#showboat records

[jpnnewmusicdaily]

夜霧のハイウェイ (Yogiri no Highway) by Yoshitaka Minami / 南佳孝

Album: 摩天楼のヒロイン Year: 1973 Label: Showboat Lyrics: Takashi Matsumoto / 松本隆 Music: Yoshitaka Minami / 南佳孝

[citypopdaily]

フォーカスラブ (Focus Love) by Chu Kosaka / 小坂忠

Album: Morning Year: 1977 Label: Showboat Lyrics: Takashi Matsumoto / 松本隆 Music: Hiroshi Sato / 佐藤博

[hgfictionwriter]

Maybe This Time - Part Five

Jessie Fleming x Reader

Summary: Jessie can't sleep, and neither can you. Late night discussions ensue. Jessie and you unpack more of your past - and newly confessed feelings.

Warnings: None. Slight mentions of angst, but mostly tons of fluff!

A/N: Previous parts for this series can be found on my masterlist.

Jessie exhaled as she rolled onto her side, waking temporarily from her sleep. She hadn't even opened her eyes before a rush of recollections came to her from the night before.

You liked her in university. You liked her now. Or at least enough to agree to a date.

You were finally - finally - going on a date together. Jessie had waited for this moment for years.

Sure, she'd buried any hope for it for half of those years, but as soon as you came back into her life, everything she'd been distancing herself from came roaring back, and stronger so.

She belatedly realized she was smiling and she let out a contented sigh. She peeked an eye open to see it was still pitch black and she could hear Janine fast asleep.

Without warning, worry and concern started to encroach on the happiness Jessie was feeling.

What if it was really just a casual 'thing to do' to close out a funny story for you? What if you changed your mind? You didn't actually say how deep those feelings had gone way back when and certainly didn't say how deep they were now. Was she just setting herself up for disappointment?

She exhaled again in an effort to calm herself. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, but couldn't keep from reaching for her phone a moment later.

Her chest tightened when she saw a message from you. She didn't hesitate to open it.

"I can't sleep. And for the record, the feelings weren't short lived on my end either."

Jessie's breath hitched as she re-read your message and any lingering veil of drowsiness was now long gone. She swallowed and checked the time stamp. An hour ago.

Her thumb hovered over the screen as she debated whether to reply now or not. With a light huff she tapped out a reply.

"Tell me about these feelings."

She stared at your conversation for several moments, unknowingly holding her breath. She was about to turn off her phone and set it aside when you started to reply.

"You first, Fleming."

"Also. You should be sleeping. You have an early flight."

"Says you. I'm wide awake now. I can sleep on the plane."

"Why do I have to go first?"

"Lol. Hey, I took the first step here, so it's only fair that you tell me more.

"But I actually asked you out in the end. So I'd say we're even. It's your turn."

"It only took you - what - 8 years?"

"I'm teasing. I know it's more complicated than that."

"Slow off the line, but hey, at least you know I'm steady lol. And yeah, it's been complicated. But I don't mind."

"Are you trying to charm me?"

"Depends. Is it working?"

"It is. And it's worked many times before."

"Oh really? Now you definitely have to tell me more."

"Smooth. Well, I don't know, where do you want me to start?"

Start? There's that much? This was going to be way more interesting than Jessie even hoped.

"I guess we can start at the beginning. That art show - was that the first time a date ever came to mind?"

Jessie idly chewed on the corner of her thumb as her remained fixated on the screen and she awaited your response.

"Definitely not. I always thought you were cute and I found you really easy to talk to. So things just grew from there. And really, do you think I came to your games just because I wanted to watch football? lol."

"By the way. That reminds me. You never invited me to your games. I had to invite myself! So if you're wondering why I didn't think you had any interest in me - there's an example of why."

"Y/N. Come on. I didn't want to make a big thing out of it. It felt so cringy and showboat-y. I'm not like that and you know it. And you were busy. And you didn't like football! Why would I assume you'd want to spend 2-3 hours at a game?"

"Yeah, that's the part where you missed the whole concept that I liked you lol. That of course I'd want to show up and support you and learn more about what you're passionate about. Anyway, just saying, you played it awfully cool all the time. So yeah, after the art show incident, I guess it just felt like confirmation that I'd been trying too hard to read into things, so from there I just assumed it was a one-sided thing."

"I'm sorry. It definitely wasn't."

"I'm afraid to ask. But even when you were dating your exes, are you saying you liked me then?"

"If I'm being honest with myself, it's fairly obvious why my exes didn't like you. And it has nothing to do with you as a person - it was about my dynamic with you. I was upset with them at the time, but, truthfully, they had reason to criticize."

"Okay, your turn now."

"Wait – you didn't really answer. Are you saying you liked me when you were with your exes?"

"Yes lol that's exactly what I'm saying. I couldn't even admit it to myself at the time though. It just seemed pathetic when I knew - or thought I knew - that you didn't like me like that. I played it off like, "She's my friend! How dare you!" But, yeah, I came to you for things that I should've come to my girlfriends about. I'm sorry – looking back on this, it was really shitty of me to do that to you; counting on you for emotional support like a girlfriend might. Like when I was upset, when I was excited, you were the one I came to. That wasn't fair to you or them."

Jessie sighed. Those times did create a lot of angst for her. But, she also cherished being the one you trusted and relied on. It had been bittersweet, really. But this changed things entirely. You'd come to her like a girlfriend? Your words - not hers. It made her heart race.

"I really was your friend though. I mean, a friend who was head over heels for you, but a friend. And friends support each other. But I see what you're saying too. And it was hard sometimes being close with you, but not as more."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

Jessie couldn’t believe what she was reading. The revelations that were coming out challenged everything she’d known - or thought she’d known - for years. It was mind boggling and elation tingled in the tips of her fingers and toes. She had to be dreaming.

"I wish we were actually talking right now and not texting."

Jessie looked at the time before glancing over at Janine. She really shouldn't get up. But who was she kidding?

She carefully got out of bed and gingerly walked over to her things to slip on a pair of sweats over her shorts, grab a hoodie, shoes and the hotel key. She glanced back once more at Janine's sleeping form and tip-toed to the door, ever so slowly unlocking it – wincing when the deadbolt clicked open – and swiftly stepped out into the hall. She exhaled slowly as she kept the handle turned and softly closed the door.

She tied her hair back with the elastic around her wrist as she headed to the elevator and took it down to the main floor. A tight smile formed across her lips as she walked past the front desk on her way outside.

As the entrance doors slid closed behind her, she peered around and found a bench alongside the building, dimly lit by nearby streetlights. She took up a seat and called you.

The phone rang a couple of times before you picked up.

"Hello?"

Jessie smiled at your voice, hoarse with sleep.

"Did I wake you?" She asked.

"No, I just didn't expect you to actually call," you chuckled, your voice already clearing up. "How are you calling me, anyway? Did you go somewhere else?"

"Yeah," Jessie replied, stifling a yawn as she relaxed into the bench some. "I just went outside."

"Jess," you said, somewhere between chiding and impressed. "We could've kept texting. Or, you know, I could actually let you get some sleep."

"Sleep is for the weak," Jessie joked, twiddling with the tie of her hoodie.

"Since when? You were the one always keen to get a full night's sleep," you teased.

"Well," Jessie started slowly, feeling the push and pull of what she wanted to say next. "If it means I get to talk to you...I don’t mind losing a bit of sleep."

"Wow," you said, dragging the word out with a light laugh. Jessie's face flared with heat immediately. "I did not know you were such a charmer."  As if you read Jessie's mind that had begun to swirl with anxiety, you went on, "Don’t get me wrong – I really like it. It’s just new, but in a great way."

Jessie huffed good naturedly as a small boost of confidence settled in. "That's fair. I mean, as we've covered, I didn't exactly make my feelings clear." She cracked a smirk. "Not such a loser, now, am I?"

"Loser?" You asked incredulously. "Why in the world would you say that?"

Jessie felt heat rushing to her face once more and she rubbed the back of her neck. "I don’t know. I just felt that way. Sometimes. Like – seeing all of these hot girls and guys hit on you whenever we were out, making you laugh, and swoon, and all I ever really could manage to do was offer to get a refill of whatever you were drinking or offer to let you copy my notes if you missed class."

"Jessie. You're ridiculous. You were the absolute farthest thing from a loser. My God. Let's be really clear about that. And 'swoon' is a strong word, okay? I did not swoon over anyone. Anyone that wasn't you, anyway," you finished with a faint lilt in your voice.

"Oh whatever," Jessie protested though her face felt even warmer now. "You most definitely didn't swoon over me. You don't have to pretend."

"Excuse me," your voice rising to match hers, "You were the smartest girl in class. And so cute. And witty. I know you think being shy was a bad thing - but I found you endearing for it. Made it that much more special when we became friends and you opened up around me. And, you know, jocks were never my type, but the fact that you coupled it with academic smarts and becoming one of the people I was closest to and trusted most – swoon worthy"

"Uh huh," Jessie dismissed though it felt like her head was buzzing now. She swallowed the excitement that was bubbling in her throat. "Well, all I can think about is that one night we were at that silly bar near campus and I got you a new drink – you took a sip, handed it back telling me to hold it for you, and then ran out on the dance floor with [another girl]."

”Oh my gosh,” you said, scandalized though both of you laughed. “Don’t you dare. Anytime I tried to get you to dance you always refused! You made it seem like torture anytime you had to! And it was my favourite song! I didn’t think you’d want to dance.”

"Right, sure," Jessie continued to tease, though your proclamations were accurate. "Well no worries – I held your drink and protected it with my life while you danced up on some other girl."

"Oh my God," you went on with a light laugh. "I'm sorry!" You clicked your tongue. "Listen, I can't change it, but what I can promise you is that next time we're out and I feel like dancing, we're dancing together. I won't take 'no' for an answer this time."

"Well hold on now," Jessie protested in jest, drawing another laugh out of you. She hummed and went on. "Kidding. I suppose I can put up with dancing if it's with you."

"You're making me blush," you told her. The way she laughed, she thought you were kidding, but it was true. "Well, I'd love that. Consider me flattered. I've been waiting a long time for it. Remember when [an ex] and I left abruptly during [a friend's] birthday because we were fighting?"

"Yeah," Jessie said, feeling a fleeting wave of aggravation at the recollection of that night. She remembered your ex storming out, you being in a foul mood and leaving shortly after.

"I mean, that was a shitty night. Too much drama. But anyway, [y/ex] was mad because she caught me looking at you from the dance floor one too many times. I never told you – for obvious reasons."

“Yeah right,” Jessie readily dismissed. She recalled maybe seeing you glance over now and then, but it didn’t mean anything.

"It's true," you refuted simply and unbothered. "I think you'll learn that there were a lot of moments like that."

"Well, I find that hard to believe. But I suppose," she relented. "And there are definitely a lot of moments like that from my side, too."

"Tell me one," you said before quickly adding, "Well. I want to know them all, but I'll go easy on you for now. Let's start with one."

Jessie shuffled down in the seat of the bench and played with the seam of her sweats. She pursed her lips together as she rifled through memories until her mind hitched on one, a twinge going through her chest at the mere recollection of it. She went to consider other options, but whether it was the desire to keep ensuring things were different this time or maybe it was just the lull of night lowering her inhibitions, she decided to stick with this memory. She cleared her throat.

"Uh. I guess graduation comes to mind. Not convocation itself, but, you know, that last night we saw each other before I moved," Jessie started, her eyes on the ground as she began now distractedly picking at the wooden slats of the bench.

"I remember that," you said, your voice more somber than before.

"Yeah," Jessie said simply before a stilted laugh escaped her. "That was a hard night."

"Tell me," you gently encouraged.

Jessie exhaled quietly, giving a listless shrug before stating very matter of fact, "I thought it was the last time I'd ever see you."

Her chest was tight and her body felt heavy as the memories and emotions flooded back. She knew every detail of you that night – she'd wanted to remember every aspect and hold it close. Despite the fact that all these other truths were being revealed now, it didn't undo how heartbroken Jessie had felt at that time.

"Don't you start – then I'm going to cry," you told Jessie as your eyes grew watery and you forced a short laugh.

Jessie tried to laugh, too, but it was feeble at best and instead she felt more tears welling. She tried to muster another laugh, but it came out as more of a sob as you watched her and your lip soon quivered.

"Come here," you said, voice tight as you opened your arms to her.

The two of you collided into each other as you both rushed into the hug. Much to her contempt, Jessie began sniffling immediately and her shoulders shook with sobs, pulling a watery laugh out of you as you gave her a squeeze. The squeeze was encouragement enough for Jessie to tighten her grip on you – clutching you almost desperately in her arms and terrified to let you go.

"Jess," you said, your voice barely audible as you waded through emotion.

Another sob escaped Jessie as she pulled you even tighter to her. She felt your body shudder as your own tears overtook you.

"I'm so proud of you," you managed to say through tears, your head resting against Jessie's. "You're going to do amazing things – even more than you've already done. I’m just going to miss you like hell." You finished with a sad laugh.

Jessie subconsciously dug her fingers into your back. "I'm going to miss you, too," was all she could manage through her tears. You sniffled.

"If you need someone to keep you grounded when you're an even bigger superstar than you are now, you just give me a call," you laughed.

Jessie felt words burning in her throat and she felt powerless to stop them. They were words she'd said to you before – more specifically, returned to you. Anytime you said them to her – flippantly or otherwise, regardless, never the way she wanted you to say them. This time, she allowed herself to say them the way she really felt them.

"I love you," she said, tucking her chin against you. "So much." She felt like her chest was about to explode and she bit down hard on her lip as she looked up to the sky and tried to fight off this persistent stream of tears.

"I love you, too," you returned, voice still thick with emotion, but a light laugh punctuating your reciprocation.

Jessie chest panged once more.

"Text me as soon as you land, okay?" You told Jessie as you pulled away from the hug. Jessie's touch lingered until she forced herself to let go.

She sniffled and nodded, wiping irritably at the next tear that fell. "I will."

"And I know you're going to be super busy, but let me know when I could come by for a visit," you said brightly through your remaining tears. You forced another laugh. "Look at me – I'd never been to a football game in my life until I met you. And now I'm offering to fly halfway around the world to watch you play."

Jessie mustered up a smile, blinking back more tears. "Yeah, I'll let you know." She knew she wouldn't and it broke her heart to lie to you.

"Okay," you said as you nodded, smiling bravely for her. "I know you have to go, so I won't keep you. We'll talk soon. Have a good flight tomorrow, okay? I love you."

Jessie swallowed and returned a brave smile of her own. "I love you, too."

She was startled from her thoughts as you spoke.

"Really? We said we'd visit each other."

"I know," she replied, wisps of guilt setting in. "I just-" She took a breath as she worked to find the words. "it was hard...being only your friend. I, I think I knew that moving to London, that I needed to move on. I'm sorry I didn't know a better way to do it," she finished quietly.

"Ah," you voiced, taking a couple of seconds. "I understand. I'm sorry it was so painful – the last thing I would've ever wanted is to hurt you."

"No, you don't need to apologize," Jessie assured you. "I know you weren't trying to hurt me." She took a breath. "I owe you an apology."

"Hm? Why?" You asked, perplexed.

"You know how you asked me recently why we stopped talking?" She asked. "I wasn't being fully honest with you. I knew I was pushing you away. And I'm sorry – for then and for now, for acting like I didn't know any better. I knew I was hurting you. I just...I didn't know how to move on if you were still in my life."

Jessie felt emotions rising in her chest and she continued.

"I know it probably doesn't mean anything. But, it broke my heart to do it. I was miserable. And it was so hard to not talk to you – to tell you about my day, big things and small, and to not hear about yours. To not know how you were doing. I missed you more than you know."

The line was silent for a few, heavy seconds and Jessie felt her anxiety start to build. Her throat was dry and she was about to speak when you cut in.

"Sorry. I just wish I was there. Or you were here," you said, relieving Jessie of her concerns immediately. "I just wish I could hug you, because you don’t need to apologize. I'm not upset with you. Thank you – for being honest with me. Maybe this isn't right, but it makes me feel so much better to know what was actually happening. I hate that you were hurting, and it hurt me too at the time, but, all of this just makes me excited for what we're trying to explore now."

A smile had spread across Jessie's face. "Good. Me too. And yeah," her smile grew and she picked at the bench once more. "I wish we were together right now, too." She meant to leave room for you to reply, but her nerves got the better of her and she talked on. "But anyway, next weekend will come soon enough."

You chuckled. "I guess that's true. It's been 8 years – what's another week."

"Exactly," she laughed, unable to fully quiet the smile on her face. She glanced up, idly noting the subtle change in the colour of the sky. "Shit. I hate to do this, but I should probably go. The sun's starting to come up."

"Oh my gosh, of course. Don't worry about it. Thank you. For calling me. You really didn't need to, but, I really enjoyed talking with you."

"Don't mention it," Jessie replied, cheeks starting to strain with how much she was smiling. "I love talking with you. You know that."

"I do," you told her. "I'm very lucky. Now go. This can't turn into those nights where we just keep talking and talking despite saying 'bye' a dozen times and then one of us just falls asleep at the other's place," you finished with a laugh. Jessie remembered those nights well. 

"No, I'm not ready to answer the line of questions that would come up if the team found me asleep on this bench," she joked. She smiled further at the laugh it drew from you.

"No way. But you better brace yourself for the questions Janine's going to throw at you. It would just be way too easy if she sleeps through it all."

"Yeah," Jessie rolled her eyes affectionately. "You're probably right." She straightened up and slapped a hand down purposefully on her leg. "Okay, I'm going now. But, it was great talking with you. For the second time tonight," she added with a chuckle. Her face began to warm. "Hopefully you can still get some sleep tonight. Um, sweet dreams."

"Well, if they're of you, then they certainly will be," you teased, causing Jessie's face to flare up even more. "I hope you can get some sleep too. If not, then hopefully you can sleep on the plane. Text me when you can. Oh, and don't think I didn't catch that you said you were 'head over heels' for me," your voice light and teasing. "We'll unpack that next time we talk."

"Y/N!" Jessie exclaimed, but the line had gone dead. She glanced at her phone, mouth agape at how you'd hung up on her. A text came through.

"Goodnight! (morning?) Sweet dreams, Jess. 😘"

A/N: Part Six (finale) available here.

[augentrust]

forbidden one-shot that’s just caleb and essek fucking with that necromantic gem in eiselcross for four hours. they take record amounts of damage. it rapidly devolves into pure showboating. more elaborate wizard mating rituals when

[how-serene]

Slow Dancing In The Dark

Scenario - What it would be like to slow dance with Johnson, Jack Delroy and Bob Taylor.

JOHNSON - This man, if anything, definitely knows how to slow dance. Steady hands gripping firmly onto your waist as you rest your cheek against his shoulder/chest. Prefers being at home, holding your body close to his as music streams through the speakers and fills the living room. I believe this man is a secret romantic at heart, and would take the opportunity to slow dance with you if the moment presented itself. Would twirl you every so often, but loves the close intimacy of being able to hold onto you as you sway together.

JACK DELROY - Showboat. Loves to twirl you, and have a bit of fun. Holds you close to his body, and probably leaves kisses on your forehead every so often. Would enjoy dancing with you in general, doesn't mind if it's in public or not. Definitely has a nice collection of records for you to choose from. Very sensual when it comes to slow dancing with you (hands running up and down your body.)

BOB TAYLOR - Very nervous, shaky hands as you direct him to hold onto your hips or waist. Is a little unsure at first, but I believe after some time he would start to love the slow nature of dancing with you. He finds it soothing, your hand in his as you gently guide him. If your short, he would love to rest his chin on top of your head and just close his eyes to the music. If your taller, he finds comfort in resting his head against your shoulder as you rub your hand up and down his back. He starts looking forward to these slower, more calm moments with you.

[gorjee-art]

🖊🖊🖊🖊 PLEASE Tell us about Joey he is So fucking cool to me <3

Now Joe's a real fun one I don't get the chance to talk about him all that often...

Lovingly, in my heart, he's Charlie's father figure or "coach" as he's called, but in reality, he's a washed-up sharpshooting legend!

Once titled "El toro de Hierro" or "The Iron Bull" he was a big name in Puerto Vallarta or "Las Peñas" as it was still called by the elders. A gambler, thrill seeker, and as mentioned a legendary marksman. One of his more impressive feats was his 10-round record of surviving a two-man revolver roulette, 10 deaths, him still alive. Deemed the luckiest man alive, by card, gun, and skill, it seemed like he would live forever.

But being a gambler and a known con man swindling ignorant American tourists leaves a nasty reputation to your name, and many people wanted him gone. What's worse his legacy all came crashing down after he wanted to retire and settle down, why you may ask? Because he adopted a little girl! Whom he named Rosa, with no family to speak of, lost, hungry, and alone. She became his, and he'd finally gone "soft." but with the furious crowd, and impending dangers, he could not face his little girl anymore and passed her down to a very good friend "Priscelle" to raise her. Soon afterward, fleeing to Elysium the land of so-called misfits, not knowing that salvation was all but a lie, and he'd be stuck there for what seemed like ages, with no one recognizing his status, name, and face. Far too old to care about becoming a legend again.

However, it's not all bad, for he still has his love of risk and thrill, now working for Cerberus as a sharpshooter and sniper, now being able to argue that his skills were being used for good rather than showboating.

[wen-kexing-apologist]

What Happened to Trin? aka Paying Attention to My Favorite Straight Boy

Friends. Romans. Country men. 

I have a confession. 

Yesterday I reblogged a Shadow gifset of Josh cuddling Nai in the middle of the night after returning from his evening of smoking in the woods with Dan. In that reblog, I wrote the tag “Josh is my favorite straight boy in the show”. I showered praise upon him for being secure enough in his own sexuality to cuddle with the Known Queer. But I am concerned I may have been mistaken. 

I was chatting with @khathastrophe about some Shadow theories and she sent me a screen shot of a conversation she had had with @brazilian-whalien52 about her theories around Josh. 

Now, I personally do not think that Trin had a crush on Josh, unless they are intentionally obfuscating the context around the two conversations that Trin had with Joe where he did pretty much everything but explicitly state his feelings for Joe. And I hadn’t been thinking about Josh in relation to drugs, because yeah, he smoked weed, but if you couldn’t tell already, I have been hyperfocused on trying to unravel the One Armed Man thread and he is the only one I could remember having explicit ties to narcotics. 

BUT! I had already been working my way through a re-watch of Episodes 1-7 to see if there was any new information I could glean from the show now that I had better knowledge of all the characters and their relationships to one another. And tonight, I was already planning on watching Episodes 5-7, so I said “you know what? I have been 0% suspicious of Josh the entire way through, but this show is steeped in mystery and it would be irresponsible of me no to pay attention to the character that I write off…after all, in a mystery it’s always the inconspicuous ones,” 

And thus began my Josh!focused Rewatch of Episodes 5-7 (shout out to @so-much-yet-to-learn for bullying me about this, thank you for keeping me humble friend <3). 

Some things I noticed in Episode 5:

Anan was running against Trin for student body president 

When Trin is speaking in to the megaphone about wanting to change the bathrooms, Josh is in the crowd of students listening, but he does not participate in the chants everyone else is saying. And the second the Head Master appears, he is running off before he can really be registered as in attendance of this gathering. 

Josh was out of the room when Joe saw Trin’s ghost, he returns after Trin’s ghost disappears, and Josh has left the auditorium when Trin’s ghost reappears and Nai sees him following after Joe. 

Trin’s medical records state that he has bipolar disorder which can cause him to have hallucinations, he was off his medication, and he was using narcotics to treat his symptoms 

It is later revealed that Trin got a medical check up after his arm injury, where it was discovered that he had consumed marijuana. 

All in all there isn’t much to go off of here, expect that Josh seems rather non-committal to Trin’s policy changes, and he does not want to be seen in the company of unruly students. 

Episode 6, however, is where it starts getting interesting for me, because Episode 6 is where Josh invites Dan out for a little smoke sesh.  

Now, I will admit, at the time of my initial watch, most of the conversation between Dan and Josh whizzed right on past me, obviously the only reason he had called Dan out there was to ask if he liked Cha-aim and to showboat a little bit. But on this watch through, thinking about Trin and Josh and drugs, the conversation hit much different, and it warranted a theory. 

The Build Up

Dan asks Josh where he got the weed from, and Josh tells him he got it from a man named Bancha, an alumnus of the school who is a witch doctor. (now that I think about it, that is probably who this person is from the promos for Ep 8-14 (to your question @slayerkitty): 

ANYWAY, Josh tells Dan that Bancha is a hermit who lives near the woods, and is a witch doctor that can treat mental illnesses. He asks Dan if he’s been having trouble sleeping and upon hearing Dan confirm his sleeping issues, tells Dan that Bancha could totally help him get rid of his sleeping problems. 

So why did this start ringing alarm bells for me this time through? Because a) I was watching Josh with more scrutiny these episodes, b) I’ve been paying a probably unhealthy amount of attention to arms in Shadow over the last few weeks and c) I remembered more details about Trin. 

The Puzzle Pieces 

When Trin’s parents come storming in to Brother Anurak’s office pissed the fuck off because their sons medical records got leaked to the press, Brother Anurak mentions to them that Trin about a year ago (which is around the time Trin disappeared), Trin was treated in a hospital for an injury to his arm. 

We open Episode 1 of Shadow with Trin running through the forest, with his left arm bandaged up. 

Brother Anurak also tells Trin’s parents that he had weed in his system when he got that treatment. (When I heard this at first I brushed it off because it felt like between the mention of bipolar, hallucinations, and narcotics use, adding the weed on top was just a few too many things to try to discredit any potential intel Trin might have had and to distance the school more from his disappearance). 

Josh is the only person we have seen with weed (so far).  

Trin was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and did not like the medication he was on. He wanted to feel “normal” and to get off his medication, which we are told through a flashback conversation between Trin and Master Joe in the theater. We also learn that Trin is going somewhere, he wants to give Master Joe a pen of his to hold on to while he is away and tells Joe, “when I come back and I’m rid of this disease, I will give you your answer” [side note: Joe does not take Trin’s pen, yet he has it in his desk in 1999, so he had to get it back from Trin somehow]

In short, Trin wants to be cured of his bipolar disorder and this Banchan guy that Josh mentioned is a witch doctor that can treat mental illness. 

The Theory 

So with these things in mind, that Josh was in a lot of the flashback scenes with Trin, that Trin had smoked weed at some point before his disappearance, wanted to be rid of his mental illness, had an injured arm, and was running through the woods when we first are introduced to him, I came up with a theory. 

Josh played an active role in Trin’s disappearance. 

gif from @pharawee

With the crumbs they have presented to us so far, my theory is that at the beginning of Episode 1 we are seeing Trin escaping the witch doctor that Josh has convinced Trin to go see. Trin had an injured arm at the beginning of Episode 1, and Brother Anurak mentions an arm injury, so I’d have to imagine they are the same injury. Which means that Trin had probably smoked weed with Josh like Dan had smoked weed with Josh. I can imagine that Trin asked the same question about where Josh got his drugs from, and that Josh gave the same answer. I can imagine Josh potentially knowing about Trin’s medical diagnoses, or at least observing in part Trin’s own experience with hallucinations and relying on that to help convince Trin to go see the witch doctor. 

I can see Josh getting closer to Trin, close enough to get Trin comfortable with him, close enough to get Trin to trust him. I can see Josh and Trin sneaking out to the edge of the woods to smoke, and how that might make it easier to get Trin alone, away from prying eyes, and more comfortable with being in the forest at night. I can see Josh either walking Trin straight to the witch doctor’s door, or telling Trin how to get there. I can imagine the witch doctor trying to do something to “cure” Trin, whether that be an exorcism, a poisoning, an attempted murder, or something else entirely, and Trin managing to escape. Which would explain why we see him running through the woods, because as Josh said, Bancha lives right near the woods. 

I see some things repeating themselves in the promo for the second half of the season, namely Dan having his left arm bandaged the same way that Trin’s was at the beginning of the show and running through the woods looking behind him scared the same was Trin was at the beginning of the show.

Do I think Josh is alone in all of this? No. If he is involved in this at all, I literally have no gauge or understanding of how complicit and aware of what he is doing Josh is. If Josh did play a role in Trin’s disappearance, is he sticking so close to Nai because he feels guilty? Or if my theory does hold true and Josh is pulling Dan aside for conversations and smoke sessions, is he intentionally setting something up?

Josh seems really comfortable and at ease with being physically affectionate and flirty with Nai, despite the potential to be subjected to homophobia, yet he also thinks theater is gay and tells Dan not to join because people will think he is a fag (which, I believe is the closest translation of “toot” to English, fruitcake is certainly not it). 

When Trin was getting beaten up by Anan, Josh just puts his Walkman radio on and ignores the entire fight. Anan and Josh both say Trin is dead (and to be fair, if it were me and a student at my high school went missing a full year before, I would probably also assume they had died). 

Oh! And another thing, one of the drawings in Dan's vision of the One Armed Man was a camera, you know who is associated with cameras?

Josh, our resident Photographer and General Assistant

I think @brazilian-whalien52 made a great point in the conversation I had with her: “Shadow seems like the type of drama everybody had a little hand in. Not an individual blame, but a look through society and the roles we play that affect others,” 

All of which is to say, I unfortunately, will be withholding granting Josh “favorite straight boy” status in Shadow until the narrative proves my theory wrong.

[theshitpostcalligrapher]

literally the best thing i’ve ever said and i dON’T EVEN REMEMBER THE CONTEXT:

“showboating with a purpose”

oh i love that

Askbox is closed for new requests, I'm recording these old ones on the to-write document

[itsscromp]

New Year’s resolution’s

A bit of a sort of sequel to my Christmas one that I did here, something to start 2024 in the right direction, thank you all so much for supporting my stories thought 2023 and leaving your amazing requests with me. I had a blast to write them for you. So without further ado, happy new year everyone, let’s kick off 2024 shall we ?? Word count:935

Spending Christmas with Alex was easily the best decision you have ever made. You two would spent the whole time playing video games and at one point building a snowman. But then new year's eve quickly came along. Alex decided to throw a small party with a few of his former CIA buddies.

Sure it was fun and all, but New Year's was a bit of an iffy thing for you, Since joining 141 and helping Alex and Farah, you came to learn that it was a little pointless to try to be happy about ringing in a new year. The same global tensions and pointless wars. All the same shit you come to expect every year.

You were sitting by the dining table watching on as Alex and his friend broke out the karaoke machine and began to belt out a song so damn badly, of course, you began recording it. Oh Farah was gonna laugh her ass off seeing this video.

But then one of his friends sat next to you and began to try and have a conversation with you. "You make any New Year's resolutions ??" He asked.

"Nah, don't believe in that. No one keeps them"

"Whaaaaatttt ?? Of course, they do, 2 years ago I made a resolution to get back into shape and look at me, I'm as happy as ever" he said while he also flexed his bicep.

"Good for you I guess..." You didn't want to come off as rude, But again New Year's just wasn't your thing. He continued on about New Year's resolutions and how it's always the best thing ever to start the year fresh. It was really making you tense up a bit.

"But I mean come on, Surely they can't keep they're resolutions right ??"

"Yeah... Sorry, just gonna go outside for a little bit" You excused yourself and grabbed your coat, zipping outside as you then breathed in the cool winter air and took a sip of your beer.

He was a little confused as to why you decided to go out like that, Turning to Alex as he then sat down after singing his heart out. "Hey Alex, is your friend ok ??"

"Why, What's wrong ??" He asked.

"I was just having a conversation with them and they seemed to be a little bit bummed out for some reason"

"Did you say anything..." Protective bestie activate

"No no, I was just talking about New Year's and such"

Alex grew a little confused when he said that, why were you feeling sad on New Year's. "Where are they ??"

"They ducked outside"

Alex nodded, grabbing his coat as well and going outside to find you. His hands in his pockets as he approached you.

"Hey... Is something bugging you ??" He gently asked.

You tried to brush it off initially "Just... not really a party type person" You nervously chuckled.

"Hey... It's ok, I promise" He gently placed an arm around your shoulder and gently squeezed it. "I'm all ear's pal" He softly smiled.

You took a deep breath, trying to find the right words for what you were about to say.

"I... I hate New Year's"

Alex tilted his head in confusion and frowned slightly. "Why do you hate New Year's ??"

You looked out into the open "Every time I hope for something different when a new year arrives, It's always either the same shit or a new problem that we have to fucking solve" You gripped the wood panel lightly. "I just... I really want it to be different"

Alex nodded as he looked out. "I get that, I really do, Sometimes I wish for the same... But can't be helped sometimes. And plus I never liked those New Year's resolutions either, cause no one end's up keeping them"

"Your friend seemed happy about it..."

"Eh, He's a showboat sometimes" He chuckled. "It's... easier to just.. celebrate another year Y'know ?? Especially for us, we made it" He squeezed your shoulder again.

"Yeah..." You nodded as you looked up at him.

"It's a miracle we're all together, no matter what happens" He smiled.

You soon began to smile as well "Yeah... Thank you, Alex"

He nodded his head "Here, how about our own little celebration" He went back inside and grabbed a couple of beers plus a bottle opener, coming back outside and opening his and your bottles. "It's early, but just for us" He handed you your bottle.

You smiled as you grabbed it and took a swig from it.

"This year... To the friends we made and the missions we had, And next year to those same friends and family."

"Yeah... I like that" You nodded smiling

"Whatever next year brings, We've got a team" He raised his bottle.

"Yeah, we do" You clinked his bottle and soon wrapped your arm around him. "You're my ride or die, you know that ??"

He playfully ruffles your hair "Till the rider's die pal"

This wasn't going to change, no matter what the new year brings, you would have Alex by your side always. No matter what. Soon the two heard loud mumbling inside, they were about to go in when they heard fireworks nearby. Even getting a good glimpse at them It was midnight... The new year has begun. Both of you stayed outside and watched the fireworks go off, relishing each other's company.

"Happy new year Alex"

"Happy new year y/n" He wrapped his arm around you again.

This was all you needed, you and Alex. You knew he'd be at your side, Always.

Taglist: @callofdudes @fun-k-board

[open-hangar]

Space Defense Lanzer Ep. 6

LUNARIAN MECHANICAL RECORDS

Μακάριοι οι Παρατηρητές

Prototype Lanzer Type-Artemis

Size: 18m, 51 tons

Power Output: ~800 MW/minute onboard, [REDACTED]

Pilots: 1 active pilot

Weaponry and abilities: Space flight, limited atmospheric flight, modular weaponry and armor. Limited onboard weaponry.

Etc.: Despite appearances, this is NOT to be confused with the MP Synth-OSi-equipped Lanzers, which share lineage with the Artemis. Changes to this Lanzer by anyone other than Lt. j.g. Truth MUST be approved before implementation.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Elysian Truth stood at attention before their mother, as all Lunarian soldiers are trained to do. This is a monumental occasion, as few receive a personal briefing from any one member of the council like this. Elysian felt honored, and was dressed in their finest black flight suit, white cloak, and rebreather mask. They stand at full attention, waiting for an “at ease” that never comes.

Councilwoman Resplendent Truth snaps her fingers, and the room grows dark as a map of what was once known as the continent of Africa extends across the wall behind her. It zooms into the southern half, and then it goes further until it’s just the southernmost peninsula. A striped zone surrounds Kwazulu LBZ to represent Siyanqoba’s anti-air coverage, along with a small flag on its very outer edge.

“Our long campaign pushing the Earthling savages back to their wasteland has proven effective. Our battleships stationed above the LBZ’s ensure that nothing leaves the atmosphere, but our spy scopes believe that they might have figured out how to make their own Lanzers, instead of just digging them up out of the ground.”

Even if Elysian’s face were visible, it would be difficult to gauge his reaction to this. It’s difficult to imagine the Earthlings with anything approaching real technology, but the idea of some of them putting up a decent fight was a little exciting.

“You’re going on a special assignment,” Councilwoman Truth explained. “We believe that they’re planning on testing whatever they’re making outside of their protected area as bait. You and the Type-Artemis are going in alone and taking that bait.”

Elysian’s hand shot up to their chest in salute. “I will track this machine down and annihilate it.”

But their mother wasn’t fast enough to interrupt them. “Unlikely. The Type-Artemis is good, real good, but the smart move from the savages’ point of view is to send a small army along with… whatever they have to extend their anti-air coverage. That’s why once you confirm this thing’s existence, you’ll tag the entire area for orbital bombardment and get out. The Artemis is too valuable to let you destroy it.”

Their mother’s lack of respect for their piloting ability is what really hurts Elysian. With Luna’s help, the lieutenant has racked up a higher kill count than any other Lunarian over the course of the campaign… The councilwoman picked up on this slight hesitation.

“I will stand no showboating or hotdogging. The Synth-OSi AI is without a doubt our most valuable battlefield asset. If anything, ANYTHING, happens to it…”

She marches directly towards her child, and rips Elysian’s rebreather off of their face as a violet haze bellows out of it, and holds it above her head. “We both know the consequences.”

The lieutenant does their best to remain stoic, but the symptoms start kicking in in the predictable manner. First, it becomes harder to breathe. Shallow at first, but slowly growing into something like an asthma attack. Then, their vision starts to blur. Colors start to disappear, and everything becomes blurry and wobbling. And lastly, his muscles start to go. Elysian fights it for as long as possible before their knees start to buckle, and their beet-red face bursts out in shallow wheezing. Resplendent returns the mask to its normal resting spot.

“Dismissed.”

—

“Trajectory proceeding as calculated. Opening heat vents. Heat shield not necessary. Entering lower atmosphere in 5 minutes, approaching landing site in 20. Any further requests, Lt. Truth?”

Luna’s voice wasn’t comforting to most, but to Elysian, it was the sound of their oldest friend. “Nope, proceed as planned. Bring up the most up-to-date aerial map of the landing site, I want to see if our new friend is waiting for us.”

A map flickers open on one edge of the panoramic hud surrounding the pilot’s seat, and Lt. Truth flicks one of their fingers to drag it closer to the front.. It shows a grassland sparsely populated by trees, and is updated once every couple of seconds or so. Sure enough, there’s exactly 1 mechanical object resembling a Lanzer patrolling between two random trees.

“How far in can you zoom?”

The map expands to fill the entire hud, and then focuses in on the object, but it’s mostly just a blurry mess of pixels.

“Would you like me to digitally enhance it, Lt.?”

Elysian shakes their head, knowing that it would be pointless. “Don’t bother, your guess would be as good as mine.” They instead lean their head in and squint, comparing it to their mental database of pre-disaster Lanzer models. “It looks like it’s just a Ground Lanzer… Mark II? But it’s carrying something on its back.”

“Remember what the Councilwoman said, Lieutenant,” Luna proclaimed out of nowhere, almost instinctively reading Elysian’s intentions. They wave the invisible presence away.

“Yes, yes, I know.”

—

The retro-boosters in Type-Artemis’ legs ease its descent into the savanna with no problems, and the hud blinks a red triangle in the distance where the orbiting ships’ cameras spotted the target. Sure enough, it was a Ground Mark II with some sort of large backpack. The lieutenant sizes it up from a distance when a lunarian voice comes over comms. “Lt. Truth, this is the LMS Perseverantiae reporting that we’re ready for bombardment. Just fire the tracker at the location from the catapult equipped on the Type-Artemis from a safe location once you’ve determined the target and we’ll do this rest. Orbital ship out.”

A display on the hud listed all of the Type-Artemis’ weapons in a handy list. Beam rifle, beam sword, tracker catapult. The rifle and the sword were attached to the Lanzer’s power systems and were basically infinite if both reactors were activated (Elysian’s skin itched at the thought). The catapult had a big 1 next to it. After a second’s deliberation, the lieutenant switched over to the rifle, and the Type-Artemis automatically drew it and aimed it forward. It’s just one Ground Lanzer, Elysian thought to themself. Luna didn’t say anything as they marched into range, took aim, and fired.

Luna's aim assist sent the shot directly to where the enemy Lanzer was going to be based on its current trajectory, but it almost knew where that shot was going and zipped laterally, offering Elysian a better view of what was on its back. It was the shape of a turtle shell, covered in plated metal and glass. Is that a second cockpit? No… what good would that do? They didn’t have time to dwell on it before Ground Lanzer determined the Type-Artemis’ position and open fired with its machine gun and forced the lunarian to respond in kind.

The two danced in a violent ballet for several minutes, trading shots and dodging them in kind, all the while the two machines grew closer and closer until they were practically in range to touch. “Lieutenant, we are currently too close to the target. Retreat and fire the beacon.” Elysian didn’t have to voice their disagreement, they were already too focused, too excited, and having too much fun. “Fire the second reactor, Luna.” “That is not a wise course of action, Lieutenant. We are currently acting outside mission parameters.”

Elysian frowned. Luckily, they knew exactly what to do to get the machine’s AI to do what they wanted. He triggered the emergency unequip functions on the rifle and the catapule, which both launched well clear of the battlefield as the Type-Artemis automatically drew its melee weapon. Elysian could have sworn that they heard Luna groan as this happened. “Emergency situation detected. Activating second reactor.”

Magnets in Elysian’s flight suit yank them back into the cockpit’s seat, forcing them to sit at a reclining angle as a 6-pack configuration of large needles press themselves into Elysian’s back around their spine. It used to hurt, but now it feels exhilarating, like the fight was just now getting good. Violet crystals slowly creep in the edges of the pilot’s vision, and with a raspy yell, Elysian fires off a message across all open channels: “Let’s dance!”

Firing the second reactor in the Type-Artemis always had the same effects: Faster boosts, longer range beam sword, more powerful weapon blasts. But the most fun part was always Elysian’s radically improved reaction speeds. Everything moved in slow motion. Every other pilot was just a child in playground equipment. And this one was no different, as it seemed to just stand still and did its best to block and parry elongated sword attack with its pitiful axe.

But then it does something that the lunarian didn’t expect. With an almost pre-programmed motion, the Ground Lanzer grabs the Type-Artemis’ free arm after a wild sword swing, and brings it close into a tight hug. They were too close for the lunarian Lanzer to swing its powered up sword, and the machine’s faces grew close enough to kiss. “Wh… Get off! Savage scum!” Elysian charged up the boosters for a violent getaway, but it was too late.

The earthling machine’s turtle shell blasted off of its back, and swung up and around in a controlled rocket burst aided by a thick cable attacking it to the Ground Lanzer. It was already staring directly into the Type-Artemis’ back as a thick tentacle with its own beam sword ejected out of a metal panel and directly through the lunarian mecha’s head, killing all outside cameras feeding into the cockpit. “Disaster situation detected. Imminent mission failure, violent chargon leakage, emergenc-”

The entire cockpit fills with a thick grey fluid, the sound of igniting fuel, and then darkness.

Art by https://x.com/REEvolt119956

[jpnnewmusicdaily]

扉の冬 (Tobira no Fuyu) by Minako Yoshida / 吉田美奈子

Album: 扉の冬 Year: 1973 Label: Showboat → ULTRA-VYBE Lyrics & Music: Minako Yoshida / 吉田美奈子

[f0point5]

If you were a 100 percent unbiased, who do you think on the current grid has the capability to grow beyond the sport and reach a level of superstardom the likes of Schumacher, Tiger Woods and so on

This is such an interesting question!!!

Umm (not me having to Google the grid to see if I’m missing someone). Okay so it’s hard to answer because I do think that in order to transcend the sport you have to be at the top of the sport. No one is buying the brand of a losing driver (on the scale of Lewis, Schumacher, Michael Jordan, etc., I know there’s people who’ve made brands despite not being winners but I’m talking in terms of kind of becoming synonymous with the sport). So I’m doing this on the basis that these drivers have hypothetically achieved something in the sport.

Obviously Daniel. If he had gone on to achieve something similar to Seb, I think he absolutely could have gone global. Look at what he’s been able to do despite never really being a star of a driver. If he’d been winning championships I think he could absolutely have expanded into more traditional sports marketing in America. He heavily inspired drove to survive, but if he’d been a Red Bull golden boy…who knows, maybe he’d have had his own series, or been able to parlay that connection into something for himself. I definitely think he could have had the potential.

Maybe this is controversial idk but I feel like if Charles had a) won a championship, and b) been a bit more consistent in his branding, he could be a big name. If it had been Charles in that 2021 title fight, I think he would have had an incredible springboard to launch a career. Sooo many people I know who don’t know anything about F1 will go “oh yeah but that Leclerc guy is hot”. He’s pretty, and his fan base is evidence that he has something that draws people in. I feel like if he’d leaned more heavily into the “old money European” thing as well he would go over so well with a US audience. Racing for Ferrari, from Monaco, rich…he IS Euro summer in one pretty package.

And this is going to maybe sound biased but I genuinely think Max could, but in a different way. I think his results speak for themselves, and he’s garnered so much attention just from that that if he had the desire to grow that, he could. He could very easily be a bit more of a showboat, get himself more exposure, and become more well known. He’s like the Tom Brady of F1 right now, if he wanted to endorse brands, cover magazines, etc., he could just on his track record alone. He obviously doesn’t want to and maybe you could argue his personality isn’t suited to that kind of life but I think his profile as a sportsman means it would be within reach if he wanted it.

I’m not including Lewis in this because as far as I’m concerned he has already transcended the sport as a brand.

[lesbianchemicalplant]

(the following is written from a US Nationalist perspective—“lax safety standards endanger the US' nuclear stockpile and thus our National Security!” etc. Still, this describes some remarkable events)

Technicians at the government's Los Alamos National Laboratory settled on what seemed like a surefire way to win praise from their bosses in August 2011: In a hi-tech testing and manufacturing building pivotal to sustaining America's nuclear arsenal, they gathered eight rods painstakingly crafted out of plutonium, and positioned them side-by-side on a table to photograph how nice they looked. At many jobs, this would be innocent bragging. But plutonium is the unstable, radioactive, man-made fuel of a nuclear explosion, and it isn't amenable to showboating. When too much is put in one place, it becomes "critical" and begins to fission uncontrollably, spontaneously sparking a nuclear chain reaction, which releases energy and generates a deadly burst of radiation. The resulting blue glow — known as Cherenkov radiation — has accidentally and abruptly flashed at least 60 times since the dawn of the nuclear age, signaling an instantaneous nuclear charge and causing a total of 21 agonizing deaths. So keeping bits of plutonium far apart is one of the bedrock rules that those working on the nuclear arsenal are supposed to follow to prevent workplace accidents. It's Physics 101 for nuclear scientists, but has sometimes been ignored at Los Alamos. As luck had it that August day, a supervisor returned from her lunch break, noticed the dangerous configuration, and ordered a technician to move the rods apart. But in so doing, she violated safety rules calling for a swift evacuation of all personnel in "criticality" events, because bodies — and even hands — can reflect and slow the neutrons emitted by plutonium, increasing the likelihood of a nuclear chain reaction. A more senior lab official instead improperly decided that others in the room should keep working, according to a witness and an Energy Department report describing the incident.

Eight rods of plutonium within inches — had a few more rods been placed nearby it would have triggered a disaster. (Los Alamos National Laboratory/U.S. Department of Energy) [...]

In 2005, shortly before the profit-making firms wrested majority control of the laboratory from the University of California, the lab's "nuclear criticality safety program did not meet many of the" nuclear industry's standards, according to a DOE report in 2008. [...]

A bonus was also offered if the laboratory started meeting basic criticality safety standards. But Bowen said that, in his view, meeting minimum requirements shouldn't need and didn't deserve bonus pay. The new corporate group promised to bring the lab up to the required safety standards in 2007. But that September, when members of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board inspected plutonium vaults at PF-4, they discovered much more material present than inventories showed, posing new risks of spontaneous fissioning if some of it became too tightly packed together. So in September 2007, the lab shut down PF-4 for a month and told DOE it had created a Nuclear Criticality Safety Board to analyze and fix the lab's persistent problems. In 2010, when the Energy Department did a checkup, however, it found "no official notes or records" the group had ever met, according to an internal Energy Department report. The lab's promised date to improve criticality safety had slid to 2008, then 2010, and then to 2011.

[...]

In one photo, obtained by the Center, two of the rods are touching each other as they rest on a roll of duct tape. In another, eight rods are clustered tightly enough to fit within a pencil's length, propped up against a pyramid-shaped stick with black and yellow candy stripes to indicate "caution." Workers had forged the plutonium rods as aliquots — samples that could be useful to researchers in the weapons program and to teams trying to perfect the conversion of weaponized plutonium into fuel for civilian power plants. Reaching into the box was dangerous, said Don Nichols, the NNSA associate administrator for safety and health at the time, because the water present in human bodies reflects neutrons and slows their speed, increasing the likelihood that those emitted by plutonium will collide with the nuclei of other plutonium atoms and emit more neutrons, triggering a nuclear chain reaction, with its accompanying release of energy and radiation.

(29 June 2017)

death to america

[squared-m]

KAIDRA (3/6)- TABER (HE/HIM)

Originally hailing from the city of Metru-Kofo on the Northern Continent, Taber spent most of his time, like many Le-Matoran, working as much as he played. While originally serving as an airship pilot, he soon realized his true talent as an athlete, quickly picking up and mastering the sport of Komutaka. Taber quickly rose through the ranks, eventually becoming a regional champion, before moving onto the new (at least for him) sport of Kolhii after being evacuated to Spherus Magna.

Taber's athletic talent is only his second most-recognized trait, his first being his ego. To put it bluntly, Taber's mouth writes checks his mask can't cash. He will often gloat about his looks and his superior skills, often frustrating and annoying those around him, even going as far as to bully those “beneath” him. Though, much of this showboating and narcissism hid Taber's feelings of inadequacy.

Half a century after Teridax's defeat, and the reformation of Spherus Magna, Taber was lauded as New Atero's Kolhii champion, even beating former champion Hewkii's record. He would eventually be approached by a hooded figure, and given a strange green stone, and would be told to travel to the corpse of the Great Spirit Robot, to the dilapidated Great Temple of Metru Nui. It is here where Taber, along with 5 other matoran, would be transformed into a Toa, and form the Toa Kaidra.

[bellakwan]

Roundtable 3: Till The Clouds Roll By (1946)

Richard Whorf's Till the Clouds Roll By is a 1946 biopic of American Broadway pioneer Jerome Kern. It features renditions of Kern's famous songs from his musical plays performed by contemporary stage artists. The film follows Kern's journey from his early days as a struggling songwriter to his rise as one of the most influential figures in American musical theater.

Jerome Kern was an American composer whose breakthrough came with the musical Show Boat (1927). Throughout his career, Kern composed numerous hit songs that became standards of the American songbook. Kern's influence extended beyond Broadway, as he also composed music for Hollywood films. He received multiple Academy Award nominations for his film work, including for the score of "Swing Time" (1936), which featured the classic song "The Way You Look Tonight."

What are the social aspects within the film’s narrative that align with the film’s songs? 

In Till the Clouds Roll By, every song serves as a snapshot from one of Jerome Kern's musicals. Each of his musicals has various themes that are reflected in these performances. For instance, the film delves into the pursuit of artistic success and recognition within the competitive world of musical theater, as seen in the song "Make Believe" from Showboat. Performances of songs like "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" and "The Folks Who Live on the Hill" create sentiments of longing, desire, and devotion, mirroring the characters' experiences of love and heartache against the backdrop of their personal and professional lives.

Through these performances, audiences are transported into the intimate moments of the characters' lives, witnessing the highs and lows of their relationships unfold on screen. The emotional depth and vulnerability conveyed through these songs resonate with audiences on a profound level, inviting them to reflect on their own experiences of love and longing.

2. How do the historiographies of previously recorded songs inform audience relationships with the musical's narrative and performers?

By incorporating these well-known songs into the film, Till the Clouds Roll By establishes a connection with audiences who may be familiar with the original recordings. The historiographies of these songs evoke a sense of nostalgia and recognition, inviting audiences to engage with Kern's work on a deeper level. As audiences listen to familiar tunes reinterpreted within the context of the film, they are reminded of past performances and experiences, enriching their understanding and appreciation of the narrative unfolding on screen. Each performance is set against the backdrop of theatrical stages that include similar set designs and costumes to those of Kern's musical plays.

A notable example of this homage is Caleb Peterson's rendition of "Ol' Man River" from Kern's seminal work, Show Boat. In the film, we see the character Joe, a Black dock worker grappling with the struggles faced by African Americans along the Mississippi River. Peterson's performance captures the essence of Kern's vision for the film. He is dressed in attire similar to Joe's character and surrounded by a stage design reminiscent of the riverfront setting.

Later on, the film's set design shifts completely and we see Frank Sinatra's rendition of "Ol' Man River" towards the end. Sinatra's performance is set against the backdrop of a grand orchestra and adorned in an all-white suit.

While Peterson's rendition authentically captures the struggles of marginalized communities and serves as a powerful commentary on racial inequality, Sinatra's interpretation almost overshadows this narrative depth. The contrast between Peterson's portrayal of a Black dock worker and Sinatra's performance with overwhelming privilege and sophistication, dilutes the real meaning behind the song, shifting the focus away from the authentic representation of racial struggle.

3. What musical genre/style drives the film’s score, and how does the genre/style (re)define the film as a musical?

Alberto Mira's "Introduction: The Hollywood Musical is Dead. Long Live the Hollywood Musical!" provides valuable insights into the evolution and significance of the Hollywood musical genre, which can be applied to understanding Till The Clouds Roll By. Mira's discussion of the Hollywood musical's cultural significance underscores the importance of the genre as a reflection of societal values and aspirations. Till the Clouds Roll By embodies this aspect by exploring themes of ambition, love, and social justice through its musical performances and narrative arcs. The film serves as a testament to the enduring appeal of the Hollywood musical genre and its ability to resonate with audiences across generations.

The film's score is predominantly driven by the musical genre/style of traditional Broadway and musical theater. This genre/style is characterized by orchestration, melodies, and elaborate vocal performances that serve to advance the narrative and evoke the emotions of the different characters. The genre/style of traditional Broadway and musical theater (re)defines the film as a musical by infusing it with elements such as elaborate song and dance numbers, theatrical staging, and larger-than-life performances. These elements serve to heighten the emotional impact of the narrative and create a sense of spectacle that is characteristic of the musical genre.

[bracketsoffear]

Lightning Dust (My Little Pony) "There are a lot of aspects of the Vast that I feel she covers. The sky and storms are obvious, but she also touches on the aspect of insignificance. She has a noted lack of care for others, disregarding safety procedures and politeness in the name of showboating. For example, in the episode 'Wonderbolts Academy', she cut off the other fliers in midair with a burst of wind that sent them all spinning out. She and Rainbow Dash performed a record time on the course, but when Rainbow expressed concern about the injuries sustained by the other fliers, Lightning Dust only responded with, "Hey, you snooze, you lose!"

Later in the episode, Lightning convinced Dash to show off by helping to create a tornado. The duo then lost control of the storm, sending it loose across the sky, and nearly causing all of Rainbow's friends to plummet to their deaths when it hit their hot-air balloon. After Rainbow and the other trainees saved the lives of the balloonists, Lightning Dust's sole response was to enthuse about how awesome the storm was and attempt to hoof-bump Rainbow, who responded with disgust and fury.

After Lightning was ejected from the Wonderbolts for her recklessness, she formed a rival stunt flying group, the Washouts, who perform far more dangerous stunts by cutting the safety measures. Their motto is 'Leap before you look." She briefly recruits Scootaloo, Rainbow's biggest fan and honorary sister, by enticing her with the ability to fly on a rocket-propelled scooter in a potentially fatal stunt. This feeds the Vast from numerous angles -- Scootaloo's rising anxiety about the deadly flying stunt, the audience's shock and horror at the show, and Rainbow Dash's fears both about Scootaloo's safety and her own feelings of insignificance after Scootaloo rejected her. Rainbow ultimately saves Scootaloo from the death-defying stunt, but Lightning learns nothing and is almost literally hoist by her own petard when she gets tangled in a rope and rocket-launched over the horizon, swearing that she will be Rainbow's rival for life.

TL;DR: Lightning Dust is an asshole adrenaline jockey who disdains anyone slower and more cautious than she is, has no regard for the safety and lives of others, and entices others to be just as 'awesome' as she is."

Rowan Chow (Camp Here & There) "Rowan is a counselor in Cabin Magpie Moth at Camp Here & There. He receives psychic forecasts of upcoming meteorological events. Rowan is fairly shy and always on edge due to his visions, often of doom and terror, from the sky."