#it’s a bit charming in a way especially those old performances

[boy-armageddon]

Watching a live performance from 2002 of the blood brothers and like a minute after jordan blilie had his arm around johnny whitney’s shoulders whitney bumped into him (on purpose btw. They were def fucking with each other I just find this funny) blilie was like “don’t fucking touch me man” or something like that. Like did you not just do that

[nyoomfruits]

short little kid fic drabble for @mecachrome with single dad!lando and engineer!oscar, love you, hope you enjoy!!!!!

“Hey,” Lando says, when he wanders over to where Oscar’s sitting in front of the screens in the back of the garage. FP2 is officially over now, and he’s finished discussing some last minute set up changes with his mechanics, so he’s free to go now. His race suit has long been unzipped, and is dangling around it waist as he leans over Oscar’s shoulder. “How did it go?”

Evelyn, who is perched on Oscar’s lap and had been staring at the screens intently, perks up and turns around. “Dad! Oscar says you were the fastest, like woosh,” she points her fingers forward, determined expression on her face.

“Did he?” Lando says, making eye contact with Oscar over Evelyn’s head. Oscar smiles innocently at him. Lando had only gotten as high as P3.

“Yeah!” Evelyn continues enthusiastically. “He’s been showing me the telletries.”

Lando raises his eyebrow at Oscar. Oscar shrugs. “She asked,” he says.

Lando eyes him a little skeptically. “My five year old asked you to show her my telemetries,” he states.

Oscar shrugs. “Well technically she asked if you were the fastest ever, and so then obviously I had to prove her you were in fact, the fastest ever.”

“Obviously,” Lando says, trying not to let the smile on his face turn too fond. He had been very nervous, when he first started brining Evelyn to races, last year. But the team had taken to her like a charm, had taken her in as one of their own, and while there was a nanny to make sure she never got in the way of anyone’s work, none of the team minded entertaining her for short bits at a time.

Especially Oscar, the youngest performance engineer in McLaren’s history, always made sure to take time to explain things to Evelyn, whether it was aerodynamics, brake balance, or in this case, telemetry.

“Alright Eve,” Lando says, gesturing to Evelyn. “Time to say goodbye to Oscar, we’re going to get you those chicken nuggets I promised you, yeah?”

Evelyn’s face lights up, but then falls immediately when she glances at Oscar. “But…” She says, frowning. “I want… Can Oscar come?” She asks, face suddenly turning excited again as she turns back to Lando. “Yes! He was going to tell me more about the telletries, he can totally do that over dinner! Dad, please.”

She’s pulling the patented Norris Pleading Eyes, the ones people have told Lando time and time are impossible to say no to. He thought they were exaggerating, until he became a victim of them himself.

But he’s strong. He’s been here before. He can do this. “I don’t know, bug,” he says, ruffling her hair. “I’m sure Oscar has plans.”

Evelyn turns back to Oscar, eyes in full force, adding in a bonus pouty lip. “I’m free,” Oscar says, immediately, because the man has no fucking backbone, clearly.

And god. The thing is, the thing Lando’s never really told anyone is that Oscar is kind of… Cute. In his own soft, nerdy way. Lando doesn’t like to dwell on it much ecuase it’s not like he’s ever going anywhere with it, not when he has Evelyn and racing and not much time for anything else, but.

But sometimes, in these little unguarded moments, he indulges himself, daydreams about a life together. A life with Oscar. Dreams about sleepy early morning and quiet late nights and all of the joy and laughter in between.

Except that way madness lies. So he tucks it away in a box called ‘Have Yout Lost Your Mind Not In A Million Years’ and moves on.

But now, with the full force of Evelyn’s Norris Pleading Eyes back on him, Oscar’s own nervous, expectant, hesitant expression behind her, he can’t help but fold, nudge the box open just a tiny little bit.

“Yeah, okay,” he says, admits defeat. “Sure. Why not.”

[thewomanwhoboughttheworld]

I reckon it is widely accepted that Crowley and Freddie Mercury were, at the very least, besties, sometimes lovers, sometimes had a fling or dated. But I have feelings and headcanons nobody asked for that I have to share.

They met while Freddie was still in college. Freddie saw Crowley, drew a quick sketch of him and got up and gave it to Crowley. "I promise I will draw you a better one, dear." He never did, but Crowley still keeps the drawing and miracled it to always look like just made.

Crowley never really liked Mary Austin. He didn't like her when she was Freddie's girlfriend and always found a way to inconvenience her. He still doesn't like her, especially after she put Freddie's belongings up for auction. He liked Jim Hutton, however.

Freddie kissed Crowley first. It was after a rehearsal of one of Freddie's early bands, Crowley was giving him his feedback. Freddie just leaned in and kissed him. He avoided the demon for the following two weeks as he was confused (he still hadn't realised he liked boys) and felt embarrassed.

Even though they were both adamant that there were no feelings involved, they both deeply cared for each other. Neither would admit it, saying they were only friends who (more than) occasionally hooked up, but they both knew there was more. However, Freddie fell a bit harder even though he knew Crowley wasn't in love with him. It did hurt a bit, but he was eventually fine with it.

Freddie actually knew about Crowley and Aziraphale being a demon and an angel. Crowley told him one night while they were both drunk and then Freddie remembered and asked him. Crowley tried to deny it, but Freddie insisted so much that in the end, he decided to tell him everything as he knew Freddie wouldn't tell anybody. And he never did, he treated this like his own secret.

The first time Freddie saw Crowley's eyes, Crowley thought he would be scared. But Freddie just said: "I know they're snake eyes, but they remind me of my cats. And what a lovely colour, darling. Yellow's my favourite, you know?".

Crowley ranted A LOT about Aziraphale to Freddie. He was always going on about how much he hated his being a goody-two-shoes, how infuriating his constant reminding him that he was actually a good person and how the fuck can 6000 years be too fast? Freddie just smiled because he knew. He could see how much Crowley loved that angel. It broke his own heart, because he knew he could never be loved that much, but never said a word.

Freddie did write a lot of songs about Crowley and Aziraphale. Obviously Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy, but also Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Somebody to Love and many more. Spread Your Wings is specifically about Crowley and he knew. But what Freddie would never tell anyone, a secret that he brought to the tomb with him, is that he wrote Love of My Life and You Take my Breath Away for him. (told you that Freddie was in love, my poor baby suffered too much in his life).

Freddie taught Crowley how to play the piano.

Crowley auctioned for some of Freddie's belongings. He got some kimonos, some handwritten sheets and his piano. He couldn't let anyone else have it.

Crowley never really left Freddie's side. He was always that mysterious, dark and handsome man showing up especially when Freddie needed someone. People eventually accepted it as part of Freddie's charm as he was always so secretive about his personal life.

Freddie let himself be vulnerable only around Crowley. Just as Crowley took off his glasses with him, Freddie allowed himself to cry only those times in which they were alone. He cried in Crowley's arms so much when his illness was worsening, when he was scared of how much he would have suffered. One night it got so bad that Freddie was basically begging Crowley to end his suffering and Crowley had to perform a miracle so that he could sleep. Neither brought it up ever again.

When Freddie died, Crowley was there with him. He gave Freddie just enough life to allow him to say some words. "You promised me you wouldn't come," Freddie told him. "I'm a demon, I lied" replied Crowley with a broken voice. He then sat on the bed and stayed with him until the very last moment. Aziraphale was there too. He followed Crowley without telling him because he felt he needed him. Aziraphale took away Freddie's suffering so that he could go without pain.

That same night, Aziraphale tried to persuade Crowley to stay at his library because he thought Crowley needed a friend. Crowley refused, hopped on his Bentley and drove away. He parked in front of his apartment building and found a used packet of cigarettes and an old pair of sunglasses that belonged to Freddie in his car. As the radio passed Love of my life, he couldn't hold it anymore and burst into tears. He cried hard, really hard. He felt a familiar hand on his back but didn't look and didn't ask. Aziraphale never said anything either and didn't leave until Crowley stopped crying but before he could be seen. He remembered how much it hurt and didn't want Crowley to grieve alone.

Master post: here

[suresne]

Paul McCartney Character Sheet (Disco Elysium)

4 INTELLECT / 2 PSYCHE (+1 SUGGESTION) / 1 PHYSIQUE / 5 MOTORICS

SKILL LIST (canon equivalent in [brackets] where applicable)

INT (4)

LOGIC: Put that classical grammar school education to work. Exercise those brain cells!

SONGBOOK [ENCYCLOPEDIA]: Keeps track of important trivia. Mostly music related, but there’s some miscellaneous facts crammed in the margins, as well.

DIPLOMACY [RHETORIC]: Powers of speech and persuasion. Because your way is usually the best way, especially if you can make someone else think it was their way all along.

MACH SCHAU [DRAMA]: (German: “Put on a show!”) Performance skill. Croon seductively into the microphone or scream your head off. Either way, the crowd is gonna go wild.

CONCEPTUALIZATION: The art criticism skill. Ability to see and understand the big picture and come up with ambitious creative projects.

BALLADEER [VISUAL CALCULUS]: Songwriting skill. Song lyrics form in your head based on current events and your surroundings and take on a life of their own in the world as you go about your day.

PSY (2+1*)

MAJOR KEY [VOLITION]: Ability to look on the bright side, even when things are looking grim. Keep your Morale up.

LOOKING GLASS [INLAND EMPIRE]: The creative mindset. Causes you to notice things others might not: perhaps even the supernatural. Greatly enhanced by mind-altering substances. Shared skill with songwriting partner John Lennon.

EMPATHY: Self-explanatory. The ability to not just understand another person’s pain, but to experience it yourself. Often felt and expressed through song.

MANAGER [AUTHORITY]: The leadership skill. After all, someone has to be the grown-up around here.

FOUR-HEADED MONSTER [ESPRIT DE CORPS]: Beatle mindreading. All 4 Beatles have this skill and use it to communicate amongst themselves, to the frequent chagrin and confusion of outsiders.

SUGGESTION*: Your signature skill. This skill makes you irresistible. The ability to charm others and thereby influence their behavior to get what you want.

FYS (1)

RHYTHM SECTION [ENDURANCE]: As the bassman, it’s your job to keep that deep pulse going. If you stop, then everything falls apart, and what happens then? Shared skill with Ringo, the drummer. 

NOLI ME TANGERE [PAIN THRESHOLD]: (Latin: “Touch me not.”) The rockstar life isn’t for the faint of heart. You need to be able to take a certain amount of abuse—mental, emotional, and physical. How better to survive than to keep yourself at arm’s length from the people and things around you?

SCOUSER [PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT]: You may not be brawny, but you’re scrappy. You grew up playing in old bomb shelters by the docks of Liverpool. You cut your teeth in the red light district of Hamburg. You’re no fookin’ pansy. Defend yourself. Shared skill with all 4 Beatles.

AMPLIFIER [ELECTROCHEMISTRY]: Turn it up. Way up. Drown out everything else. The sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll skill.

THE UNDERGROUND [SHIVERS]: The London art and music scene is abuzz with activity, and you thrive in its streets, galleries, clubs, and happenings. You always have a pulse on London’s Place to Be, because The Place to Be is wherever *you* are, whether you like it or not.

FEEDBACK [HALF LIGHT]: The coping skill. For when things are going off the rails and you’re hanging on for dear life. Exert control over the situation or distance yourself from it completely. Those are your only two options.

MOT (5)

VOCAL VIRTUOSO [HAND/EYE COORDINATION]: Your vocal dexterity: go from falsetto, to chest voice, to growls, screams, belts, and yells. Makes you a beast of vocal performance. 

PERCEPTION: Self-explanatory. Your senses: how perceptive you are.

DOUBLE TIME [REACTION SPEED]: Your sharp reflexes and quick wits mean you can turn on a dime, and very little escapes your notice. By the time those around you realize what’s happening, you’ve already gotten a read on the whole situation. 

CALLUSES [SAVOIR FAIRE]: The acrobatics skill. You’ve always been a bit of a show-off and a daredevil. Scamper and climb to your heart’s content—just don’t look down.

SOUTHPAW [INTERFACING]: The ability to master almost any musical instrument with ease. Left-handed, of course.

COMPOSURE: Your poker face and sense of put-together-ness. Look good for the cameras and the fans. 

[aconflagrationofmyown]

Are any of Sarge and Elaine’s kids as beloved in the nation as Elvis was during his time? Do any of them particularly want to be in the spotlight, now we know Marie is a famous photographer and Daisy is an entertainer. I just think that the nationwide love Elvis brought out should be replicated in one (or more) of his kids because his impact is truly amazing.

2nd question, during the divorce Elaine gets pregnant? What’s the public backlash for that? Can’t even imagine them being kind to her.

Ooooh, how fun is this ask?! 😍Especially as the answer is two in one, just like the question. First off, meet Mr. Danny Presley:

Yes, yes I went and made it a little odd yet sweet by using darling John John Kennedy’s face, BUT HEAR ME OUT

1. I adore that man and he needs a fix it fic himself and in this universe we can start from scratch a bit, 2. I just always envisioned their last son being a distinguished darling of the nation in a political capacity, 3. he’s just terribly handsome and well…distinguished, I’ll use that again and has the down to earth goodness along with the charismatic gravitas that suits my vision for Danny.

Which leads us to those questions.

Oh the backlash is nasty. It’s awful as expected but for the first time in her life, Elaine Presley, though divorced and perhaps unforgivable for it by her husband, actually has Elvis’ full support under the media glare. This is thanks, in part, to Colonel Parker and his damned tabloid machine -which was always her nemesis and the bane of her dignity- being out of service due to the Colonel himself being neck deep in an immigration lawsuit. He can’t quite issue spoon fed statements about his investment’s behavior from a holding cell, not when the investment himself is rethinking his place as the head of his family while curled up in his ex-wife’s hospital bed talking to her barely protruding belly.

And Danny, oh sweet, their lovely Danny Boy. Made in the middle of such tragedy, you’d never know it from his easy presence and boyish charm, the way from the minute he can interact during Elvis’ later international tours he treats his Daddy’s fans like his own. He’s the one in the late 80’s and 90’s still passing out smooches to admirers, young and old, who still flock around the gate. He’s the one who gets invested in Memphian politics and continuing on what America got robbed of somewhere along the way. He marries Shiloh’s best friend Bee and he wins the senatorship, he’s straight and honest as they come… unless you wanna press an inquiry about some of those badges he gets his daddy. But no harm in those.

He coulda been known as the kid made when the two crazy Presley’s couldn’t stop hate-fucking. Instead he’s a recalled as a unifying legacy to everyone who ever dreamed about love enduring and good people making efforts to live for something bigger than themselves.

If it’s true you attract the love you give, then Danny’s his daddy’s replica to a T, and maybe it helps that they share a birthday. 😉

…the whole saga of him being made and the divorce and the reasoning and the reconciliation will be coming soon, I swear

As for the others, you have Daisy who is a significant performer in her own right and certainly a bit of a fame enjoyer, there’s Jesse who is similarly acclaimed but not as lead, and you’ve got Marie who as a photographer and filmmaker might be more of a artsy success but as far and household name and universal admiration and fondness as was felt for Elvis -I see that being Danny. Your Grandpa and your lil sister both think he’s pretty fly.

[nerdraging4point0]

Since we're all wrapping ourselves up in the cozy coat of Chris Cerulli, and we've all seen those hot Cherry Bomb dancers on stage with him, what would Chris do to reassure you that he only has eyes for you - because if my man was up on stage with those girls in those outfits, I would be incredibly proud but also a teeny bit insecure.

Is this a "head cannon"? 🤣

Cozy Coat of Chris Cerulli-Nice tongue twister there lol Chris is a flirt. It’s part of his charm. We air signs are notorious for being flirty, witty, and charming. It’s part of the subscription-those that can’t handle that have a problem handling us.

However, Chris knows where his loyalties lie. The first time the dancers were introduced to him he put on the charm making them feel more at ease and comfortable with the costume choices he has picked out for this tour. The first time you saw the dancers in their costumes your heart sank to the pit of your stomach.

While you knew they were just dancers it still set you on edge-but you did your best to hide it. Sitting through the performance you watched as they took their place on stage. The song started and they began to move, it was all fine until at one point during the song Chris bent on one knee looking right at a dancer who playfully touched his face-careful not to smear his makeup. Another dancer at his back playfully walking her fingers up his back.

Your mouth went dry, the feeling that an invisible hole had just been made in your abdomen causing a slight breeze to run through you made your skin go clammy and your hair stand on edge. Those thoughts you always kept in the back of your head locked away in a vault about how Chris was attractive and famous, he could have any girl he wanted, so why of all that would he have chosen you? Began to surface again. You drew deeper into your hoodie that you’d gotten at the merch table as if you could hide all the insecurities in the soft cotton fabric. It’s late when the show ends and the band and crew are still riding the high of their first sold out show, in their hometown no less. Tomorrow they would play in Pittsburgh loading on the bus in just a few short hours-he’d begin a long string of months on tour. A long string of months with those dancers performing at every show. Chris can tell when something is up. Especially now. The high that everyone was on they were loud and excited while you were withdrawn and quiet. When he pulled you into his side you only half heartedly returned the affection, still keeping your arms crossed over your chest.

“You know seeing you in my merch always makes me happy.” Chris mused, trying to lighten your mood a little bit. “Better than a goth playboy bunny?” you’d snap back. And there it was. Chris knew in that moment exactly what was bothering you. He knew the insecurities that you’d had, but after dating for so long he assumed they’d gone away. What was that saying again? Old habits die hard.

Does it upset him that you’re still insecure about yourself and where you stand with him? Maybe a little. Does it bother him more that he didn’t see it coming after he’d weighed all the pros and cons of having backup dancers on stage? Absolutely. He’d planned the costumes, the stage set up, the choreography, all things that he felt would make for a great show but wouldn’t be to suggestive or to much. And when something like your reaction came to his attention he realized that he may have made a huge error.

As a workaholic he spent months planning this out, every second of the 2-hour show where he was center stage planned out and overseen by him in every way. He couldn’t change it now, he couldn’t adjust now, the show was what it was. It was the band’s collective ideas and thoughts; it was everything they had hoped for a Motionless in White tour.

Realistically he is a Libra. His biggest red flag is he is self-absorbed and can’t really process others’ emotions when it comes to his own projects. BUT in the light of the event at hand there is only one thing that he can say that would make it better.

He proceeds to explain to you that two of the dancers are friends, one of whom is engaged to Ryan. The others all have boyfriends of their own. The one single dancer, she’s gay. It’s not much but it is the realness of the situation. “Besides, there is no one else I’d rather see sitting on my couch patiently waiting for me while I’m hyper focused on my work. Nobody who knows me so well that she has food delivered to the warehouse when I’m working late and forgot to eat that day. Nobody who is so proud to see me work that she acts like it’s her first concert every time.”

It’s not the ‘baby I love you and only you’ ‘no one could ever replace you’ response you were looking for. But the fact that he notices all the little things you do for him was enough to make you realize that despite everything you had his heart and he had yours.

[bonearenaofmyskull]

Hey! Curious if you're currently into any great shows. If so, mind sharing your recommendations? Always on the lookout for some good TV suggestions!

I imagine you've seen everything I have. I spend more time gaming. Not into anything great at the moment, but I can dig deep and see if I can remember what shows I've watched since Hannibal aired and give my opinions. I binge TV series with my mom who is in her 80's and has Parkinson's and macular degeneration and can't really do activities or read anymore, so I rewatched some old ones with her here largely to torture her with them, so they'll be in here also.

S-Tier (Winners)

My Brilliant Friend. Probably the best thing I've watched since Hannibal. If S4 is out I haven't seen it yet, no spoilers.

Better Call Saul. Possibly tied with My Beautiful Friend. Better than Breaking Bad. Much better ending. So good, no complaints. Nailed the ending. Did I mention the ending?

A-Tier (Runners-up)

Black Sails: God, there were some parts of this that were so gratuitous and tedious, especially early on, and I hated Eleanor Guthrie and not in the kind of way that means good things for a show. Some of the dialogue was just really on the nose too. This sounds like a lot of complaints, but the things it did well, it did SO WELL that it really does make up for the negatives. The acting was sooooo good and the Flint and Silver dynamic was AMAZING and the show looked great, and over all that, it really had something thoughtful to say, and that stays with you when it's over.

Stranger Things: Some parts of this show hit better than others, but I'm squarely in the bullseye of the target audience and get the vast majority of the references and nostalgia, and I love David Harbour. I appreciate their exploration of various types of horror, attempting a new style each season, and I like the charm and humor and cheese, and it's a show that knows its voice and its tone and commits fully to those things. It's trying to be a fun show and it is, and it wants to deal with real fears and real grief, and it does.

The Handmaid's Tale: Speaking of shows that are committed to their tone, this one definitely is that. It's too heavy and relentless for most people, I think, but I don't mind that at all. Parts of it do drag, but it has a lot of the same qualities (for good or bad) as Black Sails: great acting, powerful character dynamics, the things that it does well it does so well it makes up for the shortcomings, imo.

Breaking Bad: Famous show, not much to say here. Rewatched it recently and don't think it's as good as Better Call Saul, so I put it here.

B-Tier (Can't complain but will anyway)

Good Omens: Can't get into it, can't find anything particularly wrong with it. I'm into the ship. I guffaw out loud while watching it yet am thoroughly bored most of the time. Love Michael Sheen and David Tennant on screen together. I know the show can't be that all the time but I wish it was. Aziraphale ftw. I feel like people missed the point of the ending of the last season.

Mad Men: Show could give Seinfeld a run for its money in terms of being about nothing, but definitely had its charm. Watched it with my mom so her nostalgia and appreciation for how historically authentic it felt went a long way. Good performances. God, it could be boring sometimes though.

Vikings: This one was a lot like Black Sails for me. They had a bit of a struggle for a season or two but once going, they really got going. Many great acting performances and characters. Loved Ecbert and Ivar especially. Didn't have Toby Stephens and Luke Arnold, so you know...can't quite make that tier. And didn't have as much to say, or didn't say it as well, and it doesn't stay with you.

C-Tier (Can complain and will, but were good enough to stick with)

LOST

The X-Files

His Dark Materials

Downton Abbey

BBC Sherlock

Game of Thrones (I think most people have misdiagnosed this show's problems, but it sure did have them)

D-Tier (Tried but could NOT, though many people will like these...they were just Not For Me)

Bridgerton

Dark

The Good Place

The Gilded Age

Outlander

The Crown

Outer Range (what even the fuck with this show)

I tried to think of more shows I've watched in this time, but this about sums it up. But here are a couple YouTube channels I really like:

Beau of the Fifth Column

Bistro Huddy

[night-unfurls-its-splendour]

Top 10 Favorite Performances of "Music of the Night"

Honorable Mentions: Laird Mackintosh

I have an affinity for Laird that I can't quite explain. I love an understudy/alt/swing who's been with the production and just lingers for years and years (this is borne out in the rest of the list, as you'll see), I love that he started out in ballet, and I love how energetic he is. Though he falls short on the high notes, he plays the reaction to Christine fainting very well

Honorable Mentions: Dave Willetts

He's so smooth and creeping, and he's one of the especially good Phantoms who catches Christine before she falls (I'm a sucker for that, as will also be borne out in the rest of the list). He's been accused of "Copying" Michael Crawford, and I do see where that criticism is valid, but I think it's understandable given that he took up the mantle very early in the West End run.

Honorable Mentions: Cris Groenendaal

Cris is a really underrated Phantom. Another Alt/Understudy (who, like Laird, spent a lot of time in the role of M. Andre), I think he's got a wonderful power in his voice. His MotN is melodic and seductive. His pitfall is that he does tend to get a little bit nasal for my tastes.

Honorable Mentions: Ramin Karimloo

Honestly I think Ramin lands in most people's top tens. Certainly the 25th Anniversary at the Royal Albert Hall has made him on of the most ubiquitous Phantoms out there. Now, frankly, Ramin has taken a while to grow on me, and while my viewing of the 25th was the thing that pushed me to include him on this list, that performance is not the one that I chose to include here. Instead I went back, to his West End run. While I think Ramin's performance is a bit broad whenever he's actually in character, I do see what people mean about his emphasis on Erik's vulnerability. He does (with slightly less refinement) what I will later in this list praise Earl Carpenter for (and that's high praise from me, as you'll see). Still while I like Ramin's Erik a lot more now than I did, say, four months ago when all this brain-rot started, he's just not one that feels personal to me, which is why I hesitated to put him in the top ten proper.

10. Paul Stanley

I mean of course I'm fascinated by Paul Stanley's whole Phantom saga, so of course he's in here. He's far from the most technically proficient, he struggles with the high notes, but he really does a good job otherwise, and I have to admire his moxy.

09. Brent Barrett

Emphatic and sexy with compelling body language. So underrated.

08. Howard McGillin

Spectral, Resonant and controlled; a legend.

07. Hugh Panaro

Hugh is one of those that I feel like is a pre-requisite in a top ten list. My favorite thing is how he plays heavily on the phantom's fascination with Christine, and not solely on making her fascinated by him

06. Michael Crawford

Another prerequisite. He's ghostly, coaxing; the OG OG. The man who said, "No I want them to be able to see how lustfully he's touching her in the back row. I need to show more skin: make my sleeves shorter." This man understood the assignment and he set the tone and God bless him for it.

05. Anthony Warlow

The original Sydney Phantom, another beautifully strong, clear vocal quality. He has a very old-fashioned style of singing, I think which has a particular charm. If I had to name a fault it would be that he is quite theatrical, which I don't mind, though I tend to prefer an understated phantom. He never undersells a single line. I think his phantom is one of the most "hopeless romantic" interpretations. A particular standout for me is how he conveys that Christine's reluctance tries his patience, but he holds it together and his "touch me, trust me" is beautifully reassuring, while many phantoms choose to portray lust or longing in this moment, his is an appeal for understanding which is very attractive in its own way.

04. Ben Lewis

The power! The gravitas! Ben Lewis is truly one of the greatest blessings in PotO history and his high note? Off the charts. Also, since this is the whole first lair, I just want to say that this is one of my favorite versions of "Stranger than You Dreamt It" I've ever heard.

03. Ted Keegan

Refreshingly sharp and clean. I just love how powerful he is without being overpowering. He's strong, sensual and smooth. *sigh* ~,~ If only he caught her...

02. Earl Carpenter

So pleading, so gentle--holy hell I love Earl so much. Watch him show Erik's inner struggle with his desire for contact and his fear of his deformity throughout this entire scene! Watch him think to himself "Yes, let her touch you! Why shouldn't you?" And then lose his nerve at the last moment! I could go on for hours. Find me a sweeter Phantom. Go ahead.

01. John Owen-Jones

Without a doubt in my mind THE strongest vocal performer in this role. I just love to hear him booming out in his great, Welsh way. He strikes an exquisite balance between his acting and his singing. His vibe in general is amazing, like he really leans into the idea that he's been Christine's teacher as much as her muse. He has guided her through music and he wishes to be her guide into romance as well, and that manifests in every aspect of his performance. Such as the fact that he doesn't walk away from Christine for the second verse, so he's leaning close when he sings "Let your spirit start to soar" and almost always gestures with his hand over her diaphragm. If I'm completely honest, he's the only Phantom (except perhaps Michael Crawford or Gerard Butler) that I can actually imagine giving Christine singing lessons. So few actually inhabit this music obsessed weirdo like JOJ does.

He, perhaps the ultimate gentleman phantom, also catches and carries Christine before she falls. (Special shout out to my girl Gina Beck for also REALLY leaning in to the romanticism of the moment; she looks just so utterly in ecstasy through this whole sequence and that's exactly how I would want to play Christine).

I need to tack a caveat onto the end here:

Gerard Butler's Music of the Night is my actual, number one favorite rendition.

But I wanted this list to be stage versions only.

I think I can put my feelings on this most succinctly like this:

I love JOJ's confidence, his command and his sensuality

I love Earl's gentleness and vulnerability

I love Anthony's patience

I love Ted's crispness

I love Paul's humanity

I love Ben's power

Gerard Butler somehow manages to crystallize ALL of those elements and ramp them every one of them up to 11 with an added element of wholly smitten wonder at Christine that makes me so weak.

[yssa3002]

Old-Time Tradition: Folk Musical: Hello Dolly by Gene Kelly, 1969

Opening Thoughts

Gene Kelly's Hello Dolly (1969) is set in New York City in the 1890s, and follows the charming antics of widowed matchmaker, Dolly Levi (Barbara Streisand). While working as the marriage broker for wealthy business man, Horace Vandegelder (Walter Mathau), Dolly begins meddling in the romantic lives of Vandegelder's niece who is in love with a man he does not approve of, and of his head clerk whom he never gives a night off. All the while, Dolly is scheming to advance her own romantic aspirations. The story takes us from Yonkers to the shining streets of New York City where the characters experience life and love like never before.

What do the musical numbers signify about identity in the course of the film's narrative?

The film opens with a solo sung by Dolly, clearly conveying her charming, meddling, and involved personality. The song, "Just Leave Everything to Me", asserts her as someone who knows people, and whom specializes in arranging people's lives, singing, "I'll arrange for making all arrangements". This opening number sets the tone for the rest of the film as the rest of the characters soon fall into Dolly's respective plans for them. The firmness of her personality is further asserted in a musical number towards the end of the film, "So Long Dearie", where she does not bother to waste her efforts anymore on a man who rejects her. The next song, "It Takes a Woman" sung by Horace and an ensemble of men working at his shop, is a bit ironic as it is about how "it takes a woman, all powdered and pink/ To joyously clean out the drain the sink". This song makes audiences aware of the time period, as it speaks strongly to female identity, and how they were expected to perform all of the home keeping tasks, but with a smile of course. However, the song is quite silly as even though it puts the man in the position of power, it is Dolly who takes charge not only over her life, but of those around her including Horace's.

The film's narrative is one of finding love, and therefore, over the course of the film, the music creates a joyous and light hearted sense of being swept away in the various emotions love brings. Since the cast is primarily white, and follows the stories of white characters, the story is void of social issues that would be present in the lives of the cast were they not white during this time period. It is because of this I think, that the film is able to tell this story of love taking precedence over social and economic status.

What is the purpose of the songs in the character's lives?

Over the course of the film, the musical numbers convey the desires of the main cast, whether they are waiting for love, wanting to experience new things in life, or moving on from mourning. For example, Cornelius (Michael Crawford) and Barnaby (Danny Lockin), two young men who work for Horace, conceal their identity to pose as prominent figures in the New York City social scene in order to woo the girls whom Dolly has set them up with. Without much money to their name, they see it necessary to pretend to be something they're not so that they might get to experience love and luxury even just for a day. Listen below, musical number "Elegance".

Many of the songs also serve as catalysts, connecting one segment of the narrative into the other. Especially with large ensemble numbers with no dialogue, and music coming from outside the diegesis. For example, the number, "Dancing", is a cheery song about overcoming fears surrounding not knowing how to dance--which really represents the Cornelius' fear of being caught in the lie that he is rich. For Cornelius, learning to dance is a way of freeing himself from his reservations as he gains the confidence to pursue his love.

In his essay, "Is Car Wash A Musical?", Richard Dyer argues that a musical number in white musicals "embodies a sense of release from the confinement of everyday space and time, a glorious escape from the restrictions of modem living" (Dyer 95). This is how the numbers incorporate themselves into the character's lives, and how they create meaning in them. This is seen used in the film a lot in numbers like "Dancing", "Put On Your Sunday Clothes", and "Hello, Dolly!". In these scenes, the characters break into large scale, choreographed routines. The ensemble makes use of their space, whether they are in a park, a restaurant, or a platform at a train station.

In what ways are the songs and/or musical performances racialized and/or gendered?

Circling back to the beginning of the film, "It Takes a Woman" is clearly a very gendered number. Not only is the ensemble performing all male, but it talks about the want for a woman who does everything to keep herself pretty and "fragile", yet who is also happily willing to do several miscellaneous chores from "setting the table" to "cleaning the stable". Another example of a gendered musical number is Irene Molloy's (Marianne MacAndrews) "Ribbons Down My Back". This song speaks to her desire to find love, and how she will gladly wear ribbons down her back to be noticed by someone. The song looks to love with hope, and reinforces traditional female gender expectations by portraying Irene as the passive figure, simply waiting to catch a man's eye.

Moving away from the content of the songs, the way in which the songs themselves are performed and inserted into the narrative is a whole different story. The film falls within the characteristics of what it is that makes a white musical. These characteristics include non-diegetic music, reprises, cheery/love songs, and an escape from reality, topics I'll discuss further below.

What elements of the film align with White musicals’ longing to transform the ordinary into utopia?

Dyer speaks to the differences between white and black musicals, informing readers how race dictates how stories are communicated to their audiences. White musicals allow their white protagonists "opportunities for expansion and freedom", not confined to their reality alone as we briefly covered above when talking about how these numbers play into the character's lives (Dyer 95). The musical numbers are meant to remove the characters from the world, and insert them into some sort of utopia where music comes from nowhere and everyone knows the same dance.

A strong element of the white musical utilized in the film is reprise. Dyer says reprise is "generally used either to mark the change that has occurred in the narrative (...) or to signal the closure of the show" (Dyer 95). Reprise, of course, is repetition, but it serves the purpose of expressing growth, resolve, and a happy ending for our characters. the number "Hello, Dolly!" has a reprise at the end of the film, a big number with the whole cast to celebrate the marriage of Dolly and Horace, and effectively welcome her "back into the world" after she was away so long in mourning. In black musicals, repetition in the form of the reprise isn't common, rather repetition remains a more consistent part of the narrative.

Another way the film aligns itself with the longing to transform the ordinary into utopia is how characters burst into song. Unlike in black musicals where the music often comes from within the narrative space, such as a radio or someone playing an instrument. These sudden musical numbers work to create spaces, as Dyer says, "freed from labor" (Dyer 97). Whereas white protagonists are encouraged to experience joy outside of the material world, black musicals often convey black joy as being experienced while working. This reinforces social expectations, and limits the black experience in musicals to a more stationary life devoid of growth. The film, however, makes it very clear that white joy lies outside of work, as Cornelius and Barnaby's whole journey involves abandoning their jobs and eventually quitting as it isn't worth giving up their newfound love for.

How does the film reflect the temporal circularity of Black musicals?

To further on this concept of growth within black and white musicals, Dyer talks about the concept of temporal circularity in black musicals. In black musicals, this circularity encourages stasis, as there is this understanding of "spatial boundedness" and of how "Black people don't get out of their situation, eventually or geographically" (Dyer 102). With this, the possibility for characters in a black musical to change their circumstances for the better is discouraged, as Dyer writes, "The musical numbers do not take the characters out of the moment, "transport" them, resolve their problems; the emotions and experience of the music do not lead to fundamental changes in their situation" (Dyer 104). However, these themes more commonly seen in black musicals are reflected in the film.

Though white musicals are able to provide a vision for a better world, it is often just that. Hello, Dolly! reflects this to an extent. The film ends where it began, Yonkers, New York, but we still see growth despite the circularity. The final scene is of Dolly and Horace's wedding, and the two other couples, (Cornelius and Irene, and Vandegelder's niece, Ermengarde (Joyce Ames) and Ambrose (Tommy Tune)) are also to be married. So despite this circularity, the characters were able to fulfill their desires expressed throughout the film.

Discussion questions

From what you can gather, how do both white musicals and black musicals imagine happiness?

Why is it that black musicals and white musicals focus on "two different constructions of happiness"?

Why do you think white musicals, in all their longing for utopia, still often fall short of that hope for change in the narrative space?

Can you think of any examples of contemporary black musicals that challenge the characteristics of black musicals? How about contemporary white musicals? Have you seen characteristics of either being utilized in any contemporary musicals today?

[grimmmviewing]

S1E8: “Game Ogre”—B/C+ (Watched 2/29/24)

“No record of where he was born, no record of a family. It’s like this guy just fell out of the sky.” – Hank re. an ogre/giant (Got a, not exactly unhappy, groan from me!)

“Just the facts, right?” – Monroe to Nick/Hank re. the ownership of an important watch (Bonus points for Dragnet reference?)

Exactly how much silliness I find charming and at what point the goofiness should result in some sort of deduction for review purposes are questions I find myself thinking about a lot while watching Grimm. Even the episodes I’ve scored as “A”s have their Moments. And if I had to sum up my feelings about “Game Ogre” I would say that it starts as a fine enough monster of the week story but then, perhaps fittingly for an episode that prominently features a watch early on, it accumulates enough “complications” that it becomes genuinely interesting or noteworthy.

First—the central role of Oleg Stark, an ogre. I did love the very physical performance, which has a lot of stiff-bodied stomping around and grunting and growling. It had to have been fun to try to play that role and to try to make yourself seem as big, burly, and dense (in more than one sense) as possible. The way the camera frames this big boy and the way that shots of him getting physical are filmed and edited to make him feel as large and powerful as possible is just very entertaining. Definitely goofy, but also definitely fun in a C+ sort of way.

Another entertaining C-sort of goofy detail is how the initial murder victim is a judge, and we know that because he’s just got a gavel sitting out on his desk at home. It’s used in his murder to help suggest that the crime was personal, of course, but the placement is still such a ridiculous way to communicate the man’s profession, especially when you consider that we’re also explicitly told he’s a state judge when Sergeant Wu and his partner are investigating the scene of the break-in.

There are some similarly unnecessary-feeling, awkward quick flashbacks in the mix—back to Nick being brutalized by the ogre in his house and to the ogre-killing poison and gun in his trailer. Of course, one way of looking at these is as part of the TV series package: Commercials are a thing, and people come in late. You have to catch up the late-comers and maybe re-establish a sense of drama and of the critical details for folks after the ads. This is one of those things I struggle to identify as a positive or a negative in my subjective assessment since Grimm being so obviously What It Is is absolutely part of the charm and was part of what I wanted out of this whole experience.

And there are a couple of plot oddities here, too, like just how long it takes for someone (Wu) to put together the idea of using Hank as bait for the vengeance-seeking Oleg. Captain Renard going along with Hank to a suspect’s place probably shouldn’t feel weird, but it does since, as far as I remember, this is new behavior for him.

It’s the mounting “complications” that ultimately elevate the episode, though, because of their novelty. Actually seeing Nick kind of shaken and vulnerable after he’s hospitalized from Oleg’s attack offers a new emotional angle from which to view him. He hasn’t been this badly beaten by a Wesen before. Hank similarly gets pushed emotionally in this episode, and the exact nature of the strain on him ends up being a nice twist, with how he and the DA colluded to “lose” evidence that might have gotten reasonable doubt for Oleg at his trial years ago.

The trust that Nick places in Monroe, a Wesen, by revealing the trailer to him is very much understated and great for it. The fact that Monroe ends up being the one who has to put Oleg down is also a cool, interesting wrinkle. The focus on the .600 caliber “elephant gun” bullets that are over 100 years old in the final scene with Renard and Hank is just a delightful little bit of quirkiness and suspense. That the weapons from the trailer are actually deployed here is something I was glad to see. It certainly makes sense for Nick to use his service weapon rather than swinging around a sword or flail or something, but that armory has been essentially teased up to this point, and it was just good to see some of it put to use.

[bluegekk0]

What's Divine role in the Troupe? Or even in Dirthmouth? I think she's one of the Members who settled down rather than keep going out for performances?

Like I mentioned in the latest art post, she's Grimm's advisor and the costume designer for the Troupe. If he needs help with anything, be it Troupe business or emotional struggles, she's the one he trusts the most. She's responsible for the designs of the masks and cloaks that you see each Grimmkin wear, as well as the costumes for their performances, and has her own crew who make those designs into reality. For that reason she doesn't have to join them on every performance, though her input is invaluable and so she travels with them every time Grimm takes part in the show. He is their most popular star, after all, so while he does spend most of his time in Dirtmouth, he still travels to perform from time to time, especially as time passes and FPK learns to be better at dealing with his absence. And whenever Grimm goes, so does Divine.

In Dirtmouth, she continues her work, rarely leaving her chambers, though she's also enjoying the role of being the "auntie Divine" to Grimm's kids. She's one of the few Troupe members that Grimm trusts to be around his children, and she's delighted every time he asks ger to look after them. Particularly Lewk, he's a very curious little pup and loves watching her and her crew work on the costumes, and even trying out little outfits made for him. Meanwhile the twins sleep curled up in the fancy little bed she has reserved for them, and only Asta peeks out to watch what's going on, while Milo sleeps cuddling a stuffed Grimmsteed toy.

She also offered Hornet advice when she made her new cloak, which is how I explain why it looks a lot more professionally made than any of her previous clothes. She tried to convince FPK to consider a better looking cloak as well, but he politely declined as he was comfortable with his old raggedy cape (she still designed a stylish cloak for him, in case he wants to look fancy when going out with Grimm).

Since she rarely leaves her Troupe rooms, she doesn't have as big of a role in the town, though she's always open to giving tailoring advice to its residents. She loves her job, and if that means the Dirtmouth folk start dressing less miserable and bland? You bet she'll involve herself if they ask for her help.

In some ways she's like Effie Trinket from The Hunger Games, though far more self aware and without those bright colorful wigs and dresses, of course. She's very passionate about things that are pretty, she wants to see everyone look the best they can, and her energetic aura, while a lil overwhelming at first, is quite contagious.

And yes, I chose to emit the charm making process we see in the game. My Divine is a lot different than the one in-game so it wouldn't fit. Besides, it's a bit too gross for my liking, it's a big reason why I avoided thinking about her in the AU until I went "you know what? I'll just pretend that didn't happen". Same goes for the Leg Eater's unfortunate fate. They never met in the AU as far as I'm concerned.

[essentialthyme]

By the laws of mutualisim, I must now know ur every thought and opinion on ur DA ocs and playthroughs! the audience craves knowledge and information 😌🫶

Valley, I take so much liberties with my Dragon Age stuff 😩

I have a tendency to keep things boring and make human characters, so heads up.

In Origins, I played through all the intros and ended up going with Cousland. She grew up sheltered and kinda of introverted, but polite and respectful, and her brother taught her how to fight and they figured out she was fast and sly, so she is a rogue, basically. Never gave anyone any troubles until she turned like 17 and started hooking up with every woman she possibly could. Then, tragedy strikes and she kinda shuts down, and becomes very serious and just... angry. She abandons her (already flimsy) beliefs. She is still respectful to those she feels deserves it, but diplomacy is far from being her go to. Still wants to do the right things, but achieving it through violence. It is her companions (especially Leliana) that bring back her spark, her will to live, and she never goes back to who she was, but she goes back to interacting, smiling, talking, opening up.

Here the timeline splits into "canon" and "non-canon'', but the truth is both of then are non-canon, haha:

Canon: She romances Leliana.

Non-canon: She romances Morrigan.

In both cases, she performs the ritual with Morrigan (because the restriction is stupid lmao). She... really wants a family, so she is unable to pass up the opportunity given to her, but there's a bit of a fight between her and Morrigan, because Cousland negotiates her way into being a part of Morrigan and her child's life. Well, children, as Morrigan gives birth to twins: Kieran, with the old god's soul and Nora, without.

Hawke is simpler. A blue rogue who is super extroverted, charming, polite, diplomatic and funny but like, in an appropriate way. Very eager to please, very loyal to those she cares about. The problem is she cares about a lot of people. She takes on the role of caretaker, and it takes a toll on her, but she never quits. None of the trauma she goes through break her like they did Cousland.

Hawke falls first. She is head over heals for Isabela from the very beginning. Hawke never resents Isabela for the end of act II, one of the things she is adamant about is that she would NEVER tie Isabela down. Lucky for her, Isabela fell harder.

Fun facts: My ONLY character to ever have blue eyes, they remind Isabela of the sea. The iconic mark over the nose is actually a scar.

Inquisition is tough, I have not played it, but I know a lot about it. I have barely any interest in any of the companions. So I made two characters: Trevelyan and Lavellan. Lavellan is super shy and timid mage, but very fierce and grounded, down to earth, but a complete powerhouse. Trevelyan is a mad woman. She is purple Hawke turned up to 11. She flirts with everyone, cracks bad jokes at bad times, resolves personal issues in the worst way imaginable. Drinks more than she should, and gets into fistfights at taverns. Bit of a fuckboy. But she is a formidable warrior, and an excellent strategist, so everyone kinda puts up with her because well, she is a genius when it comes to battles. She is also a mage supporter, hates the Chantry, and clocks prejudiced people in the face without a second thought. Lavellan and Trevelyan were together during the events of the intro, both survive, so who is the Herald depends on my mood.

For the "canon": Lavellan is the Herald, and she takes one sniff of Cullens's racist ass, sends him to rehab and puts Trevelyan in his place. Trev isn't as bad with Lavellan, they go through most of the stuff at the beginning together, and they rely on each other, so Trevelyan has a soft spot for Lavellan, and shows a gentle side no one else gets to see. You see where I'm going with this? Yup, my oc's romance each other. Lavellan has a crush on Cassandra at the beginning, but that goes away eventually, and bam.

For "non-canon": Trevelyan is the Herald, and Lavellan is a companion. But Lavellan ends up falling for Josephine after the Cassandra fiasco, and so Trevelyan, being the chaotic entity that she is, falls for none other than Leliana. I just couldn't pass up the idea of romancing her yet again. Trevelyan has to take on a more serious role here, and Leliana is the one who sets her straight, basically.

I promise I tried to be brief 😭

[morvantmortuary]

seth sunday dating hcs -

Or, you’re ignoring the odd feeling in the pit of your stomach to date the magician who dresses like a goth ringleader. samesies tbh

(18+, mdni)

as always, an epigram:

“Well, what tongue does the wind talk? What nationality is a storm? What country do rains come from? What color is lightning? Where does thunder go when it dies?” - Something Wicked This Way Comes, Ray Bradbury

First thing’s first: Seth is a flirt. A huge flirt. Partially bc he enjoys the reciprocal attention (he enjoys attention of any sort), but also because when he likes someone, he fixates on them

(It’s a bit of a chicken/egg situation - does They Who attract people who are prone to fixation to do their bidding, or do the people under their thumb develop these tendencies as a side effect? Who’s to say.)

-

He tends to be a bit over the top in his courting, even by Morvant standards. Think deep red long-stemmed rose bouquets sent to your place of work. The classic heart-shaped box of chocolates, but almost absurdly large. Early on, they might not be too tailored to you, specifically — more generally understood symbols of romance. He’s still a believer in the classic and the glamorous, drawing on memories of the old Hollywood romances that captivated him in his human days youth.

All those early dates, though, will feel like he’s just looking for excuses to sit and talk to you for ages. Because he is!! Whether that’s over dinner at a luxurious restaurant you might not normally consider an option, or hot drinks at a charming little cafe. Expect long, meandering conversations about everything going on in your life, with him seeming fascinated by details that seem fairly mundane to you.

And the even weirder thing is, he’ll remember them all, well past you’d expect anyone to care.

You can’t help but notice though that whenever you try to talk to him about his own life - his family, where he was from - he would only ever talk about his various stints in traveling shows. He has stories galore, wild and weird, but nothing that feels… like the basic things you get to know about someone. The little things.

For someone who makes his living performing, it surprises you how soft-spoken he is. His voice, despite his appearance, is always light, gentle. You’re surprised how quiet he is at times, and find yourself instinctively closing the space between the pair of you to catch his every word. He mirrors this when you speak in turn, sitting only just far enough away to still be considered appropriate, his black eyes moving constantly between your lips and your eyes, as though he’s trying to keep up with both at all times. It’s enough to make you a little flustered every so often, especially when his fingers or his knees brush against yours.

When he does get to know you, expect the later dates to be flashy in a different way.

Expect behind the scenes tours of museum exhibits in surrounding cities related to something that makes you tick, some before the exhibit even goes public. Intimate art house performances, centered around themes he knows make your brain itch in the best way, all in little theaters in the local scene that you wouldn’t have been to until now.

Parties and dinners with creative, interesting people he seems to know from a vast and varied life, in which you’re both fascinated by the conversation, and apparently somewhat of a showpiece yourself, as he shamelessly introduces you to everyone with the air of someone who stumbled upon a magnificent secret.

From what little tidbits you’re able to pick up from his colleagues and friends, you get the feeling that Seth has been in creative scenes all over the world, and for what feels like an awfully long time for his age. Or at least, what you’re pretty sure is his age. His world feels huge to you, and still undefined — even the people he’s known for ages don’t know that much about him, it seems, or as much as you’d think.

You can’t tell if he’s rich and hides it well or just somehow absurdly well-connected, but he seems to know someone wherever the pair of you go, always running into a collaborator from a past project, or always seems to have a friend who can get tickets or an inside scoop to whatever fun thing you’re interested in.

The man always dresses to the nines, wherever you’re going. Mostly black, in sumptuous fabrics, but with the occasional accent of something eye-catching: patterns like Peacock feathers, or a splash of Big Top red. He always looks fantastic, and unmistakably eye-catching, ever the consummate showman. He’s not afraid of makeup, either, with his eyes usually lined in kohl and his nails painted in jewel tones. As much as he stands out, he’s unquestionably handsome in a way that reminds you of a storm.

You can’t deny the tiniest bit of exhilaration when you realize that even though everyone around the pair of you is looking at him, he’s only looking at you.

When the two of you have been going out long enough that it’s comfortable, he makes it clear that he has no issues with the idea of PDA. He always keeps his arm around your shoulders or waist, or wants to keep your hand in his (which is always surprisingly cold, like, to the point that you wonder if he’s seen a doctor about it).

He’s not shy about kisses - nothing too obnoxious, but cheek kisses, kisses to the top of your head, the corner of your mouth, et al are definitely not rare. Neither are kisses to the back of your hand, the inside of your wrist, even your neck if he thinks he can get away with it. He’ll ease up a bit if he ever embarrasses you, but it’s like he wants to transmit to you as obviously as possible when he’s absolutely smitten with you.

He is genuinely smitten with you, by the way. Because he’s absolutely making up for affection he never received himself, and this is just how he knows to make it clear. It’s not a performance out of dishonesty, but out of eagerness, and not being sure how else “real” people show it.

The man doesn’t quite seem to understand the idea of a chill date. He always wants to seem to show you a good time, take you somewhere and show you something you’ve never seen before, or treat you to something indulgent and extravagant. When you ask one night if he wants to stay in, he almost seems caught off-guard.

He demurs immediately when you ask about hanging out at his place. “I live out of hotels for work,” he says, with a smile and an unusually sheepish shrug. “I’m in a nice one right now, but still. Not quite the mood you’re looking for, certainly.”

So when you tell him to show up to your place with some movie suggestions and you’ll order dinner in, you’re not quite sure what to expect when you open the door.

 …It probably wasn’t the vintage velvet smoking jacket over the most elegant looking silk lounge set you’ve ever seen in your life. But you also couldn’t picture him just being a guy in sweats from a big box chain, either.

But he’s there and positively beaming, with aubergine-colored eyeliner to coordinate. “I never get to wear these anywhere! How fun!”

...Are those satin slippers?

He immediately settles himself on your couch like he’s been there forever and pulls a bottle of wine that’s just the right level of cheap from a bag you didn’t notice him holding, as well as a variety of candy. (You can’t help but notice the man has a sweet tooth - you’ve never seen him say no to dessert.) “I thought we could use my Criterion login; I just couldn’t decide, you know? I wanted you to choose what felt the most ‘date night’ to you.”

Somehow it doesn’t surprise you that all his favorites are either black and white or from the very, very beginning of color film. The big Hollywood spectacles from the early days of film, with musical numbers and elaborate costumes and choreography to beat all.

He keeps his arm around you the whole time, not even hesitating. When he laughs at the old-fashioned banter in the transatlantic accents, it’s high, sweet. Almost childlike in the earnestness of it.

You’re willing to wait until the end of the movie, out of respect (and genuine interest, you really had never seen it before), before you jump his bones.

Yes, the part you’ve been waiting for:

If he’s captivating at a distance, up close, he’s a force of nature. He’s beautiful in a way that twists your stomach in excited knots. His eyes are fathomless — you look into them too long and you feel like your feet aren’t on solid ground anymore.

If you thought he was affectionate before, he’s even more possessive this close together. He already towers over you just standing next to each other, and he leverages this height now when he’s got you under him as a way of caging you, keeping you against the bare expanse of his chest (which is also troublingly cool, you distantly wonder while he’s taking off your shirt like it’s wrapping paper if he’s going to talk to a doctor about that—)

But you’re quickly forgetting anything else as his tongue skims your pulse, hot and hungry and blatant.

His mouth is everywhere on your torso, like he’s sampling you, trying to gauge the places that will make you shiver most. He’s good at watching you, lingering in the places that make you sigh or stifle a moan, his touch like sleight of hand in how he seems to know to set your skin aglow before you’re both even totally undressed.

Once you’ve both established a degree of trust to go further, he can’t help but get a little overexcited. He’s not shy about manhandling you where he wants you, but will just as easily fall under you, his eyes fathomless black and hungry as he watches to see how you’ll touch him.

The man’s a demon in bed, but the agony is only the kind you don’t want to end.

If at times his fingers seem somehow longer than you thought as they slide in and out of you, messy and noisy, or his tongue seems not-quite-human in how it delves deeper than you would’ve thought possible to make you scream — you don’t worry about it too long. You can’t really keep a clear train of thought right now, anyway.

If the name of God tries to pass your lips, even as only as a reflex, an interjection, it always seems to dissolve into a gasp or moan before it can actually reach the air. You don’t worry about that either.

He’s packing, but it’s not too far out of the ordinary… how he uses it inside you, however. That’s the thing that feels nearly supernatural. For seeming so sweet and smitten when the two of you are together, it’s nearly brutal in just how far he manages to push you before you finally come each time.

You swear you’re not going to have a voice in the morning when he’s done with you.

And of course, when he’s finished with you and you’re not quite able to be certain your thighs will hold you up (so covered in hickies as they are), he’s happy to take you to your room and clean you up.

You fall asleep in his silk pajama top, resting on his chest, as he pretends to doze underneath you.

You’re dead to the world when he seems to vanish underneath you at 3 AM. When lays down with you again a couple hours later, he feigns having just come from the bathroom, kissing each of your heavy eyelids as he holds you close again.

You think you’re dreaming when he smells faintly of smoke and a chemical you can’t quite name.

When you wake up for real, he’s waiting in your kitchen with your favorite little coffee drink and some pastries from an expensive little shop, perusing a story in the paper about a fire at the mortuary on the edge of your little hometown.

He greets you with that same enchanted smile, like you’re the most interesting person he could hope to talk to today, and sets the paper aside immediately, determined to plan a fun day out after last night. A movie, perhaps? Maybe a picnic in the park? Dinner at this little rooftop place he knows in the city?

He’s almost scarily perfect, for all his eccentricities.

—

Just when you think you’re starting to get to know him, though, it feels like there are even more mysteries.

You come back one night to his hotel room after all, where he opens the door with a flourish —

And you’re immediately hit with the smell of something sweet, yet somehow musty. Like an antique store, or (weirdly) your grandmother’s house.

His face changes immediately, the cocky smile sliding right off. Something is clearly not what he planned.

He flips on the lightswitch, and the two of you walk in to the suite’s living room… to find the place full of vases on vases, all stuffed with your favorite flowers.

But they’re all withered. Dead, even desiccated, like they’d been sitting there for ten years.

“…Is this performance art?” you say, trying to lighten the mood, but he holds up a hand.

“Wait here,” he says softly, only just audible.

“Is something wrong?”

You’ve never seen him like this before. If you thought he was already tall, now he seems to positively tower, his spine taught like a pulled piano wire.

He stalks into the room, scowling at the flowers, searching for something. He’s muttering softly, and you can’t hear what it is, but he sounds pissed.

“Seth,” you call, unsettled. “What’s going on?”

Before he looks back to you, suddenly his eyes are different as he scans the room. They’re pitch black, like onyx stones set into his face.

You must have had too much wine at dinner, because for just a second, you’d swear they were all black. Every bit of flesh hidden by something almost like a film.

But when he looks at you again, they’re fine. “Give me a minute, doll face. Just stand right there for me, okay?”

Before you can ask, he skulks into the rooms beyond, into the dark

…Leaving you standing there in the doorway.

You know he asked you not to, but this is just so… weird. You step tentatively into the suite, the cute shoes you’d picked for your date tonight crunching softly on what must be a Persian rug’s worth of petals underfoot.

Why would he buy dead flowers? And in bulk like this? He had to have bought them this way, because they’re just so… old. No florist around Greymoon would’ve sold anything close to the condition these were in on purpose. You knew Miss Amelia who ran Della’s, her mother’s old store, would’ve immediately put her flowers in the composter the minute they were anything less than perfectly fresh. You know the little family mortuary out closer to the swamp started doing their own flowers recently (it was a bit of town gossip for a while, Miss Amelia wasn’t sure whether or not to take it personally), but even they wouldn’t sell them dead — that would defeat the point, right?

Out of the corner of your eye, something moves.

You turn to find yourself facing the open door to the suite’s bathroom, the lights flickering ominously just inside. Like they aren’t screwed in right, or like the bulbs are almost burnt out. It’s just as odd as the flowers — this is a relatively new hotel, closer to the city than your little town. Everything still has that new ‘fresh paint’ gleam, making the rickety lights and the ancient-looking flowers stick out even more.

You’re aware, at the edge of your perception, of something about this just not feeling… right. Too many things out of place, in ways that don’t seem to have explanations that make sense.

You’re still trying to make the pieces fit together when something in the bathroom mirror moves.

You step back, your skin suddenly cold as you realize you’ve been staring right at someone that didn’t belong there. That they might have been staring right back at you.

The light flickers again, and it doesn’t account for the movement you just saw.

Almost like someone was in there, stepping back from the glass.

You look towards the little hallway Seth disappeared down, but you hear nothing. Your mouth is dry, and you can’t decide if calling out for him would save you, or just attract whoever’s in there right to you.

…You pull your mace out of its hiding place in your date night ensemble (what? Things were scary for a queer person lately), your finger hovering over the button. You’ve never had to use it before. You didn’t think you were going to need to use it tonight.

But if someone’s here, waiting for you two...

You step inside.

Part of you wants to call for Seth, still. He’s kind of intimidating, when you first see him, all legs and dark hair and sharp cheekbones. And even though you’ve never heard him raise his voice at anyone, always polite if not a bit of a charmer, you’d feel better with him there.

But you’re in here, now. This place is bigger than you realized — the bathroom an L-shape, and you’re standing right at the corner. Someone could get to you before he could get here, too.

There’s no sound of motion — no rustling, no careful footsteps, no settling of the floor. But you’re positive what you saw: a figure, not quite as tall as Seth, but still had a few inches on you.

You lift your mace to eye-level as slowly as you can, afraid of making any wayward noise yourself. Holding your breath, you step around the corner —

And see nothing.

Your arm falls slowly, your stomach churning. But… but you’d just seen someone. As real and solid as Seth was. There was nowhere they could’ve possibly hidden.

You look back to the mirror, as if searching for an answer there… and pause, realizing there’s something else there now.

WE’LL BURY YOU

The letters are huge, in a smeary red… something. Viscous, almost… dried in some places. Clumping, crusted at the ends of the letters.

But where you can see there should be texture, it seems… flat to the glass. Smooth.

You’ve stepped to the mirror before you entirely realize it, your body pulling you towards the discrepancy subconsciously.

You reach your hand out towards the glass, wanting to figure out what it is — and your fingers feel nothing there.

There’s no substance on the mirror.

You rub your fingertips across it, trying to smear it, but it’s like the glass is between you and whatever it is. Like it was somehow written on the other side of—

A hand falls heavy on your shoulder, and you let out a surprised shout, whirling on the source.

“Sweetheart,” Seth says, voice low and eyes flashing. “I know I told you…”

Before he stops dead, his gaze falling on the mirror behind you.

His hand slides across your back to your other shoulder as he moves towards the mirror, drawn to it as you were. And, just as you had, he touches his hand to the letters… before pulling away clean fingertips.

“…Seth,” you whisper, watching him stare at his own hand in befuddlement. “I saw someone in here.”

He looks up immediately, alarmed. “Where? What did they look like?”

“I don’t know,” you whisper. “I didn’t see their face, I just— I swear I saw someone reflected in the mirror. But there was no one when I walked in…”

Frowning, Seth scans the bathroom, as if the vandal is going to peel themselves from the wallpaper or drop from the ceiling. Or appear on the other side of the mirror’s glass.

After a moment, he does something even more puzzling: he grins, sharp and oddly… unsettling. Like there’s more anger behind it than laughter.

“Don’t worry about it, pet.” He waves his free hand, his other sliding down your shoulder to gently grip your upper arm. “It’s just a joke.”

You blink. “A- a joke?”

“A practical joke. A little jape, at my expense, from some colleagues.” He links his arm through yours, steering you gently away from the mirror. “It’s all harmless fun.”

You can feel yourself frowning, still confused. “…Is this what practical jokes are like in your line of work?”

“Of course! The mirror is a neat little trick, wouldn’t you say? Some corn syrup and food dye, painted in just the right way. It must’ve taken them ages,” he says, and his tone veers from light into something else for a moment.

“And the flowers?” you ask tentatively.

“Oh, they must’ve seen the little display I set up for you,” he says, managing a chuckle. “And decided to swap them out. Really, I’m going to have to call them up and ask them about it. Figure out how they got in here,” he adds, the smile dropping for just a second long enough for you to see. “Anyway,” he says, guiding you towards the front door again. “I’m just going to leave a message and an extra tip for the housekeeping staff, and we’ll go get more dessert somewhere while we wait, shall we?”

As you follow him out, you sneak a peek over your shoulder, down the hallway he’d disappeared into.

You catch the barest glint, in the light, of something steely driven into what must be his bedroom door. It looks like… a scalpel?

Nevertheless, he sweeps you downstairs, and before you can fully process everything, the two of you are splitting a complimentary plate of the best mochi ice cream you’ve ever eaten in the hotel’s impressive restaurant. When you try to inquire further about the so-called joke, Seth laughs it off, like it already happened a million years ago. If there’s followup or retribution you never hear about it after.

At least you can say you’re never bored when you’re with him.

[themeganator5000]

May... May I see why you agree with Scooter being gay

Oh god. Yeah, I suppose so. I literally just typed up what would basically be my script if I ever did a youtube video essay rant about this topic (i will never do this, but someone definitely should).

Bear in mind, I literally wrote this like an hour ago in a hyperfixation-induced daze so my friend @hails-the-geek would have something silly to wake up to 😘 So, not exactly written for public consumption, but since you asked so nicely:

SO HERES HOW WE CAN FIX SCOOTER. Scooter the Muppet started out as a nepotistic lil whippersnapper who had little to no morals and only cared about meeting famous people and having a high-paying, low-effort job. Now that's all well and good and a Scooter we have all grown to love BUT ever since Disney has obtained ownership of the Muppets, they have become less of the struggling underdogs and more of a lesser-known classic. This already raises some problems with the overall tone of the characters, especially Scooter, because the only way he was able to get Kermit and the gang to bend to his every whim was to remind them that his very wealthy uncle owned the theatre and the ground it stood on. The fun of his character was that he was a gofer (essentially an intern) whose job it was to take orders from anyone for anything, but with his familial connection to a person in high power he could inversely force any one of the Muppets to take orders from HIM to get just about anything. Now, since the Muppets HAVE no theatre and are usually performing on a soundstage likely owned by the Disney company, Scooter has lost his influence and no longer has the ability to be the narcissist, sassy, two-timing brat he once was. He has been boiled down to his face value as an over-enthusiastic, dorky, wide-eyed fanboy who eagerly goes along with whatever he is told to do. This, of course, was present in the original iteration, but it was always known that if Scooter ever DISAGREED with what he was told to do, he could always find a way around it. Helpful until inconvenient. It is also worth noting that in the original Muppet Show, Scooter was intended to be a young boy around 14 years old, but in more recent adaptations he seems to have aged, being given adult love interests and being shown cage dancing in a nightclub. This brings me to my conclusion; how we can fix Scooter in this modern age and bring back some of that charm that made us adore him all those years ago. The answer is quite simple, really:

MAKE

SCOOTER

🏳️‍🌈 𝗚 𝗔 𝗬 🏳️‍🌈

Richard Hunt, the Muppeteer who portrayed Scooter and many other characters until his untimely death in 1992, was openly gay and a well-loved part of the original Muppet cast. So much so, that Jim Henson personally requested that he be the one to host the memorial service at his funeral, which he did. Richard Hunt said that he based Scooter's personality on his own when he first started working with the Muppets, enthusiastic, eager to please, and definitely trying too hard. While all those personality traits are decidedly still present in today's Scooter, the absence of one crucial piece is blatantly apparent.

𝘏𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘹𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺.

While never explicitly stated, Scooter's character can easily be interpreted as gay, exhibiting flamboyant characteristics, having a borderline obsession with Elton John, just kinda being twinkish and boy-toy-like in nature. Whatever the reasoning, there is no better candidate for Disney's First Gay Muppet than the trademark character of the original gay Muppeteer, Scooter. BUT! It is EXTREMELY important to note that there are two ways this could be played: either there are little to no changes in Scooter's personality and he just gets an off-screen boyfriend or something (lame) OR Scooter's personality shifts into a more goofy-sassy gay best friend type of deal where he hangs out with Miss Piggy a bit more and references more modern queer icons (like Beyoncé or something?? idk ask a gay man) and comments on the attractiveness of male guest stars whenever the opportunity arises. This was hinted to in the 2015 series ABC's "The Muppets", but they never fully committed to the bit. Calling Scooter a boy toy is one thing, but having him get caught making out with Walter in the storage closet is another. COMMIT TO THE FUCKING BIT, DISNEY. Let Scooter say "yasss, qween" and "slayyy" and lust over men's bodies I'm not asking for much. You have already denied me Bert & Ernie and Statler & Waldorf, but let me have Scooter. Let me have the one Muppet my ADHD-riddled lesbian ass choice to have a crush on at 14 years old. Let me live out my fantasy of seeing Scooter on a Muppet-themed float at a pride parade. Please Disney, think of the fucked-up adults. We deserve this, we've EARNED this. You've ruined every other part of my childhood with your dirty capitalism, you OWE me this 𝘖𝘕𝘌 𝘛𝘏𝘐𝘕𝘎. You will make Scooter gay. Scooter 𝗜𝗦 gay. Scooter has always 𝘉𝘌𝘌𝘕 gay. And there is absolutely 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 you can do about it.

Thank you for your time.

[shazzeaslightnovels]

Danmachi 19

Author: Fujino Omori

Illustrator: Suzuhito Yasuda

Label: GA Bunko

Release Date: 14 September 2023

My Score: 4/5

English Release: Yen-press is currently releasing this series in English under the title of Is it Wrong to try to Pick up Girls in a Dungeon?.

Note: this edition of volume 19 came with a drama CD that I still haven't had the time to listen to. I'm not the best with just sitting still and listening to something without having anything to stimulate me visually. Hoping to get around to it soon. It seems like it features the Astrea Familia so it should be fun. Maybe I'll write a review of it when I've finished listening to it if it's really good.

This volume starts off with following up on the events of volume 18. We learn what everyone is up to after the war game, with many of the former Freya Familia members now working at the Hostess of Fertility pub. We also get to see a development that I never thought would happen: Lyuu officially joins Hestia Familia. After reuniting with Astrea, she's ready to move on with her life and Hestia Familia is the place where she wants to be. I seriously didn't expect this but it feels like it's been a long time coming. Lyuu being part of the Hestia Familia just feels right. I am disappointed that there were no level ups after last volume though. I really feel like Lili deserved it. I know the level ups are meant to take a long time to happen but Bell levels up far too quickly compared to the rest of the characters.

The main plot of this volume concerns the arrival of the School Grounds*, a ship for students to study all kinds of subjects, including battle. It returns to Orario once every three years and the familia's send a representative there to recruit new members. Thanks to Hermes being up to his old tricks, Bell ends up enrolling in the school under the name Rapi and disguises himself as a rabbit demi-human to get some more experience. There he meets the student Nina Tulle who, along with sharing the same last name, strongly resembles Eina.

It's been a long time since we've had a one volume arc and this is definitely a good breather volume. The new characters were all charming enough, especially Nina, who gets quite a bit of character development and would be a welcome addition to the main cast if she ends up joining it. Aside from being a good breather, this volume also focuses on Bell and it was nice to see just how much Bell has matured since volume 1. Bell's learnt a lot from his experiences and from his friends, and it's nice to see him use those experiences to help the young students. I loved seeing him take on the supporter role in the party, since fighting would surely reveal his true identity. He's able to reflect on what an amazing job Lili does and being a supporter helps him to form strategies for the Hestia Familia as well. Overall, I thought this was a really good follow-up to volume 18 and a perfect way to let the characters breathe before things will surely get hectic soon.

I still have one volume left to read before I've finished the thirteen months of Danmachi releases and that's the new Familia Chronicle volume featuring Lyuu. I'm really looking forward to reading it soon. I've head a lot of fun reading Danamchi this past year. I hope Fujino Omori and the artists are able to get some well deserved rest now. Also, a season 5 for the anime was announced which is very exciting. I hope it gets a similar treatment to season 4 and is a bit longer due to the length of volume 18. I am really excited to hear all of the voice performances for that arc, especially Minori Inase's.

*the wiki calls it the "School District" but as there is no official English release of the volumes where it features yet and I called it the "School Grounds" in my Sword Oratoria 13 review, this is what I'm sticking with for the sake of consistency.

[minimeowsom]

BAD BUDDY AND MY FAVORITE SCENES

Part 1 -> 6 Episodes Today -> 6 Tomrrow

Everything I could say about Bad Buddy in a review has been said over and over again. When you have seen it you know it's good, if you haven't: go watch it. So instead of talking about the healthy Relationship or the great acting and script, I will do it a bit differently. I will go through the Episodes one by one and talk about my favorite moment or scene in that episode. Those won't always be the "best" scene of the episode, they will just be my Favorites. That also gives me a reason to rewatch the Series.

Episode 1

The music Room ->

It is not a very long scene, but in the first Episode when Pat is making sure Pran isn't walking into his Friends, he follows him into the music room, where Pran wants to get the Sign-Up sheet for the Freshy Day music contest. As they wait for the guy there to copy the sheet for them, they sit down and without words they start to kind of compete with Pat on the drums and Pran with a guitar. But as they compete, it kind of switches to them playing together without communicating it. I like the way it shows subliminally that they are used to playing with each other, something that gets way more important for them later in the series, and also how good they actually can work together.

Episode 2

The Flashback ->

In Episode 2 Pat, after feeling guilty and getting told off by his sister, goes by his old High school, he and Pran attended together. He remembers how he and Pram were both in the class Band and at the music contest at Christmas that year they performed a song together, the song later reveled is written by Pran from him, even tho Pat at that time was not aware of what exactly Pran was trying to tell him. Halfway through the song, they get interrupted by the appearance of Prans parents, the scene shifts, and we come to know that Pran will transfer to a different school, we see how Pat goes to look for him and just sees him going away with his parents. At the time of the scene is their past, Pran already had feelings for Pat. As expressed in his song for him and the fact that he seems Heartbroken when he needs to move. I personally think Pat on the other hand doesn't have Romantic Feelings for Pan at this point, I think he deeply cares about him and really doesn't want him to move. He also feels guilty that he is part of the reason Pran is moving. He might have subconscious feelings for Pran, but none he was aware of at that age. After remembering all this and especially the part that his High school friends called him out for beings "Unlucky Charm" he makes the decision to offer to move out.

Episode 3

The Corridor ->

Episode 3 Focus lies with their competition and the kind of joy they get out of competing with one another. And originally I wanted to talk about the Bus stop scene, a scene that is very famous outside the show, as director and cast love to talk about how Ohm continuously failed to look "friendly" at nanon at the time. But I was already writing it when watching the last few minutes of the episode and their interaction in the corridor. In the scene, Pran goes to thank Pat for helping out with the Bus stop by compelling his friends to work on it, so Architecture wouldn't get all the credit. Pran goes to thank him, but hovers in front of the door, not sure if or how he should approach it. The moment he decides to go for it, Pat, swings open the door, reveling that he waited to see if Pran would build up the courage to knock. At the end of their short conversation Pran builds up the courage to ask if Pat has eaten already, which he has, but before he lets Pran go he decides to give back the Guitar he kept for him since High school.(although he lies and says he tried to get rid of it). Pran is ecstatic seeing his Guitar again, and maybe even more happy Pat kept it for him. As Pran says he is sad that they can't compete in the Music contest against each other, Pat reveals that somehow they are allowed back on. Even tho he says he doesn't know why, a short Flashback shown Pat begging the Professor to let them in again. Hoping he gets to Compete with Pran. This entire scene feels like a first glimpse into what their Relationship later develops into, the fun, the game, the competition but most importantly the care and compassion for each other. Here it is at least from Prans side a very Friendly encounter, but all this is already there.

Episode 4

Hopeless ->

There can only be one scene this Episode, can't there? Even Pran actor nanon cried when watching this scene on release. In this scene Pat sleeps over at Prans place after leaving his keys in his Room, earlier that day there was a Rugby game between their faculties where Pran talked to Ink (Pats love interest) and found out that she doesn't like him in a romantic sense. Pat saw their conversation and know is not sure if Pran maybe likes Ink too. So as they are lying down together they start talking and Pran wants to ask Pat something, but before he can Pat asks if Pran likes Ink, when hearing this it feels to me like Pran loses the strength to ask Pat his question and just roles with the question and says that's what he wanted to ask. After a short discussion, who should answer first, they decided to do it at the same time. As they answer, Pat says "yes" and Pran "no". While Pat seems a bit relieved not to have to compete for Ink with Pran he goes on to ask Pran, who is to the viewer clearly in love with Pat, if he were Ink if he would like him. As he jokingly talks about how great he is, we can see the water in Prans eyes, because he knows those things, he also feels those things and knowing that Pat likes Ink, takes away the chance that there might be hope for him after all. As Pat asks again if Pran likes him, he goes with an: "I hate you" to play over his feelings, but as Pat playing sulky goes to bed we can see Pran looking at him, silently crying and wiping his eyes. For the time being, he lost his hope At this moment.

Episode 5

The one with the Feelings and the Rooftop ->

Episode 5 is a big and very important one. And i wanna talk about two things in this one.

1. The one with the Feelings Pran just lost all his hope at the end of last Episode, and we spent the first half of this one following Pat, as he discovers his feelings for Pran. It starts with him getting advice from Pa on how to check if Ink likes him, and we follow them around as he tries to see if the spark , while touching or looking into each other's eyes, is there. As he admits defeat with Ink he goes to pick up his new Drumsticks in the music shop where he runs into Pran, and we get the exact opposite of what just happened with Ink. We hear Pa give her advice again, as all the things she explains , Pat can see with Pran. Confused by his feelings he asked his friend Korn how he can make sure that he likes someone, I like that here it does not feel like Pat is confused by liking a guy but more by liking Pran who was his rival and his friend only for a short time. His friend gives him the advice that if he is jealous, he likes someone for sure. And over the rest of the episode we see Pat noticing how bothered he is by the closeness of Wai and Pran which hits its Peak at the music contest , where Wai and Pran play the song Pat and Pran wrote together in High school. After seeing that, Pat knows, or at least can't really lie to himself about his feelings anymore.

2. The one with the Rooftop The Rooftop moment. It has been talked about, it has been analyzed, and it has been deemed the best. In this scene, the entire development between them that was build up in the last couple of episodes comes to a peak. Pran is hurt and hopless that his feelings will ever reach Pat , and Pat just discovered he likes Pran. So it kind of feels like the situation around them turned. Pat wants his Feelings to reach Pran and Pran wants to keep his distance to not get hurt more. Pat stops Pran from leaving the Rooftop, he wants to talk about what is going on between them, and he opens with the fact that he got hurt by Wai and Pran playing their song. Pran feels irritated by that statement because he, who wrote the song for Pat, doesn't want to interpret this as jealousy and dismisses Pats jealousy. Pat then follows up by saying he was happy when Pran left and that finally his stress went away. Which alone almost brings Pran back to tears, he doesn't want to hear it , he doesn't want to know how Pats life got easier after he left, and when Pat ends his short monolog by saying even tho a lot of things might be easier he was so lonely without Pran around, and Pran reacts to this, probably because that's exactly how he felt, he wanted to be free from the pressure of competing with Pat, who he cared about, but he didn't want to leave him. As Pat asks if they really can't be friends to know that they are back together, Pran gives his feelings a last chance by asking if that's really what Pat wants. But of course he doesn't. What follows is their first Kiss on the Rooftop. And just yesterday I watched an excellent video about kissing and the work in Series behind it. It was a video about KinnPorsch, but she talked about this moment too, and about the Physical, emotional and Lexical that goes into a good Kiss in Dramas.I could now word for word write down what she said, but I will just link the video at the end. But the TL;DR is that this moment has it all , the emotions between Pran to Pat a running high, the kiss feels unsure and shy in the beginning and develops into almost something desperate between them and on top the line delivery of both Ohm and nanon lets you know how they feel. After they break apart, Pat smiles, he feels on top of the world, but Pran looks almost in Pain. He is so scared of what's going to happen next. He doesn't want to get hurt again, and still doesn't really trust the thing between them. So he runs away without a word and leaves Pat behind on the Roof.

Video:

Episode 6

The Beach ->

The Beach could honestly be two scenes, the one at the end with the bet and the kind of confession out of both of them. Or the one in the middle of the Episode. And that is the one i wanna talk about. Because yes the one at the end is oh so very Pat and Pran and very good from a dialog Perspective, but I feel like the setup for this scene happens earlier in the Episode. After they get dirty while retuning from the market they play together in the water, it's a very lighthearted scene in the beginning where they just play like kids and friends again. After they are tired of playing they are sitting in the sand and here Pat brings up the Kiss for the first time. Pran does not want to talk about it, and Pat accepts this for now. (He later brings it up again at the end of the Episode). Pran asks if Pats hates him, and here they talk again about how tough it was for them to compete since childhood and the anger Pran felt when he needed to leave everyone behind because of his Friendship with Pat, they follow this up by talking about how hard it is to be friends with each other because everybody would hate it, and even tho they both know that , they come to the conclusion that it is very nice to just sit in the sand together and do nothing.

So those are my fafourite moments of Bad Buddy Ep 1 - 6, i hope i can finish the other six, by tomrrow too.

Anna Out ^.^