#because not everyone has the opportunity to go to play or musical in a theater

[lesbiangummybearmafia]

I feel jealous of everyone that lives in NYC. Y'all get the opportunity to go to the Theater district see plays and musicals with stars most of will never get the chance to.

I really wish some streaming service would make a deal with some of play houses and/or Broadway Theaters to record their performances so those of us that will never have another way to see those performances will get a chance to watch them. I know it's not going to the same experience as seeing them done live.

But imagine how amazing it would be for, say, children or their grandparent that's lived in, say, Nebraska their whole life could watch Broadway version of the Lion King or see Wicked.

They did it with Hamilton on Disney plus. It gave me a chance I wouldn't of had way to see it. It was amazing!!

I just find it extremely sad that only certain number of people are allowed to enjoy these brilliance plays and musicals, basically solely on location and financially able.

For example the only play I've ever seen in my life was done by the theater class at my high school. I don't ever remember the play it's been so long.

As hard as it's to comprehend for some, many of us are either not financially fortunate to be able to go to such things or don't find interest in them until older or we live in area of the country where they don't have access to such things.

That's why recording the plays and musicals having them available on a streaming platform would be such a brilliant idea. If they didn't want to do it during a live performance, which makes sense. Do a performance just for the recording. Which I actually think is a better idea, they could get better camera angles, the cameras could move around more freely, they bother a live audience that way and it would be recorded better for the views who actually going be watching it at home. Let's be honest I doubt highly they'd lose ticket sales, I personally think it would do opposite. I think it would make people that could go see it more inclined to do so. To experience it live, to get be that close to brilliant actors, to know before hand if its good for their kids, etc...

I hate that we live in such an elitist society.

[illubean]

Valorant Protocol as Highschool Stereotypes

Characters: Chamber, Gekko, Iso, Jett, Killjoy, Neon, Phoenix, Raze, Sage, Skye, Viper, Yoru Type: Headcanons

HAHA help me valorant brainrot >.< also this is based off of my hs experience soooo yeah

Warnings: none

Chamber

your typical pretty boy

all the girls love him all the boys hate him

well...most of the girls love him

they follow him around to classes or offer him gifts or ask to sit with him at lunch etc.

and he eats up the attention every time

he's lab partners with Viper in Environmental Sciences and he likes trying to flirt with her

she actually hates him btw

Gekko

canonically he skateboards

but honestly? I can see him being on the dance team

he's so high energy, he needs some sort of outlet

he never misses an opportunity to show off his dance moves

homecoming? prom? he is the center of the dance circle

like Raze, he doesn't know how popular he is

he's just happy to have so many good friends that it doesn't even actually occur to him that he's considered "popular"

Iso

he's an ap art kid

like he walks around with a big ass sketchbook every day

always talking about his portfolio

Iso baby ily but please shut the fuck up about oil paints <3

he probably volunteered part of his summer break to come in and paint a mural for the school

I think he'd also take a piano class as like a schedule filler but he actually gets crazy good at it

Jett

pe tryhard

if you end up on the opposite team as her while playing dodge ball good luck 😓

she's always picked as team captain because literally no one else is excited as she is

she's sorta like Hairo from Saiki K 💀

she gets a lil mad when her teammates don't try

Killjoy

she's in robotics club

she's not very popular but that doesn't bother her at all

she heads straight to and from every class and spends her lunch period in the workshop unless Raze drags her off somewhere

not a lot of people actually know who she is, and if they do they just know her as 'Raze's Friend'

i think she'd remind the teacher about the homework and hit you with the "erm actually 🤓" tbh

Neon

she's on track and field/cross country

after every meet you can find her laying on the floor somewhere ready to puke bc she tries so hard to win 😭

she always ends up top 5 tho

she complains about practice but joins the team every year anyways

she carries her bag around all the time and if you open it there's like 10 water bottles in there

#hydratedqueen

Phoenix

theater kid DUHH

he's probably drama club president or sumn

bro will NOT let go of a specific song from a musical he was in his freshman year and it wasn't even his song 💀

he's been in every show every year and somehow he manages to land every role he wants

he's insanely good at the game 'bang' (mostly because he's louder than everyone else...)

he probably plans/hosts the cast parties too

Raze

she doesn't care much about her grades

she does the bare minimum and gets straight Cs

she's just here to have fun

everyone likes her because of her approachable personality

she doesn't think she's popular but she is

Sage

she's in the medical assistant class

she takes it very seriously, as she plans on going to medical school

even before taking the class she carries a first aid kit and other essentials everywhere she goes

you need a bandaid? ibuprofen? a pad or tampon? she has it all

she's also ASB president

school events literally would not be able to run without her

lets just say her college applications/resume will look REALLY good...

Skye

she also took medical assistant but was less crazy about it than Sage

she just follows her friend's lead

she thinks the skills are useful but she doesn't see herself making it her career

but also I think she would play volleyball

she's a well rounded player but specializes most in defense

still, don't underestimate her bc this girl can SPIKE

Viper

she took every ap science class offered without taking the general ones first

she complains about getting any grade below an A...

"What are you talking about? That test was easy"

sorry not everyone is as smart as you Sabine 😑

she spends all her free time at chem tutoring (even though she doesn't need it)

Yoru

he thinks he looks cool and mysterious when he walks down the halls but he doesn't

everyone just thinks his mad all the time and stay out of his way 😭

randos try to pick fights with him bc he "looked at them wrong" (Yoru wins every time)

he's not exactly a 'quiet kid' but he does lay low when it comes to the social part of school

despite his 'bad boy' look, he has pretty good grades

he's also probably one of those guys that a handful of girls have a crush on but he has no idea

[kebriones]

Idk if you have answered this before but how do you see the future for artists in Greece?

I know a small country with mostly agricultural and many people try desperately to meet ends meet and work a lot. Of course that's a global issue what work people prefer but i don't like art being discriminated.

In Greece how's it looking?

Unfortunately, greece is no longer a mainly agricultural economy. Tourism and shipping are by far our main industries.

It's true that many people struggle here, and the way things are going, will continue to struggle. And it's true that artists in general, not just here, always have the most unstable jobs and struggle.

It's not looking good. And for greece specifically everything seems to keep getting worse. The arts are overlooked on all levels, from primary school to university to funding for theaters or even exporting art. Nobody seems to understand how important it is for a culture to be producing and 'consuming' its own art. You slowly lose yourself when all you ever read and watch is from other cultures. Of course it's vital to interact with the arts of other cultures. But not exclusively that. Plus most of it is from the US/the anglosphere anyway.

All types of art are suffering here, but I see people keep trying. Not the majority, the majority of artists I know feel hopeless and defeated. But there are still artists who try to make it here. They make great music and comics and indie movies and great theater plays. And i do think that we can do so much more. The gaming and animation industries are almost non existent here, and there's so much potential there. You don't need some great infrastructure for those, you just need people who are willing to work, and a little financial support because so many people genuinely live in poverty right now. And it's these people who, upon given the opportunity will work the hardest. Many rich kids I know from art school don't care about working hard and making it, because it is actually very hard to be an artist, and it's easier to just go work for your dad's business than slave away in a moldy basement you're paying half of your income in rent for. In other countries with developed industries in these things, you don't need financial support to kickstart them, because there actually are studios you can go work for and learn in etc and the industry exists already.

The prevailing attitude here is that you need to migrate to find work, to be appreciated, to have a good life and do something that matters and not waste yourself. Which is, currently, the most reasonable route for an artist, and what I dreamed of when I was in highschool. But seeing a place like this destroy itself and become nothing but a fancy amusement park for rich foreign people sucks. There's talent and there's people with things to offer here and a culture that gets lost because everyone, including ourselves, sees our culture as just antiquity. Modern greek culture is seen as insignificant, wrong and bastardized, it's not something to care about beyond the tasty food, it's not as great as it should be and it will never live up to a past so idealized it's fake. This is connected to our perception of our own artistic production right now. You have Euripides, you don't need to worry about writing great plays yourself. You have all these ancient sculptures, you don't need any more amazing sculptors. A kot has been said about this problem modern greece has. Antiquity is inescapable and you need to look at it and accept it on one hand, but it is a crutch and a discouragement on the other. We struggle to exist alongside it in a healthy way.

Anyway I am hopeful that things can get better, because i think we can make them better. We just need to work harder and focus and make ourselves heard through our art, chase opportunities and build communities here and not give up when everyone around you is telling you you're better off in a soul-crushing job that will at least provide you with a steady salary for the next 40 years of your life that can barely afford you rent and groceries.

[adamnablelittledevil]

Reacting to The Vampire Lestat - Part IV (with a bit of spoilers)

Lestat's narration has gotten so much better actually. I mean, I still don't care when he talks about stuff that doesn't have an effect on him, but when he describes things/people that actually do? It's great. It's just so vivid, rich, colorful, sometimes even abstract that simply makes me giggle and kick my feet. When he gets really thoughtful about life, vampirism, existence, religion, morality, feelings, theater, music etc, it feels like borderline insanity, but in a brilliant way? Feels like I'm tasting some crazy drug and tripping, but it's so good? It activates a very specific part of my neurodivergent brain and I love it because I'll also be having those crazy thoughts all by myself with nobody to talk to and Lestat just gets it.

I also love the excess of exclamations on this POV haha.

Sometimes it just feels like a naive child telling things and is kind of endearing.

ARMAND!

Armand in Lestat's words: he was beautiful, ethereal, sublime, exquisite, delicate, soft, perfect, a Caravaggio painting, a Da Vinci painting, an angel, I found myself in him, the possibility of him, I didn't pay attention to [whatever] because I was looking at him etc etc.

Basically calling him the most beautiful thing he's ever seen, really.

Like, I legit MEMORIZED some of them. Lestat was THAT repetitive lmao.

I don't know if it's because the words were so superlative or because Lestat had it that bad or because I have it that bad just thinking about it, but yeah.

I'm not even kidding when I say I need to take pauses because this is kind of unsettling.

I'm so serious, but I feel like reading Lestat's description of Armand has a bigger effect on me than the prettiest person I have ever seen in freaking R E A L L I F E? What the hell, WHAT IS THIS SORCERY?

Lestat, tone it down, I'm begging you.

Been told Armand is really that gorgeous and every character talks about him that way, so apparently he isn't exaggerating... I'm gonna lie down, bye.

It's even worse because I just picture show!Armand because he's even more handsome there so it makes me dizzy.

Also because Lestat won't miss an opportunity to talk about his beauty? He LITERALLY says it EVERY SINGLE TIME he sees Armand. I'm not joking, I swear on my own life. I'm like, OKAY, WE GET IT? ENOUGH!

Armand (Lestat's version) on season 3 will be insufferable and I'm so ready for it. But also not ready yk.

At this point I'm basically just drooling over him and I don't care.

PERFECT casting with Assad. He incorporates Armand like no other. Everyone on the show is talented and I can see them as their characters, but there's one thing or another that I imagine differently sometimes? But not Armand, like, my Armand looks, walks, moves, talks, stares etc the exact same way Assad does it on the show. Every single time. The others are like, 90% or something for me, but Assad is 100% my imagination? It's like he traveled in time, stole my 2024 thoughts, went back to the past, auditioned, got the part and then played it exactly the way I see it today. It's crazy.

Wouldn't be surprised if that's the case, they already have all these possessions going on, what's more to our little satanic show lmao.

Also, great casting with Assad because no man with red-ish hair has looked this good ever. It just doesn't make sense, I'm sorry.

Armand is a beauty God, but also a really good character and I love his lines. Even when I don't agree with him, I just find him fascinating, the role he has on the story, what he represents, the way he moves the plot, whatever the effect he has on Lestat etc...

Armand's moments are never boring. He'll probably piss me off later, but right now I'm having a great time and the book has never been better.

Lesmand's/Armandstat's moments are always heated. The tension is always there. I'm not telling you what kind. Actually, I don't even know it myself. Do THEY even know?

Sam said something about how you're never sure what they are and I think he's right? At least for now. Let's see it after all the books.

They also act like they've known each other forever, have this crazy history that goes through centuries and they already can push each other's buttons... But they actually, like, only know each other for 5 minutes? CHILL?!

They're sort of soul ties/mirrors/foils/two sides of the same coin-coded in an appealing way.

I guess I can say Armand is my favorite character right now. I always read it faster when he's there, I'm always looking forward to seeing him again, I'm fine when I don't see Gabrielle or Nicki, but I'm always like, BRING HIM BACK. I don't know if I should be worried I'll grow into hating him when stuff happens or if I'll just be an Armand apologist lol. I'm scared. But let's wait to see it.

Samssad on season 3 will be delicious. Specially on the 1700s flashbacks. I'm expecting almost, if not EVERY scene of them there to be INTENSE. Great acting potential there.

I really want to see a moment with Armand and Lestat in a church like on the book? Let's take their angelic faces and curls to the next level. Put them in a church, surrounded by religious figures, stained glasses, candles etc. I don't even care what the context will be. They can be talking, silent, killing each other, doing something else, doing all of it, but give me the heavenly visuals. Actually, if they want to film the entire show in a church they can, it would be so aesthetically pleasing. Bonus points if they use Gothic churches because I'm extremely obsessed with them. Bonus points if they use Sainte-Chapelle because I'm kind of even more hyperfixated on that. I mean, it would never happen, but it should *shrugs*.

Btw, the mess Armand made in the house and the way he was reading the books is very neurodivergent of him.

The way he prefers to talk telepathically instead of speaking out loud is very neurodivergent of him as well.

Nicki is soooooooooo doomed by the narrative, omg. Anne didn't even try to hide it.

I'm not really sure how I feel about Nicki except that he needs therapy...

This is probably the silliest comment so far, I'm no longer thinking clearly after Armand's introduction. Sorry, guys. It will happen again.

The next chapter has his name so I'm scared, but also excited.

P.S. Nothing is permanent, opinions might change and this is based on Lestat’s narration, which can be unreliable. I’m reading the books so I can find out more about the characters, what potential events might happen in the show, what I can expect etc. This is my favorite show in the universe, so I want to be as informed as possible. I have no idea if I’ll become a legit fan of the books or not, but so far I’m enjoying it. I’m posting these comments only for fun.

[mancer-in-the-abbey]

This coding course is kicking my ass, have some general ghoul headcanons, one for each of them

Phantom/Aeon: New Bug, as ever, strikes me as a “fake it till you make it” kind of guy. As such, it kinda makes me feel like he’d be a theater kid if given the chance, and although I think he’d get a kick out of musicals (Phantom of the Opera, ha ha), I think specifically he’d be into improv. Like, there is no chance his comfort show ISN’T Whose Line Is It Anyway. The minute someone introduced him to D&D, it’s over for everyone.

Aurora: I think she has a soft spot for classic opera pieces. It really lets her go all out in a technical sense, use her range to its fullest extent. It’s stereotypical, but her favorite aria is the Queen of the Night. It’s so damn fun to do this quick jumps in scale in such quick succession!

Sunshine: MASSIVE sweet tooth. Like, yes she knows her corporeal form is fragile and she needs to take care of it, and she does to some extent! She keeps very fit! But fuck if she doesn’t just devour a pound cake if she’s given the opportunity. Will absolutely get a hell of a stomach ache after, but in her mind it’s worth it. Hey, at least she takes good care of her teeth to match!

Rain: A fan of Dancing With The Stars! Though he himself is not known to be all that steady on his feet, he loves watching people who aren’t traditionally considered athletic be put into a professional dance setting and either crash and burn or get better over time. He honestly doesn’t care about the celebrity aspect in the least, barely pays attention to the slice-of-life interviews before the dances themselves, but MAN does he love to pick apart someone’s performance and try to guess what the judges will give before the scores are announced.

Cumulus: Wasn’t initially a gamer, she more preferred to watch those who were have fun in the ghoul common room, but she didn’t have much else to do during the pandemic so… yeah, she just CONSUMED everything Rain sent her way. Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, Portal and Portal 2x Hades, the entire Resident Evil franchise up to that point, even DOOM Eternal funny enough. She’s kept up with since then, but still has massive fondness for Animal Crossing.

Cirrus: Loves gem stones and precious metals! She has a real crow instinct but is kinda picky about it, like she’ll get fixated on a shiny gold hair clip with rinestones on it but if it feels too cheep in her hands she’ll lose interest entirely. Even still, her jewelry collection is LARGE. One expensive magpie, that woman, but she shares with the other ghouls if they ask so it evens out.

Swiss: It doesn’t fully mesh with go-to interpretation of him but I once read a headcanon that posited Swiss being able to replicate sounds to an uncanny degree and I am bringing it back here because I love it so damn much, kinda plays into being a little bit of every ghoul. I like to think if you startle Swiss he’ll forget to use his normal voice and just goes straight to the sound effects board. Phantom accidentally pops in from nowhere? Sudden air horn blast. Dew tackling him to the ground? The sound of a car going past you. Mountain stepping on his tail? Fire alarm. Someone kicks him in the balls? Microphone feedback. For a while.

Mountain: He likes eating rocks and precious metals. It’s already a thing with some subsets of earth ghoul, but like for Mountain it’s at a higher level. His preferred snack is those semi-precious rocks you get at tourist attractions, he will just chow down on it like popcorn. When that’s not available, however, he uses salt to sate the the itch. Dude keeps a salt lamp in his room that he uses as a salt lick when no one’s looking. This also extends to novelty items MADE of salt. Those Himalayan salt shot glasses? One-use only. Go straight into his mouth.

Aether: One of those tricks Omega showed him during era 3 is how to use your own quintessence on yourself, something generally considered to be very hard to do amongst quint ghouls. Aether has tweaked and expanded on this ability and has learned how to… basically hotbox but with quintosis. Not something he does often cause it’s draining but sometimes it’s nice to unwind on a near molecular level. Among the few he shares this ability with are Dew, Mountain, and Swiss. He’ll teach the new bug when he feels he’s ready for that kind of power…

Dewdrop: is actually a really good cook! Like really good, actually. He got really into watching Food Network when he first came to Earth which evolved into watching older cooking shows. This further evolved into experimenting with his own recipes. He’s also taught Mountain everything he knows about how to handle the kitchen, so they tend to share cooking duty between the two of them. No one’s complained yet!

[tabithatwo]

Can I ask why you don’t like this new season of yj? No hate or anything, I’m just genuinely curious

I’m so tired and probably won’t be very coherent but that’s okay there’s like six more of these in my asks if I want a second more thorough answer tomorrow lol but a lot of how I feel is in posts on my blog and I’ll just talk mostly 2x08 here. I’ve been hanging on tight until this episode but it has BROKEN me. Like I’m in mourning lol. To anyone who likes it I’m so happy for you I’m not coming for you at all.

But to me the main issue I’ve had is how they have constantly had opportunities to go DARK and SHOW the devolution but they played it very fucking safe (the makeup being the catalyst, Shauna’s birth being truly the safest option possible, like an episode of call the midwife except a fucked up dream happens, etc) and there was no actual build to the level of violence and depravity (or even RELIGION BUILDING) that the card draw sacrifice calls for. The ate Jackie because she was already dead and the wilderness slow cooked her, they were all mourning the baby last episode, they showed us Misty feeling potentially genuine remorse and guilt for Crystal? The “cult stuff” up until now has been mostly fucking dbt techniques and self harm. Yes the shauna lottie last episode was intense but we got absolutely zero follow up on it in any real characterization way for shauna this episode.

Then they kicked us out of the room when the decision was being made and I PROMISE people who think that was a shit move are largely not thinking they needed to explain the card game. It’s about showing your characters in pivotal huge moments. Yellowjackets is advertised and set up in s1 as a psychological horror. I want to see the characters GRAPPLE with things in a psychological horror. Seeing how they got from point a to point b isn’t about understanding the rules of their game, it’s about seeing developed characters reactions to crazy fucking shit.

Instead we get a jump straight into everyone drawing a card and the group deciding to kill one of their two hunters. Would some be on board with no questions asked? sure, but to ask the audience to believe that it just Makes Sense that they landed here after being very fucking relatively TAME all season until that one fight (I was so scared after that scene and no one reacting that this is the jump they were making, based on one moment alone and I was so sad to see it happen lol) is a big ask.

Now add on top of that the way they’re cutting us out of the actual character driven moments. That wasn’t psychological horror, that wasn’t delving into characters psyches like we’ve been promised. It was a thriller moment, change on a dime, maybe for shock value I guess. To me that interim would’ve been a very hard scene to write, a glimpse even of them deciding and reckoning with this belief and darkness in themselves. It’s a large group with a lot to juggle and big messy dynamics. And the easy way out of that is to just not show it at all.

People keep saying “they don’t have time to develop things this season because of side plots.” But they CHOSE to have those side plots in the first place. They’re filling shit in because they don’t WANT to get into the nitty gritty. We watched musical theater and cops and whatever the hell else and whatever. Fine. Sure. But it isn’t that those plots magically overtook some extra brilliant deep moments that they planned on showing with these characters to actually WITNESS their devolution, like s1 set us up to expect. They added them to fill empty space.

I GET that they become brutal. I GET that they devolve. I UNDERSTAND that from moment fucking one. The draw of the show to me is not watching them chase someone. We got that in the first scene. It’s seeing HOW they get there. What has to happen to get them to that place AND how does it impact each main character. Don’t just list the bad things for me. Show me their reasoning and their religion building and their arguing and their giving in. That’s what the real story is to me. Because we just saw them do their first ritual kill, but we didn’t see much more DEPTH to it, with these characters that we’ve now spent 18 episode getting to know, than the pilot already showed us.

1 am ramblings please forgive confusing turns of phrase or typos lol

[asordinaryppl]

A3! Main Story: Part 4 - Act 14: DREAM CATCHER - Episode 11: Overseas Training

Izumi: Uhh, this is 7th Avenue so…

Tenma: Over there?

Muku: Oh! You're right!

Misumi: We made it~!

Kumon: That's a large crowd!

Kazunari: Pics will look fire no matter where you take them! Yukki, Kumopi, look over here~!

Yuki: Alright.

Kumon: I luv New York! (1)

[Snap]

Kazunari: C’mon, c’mon, you three as well~!

Izumi: (Even though we just got off a 13 hour flight, they're all so lively. That's the Summer Troupe for you.)

Izumi: (But still, this decision to come to the US sure was sudden…)

[Flashback starts]

Yuki: Training in the US?

Tenma: My Father suddenly messaged me.

Tenma: There'll be a film festival soon, so he asked me if we wanted to go to the US for a study trip. Apparently the office will cover the travel costs.

Muku: Eh? The costs!?

Kazunari: If they're paying for it, Furuuche-san will be OK with it too.

Kumon: I wanna go to the US!

Izumi: But is it really okay for us to accept all that..?

Tenma: I think he also feels bad because he couldn't do anything for us during all those troubles with Amadate.

Tenma: I think it's okay for us to go ahead and accept it.

Tenma: The States’ entertainment industry has more to it than just stage plays and musicals.

Tenma: They’re also one of the leading players in design and fashion, so we’ve definitely got lots to gain.

Tenma: Father told me that if we want to win the Fleur Award, Japan's most renown theater award, we as actors need to experience theater at its core.

Yuki: I am interested.

Muku: The fact that Issei-san is active on a worldwide level makes his words all the more convincing.

Izumi: Then… Let's take him up on his offer.

Tenma: Yeah. I think it'll also be a good opportunity for us to refresh our knowledge.

Misumi: Let's go~ to the US!

Kumon: I can't wait to board a plane!

[Flashback ends]

Izumi: (Although a lot happened with Issei-san during the Summer Troupe's debut…)

Izumi: (Right now, he's earnestly supporting Tenma-kun on his road as a stage actor. I'm really grateful.)

Izumi: (Our stay here will be short, but I hope they get inspired and learn a lot of things.)

Muku: If you move a little to the left, the building will be in the picture.

Kazunari: You come too, Director-chan!

Misumi: Let's take a picture together~!

Izumi: Ah, okay!

[Snap]

Kumon: There's so many people~

Yuki: This is a tourist spot, so everyone's taking pictures.

Tenma: It's probably extra crowded cause the film festival is coming up.

Kazunari: I'm so hyped~ There's no way we'd be here if we weren't invited.

Kumon: I wonder if we'll get to meet any world-famous celebs~

Tenma: But first, we have to go to see the show.

Muku: Oh, we should start heading for the theater.

Izumi: The theater is– ah, this way.

-

Kumon: That was so cool~! I feel so woozy, it's like I'm still watching the play!

Tenma: I've never seen a production like this before, and the actors’ performances blew me away.

Tenma: It really reminded me of the infinite possibilities theater holds.

Kazunari: The lighting and the sound were so cool too. Everything was full of power and I could feel the passion! It was like a treasure trove of ideas! 

Misumi: It was so fun~ I couldn't tear my eyes away, I was so excited and my heart was beating super fast!

Kumon: Yeah, yeah. It was like I was on a rollercoaster and felt every emotion at once…

Kumon: I couldn't understand the language, but I felt so many emotions~

Muku: The actors also varied from each other. Not only in their ages, but also in the way they acted…

Muku: It seemed like all of them were taking full advantage of their strengths.

Yuki: The costumes were also great. This is what stage costumes should be like.

Yuki: This really is the real thing. You can tell that all these professionals are competing in order to improve and create something new.

Izumi: (They're all inspired in their own way. I guess there are things you will only understand once you see them up close.)

Izumi: (It's only the first day, but I'm glad we came…)

Muku: It's all in English, but I got a pamphlet.

Kumon: Me too! I can't read it at all though~

Muku: Let's read it bit by bit with a dictionary when we get back to Japan.

Kumon: Yeah! Looking at the credits, there's some people with Japanese-looking names. Like the costumes person, Aiko Kataoka– (2)

Yuki: Ah–

Muku: Do you know them, Yuki-kun?

Yuki: Yeah. She's famous.

Kumon: That so~

Yuki: I see, this person is…

previous episode | masterpost | next episode

NOTES:

(1) he says this in english with katakana. figured the luv would be a cute addition

(2) aiko kataoka's name is written in english. i italicized it to make that a bit more clear

[jujumin-translates]

[A3!] ★ Main Story | Act 14 - DREAM CATCHER | Episode 11 - Overseas Training

Izumi: Umm, this is 7th Avenue, so…

Tenma: Is that it?

Muku: Ah, it is!

Misumi: We’ve arrived~!

Kumon: It’s so crowded here!

Kazunari: No matter where you snap a pic, it looks great and makes such a great ref~! Yukki, Kumopi, pose for the camera~!

Yuki: Sure.

Kumon: I love New York! (1)

*Camera clicks*

Kazunari: Here, here, Sumi and gang, you join too~!

Izumi: (Even after a little under 13-hour flight, everyone’s still full of energy. That’s Summer Troupe for you.)

Izumi: (But time really has flown by so fast from the time when we decided to go to the U.S. to now…)

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

*Flashback*

Yuki: Training in the U.S.?

Tenma: I got a call from my dad out of nowhere.

Tenma: There’s a film festival coming up in the U.S., and he suggested that all of Summer Troupe come for a training trip. He said the agency would cover the cost too.

Muku: Huh? The cost too!?

Kazunari: If the cost is covered, then it’ll be a-okay with Frooch-san.

Kumon: I wanna go to the U.S.!

Izumi: But is it really okay for him to do that much?

Tenma: Partially, it’s because he feels bad about not being able to do anything for the company back when we were struggling with the whole Amadate mess.

Tenma: I think we should just be grateful for it.

Tenma: Theater and musicals included, the U.S. isn’t only about entertainment culture.

Tenma: It’s also cutting-edge in design and fashion, so I think there’s a lot we could all learn from it.

Tenma: He said that if we want to win the Fleur Award, the highest theater award in Japan, we should experience some authentic theater as actors.

Yuki: I am pretty interested.

Muku: Issei-san does have a pretty significant presence in the world, so it’s a pretty convincing argument coming from him.

Izumi: Well then… I guess I’ll take your word for it.

Tenma: Yeah. I think it’ll be a good opportunity for us to relearn some stuff, too.

Misumi: Let’s go to the U.S.~!

Kumon: I can’t wait to be on a plane~!

*Flashback end*

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Izumi: (We didn’t exactly have the greatest experience with Issei-san during the debut performance, but…)

Izumi: (Now he truly is supporting Tenma-kun’s path as a stage actor. I really am thankful for that.)

Izumi: (I hope they can all return home full of excitement and having absorbed a lot during our short stay.)

Muku: If we move a little further left, we should be able to fit the building in.

Kazunari: C’mon, Director-chan!

Misumi: Take a picture with us~!

Izumi: Ah, sure!

*Camera clicks*

Kumon: I still can’t believe how many people there are~.

Yuki: I mean, it is a tourist attraction, so it’s no wonder everyone’s taking pictures.

Tenma: And with the film festival coming up, there will be even more people than usual.

Kazunari: I’m so hyped for the film festival~. It’s something we never would’ve gotten to go to if we weren’t invited.

Kumon: I wonder if we’ll get to meet some of the world’s biggest stars~.

Tenma: But first we’re seeing this play before any of that.

Muku: Ah, we should start heading towards the theater now.

Izumi: The theater should be around-- Ah, over there.

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Kumon: That was so impactful~! I feel kinda fluffy like I’m still in the story!

Tenma: I’ve never seen a production like that before, so I was really amazed by the whole thing and overwhelmed by the performance skills of the actors.

Tenma: It really reminds you of the wide range of possibilities that exist within theater.

Kazunari: The lighting and music were supes cool. Everything was so powerful and the impact was insane~! I feel like I’ve got ideas bouncing all around in my brain!

Misumi: It was so much fun~. I couldn’t take my eyes off it, it was filled with so much heart-pounding excitement!

Kumon: Yeah, yeah, it was like an emotional roller coaster…

Kumon: I couldn’t understand the language, but it was still conveyed through all they did~.

Muku: There were so many different types of actors. Not just in age, but in the way they acted too…

Muku: They each seemed to be making the most of their abilities.

Yuki: The costumes were good too. Those are what stage costumes should look like.

Yuki: This place really is authentic, and you can see that the pros are working hard to improve each other and create the best things they can.

Izumi: (Looks like each of them was inspired in their own way. I guess there are just some things that you can only get a feel for when you actually see them in person.)

Izumi: (We’ve hardly been here a day but I’m already happy we came…)

Muku: It’s all in English, but I just had to get a brochure too.

Kumon: Me too! Even though I can’t read any of it~.

Muku: When we get back to Japan, let’s read some of it together with a dictionary.

Kumon: Yeah! Looking at the credits, there are some Japanese-sounding names, though. Like the costume person, Aiko Kataoka--.

Yuki: Ah--.

Muku: Do you know who that is, Yuki-kun?

Yuki: Yeah, they’re famous.

Kumon: Really~?

Yuki: I see, so that’s…

[ ⇠ Previous Part ] • [ Next Part ⇢ ]

• • •

(1) Kumon says this in English.

[loemius]

Can you please tell us about drag? <3 Why did you get into it, what does it mean to you... Anything you'd like to talk about!

hi hi! thank you SO much for this question, i would ABSOLUTELY love to!! i've been into drag for... honestly my whole life. i've always been interested in makeup since i was a pre-teen and once i discovered drag makeup tutorials on youtube it was game over. i spent a ton of time in my teen years just practicing different makeup looks and playing with cosmetics. it's always been a huge interest of mine. it's a means of self expression for me. i'm transmasc and present more androgynous, leaning towards masculine, and i don't really like to wear makeup day to day (mostly because it's a lot of effort tbh). it gives me a chance to express my love of makeup and fashion, as well as my femininity, that i feel most comfortable doing in drag. performing in drag is a unique artform that you can't really get anywhere else imo. there's so many ways to approach it! you can do so much with it. it's this unique blend of music, dance, references, soundbites, fashion, theater, all in one package. it's self-expression, it's art, it's history! there's so much history behind drag, which is a really big passion of mine as well. i'm a huge nerd about lgbt+ history, pop culture, and art of all kinds, so it's just... a blend of everything i love. there's no wrong way to do drag, which is something i love about it. there's something for everyone in drag, if you're willing to get into it. i think a lot of people only thing of drag as queens, which is Not true. i personally am a queen, there's kings and people who prefer other terms like 'performer' or 'drag monster' too! it's not just people being glamorous in pretty rhinestoned gowns on stage or what you see on drag race, although it Can be. it's also horror, comedy, camp, so much more. i'm very lucky that my university has a drag house/club, and i'm very involved. i help plan the shows, promote them, and of course, i perform in them. i'm a pretty seasoned performer at this point, coming up on my third year of actually performing in drag, although i only got to do one show in my first year of performance. being up on stage is... an experience like no other. it's so much fun. it's indescribable. i've gotten to host shows and it's literally so magical to me. i'm deeply blessed to have the community that i do with so many drag siblings and even my own drag children! i really struggled to find my 'people' so to speak when i went to uni until i got into drag. i have so many friends now from it that it just... blows my mind. it means so much to me to get to share this art form that i love with others and help them experience it too. i'm deeply, deeply blessed. for anyone interested in drag, i highly suggest checking out local performers near you. get on social media (esp instagram if you've got it) and look for performers in your nearest city and see who they follow, who they perform with, and just follow them and support them. likes and comments mean a lot. if you're able to go to shows, i cannot suggest it enough. local drag is an experience like nothing else. it's honestly life changing to me, and i'm deeply blessed to have had this experience and pray i always get to be a drag performer. thank you so much for this ask, this was really awesome to talk about and i really appreciate the opportunity!!! gods bless you always with happiness, health, and love <3333 as a reminder my ask box is still open for more q&a's if anyone's got em!

[realmadridfamily]

Luna Serrat, granddaughter of Joan Manuel Serrat, the new artist in the family.

"I would say I am very intuitive and emotional, but at the same time I am very rational and hardworking. It's a bit of a contradictory mix, but lately it has brought me good things."

This is how Luna Serrat, the eldest granddaughter of Joan Manuel Serrat, describes herself, and decided to change course and become the new artist in the family. She studied journalism and audiovisual communication. Also worked in music radio, but at some point she realized that it didn't make her happy. Now she is pursuing her dream of being an actress, while exploring her literary soul by composing songs.

Luna, why did you choose to study journalism? How did you realize that it wasn't for you? From a young age we hear : "studies are the path to a career", "the more opportunities you have, the better", "do internships", "do a master's degree", "go abroad", "learn languages", "become independent" etc. The idea of ​​not doing it terrifies you. And I did it all: two degrees, three years of internships, a master's degree, lived in three countries. And then what? Why I'm not happy? I started thinking about it and I noticed that the best moments, when I was the happiest, were spent in art, painting, singing, monologues in front of the mirror, playing the piano, writing … and I decided! I started studying interpretation and singing and it's definitely the best decision of my life. Now I don't live in another country, I don't have my own apartment, nor a fixed salary every month, but I am happy, I have fun, I go to bed and wake up smiling. I think that is what success is.

Because your dream is to be an actress and you are preparing for it … That's how it is. I've already done two years of studying at a drama school, in the meantime I'm learning singing and playing the piano and guitar.

Is it something you've always had inside you? Yes, absolutely. Sometimes I feel like I'm a little late. It would have saved me a lot of frustration if I had found this path as a child. Because I felt like I didn't fit in, but how could I? In my school, all I had was literature or science. Journalism (music journalism, which is what I majored in) was a way for me to get closer to the art world without actually doing it. It was a cowardly way to not stray too far from what made me happy.

Coming from a family of artists, do you think it was natural for you to follow that path? Natural? I don't know what would be natural. Of course, everyone should do what they want and make their own decisions. Luckily, they always gave me the opportunity to choose my future and taught me that life has many beginnings and I can start over as many times as I want. That's how it was.

Would you also like to try your luck in the world of music, as a singer? I've always said no, but that "no" came with a lot of uncertainty that I'm thankfully slowly getting over. So maybe yes. I don't know.

You often post literary quotes on your Instagram profile. Do you like writing? Yes! I'm passionate about it. It's therapeutic for me. I love writing songs.

Have you already had the opportunity to work on any projects as an actress? I hope you see something soon. I believe and hope so.

Theater, cinema, or television? Which acting world attracts your attention the most? The world of acting is so full of choices! Being able to make a living from this is more than enough for me.

Did your aunt Candela give you any advice on this? Yes, she helps me prepare for castings when I get stuck. I admire her a lot and her criticism matters a lot to me. She is a good coach.

Your family will have supported you in your decision … Absolutely, in this and all. They don't express much opinion either, they just accompany me.

When you say that you are the granddaughter of such a beloved artist as Joan Manuel Serrat … how do people react? This isn't something I always say. Not without reason, but I think it's better to be discreet in everything in life, and it's worked out well for me.

Are you sad that he decided to retire from the stage? Yes, a little. But like I said, just as my family has no opinion on my decisions, I have no opinion on theirs. Like them, I limit myself to accompanying them.

Which of his songs always accompanies you? Lucía, Mediterráneo, Paraules d’amor …

Has he encouraged you to follow in his footsteps and dedicate yourself to music? He encourages me to do anything that makes me happy. What could a grandfather want more than the happiness of his grandchildren?

Another of your traits is influence. In fact, you have almost sixty thousand followers… What do social media mean to you? Honestly, I am quite ungrateful to the social media and I should reconcile with them. I criticize them a lot because they are not a faithful reflection of real life, but it's true that they have given me a lot of good. They have given me friends, experiences, and most importantly, they have given me a job that allowed me to pay for my studies.

[multi-babii]

this might be a bit niche but i just finished rewatching one of my favorite movies and at first i was gonna ask what characters y'all think watched the rocky horror picture show but during the whole movie i was thinking about what each fox would think about it. so here are my thoughts:

nicky - he absolutely loves it. he either watched it for the first time in germany with eric or he just heard about it and watched it for the first time with the twins. he knows every word to all of the songs and he sings them all the time. he will be doing the time warp any time there's an opportunity. his favorite character is obviously frank

andrew - he shows no emotion during the movie and he says he doesn't have an opinion about it but he loves it as well. he sings the songs in his head. everytime nicky wants to watch it again he is suddenly very bored and has nothing to do so he watches with him. no one caught on yet. his favorite is also frank

aaron - he doesn't like it. he doesn't like musicals and he doesn't understand them. and he hates how the creation of rocky doesn't make sense. but he will still watch it with nicky and andrew sometimes while complaining. (he later mentions it to katelyn and she actually likes it so he's doomed) (he actually doesn't mind that much)

kevin - at first he's basically forced to watch it with the rest despite telling them that he doesn't want to. he wouldn't admit it but he actually enjoyed it a bit (the songs are catchy alright). he sometimes hums the sword of damocles when he's alone. but he still thinks that the movie doesn't make sense and talks shit about it with aaron.

neil - i think andrew would actually convince him to watch it for the first time with just him. at first neil really doesn't get it but he sees that andrew is really excited about the movie so he gives it a shot. when rocky first shows up he jokes that andrew could be him for halloween. without missing a beat andrew says that rocky is more like a dumb jock like someone he knows. at first neil doesn't have anything to say but when eddie's song plays he can not not think about the similarities between andrew and eddie. he turns to tease andrew with it but andrew was expecting it and just tells him don't. he doesn't say anything but the stupid smile on his face tells andrew exactly what he's thinking. they later watch it with the rest of the monsters and neil pretends he still haven't seen it

matt - he first watched it with nicky. matt doesn't really get it but he enjoys it despite it. next time he and the others watch it he's next to nicky doing the time warp. his favorite song is sweet transvestite and his favorite character is brad

allison - watched it when she was younger. she likes it because she used to go to theaters a lot so she understands musicals. she also likes the campy vibes of it all. her favorite character is janet but she's also the loudest one calling her a slut (if you don't know when you're watching the play it's interactive and the audience is encouraged to call her slut). but she will also defend her no matter what because people make mistakes

renee and dan - they watched it with allison during their second year. after finishing it they talk about it for some time before deciding to rewatch it immediately now with the commentary like in the theaters. all three of them are definitely doing the time warp. once they found out that nicky loves the movie as well the plan a movie night with the team and everyone is forced to participate

(bonus: seth - allison made him watch it. he didn't really like it but he could admit that the songs are catchy)

(bonus bonus: abby and wymack - they decide to watch it after nicky keeps talking about it and singing the songs. wymack is confused most of the time and mildly concerned while abby absolutely loves the vibes)

this really got away from me. please give me your opinions, i need to talk about this with someone

[the-sun-and-the-sea]

TBOSAS Thoughts (Movie Edition)

Generally, I really liked the movie and had a good time watching it. I'm just going to put a few of my thoughts as they come to me, so hopefully I can remember most of it. Spoilers for the movie under the cut!

Lucky Flickerman was so funny, and his casting was great. "These drones are not very good." Loved him.

I really like how much easier it was to tell the tributes apart, and how they all had their moments. Coral was sort of the 'villain' in the arena but her line at the end broke my heart. And I like how we knew all of their names.

On the topic of the arena, I don't really like how theatrical the Games are in comparison to the book. They're supposed to be primitive and brutal. The tributes and the viewers are supposed to be not quite sure what to do with themselves. Was there a bloodbath in the book? Because the one in the movie felt a little to advanced for the 10th Games.

Maybe I'm misremembering, but didn't it come down to Lucy Gray and Reaper? Why was Coral in the final two? I like Coral but why make the change?

Reaper and the flag. I would have left the theater if they left that out. So glad I didn't have to do that.

Despite the lack of cannons and the tributes' faces in the sky, it was still really easy to keep track of who was left in the arena. That was convenient.

They kept Gaul's "humanity undressed" monologue in, almost exactly how it is in the book. I appreciated that.

However, they did not keep the line about the tributes being sent to a veterinarian after the arena bombing. I did not appreciate that.

I feel like Lucy Gray didn't fight as much in the movie as she does in the book? And the whole 'get her out' chant was a movie invention, right? I feel like her victory was attributed too much to Snow's efforts than to her own intelligence, and I'm a little disappointed we missed out on that.

Arachne's death was completely bloodless. Maybe they were trying to keep the rating PG-13 but it just did not hit the same.

Lamina!! Her mercy killing Marcus, staying on her beam. I like her. I'm glad she had her moment.

I loved the music. Lucy Gray has the perfect voice for this, and I'm glad they utilized it so much.

Small detail but I loved that the Peacekeeper uniforms were gray. Snow has a line in Mockingjay like "nothing says perfection quite like white," which maybe implies he was the one who suggested that Peacekeepers wear white? Love that.

It was also really interesting to see the other details that shaped the Games we know. The sponsor gifts, Snow's ideas on betting, interviews, mentors, etc. It was cool to see all that play out.

The snakes were cool to see in the arena.

Sejanus. Ouch. That hurt, and I definitely felt contempt for Snow there.

Speaking of Sejanus, why did they change his involvement in the rebel plot? In the book, he knew about the weapons, but they made him seem more pure in the movie. Maybe to make Snow's betrayal more pronounced?

I think they took out a lot of Snow's worst qualities - his prejudice against people from the districts was barely there, his possessiveness over Lucy Gray was only obvious at the end, and his contempt for everyone was pretty glossed over. Overall, he comes off as more sympathetic here than in the book.

However, I did really like his final moment in the woods when he's shooting the gun. That paranoia and self-serving worldview was very clear.

Dr. Gaul was perfectly creepy. It was so interesting to see her influence on Snow.

Clemensia just disappeared after the snakes :(

I would have liked to see more political philosophy, but I understand why they didn't touch on that very much. It's a long movie.

They didn't include "the show's not over until the Mockingjay sings." Missed opportunity.

Overall, I liked the movie and thought it was a faithful adaptation. They really kept a lot in there. I want to watch it again lol.

Have you watched TBOSAS? What did you think?

[good-beans]

(Milgram self-insert oc masterpost hehe)

Name: For the sake of posting online I’ll call her Rose!

Color: #E7355B [the pink in the art]

Age: I guess she’d be 20 given when Milgram started huh.

Status: Milgram Staff, Machine Technician

Symbols/imagery: ballet/musical theater, science experiments

Song genre: very similar to Mahiru's, something upbeat and extra pop-y

Tentatively she's number 011? She's not really prisoner but she's also not free to come and go, so I'm not actually sure if she'd get a number (Edit: I've decided she'll actually be 012. Staff is given the 01X range, and even though Es doesn't actively have a number they'd be staff member 011, making her 012.)

Story: Since the project is supposed to be realistic/present day, the mv machine would be brand new and unpredictable tech, so they’d want someone keeping up on maintenance and making sure the brain-invasive process won’t cause any harm to the prisoners. Rose was studying abroad in Japan working on some cool neuroscience tech (irl I know nothing about technology or brains but shh) and she stumbled upon some secret tech/plans from Milgram. Long story short, she was dragged into the experiment to make sure things ran smoothly.

Writer's Reasoning: She’s really fun for me to play around with, as she allows me to work with a character who has a tiny bit of pull over Es’ mindset in conversation but not the final decision (aka mirroring the voting system), and someone who is simultaneously trapped in the prison but has a reason to see all the canon content.* I really enjoy the character interactions and dynamics Milgram has set up so far, so it’s been super fun seeing how things change for better and worse when someone not quite aligned with either Milgram/the prisoners is thrown into the mix!

*As much as I love dramatic irony in fiction, it would drive me crazy if I knew every detail of of the vds/mvs but Rose didn't – and every single Milgram character is The Worst Communicator Ever so I couldn’t justify that she’d hear it secondhand from them...

Story roles:

She’s a bit conflicted -- she’s officially Milgram staff and knows she should remain neutral on the prisoners, since she won’t be allowed to interfere with the process/executions. At the same time, her job description is literally “make sure the machine doesn't hurt them and everyone's safe :)” and she's way too emotional to avoid getting hopelessly attached to everyone 😅

I really enjoy the theory that the machine extracts videos based off of priming, so one of Rose’s duties involves listening in on the interrogation and making sure there’s been enough material discussed/not too much time has passed overall (hence the ringing of the bell happening at different lengths for each vd -- That's her ringing it :3). She then watches the mvs along with Es to make sure there are no machine glitches, and know how to calibrate it better for next time.

(IEdit: I've since decided to add in official trial mvs, but before when I wasn't ready to tackle that:) She has to run some tests on the machine to make sure things are calibrated correctly, so she'd extract little things here and there. It gives me the opportunity to think up lyric snippets and recurring symbols for her without worrying about full encompassing music videos.

I'm not afraid to admit she can fall into Mary Sue territory every so often by being everyone's friend, because it's less about "aw everyone likes her" and more about "canon is too painful rn and I need a fix-it tool to take care of these guys and give them hugs and tell them someone forgives them and cares about them and unfortunately these characters wouldn't let anyone less than a friend do that." Rest assured she's definitely not perfect and will fuck everything up on occasion :3

Miscellaneous: Whenever I play around with normal au ideas she's still working on the machine (but in a public, more ethical setting), and she's Mahiru's roommate :) Her character isn't super focused on love, but if I had to pick a cover song it'd be Stickybug II. It's very much my vibe, the lyrics fit well enough (better than most songs, at least lol) and it's one of my favorites out of my limited knowledge of unchosen Deco songs! (Edit, I've actually given her non-deco cover songs hehe)

So yeah, I hope she's not too boring without a cool crime to decipher, but I wanted to share since I was really proud of her! It took a bit of tinkering to find a way to fit her into a perfect secret-third-thing role that runs very smoothly with all of canon, so I was very excited!

[adamwatchesmovies]

Crossroads (2002)

I don’t often go to Karaoke, but when I do, at least one of Britney Spears’ songs plays. She may have retired, but she’s still got fans. Her 2002 movie Crossroads? Not so much – most likely because even those who saw it in theaters have forgotten it. How could you not when the story is comprised entirely of overused ideas and every attempt to say something serious leaves the screen as quickly as possible?

Ten years ago, Lucy (Britney Spears), Kit (Zoe Saldana) and Mimi (Taryn Manning) made a promise to stay best friends. Unfortunately, growing up has broken them up. Kit is the most popular girl in school, Lucy is an introverted valedictorian whose father (Dan Aykroyd) is pushing towards becoming a doctor and Mimi doesn’t seem to have any future after becoming pregnant and then breaking up with her boyfriend. When the girls nonetheless open the memory box they swore to open on graduation night, they decide to rekindle their friendship with a trip to Los Angeles. How will they get there? By getting the enigmatic bad boy Ben (Anson Mount) to drive them.

Let me dig deeper into these characters and I’ll bet you'll figure out the movie’s biggest problem. Stuck-up Kit is engaged to Dylan, who proposed before leaving to study at UCLA. They haven’t seen each other in months so the trip is her opportunity to surprise him with a visit. Mimi wants to go to Los Angeles and enter a singing contest. If she wins, the prize money is her ticket to freedom. What’s going on with her pregnancy? We’ll get to that in a bit. Lucy has some minor musical inspirations but singing doesn’t fit in the bright future her father has planned for her. He’s very possessive of Lucy since her mother (Kim Cattrall) left them 16 years ago. As for Ben, he’s a musician who just recently got out of jail and there are rumors it was because he killed someone.

Let me spell out the clichés for you. Kit’s fiancé, Dylan? He’s cheating on her. That’s why he hasn’t been visiting. Ben? He’s no murderer. He was jailed but it was because he stood up to his abusive stepfather. Lucy’s mom? She doesn’t want anything to do with her daughter and has a whole new family. There’s a twist surrounding Mimi’s pregnancy. She wasn’t impregnated by the boyfriend she broke up with; she was raped after having too much to drink at a party. Who’s her baby's father? It’s Dylan. Don't worry, the film will have her miscarry before the end credits so the question of what she'll do with her baby is a non-issue. Kit now has two reasons to break up with her boyfriend. Poor Mimi isn’t only a victim; she’s got no chance in this movie because when she gets on stage, she turns into a mouse while Lucy has everyone cheering. The sexual assault means the movie has no reason to get Mimi back together with her boyfriend and while she’s technically single, there’s only one romantic prospect in Crossroads and he’s going to fall for Lucy. It only makes sense; he’s the musician and she’s the singer who doesn’t know she has what it takes to be a star.

I’m working my way to some compliments but first, I have to bring up another significant flaw in Crossroads. This movie was made for die-hard Britney Spears fans, which is to say teenage girls (and the boyfriends they’re dragging to the theater). As such, the film dips its toes into relevant/serious issues: teenage pregnancy, losing your virginity, finding your own way after graduation/growing up, broken familial bonds, friendships that fade over time, etc. The story by Spears (brought to life by Shonda Rhimes, who writes the screenplay) doesn’t address these matters. It gets worse the further along we get, with Mimi’s baby plot getting wrapped up so fast it’s insulting.

I don’t know whether to criticize or praise the film for trying to be more than a light-as-air musical road movie. By trying to be both, I don’t think it’ll leave many people satisfied… except maybe the aforementioned boyfriends forced to come along. There are a lot more shots of Britney Spears in lingerie than you’d expect.

So what’s good about this movie? Well, Spears. She’s not great (her accent slips in at least one scene) but I’m surprised she didn’t pursue acting further. She plays a teenager convincingly, particularly in the scenes where her character is emotionally vulnerable. She comes off as instantly likable and sweet. Crossroads doesn’t quite succeed with its dramatic ideas, but it occasionally hits the mark, particularly when it comes to Lucy’s plots and you have to praise its ambition. In the music department, the numbers are well-woven into the story and prove why Spears is one of the world's best-selling artists.

At best, Crossroads is “fine”. I can't give it any more than that, not with all those predictable storylines. It also isn’t memorable, except maybe in how shoddily it resolves the bulk of its stories. To its credit, I expected much worse. Thankfully, as far as popstar film vanity projects/vehicles go, this is no From Justin to Kelly. (October 9, 2024) 

[nerd-chocolate]

The Ballad of Sara Berry au Rewrite!:

So does anyone remember “The Ballad of Sara Berry” au post I did back on Oct 7, 2022? Well surprised I’m rewriting it because I want to and have been listening to the song on repeat a bunch of times. It's really good! And this time I’m not making Sara Berry or at least the person who is bad so like Chloé or Lila since Sara Berry just went insane due to the pressure that her father was putting her and before you ask no I’m not making Lila or Chloé Julie Jenkins since they don’t fit the character. So now that is out of the way let’s begin! @artzychic27 characters are in this au as well.

Characters:

This time, I decided that Marinette will be Sara Berry and Mireille will be Julie Jenkins for the rewrite au. And here is the reason why that is.

For Marinette, I thought about it more and more than realized that it would make sense for her to be Sara Berry. Just like Sara, she can be very obsessed with the things she wants like for example, wanting to date Adrien. Ever since season one, Marinette has shown to be a careful planner and she can (if she wants to) track people's schedules for her benefit and use it to her advantage like in Gigantitan. And Marinette would steal others’ things without a second thought. If it means getting what she wants, check that out in CopyCat and Oni-Chan for that knowledge. Also, Marinette would do anything to take out the competition since in multiple episodes, she is shown doing that even siding with Chloé in one of them also in different circumstances, she probably would kill someone for Adrien. And lastly, Marinette would think prom night was like a fairytale for her since she would want to be the perfect night with her and Adrien dancing under a spotlight while everyone watches her winning prom queen and everyone celebrates that she won. Point is, she would fit the role of Sara Berry including going fucking insane.

As for Mireille, I think before Julie Jenkins lost her leg in that wreck, she was probably in the background most of the time and was forgotten by most of her classmates which are pretty sad if you think about it. You only get noticed by your classmates after something tragic happened to you like losing one of your limbs, poor Julie she deserves better but anyway. Mireille in the canon was in the background and never in the fourth front even after becoming one of the weather girls aside from Aurore. Some of the fandoms don’t acknowledge her except if they want to make her a rival to Marinette like in that one comic. This led me to think that the writers would make her a rival to Mari if they wanted to, which is also pretty tragic when you think about it. But the reason I pick Mireille is that she is really easy to make a rival but not one that isn’t aware of it until well you know but I’ll get to that when I get to the plot section. In other words, I don't have that much to say here for this one. Mireille fits Julie well.

As for the victims of the prom massacre like the post I originally made, they are the narrators of this story and tell the audience what happened. When they’re first introduced they are seen as nothing but spirits with theater masks, ones that are very expressive with a little of how they died like getting cut into pieces or getting poisoned. They are probably wearing fairy tale-themed homecoming clothes like a prince and princess would wear for their coronation since they are getting nominated for homecoming queen and king. I will go in order of how they died, what were their reasons for wanting to be queen and king, and bolding who are the main narrators of this tale.

Mylène Haprèle - She wanted to bring more confidence in herself and thought the queen would be a great opportunity for that and even if she loses, she’ll spend time with Ivan and listen to him when he and the Kitty Section play some music, so bonus!

Rose Lavillant - She thought being homecoming queen would be pretty fun to do and thought having a spotlight dance with Juleka would be so romantic. And even if she doesn’t win, she still dances with Juleka and is going to have the best night ever with her friends.

Nathaniel Kurtzberg - Marc was the one to convince him, he would make an amazing homecoming king and that he would be at Nath’s side no matter if he won or lost. Also, Nath would love to try a crown on for a change.

Jean Duparc - He would show everyone that he can pull wearing a crown, especially people that said he can’t. And he doesn’t care if he is prom queen or king, he is just having a blast tonight.

Ismael Prisk - He wants some gender confidence in himself especially if he wins homecoming king. And he gets pissed off his mom at the end so that makes it even better.

Cosette Bellamy - Zoé convinced them that she would be an amazing homecoming queen and even said that she would be like a knight to them even if Cosette didn't win. Cosette loves the idea of Zoé being its knight and making at least its dad proud of it if it wins.

The last two characters I want to talk about are Adrien and Mrs.Bustier and what their roles are in this au, these roles are important to the story so this will be quick.

Adrien is Marinette’s boyfriend in this au and does break up with her for a reason. His relationship with Mari was okay at first even though there are some issues like how Marinette interrupts him sometimes in conversations and she makes it about her sometimes even if it is completely different but it wasn't a big issue for him to get concerned about. But when Homecoming came around, Marinette became obsessed with it. She expects Adrien to be homecoming king with her but Adrien doesn’t want to be the homecoming king nominee and tries to tell Marinette that but she doesn’t listen to him so he doesn’t say anything. Luka comforts Adrien when Marinette is too busy for him or isn’t using him to help with her campaign and Adrien grows to have feelings for him with each passing day. Luka does as well but doesn’t want to tell Adrien since he doesn’t interfere with his relationship with Marinette and doesn't want to cause Adrien more stress by creating conflict and drama between him and Marinette so he tries to be a good friend to him despite his feelings for Adrien. One day, Adrien took some of Luka’s and Nino’s advice and told Marinette he doesn’t want to be homecoming king and that they could talk about something else for a change but Marinette just gets mad at him and snaps. Marinette told him that he is being selfish and isn’t thinking about what she wanted, and she wishes he was more obedient to her. That makes Adrien realize that his relationship with Marinette isn’t healthy and told her he was breaking up with her but Marinette is too caught up to listen to what he says and thinks they are still dating. Some time passed and it was five more days before homecoming, Luka asked Adrien for his date for homecoming and Adrien said yes! Also, both he and Luka survive, and after some time passes after the homecoming massacre, Luka asks Adrien if he wants his boyfriend and Adrien says yes.

As for Mrs.Bustier, she is Sara’s father but is a teacher to Marinette in this au. She puts a lot of pressure on Marinette to be homecoming queen so she can set a good example to her classmates and if she doesn’t win, her whole family would be disappointed in her and Marinette took that to heart. So she is the same as the canon but her actions have consequences to them.

Now that I got to explain all the characters that I needed to, I finally tell you about the plot and what happens in it! Let’s begin, shall we?

The Plot:

The 1st Act:

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was considered a good role model for the students to strive to be. She was popular, had a supermodel boyfriend, was head of the student council and homecoming committee, and her parents had the best bakery in Paris. Mrs.Bustier says Mari was like a real-life superhero to the whole school and Marinette took that to heart. When Mireille Caquet lost her leg in a wreck, Marinette felt sympathy for her and gave her a sympathetic smile to her when she saw her.

When homecoming nominees were announced, Marinette was static especially when she saw her name on top of the list but was a bit surprised that Mireille’s name was below hers. Marinette heard from a couple of the students that Aurore signed Mireille up to be the homecoming nominee and thought she might win it. Marinette knew that they were only voting for her out of pity so didn’t think much of it at first. When class was over for the day, Mrs.Bustier asked Mari to stay for a bit so they could talk. Mrs.Bustier told Mari that need to be homecoming queen not only because it was Marinette's dream to be one but also to set a good example for her classmates since being homecoming queen is a big deal after all. The last thing Mrs.Bustier told her is she doesn’t want to disappoint her dad and mom, Marinette took those words to heart and after she left, started to get to work immediately on her campaign with the help of the girl squad even if they already wanted to help some of the other nominees but Marinette didn’t hear them and was focused on being homecoming queen.

The 2nd Act:

As weeks go by Marinette tries her hardest to make sure people voted for her by either giving them baked goods, handing out pins, or making a lot of posters, I mean a lot. But Mireille’s numbers were getting much bigger that they surpassed Marinette’s. Marinette was furious and even more determined & desperate to win. She brushes her friends, her boyfriend, the student council, her parents, and everything behind but she keeps imagining Mireille wearing that crown and she hates it. The more votes Mireille, the crazier and angrier Marinette got. She fought with Mylène and Rose a few days ago, when they told her that they were planning to be homecoming queen and wanted to focus on their campaign and thought Mari knew since their names were on the list of homecoming nominees but Marinette didn’t listen, and blew up on them, losing them as friends a long aside Juleka and Alix, with Juleka flipping her the bird for yelling at Rose for reason that isn’t a big deal. The whole thing was caught on camera and was on the internet to see which made people not vote for her and take back their votes.

When Marinette saw Ismael in the hallway, she asked him why he was trying to be the homecoming king. Ismael told her the reason, Marinette didn’t care and said him just wearing a tuxedo would make his mom pissed. Ismael felt offended by that since Mari just assumed he was just doing it to piss his mom and while that is true, he was doing it for other reasons. So he told her off and walked away. Marinette was mad that she couldn’t convince him to stop being homecoming king so her boyfriend could be king.

A few days later, she harassed Cosette about being queen, telling them that they should just quit since they just ended up being a disappointment to their parents either way. Cosette got away from her and told her that it not quitting whether or not Marinette liked it and she could fuck off for its cares. As Cosette walked away from her, Zoé came up to Marinette and slapped or punched her in the face and just glared at her as she walked away from her as well. What Marinette didn’t know was that Simon was filming it and it was uploaded on the internet which made even more people take back their votes for her and made them hate her guts even more.

Lastly, she demanded that Jean and Nath drop out of the competition or else, which Adrien sees and told her off for just trying to make them drop out of the competition. Marinette just glares at him and walks away, Adrien apologizes to the two for having Marinette been acting lately and understands they were mad at her. Jean told him, he doesn’t need to say sorry since he stood up for them, and Nath thanked him and then told him that Mari was acting like a homecoming-obsessed nut job and that Adrien might want to consider his relationship with her, which Adrien thought about for a while now.

Marinette’s parents have been concerned about their daughter lately since they heard what has been happening at school. They try to tell her that she may need to stop being homecoming and cheer up in the process but Marinette doesn’t listen to them since Mrs.Bustier’s words are still lingering in her head, so she tells them that she is dropping out, in reality, isn’t and just brushes them off.

Marinette ends up dumping Alya as a friend when they get into a fight, Alya says that homecoming isn’t everything and it is not going to be important in the long run. Marinette yells at her and tells her if she is not going to support, she could just leave which she points to the trapdoor. Alya, seeing that Marinette isn’t willing to listen, ends up leaving with a look of sadness in her eyes. When Alya left, Marinette looked at the mirror right quickly and upon seeing her reflection felt regret for all things she did so far and tried to text Adrien about what just happened but Adrien could only text that I’m sorry for taking someone else to homecoming and I’m no longer a nominee. Marinette ends up thinking he is taking Mireille (who no longer runs for homecoming queen but Mari doesn’t know that) to homecoming and ends up getting mad with a hint of sadness and throwing her phone against the wall.

Mireille throughout this, never really wanted to be homecoming queen and hated the attention she was getting since she just wanted to be left alone. Her friends see this and ask if she wants to be queen, she struggles at first to tell them at first but ends up telling them the truth. Aurore apologized for the unexpected pressure on Mireille to be homecoming queen since she just wanted to boost her confidence and make her feel better after Mireille lost her leg. Mireille understands where Aurore was coming from and says her comfort would be enough for her. So the two made up and Mireille asked Mr.Damocles if she could drop out of being homecoming queen with the help from Ms.Mendeleiev, which Mr.Damocles ends up helping her with. Mireille ends up helping her friends with their homecoming plans and just getting ready to go to homecoming with Aurore as her date.

The 3rd Act:

The next day at school and the day of the homecoming, Marinette went up to Mrs.Bustier asking for some advice. All Mrs.Bustier said is that why isn’t taking this seriously, there is no future for failures at prom, and she should try harder to be homecoming queen. Marinette just ends up getting mad and running out of school with her collecting some of the other nominee’s posters along the way and just ended up bunking with her. She punched the mirror in anger and stomped on her phone. She cried the moment she snapped and just ended up getting ready with a crazy smile and look in her eye. Marinette looked at the poster of the nominees and realized she needs to take out the competition so she can win. Putting on her homecoming dress, putting on her very messy makeup, getting a duffel bag, and putting the things she needs to ‘talk’ to the other nominees for them to get out of the competition goes to Le Grand Paris where homecoming was held.

When her parents got home, they went up to her room to check on her but as soon as they opened her trapdoor, they saw her room was wrecked. They walked in to see her mirror shattered completely and her phone destroyed. They look around the room then Sabine spots something underneath her daughter’s bed and goes to see what she looks like she saw a ghost. Tom saw the look in her eyes and went to see what she saw. He goes to his wife and checks if she is okay and what she saw. Tom felt horror when he saw the posters of kids that had their eyes crossed off and they all had the same word written on them, saying, traitor. The two cried for a moment before realizing they needed to get to the prom now before it was too late.

When Marinette arrived at the hotel, she went to see Mylène who was near the punch bowl so they ‘talked’ for a bit. She went to say sorry to Myléne for getting mad at her while adding some poison to her drink. Myléne told her that she isn’t ready to forgive yet but appreciated it, Mari said it was fine and walked away from her. Mylène is a bit confused and then goes to drink her punch but then starts to feel bad and coughs up blood. Ivan and some of the other students went to go check up on her, only to find out she died.

While that was happening, Marinette went to the stage to see Rose finishing getting her requirements packed up. While Rose is distracted, Marinette cuts one of the ropes holding one spotlight above Rose’s head which smashes against her head instantly killing her. Marinette left the stage before anyone saw her. Juleka goes up to the stage and cries over her girlfriend’s dead body while Luka comforts her.

While everyone is freaking out about the two unexpected deaths, Marinette stole Reshma, Marc, Zoé, Tomassion, and Aurore's phones to make it easier to find and lure in her other victims as well.

Marinette discovers that Nath is near one of the rooms and goes to find him. Meanwhile, the teachers are evacuating the students, Marc, Zoé, Tomassion, Aurore, and Reshma with the help of Juleka and Ivan go to find the other students that don’t know what is happening. Marc tries to text Nath but can’t find his phone and starts to panic, Aurore calms him down and tells him that it is okay and they find him and the others.

Nath spots Marinette with a hammer and seeing that her dress has some blood on it, realizes that he should run for his life. So he did but Mari jumped on him and before she could bludgeon his brains, he said oh shit before he died of the hammer strike on his head. Marinette texts Jean under the assumption of Austin T that he is in the kitchen and badly hurt. Making Jean believe he needs his help and making it easier for Marinette to find and kill him.

When they got to the place where Nath was, they saw his skull being cracked open by something and someone. Marc is completely heartbroken to see his bountonnière dead on the floor and just holds him close to mourning him. While the others mourn their dead friend and comfort, Marc, and Austin spots a note on the floor and picks it up. He opens it and then immediately has a shock of horror with a mix of disgust on his face. When Zoé asks what's wrong, he tells her and the others that Marinette is the one behind this and who is her next target. Marc and Juleka want revenge for their respective lovers after hearing that. They went to find Marinette and stop her so the rest of their respective S.Os wouldn’t die.

Meanwhile, Jean got to the kitchen to find his boyfriend but couldn’t find him. He realized that someone might have Austin’s phone and went to find him somewhere. But Marinette stops him by slaying him in the stomach with a scalpel, making a huge scar. When Jean collapsed on the floor, she started cutting him, opening and tearing his organs, and marinating them in jars. Ismael, trying to find his friends since he got separated from them by accident, opens the door to find Marinette standing over Jean's corpse. Ismael screams for others to find them and try to get a weapon to attack her with but Marinette knocks him out with chloroform and drags him and gets a chair then heads to the pool.

The others heard Ismael’s scream and followed it to the kitchen where they spotted Jean’s corpse with his belly area open and a look of terror on his face. Austin, seeing his boyfriend’s corpse, sobs and says he should've died instead of Jean. Seeing Austin in a depressed state, Ivan took him to where the rest of the students and staff are currently while the others are still going to find Marinette and stop her.

Meanwhile, Ismael is woken up by Marinette hoarily smiling at him. He tries to get up but he can't, and sees the restraints on his legs, hands, and mouth. Marinette tells him this is what you get for messing with my chances of winning, pushes him into the pool, and uses a remote for the automatic pool cover, leaving him for dead and killing him.

The others agree that splitting up would help them find the others quicker. Marc, Zoé, and Aurore go to find Mireille and Cosette while Juleka and Reshma go to find Ismael. Reshma & Juleka follow the bloody footprints up to the pool and when they get up there, Reshma finds Ismael’s bracelet and knows he must bethere. Juleka realizes that the pool has been covered and picks up a remote to it and uncovers the pool. The two girls look at the pool and see Ismael down there tied up and gagged. Reshma jumps in the pool and swims down to go save Ismael but when she makes it back and puts Ismael on the side of the pool, she tries everything to bring him back but Juleka tells her that he is gone since she checked his pulse and it is no longer moving. Juleka comforts Reshma and tells her that they can still stop Mari from their dead friends. Reshma agreed with her and before leaving they both grabbed weapons to beat up Marinette with.

Mireille and Cosette are hiding in Chloé’s closet from Marinette since she is trying to kill them. Mireille called the police a few minutes ago and she can only hope that comes here very soon. Cosette realizes she needs to fight Marinette so she and Mireille can be saved. So they told Mireille that they were going to fight Mari and they promised to make it back. Mireille knows that they can’t talk it out of it, trust it, and keeps hiding in the closet. Cosette gets a bat or something before heading off to fight Marinette. Mari tries to lure Mireille and Cosette out by using their respective lover’s phones but it doesn’t work. Cosette pulls a sneak attack on Marinette and hits her with a bat and eventually gets themself a knife from Marinette’s bag to get a better advantage and has a good chance of surviving at first. But then Marinette slays its chest halfway open leading to Cosette dropping the knife leaving them powerless. Mireille hears Cosette’s screams of fear and cries before it goes completely silent. Mireille goes to peek at what happens but only for Marinette to knock her out with some chloroform.

The other three made it to Chloé room and opened it to find Mari and hopefully Cosette & Mireille as well. Both Aurore and Marc searched the room but couldn’t find anything. When they go to check on Zoé, only to see her and a torn-up Cosette with her. Go to check up on Zoé, only to see that she is holding her deceased girlfriend's head that says A wannabe on their forehead. And as for Cosette’s body, its arms were torn apart from the body, and her elbows were not attached to it and hands. Their legs were detached from it as well and their feet weren’t attached to it anymore. Lastly, their upper torso was cut apart from the bottom half where the blouse was with the two pieces they were wearing. Aurore felt like throwing up from seeing her friend like this and so did Marc. But Marc saw Marinette’s footprints were leading somewhere else and followed them with Aurore following him as well. Before Zoé follows suit, she says sorry that she couldn’t protect it and be its knight like Cosette expected her to be, before gently putting Cosette’s head on the ground and going to help the others.

The gang met up at the same time and started to plan their attack on their so-called friend. They ended up finding Marinette where the dance was being held up and where the crown was.

Marinette tied up Mireille and covered her mouth before waking her up. Mireille is scared of what is going to happen to her but sees Marinette getting the crown she always wanted. Marinette grabs the scepter and puts the sash on her, doing a little dance before saying she is the queen. What Marinette sees is that everyone is celebrating her coronation and she is smiling while having the dead victims behind her and just bowing to her like she is royalty. While Mari is distracted, Aurore unties Mireille and gets her to safety. Marc, Juleka, Reshma, and Zoé attack her and make sure she doesn’t attack them. With Marc stabbing the side of her body, Reshma holding her hands together, Juleka doing the same thing but with her feet, and Zoé putting her in a headlock so Mari doesn’t try to stop Aurore and Mireille from escaping.

The police arrived and told the kids they got the rest covered. They let go and when Marinette tried to escape, an officer grabbed her before she had the chance and took her crown. Marinette is just kicking and screaming and telling them to let go of her, she is the queen of high school land but Marc told her it is only in her head and flips her off before Marinette was taken away.

The ending:

In the end, Marinette is an asylum for the rest of her life, the whole school especially the S.Os are in therapy to deal with the loss, Mrs. Bustier not only gets slapped by Mrs.Mendeleiev, but gets sued by the parents of the dead kids and Marinette’s parents, and gets fired. While the ghost kids haunt her and Marinette for the rest of their lives and see their loved ones whenever they get the chance.

Some final notes:

I wanted to add what were the dead kids clothes inspired by for the homecoming.

Mylène - Snow White

Rose - Sleeping Beauty

Nathaniel - Rapunzel

Jean - The little mermaid

Ismael - The Frog prince or Cinderella

Cosette - Belle from Beauty & The Beast.

Well that all I want to add before leave. Have a good read everyone and hope you enjoy my rewrite!

[iss600]

The Little Spitfire (Committing to the Joke)

I would recommend reading the document but I'll crosspost below the "Keep Reading" line. Warning, it's very long.

As this is Tumblr and the place for all sorts of weird things, I bring you mine. Probably the strangest thing I put effort into writing. 6 pages of what amounts to a joke idea.

If anyone has an idea of who Eric and Triton should be, tell me, because I don't. At all. I'm so lost.

T.L.;D.R.: The Little Mermaid but it's the Skylanders as the cast instead, primarily the SuperChargers.

The Little Spitfire

(Committing to the Joke)

Somewhere high above and beyond your imagination is an adventure in fantasy. The Little Spitfire is a joke taken way too far and one that I have committed to solely for the meme. It is a Skylanders take on the story of The Little Mermaid (1989), replacing the original cast with our own flame-spirit SuperCharger Spitfire, optimistic lark Stormblade, gloomy Dreadwalker Nightfall and many more.

The Context

This joke came about while I was brainstorming cutscene dialog for a cutscene in my fan-game. This cutscene took place in an underwater kingdom and I was listening to "Under the Sea" to give some ambience. What I had come up with was that all Skylanders of all elements had been magically protected against the waters and were now swimming freely beneath the waves, making their way to an underwater palace. Spitfire and Stormblade would be chatting as they swam, with the conversion involving Spitfire expressing difficulty/confusion at swimming. Stormblade would then suggest he "does it the mermaid way" and would “demonstrate” what she meant (furiously wiggling and spasming up and down like a maniac). Spitfire would then copy her (much more fluidly and gracefully due to his merman-esque body shape). The conversation would then go as follows.

Spitfire: For some reason, I feel like I should get up on a rock and sing about being part of the world above. Stormblade: Same honestly. Can we do that later? Spitfire: Absolutely.

The reason that the conversation would go this way is for 3 reasons:

This fan-game establishes that all Skylanders are fans of Earth media and consume a lot of it. Spitfire alongside others is quite familiar with Disney movies like The Little Mermaid.

The fan-game itself is very musical in its mechanics, so Spitfire having the urge to sing isn't that strange. In fact, singing is a necessary requirement for unlocking the main power in the story. Specifically, it’s working together with others and being in-sync with one another as well as being able to work in harmony that’s necessary. Singing and dancing being the easiest way to achieve that so that’s what everyone’s been doing. That's why Stormblade asks if they're going to sing later. She sees it as an offer to both have some fun and try and work together to harmonize.

Spitfire is willing to humor Stormblade's optimism and slightly odd suggestions like accepting offers to sing karaoke with her or play dancing games with her. If she wants to sing and dance all silly after a mission, he’s happy to join her. It’s not his usual style, but he doesn’t mind it, plus the above reasons of harmonizing would give him good reason to do it too.

Now, I didn’t disregard this at all, because quite frankly, I like merfolk way too much and I saw Spitfire having a tail similar to them as the perfect opportunity to make the above conversation into a wonderful brick joke that still made sense in the setting (I’m imagining either a full theater production of it, or just those two singing on a rock on the beach for fun). To quote myself: “I’ll be honest, it’s the fact he doesn't have legs. I was like "yeah, I can merman this”. I mentioned this in the Portal Masters Lounge Discord server and user “Firedanne” asked the following:

“Does he dream of living up in the sky and collect raindrops and pieces of shot down planes?”

I said “no, but that’s a great idea” and quickly the two of us realized that it made a lot more sense than Spitfire being a merman under the sea (which already doesn’t make a lot of sense, full admittance). And…well, the joke went from there and it did not stop. After replaying the official soundtrack for The Little Mermaid, I decided to do it for the meme and bring you all…whatever this can be considered. Crack post, probably.

The Actual Idea

Summary: Deep inside the volcanoes of Skylands, fire-spirit Spitfire lives in a glowing arcadia of magma and flames. But Spitfire wishes to live amongst the clouds, however his father King X* forbids him from realizing his dreams. One day, after saving the life of Y*, a creature from the air, Spitfire finds himself smitten with Y and makes a deal with a devious deadly witch to become an Air creature and must earn Y’s love before time runs out.

*X and Y are placeholders because I don’t actually know who will fill those positions. More on that below.

The Plot

The plot would be the movie’s plot albeit with potential for some minor modifications to it, either to be more Skylanders-y or just because. Not entirely sure but I see the plot as having the same beats and basic layout but being somewhat different in execution. It absolutely has the songs though, I’m not getting rid of that.

One of the most significant plot changes would be the role of Flounder if Stormblade takes that role. Stormblade would be a being of Air who would be Spitfire’s best friend and also his wingman, assisting him where necessary and such. Essentially, she’d be a much more extraverted and adventurous Flounder who’d act as Spitfire’s wingman and on-land ally (she’d be a secondary protagonist almost). Because in canon, the two get along and seem to be on friendly terms, I can imagine Stormblade as Spitfire’s good friend and the one who tells him all about the sky, brings him stuff, goes exploring with him etc. Plus, the opportunity for both to duet songs like Part of Your World and Stormblade soloing Kiss the Girl is a lot of fun to imagine.

After that, the rest of the plot changes would boil down to some slightly different scenes, different dialog (but with the same intentions) and so forth. Since the story would take place in the sky, the setting would also be different, but that wouldn’t really affect things all that much aside from some wording changes.

The Characters

Here’s the current cast list as it stands. The question marks mean I don’t know if that person I picked really fits at all, but it also means I don’t know who would be in that role at all.

Ariel = Spitfire Flounder = ? Sebastian = Dive-Clops? Scuttle = Smash Hit? Prince Eric (Y) = ? King Triton (X) = ? Ursula = Nightfall

Spitfire would be a flame spirit prince who lives beneath the surface in a massive volcanic kingdom. This is to keep his “no legs, merman tail” thing; now he has a reason to swim everywhere and also explains why as a flame spirit, he can’t simply fly upwards (and on that note, he doesn’t have his wings either, or his technical enhancements; he is pure fire and rock-body). He is stuck underground, but sneaks above onto the surface to explore and collect things that fall from the sky, birdwatch etc. He’d go to the witch and that’s where he’d get his wings and tech enhancement, but of course, he’d give up his voice and have the “get a kiss before 3 days is up” condition.

Now, here’s where it gets tricky for me. On the one hand, I could make Stormblade the Eric of the story (so she would be the Y character) and it would work perfectly fine. But on the other hand, I’ve also got another role for her, an expanded-upon version of Flounder’s role as detailed above and that also works perfectly. Both options for her work out really well because her canon relationship with Spitfire makes her ideal for both positions (as detailed in the plot section). I’m torn about what to do with her because if not her, I don’t know who would be the Eric role. It could be a man or a woman, but I’ve got no clue who I’d pick. I know who I wouldn’t want, but the elimination game hasn’t been super helpful.

The easiest role to choose however is definitely Nightfall as Ursula. She’s a Dreadwalker, she’s got the spooky colors, she’s menacing-looking, she has the tentacled hair and she absolutely would kill it singing “Poor Unfortunate Souls”. And while she’s not evil in personality, her personality would make her a more believable Ursula in comparison to say, Splat. Nightfall being of the Dark element also helps; she’s opposite to bright fire and daylight.

The roles of Sebastian and Scuttle were also OK to come up with, but I’m not too sure about them all. I went with Smash Hit for Scuttle because he’s a rather weird fellow, so he fits with Scuttle’s rather strange self. Dive-Clops is Sebastian solely because he’s the smallest of the cast (I’m talking about him suitless, mind you) and I thought it would be hilarious to put him in a crab costume, or something like that. However, neither of them are Fire or Air elementals, so in the context of the story, it doesn’t make all that much sense.

The role of King Triton is completely up in the air. I have no idea who could, would or should be in his role in the slightest. I know it should probably be a Fire elemental, I just don’t know who. The role of Eric is also unknown for reasons detailed in Stormblade’s entry above. I don’t have a set person at all; the closest I got to someone who wasn’t Stormblade is Ka-Boom and that was for a joke where Ka-Boom auditions and Spitfire struggles to drag him places, and also gets crushed underneath him because of size differences (to me, Ka-Boom look bigger than pretty much every Skylander by a large margin). It was not a serious consideration at all, full disclosure. I don’t have a serious consideration for Eric except for maybe Stormblade as discussed above.

The Music

I’m weak and I always make playlists and this joke is no exception. Obvious edits where necessary are obvious.

Fathoms Below: Opening song.

Part of Your World: Sung by Spitfire (maybe Stormblade too, depends on her role).

Under the Sea: Sung by whoever ends up being Sebastian.

Part of Your World (Reprise): Sung by Spitfire and no one else.

Poor Unfortunate Souls: Sung by Nightfall.

Kiss the Girl: Sung by whoever ends up being Sebastian or by Stormblade, depending on her role.