#i’m glad he’s got some passionate fans behind him i read this comic for his bday where his brother was alive

[akkivee]

thinking about the official korean amiami twitter sending hitoya some love for his birthday by calling him the sexiest man alive basically and then advertising his baby sanrio plushie LOL

[fanfictiondreamscape]

How-To: Knife Shoe

Request: Can I please request headcanons with Yuri Plisetsky teaching his fem s/o how to ice skate? ❤️❤️

Title: How-To: Knife Shoe

Genre: fluffy, comedic (i mean, look at the name), and lil romantic

Pairing: Yuri Plisetsky x Fem!Reader

Notes: I think I got hit by a comedy truck when I read the request above. I’m not kidding. When I read it, one of the first things that came to mind was “kinfe shoes”. How could I pass up the opportunity to use that? 

(Above translation: I think I’m funny.) 

Either way, I’m so happy to see that this request came in when it did because this has been on my mind for a while, but I was never sure when I could do it. Seeing as things are finally starting to look up (aside from other stressors - pretty normal), I am going to try and get more stuff out while I still can. At least before things at school or in life get too out of hand.

That said, I hope you enjoy this! Thank for sending in the request, as well! 

Below the cut! 

i feel like this should be slightly obvious, but Yurio is very passionate about this

hell, he made it a goal to win gold as many times as he can and actively wants to improve

of course he’s passionate

but that also means that he is going to be a stickler for what is done

not just for protection for you, but also for the image that you need to present when skating

with that said, prepare for the chaos

you and Yuri had decided to spend one day together 

he had no practice, you had nothing else to do, so why not, y’know?

you had been around town for a while now, and as the nighttime came by, you realized that it would probably be best to go to someone’s home

so you decided to go to yours

your parents weren’t home, and you knew that Yuri was able to defend himself 

(that, and his fans would bombard him enough if he were to even come across someone trying to attack him)

(still not good, but better)

(either way-) 

when you got to your house, you both stepped inside and set up a video game

typical choice between the two of you, but after the first two rounds of Mario Kart, you both found it boring

something was missing. 

in fact, it may have been the lack of stakes that come with the rounds

but you proposed something that you have been wanting

the chance has finally come! i cannot miss this opportunity! 

“i have an idea, Yuri.”

“what is it? unless you have a way to make this game less boring, don’t say it.”

you laughed at that, but you knew he would have something fun in mind as well

“how about this - if i win best out of three rounds, then you have to teach me how to skate. if you win best out of three, then the decision is up to you.”

and so it began

it was vicious, very much so

so much so that when push came to shove, you actually shoved and pushed him so hard he fell over

multiple times

he was pissed, of course

but you continued playing 

eventually, the rounds were tied

you had won the first one by body-checking Yuri

he had won the second by using an underhanded in-game tactic to throw you off the track so many times that you finished in last. 

and now, the big round

the final one. 

tension was running high, and as the round started, you were both preparing to absolutely destroy the other 

Yuri was going to try the same tactics he used before 

(they secured him a win, why wouldn’t he try and reuse the same tactic when you yourself used a typical one?)

you, on the other hand, had a different plan

and so it begins

(that was dumb, holy shit-) 

either way, the round started and you both had thrown some attacks at the other in-game

and you had managed to overpower him more often than not

he was getting messy due to it

so when you had taken the oh-so-deadly action of kissing his cheek mid-game

he got even more pissed

since that was the final lap, and you had just zoomed into first and won

and he fell so far behind that he finished last. 

still livid, he jumped up and started screaming expletive after expletive 

(i won’t write it cuz if you think what use is bad, this is about 1000x worse - promise you that)

you ugly-laughed at him 

(the sight was pretty funny, after all)

“so, when are you free to teach me?”

“do i have to?”

“a deal’s a deal, yurio”

“don’t ever call me that again!”

now, a week later, here we are

the two of you were already prepared to start

he had you do some stretching before you went on the ice (as this followed after one of his practices) while he did laps around the rink

“can i go on now, yuri?”

he stopped his action and skated to center of the rink

“have you done all the stretches?”

“yeah”

“and gotten the skates on, guards off?”

“mhm!”

“then gimme a second”

and so you did. 

he moved to the center and held his hands out for you to grab

you grabbed his hands and he led you onto the ice

though almost as soon as you were on the ice, you wiped out

he caught you just in time though

“is your balance that shitty?”

“shut up, you said you’d teach me!”

“yeah, yeah...”

you snickered and got up as best as you could

“just help me get it first, babe.”

from then on, comedy ensued

you managed to regain your balance on the ice, and from there, you had to learn how to skate

cuz standing isn’t skating

and you both knew that

what you both didn’t know was that your skills on ice are absolutely atrocious

you had fallen in the most comical ways possible

in fact, one of the falls was one in which your own flexibility was thrown into question

you had fallen in a scorpion position - somehow

it hurt like a bitch, but hey!

Yuri got a laugh and so did you

as he fell over laughing and snorting, he had faceplanted

that made your pain less intense, though he got angry

(it didn’t last long)

either way, after that 

(and a painful fall into the splits)

(yeah, that hurt) 

(but you persisted) 

you had managed to somewhat get the hang of it

and you were introduced to the middle of the rink

during that time, you had been trying to regain your balance

again

and this time, as he tried to help you, the cliche happened

you fell into his chest and you both made contact with the floor

hard

you both grunted, of course

why wouldn’t you? 

but Yuri was the one to push you off and over

it was friendly, i promise :)

you army rolled to his right, as he sat up

“what the hell was that for?”

“what the hell did you throw me off for?”

“you were on top of me!”

“you were supposed to catch me!”

“you weren’t supposed to fall on me!”

“but i fell for you, so where are we now, huh?!”

silence

you both burst out into laughing fits from your spots on the ice and didn’t stop for a good few minutes

(Yuri wouldn’t mention this, but he was actually happy to be laughing for once)

(and he was glad that Mila didn’t come in) 

you tried a few more times after that, though there were a few more falls

and you got the hang of it eventually.

later that night, around 11, you put your skates up for the night

Yuri had done the same, and as you two skated away from the ice and to the entry

the night finished off beautifully

you two shared a small kiss before leaving the rink, and both went your separate ways

to your respective homes.

the lessons continued after that

so did the antics and mess-ups

but you two have finally - 

FINALLY -

found something the two of you could do together that didn’t interfere with a lot of your scheduled events.

aside from Mario Kart, at least

[yesthebatmanme]

Happy Birthday, Allison Mack aka Pain in the Ass Woman!   I don’t condone what she did at that damn awful fucking cult.  I’m glad she’s away from it despite how disappointed i am of her still the way she led her life despite she wasted her talent on a   disgusting asshole pedo like Keith Raniere.  I still believe Allison can turn her life around but given time if she puts more effort into it then she has a chance.  I normally don’t but too faith in anyone but a few people.  Allison’s character on Smallville was the best in opinion and i honestly don’t care too much if anyone disagree’s with me. But she was to me, When i met her the first time in comic con she was very nice to me when i was fresh out of  the hospital being  27, after almost dying. I didn’t have any  direction in my life.  I was so angry after being mistreated as i was shown the true colors of my so-called friends.  I didn’t have any hopes or dreams left in me anymore. I was wrong to throw them away.  I gave up on myself as i was so angry at  society and rebelled.  Then i went a road trip with a friend of mine at the time  at a comic con.  Then i met Allison one day inperson.  She was full of life that inspired me to be better but i made that choice to be better.  She never knew one act of kindness she did getting my stuff i left behind at her booth would effect me. I ask myself would someone like JDF do that for me? No, He can careless if i live or die. He never cared for me only used me but later i used  him. I have no regrets over it maybe if he wasn’t an asshole bully wanting to fight anyone he deems a threat to him and his ego. Maybe i would respect him.  Why can i forgive Allison but not JDF, JDF did worst to me more ways than anyone will ever know.  Allison was a bitch to people i will not sugar coat that. I’m not sorry for using the tough love method seeing what she was becoming under Raniere’s control.  The last time i saw her inperson.  I don’t hate Allison unlike alot of people do. They’re worst people than Allison in the world she alone will have to live with what she did for the rest of her life.    Ill always consider Chloe Sullivan my most favorite n Smallville.  but Allison.....Well thats another issue although i don’t hate Allison as not many brought out the passion in me to be better.   I can  walk on, to start living in the here and now.  

But.....Ill say this that not many will like but  deal with it.

But thats how i feel.   I asked myself for the past four years was it Allison or Chloe that brought that deep depression i felt all these 14 years in my life? The answer was both did in their own way.  I choose not to have a deep grudge on Allison Mack she has enough people having that.  The advice i got from Allison although i don’t know if she’ll ever take hers is  to not focus on what other people think of me is to my thing. It’s what ill continue to do not giving a fuck or seeking anyone’s approval of anything.   I’m just going to be me, thats all i can truly be not someone that i’m not.....I’ve never been a fake person, hell thats one of the reasons why i don’t like people too much due to some of them being so phony. I’m not her hope, she isnt mine neither as i can be my own hope.  I hope she can find hers or she won’t make it in a life away from the cult.  I’m thankful she was nice enough to sign my Batfleck t-shirt with a note and cut her autograph price 10% off on her, It suprised me but i was greatful of it. I wasnt honestly expecting but yeah many will say well of course she don’t have that many fans because what she did, blah, blah, but i honestly like to believe she doesn’t do that to alot of people but i got in the mail during the    private signing three months ago. And no, the note she left me is between me and her, nothing biggie but i prefer that part be kept in private.

I wish her the best. Will i ever see her again? who knows what the future holds but i’d take seeing her over a few people including that asshole JDF except my fist hitting his jaw Batman style for hurting and slandering me, he hurt people who were my friends and among other things.   Allison on the other hand i love and respect.  I was angry at her for four years for what she did but now. It’s time to just move on from it and her for the best.  I don’t want to carry her weight upon my shoulders just loosen the fat and be free from it.  I don’t want to fight Allison but i would fight   JDF in a heartbeat no questions asked.  I can give a shit how many black belts he has fuck them, fuck his martial arts, fuck his hypocrisy bullshit code of the arts. He’s no different than the monsters he made go boom in Power Rangers. He had nothing to do with my development  as the new me that i am now.  In my eyes he’s a punk with ego.  

I believe Allison can get her life back on track, anything I’ve learned reading comics including Batman that some people can be redeemed.  I normally don’t have faith in alot of people but Allison. I do more ways than anyone will ever know.  Even if she’s a pain in the ass to deal with at times.  I don’t regret meeting her inperson the first two times. The last two on the other hand when she wasn’t all there not the best in company. But when i first met her she was full of life and energy. I enjoyed her hugs so much, she was great to talk better than some of the women /celebrities that i’ve met that bored me to tears.  Maybe i am a fool, she maynot care if  someone like me care’s for her or not, but those things don’t mean a damn to me. I like to believe that care for more than certain people in her life who care about is money. Not about lives or anything.   I can go about life and be strong enough to deal with it.  I got my life. She has hers. In a strange way i feel like ill always be linked to her in a strange way.  Whatever we both like it or not, I can’t fight her battles even i wanted to she’s on her own. I believe she’ll do fine but i wish her nothing but the best.

[nerdified]

Procedural Notes: Patient #3 (FKA Hugo Jensen)

NOTE: [At the time of this audio recording, Mr. Hugo Jensen (NKA Norville Nerdlinger) has just begun the process, and is restrained. The identity of the speaker is unknown. This transcript is reproduced here in order to assist with identification of this man, who has since disappeared, absconding with an undisclosed amount of the process agonist. Efforts to locate him have, to date, been fruitless. If anyone knows anything about this man or his whereabouts, please report the information to Central Command.]

[BEGIN TRANSCRIPT]

Quiet, now. It’s no use struggling.

I’m not going to hurt you. Quite the opposite.

I see that look in your eyes, like you don’t think I could hurt you. You’re probably right. I’m not much of a fighter. But I know what you think of me, and other guys like me. I’ve been listening to you on the phone, you know. Hacked your telecommunications. What was it that you called me, on that call with the client yesterday?

Oh, yes, I remember. A walking pocket protector. I’ll admit, that was a new one for me. I’ve had “pencil-neck” and “four-eyes” and the good old-fashioned “nerd” lobbed at me before, but “walking pocket-protector”… Heck, it’s got a little poetry to it!

Shh. I know, it feels strange. It’s a little unsettling, at first, I’ll agree. But you’ll get used to it. It’ll go easier for you if you just relax and quit fighting it. In time, you’ll even begin to like it.

I’m sorry about the gag. Unfortunately, it’s just the beginning of the process, so I have to leave it in for…twenty-three more minutes, at least, if my calculations are correct.

Ha! Who am I kidding – my calculations are always correct.

I can see from your eyes that you hate my guts right now. That, too, will change.

You see, what’s about to happen to you isn’t out of the ordinary, or even very noteworthy. As far as I can tell, it happens to a lot of guys, especially those that zip through their twenties and then hit that speed bump called thirty, bank accounts empty and career opportunities shot. Those of us who didn’t win the genetic lottery couldn’t get by just on our looks and our charisma, like you did.

I remember how it felt when I was in high school, and guys like you were all A+ students and perfect jocks, too… gosh, it’s enough to make me swear.

But no. You couldn’t leave well enough alone. You couldn’t just be a jock, be good at sports, and leave the academics to the rest of us. We didn’t ask for much, you know. We just wanted to be left alone in our science labs, and in our tutorials, in our lives.

There's no escaping guys like you. You’re everywhere, and you’re spreading. For a time, we ignored it. Figured it was some kind of anomaly. But it wasn’t – it was a trend. And despite the fact that we didn’t see it coming, we are now prepared for its end.

Like I mentioned – it won’t surprise most people to see you change. Maybe a few of your close friends will worry about you. Express some concern. But by that point, you’ll already have accepted your new self. You’ll be able to say “This is just who I am,” and it’ll be their choice how to proceed. That’s a side benefit, by the way, of the process. You get to find out who your real friends are – and, spoiler alert: they’re not exactly big football fans.

You have to be prepared for some major shake-up in your life, though. The good thing about the process is that it won’t faze you in the slightest. Everything will be gee-whiz gosh-darn super-duper spiffy keen neat-o, if anyone asks, and for you, it will be.

Now, I know those terms are a little outdated. We’ve had to make a bit of an adjustment to the process in your case. The earlier version wasn’t quite strong enough for you, so we’ve had to over-compensate in a few directions. You won’t just be a little bit nerdy, you know, a couple of odd quirks, some new hobbies. For example, Derek – well, that’s his dead name, he goes by Derwood now – Derwood can sometimes get by in normal society. He even kept a few of his old friends. He’s just more into things like superhero movies, and he’s left behind all knowledge or passion for sports. I think I even saw him reading a comic book the other day, come to think of it.

But that’s not going to be you. Oh, sure, you might develop a taste for superhero movies, but if you do, it won’t just be a passing interest. You’ll become a rabid fan. I believe…obsessive…is the operative word, in fact. Yes, you see, that earlier version of the process would have worn off, and you’d have been back to your old self in no time, which would wreak havoc on your psyche, not to mention put our entire operation in jeopardy. We can’t have that.

It looks like some time has passed, but not quite enough for me to remove the gag yet. Do you feel your perfect white teeth shifting around in your gums, almost impatiently? Nod once for yes.

You don’t have to nod at all, not if you don’t want to. I don’t need you to confirm for me what I can already see happening in your eyes. Speaking of your eyes – how’s your vision? I can see you starting to squint every now and then. Trying to see past that blur? Don’t worry. I’ve already got your glasses, right here, for when it gets too bad for you to see. Talk about your Coke-bottle lenses - my calculations again predict that you’ll settle somewhere around…hm…negative six diopters, which is even worse than mine.

To put it simply: you won’t even be able to read the big E on the eye chart without your glasses on.

I know, you’ve never been to the optometrist in your life. You never needed to. And don’t think about getting contact lenses, either. I mean, go ahead and try, if you really want to embarrass yourself.

Oh, I can see it now: timid, nerdy little guy like you, shuffling into the doctor’s office – you say you want to get contact lenses, and they get you in the back for a fitting. They show you how to do it, you know, hold your eyelids apart and then just plop the lens on there. But you have to do it three times before they’ll let you leave with them, and you won’t even be able to get one in, because you’ll keep blinking it out. I wish I could be there to see it, honestly – you, all frustrated, trying to swear, but only able to say things like “Fudge!” and “Gosh darn it!”

It’ll be so beautiful. I’m getting teary just thinking about it.

I’m glad you’re starting to settle down a bit. Let me know when you need your glasses. Maybe while we wait, I’ll get started on your hair. That trendy fade has got to go, and so does that scruff on your face. At the start, you’ll have to shave a lot, but as the process continues, you’ll start producing more of a 5-alpha reductase enzyme. This will convert your testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, which will actually miniaturize your follicles. Kind of like using a shrink ray on them! Oh, and there will be no taking of inhibitors, like finasteride or anything like that – our process contains a potent agonist, with an affinity of 0.25 to 0.5 nM for the human androgen receptor.

It’s all very scientific, I assure you. And with the miniaturization of your follicles, your sebaceous glands will begin to over-produce sebum, which results in – you guessed it! Acne. Pimples. Zits. I know you’ve never had to deal with that before, so I’m just preparing you for it now. Pizza-face, I think the popular nickname is. Get ready for a lot of that.

Let’s see…what else can I tell you.... Gosh, this is kind of like the orientation for a new job, isn’t it? Ah, yes. I know. Speaking of jobs...

Yeah, this is the tough part. It’s all very natural, I assure you. Just like with your friends, your co-workers will come to see you in a different way. I know you have quite a few cutthroat underlings who would eat one another alive to get your corner office, and the moment they sense you’re not as much of a threat as you used to be, they’ll swarm.

I give it two weeks, tops, until you’re gone. If you choose that road. Or you could make it much easier on yourself and resign. You won’t be financially ruined – not with all that new information surging through your brain – you’ll be an asset to the right company, the right department. Maybe IT will take you. Or accounting. Maybe you won’t work corporate. Maybe you’ll work retail.

God, that’s cruel even for me. I wouldn’t wish retail on anyone, even a jerk like you. But there’s no telling what could happen. For all I know, once the process has completed, you could end up one of those Geek Squad guys at Best Buy! Have you seen the uniform they have to wear? It’s company-mandated dress code. You’ve seen them, haven’t you? White, short-sleeve, button-down shirt. Black polyester clip-on necktie; black, pleated trousers; black lace-up shoes…and white socks. Yes, white socks, kept completely spotless and bright. All this is enforced, too, with routine inspections, to make sure you’re being compliant!

You see, there’s really an infinity of possibilities for you. If anything, this is a new chance for you – a fresh start. I know it feels scary, all this change. But change is the only constant. Everything is always in flux. Heck, every seven years, your entire body regenerates – every cell is new and different, so why shouldn’t your personality and identity change, too?

It’s logical, isn’t it? Nod once for yes.

Good! You’re starting to come around, aren’t you? Like I said, it won’t be so bad if you just accept it. If you don’t fight it. That sudden urge to position your tongue up behind your teeth when you say ess. Eth. Eth. How your voice keeps breaking, and in the most unfortunate ways, and at the most unfortunate times – all of this is being etched into your muscle memory as I speak to you.

There isn’t much longer now until I can remove your gag, and I can see that the physical alterations are beginning. Too bad all that hard work at the gym all these years is so easily eroded by our process, but then, those muscles were mostly for show, weren’t they? Well, no longer. It isn’t exactly sarcopenia, but it’s close. You’ll be at least one and a half, possibly two, standard deviations below the relevant population mean, and no amount of exercise will restore your former abilities.

Yes, the ropes are looser now, because you’re much smaller. Rapid onset muscle deterioration. You could struggle out of them. Maybe you could even escape. You could try. But there’s no way you’d make it very far without your glasses. Who would believe you, anyway? What would you even say?

Like I said, you might as well give in. It’s not so bad, once you get used to it. And you’ll have me. I’ll be with you for the whole beginning process, so you can acclimate to your newly nerdy life. You won’t be able to continue living in that luxe apartment you’ve got – no, you’ll be moving into a nice little basement apartment I’ve got fixed up for you, in the suburbs outside the city. The landlords have just got it refurbished, with some nice wood paneling, and there’s a spare twin bed that should be just your size! There’s also tons of room on the walls to put up all your posters. You won’t need much room for anything else, really. You definitely won’t be needing that enormous closet of tailored, fitted button-down shirts, or all those sneakers, definitely not those expensive Under Armour boxer-briefs. What a waste. No, the new you is way more frugal with his money, seeing as he’s paid so little of it. The new you doesn’t even think that much about clothes, or fashion.

This must be a lot to handle. Maybe I should have a little mercy on you.

Tell you what. I’ll let you choose your underwear. How’s that, pal? That make you feel any better? Nod once for yes.

See, I’m not that bad. That’s right. So, here. You can choose…Hanes, or Fruit of the Loom?

Oh, I see. You thought I meant what kind of underwear. Haha, no. You’ll be wearing tighty-whities from now on. Sorry, them’s the rules. Besides, you won’t need much support…down there, if you catch my drift!

Don’t look so horrified. You won’t even notice that it’s gone. Mostly. You’ll still have some length, just, you know, not a lot. You won’t be able to call it a “cock” or a “dick” ever again, either. Oh, look how cute – you’re blushing just hearing me say it! You might call it something else, like your ding-a-ling, or your wiener.

Okay, okay, I can tell you’re getting embarrassed, you’ve gone all red and blotchy in your cheeks. We don’t have to talk about the … “no-no place” anymore, little buddy.

All right. Here’s your glasses. I’ll just set them on your nose, for you…there. Wow, they sure do make your eyes look tiny!

I can tell you’re getting near to the end of the process, and I’m curious to see how big your two front teeth have gotten. From that bump in your upper lip…gosh, it looks like you might be giving Bugs Bunny a run for his money!

You’ve really been behaving better, so I’ll bring you a mirror, okay? So you can see for yourself. I must say, it’s already quite the improvement. I wasn’t expecting your hair to turn so red, or get so curly. Maybe if you can’t get a job at Best Buy, you could run away and join the circus as a clown!

I’m just horsing around with you, pal. Don’t pass out on me. You promise not to scream? I hate it when they scream. Nod once for yes.

You’re a little excited, aren’t you? It’s okay. You can tell me. I bet you get a little more excitable than you used to. Maybe you even get a little clumsy, with the loss of all that hand-eye coordination. Trip over your own two feet and go sprawling.

But who knows. There’s so much potential.

And you’re just the beginning, too. Let’s just say that my proposal for introducing you to the process wasn’t well-received by Central. What do they know? They have this power, and they don’t use it. Well, you snooze, you lose, by golly! If you have a gift, you use it, otherwise it goes to waste.

Anyway. Enough of the supervillain speech. You don’t need to know anything more. It’ll probably be wiped out in the massive crush of nerdy trivia about Star Trek and Star Wars that’s going to download into your brain soon, anyway.

So, this is it. Are you ready to see? Nod once for yes, and I’ll pull the cloth off this mirror here.

Alrighty, dweeb, you asked for it. Here goes.

Say salutations to the new you!

[END TRANSCRIPT]

[korissideblog]

Ok! ONE more actor AU post, then I’ll start switching Aito’s quirk <3

(if you have any recommendations for that btw, send an ask lol)

[work in progress!!]

[We need to get this out for next week’s issue. Ichiro’s working on the visuals, you guys make the transcript look nice.]

[yes sir.]

[Aye boss!]

[You got it]

Hello! I’m Kiyoshi Ono, joined here today by none other than Shishio Ramos! Actor in the new series Kimi no Hīrō Akademia!

Hi! [awe! This kid is so sweet] [He’s barely said anything yet] [hush!]

Hi there Ramos! Could you tell us what this new series is going to be about, and who you’re playing?

Oh yeah! Totally! Well- pretty much it’s a highschool for super powered kids, where[nice][Nice!][?][look at the word count!][juveniles]they each can show off their special abilities and train to become pro heroes! Pro being taken literally there- they’re training to become professional heroes! It’s a really fun thing. Ah- and my character is Aito Takao! Takao’s a silly sort of character- kinda like a villain but she’s on the hero’s side in the end. She’s comic relief for when things get too heavy- mostly because she doesn’t care about what’s making everyone else all bummed out [laughter] yeah- she’s a really narcissistic character- but she’s funny so it’s ok.

Yes, my daughter read the manga that inspired Kimi no Hīrō Akademia, and she says that you guys are making a lot of changes- specifically to Takao?

Oh- yeah [laughter] we’re making a couple changes. Takao’s gonna have the same personality and stuff- don’t worry fans- but… you know, we’ll be adjusting a couple things to make Takao an easier role for me to play. He’ll be going by she/him pronouns for one-

She/Him pronouns?

-yeah! Takao’s gonna be genderfluid! For those who don’t know, there’s a ton of different ways to be genderfluid, but the way that I’m gonna portray Takao as- you know, the way I am- pretty much he’s gonna be kinda a little mix of boy and girl? Ah- it’s kinda hard to explain without getting into a lot of different topics, but- pretty much what the audience has to know is that you could refer to Takao with both he/him and she/her pronouns, and his uniform is gonna be both slacks and a skirt! [Ahhh! I just adore Ramos <333] [he’s just explaining gender presentation?][I KNOW!!!]

Alright, good to know! Anything else you think the fans would like to know about changes?

Yes actually! So- in the manga, both Takao’s parents are like, super dead [laughter] but! The writers thought it would be more fun to [nice] [juvenile][JUVENILE!!!] keep Takao’s mother alive, and be kinda ambiguous with his dad. I won’t go too much into it- but I think new and returning fans of the series are really gonna like it!

Perfect! Now, let’s talk more about you

Oh boy-

[laughter] Don’t worry Ramos- I just wanna learn a bit more about behind the scenes stuff. You’re just coming off Good Morning Nakamuras!, how would you describe the transition between Hanta Kobayashi and Aito Takao?

oh lord- [laughter] yeah yeah- there’s a lot of difference between the two. You can see it really prominently in the writing. Good Morning Nakamuras! was a family sitcom, so it was a lot of ‘someone says something’ ‘someone else says something’ ‘Hanta says something either funny or dumb’ and then a laugh track. Sometimes someone else would come after Hanta to carry the joke, but usually it was just that. [awe… I’m gonna miss Good Morning Nakamuras!] [same here, it was my mom’s favorite!] But with Takao, it’s a much faster pace. It’s just ‘someone says something’ and then immediately ‘Takao says something funny or dumb’ and then immediately back to ‘someone else says something’ and then ‘Takao says something funny or dumb.’ I-I don’t know if I’m explaining it well- it’s just that Takao talks all the time and always has something new or witty to say. He’s just a chatter box without a filter and- that’s kinda fun to do- I always get the final word and it’s always gonna get a laugh, you know? [have you guys seen the trailer yet?] [no, but my niece has! She’s really excited to see the premiere!!] [i have. it looks weird, but my brother is excited for it. his favorite is the blonde one i think]

There’s also the problem with the stunts, you know? Like- the worst of it on Nakamuras! was just the parts where I had to jump the fence, and even then it was just every couple of episodes. On KNHA I have to do all these cool fighting moves- and not to mention how deranged Takao is just… naturally [laughter] he’s just a very energetic guy with a fondness for climbing things- and people! Like you have no clue how tall someone is until your boss points at them and is like “hey, go climb them.” And you have to do it! The pro tip I’m gonna give people-climbers: it’s all in the legs [laughter] you just have to get your legs around them and pray that you don’t look as stupid as you feel. God- the worst part is when you’re climbing someone who's the same height as you! Hiroharu’s actor is about my height, and I have to climb him all the damn time. It feels like you’re gonna crush them, you know? Like you just have to be as light as possible and hope and pray that they can support you. And- and I know that he can, you know? Like me and him have the same personal trainer, and Kyo-San doesn’t do “easy” [laughter] I know that he can hold me, there’s just always that fear you know?

Oh definitely- and speaking of Hiroharu’s actor, we know you’re on the lower end of the age spectrum, do you think that affects how you all work together?

Oh no, definitely not! Yeah I’m younger than a lot of my coworkers, but not by much- 19, 20 in June. I mean I’m glad that I’m so young! Like I said- Hiroharu’s actor is about my height, and I’m like 173, and… you know… Hiroharu’s actor is over 21 I think- he sometimes offers to get drinks with us, so he’s definitely 21 and up- and I hear people stop growing after 18…

What? [laughter] What are your tying to say?

Oh my god wait- wait you can’t leave that in! I work with that guy! I can’t call him short in an interview before the show actually starts- ohh no! Oh god!

The average man’s height is 175!

Oh- ah I’m sure- I’m sure that-that’s true- oh my god-

I’m 174!

Oh my god we can’t leave this in! [laughter] oh my god- I’m sorry I just- I come from a tall family so sometimes I forget that- that you know people- oh my god we have to cut this out [laughter] [make sure to remove this bit] [awe! But it’s funny!!] [we’ll literally be sued if we don’t] [you two are no fun :(]

But yeah, age doesn’t really get in the way of things. We’re all good friends on set- especially Hoshizawa’s actor! Him and Shimoda-san are really cool guys, I love hanging out with them!

Shimoda-san? As in Kosuke Shimoda?

Yes! Shimoda-san plays Ikuto Maekawa, and since our characters are such great friends, I’d like to think we are as well! He’s a real fun guy, and I’m excited to work with such a huge talent- everyone- everyone there is so talented and I’m so lucky to be there.

Ah, speaking of talent. While a large portion of the cast is hidden, we have seen some familiar faces in the trailer. We’ve also seen some familiar faces on social media…

Oh my god-

[laughter] you never publicly addressed it, Ramos! Do you want to talk about your fight with Bryce Aoki?

Oh lord… [laughter] everyone’s so dramatic- so it wasn’t a fight- it’s just- ok so we had a little scene together where I would push him out of frame, but he wanted to still be seen and I was fine with that. Choreography is very important to me, so we had a passionate discussion-

Passionate discussion that ended with Aoki getting a black eye?

That- [laughter] that was an accident! I was- so we were practicing by the makeup desks- bad decision I know, but- stop looking at me like that! [laughter] It was just- we’re standing like we would in the scene, and I go to shove him- and- and I’m aiming for his head but- but maybe I accidentally hit his eye - and he absolutely wipes out, like this kid’s on the ground and I’m like “holy sh*t I just punched a kid” you know? [laughter] [she’s like, barely a year older than him…] but! Bryce is a sweetheart, and luckily he’s alright-

He got a black eye! He posted about it!

Oh he! He’s just a bit dramatic! He’s an actor though, it’s our jobs to be a bit looney [laughter]

Alright then, it seems we've run out of time for tonight. Anything you want to say?

Yes! I want to wish everyone a lovely evening! Thank you for the support! -And make sure to watch Kimi No Hīrō Akademia when it comes out this summer!

[brbkpop]

hi! i don’t know if your 1d requests are still open but ty for doing this! i’d like to request stockholm syndrome + vernon + bookstore au? tysm for this 💕💕😊 you’re a very talented writer and i love your works so much

Since We Were Seventeen

SEVENTEEN request!series

Word count: 602

a.n.// this is so sweet wait-  thank you so much !! I’m so glad you enjoy my writing, that means so much to me (also not @ how this is my favorite 1d song and I was wAITING for a request)

"used to sing about being free but now he's changed his mind..."

The tiny bookstore had always been your escape, it was cozy and calm with the added benefit that not many people frequented it. Sadly enough, the love of reading physical copies of literature is dying out, but you held the passion for it since you were young. The feeling of the pages beneath your fingers as you turned the page to the next adventure always gave you a sense of nostalgia.  

Today was like any other, seated on one of the several couches with a novel in your hand when suddenly your immersion was broken by the sound of several voices.

“You can’t seriously think that Iron Man is better than Batman. Batman’s a classic!”

“Batman is just a dude that never outgrew his emo phase, and if you think about it he causes more damage than he does good.”

“Oh my god, Jihoon, the Avengers? They caused so much damage!”

Overhearing this conversation caused you to chuckle, were they really arguing over comics? Though you were slightly annoyed at the fact these two boys interrupted your reading of 'Pride and Prejudice,' you couldn't help but be entertained. Mr. Darcy would have to wait.

Leaning over the back of the couch, you decided to try and settle the argument so you could get back to your book, "Sorry to butt in, but he's got a point. What does Batman even do? No way can that spandex suit protect him for one, and second why can't he catch the Joker? The Avengers took down fuckin' aliens, the Joker's just some psycho wearing makeup."

The smaller of the two stifled a laugh looking at his friend, "Bro you just got told off by a girl reading 'Pride and Prejudice.'"

Rolling his eyes, Vernon persisted, "I stand by what I said, Batman is a classic. He's clearly superior."

The next few days your presence was absent from the bookstore, which didn’t go unnoticed by the avid DC fan you had met completely by chance. Truth be told, after your chance encounter Vernon couldn’t get you out of his mind, something about you and the way you held yourself had him entranced. Of course this didn’t come without teasing from his friends, Vernon commonly showed little to no interest in romantic relationships, so why was he so enamored with a woman he met once? 

All of this was unknown to you as you made your way into your little sanctuary. Before you had the chance to browse the books, an employee who recognized you as a regular called for you.

“Y/n! There’s an order here for you.” this left you confused, an order? You hadn’t ordered anything, not that you could remember at least. Nevertheless, you approached the counter curious to see what it was that you had ‘ordered.’

The woman behind the counter slid over the said purchase, one look and you immediately knew you hadn’t been the one to purchase this, but you knew exactly who had. On the counter before you laid a hard cover copy of ‘Batman: The Killing Joke.’ Trying to hide the smile on your face you took the graphic novel, muttering a soft “thank you” before returning to your regular seat.

As you opened the cover, a small piece of paper fell out, grabbing it you read the printed text,

“I know you said Iron Man is better and that Batman basically sucks but... This ones my favorite. Let me know what you think, maybe I can get you on my side :D xxx-xxx-xxxx -Vernon. p.s. Mr. Darcy has nothing on me... Just thought you should know. ”

[somegirlsnerdywords2]

Anime i’ve Watched

That begin with a B (Part 3)!

Yep this is how i’m going to bring over all the anime and manga i’ve watched and posted about on the old blog. It’s not so detailed but it will have to do. Anything new I watch or read from this point on will have their own posts.

Boku no Hero Academia (My Hero Academia):

Genres: action, comedy, school, shounen, super power

Synopsis: The appearance of "quirks," newly discovered super powers, has been steadily increasing over the years, with 80 percent of humanity possessing various abilities from manipulation of elements to shapeshifting. This leaves the remainder of the world completely powerless, and Izuku Midoriya is one such individual. Since he was a child, the ambitious middle schooler has wanted nothing more than to be a hero. Izuku's unfair fate leaves him admiring heroes and taking notes on them whenever he can. But it seems that his persistence has borne some fruit: Izuku meets the number one hero and his personal idol, All Might. All Might's quirk is a unique ability that can be inherited, and he has chosen Izuku to be his successor! Enduring many months of grueling training, Izuku enrolls in UA High, a prestigious high school famous for its excellent hero training program, and this year's freshmen look especially promising. With his bizarre but talented classmates and the looming threat of a villainous organization, Izuku will soon learn what it really means to be a hero. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 10/10

Finished airing in 2016 with a total of 13 episodes.

My Thoughts: Perfection delivered in 13 episodes. What a beginning to an amazing series and honestly who doesn’t love a good underdog story full of heroes and villains? I know this girl sure does! Amazing cast of characters, story, music and art/ animation. A must see for fans of the superhero genre and a great place for fans of Western comics to start their anime journey in my personal opinion.

Boku no Hero Academia 2nd Season (My Hero Academia 2):

Genres: action, comedy, superpower, school, shounen

Synopsis: At UA Academy, not even a violent attack can disrupt their most prestigious event: the school sports festival. Renowned across Japan, this festival is an opportunity for aspiring heroes to showcase their abilities, both to the public and potential recruiters.

However, the path to glory is never easy, especially for Izuku Midoriya—whose quirk possesses great raw power but is also cripplingly inefficient. Pitted against his talented classmates, such as the fire and ice wielding Shouto Todoroki, Izuku must utilize his sharp wits and master his surroundings to achieve victory and prove to the world his worth. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 10/10

Finished airing in 2017 with a total of 25 episodes.

My Thoughts: A second season that’s as good as its first?! Virtually unheard of but here you have it in the form of Boku no Hero Academia season 2! I just love this story and these characters even more with each passing season. A must watch for fans of the 1st season!

Boku no Hero Academia 3rd Season (My Hero Academia 3):

Genres: action, comedy, school, superpower, shounen

Synopsis:  As summer arrives for the students at UA Academy, each of these superheroes-in-training puts in their best efforts to become renowned heroes. They head off to a forest training camp run by UA's pro heroes, where the students face one another in battle and go through dangerous tests, improving their abilities and pushing past their limits. However, their school trip is suddenly turned upside down when the League of Villains arrives, invading the camp with a mission to capture one of the students. Boku no Hero Academia 3rd Season follows Izuku "Deku" Midoriya, an ambitious student training to achieve his dream of becoming a hero similar to his role model—All Might. Being one of the students caught up amidst the chaos of the villain attack, Deku must take a stand with his classmates and fight for their survival. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 9/10

Finished airing in 2018 with a total of 25 episodes.

My Thoughts: I have no idea why season 3 lost a point but a 9/10 from me is basically perfection and all the praise so don’t let the point lower rating deter you from checking out this installment of the series. Suppose it’s time to watch the 4th season, eh?

Bonjour♪Koiaji Pâtisserie (Bonjour♪Sweet Love Patisserie):

Genres: slice of life, comedy, reverse harem, romance, shoujo, ONA

Synopsis:  Sayuri Haruno dreams of becoming a pastry chef and enrolls in Fleurir Confectionary Academy, an elite school located in Tokyo's trendy Aoyama district. At Fleurir, she finds herself surrounded by charming boys, each one distinctly unique. Out of the entire class, Ryou Kouzuki's desire to become a pastry chef is the strongest. Blessed with unparalleled technique, instructor Mitsuki Aoi acts like a prince and is hugely popular at the school. Gilbert Hanafusa, the mood maker of the bunch, is a student from France. Yoshinosuke Suzumi is not very good at expressing his feelings, but underneath his stony exterior lies a wholehearted passion for wagashi (Japanese sweets).

As Sayuri pours her heart and soul into making her dream a reality, she encounters many happenings... (Source: NTV)

My Rating: 6/10

An ONA that finished airing in 2015 with a total of 24, 5 minute episodes. 

My Thoughts: A reverse harem style ONA featuring delicious looking treats... all brought to you in short 5 minute bites! As far as reverse harem animes go this really wasn’t all that bad but like most others in the genre (or look to fit the genre) there just wasn’t much deapth... though honestly what do you expect with 5 minute episodes?! Pretty male characters and lovely art. 

Brothers Conflict:

Genres: reverse harem, romance, shoujo

Synopsis:  Ema Hinata is a sweet girl with only her father to call family. One day, she learns that he will be remarrying Miwa Asahina, a wealthy fashion designer. Though she's glad she has a new place to call home, the family she gains is greater than she could ever imagine—Ema now has 13 step-brothers! Wishing to give her father space, she moves into the Sunrise Residence where her brothers live . As she settles in, Ema realizes she may not experience the loving kinship of a family that she has always longed for, as many of her new brothers exhibit feelings toward Ema that aren't just familial. With each brother desiring Ema's attention in his own way, will she be able to work toward a happy ending for all, or will she choose one brother that has stolen her heart? [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 6/10

Finished airing in 2013 with a total of 12 episodes. 

My Thoughts: And here we have yet another reverse harem... also not the worst of the worst but really nothing to write home about. Definitely uncomfortable with the whole step siblings premise so if you’re like me and weirded out by that one i’d avoid this anime. Aside from that there isn't really much to say. The story and characters are lacking but there’s a male character sure to fit every persons tastes so there’s that... I suppose? 

Bungou Stray Dogs:

Genres: action, comedy, mystery, seinen, superpower, supernatural

Synopsis:  For weeks, Atsushi Nakajima's orphanage has been plagued by a mystical tiger that only he seems to be aware of. Suspected to be behind the strange incidents, the 18-year-old is abruptly kicked out of the orphanage and left hungry, homeless, and wandering through the city. While starving on a riverbank, Atsushi saves a rather eccentric man named Osamu Dazai from drowning. Whimsical suicide enthusiast and supernatural detective, Dazai has been investigating the same tiger that has been terrorizing the boy. Together with Dazai's partner Doppo Kunikida, they solve the mystery, but its resolution leaves Atsushi in a tight spot. As various odd events take place, Atsushi is coerced into joining their firm of supernatural investigators, taking on unusual cases the police cannot handle, alongside his numerous enigmatic co-workers. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 7/10

Finished airing in 2016 with a total of 12 episodes. 

My Thoughts: You know what? This is honestly one I truly wanted to love but for some reason it just wasn’t a fit. I know plenty of people that love this series and i’m afraid my own comments won’t do it much justice so if any of you guys have any thoughts or opinions to add be sure to send them my way! Love, love, love the art style.

Byousoku 5 Centimeter (5 Centimeters Per Second):

Genres: drama, romance, slice of life, film

Synopsis:  What happens when two people love each other but just aren't meant to be together? Takaki Toono and Akari Shinohara are childhood friends, but circumstances beyond their control tear them apart. They promise to stay in contact, and although the progression of time widens the distance between them, the chain of memories remains ever-present. Byousoku 5 Centimeter is a romantic drama that focuses on the mundane and harsh reality of long-distance relationships. Stuck in the past and unable to make any new memories, Takaki and Akari cling to the hope of seeing each other again. They live their everyday lives half-heartedly, both hurting themselves and the people around them. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 7/10

A film (or three part) series that aired in 2007.

My Thoughts: The artwork and sound are outstanding but this one was another miss from me. After rave reviews I expected more and was a bit disappointed with what I got. This is all the more true considering I recall very little about this title. 

[peremadeleine]

JCS: The 50th Anniversary Tour

My dad and I just saw the touring 50th anniversary production of Jesus Christ Superstar! We both grew up with the music and know it like the backs of our hands, so frankly our expectations were high.

It was...amazing.

A long, detailed, scene-by-scene discussion under the cut!

As the overture stars to play, the lights come up slowly and you realize that you can see the band--the actual rock band--on the second level of the set. They weren’t highly visible, not intrusive, but we both thought that was so cool. True to the spirit of what is, after all, a rock opera.

The cast came out, during the overture, from two of the audience doors in the orchestra and began hopping up on stage. Also very cool--we weren’t the only ones leaning forward in the balcony to look!

Full disclosure, Judas is my favorite character, so “Heaven on their Minds” is a make-or-break moment for me. Didn’t love all of his delivery, but Judas still sold it. (He clearly took a lot of inspo from Carl Anderson.) He was trying to reach Jesus both emotionally and physically without being weird and clingy (a la the terrible 2000 movie).

Ciaphas and Annas were both Perfect. Annas was an annoying little shit who sounded a lot like Geddy Lee--the lead singer from Rush--and Ciaphas had a deep, menacing, beautiful baritone just right for the part.

Though Simon’s performance was not quite as passionate as I would’ve liked, his voice was wonderful. Probably the best strictly vocal rendition of “Simon Zealotes” I’ve ever heard.

Really liked the way the Temple scene was set up...I would’ve liked it more if they’d given Jesus some prop to interact with/throw around, but the glittery/seedy feel of the scene contrasted perfectly with the low-key, muted set design up to that point.

This was the first scene where Jesus actually caught my attention. His delivery of “my Temple should be a house of prayer!” was a real show-stopper--as it ought to be.

The Lepers sequence was clearly overwhelming/stressful for Jesus without being too unpleasant (that’s always how I remember it from the ’73 movie) for the audience. As with “Hosanna,” though, I would have liked a slightly bigger ensemble to magnify the power of the scene.

Mary’s voice was lovely. She played “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” a little bit delicately, and there wasn’t much for her to do--Jesus was sleeping way off to side of the stage--so I think it could’ve been just a little more powerful, emotionally speaking, but again, her voice was very pretty.

When Judas, beckoned forward by Ciaphas, takes his reward for betraying Jesus from a chest at the end of “Damned for All Time,” his hands become stained silvery-white. As the show progressed the silver paint crept up his arms almost to his shoulders. A small prop would’ve been hard to see, anyway, so the Lady Macbeth-style staining of his hands was easily visible from our seats as well as perfect visual symbolism.

During the Last Supper scene, the apostles re-purpose the cross-shape platform in the middle of the stage as a table. They all froze in poses reminiscent of Da Vinci’s painting (as in the ’73 film) while Jesus sang his solemn lines about consuming his body and blood.

This was the scene that most explicitly explored the bond between Jesus and Judas. At the beginning of the scene, Jesus comes up behind Judas and wraps him in a cloak. Later, an obviously-distraught Judas kneels at the edge of the stage and gazes with desperate hope at his friend, even reaching for Jesus’ hand with his stained one. He wants Jesus to stop him, to keep him there--but of course, he’s sent away to betray him.

More disclosure: “Gethsemane” is my favorite song from the show. It’s raw, it’s angry, it’s powerful. I watched a video of the actor playing Jesus performing an acoustic version in a studio and was not impressed, and so far I was on the fence about his on-stage Jesus, which lacked a little bit of the “drama queen” (or, I guess, the “superstar”) element I expect from JCS!Jesus. tl;dr This was THE big make-it-or-break-it moment of the show for me...

Oh, ye of little faith, Luth! All the hesitance and just-good-enough vocals went out the window; he sang with passion and power and conviction, improving steadily as the song reaches its climax. He didn’t try to imitate the vocal wizardry of Ian Gillan, but he hit the high note (“see how I die”) and held it.

At one point he ripped off his shirt and threw the microphone stand against another set piece in his anger, fear, and despair, which I thought was a nice visual for the audience.

I realized, by the end of the song, when the audience erupted into cheers/applause and my dad leaned over to whisper “He nailed it!” that there were tears in my eyes. I was actually crying! And I was so happy, despite my tears, because this Jesus had finally overcome my months-long misgivings and now I could enjoy the rest of the show for what it would be,

Pilate is usually played by an older man, sometimes in over-the-top flamboyant (often purple) costumes. Not so here. This Pilate was the image of a punk rocker in black leather, and he was young, and he was a certifiable rock star! What a voice!  He was the only one my dad “whooped” for at the curtain call.

Confession time...I’ve never truly seen the need for “Herod’s Song,” catchy as it is. But seeing the show live, the audience was into it. They clearly needed one wacky comic number. And boy was this one wacky. Very well-done, kind of had a cabaret aesthetic with Herod in a silver leotard and sparkly black boots.

Everyone clapped between Judas’ confrontation with the priests and his reprise of “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” which meant the slow, sad beginning of said reprise was drowned out a little. Boo. It’s one of the most moving songs in the show. (“Does he love...does he love me too? Does he care for me? Oh!”) That said, the tension in the audience was palpable (or maybe it was just me) when Judas climbs the stairs and strings up his rope. Just the rope dropped as the lights went down, so it was tastefully done, but all I felt was dread. Which is the point, I imagine.

The ensemble did a great job of realistically haranguing and guilt-tripping Pilate until he abandoned his logical stance that Jesus had done nothing deserving of death and gave into their demands. The best use of the ensemble in the entire show.

I always skip the 39 lashes when I listen at home. They did it very symbolically--throwing “glitter bombs” of a sort at Jesus every time Pilate counted a lash so that he was covered in gold tinsel by the end of it--and it made it bearable to watch, though still tense.

When the instrumental hook of “Superstar” plays after the trial and before the actual song “Superstar,” Judas comes back out on stage and places the crown of thorns on Jesus’ head. An interesting choice. It certainly got me right in the feels.

Would have liked a bit more one-on-one interaction between J&J during “Superstar,” maybe a new costume for Judas, but otherwise a good performance of that, too.

That’s where I always end my listen...but of course the show ends with the crucifixion. Of course that’s never going to be a pleasant scene, is it? It was, again, fairly tastefully done, with Jesus ending up back-lit on the cross.

The final image of the show was also the single-most powerful one:  the rest of the stage was still dark, with Judas* sitting at the foot of the cross gazing up at the still-backlit Jesus. Reader, I wept.

*it occurred to me that it MIGHT have been Mary--the stage was dark, and our seats were pretty high-up...but I prefer the symbolism of it being Judas.

The set was very minimalist, with two unadorned two-story platforms on either side of the long, much shorter protruding cross-shaped platform. It worked for me. (Much better than the weird “industrial” look they went for in the live TV special.)

The costumes were hit-or-miss, but I did like the simplicity of the design. It was quite monochromatic, with Jesus and the apostles (and Mary) mostly in white or beige, Pilate in black, and Judas appropriately in gray. (There were some much-appreciated pops of color during the Last Supper sequence, when the apostles wrapped themselves in red and blue cloaks; and some glitter/sparkle added visual interest in the Temple, Herod, and Trial scenes.)

I could probably say more, including about what I didn’t like as much--there were a few things!--but I’ll save that for another post. Bless you if you actually read all that.

As sad as I am that I didn’t get to see the 2012 Broadway revival, I’m so glad I got to see this.

If you are a fan of Jesus Christ Superstar and have the means, I HIGHLY encourage you to check out the tour if it comes to a city near you. It may not be the greatest production of this show ever staged, but it’s very entertaining, respectful of the material, musically excellent--and it blows that televised one from 2018 out of the water! All in all, just a wonderful tribute for JCS’s 50th anniversary.

[wind-boys]

AGF 2019 Interview with Amatsuki, Aramaki Yoshihiko, and Terashima Junta

Amatsuki, Aramaki Yoshihiko, and Terashima Junta were a few of the guests during the Animate Girls Festival 2019 (AGF 2019) held last month, and were there to promote Wind Boys!!

Some new information about the game mechanics, and cast members for some minor characters were announced during their stage segment, but they gave an interview regarding their opinions on the event, the game, wind ensembles, and the concept of youth in general as well, which I’ve translated below.

♪ Interview begins under the cut!

Please tell us about your thoughts regarding the event (AGF 2019). Aramaki: It was fun! Both of my fellow seiyuu as well as the MC, Hirai-san, were friendly and interesting, so I enjoyed myself a lot. Amatsuki: The extent to which people are looking forward to Wind Boys! was conveyed to us today after listening to everyone’s passionate voices in person. To be able to feel everyone’s expectations for this, it was a really fun event. Terashima: Despite the game being only in its pre-registration stages, we could already gather so many people here, and thus we know everyone’s looking forward to the work. There were people there who’ve already found their favourite characters this early on, and I went through the event while thinking it would be nice if we could continue having more fun together with the game content. What do you think are the noteworthy points of the game, and the charms of the characters that you were casted as? Aramaki: Apart from the twenty-six members, I think that the introduction of three new characters this time has resulted in growing anticipation. Atsukage-kun is really a dry character, but behind his coldness does lie some kindness, and he restrains himself in order to have the power of choice over the things he needs. I’d like for everyone to see how he participates in activities with the other members in this game centered around the theme of youth. Amatsuki: Personally, I feel that it’s a work absolutely worth reading. From feeling excitement to sadness, I do think it’s a story that one can enjoy with warmth to the end. Mitsuyuki-kun is very timid a person, but that relates to his kindness, and as a result there’s a part of him that makes him look like a heroine. There’s a part in the story that concerns this, and I’d like to watch over his kindness and growth. Terashima: A wind ensemble’s performance has an uplifting power that makes your heart dance just by listening to it even if you’re down, hasn’t it? In this work, you can enjoy the story of high school students spending the days of their youth in precisely such a wind ensemble, and hence it’s a work that can be enjoyed both by people with and without experience in band. That is the charm of this work. Ijeong-kun is constantly bright, and a moodmaker that can turn the atmosphere into a comical one, but as he was originally an idol participating in activities in a big world, there’s also a part of him that considers things seriously. I do think that such a gap in his character would be an attractive point of his. Who is a character with deep connections to the character you’re acting as? Aramaki: You could either say that he takes to his kouhai from junior high, Kaneko Soshu (CV: Murakami Kouhei), or that he’s overly attached to him, but I think that it’s a good relationship they have. Amatsuki: He has a lot of connections with various characters, and he talks to Ijeong a lot as well. Out of these people, Iizuka Minato (CV: Kobayashi Yuusuke) is a presence that kicked up a typhoon, and having affected (Mitsuyuki-kun), he is a curious presence indeed. Terashima: Ijeong-kun has a flat existence, and doesn’t change his mood no matter who he's with. However, he shows a serious expression in the presence of one particular character. Please share with us your impressions and memories of wind ensemble clubs. Aramaki: I don’t have any band experience, but I have the impression that it is a club that places importance on unity. Everyone’s teamwork is required in order for the different sounds to come together as one harmony, and you can really feel the youthfulness in that. Also, listening to the performance onstage today, I was moved by the thought of how powerful a live performance is. Amatsuki: As a team competition, I feel that the intensity of combined forces is wonderful. I was invited to be a part of the choir when I was in elementary school, but my voice was too high and I was made to sing the girls’ part. I didn’t like that, and I recall not participating in club activities because of that. Today, I have the regrets of not having experienced being in a choir, so I’m glad to be cast in this work (about performing together in a team). Terashima: Back in elementary school, about a third of my classmates were from the concert band. My friends were practicing their wind instruments during recess, and they let me challenge trying the instruments, but it was difficult and I couldn’t make any sound out of them. However, when I tried it after such a long time during the Tour of Kanazawa on-location filming, I made a sound much to my surprise, and it made me regret doing it so seriously. *laughs* If you could play an instrument, which instrument would you play? Aramaki: The trumpet, though I wouldn’t mind playing the clarinet like Atsukage-kun. To perform on an embankment that piece that plays in that Ghibli scene with the flying pigeons, and have my crush walk past and go “Hey, isn’t that Aramaki-kun?”, those’re the sort of youthful days that I’d wanted to have. *laughs* Amatsuki: I’d like to try playing percussion. I’m currently learning the drums, and I realised how important it is to support everyone through the use of rhythm. Terashima: As I’ve previously mentioned, I got to touch the horn for real during the on-location shoot, and I could feel the possibility of making a sound out of it. Since Ijeong-kun’s playing it as well, I’d like to try performing with it too. Do you have any interesting youthful episodes from your high school days? Aramaki: When I participated in the doubles for the tennis club’s competition, I was so nervous that my hands were shaking. Subsequently I missed a serve, and it hit the head of the player I had paired up with. The way his sweat dramatically flung away was just as if it had come right out of a manga panel, and it lighted the atmosphere so much that my nervousness dissipated. *laughs* Amatsuki: I once hit a homerun in baseball that turned the tables and resulted in our victory. We lost the next match, but it was nonetheless a good memory. Terashima: I joined the light music club in the hopes of becoming popular, and successfully formed a band with two guys and two girls in it. We had lots of fun, but I was really sad on the first day when the girls said “No romance within the band because we don’t like conflict.”. *laughs* There was a large variety of merchandise sold at AGF2019. If you were to produce it, what sort of merchandise would you like to make? Aramaki: Instrument maintenance tools that could actually be used by wind ensemble clubs in real life. Amatsuki: The final goal would be music instruments with models by character, wouldn’t it. I’m sure there would be people who join the band because this work sparked an interest in them, so it’d be nice to have such a thing. Terashima: I agree with having something wind ensemble-related that everyone can use. Metronomes with the characters’ design, for instance. Finally, please leave a message to all the fans out there. Aramaki: A lot of information was released this time. With the fact that notable voice actors were cast to voice the new characters, I wonder if everyone’s expectations have gotten even higher than ever before. However, I am certain that Wind Boys! will be a work that can surpass even that. We’ve put in our souls to breathe life into these characters, so I’d be happy if you could run through the days of youth together with the wind ensemble boys. Amatsuki: Besides you all, we actors are also getting excited. Sensing the quality in the project that we’re acting in, we can’t wait for the day that we can show it to everyone. Please wait in excitement for it. Terashima: Charismatic characters were gathered together, and the content can be enjoyed by both those who are experienced band members and those who are not. With the serialisation in the LINE manga, a lot of content will be spread widely, and if this were to spread even more, to the extent that people would say “I joined the band thanks to this work!”, I feel that we actors would see that our hard work has paid off. I’d be really happy if everyone could enjoy themselves with their entire body and soul, I’m counting on you!

[hellzyeahthewebwieldingavenger]

Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider #4 Thoughts

 The very, very, very end of Spider-Geddon and...a surprisingly great issue!

Covering this comic is very strange for me because I’m coming at it from two places mentally speaking.

Firstly I’m jumping into the fourth and final tie in issue to an event comic having not read the prior three issues.

Secondly I’m jumping into Spider-Gwen, a series I abandoned long ago, back in volume 2 issue #10 to be precise, which was published over 2 years before this issue was. It also had an entirely different writer/artist team back then.

Frankly I picked this up purely because I knew Mayday and some RYV characters were going to be in it. In that regard the issue was rather pointless, they cameo and do little else.

However I’m actually glad I bothered with the comic all the same. I was expecting this to be fluff and filler at best. An insufferable worshipping of Gwen Stacy, as so many comics (including Spider-Gwen itself) was when Spider-Gwen got big back in 2014-2016.

To my delight that wasn’t the case.

I admit to being rather lost with some plot points such as Gwen having a symbiote (this was brought up in Spider-Geddon #2 but it was unexplained there too) and how exactly Gwen can transverse dimensions.

However the rest of the issue was mostly good. Now I read Secret Wars: Spider-Verse, Web Warriors and Spider-Geddon #0-5 but I didn’t read any other Spider-Gwen or Ghost Spider issues so to me Gwen’s sense of loss over Noir and Spidey-UK felt rather unearned and cheap. It wasn’t that I didn’t think she’s be upset over losing a comrade but the deep sense of loss and words towards little habits within their respective relationships didn’t ring true to me. However that may have come up in issues I didn’t read so I’m willing to be corrected on that.

But based upon my reading Gwen feeling as sad as she did was a bit of a stretch. I also felt the milking of Spidey-UK’s death from a reader point of view was questionable because...did anyone honestly love that character? Spider-Man Noir I can understand, he has a fanbase (and this issue hammered home how asinine a decision it was to kill him back at the start of this event) but Billy Braddock? Who cares really? He was used for some cheap pathos in Web Warriors and that was about it. Now that being said I did love the idea behind him being buried in Lady Spider’s dimension as she was English (although if memory serves that was never confirmed outright, she may have simply lived in 1800s New York). I did wonder where the Hell Lady Spider was throughout this event though.

The addressing of Noir’s death though was much more necessary and as stupid as it was to kill him I do give Marvel credit for having an issue which addresses that. His fans deserved at least that much, particularly I think the Noir/Felicia shippers who are undoubtedly out there. I also very much appreciated how May, MJ and Felicia had different reactions to his death respectively.

Another great thing was that the general addressing of grief, sadness and death in the issue felt respectful. It felt real even though as I said the specifics of Gwen’s relationship with Noir and Spidey-UK didn’t quite ring true. It’s like it would’ve been perfect dialogue and execution if used for another character’s death.  A small detail I especially  liked in this regard was Gwen’s drumming as a coping mechanism. One of my major complaints in Latour’s issues was how Gwen’s hobbies and passions were underused and underdeveloped. She was a drummer but that didn’t factor that much into the stories I read. So to see McGuire embrace that is as welcome as Miles’ artistic talents in ITSV.

Now I admit, those of you who recall my thoughts on Latour’s Spider-Gwen book might be calling me a hypocrite here. Because another of my frequent complaints was how doom and gloom and glum Gwen typically was in that series from the outset, yet here I’m praising that.

I think the distinction is this. Latour came out the gate defining Gwen as grieving and guilt ridden, reeling from a tragedy that happened an undisclosed amount of time ago (but still making with the yuks and gags). Not only was this tonal whiplash but it also was a shitty way to set up a new ongoing series. It began world building for Gwen in media-res of extenuating circumstances and circumstances which were incredibly derivative of Peter Parker.

Where McGuire succeeds in this issue is by having not only a distinctly different tragedy but also the benefit of this occurring both after Gwen’s world has been built up and in the aftermath of a huge event. It’s totally realistic and earned that there would be a mourning for fallen warriors after a war. It’d be disrespectful for that not to be the case; in fact it’s kind of disrespectful that that mourning happens in a tie-in issue not the main book!

By having this issue actually deal with the aftermath it re-contextualizes the prior issues of the event. Spider-Geddon as a whole was definitely a bloated poorly written inconsistent mess. But this issue as a coda treats it with the weight the main book never had. There is an emotional realism to the story even though we are dealing with something as wacky as inter-dimensional travel and totem vampires.

This emotional realism is pulled off so well you even feel a little something for Karn’s death, you even feel bad he died alone and so violently even though again, no one is a fan of that character. No one gives a shit about him.

Part of this realism comes from McGuire from this one issue apparently being an inherently better writer than Latour ever was, at least for Spider-Gwen. Latour in all this works I’ve read emphasises style, and wants you to ‘watch’ the story unfold rather than feel like you are right there with the characters. You can ‘see’ Spider-gwen is upset but McGuire takes you inside her head and writes her grief from the inside out. Latour might’ve used internal narration but he rarely pulled this off, probably because he was too busy making a clown show on the side with stupid ass Spider-Ham cameos, wacky humour about the Bodega Bandit or building up Evil Daredevil instead of you know, the ACTUAL main character.

His Spider-Gwen work felt a lot like watching things sort of just happened rather than experiencing things unfolding like in this issue.

What further enhances this story is the deliberate or accidental metatext behind the story. No I am not talking about how Stan Lee had recently died when the issue came out, though that did make me tear up thinking about it.

Gwen has been rebranded Ghost Spider (though her recap page doesn’t quite admit that weirdly) and this is an issue about Gwen dealing with ghosts, dealing with death, spreading the grim news as a reluctant messenger of death. That angle just works in this issue and if embraced would work brilliantly as a new element to the character to latch onto. In no small part because, as the issue itself acknowledges, Gwen Stacy’s legacy is inherently linked to death.

That might be admittedly a radical departure from the punk rock youth vibe the series began with, but not only was that rather squandered by Latour (with bullshit like Hipster Electro and Hipster Kraven the Hunter, go fuck yourself seriously!) but at the end of the day that vibe is perhaps rather...shallow...for an ongoing character...??????

Other elements of the issue I liked was the artwork. It’s not much like what Rodriguez was going, which was I admit very distinct and gave Spider-Gwen’s series a unique identity. But this art is still lovely and works very well for the subject matter. What is particularly nice was the different period outfits Gwen adopted as she made her travels through the multiverse. Also, though this isn’t strictly ‘art’ per se, the word balloons at Karn’s funeral have a cool moment where everyone speaks a salute to Karn and the combined word balloons look like a spider. That was just a cool touch.

My final note is that McGuire has one of the best Peter Parker moments I’ve seen in a long time, and considering the quality of Spencer’s run that is not damning with faint praise (as it would’ve been just over a year ago). In the scene Spider-Gwen and 616 Peter discuss Gwen needing some time off and Gwen asks if that is selfish. On the one hand this is a little bit derivative of Peter Parker, King of Guilt and Responsibility. On the other hand I guess most heroes would ask this of themselves. Peter Parker surprisingly gives a very mature answer.

Now this answer is very much in character and logical for Peter, but it’s also something too often writers neglect in favour of writing Peter in a repetitive manner that renders him a caricature. Peter acknowledges it is selfish but that that is not wrong, He says the world will always need saving but the heroes get to pick their battles and have to sometimes rest, that indeed they deserve it.

Though a mere moment in a story not about him McGuire writes a Peter Parker who truly feels like a mature adult, that feels like the Peter who is truly the sum of his experiences.

Were this teenage or college aged Peter he wouldn’t have been likely to say that. If it was friggin Slott’s Peter Parker definitely not (even though he’d have still gone to play with Miles in the park rather than do his actual job). But a Peter Parker who’s insanely experienced and knows his limits? Yes absolutely he’d know he’s entitled to down time and more importantly needs it. It’s demonstrative of how guilt is present in his character and yet is not the defining trait. Responsibility is, and there is a responsibility to himself. Spidey-UK even echoes such a sentiment earlier in the story.

So with all that said I must admit this issue was a tremendous triumph from where I’m standing, I’d recommend you read it and would go so far as to call it the best issue of Spider-Gwen I’ve ever read sans her debut.

Does it change my feelings for Spider-Geddon as a whole?

No, it still sucked and was still pointless beyond resurrecting MC2 Peter (which in my book makes it worth it, sorry Spidey Noir fans, I’m sure he’ll be back eventually) but this last issue took it out on an unquestionable high note.

[arrowdaily]

Holy Smoaks! Arrow just revealed the true identity of Katherine McNamara’s character and we’re having a full-on family freakout!

Monday’s new episode of Arrow, “Star City Slayer,” dropped a bombshell in the show’s future timeline to reveal that the badass cage fighter Blackstar is actually Mia Smoak—the daughter of Felicity Smoak and Oliver Queen. (We totally called it, by the way.)

Naturally, we hopped on the phone immediately to discuss the revelation with McNamara herself, who was just as excited as we are! “Oh my God, I’ve been dying to talk to someone about this,” she gushed to ET. “I‘m so glad that the cat is finally out of the bag!”

Read on for exclusive behind-the-scenes secrets about Mia Smoak’s script-to-screen reveal, whether or not Olicity fans should be worried about the fate of their favorite couple, and if McNamara is ready to take on the salmon ladder!

Entertainment Tonight: Take us back to the beginning, Kat. How did this role on Arrow first come to you and did you know all along that you were going to play Oliver and Felicity’s daughter? Katherine McNamara: So I knew before I started shooting. But when I initially auditioned, they, of course, did not reveal it to the people who were going up for casting. They [gave me] dummy sides and I believe it was a couple of scenes of a rookie cop or something, so I knew basically nothing. Then, after I was cast, I get a phone call from Beth Schwartz, the showrunner, and she said, “Oh yeah, congrats on joining the show! By the way, everything you know is a lie. You’re Oliver and Felicity’s kid—so congrats and have fun! Thanks, I’ll talk to you soon.” And I was like, “Wait, wait, wait! Hold on! Let’s press rewind—excuse me?” Immediately, my first thought was what a responsibility this is. I’ve seen the power of not only the Arrow fandom, but how much they love Olicity. How much this relationship is beloved by them and how passionate they are and how many opinions they have about it—so I know how important this is going to be for the fans if this is done right. Then I proceeded to watch all six seasons of the show and do as much research on the comic wikis and the show wikis and everything that I possibly could. Beth had said to me that they wanted her to be the perfect blend of the two of them—to be physically everything Oliver Queen and then intellectually everything Felicity Smoak, so I had my work cut out for me.

During your Arrow research, which Oliver and Felicity mannerisms did you choose to infuse into Mia? KM: Well, with Oliver’s physicality, obviously, I’m never going to look like Stephen Amell! [Laughs] No matter how much I work out or how much grilled chicken I eat—that man is on a whole different level. But what’s neat about bringing that into a character—especially a female character—is to find really interesting ways to bring those kinds of masculine physicalities and the very offensive and aggressive way of moving into this character. It adds a very interesting quality that we haven’t necessarily seen in many of the characters in the Arrow’verse yet. She is very much like him in many ways, but also, you have these qualities of Felicity in her: her wit and her tact and her intellect and the way in which she thinks about things and plans and strategizes. Something you’ll find about Mia that you’ll love, as time goes on, is she has quite the mouth on her. She’s quite snarky. We’ve seen a little bit, but it only grows and I think that comes from combining Felicity’s humor and wit with Oliver’s aggression and brutishness.

What are the chances we’re going to see you tackle the salmon ladder? KM: I have not done so as of yet, but I can only imagine that it’s going to be one of these days. That was my first question to Beth, by the way. “When do I have to do the salmon ladder? Because I have to start training, like, yesterday!” [Laughs] You know me well enough to know that I’m constantly training anyway, but that’s a new level of intensity.

In this episode, we discover that her name is actually Mia Smoak instead of Mia Queen. Can you elaborate on that a little bit and when we might be getting those surname answers? KM: I can elaborate in the sense that you will be getting those answers—but maybe not as soon as you’d like. In a few episodes, there will be an all-future episode where we really get to see a lot of Mia’s childhood and a lot of moments that really shaped her into who she became and why those qualities are the way they are, including her last name. But for now, it’s enough to know that she is Mia Smoak and she claims to be the daughter of Oliver and Felicity. So she knows that Oliver is her father, but does not take his name. Ultimately, the most important thing to know at this point is that this is indicative of how dire the world has become… To know that even having the last name Queen puts a target on your back.

You know that the Olicity fans are the best detectives of any fandom. They’re probably going to be worried when they hear that her name is Mia Smoak instead of Mia Queen and wondering what that means for Olicity’s relationship in the future. Should the fans be worried? KM: Maybe. I actually don’t know the answer to that question yet because we’re still shooting season seven right now, so I don’t even have all the answers… but, maybe. Even for me, that’s still a question mark.

Were you surprised when you realized that Mia Smoak and William Queen—who are half siblings— don’t know each other in the future? KM: I was surprised and that was another question I had for Beth. Thank god for Beth Schwartz because she has been such a lovely, collaborative wealth of information for me. There are many things that I don’t have the privilege of knowing yet, but she’s been so good to me in that I can call and ask her a question and she will give me some kind of answer to do my work off of that does not reveal what they still want to keep hidden. So thank goodness for her. But aside from my tangent, that is a very interesting question and one that we will get the answer to very soon. It all goes back to the ruin that Star City has fallen into and showing the real lengths that Oliver and Felicity had to go to to keep their children safe.

What was your first interaction with Stephen Amell and Emily Bett Rickards like? KM: Well, it’s very interesting. I met Emily a few years ago just in passing because she and [Shadowhunters star] Isaiah Mustafa are friends, so I had already adored her because she was just so kind to me and just such a fun human being. And then re-meeting her was, of course, lovely on set because she’s just an amazing, kickass human being. I’ve really loved getting to know her and kind of pulling whatever qualities I can from her and from Felicity, and putting them into Mia because it can be a challenge to find those sorts of lighter and interesting qualities. Emily has just got this inner strength that I love at her core and that’s something that I’ve fed off of a lot with Mia. Stephen, actually, was the one that I re-met first when I was coming onto the show. I was there for a meeting of some sort and Stephen was shooting the “Slabside Redemption” episode, so he was, of course, covered in blood and scars and [had] a million other things on his mind and [was] obviously exhausted. But he happened to pop his head into the hair and makeup trailer and he stopped everything that he was doing, jumped out of his chair, came over, gave me a hug and had a long conversation with me and really, really made me feel welcome. To me, that’s such a testament to his character as a human being, and just who he is as a person and why the show has such a positive environment on set.

It’s been really fun seeing these flashforwards bringing a new chapter to the Arrowverse. What does it mean to you to be a part of the next generation of vigilantes? KM: It goes back to the responsibility that I realize I have with this character and whatever it ends up being. Just even being a part of the future and being a part of this universe is really wonderful. I mean there are so many interesting facets to the Arrowverse with the future with Nora that we have now on The Flash, and with Legends everywhere and now with having Ruby Rose as Batwoman and all of these incredible characters. There’s just so much diversity and inclusivity and all of these things that are happening in the Arrowverse. I’m so thankful to be coming from Shadowhunters which had a very similar environment, vibe and mindset. It’s really wonderful to still be part of that and I understand the responsibility and I’m excited for the challenge ahead.

Oh my God. We need you and Nora to be together and hang out! KM: [Laughs] I’m down! You set a time and we’ll be there.

We know that Mia is not necessarily a fan of vigilantes but how ready is Kat to suit up? KM: Oh, I’m so excited! I mean that was always one of my favorite elements of Shadowhunters was when Clary really got to buckle down and kick ass, and yet we really didn’t get to see that as often as we would’ve liked because Clary was so new to the world and she was still learning so much. But now we have Mia who, we’ll see very soon, is well versed in fighting and suiting up in her own way. Getting to see this character who very often finds herself in these situations, it’s a real treat. I remember watching this show as I was gearing up to start shooting Arrow and figuring out who Mia was and what this would entail. It’s so exciting. As an actor, there’s certain moments where you’re on set—whether you’re in the woods with Seelies and vampires and running around the forest with swords, or you walk into the Arrowcave, even if it’s covered with vines and waterfalls—just knowing who you are in that universe and what a thrill it is is. There are moments that are really special and you just want to pinch yourself a little bit and wonder if you’re dreaming or if this is actually what you do for a living. It just really makes me eternally grateful to be part of such a cool and interesting project.

So where do we go from here? You mentioned that we are going to have an all future episode. Now that the team knows who she is, how does this change things moving forward? KM: Well, it definitely changes things and it definitely provides a lot more information to everyone and fills in a lot of the missing pieces for both parties. Mia doesn’t know everything about her past, William obviously doesn’t know everything and neither do the characters of the future, so as all of the pieces come together and as everyone combines their knowledge or at least reveals certain pieces of information—for better or for worse things will move forward and things will progress very quickly. As you will see, time becomes of the essence and don’t forget, they did find those bomb schematics very recently, as well, so the future [could have] explosive content if you will.

[comicteaparty]

May 23rd, 2019 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on May 23rd, 2019, from 5PM - 7PM PDT.  The chat focused on Maiden of the Machine by Caitlin Like.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB START!

Good evening, everyone~! Our final Thursday Book Club is officially beginning! Today we are discussing Maiden of the Machine by Caitlin Like~! (https://maidenmachine.com/)

Remember that Thursday discussions are completely freeform! However, every 30 minutes I will drop in OPTIONAL discussion questions in case you’d like a bit of a prompt. If you miss out on one of these prompts, you can find them pinned for the chat’s duration. Additionally, remember that while constructive criticism is allowed, our focus is fun and respectfully appreciating the comic. All that said, let’s begin!

QUESTION 1. What is your favorite scene in the comic so far and why?

i think my favorite scene so far is when elizabeth and victor decide to sleep together. part in for its serious drama. theres so many questions about victor created from just the visuals, and then theres the stakes at hand of elizabeth's reputation. but then, there is also a good balance of comic relief to a degree since victor told her to ask no questions and she asks the one question that he probably didnt see coming. all around it was a pretty satisfactor culmination of their relationship so far at a juncture that felt natural.

another scene i really enjoyed was the ball scene where victor and eric are having a chat about elizabeth and then elizabeth and victor have a passionate liason. im mostly a fan cause of the dramatic convo. cause theres a deep and terrible sense that both characters truly know what their risking, what the situation is, and how they still are into each other. plus, its all very tense cause it just takes one person being in the wrong place at the wrong time to blow their cover.

honestly i think itd be accurate to say all my favorite scenes are with elizabeth and victor. romance is one of those genres i can struggle with, because theres always something missing. but oh man do i love the romance in this comic. there is nothing more i want than to see then elizabeth and victor finding a way to be together in spite society trying to kick that down at every turn.

i will give a special shout out to the scene where eric, abhaya, milo, and the cousin are meeting to discuss the affairs of the estate. i just like it because it basically shows all the characters' worst sides. abhaya is brash and reckless, milo is just kind of there, and eric is a greedy mofo. and whats worse is literally none of them thought to bring elizabeth. they may have their excuses of protecting her...but part of me still thinks thats a super dick move and shows even abhaya just kind of views elizabeth more as a pawn than a person. but all in all, nothing like money and estates to show off everyone's worst traits. it is very true to life, and i can respect that.

another non-victor/elizabeth scene i respect is the scene where elizabeth is out dress shopping and eric is like here i got you these dresses. just cause i knew eric was kind of a creep, but ho boy, he dialed the creep up to number 11 on a 10 meter scale. but at the same time, i think that really helped to erase all sympathy i might have had for him. thus paving the way for me to not really feel guilty on elizabeth's behalf for her trespasses against him.

mathtans

Hello, I made it... unfortunately this is a rather bad week, I only made it through the first two chapters.

RebelVampire

i also like scenes with west in them. cause I like that between all the people around Victor, West seems the most honest in a scoundrel sort of way. Which that is basically what I like about him in every scene. He causes trouble and pushes the limits, but at the same time hes always at least pretty upfront about his intentions.

thats unfortunate cause its a great comic, but glad to see you anyway math!

mathtans

Which kind of sucks, I like the whole concept of the kick ass ladies. Even the pirates.

Maybe I'll find time to read more in the background.

The bit I liked most of what I read I think was back in the first chapter, when Elizabeth makes the callback to when she got out of the ropes at the very start of the story. It was a nice subtle detail which I found very clever.

I'm not at your bits yet but I can see how the Elizabeth/Victor thing is being set up. Also there seems to be some question of whether Abhaya likes him... or possibly other ladies? I may be reading my own interests into that.

RebelVampire

you may be reading your own interests but later on there is a female character i ship abhaya with atm

so there is that

i dont think youve met her yet tho

mathtans

Also, yeah, the whole estate thing creates an interesting dynamic. That was a clever way of using the period to generate conflicts.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 2. A large focus of the comic is on Elizabeth and Victor’s relationship. At the end of the day, do you think the two will find a way to be together? If so, how will they get over the scandal Elizabeth would face and the fact those around Victor want him to marry a titled woman? If you don’t believe they’ll find a way to stay together, what will stop them? Further, given the most recent events, how will Eric Wollstonecraft play a role in the future of their love story? How does the narration framing seen where Elizabeth is addressing her potential son affect your opinion? How do you think that future came about, and how soon will it come to pass? Last, what do you think of their relationship in terms of Elizabeth wanting to make her own choices in life?

mathtans

I ship Abhaya with everyone.

RebelVampire

yeah i have to say if theres one thing i appreciate its combination of progressive themes while at the same time acknowledging that the period was not the friendliest towards these things

especially in regards to how elizabeth is treated since her only purpose apparently to everyone is to get hitched to a titled guy

and i mean

thats depressing

yet also true to the period

even though we get to see elizabeth take a journey and reject those social conventions

in regards to the current question, i am choosing not to think about whether in the long term elizabeth and victor will get together for the rest of their lives. because if they dont i will cry but i could see this realistically being the case given the tone of the narration. cause that...does not sound like an elizabeth who lives in eternal happiness.

mathtans

Back, sorry. Yeah, I'm usually not much of one for period pieces, but I like the narrative viewpoint. Also, pretty neat airships.

There was the point where she talked about leaving Victor behind back in Chapter 1 (I don't recall the exact circumstances) but I wondered if it was because he causes her heartache, or just because it make their lives more complicated.

Incidentally, the first thing I thought of with the name "Lovelace" was Lady Ada Lovelace. The mathematician. Not sure if that was an intentional reference to another well regarded woman.

RebelVampire

i love period pieces but i think the steampunk aspects help twist it enough to make it a bit more unique.

mathtans

(I don't think the time frames synch up but I don't recall when the comic takes place...)

Oh, it's definitely unique. I like the gadget aspect too.

RebelVampire

i would not be surprised if the name choice was purposeful. if only because the comic has lots of strong ladies. i doubt well see any real historical figures though.

i appreciate that the comic actually kind of starts off with the airship escapade

cause it really showcases the ways in which their world differs

where you get airships

and sky pirates

mathtans

That's a good point. Helps with the world building before we get down into some of the classic period issues.

RebelVampire

yes. and i also kind of like it starts off more action-y. not that there isnt action bits later mind you. but more i think it helps set up the main conflict while tying in the romance. because it makes it so the romance isnt some forced subplot. rather its kind of integral and has as much to do with the whole highjacking as the rest of the story. since later on youll see that elizabeth's proximity to victor keeps bring that part of the story into the limelight

mathtans

That's a good point, in terms of tying things together. Also possibly sets up a key antagonist (or at least revenge plot) in that burned pirate lady.

RebelVampire

she does come back

i will spoil that much

mathtans

I figured she had to some time, whether it was by the present updates or not.

I've resumed reading a bit in the background. Seems like both the Watson ladies are doing their best to get arrested. ^.^

RebelVampire

well at least Abhaya is.

cause Abhaya is a risk taker who puts herself in many situations where people are gonna stop and stare

mathtans

Well, yes. But Elizabeth also seems to be taking risks where Victor is concerned. Or at least stepping out of her comfort zone.

Certain people have certain effects on us I guess.

RebelVampire

nah thats true. I just think Elizabeth just takes more social risks. Like not the kind that are gonna get her arrested, but more the kind that are gonna get her socially shunned.

whereas Abhaya is the punch one who is gonna get charged with assault

mathtans

That seems like a valid viewpoint. It fits with their personalities when we saw them in their youth.

The cutting back and forth between the two sisters in Chapter 3 is well done.

RebelVampire

yeah in general i like the PoV switching of the comic. because every scene is pretty well-chosen and advances the plot in some manner. and it lets us see others parts of the comic developing. cause later on you do get to see more of victor without elizabeth some and get to go "hmm" to all that hes up to.

mathtans

Ha! I like Chapter 3, page 31, where all the dialogue seems to fade out as Victor touches her. Cute.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. Besides romance, there is a larger plot posing real and deadly danger to the characters. Who do you think the Angel is? What are the Angel’s goals, and why is she excessively targeting Victor? Further, what do you think the source of her power is? Also, what does have kidnapping people like Ambrose have to do with her goals? Alternatively, is Ambrose there of his own free will (and if so, why)? Considering Abhaya is being sought by Amabel for help, what do you think Abhaya will do? Will Abhaya be able to uncover more of the truth, or is Abhaya just going to get herself into more trouble? How will Abhaya’s involvement affect Elizabeth and herself? Last, can Amabel be trusted, or is it possible she’ll abandon Abhaya when Abhaya might need her?

spoiler Amabel is who I ship Abhaya with

mathtans

Related to those questions, I do wonder a bit if Victor has a sordid past or something. Like maybe his empire wasn't entirely built on the up-and-up... with his knowledge or possibly without it. So there could be a reason there for him to be targeted.

I've looked on the character page and I approve this ship.

RebelVampire

oh yeah. Victor is 100% definitely a scoundrel. There is one scenes that really hints at this, but even before that i agree with you. Victor is not on the up and up entirely. I don't think he made his fortune without cracking a few skulls.

although idk if this is what makes him a target persay

or maybe it oes

but more in the way hes done the forbidden when it comes to tech

mathtans

Was he totally aware of the repercussions of whatever he did though? Because the people around him seem to like to keep him in the dark.

brb

RebelVampire

im sure he knew the repercussions. the people around him are more about keeping him in the dark about romantic matters. cause as was implied by one of the questions later on you find out the main thing ppl arent telling victor is that elizabeth is just there to open him up to the idea of marriage so he can marry a titled lady

cause everyone is all about those titles

In regards to the current question while you're away, I think Abhaya will help Amabel and get herself caught and get into a whole mess of trouble that for once, Elizabeth will have to break her out of. But I think it'll be a dual sword cause I do think Elizabeth's relationship to both Abhaya and Victor is gonna put her in the crosshairs. cause like, what an easy way to get Victor to show up. Get Elizabeth, tell Victor you'll never see her again if you don't show up.

as for the angel's goals, I feel shes on a path of vengence against the entire world, but particularly victor cause hes high up there in the industrialist chain

and knows something she doesnt and that she needs to bring her plans to fruition

mathtans

Back. Okay, that does make sense, darn titles.

Interesting, this Angel talk. I wonder if it's the same "angel" we see in the title card for Chapter 2?

Sounds like you think it's not personal, the Angel's path, merely that Victor is a convenient figurehead.

RebelVampire

i mean the angel is kind of the one from the title card. those are her wings for sure, though she doesnt look quite like that the one time you meet her

it could be personal, but i feel like the angel just has bigger fish to fry

from the impression i got from her

since shes kidnapping a ton of ppl

and you dont need to kidnap ppl to your cause if all youre doing is hunting down some industrialist

who almost got caught

if not for abhaya and elizabeth

mathtans

Ah, so she's the one behind the disappearances then.

(Still reading in the background.)

RebelVampire

yes. i mean its pretty implied but you get confirmation later that yes its her. though you can definitely speculate on the why

cause i have no clue

shes still enigmatic

mathtans

Looking for a husband? ^.^

RebelVampire

shes reading the wrong romance advice book

when elizabeth and her meet, elizabeth will point her in the right direction

and the angel is like "oh wait so youre not supposed to kidnap them? huh?"

mathtans

And then we ship Angel and Elizabeth.

RebelVampire

no. ill ship Abhaya and Angel

Elizabeth and Victor are the OTP

i said but then was like "nah id totally ship Elizabeth with West"

mathtans

Heh. That's fair, they are the main couple. Though West is an interesting guy, just needs to learn social cues.

RebelVampire

nah thats why west is amazing

he doesnt know social cues

and is awkward

yet helpful

and hes the only dude of victor's who seems to be in elizabeth's corner

mathtans

Right. I think it was said that he's not used to the lifestyle?

RebelVampire

yes that is what he said

which makes me want a side chapter just about what he did before he came to victor

cause i dont feel like victor would just hire some rando. he must of seen something in west

mathtans

Maybe he took pity on the guy, something about the scar.

RebelVampire

that could be cause victor understands the burden of scars

or something like that

whereas i just think west's scar gives him character

QUESTION 4. Mixed in with the present drama is a lot of unsolved past drama. Who do you think Victor really is? What do you think happened to Victor based on Milo’s story that he was telling Abhaya? How do you think Victor managed to overcome this to become the person he is today? Also, what do you make of the room Victor seemed to have sealed off in his house? Besides Victor, there is also a lot of drama between Jules, Abhaya, and Milo. What do you think happened between the three of them that managed to damage their relationship forever? Will spending more time together heal their wounds, or is it impossible at this point? Further, what was Jules up to the whole time he was away with Victor? Last, what do you think Jules’ goals were for introducing Elizabeth and Victor, and why does he seem immensely conflicted about her presence?

mathtans

Sorry, biab

RebelVampire

kay

I think Victor was some fellow servant kid who was Jules' only friend after Jules got sent away. And then Victor almost died. Although I'm changing my previous speculations. Maybe the Angel is more literal and she literally showed up, saved Victor with tech with the promise to return, and then left. So now shes back for her comeuppance. Meanwhile, Victor decided technology was great and he needed to bring it to the world cause it was what would keep him alive and save others.

as for the three, at this juncture it seems pretty heavily implied Milo and Jules were in a relationship and that Milo called off the wedding to Abhaya cause he didnt want to live a lie in regards to how he felt about Jules. Regardless of the what, while Milo i feel will legitimately forgive and forget, I dont feel Abhaya or Jules will. Abhaya cause she doesnt seem the type to ever forgive ever. And to just hold onto her hatred and seethe. Jules in the meantime I think wont forgive until he gets revenge in some way. Cause the two probably betrayed his trust big time and he kind of got the most screwed over by what happened

i think Jules wanted them to meet for the exact reason that the others implied: they want Victor to warm up to the idea of women so he can get married. However, I feel Jules now feels like a jerk who is taking out his anger at Abhaya on Elizabeth who had 0% to do with what happened between the three. and yet he knows hes in too deep to turn back now.

mathtans

Could be that Victor was initially poor... in fact maybe he married into the company somehow? Could the Angel be his wife? o.o

I wondered about Milo and Jules. My initial thought had been that Abhaya had called off the engagement though, so that's an interesting other look at things.

Jules and Elizabeth were close too, back in the day. One wonders if he's that good at seeing how things play out long term.

RebelVampire

nah its definitely his company. but victor was probably poor. if only cause everyone calls him new money. so it means he has no predecessor parent who made their fortune.

Jules strikes me more as the type who things hes great at planning but really, really, really isnt

and then tons of consequences come about that he has to accept and deal with

mathtans

That makes sense and could explain the sympathy for West too, maybe he knows West even though it doesn't necessarily go both ways.

Yeah, Jules seems to think he's got everything well in hand but he doesn't seem to account for the human factor.

Made it to the end of Chapter 4/Act 1 now. Apparently the Angel kidnaps people to literally graft wings onto her spine. Ouch.

Interesting callback to Victor's wounded leg though.

RebelVampire

i think even more than the human factor, Jules is just bad at making plan Bs for when things do go wrong. then panics and makes bad decisions

like not telling victor the factory is in danger

mathtans

Maybe that thing that Victor has in the factory is a time machine. Turns out he's actually from the future, he brought back all the technology and that's why the Angel is after him, she thinks it's stolen.

You're not wrong there, about Jules.

RebelVampire

ya know...i can support this time traveler theory. i mean it doesnt quite fit considering flashbacks

but id 100% buy victor built a time machine

cause why not

victor is amazing

mathtans

Maybe his company is corrupt because they're still trying to get the patents.

RebelVampire

i mean

its a company

so its probably corrupt to some degree regardless

mathtans

That's also a good point.

RebelVampire

i mean i can point out the fact they want victor to marry a titled lady to be a form of corruption. cause thats just marrying someone to advance your social standing for the business

mathtans

I guess we're near the end... haven't said anything about the art yet. I suppose I like the shading, and I thought the sound effect use was clever.

Need someone to star in the commercials.

"Ladies and gentlemen, my wife loves this new device I call a roomba."

RebelVampire

i really love the clothes. i mean theyre simple, and yet all seem to fit within the period that this comic is trying to go for

but if they get a roomba what are the house wives supposed to do

not sit at home cooking and cleaning all day?

also about the art, i really love the steampunk designs. you can definitely tell the steampunk inspiration in them, yet theyre really unique and not really like any steampunk ive seen before

and i can for sure appreciate uniqueness

mathtans

Yeah, that's true. And there was that neat detail of the corset being laced up the front, I wouldn't have thought of that.

Uniqueness is good. I wonder what the machine connection will end up being.

With the whole "maiden of the machine" thing there. (Won't be a roomba, after all.)

RebelVampire

ah thats a good point as well. i loved that detail about the maid being able to tell elizabeth didnt have a maid

mathtans

Maybe Elizabeth gets upgraded too.

RebelVampire

the comic was about the angel all along

and the angel's victory

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB END!

Sadly, this wraps up our final Thursday Book Club chat for now. Thank you so much to everyone for reading and joining us! We want to give a special thank you to Caitlin Like, as well, for making Maiden of the Machine. If you liked the comic, make sure to support Caitlin Like’s efforts however you’re able to~!

Read and Comment: https://maidenmachine.com/

Caitlin Like’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/CaitlinLike

Caitlin Like’s Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/caitlike

Caitlin Like’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/caitlike

[filmstruck]

Six Questions With FilmStruck: Josh Boone 

Writer-Director Josh Boone’s filmography includes indie romance STUCK IN LOVE (’12), blockbuster adaptation THE FAULT IN OUR STARS (’14), and coming soon comic book adaptation THE NEW MUTANTS (’18). A cinephile to the core, Boone spoke to FilmStruck’s Marya E. Gates about his early love of film, how he discovered the Criterion Collection, and what films he thinks everyone should stream immediately. 

FS: What was the movie that made you fall in love with movies? 

Josh Boone: There’s so many. Could you name just one? 

FS: No. 

JB: Right? You’d have to name a couple I think. 

FS: You can name a couple. 

JB: My dad had a very large collection of movies on Beta that he taped off HBO when I was a kid in the 80s and he had a lot of those movies from the 70s, those Jack Nicholson movies like ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST and FIVE EASY PIECES and CARNAL KNOWLEDGE. He had all these old Jack Nicholson movies, so I watched those a lot. Jack Nicholson was always my favorite actor. Those 70s Jack Nicholson movies got me into Bogdanovich and THE LAST PICTURE SHOW and all the BBS stuff. When you learn about movies it’s like one thing leads to another. Back then I had to buy Video Watchdog books every year, or an Ebert guide to try to find stuff that I hadn’t seen. I remember seeing E.T. vividly as a kid. It was the 80s, so all those Spielberg movies and THE GOONIES. THE NEVERENDING STORY was one of my favorite movies of all time. That was a big deal when I was a kid. I saw that in theaters a couple of times. I watched movie after movie after movie and then I amassed over the years laserdiscs and DVDs. I didn’t go to film school, I really learned everything from DVD commentaries, behind the scenes documentaries, reading books about movies, and just watching movies. So I watched thousands and thousands of movies when I was a kid. I’d say I watch much less now because it takes so much time to make movies you have much less time to study them. You use them for reference and things like that and you watch them, but not with the same passion that you watched them with when you were young because you have to let that go a little bit to go do the job you have to do, and put the time in to do it. You build it all up and then you hold it inside you and then you go and make movies. 

FS: That’s a great segue to the next question. What was the movie that made you want to make movies? 

JB: I was obsessed with directors when I was young and I would keep file folders with every magazine clipping about David Lynch or Oliver Stone or Steven Spielberg or Quentin Tarantino. I had all these files on them. It’s hard for me to think back to before I even wanted to make movies because my best friend (Knate Lee) and I who I wrote THE NEW MUTANTS with, we’ve known each other since we were little kids. Since we were little Muppet Babies or whatever. Our moms were best friends. We made movies on home video growing up all the time. Really as early as like 7 or 8 because my dad had one of those over the shoulder Beta cams and his parents had a Hi8 or something and we would shoot movies and edit in camera. We started making BATMAN rip-offs where my dad would play the Joker or a BACK TO THE FUTURE rip-off and that gradually led to us writing our own scripts and things like that. It was sort of an organic, long-term process so it’s hard to say the specific movie. But I can say the movie-going experience of my life when I was 12 years old my dad took me to see J.F.K. and that was maybe one of the great movie events I had at the theater when I was young. I remember gripping the armrests of my seat so tightly that there are probably still impressions of them there today. I think Oliver Stone’s run From SALVADOR to NIXON is one of the greatest runs a director has ever had. Those ten movies he made with Bob Richardson, all those movies were really big in our lives when we were young. We’d spend our lives reading comic books and watching movies and listening to music, and Oliver Stone movies were some of the first movies that made us want to go and read history books. Movies opened us up to the entire world because we were raised by very religious parents, like evangelical Christians, so like Paul Schrader – who I think wasn’t allowed to watch movies until he left for college – it was a bit of a forbidden fruit. We watched them all the time and they were an escape and a good way to see what the world was actually like beyond the crazy religious stuff. 

FS: What was your first introduction to the Criterion Collection? 

JB: I used to have a friend named Bill Kelley who worked at newspaper called the Virginian Pilot, which was the main newspaper in Virginia Beach. He was a big movie buff and he had a laserdisc player and we would all go over to his house on Sunday nights and he always had this massive collection of laserdiscs that we would pour over - religious, and old Hollywood classics, and even Spielberg movies. He had a couple of Criterions and he had a big glossy, like a brochure almost, like a 50-page Criterion catalogue that they would send out back in the day, before you could go online and just scroll through everything. It was full color and it was as big as a vinyl record. It had pictures from all the movies and all the extras. You just started to want to check all those boxes off and watch them all. So I got a laserdisc player for Christmas one year and I think the very first one I had was SE7EN, which was one like 8 discs or something. It was ridiculous. It weighed a ton. So I started collecting laserdisc and Criterion editions and listened to commentaries and all that. Oliver Stone did big pioneering laserdisc editions. I have one of PLATOON and THE DOORS. They cost like $150 dollars and they were so heavy. I loved all of that stuff. 

FS: What was the first film you streamed on FilmStruck? 

JB: I think I streamed some extras before I actually watched a movie. Then I watched some Kurosawa and Bergman that weren’t released on disc yet. I like that Criterion has all these titles in their catalogue and they can’t get them all out immediately so they’ll have them on the site so you can stream them even though it might be a couple of years before they come out on disc. There were so many things on their that haven’t been released. Kieślowski is one of my favorite directors and I love Annette Insdorf’s books about him, so she wrote this book called Double Lives, Second Chances, which I have read a couple of times. She just released a book about movie opening scenes (Cinematic Overtures: How to Read Opening Scenes), like what great movies do them well and what a great opening scene is. I love that video series [on the Cinematic Overtures: How to Read Opening Scenes theme] where she goes over the opening of BADLANDS and a bunch of other movies. She’s so eloquent and a great historian. She’s a hero a little bit. 

Those Kieślowski movies certainly meant an awful lot to me. I always loved those because I am a big fan of Philip K. Dick and when I say Philip K. Dick, I do love BLADE RUNNER and MINORITY REPORT and TOTAL RECALL, but those really are no way representative of what reading one of his books is like. The only movie that really feels like Philip K. Dick is A SCANNER DARKLY, which is really like a word for word adaptation of the book. Some of those metaphysical ideas that were in Philip K. Dick I found in Kieślowski as well and I thought all of that stuff was really interesting. I love Tarkovsky movies, as long and boring as some of my friends might think they are, they blow your mind and make you think of things you hadn’t thought about before. I love things that are imaginative. Like LA JETÉE, I love watching that and it’s inspiration on 12 MONKEYS. 

FS: If the world were about to end what movies on FilmStruck would you recommend everyone stream before we all died? 

JB: I’d put a Kieślowski on there. Certainly THREE COLORS: BLUE. I fucking love Kurosawa’s THRONE OF BLOOD with the arrows and all that. That one is amazing. A Cronenberg. 

FS: We have THE BROOD. 

JB: That is one of the scariest movies ever. Those little kids beating that lady to death. It’s pretty awful. I’d put that up if you really want to barf one night. This will do it for you. I love all those music docs like DONT LOOK BACK. I love Robert Altman. The fucking  THE CONFORMIST for sure. I love love love [Jean-Luc] Godard’s stuff with Anna Karina. I love MASCULIN FÉMININ, even though she’s not in that, I love PIERROT LE FOU. I love all the Kurosawa stuff. THRONE OF BLOOD especially I love. The movie I would recommend the most right now because it’s not on Blu-ray is Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s 1997 CURE. It’s one of the scariest, best horror movies ever made. I’m so glad it’s on here because I can’t watch it anywhere else. I’m a huge Terry Gilliam fan. TIME BANDITS is one of my favorite movies from back when I was a kid. I love IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE, THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE, THE GRADUATE. All this stuff. It’s all just such great stuff. 

FS: Have you found anything while you’re browsing FilmStruck that you’d never heard of but just had to watch it? 

JB: I go into the directors and I look through different filmmakers and I look through all of the ones that have introductions. Like, I will go through all of the ones that Guillermo Del Toro did an introduction for. I like when people come and talk about their favorite movies. I go through all the extras, all the additional things that you guys do that are exclusive and add context. When you guys had all those [Mario] Bava movies up, we just let those play. It’s good in the background. You don’t have to pay super close attention, but it’s like those movies look so amazing.

Shot by cinematographer Peter Deming (long-time David Lynch collaborator), and co-written by Knate Lee, director Josh Boone’s latest film THE NEW MUTANTS hits theaters on April 13. 

[peterssparker]

Blushed

Pairing: Harrison Osterfield x reader

Summary: You’re a writer for the Spider-Man franchise, and manage to get Harrison hired as Harry Osborn. You would never tell him that, but he finds out eventually. 

Warnings: None, I don’t think. Just fluff :)\

Requested: Yes!!

You sat at a table filled with Marvel writers, bouncing ideas off of each other. You had been hired to be one of the writers for Spider-Man Homecoming, and now you were back for the second movie in the series.

“This movie is adding in some new characters from the comics, Harry Osborn, Gwen Stacy, and Miles Morales, does anyone have anyone specific they could imagine as these characters?” someone, who undoubtedly was important to the movie’s production, called out.

Ideas were thrown out, various people around the table taking notes. You thought about Harry Osborn, and a lightbulb went off in your head.

“Harrison Osterfield could be Harry. He’s an amazing actor and I’ve read that fans really like the idea, they’ve started petitions and everything, plus we already know he has great chemistry with Tom,” you piped in, speaking up to be heard over the large group.

Everyone silenced and looked at you, all looking like they were deep in thought.

“I like that idea, someone call him,” a man spoke, nodding his head. A rosy color spread over your face, still not used to being praised by such well known and talented people.

A woman got Harrison on the phone, and asked him to send in a self tape. She explained everything she could to him without revealing any secrets, not even telling him what part he would be auditioning for.

Once that was done, a couple more names were bounced around for the three roles that were up for grabs, making more calls to agents. You were still buzzing about speaking up to hopefully get Harrison the role, not attempting to hide the smile on your face.

Once filming started, you make sure to be on set whenever you could be. You were ecstatic when you heard Harrison landed Harry Osborn, practically squealing when you got the email. The only downside was that he was no longer able to hang out with you, as he always had to be on camera. While Tom was filming Homecoming, if you were on set he would sit by you occasionally while you were working. You got flustered when he came around, and barely said 5 words to him during the entire filming process.

You stood behind a large camera, watching Tom and Harrison acting together. Their chemistry was off the charts, leaving everyone dumbfounded. The scene they were filming was a dramatic one, both staring into the other’s eyes. You found yourself not paying attention to the scene, and only to Harrison’s bright blue eyes. They distracted you from everything around you, completely captivating you with their color, comparable to the sky.

He looked away from Tom and to you, taking you by surprise. Your eye’s widened, cheeks flushing immediately. You placed one hand on your cheek, feeling the warmth radiating off your skin. They finished the scene shortly after that, both Tom and Harrison done for the day.

You made yourself look busy, shuffling through papers you were holding in your hand. In your peripheral vision you could see Harrison making his way over to you, and your brain went into panic mode. Talking to him wasn’t easy for you, he just made you so nervous and you couldn’t explain it.

“Hey, Y/N,” he said with a lazy grin, shoving his pants in his pants pockets. He looked so cool and collected, and you imagined how nervous you must have looked. You looked up at him, paper’s ignored, and offered him a shy smile.

“Hey Harrison, um, that was a really good scene there,” you said quietly, looking at the floor.

“I just wanted to say thanks,” he replied with confidence, you looking up in confusion. What did he have to thank you for?

He seemed to notice your confusion, and he backtracked slightly.

“Jon told me it was you who mentioned my name at the meeting for the new characters,” he explained, smile still not leaving his face. You blushed once again, this time feeling even the tips of your ears burn.

“Oh, that? No problem,” you mumbled, laughing nervously. You tied your hardest to not be awkward, but hearing his perfect accent and looking into his eyes proved to be too much for you.

“No really, thank you so much. Tom and I talked about me getting a role in the franchise but w never thought it would really happen, it means a lot that you thought of me.”

“I’m glad it worked out, you’re amazing.”

It was his turn to blush this time, and you watched as the pink shade spread over his face. You were glad he was nervous too, it gave you an inkling of hope he felt the same way about you did about him.

He looked as if he was about to respond, when Tom appeared from behind you and stood next to Harrison. He clapped one of his hand’s onto his best friend’s shoulder and smiling wide at you.

“Hello Tom,” you greeted the brunette boy, now clad in sweatpants and a t-shirt. Everyone knew taking off the suit was Tom’s favorite part of each day, he was always pulling at the fabric in places it was too tight for it comfort.

“How are you today, Y/N,” he said in a charming tone, easily making you smile. You didn’t have feelings for Tom in any way, but it would be dumb to say he wasn’t cute.

“Pretty good, you?”

“Fantastic, I was wondering if you would come to Harrison and I’s apartment tonight? Some of the cast and crew will be there and we would love it if you stopped by, isn’t that right Harrison?” Tom presented his offer to you, whilst simultaneously giving Harrison a light punch in the shoulder.

“What? Oh, of course, you should come,” Harrison echoed, nodding his head profusely.

You nodded once he finished, surprised at yourself. You normally wouldn’t accept an invitation with such ease, and would have to contemplate it for a while before giving a solid answer. When it was an offer coming from Harrison, in a way, and knowing he would be present, made it sound worthwhile in your mind.

“Sure, yeah, thanks for inviting me,” you added with a smile in Harrison’s direction, choosing to ignore the fact that Tom was the one who invited you first.

“Yeah, my phone’s all messed up so I’ll just give Harrison your number and he can text you the address and time, is that okay?” Tom asked with a head tilt. You were oblivious to the fact that he was just saying his phone was broken as an excuse to get Harrison your number, truly believing he was having phone difficulties.

Harrison on the other hand knew Tom was lying, he had just seen him using his phone perfectly fine, and he could see right through Tom. Even though Tom was an amazing actor, being his best friend meant you knew when he wasn’t telling the truth.

“Sounds great, thanks,” you concluded, taking a few steps backwards. You were eager to get ready, not so much to look good for Harrison, more to feel good about yourself. If you were’t looking the best you felt you could, you wouldn’t have enough confidence to put yourself out there.

“See you then,” Harrison called out as you walked away, one hand reaching back to scratch his neck.

Both boys gave you a wave as you walked backwards, only turning your back to them after you had waved back. Upon reaching your car, you drove to your apartment and began the process of getting ready.

You were in the middle of doing your makeup when your phone buzzed, a text from an unknown number showing on your lock screen.

Hey, Tom and I’s apartment is (insert apartment building/number) and you can come around 7:30

It’s Harrison by the way :)

You added him as a contact, giving him a quick response back before getting started on your makeup again. You didn’t apply as much as you would to go to a bar or club, but enough to cover your insecurities. When you looked in the mirror you were satisfied, so you picked out an outfit and slid into it.

By the time the cycle of getting ready was done, you had made perfect time to leave and get to their apartment at 7:30 on the dot. Driving there was easy, and you used your phone as a reference to get to the boy’s apartment.

Raising your fist to knock, you took a deep breath. There was a good chance you wouldn’t be close with any of the people in attendance. Sure, you had worked on Homecoming as well, but being a writer meant that you weren’t on set every day, you weren’t given as much time to form bonds with the cast.

The door opened wide, revealing Harrison with a smile on his face. He was out of costume, and no longer looked like a rich 16 year old. You smiled as he welcomed you inside, taking a look around their shared apartment. It was nice, and not to mention clean. Every surface was tidied, not a sign of mess anywhere. Cast and crew were scattered throughout the living room and kitchen, and not everyone seemed to have arrived yet.

“Do you want a drink or anything?” Harrison asked, guiding you into the kitchen where less people were situated.

“I’ll have water if you don’t mind, have to be onset early tomorrow,” you decided with a sigh, you hated early mornings with a passion. He was already pouring water from their filter into a cup, nodding at your statement.

“Me too, I’m deciding to be a little rebellious and have a Pepsi though,” he teased while wiggling one eyebrow. You let out an airy laugh, glad you weren’t feeling as shy as you assumed you would.

From the other room, Tom, Zendaya, and Jacob stood in a huddle, trying not to make it obvious they were watching the two of you. They all shipped you, constantly giving Harrison hell about his massive crush on you. They never thought their ship would sail until Tom had the idea for the party.

While the group of three watched, you and Harrison were hitting it off. You were still nervous, leaning on the counter top so you didn’t fall over, but conversation came easily between the two of you.

As the night went on, more and more people showed up. The apartment was growing more crowded, making it difficult for you and Harrison to find a quiet spot to talk.

“I have an idea that I wish I had thought of an hour ago,” Harrison blurted. You were interested, raising an eyebrow at this statement. He motioned for you to follow him as he left the two rooms the party was held. He walked into what was clearly a bedroom, and onto the balcony on the other side.

You both stepped out, the cool breeze immediately hitting your faces. There was a gorgeous view of the city, lights from buildings making the landscape stand out against the dark night sky.

“Wow,” you breathed out, settling in the couch, Harrison doing the same right next to you. The blue eyed boy smiled at your reaction, looking out to see the view. He, on the other hand, couldn’t tear his gaze away from you. It was dark, but the lights from the streets made your face glow. He was in a trance, in awe at your ethereal beauty.

He hardly budged when you noticed him looking at you, blushing like mad.

“What?” you questioned, hands moving towards your face to hide it, “is there something wrong?”

“No, no, you look, I mean, wow. You look amazing,” he managed to spit out, feeling himself at a loss for words. Your blush spread all the way to the tips of your ears, you could feel the heat spreading from your cheeks.

You were looking right at him now, butterflies unleashed in your stomach. Both of your eyes were trained on each other, neither of you brave enough to make any moves yet.

Maybe it was the soft music you heard playing from the next room over, maybe it was the city lights before you, maybe it was the sounds of nightlife. Neither of you would ever really know what gave you the confidence on that night.

You both leaned in at the same time, your smooth lips meeting his slightly chapped ones. It was a soft kiss, not hungry or desperate. It felt like a first for both of you, even though it was neither or your first kiss.

You sat out there for a while after the kiss, your head resting on Harrison’s shoulder and his arm around you. It was a comfortable silence, both of you perfectly content with just enjoying the moment. You had to go home eventually, but you would see each other in a few short hours.

[jaymarawrites-blog]

LIKE RATS - 8 - Honey

I sat with my legs up in the front lounge of the bus. In the yellowed pages before me, purchased on the road for $0.50 at a used bookstore, Ted Bundy had just abducted a girl by a lake and a hoard of witnesses had noticed nothing unusual. I looked up from my book to see Michael emerge from the bathroom, a honey-colored towel around his waist. The nautical stars tattooed into his abdomen disappeared into the front of the towel, and pagan symbols scattered across his legs below, no cohesive pattern or logic to unite them. The door to the bunks stood open and I watched him disappear through it, heard him sling his toiletries into his bunk.

I shouldn't have been on the bus. I’d be spending more than enough time there over the next couple of months and I should have been savoring any time I could get outside with my face in the sun and feet in the dirt. But I had lingered outside too long with Andie and forced myself back onto the bus for some relief. I didn't tan, I baked, and it would probably take a day to see the extent of the damage.

Sam was reading diagonal from me, his Converse propped up on the seat next to me. I loved Sam so I forgave him his taste in literature. It was elitist. He found no value in most of what I read, though he would never tell me so. He only read whatever had just won a snobby literary prize and got a real hard-on when a book he’d already read and approved of won something major.

Now he was poring over Hemingway, which meant he had just quit a book. He’d told me once, “When I'm disappointed with a book I quit reading it and go back to Hemingway. To remind me what a book is supposed to be.” My eyes rolled hard at that one.

“Babe,” I said, grabbing and shaking the toe of his shoe. “I’m going back to the graveyard for a bit. I’m doing Chris’s makeup so I’m going to check them out real quick before I head over. I’ve legit never even heard of them before now.”

Sam didn’t look up from his book. “Research, then?”

“Please. Music videos.”

“That’s valid research. Those guys are alright.” He nodded his head in approval. “Pastiche is a legitimate art form.”

“Whatever. Thanks in advance for the hotspot.” I smacked the sole of his shoe with my paperback before stepping through the open doorway.

I passed Mason napping in his bunk and Andie watching a movie on a tablet before stepping back into the graveyard. Michael was halfway dressed. His track pants were in place underneath the towel still wrapped around his waist. He pulled a Depeche Mode tee down over his head before uncinching and pulling off the towel. With this many years of touring under his belt and so many of them in vans and RVs, he had made an art of maintaining modesty. I’d never known anyone else in the band - or the crew, or the tagalongs like me - to be so conservative on tour. If I hadn’t known Michael I would’ve said it was an impossibility.

I squeezed by him to get into my bunk. He was in the zone already. He hardly even noticed I was there. I sunk down in the bunk and propped on my stomach the tablet I kept under my pillow.

I did a Google image search and was glad I did. Chris’s makeup preference was different from Michael’s. Michael had always gone for an androgynous look: he’d worn his wavy black hair halfway down his back for years, or bundled it into a messy bun secured with chopsticks. He wore heavy makeup, particularly heavy eye makeup, but it was feminine. Fake lashes, glitter eyeshadow. Inspecting these images I saw that Chris preferred more of a goth/Misfits look, bordering on corpse paint. He appeared with heavy black circles around his eyes, black lipstick at times, his face even paler than his natural pallor. His arms and neck were painted black when he performed, and I wondered why he would cover all that hard-earned ink.

A YouTube search yielded a number of music videos and at first glance they seemed fairly polished. The videos spanned all of their albums and the band members changed as I clicked through them. How had I never seen this band before? I returned to the top of the list and ensured that the tablet was muted, then clicked on the first video in the list.

This was an entirely different experience from the person I’d sat across from at dinner the night before. That person had a warmth about him; he’d smiled through the whole meal. People tended to smile around Michael, of course, and it was no secret that Chris was a fan of his, but it hadn’t been the gushing of a fan. I remembered Chris’s interaction with the server; he wasn’t a long-time fan of hers, certainly, but had treated her the same.

But this.

This version of Chris was sinister. Wicked. I’d seen many bands. Many, many bands. Typically, it was apparent the look, the vibe, the sound they were shooting for, and typically they were overshooting. Comically overshooting.

This was something else, something real. Something genuine. Not only Chris - every one of them. There was no cringe-worthy mugging for the camera. No superfluous hair tosses, no menacing snarls. Their presence was sufficient.

And Chris.

I turned onto my side in the bunk, my back to Michael, propping the tablet on a bunched up bit of blanket. Blocking Michael’s view of the screen.

I clicked over to the next video, then the next. The ease of Chris’s movements carried into the videos. How many singers had I seen in my lifetime that seemed not to know what to do with their bodies? That needed a guitar to hide behind, whether they knew how to play or not? Chris dominated every frame he was in. His stature lent itself to dominating: he stood taller than anyone else in the band, and his lean frame made him seem taller still. His body language was entirely un-self-conscious, entirely present. Every ounce of passion he had fueled every snarl, every grimace.

And his face. His eyes. Chris had a sneer that flipped my stomach, and a smolder that could melt steel. A smolder that took me entirely by surprise and pulled at my chest. I had to remind myself of the camera’s presence, that I wasn’t looking into eyes that could look back.

A sudden self-consciousness swept through me, followed by an intense resentment. It occurred to me, in the back of my mind, that watching Chris with my husband next to me was traitorous. I hadn’t meant it to be, but the fact of not being able to look away from Chris made it so. But the shame was fleeting and resentment prickled my back, where I could feel Michael’s eyes. I curled tighter around my tablet as the next video began automatically.

***

When I left for Echo Eclipse’s dressing room backstage, Michael was doing the vocal warm-ups that made my skin crawl. After years and years of this I could have done them myself. I called out that I was leaving and he waved me away without opening his eyes. He could have been waving at anything, really.

I left with my makeup case under one arm.

~~~

Begin at the beginning: LIKE RATS - Prologue

[roguepythia]

Post SDCC 2017 Report

Hi All, I’m still in a post SDCC coma but I wanted to get this report out before I forgot everything.

Saturday and Sunday were just a comedy of errors coupled with some really wonderful lucky chances. I haven’t been this excited for a panel in forever. So I had to decide if I wanted to sit close to the stage for the Gotham panel or close to the mic to ask a question about Nygmobblepot. I arrived like 6 hrs early for the 1st panel of the day just to score a good seat. I got one and saved one for me sis, but then it was one bad decision after another and rotten luck after that. Ultimately, with an epic ending to the weekend.

@m4dh4ttey Everyone LOVED your shirt! I even had one person take a pic. Sadly, none of these people knew who it was a picture of. The only time I saw another Nygmob was an Edward cosplayer IN THE LADIES ROOM! I totally spazzed and in the quiet ladies room line just blurted out “EDWARD NYGMA!” like a total loon. The cosplayer was nice enough to wave and smile at me. But considering we were just in a panel where the stars talked about embarrassing fan interactions in the restroom I was a little like *face palm*. I’m such a dork. I never found the cosplayer again. If you are on here and reading this, it was fabulous! I wish I‘d gotten a pic.

Onto the Gotham Panel. For whatever dumb reason on this day I decided the quality of my phone recordings just wasn’t good enough. So I borrowed my sister’s. But I can’t seem to remember how her video works. So when I think it’s recording it’s actually not and when I decide to stop recording that’s when it actually starts. So I thought I was recording the Gotham cast entering the hall and yet. Not so much. Add to that, this happened more than once. I was so mad at myself.

I debated asking a question, in fact I’d been thinking of how to word one all weekend on the off chance I’d get up the nerve. But we were sitting up the aisle from the mic. Only a few feet but it was enough. When you guys watch the panel you’ll hear them yell to “DON’T RUN”. Yeah, that’s at me! I was in row 2 and sprinted back to the mic. AND IT STILL WASN’T ENOUGH! I was two people back when they stopped questions. The girl in front of me was cosplayed as Kristen. Her question would have been about Chelsea. Maybe if she was coming back or to stop killing her or something close to that. I told her it was a good question but neither of us got to the mic.

The really sad thing is I had GREAT SEATS! But instead I ended up on my knees watching the panel through people’s backs. So I didn’t even get any good video. I was so bummed! If I don’t really have a burning question again, I’m going to stick to my good seat and the phone I know how to use. UG!

So after that we decided to head to TV Guide’s Fan Favorites panel. They never list who will be there so when Ben McKenzie walks out, I bout die! I finally have my chance to talk to one of the cast. Again, I make a total loon out of myself.

I leapfrog over to a good position to the mic this time. This isn’t as popular of a panel so there were plenty of seats to move to. However, that meant I was also FIRST to the mic. I was not prepared! And I couldn’t ask Ben a Nygmobblepot question so had to come up with something on the spot! Rickie Whittle had just been talking about how awesome fandom culture is and was really passionate about loving fanart and fanvids especially. It really touched me.  So I wanted to tie back to that.

I was so nervous I dropped my phone….my sister’s phone. I was a mess. Luckily Ben saved me. I asked some rambling question about how so many people seem to want to “be respectful” of fans from previous canon versions but fans coming from the tv show are just shat upon with impunity. Which I actually take great offense to! It wasn’t really a question. More I just wanted to know his thoughts. Ben was just a dream and really pulled my butt out of the fire. I also told him he was “My Jim Gordon” which got an “Awww” from the audience. Boy was I wiping my brow. I have video of this exchange but I was shaking so much I keep waiting to see if someone uploads the actual panel. If I don’t see anything in the next day or so, I’ll post it here cause Ben’s answer was amazing. I was pretty much walking on cloud 9 for like 4 hrs after that. Even though the Gotham panel went so sideways.

Overall it was an amazing time! I sat next to interesting people from all over the world and professionals in the business. I spent way too long at the Nygmobblepot chair. With as many videos and pics of that thing I have, you’d think it was a celebrity itself. If I could go back in time and tell myself to stay in my seat for the Gotham panel, I would! But it’s Comic Con. You are going to make poor choices and bad decisions. And have an awesome time doing it.

But then Sunday blew everything out of the water. We usually don’t go to Hall H cause it’s just such a clusterfuck. But my sister is a huge fan of Lost Ship, which was after the SPN panel. I haven’t watched SPN all year. I’m a wee bit behind. But I think Jensen and Jared and the fandom is a really awesome community. Those guys know how to treat their fans. And boy did they ever!

Some people had been waiting all night but we learned long ago sleep for us was more important. Plus, Sunday’s Hall H you can usually just walk in with minimum of waiting. We were prepared to miss the SPN panel but, just in case, we decide to get there around 9:45am. Luckily, about 10:15 we get in. Easy peasy. And I am so glad we did.

We sit in the back middle section and get a great view of all the screens. Which was perfect! SPN blew their fans away with a surprise concert performance by Kansas. LIKE A LEGIT, FULL ON, WITH LIGHTS AND SMOKE AND FREAKING WRAP-AROUND-THE-ROOM SCREENS, CONCERT! The only thing they didn’t have was pyro! I have seen some crazy stuff at Comic Con but that was EPIC!