bit as much as you fear her husband, and even Jordan knows she’s not safe in Daisy’s orbit.
As Jordan, Eleri Ward is one of the neatest personalities on stage. Like Tom, she’s noticeably taller than most, which gives her a commanding physical presence. She has no romantic interest in anyone; I fucking love that this production show her and Nick bonding on the basis of being queer and tired of everyone else’s shit. This is a more likable, relatable Jordan than I’ve seen in the past. This is a Jordan whose relationship to Gatsby is much more familiar and warm, much more akin to the friendship she forms with Nick. In fact, the queer-and-tired vibes that roll off several of the principals in this production are palpable.
Myrtle and Wilson (Matthew Amira) aren’t always played as effective foils for Daisy and Tom, but here? They unquestionably are. They do actually love each other in spite of the things they’ve done to hurt each other, and it’s a constant dance of daring each other, challenging each other. The most memorable duet in the entire show is between them, during Act II. The confrontation is positively electric. These are two people with deep, complicated history. Of all the couples in the show, they feel the most real, the most alive. It makes the loss of Myrtle so much more wrenching; she’s not just a plot device emblematic of the bad choices they’ve all been making. She’s not shallow or frivolous or anything like that. She’s a shrewd woman with complex motivations, and for the first time ever I find myself loving her and caring what happens to her. She’s thrust even further into the action in that one of her part time gigs is working as a maid at Gatsby’s parties, a conceit that works shockingly well and hastens the devastating consequences of her affair with Tom.
I’ve made mention of Meyer Wolfsheim’s (Adam Grupper) uniquely enhanced role previously, so I’d be remiss if I didn’t comment on him again. This is a man who does, in fact, seem to give a shit about Jay above and beyond using him as a tool in his criminal empire. It’s not necessarily a healthy father-son dynamic, but Wolfsheim is usually played as ruthless, opportunistic, inhumanly calculating. Here, he’s a charming, but unquestionably dangerous man moved by a young soldier’s plight. He seems conflicted between his love for Jay and his need to have Jay continue to hold the party line within their business relationship. Wolfsheim is deeply conflicted about Jay in a way that I haven’t seen any Wolfsheim be played previously. And, as I mentioned earlier, the actor has a showstopper of a song and dance number. That may be the #1 “I wasn’t expecting that, but I’ll take it!” moment for me in this show. And I say “may be” only because the moment that truly stopped my heart, will stay with me until everything else fades from memory, is perhaps only understandable in the context of my engagement with the text of Gatsby as a writer of transformative works.
Daisy’s and Tom’s daughter, Pam Buchanan doesn’t always appear in adaptations because she’s a toddler. Even in the novel, she a throwaway mention plus a single scene near the end where the nanny brings her out to meet Jay and Nick. She’s most often left as a throwaway mention without even grave of the scene where she appears. The scene in the novel, however brief, is memorable—and has been captured in all its fragile beauty for the first time in this adaptation. Jay and Nick both pay bewildered, wondering attention to this kid when she’s brought out. Jay drops to his knees and takes her hand when she greets him while Nick looks on in a moment of singular focus on both of them. The child who plays Pam here has a spark, an expressiveness that made me choke up even though she’s only on stage for a few minutes, if that. The tableau is one in which you can feel the shock of reality, however brief, touch on these men—Daisy’s and Tom’s reckless actions may yet do harm to someone who’s barely even begun to live her life, but who is just conscious enough to be a participant in it. They recognize that they, like this child, are probably in for a word of ruin—and that they have let it go on for so long that there’s now nothing they can do about it. For me, the deepest tragedy was watching Nick and Jay throw off that moment of heartbroken, horrified recognition prompted by Pam and return to the parts they’d decided to play out until the moment one of their hearts stopped.
Speaking of grief, of Nick’s grief since he’s the one who loses so much: there is only one person who loses more, and that’s Mr. Gatz, Jay’s father. They preserve his arrival at the house when Nick is the only person who stays around to carry out Jay’s funeral and burial. And when he arrives, the visceral shock of seeing his dark skin, braids, and beaded elements of Native regalia in juxtaposition with his otherwise period-typical Western garb underscore the tragedy of what young Jay was running away from, of what he never quite succeeded in erasing from himself. The burial scene shows Nick reverently bringing several of Jay’s folded shirts from the house and handing them down into the grave to Mr. Gatz, who places them reverently as possessions to accompany his son into thereafter. The cultural ramifications are all at once understated and devastating. Nick has moments with each of Jay’s father figures that are among the most complex and moving in the show. The program does not make clear the name of the ensemble member who takes on this most memorable of all Mr. Gatz appearances, and this erasure in and of itself is both unfortunate and telling. This is a world that never belonged to the majority of those who inhabit it, and Nick realizes it with heartbroken clarity after having this final interaction. Even though he’s an outsider, he’s part of a world that has erased and betrayed the man he loved so much at every turn.
The closing number, “We Beat On,” felt like it needed something more, but it utilized the final line of the novel to a deeply moving effect. The lights go down suddenly as the last word is sung; it feels like the song is half finished. When the lights came up, Nick and Jay were center stage in each other’s embrace, just withdrawing from each other as the entire company transitioned into final bows. That’s how I’ll remember them, always: touching even when they’ve already lost each other, borne ceaselessly back into each other’s arms. If Nick is Orpheus, then I have no doubt that he, too, will tell this story again and again until someday, somewhere, something gives.
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krysfatale · 4 months
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Children's camp "Aloha"🐟
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The children's camp is located by the sea in Sulani. This camp has three main buildings, a dining hall, a stage, a basketball court and an open air movie theater. In the main building there is a medical center, laundry and a common room for the children where they can draw, play games or organize a puppet show, but I gave the whole second floor to the counselors, they have a large common room, an administrative room where they solve various problems and a bathroom. The girls' and boys' buildings are separate and have their own large bathrooms. The heart of the camp is the stage, where discos, first loves and disappointments take place in the evenings. Dining room with a small kitchen where the counselors prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner for the camp. There is a place for volleyball and a basketball court, and the camp has a lot of things for kids to do and develop their skills. Have fun playing 🐢
Lot Info:
Placed on "Admiral's Wreckage" in Sulani
Lot Type: rental
Lot Traits: No
Lot Size: 50*50
Downoload: SFS / This lot will not be available in my gallery
Please do not reupload my work and do not pass it off as your own.
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aayakashii · 3 months
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routine
Pairing: Kagami Subaru x MC/reader
Tags: SFW. Character analysis, a bit of angst, hurt x comfort (I think), fluff and romance between you and Subaru, over 6k words
Author's note: this is probably the biggest fic I've written lol and I'm kinda proud of how it came out, since it also took me some days to fully flesh it out. I'd appreciate comments if you liked the fic! Comments literally keep every writers alive. Anyways, hope you enjoy!
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Kabuki Glossary:
Biwa: Japanese short-necked wooden flute traditionally used in narrative storytelling
Geza: the music that plays during kabuki, performed live
Hanamichi: flower path; a long, raised platform, running left or center to the stage through the audience, connecting to the main stage, used to make dramatic entrances and exits
Mie pose: a powerful and emotional pose struck by an actor
Onnagata: actor who acts the role of a young woman 
Sewamono:  a genre of contemporary setting plays in Japanese traditional theatre
Shamisen: three-stringed traditional Japanese musical instrument
Tachiyaku: young adult male roles, the actors who play those roles; most commonly these are hero roles, though not all of them
Takemoto: a specific type of song, it is also the narration device used during a kabuki play. It consists of a chanter/narrator (tayu) and the shamisen players
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Subaru had become used to it.
You would come to visit him right after your classes, if you weren’t assigned a mission, and Subaru would welcome you with tea and some obscure sweet he managed to get, just to let you try it. You two would talk, and you would share stories about your friends in the Academy, how your life was before you became cursed, and he would tell his own stories, even if he thought they weren’t nearly as interesting as yours.
It gave him a sense of belonging.
Subaru hadn't had much experience with friendships or any interpersonal relationship at all.
His life was merely the background for his career as an actor. His bare skin was merely the foundational bricks for the red and white makeup that would adorn him once he was out on the stage.
When he was under the spotlight, his monotone voice resounded loudly – louder than the drums, louder than the shamisen, louder than the biwa. Subaru became gigantic under his costume. His movements were sharp and hypnotic, the flow of his kimono as he walked down the hanamichi and the pierce of his gaze turned all heads towards him. He was a genius, a talent like no other, the future of the kabuki theater.
And he did not see himself in any of it.
Here lies the true tragedy of a burned out genius child: to go under insurmountable levels of pressure, only to find that the dreams of your parents were never your own.
Subaru did not want to be under the spotlight, no matter how much the spotlight wanted him and no matter how much others wanted him to be under it.
As he was forced to keep walking the flower path, his chances of living life as a normal kid were gone: he had no friends, no acquaintances, nothing that helped him find out who he was for himself.
So, he had no experience.
But he knew that he could pick out the feeling of belonging somewhere after spending time with you.
Eagerly, he waited for the clock to reach 5PM everyday, knowing that you would come through his door to spend time with him.
Routine was always something he appreciated, anxious as he was. He didn't like surprises, he wanted things to be predictable, to give him even the slightest sense of control over his new life as a student.
Therefore, to know that you would come to visit everyday, at the exact same time, was his comfort – even if the thought of you made his heart skip a beat, although he didn't quite understand why.
Not even standing behind the greatest stages made his heart drum loudly after a while. As the green, red and brown curtains of the stage were pulled, his body went on automatic. The takemoto went through his ears, unnoticed, and the geza became white noise. He moved gracefully, although his mind flew into other planes. As the audience clapped enthusiastically as he stood in his mie pose, Subaru wished he was somewhere else. He felt extremely guilty for not being able to appreciate the hard work of the musicians and the actors, but after he figured out that the passion he thought he had was merely a reflection of his parents’ passion, everything became black, white and gray.
Yet, planning fancy snacks for you made his hands clammy and his heart restless – and it wasn't the most comfortable feeling, however, he didn't hate it. He knew you'd come through with the routine and wash his anxieties away.
However, much to his dismay, his comfort had been ripped off of him for the past three days. His precious routine had been broken and Subaru would be lying if he said he wasn't counting the hours, the minutes and the seconds until it was restored, somehow.
He just had no idea how to fix it.
You had been fiercely avoiding him for three days, ever since the last meeting was cut short, and he blamed himself for hurting you in the worst way he could have ever done it.
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Subaru has always had awful self-esteem.
No matter the compliments about his genius, none of them stuck to him. When you despise what you do, being good at it just brings forth more bitterness towards oneself.
Subaru was a rarity in the kabuki world – someone who could represent a captivating tachiyaku or the most elegant onnagata. He could be the hero or the princess, something that most actors could not do. To don the costumes of two genders was the cause of endless praise and awe from the audience and members of his acting house alike – none of which he accepted.
To him, his talent came as second nature. There was no need to hone his skills – they were already there, much like an additional organ he was born with – and he loathed that fact. He loathed how this pushed him towards a world in which he didn't want to participate. 
He truly valued the hard work he was now putting into his studies, something he was creating with his own hands. He could see his own growth and pat himself on the back for it – even if he still had a hard time accepting compliments (he knew the only reason he was the captain of Hotarubi was due to his status, after all. He was just a figurehead).
Subaru’s stigma was an even bigger burden towards his path of bettering himself. 
If he hated being an actor, he hated himself even more for his powers. Much like his talent, he did not ask to be bestowed with such a repugnant stigma. It was the reason why his parents would never touch him, never hold him. He was a walking breach of privacy, a dangerous little thing that could easily become a weapon, if the truth of his stigma was found out. He was untouchable in every way, figuratively and literally.
He truly couldn't understand how Lyca, Zenji, Haku and you were so quick to accept his ugliness. 
“You aren’t disgusting, something like this could never be your fault”, you had said, when he wallowed in self-pity after revealing his secret. But to step out of his cycle of self-hatred was a tough task.
Your visits helped, however. For the first time in his young life, someone saw him as himself and stayed. 
Haku and Zenji were his true friends, but they still saw him through the lens of that one genius kabuki actor. And Lyca… he was alone and desperate.
You, however, had the ghouls of Darkwick Academy wrapped in your little finger and, still, you chose him. Despite his social awkwardness, his anxieties, his anger, his stigma. You chose him whenever it was time to get lunch, when you could be resting, when you could have anyone else. The thought of it made his heart skip a beat again. He was sensing a slight pattern.
Yet, it had been three days, and you were gone. No messages, no visits, no news.
He understood your avoidance despite it all. He had committed the worst sin he could have done to his dearest friend.
He had touched you.
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You had come to Hotarubi at your usual time, 5PM, sharp. Your hair was disheveled and a few droplets of water stained the tatami of the tea room as they fell from your face and hands, while you hurriedly took off your shoes.
“I’m so sorry for making a mess, Subaru! I had to run here to arrive on time and ended up forgetting my umbrella… I had to walk under every cover I could find, but I still ended up being sprayed by the rain.” you said, as you stood at the entrance, shaking your body as if you were trying to get rid of the excess water.
Subaru shot up from his spot, his face contorted in worry.
“Oh no, please don’t do that!” he said, as he ran to quickly rummage through the drawers of the room for towels “You always have to use an umbrella when you come to Hotarubi, what if you get a cold?”
You grabbed the towel he gave you, smiling awkwardly.
“I know, I know. I just didn’t want to arrive late. I didn’t want you to get anxious.”
Subaru blinked, face blank, as he was caught off guard by your answer.
“You… you don’t need to worry about me. I’m not that anxious.” 
You laughed, and he felt his breath hitch on his throat.
“Suuure, and I don’t breathe oxygen…” you said jokingly, hanging the towel on a nearby hanger after you finished patting your face and arms dry, giggling as you noticed the way he was pouting slightly. “I’m just playing with you! I’m sorry.”
“No no, I’m sorry about worrying you to the point of you having to hurry…”
You rolled your eyes and raised your hands to put them on his shoulder, quickly stopping yourself before you could actually touch him, resting them on your hips instead.
“Subaru. You don’t have to apologize for something like that. I am doing this because I care about your well-being. You're my friend and I want you to be okay. It’s not something to feel apologetic for. Instead, you can just thank me for being a great friend.” you winked and he immediately looked away from your face, that was too bright for him to stare at.
“O… okay… Thank you.” Subaru murmured, forcing himself to look at you again, from under his lashes, a small smile adorning his features.
“You’re very welcome.” you nodded “Now let’s drink some tea please, I do need something hot to warm myself!”
“That’s true, let’s get you warm so you won’t get a cold, please.”
Soon, time slowed down as you two sat and chatted about everything and nothing at all. You talked about how weird Darkwick's shopkeeper is, how awfully crowded the dining hall is (Subaru avoided it like the plague), how scary Professor Hyde can be sometimes, how loud Kaito and Luca are, how cute are the little cats running around all day…
How funny it is that you two always met for lunch in a place where only romantic couples hung out, you mentioned in passing, almost mumbling to yourself like you didn’t want to be heard.
“Does it make you uncomfortable?” Subaru asked, already looking apologetic, hearing you despite your low voice.
“No, no” you were quick to dismiss his concern “It’s, um, I don’t know... Doesn’t it make you a little nervous?” you said, laughing sheepishly, a foreign blush warming the tips of your ears, which went unnoticed by him.
“You get nervous when we’re there? We can eat somewhere else, you don't have to stay in a place you dislike just to appease me…” Subaru muttered, frowning “I’m so sorry I didn’t notice that it was making you uncomfortable…”
“No, no, no” you shook your head vigorously “That’s not what I meant at all! I… I don’t think I can explain it to you just yet. I don’t think I’m… ready, or… whatever, I don’t know…” you trailed off, incoherently.
“Ready? I’m sorry, I don't understand.”
“It’s okay” you flashed him a smile and grabbed one of the kimono catalogs that were littering his table, fidgeting with it, mindlessly “Don’t worry about it. Let’s just keep eating there, okay? Promise we’ll keep eating there?”
“But I want to understand what you mean- oh!” Subaru cut himself off as he saw a thick sheet of paper cut your thumb while you flipped it anxiously “Your thumb…”
You looked at the small cut that was letting out a single droplet of blood and shrugged.
“Oh, I didn’t even notice… it’s okay, I’ll put a bandaid over it later. Wait, Subaru? Wait… wait, no!”
The boy didn’t quite register his own movements, as his hand went to grab your bleeding one, gently grasping your pulse with his soft fingers, running his own thumb over your cut, as if his touch could heal you faster. 
His hands were bare.
You inhaled sharply and, instantly, it all flashed into his mind in quick succession. Like a large wave overwhelming an inexperienced swimmer, he was pushed down into the deep waters of those memories, causing him to gasp, breathless.
Subaru was swarmed by visions of himself in every possible situation. He saw how your gaze followed him when you spotted him from a distance in the campus; how you searched for him in the crowd of students during lunch time, on the tranquil balcony in which you two have shared your food together plenty of times before; and how you turned your head around whenever you heard someone mention his name in passing.
He had glimpses of the way his hands moved while making tea; his profile as he smiled gently when he tried explaining your homework to you; and his own eyes softening as he talked about Lyca. In your eyes, he looked magical. Ethereal, even. Someone who deserved to be admired, loved, praised and he knew these were your own emotions being whispered so subtly to him.
Subaru saw himself in a way the mirror had never reflected back to him. He discovered parts of his being that he wasn't able to find out for himself, because they would only come to the surface when he was with you.
In his mind's eye, right then, Subaru laughed, loud and breathless, as he clutched his stomach – all the restraint he built through his lifetime, gone through the window, after you had merely told him some silly joke. The way he brightened with your words, making your heart beat in a terrifying, yet delightful way, made your breath catch on your throat.
And much like a dying man seeing his whole life flash through his eyes, he arrived back to the present and saw himself, staring wide-eyed at his own hand tightly gripping yours.
He blinked, and his consciousness came back to him.
Subaru, like usual, felt incredibly weak after using his stigma, yet he still quickly turned his gaze towards you, eyes wide and mouth opening and closing like a fish, unable to say a word.
Your face was beet red and your eyes were blankly staring at your own lap, lips pursed into a thin line and eyebrows furrowed. Your free hand was clenched into a fist, knuckles pale with the force in which you dug your own nails into your palm.
“I…” Subaru murmured, trying his best to weave a coherent thought.
You got up quickly, breaking the hold Subaru had onto your arm, and grabbed your things in a hurry.
“I think- I think I should go.” your voice cracked and you cleared your throat harshly “Thank you so much for the snacks and tea, they were delicious like always” you blurted out, quickly making your way to his door.
“Wait, no, I- I'm sorry, I-” Subaru held his hand out, as if he tried to reach you but you were too far away, oceans of distance between you two.
“There's nothing to apologize for!” You said, way too cheerfully for him to believe you “I just gotta go now. I have… I gotta go. Yeah. See you soon, Subaru.” you stepped out into the rain and soon disappeared into the mist that surrounded Hotarubi, not waiting for whatever he tried to say.
Subaru stared at his own hands. The little droplet of your blood stained his fingertip, and he took a deep, shaky breath.
He had betrayed you. He had seen your innermost memories without your consent and now you were mad at him. He had to apologize. He had to beg for your forgiveness, until you took pity on him and allowed him to be your friend once again. 
Falling into a deeper pit of self-hatred was hard, but he tried to keep it together, for you. He needed to be lucid in order to beg for your pardon once you came back to visit him. He just hoped it would be soon.
But you did not see him soon at all.
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“I don't think they're mad at you for seeing their memories, it’s not really like them. But maybe they're embarrassed?” Haku pondered, taking a bite of the mochi Subaru had set out for you out of pure habit.
“No” he shook his head, adamant “They wouldn't simply disappear if it was just that. I don’t believe that. I have done something that made them angry at me. I saw something I definitely shouldn't have seen.”
It was the fifth day of you avoiding Subaru and he was hanging on by the thinnest thread. He was so close to snapping that it was becoming clear to the other Hotarubi students. And so, Haku and Zenji came to intervene.
“Well... I can't really give you my proper opinion if I don't know what you saw.” Haku said bluntly, making Subaru flinch.
“I can't tell you. I would be breaching their trust again. That’s the last thing I need to do right now.”
“You are absolutely correct, my dear friend!” Zenji remarked “However, we can’t possibly figure out the true essence of your situation if you can't tell us the whole entire story! How can we write an ending without knowing the beginning and the middle of the plot?”
“I don’t know…” Subaru murmured, looking more miserable with each second.
Haku sighed loudly, shifting his legs on the seat.
“Subaru. We don't want to gossip. We just want to know the situation better. We are their friends as well, you know?” he smirked “We can help you figure out their emotions. If anything, you might feel better after venting. How’s that phrase? A burden shared…”
“Is a burden halved!” Zenji finished, boisterously.
A pang resounded in Subaru's heart at how his friends were doing their best to help him.
“O…okay. I'll tell you”
After finishing recounting the last day he saw you, Subaru sighed loudly.
“Well?”
After a moment of silence, Zenji exclaimed loudly, startling the other two.
“Oh!! The spring begins!!” he yelled, one hand on his chest as the other went up in the air “How lovely it is to see young buds bloom into perfect flowers!!”
Haku slowly nodded at Zenji’s words and chuckled, rubbing his own face in disbelief while he noticed how absolutely perplexed and confused Subaru still was.
“I see now…”
“What?” the brown-haired boy fidgeted, almost desperate to grab Haku and Zenji and shake them by their shoulders “What's going on?”
The other boys looked at each other, before turning back to him. 
“Subaru, I don’t want to beat around the bush so I’m just gonna say it straight away. They're like… very much in love with you.”
He blinked slowly, as if the words were entering his brain at a snail’s pace.
“What?” was all he managed to utter.
“Yes, my friend! Our lovely flower seems to be completely smitten by you!”
“No” Subaru shook his head “That can't be. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Man, if there’s one thing that makes sense in the world, is what we’re telling you right now” Haku said, while laughing “Specially after everything you said you saw. You just… saw their feelings when they weren't ready to tell you yet, so I bet it feels embarrassing. It's probably eating them alive right now. That’s why they’re not visiting.”
Subaru stared at his own lap, his mind not properly processing the depth of the situation – the word “Love” bouncing in his brain like a lost temari.
“Then…” he whispered, throat hoarse “What should I do now?”
“What do you feel for our little flower, my friend? Do you correspond to their feelings? Do you love them back?” Zenji worded gently, as if he was talking to a scared wild animal.
“Do I love them back…” 
Haku nudged Zenji, motioning for both of them to get up and leave Subaru for the moment.
“Figure that out first. If you do, go after them and tell them you correspond to their feelings. If not, just let them deal with it on their own. Also, if you don’t like them back, don’t ask for them to come visit you again like nothing ever happened. You’d just be rubbing salt on their wounds.”
“How do I figure that out though?” Subaru looked up at the two men as they leisurely walked outside of his room, eyes already brimming with tears.
“You're a smart guy. You'll figure that out by yourself.” Haku winked at him and both him and Zenji slipped away, leaving Subaru at a loss.
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Subaru did his due diligence the only way he knew how: by studying. He started reading romance mangas and watching romance movies. It was the type of media his family would never approve of, as they deemed it unworthy of someone refined like him.
Still, despite him thinking that that “forbidden knowledge” would give him all the answers, it still led him nowhere.
He wasn’t like any male lead from these works. He could never run after someone in an airport and yell their name, begging them to stay and forgo all of their life plans. Subaru wasn’t like that. He couldn't run, couldn't yell and could never see himself as more important than anything.
His self-esteem wasn’t nearly as good as what was necessary for him to feel even the slightest kinship towards the strong, bold male leads, who always had something impressive to show – something that made them who they are, even if they had failures in their personalities.
Subaru could say he had his career as a Kabuki actor as something impressive, but again, it wasn’t him. Kabuki was a part of him, yes, but he wanted to shed it like a cocoon.
Despite that, he thought, then, of all the romantic plays he had performed.
He remembered the pain of most love stories, the tragic end of most sewamono plays he performed and he felt the thorns of grief strangle his chest, tightly.
He remembered the star crossed lovers who could never be together, the man who was promised to someone else and couldn’t be with his beloved, and the woman who had her life binded to a place that would never let her be with the one she desired the most.
All of them, lovers who could never be together, so they chose to erase their own light, because being without one another was more painful than dying together.
Subaru thought about not having you in his life for a moment and he figured: maybe not having you was its own type of death. A life without his most beloved friend felt like an empty one. A loveless one.
He paused.
Love. He thought of this word so candidly, it came to his mind without conscious thought – like it was second nature, like it was the obvious conclusion. And so, he decided to allow his thoughts to flow naturally, without pressure or expectations for once.
He thought of the way he searched for your gaze whenever you two were in public, seeking your comfort and approval. 
His heart skipped a beat whenever he glanced at you and you found his eyes, smiling silently at him, as if you two had a secret inside joke. 
His chest swelled with pride whenever you agreed with him (it didn’t matter the subject) and he almost felt like he could burst with it whenever you thanked him for his help studying, or when you praised him, or when you giggled at something he said.
Subaru cared for your tastes and opinions, always asking for your favorite foods, flowers, scents and colors. He made sure to smother you in your favorite things, in order to keep you more comfortable – in order to keep you with him just a little longer everyday.
His thoughts wandered over to you at any given moment and he didn't even notice. He'd question himself whether you'd like something, which sweets he could order for you, which teas he could brew.
Without noticing, he based his life around you and it felt absolutely right when he did that. It felt like belonging somewhere.
Subaru inhaled sharply.
The place in which he belongs is wherever you are, he figured.
Subaru hastily got up and bolted out of his room, out of Hotarubi and into Darkwick's campus, where the rain was pouring heavily, accumulating around the lamp posts and pitter-pattering loudly on the asphalt. His clothes were drenched in mere seconds.
He had forgotten his umbrella.
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Subaru banged as loud as he could on the door of the rundown cathedral, trying to blink away the raindrops that stuck to his eyelashes and blurred his vision. He could barely see through the heavy rain anyway, so he missed the lights on the windows flickering on and your shadow hurriedly descending the stairs to walk towards the tall doors.
“Subaru?!” you yelled through the sounds of the storm, his hands still raised in fists, ready to keep on banging at the door. “Oh my goodness, Subaru, you’re drenched!”
You pulled him by his uniform’s sleeve, doing your best to avoid touching him without his consent. ‘Always so thoughtful’ he thought to himself, feeling a little floaty after finally seeing you after a whole week.
With his realization, the dam that was keeping his feelings for you safely contained inside a hidden part of himself was no more.
Subaru acknowledged that he was madly in love with you and he immediately began feeling foolish. His fingers itched to touch you despite his fears and he could look at you for hours on end, drinking every detail and every mannerism.
It was like admitting his love was also letting go of his self control. He felt like something inside him nudged him to be as close to you as possible and it flustered him.
No wonder the movies and mangas said that being in love made people a bit sillier, a bit dumber. But the extent of it was almost ridiculous.
He followed you like a lost puppy when you motioned for him to come with you, and soon you two found yourselves in the kitchen.
“Okay” you let out a loud exhale “This is the warmest place in this dorm. You’re lucky I was already making myself some tea. Also, I’m gonna bring some towels and a change of clothes for you, although I might not have something that’s your size. Geez, Subaru, what were you thinking, walking all the way here in this storm? And this late? Without an umbrella!” you rambled on and on, pouring boiling water into a mug for him to drink and dipping a tea bag inside, carelessly.
Subaru grabbed the warm mug and looked at you, with saddened eyes that felt like an arrow through your heart.
“I missed you.”
You took a long breath as you heard the words coming out of his lips, and stared at him, dumbfounded, like he had suddenly grown a second head. You were about to reply, when Subaru shivered intensely despite the warmth of the kitchen, and you came back to your senses, walking briskly towards your room, in order to fetch the towels, leaving his words unanswered.
Subaru sipped on the tea, suddenly every insecurity bubbling up to the surface while he waited for you to return. What if he totally misunderstood your memories? What if you just loved him as a friend and nothing else, what if Haku and Zenji were totally wrong, what if what if what if-
The sound of your hurried footsteps interrupted the avalanche of thoughts that were most definitely about to bury him under a panic attack. He focused on your silhouette approaching him with a handful of towels and what appeared to be a big nightgown.
“Okay, let's get you near the stove.” You said, beckoning him to sit where you were standing.
As soon as he sat down again, you covered his head with a towel and began drying him up as best as you could. Subaru focused on the feeling of the soft fabric rubbing against his head, and then his neck and his arms.
“I'm gonna turn around and close my eyes. Meanwhile, please try to dry yourself properly and then put on this nightgown I found, okay?” you said, quickly turning around on your feet, not waiting for his input.
Subaru stared at your back for a moment, and began doing as he was told – the thoughts that were plaguing him calming down and silencing on your presence, as if you were a protective charm. His protective charm.
“I'm done” he muttered, hair still dripping, but mostly dry when it came to his whole body.
You sighed, looking at his wet mop of hair and began drying him again, in silence.
“I’m sorry for touching you” Subaru was the one who first broke the comfortable stillness between you two. 
“You know I’m not mad at you because of that, right?” you replied.
“You disappeared” he stares at you, the hurt in his eyes clear as spring water.
“I know, and I'm…” a beat passes by, longer than it actually was “I apologize. I know running away isn't the best approach, but that was all I came up with.”
Subaru stayed silent, as if he was waiting for you to complete your answer.
“It's just… I can imagine what you saw and I wasn't ready to discuss it yet.” you finished, shoulders slumping after you finish drying his hair.
Subaru moved a few strands of his brown hair away from his eyes.
“What do you think I saw?”
You glared at him, cocking an eyebrow at the question that sounded way too much like a tease.
“I don't think you’re in a position to ask questions like that, are you?” you replied, unintentionally snappy.
“Oh, I'm sorry… it truly wasn't my intention”
But it was Subaru that was standing before you, not anyone else. Truthfully, you knew he would never in a million lifetimes think of teasing you on purpose. It was one of the reasons why you ended up so lost in your feelings for him.
You sighed, more in frustration with yourself than anything else.
“I know, I’m just… Look, Subaru… I'm sorry too.”
It was his turn to raise his eyebrows, but in confusion.
“For what?”
You chewed on your bottom lip, avoiding his eyes even though you were standing so close to his sitting form that his whole presence overwhelmed you. 
“For putting this burden on you. I know you saw my… like…”
He waited yet again for you to finish.
“I know you saw my feelings for you.”
Subaru could immediately feel a warmth spread through his chest, cheeks and ears at your words. So he wasn't mistaken? So you liked him back? Truly?
“But I didn't want to burden you with them.”
The smile that was tugging at the corner of his lips suddenly dissolved into nothing.
“B-burden me?”
You pursed your lips, transferring your weight between your legs, back and forth, back and forth, anxiety clear on your face as you thought of how you could tell him what was on your mind.
“I didn't want to ruin what we have, I think? But there's no point in hiding now, right?” You chuckled nervously “I mean, you already know, but I really like you, Subaru. If I ruined our friendship because I got too greedy, I think I wouldn't be able to handle it.”
You looked at him, eyes swirling with emotion and, for a second, Subaru thought this could all be a dream – the only thing that confirmed otherwise being the uncomfortable chill of his body, a sign of a fever approaching.
“Everything you do… every interaction we have, I just get more and more in love” you cringed at how emotional your own words sounded “But I am so scared of your rejection. I think in part I was hoping you'd forget about that incident during my time away from you. I didn’t imagine you’d come after me.”
Subaru's heart beat drummed loudly and fast inside his chest, although he tried to keep it hidden (his face betrayed him, however).
“Did you think of me while you were away?” He managed to mutter.
“Are you kidding me?” you laughed, breathlessly “You were all I thought about this whole week.”
His ears burned red.
“I… thought about you all the time too.” he mumbled, gaze fixed on his own hands.
“What?”
He took a sharp breath and steadied himself, training his eyes on you as he spoke his next words.
“I'm so… I'm so sorry I'm not good with emotions and I'm sorry that it took me a whole week to understand things when I could have relieved you of this earlier but… I figured it out. I finally did.”
“Figured out what?” you tilted your head to the side and his chest warmed once again at the effortlessly cute gesture, giving him even more certainty to keep saying what he had to say.
“I like… no… I love you too.” he watched the way your eyes widened and darted all over his face, as if to search for a sign of truth behind his words.
“I am so blind and afraid of other people that it took me that long” he proceeded “But I know now. I.. I really do love you and I don't want to be away from you any longer. You don't have to stay away anymore. So please.” He got up from his seat and took a small step towards you “Please don't leave me behind like that anymore.”
You shook your head, tears welling up on your eyes, his intensity squeezing your lungs until you thought you could die, breathless, his eyes stealing every ounce of air from you.
“Subaru… Please… please don't tell me you're doing this to appease me.”
He paused.
The thought of you not believing in his words tugged a little at his heartstrings, but he also couldn't blame you. Not when he was so unsure of all of his feelings on a daily basis, towards everyone and everything, and you were the main witness of the way he clumsily stumbled his way into understanding himself.
He was absolutely sure of this, though.
“I'm not.” he said, voice steady as he looked at you.
“Because if you're saying this just because you want to keep me close, I would never be able to forgive you.” You looked away from him, pain over this imaginary scenario clouding your face. It was the time for him to extinguish your anxieties and insecurities for once.
“I'm not.” He took a step closer towards you.
“Please… don’t try to please me if you don't truly feel the same way.” You shut your eyes tightly, throat clenching as you felt the tears threaten to fall.
“Look at me.” He pleaded, and you hesitantly complied, breath hitching on your throat when you noticed how close he was standing to you “I promise you. I'm not.”
Subaru leaned forward, capturing your lips into a quick, chaste kiss, a fire burning on his cheeks at his own boldness.
He was still afraid of his stigma and how it would work with the other parts of his body besides his hands, but once he noticed he was still grounded in reality and not locked in another memory of yours, he got a bit bolder once again, and kissed you for just a little longer, lips melding together just a little more. The softness of your kiss made him sigh and his heartbeat deafened his ears. 
He tentatively rested his forehead on yours once the innocent kiss was broken.
The first thing he noticed was the warmth you radiated while he stood near you. Both of you had beet red faces and your minds were hazy, as if they were made of clouds.
You were the first to come back to reality and giggle at how overwhelmed both of you were with just a little kiss.
Slowly, hesitantly, your hand came up to cup his cheek, and he leaned into your touch like a cat.
“The stigma?” you whispered
“Not activated”
“Good.”
Your other hand came up to run your fingers through his hair, on his nose, on his chin. 
“Do you believe me now?” Subaru asked, wholeheartedly.
“Maybe, I think I'm going to need a few more kisses to fully believe you.” you smiled, teasing him a little bit.
“Really?” He leaned away to look at your eyes, still a bit worried he hadn’t convinced you yet.
“No” you snorted “I'm just joking.”
“Oh I see… sorry I didn't get it right away” he furrowed his brows, apologetically.
“I don't mind getting more kisses though!” you squeezed his shoulders, reassuring.
Subaru chuckled, still a bit flustered at your proximity. Suddenly, however, he scrunched his nose and stepped backwards.
“Subaru?”
“Oh. Oh, I think I'm gonna–” Subaru quickly turned around and sneezed into the towel that still hung on his shoulders “Oh-oh. I think I'm getting a bit sick.” he said, nasally, nose dripping a little bit as he sniffed loudly, back still turned towards you.
You fretted, hovering all around him as you scolded the poor boy.
“See! What did I tell you!” You quickly placed your hand on his forehead and gasped “Let's get you to bed right now, Subaru. You're already feverish!”
You pulled him quickly towards your room, hearing his wheezes as both of you climbed the stairs that led to your quarters.
“But I don't regret what I did” he stifled another sneeze “I needed to talk to you.”
You blushed, opening the door to your room, and glared at him.
“And now you're sick…”
You two climbed the stairs to your lofted bed and you pulled the covers, motioning for him to lay down.
He sat on your bed and looked at you, puppy eyes blinking his allergy tears away.
“But… it kinda looked like a movie thing, didn't it…?” he said, sheepishly.
You pushed him towards your pillows and covered him thoroughly, pouting a bit.
“I think it did…” you stared at the giddy smile that tugged on his lips and sighed, shaking your head.
“I'm going to be down there” you pointed to the bottom of your room “So if you need anything, I'll be here. I'll just grab you some water and medicine and come back quickly, okay?”
You got up, but as you began to leave, Subaru held your hand. His eyes were already droopy, the events of the day getting to him, along with the cold that was quickly racking his body.
“Are you going to start visiting me again?” he asked quietly.
You felt your heart skip a beat as you looked at his sleepy face, the question making you fall even deeper in love with the adorable boy in front of you, if that could be even possible.
You nodded.
“Everyday, for as long as you want me near you.” you said quietly as well.
He shifted on the bed, snuggling closer to the blankets, and closed his eyes, letting sleep wash over him.
“Forever, then.” he mumbled, and, soon afterwards, began snoring softly.
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sophrosynesworld · 2 months
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Just Friends?
actor!Katsuki x actress!Reader
The studio lights cast a warm glow over the set as the host welcomes everyone back from the commercial break. I stand in the wings, nervously fixing my hair. Katsuki stands beside me, unfazed by the upcoming interview. The audience buzzes with anticipation, eager to hear from us about our latest movie.
"Welcome back to the Midnight Mic, everyone!" Late-night talk show host Hizashi Yamada greets the crowd, his voice bouncing around the room, riling everyone up. "We have a great show lined up for you tonight, so don't leave your seats!" Hizashi walks from center stage over towards his desk, pulling out the chair before directing his attention towards the second camera.
"Tonight, we have some amazing guests. Please join me in welcoming two of the biggest stars on the silver screen, Katsuki Bakugo and his leading lady!"
The applause is deafening, and I can't help but smile. Katsuki gestures for me to walk out first, my heels clicking as I wave to the audience. It's instantly twenty degrees hotter as the stage lights beat down on me. I don’t have to look back to know when Bakugo follows; the crowd’s excitement peaks as he steps out, giving a casual nod, his usual confident demeanor softened by a playful smirk. He glances at me as we sit, leaning over to adjust my dress.
"It's great to have you both here," Hizashi begins, turning towards us. "You two have been the talk of the town with your new film. How's the stardom feel?"
Katsuki leans back in his chair, clearly relaxed. "It's been a wild ride," he admits, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Most of us have done fine with the publicity. My co-star, on the other hand," he jokes, nodding towards me, "couldn't handle the heat at first."
I laugh, covering my red cheeks before nudging him playfully. "Yeah, this is just my first major hit. I wasn't used to the more persistent fans. This has been a wonderful experience though. The entire crew has really bonded over the last twenty weeks.
Our host raises an eyebrow, intrigued. "You seem to have a great dynamic, both on and off screen. What's it like working together?"
I glance at Katsuki, who gives me a look that says, "Go ahead." I smile and turn back towards Hizashi. "It's honestly been amazing. I don’t think Katsuki liked me very much in the beginning—"
“I didn’t.”
"—but I finally wore him down enough to tolerate me." I laugh, swatting his arm away while crossing my legs. "He’ll never admit it, but we clicked right away. It'll inflate his ego, but he's won three Oscars for a reason." I laugh lightly, smiling at the memories.
Katsuki grins, crossing his arms. "She’s being modest. I've won 4." The crowd laughs as he changes the conversation. "Honestly, she's the best costar I've had in a while. She's going to kill me during the nominations this year. I mean, there was this one scene where she just—"
"Oh, no, not this story," I interject, laughing.
He chuckles, ignoring my protests. "We're filming this one scene with all these seasoned professionals, folks who have been in this business for decades." He pauses, looking at me. "They had to rewrite the first version of the scene because her acting was so horrifyingly raw and realistic that it traumatized the crew. They thought she was actually dying."
Our host leans in, clearly shocked. "Are you going to tell us more? You can't leave us with crumbs!"
Katsuki shakes his head, his crimson eyes sparkling with mischief. "Definitely not. You'll have to see it in theaters to find out."
I shake my head sheepishly. "I don't even know if they left it in or not. They told me to act, so I did."
"This is why I love you guys. You're always so honest about your lives." Hizashi grins. Now, I hate to gossip, but there's been a lot of questions about your off-screen relationship. Care to clear up the rumors?"
Katsuki and I exchange a knowing look, a silent agreement passing between us. I decide to answer, leaning forward slightly. "We have a really close friendship. We're both super passionate about our work and love what we do, which makes working together even better. We definitely have a flirty friendship, but it's all in good fun."
Katsuki nods, his expression softening. "Yeah, she's great. We just get each other, you know? It's easy to be around her, whether we're on set or just hanging out."
Hizashi smiles, clearly enjoying our interview. "Well, it's clear that you two have a special connection. Before we go, is there anything you'd like to say to your fans?"
I turn to the camera, feeling a wave of gratitude. "Just a huge thank you to all the fans for their amazing support. This entire experience has been mind-blowing, and I can't wait for everyone to see it. We hope you love it as much as we do."
Katsuki chimes in with a grin. "Yeah, thanks for sticking with us, extras. Our new movie comes out in theaters September 22nd!"
The audience laughs and claps, clearly enjoying their money spent. Hizashi wraps up our segment, and as the band leads us to commercial, Katsuki leans over, nudging me gently. "You did great," he murmurs, a genuine smile on his face.
I grin back at him. "You weren't too bad yourself," I tease, standing up and heading back towards the green room, waving goodbye to some of our fans in the audience.
Katsuki is quick to follow, his steps only a few paces behind mine, practically pushing my bodyguard out of the way. I open the door and sit down on the oversized couch. Katsuki follows my lead, plopping himself close to me. His large hands almost instantly wrap around me, lifting me up and pulling me into his chest. I straddle him, our bodies dangerously close together.
"Just friends?" Suki whispers, his lips grazing mine as he looks at me.
"Just friends," I reply, the words soft and delicate as my freshly polished fingers wrap around the fabric of his shirt, closing the distance between us.
Authors Note: I'm obsessed with this idea and could probably write 200 of these little one shots.
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mimi-0007 · 6 months
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FATHER & SON: James Earl Jones with his Father Robert Earl Jones on Stage in the 1962 Production "Moon on a Rainbow Shawl."
Robert Earl Jones (February 3, 1910 – September 7, 2006), sometimes credited as Earl Jones, was an American actor and professional boxer. One of the first prominent Black film stars, Jones was a living link with the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s, having worked with Langston Hughes early in his career.
Jones was best known for his leading roles in films such as Lying Lips (1939) and later in his career for supporting roles in films such as The Sting (1973), Trading Places (1983), The Cotton Club (1984), and Witness (1985).
Jones was born in northwestern Mississippi; the specific location is unclear as some sources indicate Senatobia, while others suggest nearby Coldwater. He left school at an early age to work as a sharecropper to help his family. He later became a prizefighter. Under the name "Battling Bill Stovall", he was a sparring partner of Joe Louis.
Jones became interested in theater after he moved to Chicago, as one of the thousands leaving the South in the Great Migration. He moved on to New York by the 1930s. He worked with young people in the Works Progress Administration, the largest New Deal agency, through which he met Langston Hughes, a young poet and playwright. Hughes cast him in his 1938 play, Don't You Want to Be Free?.
Jones also entered the film business, appearing in more than twenty films. His film career started with the leading role of a detective in the 1939 race film Lying Lips, written and directed by Oscar Micheaux, and Jones made his next screen appearance in Micheaux's The Notorious Elinor Lee (1940). Jones acted mostly in crime movies and dramas after that, with such highlights as Wild River (1960) and One Potato, Two Potato (1964). In the Oscar-winning 1973 film The Sting, he played Luther Coleman, an aging grifter whose con is requited with murder leading to the eponymous "sting". In the later 20th century, Jones appeared in several other noted films: Trading Places (1983) and Witness (1985).
Toward the end of his life, Jones was noted for his stage portrayal of Creon in The Gospel at Colonus (1988), a black musical version of the Oedipus legend. He also appeared in episodes of the long-running TV shows Lou Grant and Kojak. One of his last stage roles was in a 1991 Broadway production of Mule Bone by Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, another important writer of the Harlem Renaissance. His last film was Rain Without Thunder (1993).
Although blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee in the 1950s due to involvement with leftist groups, Jones was ultimately honored with a lifetime achievement award by the U.S. National Black Theatre Festival.
Jones was married three times. As a young man, he married Ruth Connolly (died 1986) in 1929; they had a son, James Earl Jones. Jones and Connolly separated before James was born in 1931, and the couple divorced in 1933. Jones did not come to know his son until the mid-1950s. He adopted a second son, Matthew Earl Jones. Jones died on September 7, 2006, in Englewood, New Jersey, from natural causes at age 96.
THEATRE
1945 The Hasty Heart (Blossom) Hudson Theatre, Broadway
1945 Strange Fruit (Henry) McIntosh NY theater production
1948 Volpone (Commendatori) City Center
1948 Set My People Free (Ned Bennett) Hudson Theatre, Broadway
1949 Caesar and Cleopatra (Nubian Slave) National Theatre, Broadway
1952 Fancy Meeting You Again (Second Nubian) Royale Theatre, Broadway
1956 Mister Johnson (Moma) Martin Beck Theater, Broadway
1962 Infidel Caesar (Soldier) Music Box Theater, Broadway
1962 The Moon Besieged (Shields Green) Lyceum Theatre, Broadway
1962 Moon on a Rainbow Shawl (Charlie Adams) East 11th Street Theatre, New York
1968 More Stately Mansions (Cato) Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway
1975 All God's Chillun Got Wings (Street Person) Circle in the Square Theatre, Broadway
1975 Death of a Salesman (Charley)
1977 Unexpected Guests (Man) Little Theatre, Broadway
1988 The Gospel at Colonus (Creon) Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, Broadway
1991 Mule Bone (Willie Lewis) Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Broadway
FILMS
1939 Lying Lips (Detective Wenzer )
1940 The Notorious Elinor Lee (Benny Blue)
1959 Odds Against Tomorrow (Club Employee uncredited)
1960 Wild River (Sam Johnson uncredited)
1960 The Secret of the Purple Reef (Tobias)
1964 Terror in the City (Farmer)
1964 One Potato, Two Potato (William Richards)
1968 Hang 'Em High
1971 Mississippi Summer (Performer)
1973 The Sting (Luther Coleman)
1974 Cockfighter (Buford)
1977 Proof of the Man (Wilshire Hayward )
1982 Cold River (The Trapper)
1983 Trading Places (Attendant)
1983 Sleepaway Camp (Ben)
1984 The Cotton Club (Stage Door Joe)
1984 Billions for Boris (Grandaddy)
1985 Witness (Custodian)
1988 Starlight: A Musical Movie (Joe)
1990 Maniac Cop 2 (Harry)
1993 Rain Without Thunder (Old Lawyer)
TELEVISION
1964 The Defenders (Joe Dean) Episode: The Brother Killers
1976 Kojak (Judge) Episode: Where to Go if you Have Nowhere to Go?
1977 The Displaced Person (Astor) Television movie
1978 Lou Grant (Earl Humphrey) Episode: Renewal
1979 Jennifer's Journey (Reuven )Television movie
1980 Oye Ollie (Performer) Television series
1981 The Sophisticated Gents (Big Ralph Joplin) 3 episodes
1982 One Life to Live
1985 Great Performances (Creon) Episode: The Gospel at Colonus
1990 True Blue (Performer) Episode: Blue Monday
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