#I drew this yesterday to motivate myself because I had an interview today :’)

[falcor-thee-luck-dragon]

Interviews - Henry Cavill x wife/actress reader

Summary: You and Henry have been married for a couple years now, and when you’re both part of the Witcher cast, fun interviews are to be had.

Warning: nothing but a good time, btw I’ve never written anything like this so I hope it’s good enough that I might feel motivated to write more

-Readers Witcher character is loosely based off my Geralt fic from here (just a little self promotion), but in this case you play a full vampire in this Witcher universe

The days have been long and grueling, filming hours upon hours of stunts and regular acting had taken its toll. Not to mention the countless times in hair and make up paired with costume changes and traveling to film on certain locations.

To say being apart of Netflix’s The Witcher was full of tiring days and some accidental bruises would be a huge understatement. But none of that mattered, nor did you bother to complain when through the thick and thin of it all did you have Henry with you along the way. And your favorite big slobbery bear, Kal whenever he was allowed on set.

Fortunately for you in the beginning of all the craziness, the casting and writers had wanted you specifically for the part of Y/C/N in the new series before Henry even auditioned for the role of Geralt, that was soon given to him after you accepted your fresh role of vampiric heroine.

It was ironically strange in a good way, you had watched your dork of a husband play the Witcher: Wild Hunt a few times before, eventually learning of what Geralt of Rivia was, who Y/C/N was in the story, who Yennefer and Ciri were, Tris and even Jaskier.

Who would have thought that you’d finally get to snag a role side by side with Henry in quite literally one of the most fantastic shows you’ve ever heard of. You didn’t even need to see the show yet to know how well it was most likely to be reviewed. Being a key character in the grand storyline was enough to convince you of how amazing it would most certainly turn out in the finished product.

And after all was said and done, you couldn’t believe how well loved and popular the show truly became in the following months after shooting and its eventual release onto Netflix. The after parties and cast celebrations truly made you blessedly grateful for pulling through to the vary end.

Then again you had your mans Henry by your side every step of the way. He was your rock and you were most definitely his. You know life on set would have been far less entertaining and dreadfully long if not for the lovely company of your dear Witcher, Henry. And so far after the fact, you and a good portion of the cast have been placed in random interviews for the majority of the day.

Reason being, The Witcher has at long last finally premiered and as per usual the people and media live for those cast interviews that always reveal some interesting events. So far this morning you’ve done some interviews with Anya that have gone perfectly fine since the two of you seem to click so well.

Also it helps ease the anxiety of your fellow newer cast mates to the world of continuous interviews with an experienced veteran actor like yourself, who’s gone round the ring more times then you can count. Though you can’t help but wonder how Henry’s doing, considering you’ve been separated since the sessions began at 10am, you’ve had lunch and now it’s about 1 in the afternoon with more hours to go.

Luckily for you, you’ve just been informed of another interview with the man of the hour himself. Saying your goodbyes and well wishes to your fellow cast mates, you stand and follow the guide into the advised place. Aka some really nice hotel room that’s been done up real nice for efficient interviewing, complete with the Witcher insignia on a large background poster and three chairs that happen to look rather comfy.

The camera and sound people nod in acknowledgment as you walk in, you nod back no doubt making their day with your friendliness and adorable smile that quite literally lights up a room. Soon you spot the bubbly yet nervous interviewee who instantly welcomes you into her space like you’re an old friend.

You sit, a bit confused as to where your partner happens to be at the moment, the interviewer, Lauren makes small talk before a door opens and her big bright doe eyes go wide in nervous excitement. A telling smile upon her face as she shifts in her chair before looking back to you again with a happy grin.

Henry says a quick hello to the behind the scenes crew before waving to Lauren, you smirk while watching him get comfortable next to you, “Well, well, well. Get lost on your way up, you know they have guides for a reason.” You tease as he chuckles at your humorous jab, relieved to see you again after a couple hours apart.

“Traffic.” He quips with a shrug.

“Uh huh.” You mutter with a shake of your head before drawing your attention back to Laura, “Can’t take him anywhere I swear, he does this all the time.”

She laughs as Henry pretends to gasp at your teasing, you chuckle along with them before she finally collects herself, “Well, welcome back to London. It’s fantastic to have you both in town once again, and your big beautiful faces all over Leicester Square.”

You both laugh, “Right.” Says Henry, “I guess we do look pretty cool.”

“Hell yeah, I mean where else can I see myself with a giant sword on a building? And anyways look at this beautiful mug,” You say gently squeezing Henry’s cheeks in your hand, “he’s literally killing it out there.” They laugh as you give Hen another playful squeeze before letting go and setting your arm against the chairs cushioned armrest. 

“Alight let’s start.” She says enthusiastically before glancing down at her cards then back up to you and Henry. Then into one of the two the cameras, “Hi I’m Lauren from Entertainment Weekly and today we’re here with the two stars of Netflix’s The Witcher.” She says enthusiastically while giving a nod to you two, indicating that the camera is now focused on you both, “Henry Cavill and Y/N Cavill.”

You both smile in acknowledgment as Henry gives a slight nod, “How you doing?”

“I’m great,” She beams, “So, I’ll get right into it, what do you like most about the story? What really drew you into the script that made you say, yes this is going to be awesome?”

Slapping a hand against Henry’s muscular leg, you hum, “I’ll let Hen take this one he’s a real expert on the linguistics of the whole show.”

“Thanks Y/N/N.” Replies Henry, bemused that you’re making him take the first question.

You nod to him knowingly with a smirk, “Of course.” Knowing how much he loves to talk about the show and also because you’d rather have him use his energy to talk about it then do that yourself. Priorities, right, though in your defense it’s been a long day.

“Well I absolutely love the games and the books themselves are phenomenal works of literature.” He explains, his face glowing with that usual glimmer of excitement in his eyes, “The story and the world of the Witcher is just so rich and full of potential that when I signed on for the show, I immediately knew it would be amazing, no doubt.”

You lean into the arm of you chair, “And of course I was there so that’s always a bonus.”

“That too.” He smiles adorably, “That too of course.”

Lauren smiles, “Great. So, what was it like working together, how was it having your characters interact with one another?”

You smile, setting a hand against Henry’s forearm, “This guy right here.” You deadpan before waving him off dramatically, “So annoying, my god he whined all the time and he was such a drama queen dear lord so ugh....” You start cackling before you can even finish the sentence causing Henry to loose it as well and with that the interviewer.

Shaking your head you rest your hand against his shoulder, “I joke, he was a gem to work with as usual...I mean I feel incredibly blessed to be able to act alongside my husband for months and months every single day. It’s a rarity in this line of work and I’m grateful to have shared this experience...and I guess more so this whole adventure with him as well.”

The interviewer aww’s as Henry tilts his head to lean into your hand that’s still resting atop his shoulder before pulling away just as quickly, the intimate sentiment not going unnoticed by you or Lauren who looks to be enjoying your loving yet calm energy with one another. “That’s so sweet, what about you Henry?”

“Oh yes absolutely,” Agrees Henry to your recent statement, “not only did I have her by my side through it all but the dynamic of our characters interacting together was so fun to shoot. I think the audience will really be able to see their relationship grow on screen into something strong and beautiful like in the books.”

Slow clapping you give him a curt nod of approval, “Well said.”

Lauren smirks, “Seems like it. Well, I was able to catch the premier yesterday and I gotta say...it was fantastic! I couldn’t believe how diffident the two of you looked from how you are now.” She gushes enthusiastically.

The corners of Henry’s lips curl into a proud smile for the fellow crew of the Witcher’s, “Oh that’s great then, honestly we gotta give all the props to the costume and makeup team, they’re so talented and know how to make us look like real badasses.” He adds.

You nod in agreement before grinning at a positive memory of your first interaction with Henry as Geralt, “Oh for sure, I remember during the early stages of production when our characters met each other for the first time, before this we came to set together but went separate ways to shoot our own stuff in the meantime so I never got a real look at him.” You recall with a bright smile as Henry watches your every move, beaming just the same.

“It was so funny, I was in the tent with Freya Allen, the wonderful girl who plays Ciri, and then suddenly her eyes got all big and nervous and I was like, that’s not me right? Something weird didn’t just happen with my costume? And then I turned around to find this man, wig on, face a mess, and his eyes looked so fearsome and different...it was a bit startling.” You say with a chuckle, “I clearly wasn’t expecting to see Geralt right then and there. He just looked so unlike Henry.”

“Yeah, I was almost hurt.” Laughs Henry, “She had to like squint and make sure it was me.”

Rolling your eyes, you shrug, “He had some real creepy looking colored contacts, yunno?”

Henry fake scoffs, “You’re one to talk, I mean when I first say her, Y/N’s eyes were red and she had fake blood spattered all over her face and shirt. Oh, and not to mention those fangs they put on your teeth...we probably traumatized poor Freya that day.”

“Oh shit you’re right!” You exclaim with a snort of concealed laughter, “God I completely forgot about how I looked...now since I think about it, I did that a lot too. I would just walk up to people and be completely oblivious as to what kind of nightmare I looked like, honestly I might have scared one of our producers a couple of times.” You add with a half nervous laugh, it’s true, you did scare some of the crew unintentionally. Most of the time.

Lauren lightly chuckles, “That sounds like you were quite the sight to see then.” She says before glancing back down at her notes, “Alright I have’ta ask, is there anything that you two took home with you from set?”

“Besides Henry every night,” He holds back a laugh while covering his mouth as you nonchalantly continue, “Uh, yes actually I got to take home Y/C/N’s wolf ring that I loved so much and just thought was the coolist thing ever and....uh, I might have stolen some socks too.”

“So that’s why after filming the amount of socks of yours I had to fold increased?” Wonders Henry with a surprised snort of realization.

Turning your head to give him a “no shit” kinda look, you look back at Lauren, pointing your thumb at Henry, “Master sleuth right here, but hey, he folds my laundry.”

“Aw that’s great.” Adds Lauren with a smile before turning her attention to Henry, “What about you Henry? Take anything from set?”

“More then Y/N did actually...”

“He just about took the whole makeup trailer most nights, I swear.”

Henry chuckles, “That. Is true.” He agrees with a nod, “Interesting enough, at home I’ve got Geralt’s armor hung up in our living room and a multitude of other nicknacks that I’ve collected during filming.” He adds, glancing over to you, “So uh, yeah, we were fairly lucky to be able to snag what we could.”

Lauren smiles, absentmindedly shuffling her cards, “That’s awesome to have such special memorabilia, you guys really are fortunate.” She adds before reading off from another card, “Alright you two, care to play a game called guess the image? Witcher style.”

Your face perks up at this, you’re a sucker for interview games and Henry knows it, “Are you reading my mind or something, I have been waiting all day for someone to ask about playing a game.” You gush rather enthusiastically. 

He smiles at your adorableness and how excited you’ve just become, Lauren grins, happy that her suggestion has been so well received, “Okay so how it works is, I’ll show you an image on my iPad and then you have to guess who or what I’m showing you.”

“Oh, cool I’ve heard of this,” You reply, turning to Henry with a smirk, “Loser has to clean Kal’s yard poop for a week.”

Rolling his gorgeous blue eyes he chuckles, “You’re on.”

“Alright, the stakes are high, you two ready?” Beams Lauren, holding her iPad to her chest as she awaits an answer.

“Yes, I’m ready to kick his ass.” You quip, leaning an arm against your chair while Henry does about the same, though he does his best to contain his laughter.

“Okay, first image.” She holds up the device to show some sort of weird golden thing, it’s shiny and hard, worst part is that you’re not entirely sure what the hell it could be.

Sensing your confusion Henry nudges your shoulder, though you ignore it before he smartly answers, “Oh, is that...Renfri’s brooch?” Little shit knows exactly what that is, of course he does.

Lauren claps, “Correct.” Zooming out of the image to show the full picture of the golden brooch, “Right on, that’s one point for Mr. Cavill.”

You scoff playfully, “Beginners luck.” While Henry side eyes you with a humorous grin upon his plush lips, he nudges your arm, “I’m going to really enjoy not cleaning up Kal’s grass turds for awhile.” He mutters lightheartedly, though you know deep down he’s being serious, no way is he going to win this, you think. You won’t have it, hopefully the next few pictures aren’t as difficult, Kal duty is not fun by any means.

“Shut up.” You grumble with a dismissive wave of your hand, though just teasing of course.

“Okay next image.” This time the blurred photo looks much more familiar, soon it clicks as to what the obscured blurriness actually is, yes!

“Got it! Anya’s er I guess Yennefer’s dress from the fight at Sodden.” Lauren giggles, zooming the image out to reveal Yennefer in her tasseled blue and purple dress from the battle at Sodden Hill. “I’m amazing I know.” You boast at Henry with a casual little bow in your seat.

“It’s the second question.” He deadpans, eyes crinkling in amusement as you shake your head at him.

“Pffff get outta here.” You mutter back, gently pushing his arm off of your chairs armrest and setting yours in its place while he gives you a fake shocked expression.

In turn you can’t help the smile that tugs at the corner of your lips, so instead of saying some sassy remark that would no doubt get a reaction out of him, you turn your attention back over to Lauren who’s looking over her notes again.

“Fantastic,” She says, glancing back up at you and Henry, “you’re both tied with one point each. Alright, anyone know what this is?” She asks showing something red and fuzzy, a bit of dirty skin showing from one corner but with The Witcher this bloody image could literally be anything.

The both of you squint, puzzled as to what this could be, “Y/N you got any ideas.” Wonders Henry, brows furrowed as his face contorts into deep concentrated thought.

Raising a brow, you hum, “If I knew I wouldn’t tell you.”

“Fair point.” He chuckles.

Lauren smiles, “Any guesses?”

 After a few concentrated moments, Henry shrugs in defeat,  “I’m stumped.” He admits as you study the image harder, mind racing to put the pieces together as to what the hell you’re looking at.

“No, I think I might know this....erm is it...me?” You wonder, voice raising in question, hoping to be correct about this or face the teasing of Henry.

Lauren quickly zooms out of the obscured image, “It is!” She says excitedly, revealing the picture of you from your characters debut in episode 2 where you save a girl from a werewolf, your mouth is covered in blood and so is most of your costumes chest area and left arm from the struggle. Not to mention the make-up teams fun 20 minutes of throwing fake sticky blood all over you to get the right look for the taxing scene.

You grimace a bit, “Oh god that was quite the day on set,” You recall with a half smile, “I was doing stunts all day covered in that red syrupy dye, I think it took a week to get out of my skin.”

Henry suddenly snorts with laughter, “Right! That reminds me, I thought Kal had gotten cut or something, it was just Y/N who had hugged him not realizing she still had some fake blood on her arm.”

“Jeez that’s right, I felt so bad, but I couldn’t stop laughing once we realized it was just me.”

Lauren grins, excited to hear some hidden information about little things that happens behind the scenes, “Oh wow that must have been a sight, alright Henry, Y/N’s taken the lead with a two to one score.” She says as you playfully nudge his strong shoulder. “Second to last image, what is this?”

Without missing a single beat Henry replies, “Jaskier.”

Squinting at the image you lean closer to the iPad, “How the hell do you see Jaskier?”

Smiling the interviewer zooms out to reveal the bards full outfit from the banquet scene, though he’s in the background of a fight between Geralt and some Cintran knights. “Right on!” She exclaims as you lean back into your seat dumbfounded, shoulder flush against Henry’s as he clutches your arm and squeezes it affectionately.

Ignoring his silent show of victory you shrug, “And they say he’s just another pretty face,” Earning a laugh from Lauren and some of the crew as you smirk at the camera, face them shifting to apologetic, “also I’m so sorry Joey you beautiful bastard apparently I’m blind. Uh, we don’t have to dwell on it, Lauren whatcha got?”

“You guys are both tied with two points each, last chance to win.” She replies before glancing down at her iPad, “Alright, what is this?” She asks, her iPad showing that of fuzzy bright colors, with a small corner smear of dull white that clearly wouldn’t make much sense to the untrained eye.

Smirking you glance at a puzzled Henry before sitting up in your seat, feeling rather good about yourself, “Would that happen to be, Hen in Stregobor’s illusion?” You answer with, though sounding a bit as a question considering you aren’t entirely confident as to what image this is.

Lauren’s brows raise in surprise, “Henry, looks like we have a winner. Y/N you are correct.” She beams, enlarging the image to reveal Geralt’s side profile as he talks to the old wizard while the background stays colorful and shrouded in various arrays of sunlight..

Shaking your fist victoriously in the air you give a couple enthusiastic whoop whoops while Henry simply takes it like a champ, “Have fun cleaning up Karl’s monster turds, cause this lucky lady doesn’t have to.” You boast as Henry and the crew laugh.

“Well that was something,” Beams Lauren, “I’m so glad to have chatted for a bit about your guys’ amazing new series, and maybe ended a relationship in the process.” She says jokingly as both you and Henry chuckle.

Patting his thigh affectionately, you smirk, “He’s a tough old bear, but yeah, it was awesome having you talk to us.”

“Yes, take care now.” Adds Henry while the interviewer Lauren stands, saying her goodbyes as she goes to exit the room.

The camera crew take a small break to adjust things and whatnot as you and Henry wait patiently for the next interviewer. He turns, an adorable smile pulling at his lips while you pretend to ignore his fiery gaze. “Well that went pretty well, minus the fact that I’m on Kal poop duty for a week...but uh...” He leans in close to you now, “I missed you all morning.”

Breaking out into a smile you raise a brow, “Boring without me huh?”

“Always.”

You casually shrug, “I figured as much. Don’t worry, we have a hotel all to ourselves tonight.” Your brows wiggle suggestively causing your blue eyed lover to shake his head with amusement.

“Say it louder next time.” He jokes.

Side eyeing the oblivious crew you begin to speak a couple octaves louder, “Henry I can’t wait to fu..” Suddenly his hand presses against your mouth before you’re able to call any attention to yourself. He gives you a warning look before slowly pulling his hand from your mouth.

You grin mischievously, “I wasn’t gonna say that...”

“Sure Y/N,” He mutters in your ear as a new interviewer walks into the room and finds their chair, “and I’m wasn’t going to make you scream tonight.”

Your brows raise in surprise and admittedly slight arousal at his choice of wording in this room of all places. Eyeing him up, face still showing surprise, you finally break out into a satisfied smirk. “You know what? I think you should consider changing your offer.”

He thinks deeply for a moment, though you know he’s only pretending to get you riled up, “Hrmm...maybe, possibly, should I? Should we? You are my co-star after all, that wouldn’t be very professional now would it Y/N?” He states with a shit eating grin, all done while the crew and interviewer get ready, minding their business and completely unaware to yourself and Henry’s teasing.

Scoffing playfully you lightly swat his arm, “We are way past being professional.”

He chuckles, looking from you to the rest of the room, “Oh, they have no idea.”

[chemicalperfume]

Sakihi Miyu x Sagiri Seina Sayonara talk (GRAPH 2017.07)

What it says on the tin.

Contains: Chigi being an epic troll, FEELINGS, Tridente Tridente-ing, lots of giggling, feelings, tsundere statements, and did I mention feelings??

Special thanks to the twitter friend who helped beta it (you know who you are!)

Sakihi: For my final interview, I thought it absolutely had to be Chigi-san, so thank you very much for today, even though you’re so busy

Sagiri: Same here.

Sakihi: This time I’m the one who has to regulate everything… you must be worried, right?

Sagiri: Like… it’d be bad if it’s a dull discussion, so talk lots *laughs* [1]

Sakihi: But since I’m a dull human being… okay. I had the privilege of being Chigi-san’s acting partner up until now, and I am full of nothing but gratitude for that.

Sagiri: *staring at Sakihi*

Sakihi: I can’t get used to this if you look at me with such a gentle gaze *flustered laugh*

Sagiri: It’s not gentle at all.

Sakihi: But it is. You don’t have to… please act like normal.

Sagiri: I am acting like normal. *laughs*

Sakihi: Um… Looking back, I was transferred into Snow Troupe, and starting with “The Rose of Versailles” National Tour we got to work together, but since we both come from Kyushu, I arbitrarily felt a lot of affinity for Chigi-san…

Sagiri: But during “The Rose of Versailles”, we hadn’t gotten close at all yet. Although, since we paired up as top combi, I ended up speaking my mind to you freely, to the point where I was unsure if being so very inconsiderate is really alright.

Sakihi: Not at all, you always took the time to talk to me, never letting even the slightest change go unnoticed.

Sagiri: Same goes for you. Like you’d come pat my back and stuff *laughs*

Sakihi: *laughs* Excuse me for that. The role and my feelings merged…

Sagiri: Off stage too.

Sakihi: Eh, off stage? Not as Osome? (from Bakumatsu Taiyouden)

Sagiri: No, even off stage, you worry about me to an unnecessary degree and…

Sakihi: But everyone in Snow Troupe keeps an eye out for Chigi-san.

Sagiri: I am really very thankful about that.

Sakihi: Chigi-san, you took my bad sides, and my other bad sides...

Sagiri: *laughs*

Sakihi: …and you faced all of them, scolded me instead of getting angry at me, and were always beside me without ever letting go of my hand; I couldn’t be more grateful for all of this.

Sagiri: Well, it’s my job, isn’t i~t *laughs*

Sakihi: Even besides that… There was a time you said “I’m not your teacher!”, or a period when I’d concentrate too much on Chigi-san alone, and neglect what kind of presence I have to be inside the overall play; and in these times you would sharply tell me about it.

Sagiri: I think that, on the stage, seniority is irrelevant, and no such considerations should apply, and also strongly felt I wanted you to stop holding back for trying too hard to make the otokoyaku stand out more. Like, “DON’T walk 3 steps behind me”.[2] More than anything else, our relationship became like the coach and the heroine getting trained by the coach. By kind of like, playing the sports drama series [3]...

Sakihi: Playing?! *laughs* I was serious…

Sagiri: Yes, it was serious! We’d be doing our sports drama right after the end of a performance, without even taking off our makeup, for such a long time, that before we noticed it was time to leave the dressing room so the both of us would take off our makeup in a huge rush and stuff. Other times Mito-san (Rika Masumi), Niwa-san (Souno Haruto) and Hime-san (Maisaki Rin) would be watching our sports drama from the managing room [4] and intervene, or offer a helping hand… I think it’s thanks to everyone in the troupe looking over us that we are where we are now.

Sakihi: Yes, truly. Chigi-san, soon after we paired up, you said I was like a mother to you. For someone who is in the position of an acting partner to be thought of as motherly, I thought “this is a crisis, I am causing Chigi-san trouble”; I was full of bewilderment.

Sagiri: But you see -I’ll never forget this- at the rehearsal for the “Lupin III” press conference, you were not in the last scene, and when it ended you burst into applause, still all dressed up as Marie Antoinette.

Sakihi: But it was so wonderful!

Sagiri: It was just a rehearsal!? That was totally a mother reacting to her son saying something right on Parents’ Day.[5] ...although my own mother is different. *laughs* Anyhow, I always feel your strong gaze, that you’re definitely looking my way. When I pondered why that might be, I guess it felt like a close relative’s way of showing affection.

Sakihi: I could never- oh my gosh, me, a close relative…

Sagiri: That’s what you are *laughs* In the name of making a stage show together, it didn’t matter how late in the night or how early in the morning, when I decided to rehearse, you’d come and rehearse with me, and as these piled up, we got to be the way we are, I guess. You’d accompany me on voluntary rehearsals at my own pace… but even when I went like “ah~ I’m beat”, you were not tired, and I’d think “wow she’s young” *laughs* This girl has got stamina, guts and a stoic character inside her, and little by little I bowed down to that.

Sakihi: Whaaaaa~t!?!?

Sagiri: Like “I can’t live up to thi~s”

Sakihi: No, not at all. For someone like me, my only saving grace is trying hard, yet on every show, no matter how unshapely a condition I was in, you would accept me and understand my feelings and my motivation. That was my lifeline; and wanting to get closer, even if by a little, to the top combi image Chigi-san was aiming for, I kept going, pursuing it intently. You always told me you want us to act as equals, but the first time I realised “ah, this must be what she means” throughout, it was way too late, but that first time was during “Caleb Hunt, Private Eye”.

Sagiri: Yeah, that’s late *laughs* But indeed, it was probably around “Caleb Hunt” that we formed a resolute relationship of mutual trust. Come to think of it, there’s a little bit of me that wonders “was it really for the best that I served as Yuumi’s coach or teacher?”.

Sakihi: Eh, when we’re so close to graduating. *laughs*

Sagiri: Sometimes I think if I’d let you on your own, maybe something even more interesting would have come out of you, as Sakihi Miyu… Perhaps Yuumi is actually the manlier one between us, even.

Sakihi: Woah!

Sagiri: You see, I actually worry at home, “did I say too much?” *laughs*

Sakihi: After I receive your opinion, well, I do feel down and regret some things in my own way.

Sagiri: Well, I guess that’s for sure *laughs* It often happened that on the day before our weekly free day, I tell you lots of things like “starting with the next performance you should do this or that”,  and then on the actual day off, I worry like “ did I say too much yesterday” or think “Yuumi should do it the other way after all”... and then I get mad at myself for thinking that. “Why do I have to think about her even on my day off!” *laughs*

Sakihi: *grinning happily* Sorry about that.

Sagiri: But since we started being told we have a good relationship as a top combi, weren’t you extra careful to not spoil it?

Sakihi: *says nothing and smiles*

Sagiri: Eh? Just me? *laughs*

Sakihi: Were you pushing yourself…?

Sagiri: No, I wouldn’t say “pushing” *awkward laugh*, I think it was inevitable we turned out as we did. I believe we became like this because of the characters you and I have, our difference in school years, and the fact that instead of being raised in the same troupe, we started out from a distance and gradually came closer and closer. But you see, if I were in your shoes, I think I’d be sick and tired of Sagiri-san in three days, and yet you weren’t, and that’s amazing.

Sakihi: Mmm *laughs*

Sagiri: ....well, I think it’s because we’re such weirdos that we managed to keep going. I’ve said this a lot, that I’m an alien myself, but if I’m from Mars, you are from Venus. And then…

Both: ...we met on Earth *laugh*

Sagiri: But even if I pretend to slap you [6], you immediately react to my antics, I think that’s another great thing about you.

Sakihi: Thank you very much!! I’ve also picked up quite a lot of your speech habits, and being  told my expressions have started looking a lot like Chigi-san’s is....

Sagiri: Speech habits? Like what?

Sakihi: “Thiiiis thiiiing!” [7]

Sagiri: *in stitches*

Sakihi: Also, when you’re extremely flabberghasted, you go “nahnahnahnah, woahwoahwoahwoah” [8]. The “Thiiiis thiiiing!” is when I’m towards you, kinda, like…

Sagiri: Like when you brought me this, right? (the spotted garden eel) [9]

Sakihi: This?? You didn’t say it then.

Sagiri: Oh, okay… *laughs* You gotta explain the garden eel.

Sakihi: Alright. I thought it’d soothe you, so I brought it from my house today.

Sagiri: *awkward laugh* That was a surprise~. So, this guy; first of all, I like spotted garden eels, and during “The Count’s Daughter” Yuumi-chan gave me a stuffed toy of one as a present. And then recently… yeah, you explain it.

Sakihi: Yes. During the Tokyo run of “Caleb Hunt”, we had a Christmas present exchange event, so we all drew lots to decide beforehand who gives a present to whom, and I received this little guy from Maisaki-san.

Sagiri: Hime-san couldn’t make up her mind on what would be a good present for you. And then, she found the same stuffed toy as the one you gave me, and she said it’d be nice to just stick a photo on it [10]. It’s got my signature too.

Sakihi: That’s right!! It even says “To Yuumi”...

Sagiri: It’s worth a super handsome amount, okay. *laughs*

Sakihi: Thank you so very much. It’s my treasured possession and it also matches one of yours! Uhm~ there’s more I want to tell you… Almost, uh, all shows…

Sagiri: We’ve been together in all shows, right! Eh, no?

Sakihi: For almost all shows we had a press conference…

Sagiri: Oh, the press conference *laughs*

Sakihi: Yes. Having the privilege to be together with you in all sorts of work assignments such as the press conferences, has been full of memories to me as a person! We’d also travel together  to Tokyo…

Sagiri: You wanna talk about transport!? *laughs*

Sakihi: Yes *laughs* I was very happy when I could spend time with you even outside of performances or rehearsals.

Sagiri: *laughs* You’re not good with planes, are you. Right before takeoff you go “oh nooo~” or start meditating and in the beginning I worried if you were gonna be alright but… recently I just think “she’s scared again, huh~” and ignore it. *laughs*  

Sakihi: Well, until takeoff you fall asleep, Chigi-san. Daimon-san turns on her seat’s light and starts taking lots of notes about that day’s rehearsal and such, and then there’s me…

Sagiri: Going “uughhh...” all alone.

Sakihi: Exactly....

Both: *laugh*

Sakihi: Uhm… During the “Sorrowful Cordoba” National Tour, do you remember that we went together to Matsuyama Castle?

Sagiri: I remember it.

Sakihi: I asked you to please go there together with me, and you kindly said “yes”.

Sagiri: Yup, yup.

Sakihi: And, uhm, see, we took photos at those panels you put your face in and things like that.

Sagiri: Yup, yup. Eh, what kind of talk is this?

Sakihi: Reminiscing talk!

Sagiri: Aah~

Sakihi: Would you please comment on it a little bit more?

Sagiri: I do remember we did that. Yeah. But, in the end we got to the point of making plans to go places just the two of us, but when we had just teamed up as a combi, Tomomi (Yumeno Seika) would join in to help us get along more. For example, when we’d make plans to go somewhere all together, she’d say “why don’t we invite Yuumi-chan too?”; and then thanks to everyone setting the appropriate mood, me and Yuumi-chan built a relationship among everyone, and through that we naturally got chummy… although we’re not chummy, we fight all the time too, hahaha *laughs*

Sakihi: Not at all!!

Sagiri: *laughs* But I think it’s good that we maintained our communication at all times. We confronted each other for real, and got to say the good things and the bad things.

Sakihi: When our top inauguration was decided you told me “Let’s do our best, facing towards the same direction”; I want to keep these words sealed inside my heart until the end… so please let me follow you until the end.

Sagiri: No.

Sakihi: Ee~k!

Sagiri: *laughs*

Sakihi: There was something I wanted to say just now… but being told “No”... I truly love and admire you, you know.

Sagiri: Thank you very much. Ours was such a fateful encounter that I don’t even want to think what it would be like if Yuumi-chan was not my partner; these few years have been packed to the brim. Even now, you come running to me first thing after every performance to go over the faulty bits together, and this “tomorrow I’ll make it even better!” stance of yours is what makes me, as a stage performer, feel like I can’t lose to it, or rather go “alright, let’s give it our all!”; This is why you’re my precious partner. [11]

Sakihi: I never thought every day of my life in Takarazuka would be this happy. But it really is all thanks to you, Chigi-san… When I think this is the end, somehow, all sorts of feelings well up inside me… Thank you for all this happiness, truly. Until the day we graduate, please take care of me.

Sagiri: Same here. How do I say it… Like, Yuumi-chan is loved by everyone in the troupe, and I think that’s because your presence itself is pure, but, I was glad to have such a partner that everyone loves.

Sakihi: Oh no, I get told off all the time.   

Sagiri: That’s not a lie *laughs*, but that’s not because they dislike you or something, it’s out of love, because they want to help you get better. I believe the relationship between us will remain unchanged until the end, so let’s keep running forward like that. Thank you very much for today. But is it okay if I wrap things up? *laughs*

Sakihi: *laughs* Thank you very much!! Please give me a handshake~

Sagiri: I really don’t get the point of this handshake (she says while doing it anyway)

Sakihi: Aaah, I’m so happy!! Thank you so much.

Sagiri: Okay, now pay me (for showing up as a guest)! *laughs*

Sakihi: You’re so funny!! *laughs*

Notes:

[1] - Chigi was being punny here, but it would’t render satisfactorily in English orz [2] “walking 3 steps behind” your man and acquiescing to him is a traditional japanese ideal of female behaviour, and by extension, a big part of the musumeyaku ideal and what is expected of them [3] スポ根 = a genre of sports-themed anime, manga or live-action that flourished mainly in the 70′s and is centered around a main character and their fervent pursuit of a sport through training with a mentor. Most famous examples: Ashita no Joe, Attack no.1, Ace wo Nerae! [4] The 4 most senior members of a troupe (including kumichou and fukukumichou) use a separate room backstage called “幹部部屋“ [5] A special day in the school year when parents come to class and watch how lessons are taking place [6] In some of the outtakes for the photoshoot that went with this interview, Chigi was pretending to slap her [7] 「こぉ～の～」.kind of untranslatable without context, so I went with a direct translation for flow’s sake [8] 「いやいやいやいや、おいおいおいおい」. Same as above. [9] Miyu’s spotted garden eel stuffed toy, was part of the photoshoot. More details to follow in the talk [10] Miyu’s garden eel toy has a Chigi photo from “Caleb Hunt” stuck on its head [11] she used the english word “partner” in katakana [パートナー」

Buy the magazine: [cdjapan] [amazon.co.jp]

[sinceileftyoublog]

Night Shop Interview: Beautiful Strangers

Photo by Kevin Gossett

BY JORDAN MAINZER

“Drummer releases a solo album” is the type of thing that you classically joke about, but if anyone’s proving that angle to be exciting, it’s Justin Sullivan, who records as Night Shop. If you’ve listened to The Babies or Kevin Morby’s records, you’ve heard Sullivan behind the kit. On In The Break, out today via Woodsist/Mare Records (the latter is Morby’s label), he sings and plays guitar, too. 

Night Shop’s self-titled debut EP was released last February, and Sullivan wrote the songs for Break during the latter half of 2017. It was recorded in a studio in Burbank early February with help from many familiar faces: guitarist Meg Duffy of Hand Habits and Morby’s band, guitarist Will Ivy of Flat Worms (Sullivan drums for Flat Worms), Greta Morgan on piano, Anna St. Louis on vocals, Jarvis Taveniere (Woods) on bass, guitar, and engineering, and Drew Fischer on mixing duties. “It’s one of the few benefits of getting older,” Sullivan told me in July over the phone. “Your gang of friends is really talented.” Indeed, though the music of Night Shop embodies classic folk rock, the matter in which it came together is punk. “All of this stuff for me goes back to real core DIY punk principles,” Sullivan said. “Even though it doesn’t look or sound like that, it’s the same ethic.” In essence, Sullivan’s started a band with his friends, just like in high school.

Over the past year, Sullivan’s toured solo with Jaye Bartell, and he’s currently on tour with Waxahatchee and St. Louis. He then shares dates with Shannon Lay, including October 10th at Empty Bottle. “Playing solo wasn’t necessary the original idea,” he said. “It’s funny to have two elements-- I can’t really play the guitar, and I don’t have the greatest voice in the world. It’s funny to present the two elements on stage. Neither are 10/10. But I do feel comfortable getting up and playing at this point because I’ve done it for so long.” Despite the ethical commonality, Night Shop is still very different than something like Flat Worms from a musical standpoint. “There’s something really nice about getting up and playing quiet music,” Sullivan said.

Read the rest of my interview with Sullivan, edited for length and clarity.

Since I Left You: How long has Night Shop been around?

Justin Sullivan: It feels really new. I probably didn’t even pick up a guitar to actually learn how to play till 2015. I probably wrote the songs that came out on the EP in late 2016. Having just played in so many bands in drums for so long, I was very concerned with songs. I always saw myself as someone to help shape the songs rather than just play drums. It’s kind of a weird combination. When I was younger, I would sing in bands, and I’d always write lyrics for a lot of my early bands. So some of it feels like stuff I’ve been doing for a long time, but some of it feels really new.

SILY: Did you help craft songs with Kevin Morby and The Babies?

JS: Yeah. That was always my thing. When I started playing with Kevin and Cassie [Ramone of The Babies]--they’re just such good songwriters--sometimes, what’s needed is no more additions. With Kevin, my role was often to be a cheerleader for his ideas. I’d be so excited to just work on the songs. A lot of times, though, what the songwriter needs is someone to be like, “No, that’s really good. We should definitely be playing that.”

SILY: Was there something you wanted to communicate about the project or yourself with your debut album?

JS: That’s a good question. Yeah, I think any time someone writes a song or shares a piece of art, they’re trying to communicate something about themselves. What I’ve heard before is that it’s much less direct than, “I want to say this thing about myself.” You’re almost sharing whatever weird thing comes out of the moment of creation rather than having an idea and thinking, “I definitely want to say this about myself.”

I guess it was just the feeling of when you’re doing something by yourself and writing something by yourself, it’s just an extension of whatever weird thoughts and feelings were going through you at the time. The magic of music is you share that moment with someone who hears and connects with it two years later. I love that. It’s really exciting. It’s something that excited me when I was young, and it still does. I think for sure there’s no five-point plan of things I was trying to express. More just a feeling.

SILY: How did the idea for “The One I Love”--the song and video--come to you?

JS: Last summer was a period I didn’t tour for a year, and I always had toured at least once during the calendar year. I took a very defined break from touring. It was a song where I was working from home every day, and I was working on music. It’s the excitement of driving to my local convenience store on a summer night and being really energized but kind of isolated. I wasn’t hanging out, wasn’t going out, didn’t have any romance. It’s the combination of being excited about seeing people in your neighborhood, in your grocery store or convenience store, and then coming home and having this excited feeling but nowhere to bring it. That song was converting the feeling into something when there was nowhere to put it. I got really into being home and got excited about the little things I would see in my neighborhood. The simplicity of that was more exciting to me than traveling around the world--I was super burnt out on that at that point.

There are a lot of feelings in that song. A lot of it is orienting why I make music, where the motivation is, and a lot of it comes from this appreciation and love for people. Romantic love, friendship, familial love--really orienting myself that’s where it’s coming from as opposed to other reasons why people make music.

The video is kind of just trying to create the world of that feeling. It was a very isolated time for me but I was super excited. Sometimes, being a hermit or being isolated has a negative connotation, but it was super energizing for me. I was touring or in the music scene for so long, it was cool to have this period where I was driving through the city alone and going to all these places alone. I was really thrilled by it, and I think it was a good chance to reflect and get some perspective on where I was coming from.

SILY: What’s the story behind “You Are The Beatles”?

JS: Oh, yeah. That to me was a pretty goofy song that I just liked. Kind of like what we were talking about earlier--just trying to share a feeling you had at a time. I was like, “I gotta get rid of that, it’s such a weird song.” [But then] I just sang that line, and thought, “I’d love if I heard a song called ‘You Are The Beatles’.” You’d be like, “What’s this song about?” I used to say that Jonathan Richman was a big influence, but it gets harder and harder to hear that. There are times where the innocence and exuberance of Jonathan Richman songs--it’s almost like rule-breaking how sweet it is. That really appeals to me. I kind of want to make room for things that feel a little silly or completely unmitigated romanticism. 

Basically, that song for me is literally a list of influences. Some are a little more buried. It’s also like a way of saying, “I love you. You’re the best. You’re the Beatles.” It’s like writing a love song but talking about the art that meant the most to me and the weird little influences.

SILY: I get what you’re saying with Jonathan Richman. We’re so conditioned to find something that’s darker and deeper and ironic, we think, “There’s something really weird behind this.” You listen to a song like that and think it’s totally sarcastic, but it’s actually radical in the fact that it’s not.

JS: For sure! I was thinking about “That Summer Feeling”, the Jonathan Richman song. It’s one of the darkest, most haunting--it’s so heavy. It’s crushing. I love that sort of paradox. Not to say the one I wrote is like that. It’s just a way of saying, “Well fuck it, that is what I want to say.”

SILY: “Perfect Day” by Lou Reed is like that, too.

JS: Dude! Exactly. I love that stuff. Just smuggling different things into different forms.

SILY: This might be off, but “If You Remember” reminds me a lot of “Via Chicago” by Wilco.

JS: Oh yeah. That’s not off. There was a point where I think I had already recorded and finished it and thought, “Oh, this kind of sounds like that Wilco song.” It’s definitely reminiscent of that song. Hopefully not too much so.

SILY: Not too much. It’s definitely got parts that are different. Just the initial repeated melody. Honestly, that could be an intentional or not intentional choice and it’s a good thing either way. It’s a great song. So is yours.

JS: Thanks, man. I try to spot check down the road to see if it’s anything else. Once it passes that test, it’s good to go. I haven’t thought about this one in a while, but I definitely had that moment where it was reminiscent of that Wilco song. But not so much like other stuff I’ve gotten rid of where I think, “This is just that.”

SILY: Like the stories of people dreaming a melody, waking up in the middle of the night and recording it, and waking up the next day and it’s just a well-known hit song.

JS: I wrote a song yesterday that’s basically Madonna’s “True Blue”. It’s the same thing. I can’t get away from it. It’s “True Blue” with a little Elton John “Crocodile Rock”. They both have that refrain. [sings] “True blue, baby I love you. We’re dancing all night to the crocodile rock.” So I try to get rid of stuff.

SILY: Would you ever keep it around to have it exist for you and some friends even if you don’t release it?

JS: I’m just at this period in my life where I write a song almost every day, or at least a melody, verse, or chorus that’s recorded real quick. So it’s just good to have all of it. Maybe some day things will find a way to rise to the surface. There might be a line from that song that ends up in a different song a year from now, so it’s good I lay it down. I don’t reject things out of hand. I nurture them along because you don’t know how it shows up. I could be in a band 10 years from now and be like, “Actually, if we played that song...”

The biggest thing I see from a lot of people that prevents them from sharing work is that there are 100 different reasons why you can talk yourself out of a song. It sounds too much like this, it’s not what you want to do, it’s too corny, you don’t have the skills to play it right, you don’t have a good voice. I’m really against that ethic. You might as well finish it and furthermore share it. If people don’t respond, you learn from that. But I think what prevents people is finding the reasons why they can’t do something.

SILY: What about the title track made you want to name the album after it?

JS: It’s a weird song but it’s the most representative of the philosophy of the time. It almost feels too literal, where I literally took a break from touring and wrote this record. But it’s not really what I meant from that. I’m really into this idea where moments I really think of in my life are separate from the dominant story of what’s going on at the time. So when you’re on your smoke break from your job--that’s what I remember about the jobs I’ve had. For me, working and then writing music in these off hours or off moments. It’s like when you go to a show and the best moment is when you talk to your friend outside. Just these little cracks I find to be the exciting moments of life. The moments after a show where there’s quiet in the band. Those are just really special moments of reflection and kind of what I remember when I think back to things. 

There are moments in romance when you haven’t figured out the story of what’s gonna happen yet. You haven’t literalized everything. That place you first occupy with someone where you don’t know what’s going on but it’s exciting and all you know. Those all came together for me in this way of a really interesting philosophy of life. There are moments where you wouldn’t consider what your life really is. When you’re on tour, those weird moments. There’s something special about them. Or life being defined by this romantic relationship but there are ones less obvious that are really special.

SILY: Tell me about the album art.

JS: I went downtown with my friend Abby Banks who took the photo. I really wanted to capture the sense from “The One I Love”. I really, really love convenience stores and all my diners. Honestly, the grocery store parking lot. These spaces where people are bumping up against each other that are aesthetically nondescript but very comforting. I guess I just wanted to get to that energy of feeling very isolated and alone but all the more appreciative of the energy of these communal places where different types of people come in and out. There’s an equalizing factor. There’s an equality to convenience stores or just some sort of leveling factor that I love and get a real energy out of. Especially in LA, where you could spend all your time mingling in certain places with certain people. Just trying to capture that excitement of the beauty of these places. Just the comfort of life and those feelings. The song to me is laying down the feeling of what’s going on. Everything is trying to match that.

SILY: What’s next for you?

JS: I’ve been playing in bands for literally 20 years, but all this stuff feels new and exciting. So I’m enjoying all these things I watched Kevin and Cassie do and was around for. Put a band together, try to play some shows in LA, and try to figure. I’m gonna try to go to Europe and the UK. 

Honestly, the most fun thing to me is when the band is building. You’re just figuring it out and problem solving. I’m in that right now. It keeps it exciting. I like doing this interview! This rules. I have a weird combination of having done this stuff for so long that I have these amazing friends to play on the record, but it’s also new and exciting. Which I think is important for anyone. It keeps these things feeling very genuine and honest. It prevents you from getting really jaded.

I’m also just gonna keep writing songs. Just keep doing the work. That’s the fun for me. I love the work of music and bands. I love building them. Just doing that every day.

SILY: Even logistical things that a lot of people have been doing for a while--either they’re jaded or like, “Alright, this PR cycle again. Have to figure out the tour.” You talk about it with passion and like you’re looking forward to it. That’s awesome.

JS: Believe me--I understand the burnout of certain things. Touring can be really tough. I get it all. But I’ve always wanted to figure out how to stay excited. If that’s your MO, you have to figure out a way to change things or keep doing that. My friends who I gravitate towards really know how to do it. We’re really lucky to be doing this stuff.

SILY: Is there anything you’ve been listening to, reading, or watching lately that’s caught your attention?

JS: That’s a good question. I’m a guest on the Aquarium Drunkard radio show today. I’m one of those people who just listens to Billie Holiday every day. I get set on an artist and just indulge in that. So I’m like, “Man, I gotta find cool music to play!” I also go through phases where for 3 months I can’t find a book that grabs me and just keep starting different books. I’ve been reading this book called Why We Came To The City by Kristopher Jansma. I don’t know whether you’re familiar with A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. It’s this pulverizing, award-winning book that was one of my favorite books from last year. Anyway, Why We Came To The City is like the Oasis to the Beatles’ A Little Life. But then you’re like--that’s not bad. Oasis is an amazing band. I read that on the last European tour. But right now I’m in a slump. I have a Paul Auster book I can’t get into. I’m in a dry stretch, but something will come around.

[vioncentral-blog]

Barstool's Big Cat And PFT Wish ESPN Canceled Show Before First Episode

https://www.vionafrica.cf/barstools-big-cat-and-pft-wish-espn-canceled-show-before-first-episode/

Barstool's Big Cat And PFT Wish ESPN Canceled Show Before First Episode

The hosts of the Pardon My Take podcast and now-canceled ESPN show Barstool Van Talk, Big Cat and PFT Commenter, opened up about the whirlwind week that saw their show come and go amid controversy.

Hours before Barstool Van Talk was to make its debut on ESPN2 last Tuesday, NFL Sunday Countdown host Sam Ponder took to Twitter to complain about her network joining forces with Barstool Sports. She then posted things that were said about her by some Barstool hosts, but not Big Cat. That led to Barstool firing back and digging up many unflattering tweets that Ponder had sent out a few years ago.

The show still launched and drew 88,000 viewers. However, the day before episode No. 2 was going to air, ESPN President John Skipper pulled the plug, saying that the company couldn't distance itself from Barstool's brand.

Big Cat and PFT addressed all of this in the newest episode of Pardon My Take, which was released Tuesday morning. Here are some highlights:

Big Cat: "We’re very disappointed. I’d say it’s a combination of disappointment, heartbreak and embarrassment. I know embarrassment sounds ridiculous, but we were very excited and it was never our dream to be on TV, never something like, 'We have to be on TV.' It was something that was kind of presented to us and we thought it was gonna be a really cool opportunity to give you guys more content, different content. So to have that kind of ripped from us, it sucks. There’s not sugarcoating it. It f—ing sucks."

PFT: "There’s some anger, but to touch on what you said about embarrassment, we’re not embarrassed about the product we put out there. We’re not embarrassed about what we did leading up to the show to try and get it on the air. We’re not embarrassed about really anything that has to do with the content of the show. It mostly just the fact of, my mom called me yesterday and said, 'I heard your show got canceled after one week.' That’s kind of embarrassing as a person."

PFT: "It started eight months ago, back in March. ESPN came to [Barstool Sports CEO] Erika [Nardini] and said they were interested in Pardon My Take. They have enjoyed our show, they sent a lot of their talent over to us in the last year or so to do interviews. They wanted myself, Big Cat and Hank to put together a Pardon My Take show. We went back and forth. It was a pretty cool thing to have this opportunity come to you where ESPN’s like, “Hey we want you to do a television show.” Sounds like a good opportunity to branch out a little and try something fun. As the summer went on, things got closer to actually happening. In the last two weeks or so, the name change got suggested from Pardon My Take to Barstool Van Talk. I’ll be honest. I was against the name change. I thought Pardon My Take made sense from a branding standpoint from what we’ve build right here to bring our audience over to television. I thought it made all the sense in the world to keep the show’s name as Pardon My Take. [Barstool Sports founder] Dave [Portnoy] felt otherwise. You probably see his point more than I do."

Big Cat: "Yeah, I agree with Dave on that point because this was never a deal that was going to get us a million dollars. The deal was to get more eyeballs. Barstool’s never been on TV. We did a Comedy Central run that was a four-episode special. This was a 20-week deal. We were supposed to be on ESPN2 until late February. We all knew it was probably gonna cause some problems, but I understood it."

PFT: "We disagree on that part about the name. I saw that as a pretty clear sign there was gonna be some significant backlash."

Big Cat: "And there was. Obviously everyone knows Sam Ponder tweeted that stuff out. It caused an entire s—storm. People began the whole let’s find what someone said in the past, which, for the record, I think is bull—-. I’ve said many things that I’m sure that if you showed to me today, I’d be like, “Eh, probably not the best." But more than one tweet, or one word you’ve said, you should be judged by the totality of everything you’ve done and I will stand by everything I’ve done at Barstool. I’ll stand by the platform that it’s given me, I’ll stand by the audience I’ve built. None of that is changing. I did listen to the Pick 'Em [show] that Dave and I did when he called her a s—. I think looking back on it, it was stupid and I apologize for that word. I apologize for laughing. But I think the rest of the rant was kind of, that’s what we do. We make fun of everything. It was all in context of what we do. When you take something from 2014, take it out, rip it out its context, put it in 2017, things are not gonna look great all the time. At the end of the day, what sucked was that it became an entire controversy we couldn’t talk because the show was on thin ice and any word that we said could basically jeopardize it. And all we cared about in this room was getting you guys the show. So my silence on Twitter… I literally was just trying to get the show out."

Big Cat: "Looking back on it, I think it was wrong, the s— thing was wrong, the timing of Sam Ponder’s tweet, the grudges she held, she had every right to be upset, but it was clear it was put out there to undermine and cancel this show. And it was clear that other people at ESPN had the same exact motive and wanted to get this show cancelled. And to those people, and we know who they are, I’ll never forgive you. And I really wish ESPN had stood tall on it because I think it was s—-y they put us on and then took us off when they know this could all come brewing. They should’ve just never put us on to begin with. It was mismanaged from the beginning."

PFT: "Nothing changed from that Tuesday that it got on the air and the following Monday when it was cancelled. They should’ve just not let the show go on the air because on that Tuesday, that’s when Dave looked back through Sam’s tweets and started firing off some tweets at her, kind of reignited the controversy a little bit and at that point ESPN had a meeting about two hours until the show debuted and the question was, are we gonna pull the show. It was a very realistic possibility the show was gonna get canceled."

Big Cat went on to say that while he deserved to be lumped in with what Portnoy said about Ponder, he pointed out their voices are not the same and each should be judged individually on what they say. The duo also said that ESPN mismanaged the whole thing, but heaped praise on Executive Vice President, Burke Magnus, for supporting them, and hosts, Scott Van Pelt and Ryen Russillo for being mentors and friends. They revealed that appearing on SportCenter Van Pelt months ago was the catalyst to getting their show on ESPN.