#he plays this off as an elaborate promotional stunt

[sam-dugesian]

WARNING! Please be aware! LSuperSonicQ is not a real Youtuber.

They are an agent for hire, that corporations use, to confuse the masses with misinformation, so that those companies can change the narrative about things that the internet has found out about.

Now I have heard for years about spies lying among the YouTube content creator community, but I have never once found any rumours that turned out to be true.

It usually falls under one of the following.

a genuine content creator that gets paid by big businesses to promote their nonsense for example PewdiePie before he kinda ruined his chances with the T-series controversy.

A genuinely well-intentioned creator that has been fed lies and misinformation and has come to believe it for example the flat Earth community.

A troll trying to gain popularity by saying anything and everything contrary to the popular narrative just to get views on their videos for example Billy West's fact channels. (yes, that is in fact THE Billy West, the voice actor from the animated TV show Futurama, yes, actually legit, look it up, yeah i know you thought it sounded familiar)

A content creator that needs funding for extreme stunts that others can't copy so lies about certain details on just some of their stunt videos just ensure their longevity for example The MythBusters.

A content creator that was set up using an elaborate scheme so they were unaware of how much of their information that had been fed to them by researchers was actually misleading for example MatPat and Team Theorist.

but in none of these situations has the culprit been fully aware, stands to get financial gain, actively works fully for these corporations, and is 100% on board for spreading all this misinformation just so that they can grab a fat paycheck.

LSuperSonicQ is THE FIRST that i have EVER heard about from any source that wasn't complete nonsense and... there is plenty of evidence to prove it just laying around.

In fact the sheer amount of evidence is so overwhelming in fact it makes me wonder why even bother with the ruse at all.

You see literally any facts the guy says you can just look up in a search engine for like 15 seconds tops and have an entire wealth of info and evidence as well that completely proves them wrong.

So how about some examples on that.

LSSQ says that there's no evidence to show that SegaSonic the Hedgehog the game was ever a real release by Sega and not a fan creation made to run on the original hardware that was in fact created much later.

No evidence huh?

How about a video recording of a person visiting an arcade from back in the day that no longer exists where the game is right there on display and we can see the individual actively playing it.

Moreover in said video said individual is a considerably younger looking version of the very person who uploaded the footage along with a friend of theirs who passed away just about a year or two after said footage was actually taken and yes the facts about the dead friend are real we didn't just take their word on that.

It gets even harder to disprove the footage when about 2 dozen people seen in the background were all found using face tracking online and asked about the arcade itself and every single one of them confirmed that the arcade did exist like it's seen in the footage and that they too had seen the same game cabinet there.

Getting a little shaky with that 'no evidence' line eh?

Oh and the game was featured in many many magazines, was seen on live broadcasted TV footage, several real copies of the arcade machine have been found, which are in full working order by the way, and someone uploaded the ROM from the machine, so you can play the game itself using an emulator, and just to top it all off, said emulator has to be a certain kind that only plays original data and therefore cannot play anything that wasn't made by Sega themselves or at least didn't have the approval of the current Sega CEO.

We literally have yet to invent technology that could even fake any of this convincingly.

-but sure LSSQ, go off about it being fake. I'm sure Sega paid you a pretty penny to sweep the tracks of their old business.

Not like Sega is going through a process RIGHT NOW where they are trying to deny the existence of all their old games and stuff or try to peddle new version of their retro games and are actively destroying valuable antique merchandise from the days of Sonic the Hedgehog's origins so they can change the narrative about their past.

Not like Sega has anything to financially gain from selling remakes of their retro games rather than allowing the original cartridges to circulate.

Not after all their new games bombed, they released Sonic Origins and people called them out on their changes.

And that Sega was going hard on trying to find people who could post YouTube videos full of their lies LITERALLY just a couple of weeks before you published your video.

Oh and by the way, you CAN of course look all of this up online.

It'll only take you about 20 minutes.

[softpine]

spinning on that dizzy edge i kissed her face and kissed her head and dreamed of all the ways i had to make her glow

[transcript]

[guardianspirits13]

I wanna talk about Natsuo Todoroki for a second here.

tw// mentions of abuse, self harm, and suicide

Natsuo visibly has the most emotional trauma out of anyone else in his family (Touya not included), and I really wanna talk about why that is.

For starters, we haven't seen him really smile since he was introduced in chapter 187. He's introduced as having a friendly, easygoing persona and it's easy to imagine this is how most people outside of his family know him. However, every time we see him appear since then, another layer of his trauma is revealed and expanded upon, and it cuts DEEP.

I think the main reason that Natsuo still seems so vulnerable compared to the rest of his family is different than what you'd assume. Fuyumi and Shouto both spend a lot of time around Endeavor, and have been in close proximity to his (relatively recent) decision to atone. They have seen his growth firsthand and come to terms with it. Rei has obviously taken a very different path to healing- not entirely voluntarily- but she has been working with doctors and therapists for years to change and recover and reconnect with herself and her children. Natsuo is off at college, and takes every opportunity he can to avoid Endeavor. He (understandably) wants nothing to do with him, and shows stagnant resistance to his attempts to atone.

The reason why Natsuo can't move on from the past is because his trauma didn't come from Endeavor. It came from Touya.

Now initially we were led to believe that it was simply Touya's untimely death that still bothers Natsuo, and it makes sense seeing how Endeavor drove him to the edge. Losing his best friend and brother as a young kid without parents to support him or any therapist to speak of can absolutely been the source of persistent emotional damage, but the more and more we learn about Touya's situation, the more evident it becomes that Natsuo's trauma is much much deeper than even grief.

Touya, as we know, was driven by an ambition instilled in him by his father and experienced extreme rejection sensitivity when those ambitions were no longer realistic. Touya's relationship with his parents could be described as insecure attachment, a psychological term primarily regarding how kids react and respond to their parents and other close relationships. As he was raised, Touya learned to equate his potential to be a hero with his personal worth and similarly confounded attention with love. The difference being, of course, that love is unconditional, but even attention was being continually directed away from him as a punishment for continuing to train and burn himself so he could once again become worthy in his fathers' eyes.

This is where Natsuo comes in. At first it was assumed that all of the Todoroki children were born out of Endeavor's strong-willed desire to have a child that could surpass All Might, but we learned that this isn't exactly the case. I'd argue that it was narratively poetic on Horikoshi's part once this was expanded upon. Fuyumi was born to support and encourage her brother, and that is the exact role she plays 23 years later, keeping her family together.

Natsuo's case is even more intersting.

It was bad enough if Natsuo was only born for the potential of his quirk, but it's even more sinister that the sole intent behind his birth was to discourage Touya from his ambitions. I'd say it was to replace him, but it was more to promote the idea that Touya was expendable than to raise aonther kid with the same ideals but the potential to actually achieve it, although that was definitely a secondary motivation.

The parallelism in this is how much Natsuo's life revolves around Touya. He was born because of Touya, he looked up to and took care of Touya as a kid, and the absence of Touya in the present continues to drive him and his decisions in life (but more on that later).

I continue to pray that we will eventually get more solid backstory on Natsuo and Touya's relationship as kids and where it cut off, wether on a bad note or not, but there are a few things we know for certain. One, Touya was mentally ill. Yes, he was rejected by his parents but he seems to have been particularly vulnerable to this compared to any of his siblings since he was the first of them and thus relied only on his parents for validation in his early years. He shows early signs of a variety of different mental disorders, particularly BPD, which I have previously written a whole analysis for on its own. Touya is shown self-harming both by the very nature of his quirk and even by very directly ripping his hair out. He was incredibly self-destructive.

This is why it is so much more concerning to me that Natsuo, who was AT LEAST four years younger than him, was his primary source of comfort. Natsuo was too young to have known anything more than 'my big brother is sad that daddy won't train him anymore' and he obviously wasn't equipped in any way to handle Touya's severe mental illness. Touya most definitely needed professional treaatment as his forms of coping were abnormal even for the neglect and rejection that he experienced. Natsuo comforted Touya through breakdown after breakdown, and more than that Touya relied on him and came to him voluntarily for support. Natsuo was the best option he had, and he took full advantage of that. The main source of Natsuo's trauma was Touya's reliance on him.

Not to say at all that this was in any way Touya's fault- he was mentally ill and desperately in need of some form of comfort to keep him sane; it was almost a survival method at this point since neither of his parents really acknowleged him at all anymore. Touya's instability hurt Natsuo more than parental neglect ever did, but it was the neglect that enabled it and striped Touya of the supportive atmosphere he would have needed at this point not only to prevent but to heal from the mental damage he had already suffered.

Natsuo dealt with this for years and you can see how much it hurt him to see Touya in so much pain, not only from Endeavor's rejection but from his own self harm as well. For Natuso to know that his brotherly love would never be the same as having loving parents; would neve be enough- but at least it was something so he continued to love and care about his brother for little in return- is indicative of the kind of character he is.

(Edit: After the events of chapter 302 we know that Natsuo's relationship with Touya wasn't perfect. I will elaborate more on this in a different post, but I just wanted to clarify that although we were shown a very high-tension scene between them, it is implied that this was a regular occurrence that Natsuo was usually more receptive too but tired out of, in addition to Touya's spiraling mental health. It fit with the natrative to show the tension Touya was feeling with his family from all directions, but Natsu and Touya clearly had a stronger relationship up to and before this point, evidenced by their sharing a room and playing together regularly.)

He is incredibly selfless, and it's interesting to note how many of his positive qualities as an adult stem from negative experiences as a kid. He never really felt love from his parents, so he relied on Touya (and likely also Fuyumi) for that as well. If he grew up learning he had to give love in order to recieve it back, it absolutely influenced who he became in the future, a solid example of this being the responsibility he feels to reach out and have a relationship with Shouto and further regrets that he wasn't able to help his abuse in the past either. Another aspect of his character that intruigues me is how gentle he is. Personality-wise he seems about as opposite as he could be from the awkward, stoic, emotionally-stunted person that is Endeavor.

There are a couple of reasons for this, beyond what I've already discussed.

One, he had little to no contact with elements of toxic masculinity growing up, especially not from Endeavor.

Two, most of the influence he did have growing up was from Fuyumi, who is established to have endlessly cared for him since he was a literal baby.

Three, he grew up in a household where almost everyone around him was in much more literal, immediate pain than he was so he developed a very strong sense of empathy that might also have been tied to early survivor's guilt.

Now I have one important distinction to make, and that's the temptation to label him as a 'softboy' or something of the like after seeing him caring for his family and more pointedly, watching him break down in tears during chapter 252. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with men being soft or vulnerable (on the contrary it's actually so so important and relevant that Hori is writing characters like this in a mainstream shounen manga but that's an essay for another time), it is unfair to label him as such based on a moment when his trauma is being exposed.

Because his truama stems from such a young age, there is a blurry line between just being born with more emotional intelligence and the situation he was in fostering those traits. You know, the classic nature/nurture thing. My point being, it's important to tread carefully when discussing the nature of his personality to avoid invalidating his trauma; I have no doubt that he is very strong for having survived these things, and the moments we see of him onscreen are definitely among his most vulnerable.

Another thing that people less familiar with Natsuo's character might assume is that he is hot-headed and argumentative. I thought that at first too- after all, he doesn't seem to shy away from yelling at Endeavor when given the opportunity. However, this doesn't seem to be the case at all.

The first real scene we see him in with Endeavor, the man walks into the room and Natsuo decides he can't handle it and goes to leave. However, Endeavor happens to be blocking the doorway. Endeavor physically stops him and provokes him to his face, asking him to say whatever is on him mind. While Natsuo is notably not confrontational, Endeavor is. I think it's fair to say that he felt at least uneasy at this gesture. Natsuo is very honest with his feelings, and it's obvious that he's pissed at the audacity of Endeavor to be so oblivious to his own son. This is presumably one of the first real interactions they've ever really had, and at this point Natsuo has been dealing with trauma (caused by Endeavor!) on his own for years, and Endeavor seems completely oblivious to his pain and dismmisive to the rest of the family's as well.

Again during the internship arc Natsuo tries to get along with Endeavor and this time he actually gives it a fleeting chance. Tensions are high, however, and the conversation very quickly becomes uncomfortable, at which point he leaves. It is continually implied that Natsuo is uncomfortable being around Endeavor because his very presence brings up painful thoughts and memories of a time when sharing the same space as him was a warning to run and hide. This is later directly confirmed by Natsuo as he says that every time he looks at Endeavor's face he remembers Touya and the pain he was in.

I feel like an important side note is that we have never seen Natsuo outside the context of his family, which is understandable, as the role he plays in the story directly relates to them. However, if you take a look at Shouto, even though his experiences have shaped him to become who he is, he definitely acts differently when Endeavor's not in the vicinity.

Back to Touya's death, it would be very rare that someone would mourn a death for an entire decade without finding closure unless there are other factors preventing it, and uncomfortably this seems to be the same thing for both Natsuo and Endeavor: guilt.

This is getting incredibly long already, but it's important to note that Natsuo probably felt an incredible responsibility to take care of Touya and protect him because of his empathetic nature. His love was never going to be the same as having loving parents. His encouragement was never going to be the same as having support from Endeavor. Even further than then neglect and abandonement, it was not being able to save Touya that really made Natsuo feel worthless.

He seems to try and remedy this inability to save Touya and diminish his guilt by doing everything he can to be better. He reaches out to Shouto to be a better brother, he consistently pushes his limits to entertain Fuyumi's notion of a happy family, and he's working hard towards a degree rhat will allow him to help people like Touya (and Rei) because he failed to do so in the past.

His bio mildly implies that he didn't have much of a direction he was heading in after high school, but Fuyumi's encouragement led him to seek out his current college career. This goes back to Natsuo's 'purpose' in a sense revolving arount Touya, from his birth to his relationship with him to his death, after which he lost his direction. They were always rather inseperable, so naturally their seperation hit Natsuo hard. He lost his direction in life so when Fuyumi encouraged him to rediscover it, he thought of helping people, because that's ultimately what he was born to do.

Thank you so, so much for reading this if you made it to the end! I clearly have a lot of thoughts on this. Let me know what you think about it as well, and hopefully we'll get more info on this soon in the manga :)

[anautisticnewt]

I’ve gotten some asks regarding Sia’s Music Movie and my thoughts on it.

I’m not going to answer them directly because a few were off anon and a little rude, and while they might not be worried about people knowing who they are, I don’t want to promote their blogs or send any hate towards them or myself by showing their blog names. But the gist of them were, how can I support a character like Newt, played by an allistic actor, but not the character from Sia’s movie, also played by an allistic actor? (I don’t know how they would have known that I don’t support Sia’s movie, but whatever, the assumptions were correct.) While the questions may not have come from a nice place, I do find it an interesting thing to think about, and thought I’d try elaborating. So here I go.

I think what really helps is headcanons. People headcanon characters as all kinds of things all the time. Autistic, ADHD, Trans/NB, other LGBTQ+ identities, Disabled, and even POC headcanons are everywhere. They are all great, and it’s a lot of fun for the people who have them.

If a character in a television show or film isn’t marketed as something, or casted as something, but the audience identifies a characteristic about them as this or that, it doesn’t matter who the actor is or if the actors themselves are this or that, all that matters is the character.

It’s a much different story if it’s the other way around.

Newt was not created to be autistic. So the fact that they hired a non autistic actor to play him is very acceptable. Eddie Redmayne plays the character as autistic because he believed after reading the script that that was the truest interpretation of that character. Because of his acting choices, it at least seems, that the writing for the second movie and acting of the younger version of Newt were influenced more towards an autistic version of the character.

?Music? (I think that’s the name of the character and the movie) was created to be an autistic character. There is no interpretation to be made. She is autistic, full stop. Why would you even think of hiring someone who isn’t autistic to play her? I don’t care if you only have an actor pool of 3 people to choose from. Pick the best of those 3 and go. If none of those 3 are able to act in your production because it is too distressing, make it less distressing for them! If you can’t make it less distressing rewrite the film.

Babies play babies, dogs play dogs, but you think an autistic person can’t play an autistic person?!? It’s so insulting to me that entire productions can work around the schedules and needs of young children and animals, but the minute an actor needs certain accommodations for a disability or neurodivergence or something like that, they all of a sudden can’t think of any way that they can work around it.

They do this because it’s easier, cheaper, they don’t really care, and they know they can get away with it.

There are many autistic actors out there. I bet several of them can dance too. I bet you could even find quite a few nonverbal or semiverbal autistic actors who can dance. And even if you couldn’t, you could work around them not being able to dance. Stunt doubles and cgi exist!

TLDR;

One version is

audience: “hey this character is autistic”

writers: “you know what? That wasn’t our initial intention, but you’re right, and should say it.”

The other is

writers: “this character is autistic, but the actor isn’t because we were lazy”

audience: “then you did a bad job”

writers: “shut up”

Side note: I think non autistic people can play autistic characters, and play them well. A truly good actor can play anything. “Can” being the important word there. Because “can” is not the same as “should”.

[werejusttouchingeachother]

DUBAI 2019 [August 26th, 7:13PM]

Chapter 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13  T/W: cursing Words: 2749

You stare down at your hands in his, running your fingers absentmindedly over the rings on Baekhyun’s slender fingers.

“You’re right,” you finally say, looking up to meet his eyes. “I sleep on the couch. This is my bed.”

He sighs, shaking his head at you. “Y/N, your back will start hurting. Your neck too. You need to stop being so careless with your body—”

“It’s not about New York,” you cut him off, feeling crushed by the weight of your thoughts and wanting to let it out.

“I didn’t move to this place because of New York,” you clarified, meeting his eyes as you let go of his hands. “But what happened earlier today – at my office, that was about New York.”  

Baekhyun frowns in confusion, cocking his head and you elaborate, “Baek, we need to talk about it. I can’t take a break. This is hard enough and you’re leaving, what, in two days? I can’t—”

“Hey, hey,” he says soothingly, grabbing your face and squishing your cheeks slightly. You narrow your eyes into a glare and he grins as he says, “Relax, Y/N. Who even said anything about a break? You think too much.”

“You’re one to talk,” you say—or try to, except you only end up looking like a fish and sounding incoherent. Baekhyun laughs before pecking your pouty lips and pulling away, releasing your face.

“You think too much too,” you retort clearly, your tone defensive. “Except when I overthink, I talk to you about it. You become silent, get mad and leave the room.”

“You’re right,” he admits with a wry smile, taking your hands in his again. He plays with your fingers as he mumbles something under his breath.

You lean forward and raise your eyebrow at him, muttering, “Hey. Baekhyun.” He raises his head to meet your eyes and when you see the anxious expression on his face, you immediately feel your body tense with worry.

You were used to seeing storms in your own eyes but to see them reflected in Baekhyun’s hurt you more than you thought it would and even scared you a bit since it was not a common occurrence like yours.

“What’s going on?” You asked, voice soft.

“I just…” He sighs loudly, leaning back against the armrest of the couch as he said, “I feel stupid. I mean, in New York, that whole night I just preached about how stupid it was to go public. And then today, in the closet, I finally got it. I understood why you felt so mad that night.”

You shake your head at him, confused by his words. “What are you saying? That night wasn’t about that, you know that. It was—”

“Yeah, I know,” he nodded, grabbing your hand and you reflexively laced your fingers together, silently encouraging him to continue. “But I knew about the real reasons only about two months later, remember? That whole time, its cause I thought you were mad and upset about us having to be quiet about our relationship. And after today, I’m mad about it. Like really fucking mad, Y/N.”

You stare at him quietly, trying to understand what was worrying him right now.

“What… do you mean?” You ask slowly, thoughts racing as you remember Seoyeon’s words earlier. “Wait. Baek, you didn’t call him, did you? That Korean reporter from Dispatch, Gae In or something?”

“Gae Jin,” Baekhyun corrects, blinking in surprise at you. “How do you know about him?”

“Seoyeon mentioned that she saw you calling him,” you replied quickly, waving off his question impatiently. “Did you call him?”

He shakes his head. “No, I didn’t, relax. I stopped myself right when I was about to.” He thinks for a moment before mumbling lowly, “Maybe I should.”

“Baek, what the hell are you saying?”

“He was hitting on you, Y/N,” Baekhyun finally snaps, straightening on the couch so suddenly that you almost fell back. He grabs you around your middle right as you’re about to and his eyes are blazing as he grits, “That asshole from the magazine today. He was so rude and such a dick, Y/N, and I can’t believe I was such an idiot to never think of how there must be guys like that hitting on you all the time because we can’t fucking walk around in public—”

“Baekhyun,” you say his name, placing your hands gently on his chest in an effort to calm him down. “Look, it's not that big of a deal. You said it yourself, he’s just an asshole who—”

“It's him, isn’t it?” Baekhyun cuts you off, raising an eyebrow. “Yeong Jae. The articles. From the Venice show. ‘CEO and Director, Y/N and Bonjour's Executive Editor, Yeong Jae: a fashion couple in the making’?”

You flinched at his tone and the way he remembered the headline word-for-word, shaking your head at him.

“You know,” you start, trying to reassure him. “If it helps, the only reason that made it to the newspaper was cause that asshole called them to the show. It wasn't even a big event—mostly upcoming designers and apprentices. I was so surprised by the press coverage and it’s only later that Seoyeon told me that she scared one of the reporters into finally admitting that Yeong Jae had been the one to call them.”

“So you’re telling me,” Baekhyun replies slowly with barely restrained frustration, “that this asshole wanted the headlines? He was all flirty with you at Venice on purpose?”

“... for the headlines, yes.” You pause, muttering, “Although I’m not sure if that was his smartest decision. A lot of his fans were mad about it and sent hate—”

“Okay, that didn’t help, Y/N!” Baekhyun exclaims loudly, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “The guy has been pursuing you since Venice. He got mad at you for refusing to go out with him today. He’s genuinely interested in you.”

“No, he's interested in headlines,” you correct, stressing each word for emphasis. “Yeong Jae is a classic douche, Baek. He saw the media attention that the articles of us got and today's stunt was just to blaze that flame again. Or at the most, sex. That's it. The guy is trash.”

You notice his sour expression and continue, “Even if he is genuinely interested, what’s the big deal? I’m clearly not and I told him that too. What are you so worried about?”

You pause, a sense of dread creeping into you as your tone softens while asking, “Do you not trust me?”

“What, no!” Baekhyun yells defensively, grabbing your hands with wide eyes. He lowers his voice while saying, “Of course I trust you, it’s not... it just pisses me off, Y/N. Guys shouldn’t be hitting on you. You’re mine, not just someone to be hit on. You don’t get it—”

“Whoa,” you cut him off in surprise at his words, pulling your hands free to look at him as you repeat loudly, “I don't get it? I don't get it?” You scoff in disbelief. “I am dating one of Korea’s top most men who is loved so much by almost half the planet that I could literally die if word gets out that I’m the one kissing and sleeping with their beloved oppa.”

You scoot back on the couch to the opposite end, glaring at him as you cross your arms. “Trust me, Baekhyun, I get it better than anyone else.”

Baekhyun blinks in surprise at your sharp tone before pouting and crawling over to you. You roll your eyes as he dramatically collapses on top of you, arms wrapping around your waist and burying his head in your chest. You half-assedly try to push him off and give up after about three seconds of struggle, sinking your fingers into his pink hair instead. You release the breath you'd been holding when he jumped on you and your hands absentmindedly massage his scalp lightly.

Baekhyun hums softly in content, snuggling closer to your chest until his cheek is pressed against your breast.

You feel him mumble something but his voice is muffled so you hum in question.

“What happened at Venice?” He blinks up at you and you’re almost reminded of a puppy by the innocent way he just did it.

“It’s not that I don't trust you,” he continues softly. “I just want to know if you did something unknowingly that made him think you were interested in him too.”

You snort at the thought. “He literally accused me of being gay and used it as justification for my rejection because his head is so far up his hetero ass that he thinks every single straight woman is lusting after him. I did nothing of the sort and he clearly thinks he’s too good to be rejected.” You pause before admitting, “Seoyeon and I were stressed about the outlet here. Raw materials and fabrics from our usual places at Venice were running low because the month that we went clashed with the peak time when most designers were bulk-buying materials for the fall/winter shows. I didn’t plan ahead and he was doing a segment for the magazine so he saw us struggling and helped us out. He invited me to a show on the last night and the next morning, I flew back here. That weekend, the articles came out. During the first week before inaugurating and officially opening the boutique here, you stopped calling and texting so I flew out to Seoul during your Tempo promotions.”

“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun mutters, sitting up slightly. The movement made you raise your eyebrow at him since he was practically on your lap now but then he grabs your thighs, quickly pulling you onto him so that you’re straddling him instead.

Your head is slightly higher to his since you’re sitting on his legs and your face hovers over his, the soft breaths escaping your parted lips fanning his cheeks. Involuntarily, you slowly sling your arms around his neck and tugging him closer until his face is a hair’s breadth away. Your slightly wet hair falls around your face in a way that when you lean your head down to his, it cascades around both your faces, hiding both of you.

Despite being the eyes that you’d gazed into for almost three years now—eyes you couldn’t look away from, eyes you fell in love with, eyes that hurt you when they were narrowed in your direction, eyes that broke your heart when they grew teary, eyes that sparkled brighter than any other you knew, eyes that made butterflies erupt in your stomach—it still made you feel short of breath as he stared up at your face.

“I never did apologise for that,” he whispered softly like he was telling a secret that he didn’t even want to let the air around you hear.

“I shouldn’t have made you worry and fly out to me because I was being dumb and jealous,” he continues. “I trust you. It just hurts when you’re not around and to know someone else is probably asking you out for dinner.”

“Well, then you should also know that I’m refusing them every time,” you answer with a smile, kissing his cheek and hugging his head to your chest while sighing loudly, “You’re the only one I want to have dinner with, you big baby. And lunch. And breakfast. And everything in between.”

He holds your elbows, pulling back to look at you and you squish his cheeks like he did earlier as you say in a baby-voice, “Next time you get dumb and jealous, talk to me. Like when you read that article that time. Like when you left my office earlier today. Okay?”

Baekhyun nods, puckering his lips further in between your grip like a child and you laugh, leaning forward to kiss him. He wraps his arms around your waist then and leans back on the couch, pulling you down with him so that you’re lying on him. You smile as you snuggle into his body, warmth and a comfortable silence wrapping around both of you. The soft piano chords of Chen’s Portrait Of You fades as the song ends and you jolt slightly as the familiar female vocals of Everytime loudly begins to blare through the speakers.

You sigh, already saying, “Okay, don’t start—”

“You have Jongdae’s OST on your phone too, did your bias change from Sehunnie to him now?” He huffs, groaning loudly in exaggeration. “What kind of life is this where I’m not even my own girlfriend’s favourite?”

“It’s on shuffle, Baek, can you just—?”

You stop as you shift suddenly and hear a low grumbling noise. You sit up and glance down at Baekhyun’s stomach before shifting your gaze to his sheepish face, raising an eyebrow at him.

“You haven’t had lunch,” you deadpanned, glaring as you recall today’s events. “You left my office around the time for lunch and you never had anything, did you?”

You groan at his guilty expression, throwing your legs down the couch as you stand up and take his hand to pull him up with you.

“I should’ve known,” you grumbled, rolling your eyes. “Seoyeon’s pasta must be cold now…”

“Just reheat it,” he offers with a cheeky grin that makes you glare at him. He drops a kiss on your cheek, muttering, “I’ll go take a quick shower and be out by the time it’s done.”

He goes to pull his arm free but you tighten your grip around his wrist as an idea dawns on you.

“Hey,” you start, glancing at the cooled food on the kitchen table before turning to him. “What do you say about seeing Dubai?”

Baekhyun blinks, pursuing his lips. “I’ve seen it already…” He trails off as he catches your drift, shooting you a look. “You know, Y/N, I’ve been here before. You’re kind of dating the only Korean man whose music has ever been played at the Dubai fountains and face was featured on the Burj Khalifa.”

“Yes, I know, I was there in the crowd to see your dumb face plastered over the skyscraper,” you informed him, rolling your eyes at his smug bragging. “I meant actually see Dubai. The way you saw Paris?”

His eyes light up at the mention of that and you grin as he asks, “Really? You know your way around that well? Already?”

“You know how much I love to explore,” you shrug, already grabbing the bowls that Seoyeon had set on the table and excitedly closing them to place it in the refrigerator. “And it works great cause you love it too but you never get a chance to so this way, I can show you around. Go shower and I’ll take you somewhere great. Don’t tell Seoyeon about this cause she’ll actually kill me but we’ll have her pasta tomorrow. Tonight, I’ll give you the full Dubai tour package unlike any other that the stupid guides will—”

You stop as you feel his arms snake around your waist, chest pressing against your back, his chin tickling the side of your neck as he kisses the soft skin where your shoulder and neck meets, warm breath and gentle kisses peppering the flesh.

“Is this included in the package?” Baekhyun mutters hoarsely right in your ear, smirking as he notices the way your skin rises with goosebumps instantly at the proximity, touch and his voice.

You take a deep breath to regain your composure before saying flatly, “You can book this for later tonight after we come back home cause if we don’t leave soon, I can’t take you to where I want to and I’ll get mad and you will have neither dinner nor me.”

Baekhyun pauses and you continue, “You’re busy with your shoot for all of tomorrow. Day-after, we only get the morning cause you’ll leave in the afternoon and then its back to—”  

“Okay, okay, okay!” Baekhyun yells, letting go of you with a loud huff and a glare as you grin while hearing him stomp to your bedroom, muttering under his breath about how you’re no fun at all.

You pick up your phone and scroll through your contacts, calling the familiar number.

“Y/N!” You hear a loud cheer, making you instantly grin.

You laugh as you head for the bedroom, phone held to your ear as you say, “Hello, Zahid. It’s been a while.”

[breanne-says-boo]

What We Do in the Shadows: Comic-Con Summary (July 25, 2020)

Here’s a link to the video for those that want to watch it:

{ X }

Things in bold are relevant to the upcoming Season 3 or relevant to canon-related information

Haley-Joel Osment was the moderator for the panel and was joined by Mark (Colin), Kayvan (Nandor), Harvey (Guillermo), Matt (Laszlo), Natasia (Nadja), as well as showwriter Stefani Robinson and producer/writer Paul Simms.

Guillermo’s lineage was a total surprise for Harvey in season 1 and feels it was a big shock for everyone. Harvey compares doing stunt-work to a dance/like choreography (”We’re just doing a musical!”). He’s glad to represent a non-stereotypical kickass guy. It seems like it was really enjoyable for him.

Kayvan says he’s concerned for Nandor and how the dynamic between him and Guillermo will change in Season 3. He says no one at the house listens to Nandor except for Guillermo, so he needs someone to boss around/listen to him and needs him in that way. Kayvan acknowledges that Guillermo is a vampire slayer now and doesn’t have that need to become a vampire anymore. He’s honestly not sure how it will change in the show...

Paul states that he as the producer/writer already knows how Nandor and Guillermo’s relationship will develop in season 3 but is keeping in under lockdown right now. Season is pretty much all planned out it sounds.

When asked about improving with herself or the script when doing Doll!Nadja. It was very easy to improvise with herself because she’s fantastic ;) Natasia: “It’s always been my dream to work against someone as good as me and finally...”

Everyone had to do ADR (automated dialogue replacement/dubbing) at home due to COVID

Matt wrote music for the music episode but they weren’t full songs. Natasia helped with some of them.

Mark filmed the Colin-centric promotion episode while really sick. He said it sucked filming on location and not having his home comforts to help him heal and such. The flying stunts were fun but a bit painful, “...but it’s work, so you go to work...” He hopes the episode didn’t suffer from him being sick :( (it’s personally one of my favorites of the season)

When asked if he thinks Colin is the strongest vampire in the house, Mark says that all the vampires (and Guillermo) play off of each other’s strengths and weaknesses, so no one is necessarily stronger than another.

At this point, Kayvan started to consistently lose connection throughout the rest of the panel. His cat popped in a few times, as did Paul’s kids.

Stefani said incorporating Mark Hamil was surprisingly easy, as there have been issues in the past with visas into Toronto to lock down certain actors. They knew ahead of time to write the part for him.

Stef and Paul say the stunt-coordinators came up with some of the bits on set from that episode (specifically the Star Wars references).

Matt was so giggly during filming the episode because holy shit it’s Luke Skywalker holding a cue like a lightsaber. He said “It doesn’t matter how cool you think you are or in-character you are. You’re not! You’re 7 years old and Luke Skywalker is in front of you.”

They actually filmed during night in Toronto and the snow on-set was real. Paul says there’s pretty much no sunlight while filming until you go home. It’s pretty grueling conditions at times. Natasia says the conditions make you go mad, which is good for the show, like they’re being vampires for real. Stefani says it’s like a long-extended sleepover with friends.. and it’s fun but there’s a point where your body just shuts down.

Haley asks if being in an enclosed space helps with the improv for the show. Matt said yes and Natasia added on by saying it’s her favorite part about it all and she loves the house. Mark says it lends to their creativity being in such a beautiful and elaborate set.

Natasia set herself on fire with one of the candles on set :(

In terms of props taken from the set, Stefani has two portraits of Nandor (one of him with George Washington and Ben Franklin?? and the other from the intro scenes) and Matt has one of the necklaces from the necromancer’s hut (he was super excited to show it off). Paul says there’s really not a policy in place when it comes to props just grab what you can and hope no one notices!

Matt says forgetting to put teeth back in for filming is a problem.

Harvey talks a bit about his show ‘Before the Shadows’. He originally had it as a one time thing but then confided in Stefani for her thoughts when fans asked for more. He thought he might as well continue due to quarantine and that fans wanted it so much. It’s very time consuming having directors and writers for the show. His sister helped produce it. He says he tries to make it accessible to anyone and that there’s always way more behind the scenes stuff to talk about.

Paul mentions how difficult it was that the editing process of the show started just as quarantine started so they had to edit everything remotely.

Haley asks if Nandor will find love in Season 3. Stefani: “Very good question, Haley. Hm I wonder... ;)” Paul: “It’s almost as if he’s looking at the big bulletin board behind me!” Paul says Nandor is lonely (as if on fucking cue, Kayvan pops back into the panel chat and everyone starts laughing).

Paul says everyone will have something they are searching for in Season 3. Nandor for love, Colin for his origins/backstory into being an energy vampire, and that there are, quote “new duties”-- and then cuts off because he thinks he’s giving too much away.

There will be new supernatural creatues in Season 3. Stefani specifically notes “creatures that live on edifices”... (Kayvan pulls out his cat and Paul’s like “Ah look there’s one right now!”) (Is Stefani hinting at gargoyles?)

Natasia asks if the vampires can have vampire kitties or puppies to play with, Paul in-fact says the vampires will get a Hellhound in Season 3 to help protect them (Natasia starts fist-pumping)

They then end off the panel by talking about their experiences with live animals on the set

[migleefulmoments]

Wow, the tinhats are on fire today. Bitching about it being disrespectful to have their sexuality defined for them (hypocrite, much?), actually saying Darren STATED ON RECORD that he was gay (wut, then why does he need a beard?), reading the minds of Darren's parents, apparently have direct access to Darren, Mia and Ben's bank statements to know how much money they have. These Emmys have really given them a fright and rattled their cages LMFAO.

I literally just wrote a post tagging them about that ridiculous post calling out someone for saying she is straight when she considers herself pan.  Whatever dude.  Getting angry over an anon calling you straight is f’ing pathetic when 1. you are nobody and there is no reason for anybody to give a shit about your sexuality and 2. you aren’t actually talking about your sexuality-pan or otherwise- on your blog. I mean if you had a blog that was about your sexuality then your sexuality should be respected but bitching because someone didn’t check your bio to see if you felt the need to proclaim your sexuality before posting about CC is pathetic.  Franky, I don’t fucking care who anybody except my husband sleeps with. I certainly wouldn’t feel the need to check a Tumblr bio to ascertain the sexuality of the owner of a blog whose sole reason for existence is to discount everything Darren says about himself, his sexuality, his love and to criticize every move he makes while blaming it on an elusive and every-expanding contract, the evil players in Hollywood, his inept yet all-controlling manager and the evil beard he hates but who controls his life simply to torture him and “get promotion”.   Oh, and she also exists to cyberbully Mia, a woman that she is so jealous of she spends her days creating and perpetuating lies to make herself feel better about her pea green envy of Mia. 

Basically the Emmy’s showed the world that Darren is deeply in love with and ridiculously smitten with Mia Swier.  It is really hard to defend your mantra that Chris is “captain of this ship” and supporting Darren with all his might because they have a LOVE for the ages and are in the fight of their lives against the evil of Hollywood when Darren wears his heart on his sleeve and declares his love so freely.  So let’s dissect their lies:

1. Did Darren state on Record that he was gay?  Well if he did it was in one poorly recorded livestream while telling a joke and he was off camera. He HAS actually stated with his mouth, while on camera, in clear language, and in written article after article, that he is straight.  He has elaborated on what it is like to play gay while being straight and he has talked about representation over and over. He has also said- out of his mouth, while on camera- that he is engaged to and loves Mia.  Back to the declaration “I’m gay”. Jordan Roth was Parascoping from an event viewing (Emmys?) and a bunch of guys were standing around. A pic of Taylor Swift in a bathtub had just broke the internet and he made a joke about it. Darren off camera makes a joke like “I see that everyday” and then something garbled is said amongst the laughing and over talking. CCers claim Darren says “but I’m gay” which seems odd that he would declare such a thing in that context, on a livestream. It isn’t a natural response to having just said you see “that sort of thing all the time” and WHY THE FUCK WOULD HE OUT HIMSELF LIKE THAT ON a LIVESTREAM?  Also I have listened to that audio a hundred times and I don’t hear “I’m gay”.  Oh, and Jordan doesn’t respond in the way one would if a closeted friend just screwed up and outed themselves. CCers hang on to that moment like it is a defining CC moment while disregarding and denying all of the times Darren has said he is straight and all the behavior that proves he is with in fact, the fiancee of a woman named Mia

2. Darren’s parents. I posted earlier that I believe the pics are “proof” that Charles doesn’t love or respect Cerina or Darren- he’s walking in front of them after all. He’s also reading his phone- another sign that means he doesn’t actually love or respect those he is with. NOBODY walks in front of someone they love and respect and NOBODY ever looks at their phone when they are with someone they care about and a picture isn’t a snapshot of 0.01 seconds of someone’s life...it is an entire story for strangers to dissect. The pics are are a “stunt” and not at all indicative that the group is annoyed that Paps are literally walking backwards in front of them snapping pictures. Nope they are statements about the disgust the person walking in front carries for the other members of the group. At least THAT is how Tinhatters have seen it every time pap pics of Darren and Mia are released and he’s in front of her or on his phone so it must apply here as well, right? 

3. There was also an argument that Cerina and Charles are pulling stunts,  pretending to be  “one big happy family” because “they love their child so much they would do anything”.  That isn’t how parental love works. Bad behavior, lies, and deception are not OK simply because you do it out of love.  I love my children to death but I would never outright deceive the world by literally participating in “stunts” over and over where I was putting on a performance that was counter to everyone’s best interest. I wouldn’t consider it “supporting my child” by doing anything that kept them in the closet or forcing them to lie over and over or colluding with them to pretend they are engaged to someone they hated. Ethics and morals still matter and doing what is right matters and supporting the good things-not the bad things- in our kids’ lives matter. But the CCers pretend that love matters more than anything...as long as it is about love then nothing else matters.  That is the Disney-princess version of life and love.  It doesn’t hold up in reality. 

4. Speaking of Makes No Sense... The idea that every time Mia is talked about, mentioned, in a photo or standing near Darren he is promoting her. WTF? “Promotion”.  Mia doesn’t even have social media...she isn’t promoting herself. Darren isn’t promoting her.  Stop being so f’ing jealous of her CCers.  It doesn’t look good on you.  

5. Ben...oh lord Ben.  That whole trope is entirely made up.  Ben might have stayed with them long ago but I follow him in IG and he is rarely in LA and never for more than a few nights. There is nothing to suggest he is even staying with them anymore.  Mia and Ben are clearly friends and Mia and Darren both  openly share their lives with her friends. Mia wearing Ben’s hat means absolutely nothing and Ben’s arm around Mia at an IHeartRadio event means they are friends and Ben supporting the bar means it is a fun place to hang out and he likes them.  Nothing more.  The whole story about them in bed and taking pictures on Valentine’s day 1854 is so pathetic and contrived... I just can't. Every time the CCers stomp their feet and yell “Ben Ben Ben HOW CAN YOU IGNORE BEN” I think of Trump and his pathetic attempts to prove that Mueller is a witch hunt...or Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham claiming they aren’t racist. It is just as desperate. 

There are a lot of comments today- made by single woman- about what a healthy relationship should look like. There is nothing about Ben and Mia and Darren except desperate CCers trying discount Darren and Mia’s engagement.  Hell, maybe both Darren and Mia are sleeping with Ben....a throuple if you will.  It doesn’t matter if they are because IT ISN’T ANY OF OUR BUSINESS.  Having been in a relationship for *cough *cough 24+ years with the same man, I can say that there is nothing about Mia and Darren- including Ben- that makes me think it isn't a healthy relationship. Long term relationships are hard work..not the stuff of Disney princess love and CC BS.  If Ben stays with them when he is in town, who cares? He is in town so little. I can imagine staying in hotels gets old and staying with friends whose home is filled with music and singing has to be a joy. 

I agree with you, the Emmys rattled the CC family... big time.  It is hard to ignore the look Darren gave her as he declared her “my darling Mia” and said the most romantic thing I have heard a man use to proclaim to his love ...well, EVER. It is hard posting the same pics of Darren and Chris talking on stage over and over and over and over and pretend that means they are in love or that it wasn’t 10 years ago. They have sunk to arguing that when we watch Glee we aren’t seeing Klaine on screen but rather that is CrissColfer and they aren’t acting..they are in love in RL.  Um, dude NO, those were characters. They were reading lines written for them by writers. They were following stage direction and hitting marks.  After the Emmys, the CCers were left analyzing WHERE Darren and Mia’s noses touched because their kiss during the excitement of hearing his name announced wasn’t perfectly coordinated.  Darren’s aim was a little off -apparently- they bumped noses and that proves they don’t kiss often. I MEAN THAT IS IRREFUTABLE PROOF THEY ARE FAKE.  There was also a proclamation that clearly Mia practiced on objects and other people so she could grab Darren’s face and plant one on him after his name was announced.  Making that kind of shit up is the epitome of desperation. They are running scared. Their entire fandom is based on lies, anger, hate and criticizing people who don’t care about them. So when it falls apart, there is no reason to be a CC Family. Their international friendships which are glued together by their hatred and envy of Mia, ceases to have a reason to exist. When it all falls apart, they have no reason to be so sanctimonious or self righteous and they cease to be internet “famous” as they have labeled themselves.  If they aren’t fighting for Darren’s very soul, they don’t matter. That just sucks. Of course I watch them double down on “how will NEVER marry her” and I know they are setting themselves up for a big fall...it’s a train wreck happening in slow motion. Of course he will marry her. He has said so publicly several times. Their friends congratulated them and showered them with love-ya know, people who actually know them.  I know the CC family will have a few days of anger and then they will regroup and talk about how getting married to one’s beard is the new “breaking up with one’s beard” and that Chris was supporting Darren with everything he had. They will hate the beautiful wedding song Darren and performs for Mia and then they will claim it was really a secret message for them-the people who are really listening- to proclaim his undying love for Chris. Chris will continue to ignore Darren and while most of Hollywood sends Darren and Mia love, the CCers will claim that the ONLY reason Chris wouldn’t send a social media post to Darren is because he contractually can’t. That alone is telling...there is NO other reason he would ignore Darren... I mean, that is the only thing that makes sense, right? 

[sammyhale]

J2 TorCon 2017 Main Panel

J2 jump onstage!

Jensen: Do you know what week it is?? We premiere this Thursday. 

Jensen is also talking about Jared being on Jimmy Kimmel this Thursday as well :)

“My dear friend Mr. Jared Padalecki will be on Jimmy Kimmel Thursday Oct 12th so tune in” - Jensen promoting Jared. Jared: Ackles warmed him up for me...so tune in guys, we’re gonna have some fun. Jensen: Yeah, it’ll be a big night. We’re very excited about it. 

What memory would Sam and Dean stick to if they died (like Bobby with his memory of the boys)? Jared mentions the flashbacks in Swan Song and the “I’m proud of us” moment. Jensen says a collection of good moments (bros reuniting, stuff with John, Mary, Bobby, Cas) but also those moments of killing big bads. 

What story would you extend/elaborate on? Jared says Demon!Dean and Soulless!Sam. Jensen: Dean in Purgatory. 

Fan mentions her Russian blue cat named Winchester. Jensen: It’s a blue cat from Russia. That’s all you need to know. 

Boys go off on accents and jokes. At one point, Jared says: “If there was a place in Toronto that served Vladimir Poutine I would totally go and take Winchester with me.” Jensen and the audience crack up. Jensen: That dude’s got a blue cat. And he’s eating poutine. 

Who would you vote as the most ditchable prom date of the cast? Jensen: Cas. Jared: Story-wise, probably Sam. This is gonna sound the wrong way, but, Sam probably should’ve ditched Ruby. Jared got the better end of the deal lol. 

Young fan says her name is Lilith. J2 very quickly back up and Jared knocks over his chair lol. She asks their favorite monster. Jared: I’m gonna say Lilith. Jensen: Me too, because if they’re all as cute as you, they’re my favorite. She says her fav monster is a ghost. J2 tell her that if she ever meets one, she should call her friends Sam and Dean. 

Fav childhood memory? Jensen: Very happy childhood, lots of good memories. For his fourth birthday he got to ride a horse for the first time. Wore his cowboy vest. Jared: He still has it. 

Jared: Now I feel weird about my answer! Broke his arm when he was seven and was in the hospital for a week, got spoiled in the hospital, getting candy, baseball cards...At the time, there was a rare card available where a player had written bad words on the bottom of his bat and the card company only realized it appeared in the image halfway through printing, so everyone was searching for the rare versions that had been printed. Jared’s dad would bring him a pack of baseball cards every day. 

If you could create an episode, what would it be. Jared: The world’s most boring episode. The boys doing their laundry. Wants to see Sam and Dean doing behind the scenes stuff. 

Jensen talks about a movie “Sliding Doors.” One choice that creates two split timelines and following both. Thinks that would be cool.

Advice for Sam and Dean in s13: Jensen: Knowing what I know, I would tell Dean not to jump to conclusions...talk amongst yourselves! Jared laughs. 

 Jared is trying so hard not to spoil anything: “I would say...not to get too attached. TALK AMONGST YOURSELVES.” 

Jared is doing accents. Jensen: Keep going you’re killing it. 

Fav part about working together? Jared: Days off. Jensen: Then we’re not working together. Both: TALK AMONGST YOURSELVES lmao. 

Jensen: There are a lot of things, but one of the best is that we laugh so much. In case you couldn’t tell. 

Jared talks about how it doesn’t feel like work, especially with the Sam and Dean scenes. 

J2 have spiraled into Coffee Talk impressions.

Any spoilers? Jensen: Prepare yourselves...for some interesting characters this season. Jared laughs and pretends to be shocked: I can’t believe you said that! Jared: New characters and you’ll see some fan favorites come back. 

If Sam and Dean could bring back one character? Crowd starts shouting names. Jensen: Did someone just say Jon Snow?  

Jensen: Would love to bring back Azazel...so I could kill him again. 

Jared chose Charlie, because she brings out a different side of the boys. Jensen adds Benny to the list, Jared also mentions Sully. 

Fan: Do you think Ruby will come back, mentions wanting Danneel on the show. Jared jokes that he would have to watch the kids and do the real work. Gen was able to come back for French Mistake but not sure if she’d be able to now. Jared agrees that he wants to see Danneel on the show, too. Jensen: She’s rockin’ three kids, too!

Jensen says that those decisions aren’t up to him. Says if they were the show would have been canceled a long time ago. Jared jokes about how if it was up to J2 they would just cast all of their friends. “Who’s that guy?”

Jared: What character would Danneel play? Audience shouts, Baby! Jensen: That could complicate things. Boys want to make a dirty joke but they cut themselves off lol. 

Someone in the audience is yelling out Garth. Boys can’t understand what they’re saying. Bunch of fans start yelling Garth, boys finally get it. Jared laughs and says it reminds him of Finding Nemo when the seagulls are saying “mine, mine, mine” over and over. He looked into the crowd and just saw a bunch of people going, “Garth, Garth, Garth” lmao. 

Jensen: If Danneel came on the show would you want her to be good or bad? Fan: Good. Jensen: But she plays bad so well. Jared nods. Jensen nods, goes to make a comment and cuts himself off lol. 

Fan: How does it feel to have fans like this? Jensen talks about how it took him awhile to really get it. Used to be more in his shell. Now he says it’s fuel for him seeing this kind of devotion. 

Jared is amazed at a fan’s incredible SPN body art. Boys are complimenting her on the amazing body art. 

Jared says don’t ever think that they think we’re “weird” for being too dedicated to the show. Because they are just as weird as us. Jared: If you’re crazy for spending 24 hours (on fan’s body art) then we’re crazy for spending 13 years. 

Fan: Was there a real Trickster, or was the lore about Gabriel? Jared thinks there was no Trickster, that it was just Gabriel hiding. 

Jared pronounced gif like jif. Jensen does not approve. Apologizes on his behalf for being silly lol. 

Any sport/activity you’ve always wanted to try? Jared mentions cricket, stunt driving courses...Jensen: Stunt driving is not a sport. Jared also mentions motocross. Doesn’t want to get himself hurt. Jensen: Kite surfing. Jensen says it needs to be a place without sharks. Fans: Great Lakes! Jensen: I don’t believe that. They’re in there. Just deep.

Funniest moment to film? Jensen: There are moments on a daily basis that make it impossible to film because they’re laughing. They mention the Chupacabra bit. 

Apparently Alex (who plays Jack) is like Misha 2.0 in terms of the boys messing with him lol :P J2M messed with Alex so bad the director, Nina Lopez-Corrado, actually kicked them off set. 

Jensen once told Jared to not speak in a scene so he didn’t mess around. Jared didn’t say a word and Jensen did his lines alone lol. 

Jensen says Jared can never get through telling a whole joke without busting out laughing before the punchline :P

Jared tries to make Jensen break during a scene, makes himself laugh and ruins the take even if Jensen is fine. 

Fan proposes Dark Angel crossover. Jensen thinks it would be neat, would want to recruit X5s to be on their side. 

If you had to live out a season of the show for a year, which season. Jared: Six, maybe?? At least I didn’t care, I was soulless. Also says season 9, maybe 10? Jensen: Season 4. Jared: What’d you do in four? Jensen: Nothing, that’s why I said four. 

Jensen is playing the keyboard for the last question. 

The fan is very flustered, it’s her first convention. Jared is comforting her. Jensen has been playing dramatic piano music all throughout the poor fan trying to get our the last question lol. The entire room is laughing and Jensen has not broken. The girl is overwhelmed and when Jared cuddles her to comfort her she pulled him into a hug aww lol. 

Question is about Adam’s whereabouts. She was a big fan of Adam’s and read a fan theory that maybe he got out of the cage. Jared: Now, to the cool stylings of Jensen Ackles...I think he’s in the cage. Fan joking around: Our half-brother’s in hell, let’s forget about him. Jared: Ehhh, yeah, it’s kinda true. But we do love Jake. 

Jared asks for Jensen’s opinion. Jensen, still playing: oooohh, yeaaaaahhhh.

Jensen snuck in a lower-back grab/pat on Jared as they headed offstage :)

Boys say thanks to the fans before taking off. 

Info via: Fangasm, Ally, Lysa, Tricia,  Sil’s livetweet list

[beingallelite]

One of the world’s most popular wrestlers is no longer with the world’s most famous wrestling league.

The reason? He wants to spend more time wrestling.

Chris Jericho said he feels World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., where he spent decades honing his craft, has become too scripted for its own good. He is now with an upstart rival, All Elite Wrestling, which pledges to make professional wrestling look more authentic by giving its fighters more input.

“Having full control as an artist to be creative and call my own shots is refreshing,” Mr. Jericho said.

A flurry of WWE alumni will compete in the new league’s first televised event on Wednesday, which will go head-to-head with a WWE show on another channel. The matchup pits a traditional, flamboyant showman against a newcomer with a risky approach: Drop the scripts and elaborate choreography.

Wrestler Cody Rhodes, who is also AEW’s executive vice president, said the new league would be nothing like the WWE. “The only thing that is similar is the fact that there is a ring in the center of the arena,” he said.

A few other similarities: AEW wrestlers won’t really be trying to beat each other up. The outcome of matches will be decided beforehand. All wrestlers will be divided into good ones (known as “babyfaces”) and villainous ones (“heels”).

Jimmy Jacobs, a former WWE writer, said it remains to be seen whether unscripted wrestling events can be sustainable.

“A two-hour show every week with no writers—it’s not that easy to do,” Mr. Jacobs said. “You start burning through those matches real quick.”

While at WWE, Mr. Jericho, the wrestler joining the new league, spent significant amounts of time in the ring doing things other than fighting, including carrying a giant notepad on which he compiled an ever-growing list of people he considered to be “stupid idiots.” Many people in his immediate vicinity made the list.

Another time, in a “festival of friendship” that started with fireworks and women in skimpy costumes, he showed that another wrestler was his best friend by unveiling a painting of the two of them patterned on Michelangelo’s “Creation of Adam.”

Every facet of the WWE has long been shaped by Chief Executive Vince McMahon. On top of running the publicly traded WWE, Mr. McMahon over the years has served as commentator, promoter and wrestler.

He played a character who got into pretend feuds with other fighters, plus one in 2007 with Donald Trump that ended with the future president tackling and pummeling Mr. McMahon and forcibly shaving his head. In 2007, Mr. McMahon’s character was killed off when a limo he stepped into exploded. He came back to life shortly afterward.

The gimmicks helped establish the league as pro wrestling’s gold standard and turn the company into a juggernaut. In 2018, it had revenue of more than $900 million, and its market value is $5.6 billion.

Some WWE stars have used the platform as a springboard into mainstream entertainment. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is a huge television and movie star and John Cena has also shown crossover appeal.

Still, “the story lines can ruin a wrestling match,” said one viewer, 18-year-old Cody Conlin. He is looking forward to the AEW.

Jake “The Snake” Roberts, a WWE hall-of-famer, said the antics have slowly squeezed wrestling out of WWE events: “You watch a three-hour show with the WWE, and you get about 35 minutes of wrestling.”

Mr. Roberts recalled a 1990 match against Bad News Brown and his supposed sewer rat. “Of course, when they unveiled it, what was it? It was a possum spray-painted black,” Mr. Roberts said. “Everybody from the Mason-Dixon Line down knew exactly what the hell it was.”

While ratings for the WWE’s shows “Raw” and “Smackdown” have declined in recent years, like much TV content, they are still in high demand and getting top dollar. Last year, the WWE signed new five-year deals with Comcast Corp. ’s USA Network and Fox Corp.’s Fox network that more than tripled its fees to $468 million annually. Fox Corp. and Wall Street Journal parent News Corp share common ownership.

Story lines are a key selling point, said Billy Corgan, frontman of the rock band Smashing Pumpkins and owner of yet another wrestling league, the National Wrestling Alliance. “It will work for a particular audience, but when you’re looking at the mainstream American audience, that’s a tough sell,” Mr. Corgan said.

A year ago, a group of wrestlers led by Mr. Rhodes, now of the AEW, put together an event near Chicago with no writers and mostly just wrestling. It sold out in half an hour and drew more than 11,000 people.

That caught the attention of Tony Khan, son of Jacksonville Jaguars NFL team owner Shahid Khan. Tony Khan and some of the wrestlers went on to create the AEW and strike a TV deal with AT&T Inc. ’s WarnerMedia, whose TNT network will air the first televised AEW event Oct. 2. WarnerMedia has a stake in the AEW.

Fighting back, the WWE took a show from its streaming network called “NXT” to the USA Network to go head-to-head with the AEW.

Mr. McMahon took some veiled shots at the AEW during a recent earnings call, saying the WWE was done doing “blood and guts and things of that nature, such as being done on perhaps a new potential competitor.” The WWE didn’t make him available for an interview.

Kevin Reilly, the WarnerMedia executive in charge of TNT, isn’t worried about a little roughhousing.

“I think there is a way to offer a more authentic grittier product,” Mr. Reilly said. There is a younger generation hungry for an alternative to the WWE, he said, and it is important for the AEW to “really come out swinging.”

Stephanie McMahon, chief branding officer of the WWE and the daughter of its chief executive, said the WWE has more pop-culture appeal. “Longevity and staying power is in our DNA,” she said.

“We’re going to do everything we can to keep our audience,” she added.

Wearing an AEW T-shirt to a WWE event is a no-no, as one attendee found out earlier this year when security made him remove it, an incident adding fuel to the growing rivalry.

The WWE rose to prominence in the 1980s as the WWF—the “F” standing for “federation”—but changed its name in 2002 after a legal battle with the World Wildlife Fund. For a long time, no story line or stunt was too out-there for the WWE. Mr. McMahon once “roughed up” his daughter in the ring. Another time, wrestler Martin Wright, known as The Boogeyman, ate a fake mole off fellow wrestler Jillian Hall’s face.

Jake the Snake, Mr. Roberts’s character, often carried a Burmese python named Damien into the ring, a stunt that made him popular with fans but required some acting skills.

“I’m terrified of snakes,” Mr. Roberts said. “I shake and shiver when I see a snake. But yet when that bell rang, and I put on that cloak, I’m out there, man. I’m doing it.”

Mr. Jericho, the notepad-toting wrestler and “festival of friendship” showman, thinks a league should just let wrestlers be who they are.

“Who knows better how to bring that character to life that’s based on a real person other than the real person?” he said. Pro wrestling may not be real, he said, but it shouldn’t be entirely fake either.

“It’s not fiction. It’s not nonfiction,” Mr. Jericho said. “It’s a combination of the two. It’s a combination of sport and theater and a live stunt show and a Shakespearean morality play rolled up into one.”

[thesonnystoner]

My visit to Willard Library produced a plethora of information.  I was looking for the obits of George D., Albion, and George B. Smith, but was unable to find young George’s.  What I did find filled in quite a few gaps of the years and corrected some of my assumptions.

After little Georgie’s death in 1926, the Smiths returned to Evansville and retreated to their country home.  1927 was the first year that the city directory listed their residence as “Stringtown Rd 5 miles out”; prior to then, their address was on Riverside Dr.  I speculate that they kept a place “in town”, though, since George owned the apartment building and still worked at his father-in-law’s store.

What I found on George Davis Smith was not an actual obituary…it was Front Page Lead Story…!!

October 27, 1955 Evansville Press, page 1

You couldn’t have any easier research than that. The article is a long one, continued on p. 7 with a picture.   It covers his early life and is essentially the same info I gave you in my last post (Here).  It does not mention the loss of little Georgie in 1926, but fills in the years after that.

In 1929, the H.E. Bacon Department Store was sold to Woolworths,  after which George and Albion spent about six months in California.   According to the 1930 census, George and Albion, now 44 and 38 respectively, are living here at Sonnystone and George is retired…but not for long.

In late 1930, George joined Harris Upham’s newly-formed Evansville branch and became its manager in 1933.  The brokerage firm had sensational growth under Smith’s management.

A lot of column inches are devoted to stories of George’s pranks…yes, he was an inveterate practical joker, often referred to as “Jokesmith”.  I abhor practical jokes, seriously avoid practical jokers, (even George Clooney) and did not find any of the pranks the least bit funny, though the writer of the article seems to have been very amused.  They were quite elaborate and there were retaliations, so the stunts went on and on.  Not funny to me, but he seems to have been very popular among Eville’s prominent businessmen.

After we started clearing off the back acres here at Sonnystone we came across a slab of concrete with a rusty skeet trap attached.  A skeet trap throws clay pigeons up in the air and shooters try to break them before they fall.  There were more of them scattered around the 20 acres that the Smiths owned.  George was an expert shot and one afternoon at a trap-shooting match with a party of friends here at Sonnystone, he played one of his practical jokes.  While everyone was breaking targets, one fellow, usually a good shot, couldn’t hit the side of a barn.  Later on he found out that George had given instructions that every time it was that guy’s turn they threw aluminum pigeons instead of clay.  very funny…ha ha ha…

But it tells me what Sonnystone was like in those days.  An avid duck and quail hunter, George kept a kennel of fine hunting dogs here.  Between duck and quail season, he hunted possums and coons at night.

Oddly enough for a duck hunter, George loved birds.  He built trail of bird feeding stations around the property and kept them filled with food for his feathered friends.

But what of Albion Smith? Her mother, Albion Fellows Bacon, died in 1933, suddenly of a heart attack.  Her obituary was a mile long, as was the viewing line at the funeral. Shortly after, her father, H.E. Bacon, who was in ill health. moved to Baltimore to live with son, Hilary, Jr., a doctor at Johns Hopkins.  He died there in 1936.

Mrs. Smith’s  obituary was much more cut and dry, but still filled in some gaps.

Quoting from the obit:  “Known as an authority on antique furniture, she had operated a shop in her home at (our address) Stringtown Road.” Later on in the obit: “She was considered an authority on period furniture and her home on Stringtown Road lent itself to the display of the furniture.  She found it simpler and easier to store and sell prints and eventually devoted her time to them.”

So which part of the house “lent itself to the display of furniture”?  It’s a mystery to me, as this house is Not Fancy.  There is no fine woodwork or trims, no classic columns or stairways; it’s a plain country house.  Albion had been raised in opulent Victorian and Edwardian homes and may have even started her shop selling her mother’s furniture, so how this house “lent itself” to display of anything other than primitive or shaker pieces is a mystery…one I continue to investigate.

George and Albion both served on various boards around the city, but were not particularly known for philanthropy and were decidedly not social activists.  They traveled broadly, according to both obits, visiting Europe and Northern Africa.  They spent time in Michigan with Albion’s sister, Joy, and in Maryland with her brother, Hilary.

One story is very telling about the Smiths:  George’s work at Harris Upham was so good that he was offered a promotion to managing the Indianapolis office, the next step on his way to the top.

As the article puts it: “It was a flattering offer, not to be scorned, but sitting on the lawn of his home, surrounded by his dogs, his ears filled with the music of the birds, he decided to reject the offer.  He explained to Mrs. Smith, “What I have in Evansville I could never find any other place in the world.”

That’s the way I feel about this place, too.  I knew from the minute I saw it that I had to live here.  I could tell that the house and grounds had been cared for and loved, then let go.  As we’ve done the “archaeology” and discovered areas that appear to have been gardens, spots where it looked like someone kept dogs, and uncovered stone walks that lead to nowhere, I’ve felt the presence of Albion and George urging me to fix it up, make it pretty, invite the birds, and be content.

George Smith died in 1955 and Albion sold the home two years later.  She divided up the 20 acres into parcels, leaving the house with four.  She moved to a home on E. Gum in Evansville.  In 1961 she became ill and went to live with her sister, Joy, in Michigan; she died there in 1962.  She and her two Georges are buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, a spot on my to-visit list.

Having spent her life overshadowed by her famous mother, and having an even more-famous author aunt, I wondered if Mrs. Smith’s obit would also prominently speak of them.  Interestingly, it only gives her mother a line, but devotes an entire paragraph to her Aunt Annie. Her obit does not mention the birth and death of her son, the most important part of her story.

After the Smiths, no family lived here more than four years until 1970 when Max and Candace Casler bought the house.  The Caslers stayed until Max’s death in 2003.  Sadly, the Caslers let the place go downhill during their 33-year tenure.  Next week, I’ll show you some more “before and after” pictures.

Stay tuned…

          Sonnystone Saga: 30 years with the Smiths My visit to Willard Library produced a plethora of information.  I was looking for the obits of George D., Albion, and George B.

[mrmichaelchadler]

Spy Music: The Evolution of the Mission: Impossible Theme

Themes and motifs tend to come and go with reboots and reimaginings, no matter how famous they are—just look at "Star Trek," where Alexander Courage's theme and fanfare was relegated to a few cameos and an end title reprisal, or even "The A-Team," which found Mike Post and Pete Carpenter's classic credit sequence call to arms reduced to a couple of brief references. Try to get away with that kind of behaviour on another of Paramount's tentpole franchises, the "Mission: Impossible" series, and you'll be thrown out faster than a "You're Fired" message can self-destruct.

Lalo Schifrin's super-effective theme—composed in off-kilter 5/4 time—has become an integral part of the "Mission: Impossible" brand to the point where even the trailers have a celebratory appearance. For Brian De Palma's 1996 big screen version, U2 pair Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen put together an electronic version that was released as a single to promote the film, but it was Danny Elfman's dynamite main title that really energised the franchise on celluloid (although you can hear original composer Alan Silvestri's interpretation on the original teaser). For the '96 picture, De Palma and Elfman started a tradition for the series' title sequences that has seen them become more and more elaborate, although ironically that powerful montage was a definite homage to the quick-cut titles of the TV series, its rhythm once again dictated by Schifrin's machine gun riff, a faster-paced successor to Henry Mancini's "Peter Gunn" theme from 1958. Perhaps you'd expect Elfman's to be a little jauntier but it's absolutely thrilling, full of intrigue and a dynamic use of brass, especially in the finale cue with Tom Cruise's character Ethan Hunt riding a helicopter through the channel tunnel. 

With De Palma's cracking thriller making over $450 million in American theaters, the inevitable sequel "Mission: Impossible II" was helmed by John Woo and scored by Hans Zimmer, who brought along his "Gladiator" collaborator Lisa Gerrard. Here, the tone was set by the trailer and the ancillary marketing, with a long-haired Ethan Hunt jumping around to a heavy metal rendition of the Schifrin theme, with singles from the soundtrack coming from Limp Bizkit and metal legends Metallica. Zimmer's score often feels like it suffers from close proximity to its Roman brother, but it kicks into life during the breathtakingly ridiculous final act, guitars crunching and wailing but still Schifrin-ing to the bitter end.

2006's "Mission: Impossible III" saw J.J. Abrams making his directorial debut, and as such bringing across his composer from "Alias" and "Lost," Michael Giacchino. While opening the film traditionally with the theme (and easily the most boring title sequence of the series) Giacchino brought some variation by having the first few bars of the theme's rhythm played solely on percussion before continuing the piece traditionally, and continued to play around with hints of the theme, opting to instead use Schifrin's B-theme from the TV show, "The Plot." When he does bring the main theme in, such as during the Vatican operation, it's as traditional as can be, which proves where Giacchino's heart really lies. It's a shot in the arm for the film with the audience, and the end title version is just as thrilling. 

Giacchino returned in the third sequel "Ghost Protocol" in 2011 with an even more spectacular score, beginning with a suitably subtle and sneaky mood for the prison-escape opening title sequence before exploding with the theme as the camera splits from the actors and follows the lit fuse—another bit of iconography from the original show. Giacchino is in much more jazzy form here, the intervals wonderfully played on woodwinds next to the brass blasts of the main riff. It's just marvellous, even when he finds time to extend the piece with his own thematic noodling. With Tom Cruise's stunts basically defining these movies, it's not surprising that the high-rise stunt at the Burj Khalifa where he has to run around the side of the building and then swing into an open window has Schifrin's theme blaring at the crucial moment; we know he can do it because we hear the theme.

Joe Kraemer came onboard for the fifth film, with 2015's "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" benefitting from Christopher McQuarrie's direction and previous relationship with Kraemer on movies like "The Way of the Gun" and "Jack Reacher." Kraemer started on fire with a great tease of the theme over the opening logos and then doing the same during Cruise's big pre-credit stunt where he hangs onto the side of a plane, but it's the end of that sequence where he brings out the crowdpleaser, with the opening reverberation firing as Hunt pulls the cord and disappears out of the plane, the theme exploding as the credits begin in what is a clear homage to the De Palma television-esque titles. Kraemer's voicing of the theme is aggressive and harsh, perhaps more suitable for McQuarrie's film but not as self-parodying as Zimmer's, and his use of "The Plot" as a secondary motif is satisfyingly tense, not to mention the interpolation of Puccini's "Turandot." It's thrilling when he uses broad strokes of the theme during the high-octane bike chase, knowing the constant modulation of the motorcycle engines is the key sound in that particular scene, but it's the thundering percussion and jagged brass lines in the "curtain call" at the end of the film that really underlines just how good Kraemer is with Schifrin's theme.

So far, Lorne Balfe's treatment of Schifrin has shown a brand-new addition: the use of choir. I cannot confirm or deny how effective it is in the film as I haven't seen it yet. But it's undeniably cool that Schifrin's theme is still going strong and has had such a huge cultural influence to the point where it's probably neck and neck with Norman/Barry's famous theme for another super-spy, James Bond. 

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[samiraahmeduk]

Intellectual and art school, champion of medieval art, but it was John Ruskin’s alleged horror of female pubic hair that was the ground breaking revelation I first heard as an undergraduate.Emma Thompson’s film Effie Gray appeared to add that he was an oppressed mummy’s boy, too. However this programme grew out of an invitation to address Speech Day at Queenswood School in Hertfordshire 2 years ago which suddenly opened up a new way of seeing him.

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The school had been named in reference to Of Queens’ Gardens, Ruskin’s famous speech and subsequently published essay about raising girls like flowers, to be educated and freed from the narrowest constraints of traditional feminine upbringing. Archivist Wendy Bird showed me photos, letters and a mini mock up of the infamous “purple horror” floaty Liberty-designed dresses that early pupils would wear for special occasions. There was a white wafting gown, too, really very Isadora Duncan, to dance like flowers. I was fascinated by the unashamedly aesthetic glamour. There were photos of the Queen Mother who came to a display back in the 1950s.

Sutton High School chemistry lab designed by teacher Annette Hunt (far right) photo taken between 1895 and 1928 (photo SHS archives)

I thought of my own memories of attending a private girls’ school, founded in 1880 and of the many like it. Their photographs of Edwardian ladies in chemistry laboratories or lined up as hockey players in long skirts and piecrust collared blouses. How did girls’ education come so rapidly to include the same ambitions of sporting and scientific prowess as boys? Did Ruskin, even before the female suffrage movement, help set that off?

I enlisted Simon and Thomas Guerrier, my regular Sunday Feature producers from HG and the H Bomb and The Fundamentalist Queen, to help me explore John Ruskin’s Victorian vision of female liberation.

Ruskin wanted to educate women only as far as they would make superior wives and companions for their empire building husbands, and raise healthy children. Toby Haydoke does a wonderful job bringing him to life for us, while Dr Matthew Sweet, author of Inventing the Victorians, gives an insight into his huge intellectual celebrity. But it wasn’t a simple revisionist thesis, to reclaim Ruskin the medievalist as a feminist. There was a prejudicial disgust at inferior races. The V&A’s excellent Lockwood Kipling exhibition catalogue on the sculptor and art and design teacher points out that Ruskin dismissed the richness of Indian art because of his insistence they were savages.

Drill at Darley St School (copyright Leeds Library and Museum)

Yet there were clearly so many revolutionary ideas brewing in his theories. At a time when reading novels was considered dangerous for female minds he promoted the idea that girls should have a wide education in science and art (though not theology) and that a “noble girl” should be given free rein in books as she would choose wisely and not be harmed. Asa Briggs’ Victorian Things quotes his advice, in a letter to a girl correspondent, about using a magnifying glass to look at crystals: “I send you one for yourself, such as every girl should keep in her waistcoat pocket always hand.”

Talking fit bodies with Dr Fern Riddell

At the British Museum Dr Fern Riddell, author of A Victorian Guide To Sex discussed Ruskin and Charles Kingsley’s fascination with the muscular bodies of the Greeks in their loose robes. The idea that healthy bodies made healthy minds would have had a political power in Victorian England, where childbirth was so dangerous and malnutrition, poverty and child labour stunted growth. But Riddell warned against giving too much credit to Ruskin and his friends, when women doctors and health campaigners were at the forefront of female education programmes around sexual health. Still isn’t there a fascinating modern legacy in women, whether homemakers or career women, obsessed with both success and strength, having abs as honed as those of Jessica Ennis Hill?

With Dr Debbie Challis and Dr Amara Thornton. 3 career women discussing Ruskin & mummies around the kitchen table

Dr Debbie Challis from the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL and Dr Amara Thornton from the Institute of Archaeology, UCL offered insight into the world of adult education opening up for women who whether as archaeological explorers themselves, or night school enthusiasts, signed up to study the growing knowledge about the Egyptian and classical worlds.

At Angels Costumes with Louise Scholz-Conway

Ruskin’s focus was on middle class women as the angels of the hearth. To get an insight into what physical liberation meant to them, Simon insisted I needed to try on corsets at Angels Costumiers. The experience challenged another of my lazy assumptions – that women hated corsets. To liberate oneself from the feeling of protection and support it gave at a time when women were considered physically weaker, required a significant leap of faith.

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The dancing that schools like Queenswood promoted represented both a very Ruskinian idea of the intrinsic beauty of the feminine and a delightfully female-focussed physicality. The school staged elaborate classical and mythological based plays and masques. The development of Delacroze Eurythmics formalized aesthetic ideals amid the more traditional wholesomeness of outdoor games.

Queenswood register (Queenswood archives)

One of the most moving moments of making the programme was when Dr Wendy Bird showed me through the registers of Queenswood School. Reading the entries of when girls joined and when and why they left was an insight into changing times: In the early years many were returning home to nurse invalid relatives or to early marriage. But surprisingly fast, they are going to be teachers and increasingly to university as female colleges began to flourish.

Old Queenswood girls Diane Maclean (L) Annette Haynes (centre) Dr Jean Horton (seated)

For our programme Queenswood brought together old girls Annette Haynes, Dr Jean Horton, Diane Maclean, from the 1940s and 50s who remembered the eurythmic dancing lessons and the unexpected paths their lives took after. Some had become wives of empire, joining husbands working for Western corporations in Africa and the Far East. But many, like Dr Horton, a renowned anaesthetist in Hong Kong, never married, defying the goal Ruskin had in mind for his flower girls.

Queenswood girls today: Check out those badges

It was fun to read Ruskin’s words to Isobel Beynon, Aoife Morgan Jones and Natasha Rajan current sixth formers, and hear their opinion. Their blazers were festooned with shields and badges celebrating team success. Exactly the kind of ambition Ruskin thought so unladylike. The Victorian ladies’ schools that still thrive today, and there are many of them, have long defied the idea of producing humble helpmeets. Girls from all over the old Empire come to get a British girls’ school education. Would Ruskin flinch in horror, Effie Gray-style at the monster he’d created? Does it matter? Now more than ever a young woman finds herself entering a garden of delights thanks to the possibilities of a good well rounded education.

With gratitude to all our interviewees, but especially the staff and pupils of Queenswood School.

John Ruskin’s Eurythmic Girls is on Radio 3 on Sunday February 26th 2017 at 630pm and iplayer after

  The making of John Ruskin’s Eurythmic Girls Intellectual and art school, champion of medieval art, but it was John Ruskin’s alleged horror of female pubic hair that was the ground breaking revelation I first heard as an undergraduate.Emma Thompson’s film Effie Gray appeared to add that he was an oppressed mummy’s boy, too.