#there was only 4 other people in the theater with my sister and I

[mollyollypuddingpolly]

Just watched Lisa Frankenstein in theatres and it was so freaking good.

I've been so excited for it since I first saw the trailer and it did not disappoint!

It really feels in tune with campy 80s movie, drawing from things like Heather's, Rocky Horror, Edward Scissorhands, even had similar vibes to But I'm a Cheerleader in aesthetic.

Truly feels like a cult classic in the making and I'm very glad this movie leaned into it.

Lisa Frankenstein is truly for the Weird Girls ™ and I loved evey second of it.

[totallynuwonhere]

2nd Gen Shawpack Pookies

I’ve had them in my notes for AGES and I’ve still yet to finish a design, but i do intend on creating little skits of them cuz of how much I’ve invested giving them all personalities and pinterest boards. (If this isn’t me exhibiting my deep love for the Redactedverse idk what is)

Some descriptions are longer than the others, I’ve obviously put more thought into certain characters

•Shaw Twins

- both children are sadly ungifted in the kitchen, despite the fact that David has made them his little helpers when since they were little. Multiple flames have been put out because of them.

-Both do share a love for nature like their father.

Gabriella Shaw (Gabby)🫶🏻

- Angel carbon copy with a dash of Gabriel’s silliness and courage, which always made David smile.

- Natural born Leader. Despite being the eldest child (4 fucking minutes) David has never burdened them with the responsibility or thought of inheriting the business. She stepped into the leadership role on her own, with more brighter approach, personality wise.

- Rollerskates, Angel started taking her to roller rinks since age 6 and she loves taking Lyss and KC with her

Callum Grey Shaw 🌱

-Yes he’s named after the sweet Caelum. David wanted to commemorate his childhood friend.

- Inherited David’s resting bitch face, if you point it out he’ll even growl like he does.

- Great Observer. Because his sister was the more outgoing one of them, he was always the listener, making him more emotionally aware, noticing things most people miss.

- Loves sitcoms. He’s probably watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine so many times he can name episodes in order. This also translates his love for the security company his dad runs. Always begging David to take him to work with him. (I think we know who inherits the company)

•Talbot Troop

-Asher is the only one I picture having multiple kids with a range of age gaps.

-No doubt the most outgoing ones of the pack.

August Talbot (Auggie) 🍕

- Foodie

- Life of the party, stealin’ hearts with his million watt smile

- DDR is his sport

Kelcee Talbot (KC/CeeCee) 🧠

- Designated driver of the group

- Straight A student. When she was young she’d share all the interesting facts she’d pick up on to her parents and it always astounded Asher, how she can command a room, especially being the SOMEWHAT, mellow one among the three.

Oliver James Talbot (OJ/Ollie) 🪲

- Very inquisitive

- Youngest of the pack (the only 7yr old in a group of 17 year olds)

- Has a special bond with Alyssa

•Greer Icon

Alyssa Marie Greer 💥

-Now while i think of Milo and SW as the D.I.N.K (dual income, no kids) couple, and i will somewhat always think that, but— this name crossed my head and I just cannot let it go. IT HONORS MARIE OK—

-Unsurprisingly is always the best dressed. Milo is very proud.

-Has a very ‘takes no bull personality’ making them the most intimidating out of group.

- Plays archery competitively

- Straightforward

-Weirdly great with babies, explains her close bond with Oliver

•Collins

Sean Riley Collins 🥐

- aka Peace Officer Collins

- The code name speaks for itself, he is very much like his old man when it comes to ensuring his friends don’t do anything stupid, and in the very common occasions they do, he of course serves them with a patented Collins lecture.

- He may be half vamp, but that doesn’t mean he has to have a mundane food pallet, this man can COOK and bake, a soft, crispy shelled sourdough being one of his specialties

•Solaire

Hugo Solaire 🎭

- theater kid

- sarcastic, confident, somewhat frivolous, despite his royal status, which gets him in trouble for

- May or may not have a thing for the alpha’s daughter.

- Like Vincent, he’s mostly only close to the Collins’ but has occasionally hanged out with the shaw pack.

[bundrops-n-fluffytops]

Screw it

Welcome Home Age Regression HCs

Wally 🍎

Usually from 1-3, can regress older

Can be voluntary or involuntary

Can be a bit of a brat sometimes? Especially if you seem to break his routine, that makes him pretty upset

Otherwise he’s just a super sweet baby

Autistic age regression let’s gooooo

He’s always seen with his childhood blankie, you can’t pull them apart

Like seriously

Don’t even attempt to break them apart, he’ll just throw a fit and start crying

He also LOVES apple slices and apples in general, it’s his same food

The best kinda baby for a playdate!! He’ll play house with ya, princess dressup, he’ll read books with you, he’s just a playful lil guy

Pretty much anyone can be his cg, but they’re usually either Barnaby, Julie, Howdy, or Poppy

He called Barnaby “pubby” once and it drove the dog to tears, he can never recover

I also hc him to be a cat regressor? He’s got those eyes and likes to bat things off of counters and stays up to ungodly hours

Lil weird ass meow meow

Barnaby 🐾

Primarily a pet regressor, it’s way too easy to figure out

Unusually easy to slip as well

Wally starts playing with him and he’s just immediately into puppyspace

Was kinda scared of people finding out bc he thought they would be confused, but they’re super supportive!!

Frank: “It was obvious, you’re a dog of all things.”

His favorite toy to chew on is either Wally’s slippers or his stuffed mouse

When he’s not in puppy regression, he can also (rarely) age regress to 5-10 yrs

The best big brother!!

If Wally and Barnaby regress together, he’s usually the one taking the reins and playing the “parent”

Occasionally he’ll snap out of regression if someone else is regressing while he is, just so he can help take care of them

He’s got older brother cg vibes, I swear

Julie 🌸

Surprisingly quiet when it comes to regression, but does it religiously

Usually down to toddler age, around 2-5 yrs

Has a MOUNTAIN of plushies, she practically sleeps in a big pile of them

There’s at least 7 separate hello kitty ones

She’s a big fan of cats in general, she’ll pretend that she has a pet kitty and use one of her plushies

Their name is Violet Twinkletoes :>>

Loves to do lil playdates with Frank and Wally, regressed or not

Tea parties ALL the time, it’s required

Loves to play big sister when others are regressed

Similarly to Barnaby, she’ll break out of regression if she notices others starting to go small, just so she can take care of them

She loves giving and getting lullabies

Pretty hard to get to sleep, she’ll probably just start jumping up and down on her bed before she tires herself out

Sally ☀️

Terrible twos, 2-4 yrs old

Princess regressor to a capital T

Super bossy, loud, loves to wear pretty dresses, just an all-around theater baby

Loves watching musical recordings, her favorite is Cats

“TOUUUUUCH MEEEEEE ITS SO EEEEAAAASSSY TO LEEEEEAVE MEEEEEEEEEEE”

Surprisingly easy to get to bed, she knows she needs the energy tomorrow for games so she just clocks out

Just don’t take away her tv, she can’t live without it

Her favorite show would definitely be My Little Pony, she loves the colors and the characters and how pretty everything is

She has a bunch of My Little Pony figurines in her drawers and on the floor

Very messy toddler too, but she’s willing to clean up when she needs to

It takes her a bit to notice if someone is feeling bad, but when she does she’s their BIGGEST support

Frank 🦋

The smartest baby, but also the grumpiest

Only regresses to deal with stress and anxiety, rarely regresses out of happiness

0-2 yrs, he’s so darn tiny!!

He loves being held, it’s usually his first request when he goes small

He also LIVES for bedtime stories, he always asks for one before bed

Sometimes he’ll sit on your lap and just start spouting facts about insects and butterflies, all with a slight lisp and everything

Knows a bunch of big boy words, but has trouble pronouncing it so he needs your help

Eddie it’s obv his main cg, but he’s also got Julie, Howdy, and Poppy

And Barnaby if he’s tiny enough

Doesn’t have many plushies but he does have a stuffed beetle named Skipper, he’s his best friend

Arguably the most talkative out of all the regressors, he’s always chatting

Eddie 💌

The most prominent flip of the neighborhood

He can go from baby to dad in an instant, he’s that quick to go big again

Has a pretty wide range of age when it comes to regressing, but usually stays in 1-4 yrs

Completely mute when he’s small, he’s either suckin on his paci or his thumb the entire time

Follows his cg like a baby duckling while little, sometimes holding their hand

It’s actually pretty easy to tell when he needs to go small; not talking as much, constantly following someone, probably fumbling with his hands, a lot more shy too

Frank takes care of him ofc, he’s the best dad

Frank would fuss over him a LOT, constantly checking for bruises and stuff, making sure he’s not sick

And he’s just sitting there like 👶

Eddie’s scared of the dark :((

It’s really easy to forget tho; he’ll say just about nothing the whole day, then you tuck him into bed and when you’re leaving you just hear him start crying and being all “hellpppp, don’t goooooo”

He’s stacked with night lights tho

He likes to put a plushy in front of the door, the closet, and underneath his bed so no monsters get him

I like to think that Frank is surprisingly strong for how lanky he is so he can carry is baby husband with little to no struggle

Eddie loves it

Howdy 🐛

Primarily a caregiver!!

Honestly would be such a good dad figure, he’s got four arms to carry four kids!

Would give silly lil nicknames for all the kiddos on the block; buddy, lil man, lil miss, sweetie, pumpkin, etc.

May not be the brightest caregiver but boy is he the sweetest

Would probably accidentally leave one of the kiddos on his back bc he’s got his hands full with the others, so they’re just hanging out behind him

The absolute best at pretend, he’s got stories and character roles all up his sleeves

Frank like to pretend that Howdy is turning into a butterfly, so he pretends he stays in a lil blanket cocoon and then emerges with these plastic butterfly wings on his back

It sends Frank into a frenzy every single time

If someone accidentally goes small at his Bugdega, he’ll drop everything and take them into the nearest bathroom so they can calm down and go small properly

He’ll also sneak a free treat in their pocket if they’re good, only if you’re good

Punishments are hard to give bc he’s pretty easily swayed, so he’ll probably just give you a slap on the wrist and scold you before sending you on your way

He loves his kids and he wants the best for them, he can’t stand to see them upset

Poppy 🐔

This one is the hardest to figure out bc there isn’t much to know about her, but I’ll do my best

TOP TIER MOM OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Also a default caregiver like Howdy, they are the ultimate parent duo

Always fussing over her kiddos, she’s got bandaids and Pepto Bismol in every corner of her house

She can be a bit stern when it comes to punishment, but she isn’t downright strict or mean

All she wants is for you to be careful

Her drawers are STACKED with toys, blankets, pacis, outfits, nappys, etc.

She always prepared when something is needed

She is the absolute best baker too; you’ll come to her house and it smells like freshly baked cookies

You can come into her kitchen to find a light snack, she’ll notice and make a whole meal

She’s also a lovely singer, so she’s perfect for lullabies

I like to imagine that if the kids are staying over at her house, they like to cuddle with her bc she’s a big ol bird

She’s got soft feathers!! She can’t help it!!

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

‼️ aita for looking out for a friend?

(all 17, pronouns provided for everyone included other than me)

so I have a relatively small friend group, including people who I'll call T (they/them, my best friend), G (he/him, the friend the title is referring to), and B (she/her, we don't get along). B and I have been on our high school theater team for 4-ish years together, right from the first show post-quarantine to (hopefully) our last senior show in April next year. Last year, my friends T and G joined for a murder mystery show and G LOVED it. we performed it, went into summer, and came back for our senior year. Now, it's important to note that B, T, and I are also on our school's robotics team and off season events typically fall around the same day of theater competitions (dont ask why there's theatr competitions, we mainly do them for fun). B has already said that theater is more important to her than robotics, so our theater director decided to do a two person show.

Our director had already said she wanted B and G to play the parts in the show, but we all asked for an audition anyway. Auditions come around, all four of us audition. We actually talked about doing a different show in our senior meeting a week before that had 5 roles, but everyone agreed that the two person show would be better. B decided to bring up a year old issue we had where I was venting about only getting minor supporting roles where I either die or spend half the show off stahe. I had said in that conversation that before roles were casted, I wanted B's roles. It was the biggest role in the show with no time off stage and I felt like I was at a point i could handle it, but B got the role and it was fine! I was chilling with my yelling role. Well, B heard this and interpreted it as me saying I could do her role better and stormed out of class after yelling at me about it.

This went unresolved for a YEAR because everytime I tried to talk about it she'd either yell at me or change the topic. And now she was using it as a petty argument to show that I'd be upset if I didn't get a role. This isn't even the worst thing that's happened between us, but let's get back to the aita.

So, as of the time I'm submitting this it's only the first week of rehearsals. B and G are both almost off book, which is impressive for G because this is only his second show. He's absolutely amazing at his role but has a habit of getting the idea of his lines and paraphrasing them (if that makes sense? like if that line is "it'll only be a second, let me check." he'll say "let me look ill only be a second"), but beyond that he's REALLY good at making you feel the proper emotion already. The Main issue with him already is he's missed two days of rehearsal, which wouldn't be bad if we weren't so late starting. He missed one day for a sport meet and one day for his sisters birthday, which was understandable to everyone other than B.

B lives, eats, and BREATHES theater at this point and if you don't take it as seriously as she does, she'll try to get you kicked off the team. Since G missed two days, B thought he wasn't taking it seriously enough and decided to tell our director. G was absolutely devastated, he was already misses an event that'd get him really good contacts for the field he wants to go into because B asked the director to make all of the rehearsals mandatory BECAUSE he wanted to do the event. He came to T and I to talk about it and I decided to go to rehearsal that night to warn the director B was trying to get G kicked off. B's full reasoning for trying to kick him off was that he wasn't prioritizing rehearsal and hadn't memorized his lines yet (again, first week).

Rehearsal went absolutely amazing, they were both almost completely off book for one of the longest scenes and did it so soso SO WELL. Once rehearsal ended after 3 hours and B left the room, I went to go tell the director. The director immediately shut me down and told me if B had something to say I don't have to warn her. G and I left trying to wrap our heads around what to do. I didn't want him to be kicked off and deal with the shame of not feeling good enough and he felt insulted that someone he thought was his friend would go through so many hoops just to pretty much sabotage a hobby of his. We agreed that if the director went through with kicking him off we wouldn't go down without a fight.

But, that was that, and I got home and joined a call with some other friends to decompress from how stressful the entire situation was. I would've been completely de-stressed if it weren't for the fact B texted me an hour after rehearsal ended with just "what happened between us?" Apparently, our director had told her that I was trying to warn her that B was gonna say something. I realized that B still thinks we're on good standing, friends even, when I absolutely do not.

I don't know how to go about telling her that any thread of friendship between was severed a long time ago, but I think me trying to protect G and keep him on the team was the final straw for her. I can't tell if I'm just blinded by my dislike of her or if I really fucked up in this situation.

What are these acronyms?

[uncaught-coolfish]

in honor of yang living her best romcom life while ruby spirals in vol 9, heres my ranking of rwby siblings worst to best.

1. cinder/step sisters - i think cinder is cool for murdering her family, good for her

2. rainart twins - sir, how are you serving the lady who controlled the monsters that killed your sister. justice for gretchen, she died with the braincell, leaving her brother a dumbass

3. schneeblings - not winter mirroring jacque and slapping weiss while weiss holds a loaded gun to her brother's face, the kids are not ok someone check on the schneeblings

4. light/darkness - kinda awkward when your bickering traumatized a girl and her boyfriend so she tried to usurp your throne and then you ended up wiping out humanity haha

5. branwen twins - raven, i love you, but she really left her brother and family to play walmart wild west. what.

6. ruby/yang - for this month, we celebrate a girly who prioritizes true love while her sister is having a breakdown <3

7. albain bros - rip to fennec, they're a theater duo and it just aint the same when your brother isnt there to burn down society with you :(

8. arc siblings - jaune really out here pretending having sisters is a tragic backstory, this is why younger siblings dont deserve rights

9. malachite sisters - they share clothes and talk mad shit about people behind their back with each other, good for them

10. alyx/lewis - when he's back, he turned around and waited for alyx but she never passed through. time moves on, he's gone but his hope for his sister to reunite with him lives on in a story where she comes home. in a world about fairytale, lewis wrote a story where his sister, flaws and all, is a hero. hands down, the only siblings that matter.

😭 alyx and lewis deserved better they rlly are the best sibs now that I think about it

[filmnoirsbian]

A series 6 of pages from the graphic novel My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris

Page one: Karen (stylized as a werewolf girl) and Missy are two young girls watching a horror movie. Karen's narration says "Horror Theater played this movie 'Dracula's Daughter' and there was this one part where Countess Dracula kidnaps this woman named Janet..." Missy says "I think that the countess almost..." Karen finishes "...kissed her..."

Karen's narration says "That was the night we cut our fingers and became...blood sisters" and then "As I hung up my detective coat in the cloak room I remembered how I'd waited till Missy was asleep. I'd said, "You are beautiful" and then..."

A sleeping Missy says "...I love you Kare...I love you so much..." as Karen kisses her hand. Countess Dracula looks on and says "Oh Karen, you are far braver than I ever was!" Karen's narration says "I think she meant it because she said it from her asleep self not her awake self..."

Page two: The Next Morning. Missy and Karen are eating cereal. Missy says "Karen, do you think that a girl could become the bride of dracula's daughter?" Karen says "If they love each other then why not?"

Karen's narration says "I think Missy went home and asked her mom the same question because later Missy's mom called and demanded to know what we'd seen on TV..."

Karen's mom on the telephone says "Just some old Creepshow is all..." Missy's mom from the telephone says "That junk! I really should not be surprised as people of your class never protect their kids from bad influences!" She hangs up.

Karen's narration says "As I sat in school (getting my daily doses of paper airplanes) I thought about how that had been the last sleepover we ever had. Over the next few weeks I heard that all of Missy's monster magazines got replaced by hair and beauty mags. Her boardgames, like 'Haunted House' got replaced with, 'The Mystery Date Game'..."

Page 3: Karen's narration says "But we are still blood sisters, so no matter how mean Missy is, I can't be mean back. Her blood is inside of me. Sometimes I think if you were to put one of those x-ray machines up to me, you would see the old Missy, the Missy from when we used to love monsters together and I have to protect that part of her..." Karen gives a thumbs up to this x-ray picture of old Missy.

Page 4: Karen's narration says "...Because inside of Missy that part is in a coffin, in a crypt, staked, and hungry and all alone..." Missy gives a thumbs down to her x-ray self. Missy says "Only 3 things matter! What you wear how you do your hair and...the boy that you date!"

Page 5: Werewolf Karen and Vampire Missy embrace in a stairwell. Karen thinks "I don't care if it turns out that this was all a mean prank...for right now I get to hold her in my arms and stroke her hair." Missy says "The times when I'm with you are the only ones when I'm...myself."

Page 6: Missy's mother calls down the stairwell and says "Missy! What are you doing in the stairwell? Come back to your guests!" Missy tells her "So the neighbors don't see Karen getting on at our floor, she's taking the elevator at the floor below ours." Missy's mother says "Finally you're being sensible about that...girl!"

Still embracing, Karen says "Missy, you sure your mom won't come down here and catch us?" Missy says "She never walks down the stairs in high heels when she's been drinking. She'll be passed out by ten tonight. Horror Feature is playing 'Carnival of Souls' tonight...um...wanna call me and we can watch it over the phone together?"

Karen says "Sure."

[27goldensun]

My thoughts on AOTV (Part 1 - Babygate)

I am dividing my thoughts on the film otherwise the post would be to long and confusing

I think that most people have now watched or heard about the scenes with Freddie so I will avoid describing them and will give my opinions

1. Putting shoes and jacket

The first time Freddie appears in the doc starts with Louis helping him put on his jacket and shoes.

That to me was super funny actually because my experience with the young kids in my family is that they absolutely hate getting help when getting dressed, they always want to be independent LOL

Freddie didn’t seem exactly comfortable in this part, and Louis’ apartment didn’t look like he spend too much time there nor that a kid lived there for some time

2. Walking the same way with stuff swinging

As they leave the building Freddie is carrying his Switch and sort of swinging it. Louis, who was previously not carrying anything, gets some sort of plastic bag, looks at Freddie and literally mirrors his pose

This had everyone swooning in the theater because “they look just the same” (it was so forced I laughed and had to cough to cover it up LOL)

3. The beach scene

This has been discussed in detail, but I just though it was funny how Oli was there the entire time (in the flat also) and how Freddie kept looking at the camera

They actually play rock paper scissors out of the blue?! I told my dad that and he laughed so much, it just isn’t something we’d ever do and my goddaughter would laugh at me if I suggested this game

4. The LA show scenes

Again, this scenes have been discussed by everyone, so I’m just adding my two cents.

Freddie doesn’t initiate any contact with Louis, the one part he seems excited is when he describes jumping with his sign and when he is playing with Jackson (Harry’s godson)

Louis is very tactile with Freddie and appears to treat him like “one of the lads”, just generally roughhousing the kid (like, he actually poked Freddie’s eyes) which didn’t really align with what Louis’ sisters described him as (very protective and all) but could be just how I perceive (although if we compare it to say, Louis with baby Lux, it just very different)

He doesn’t leave with Freddie and tells him to be good on his way home

Louis gets emotional when seeing Freddie in the audience and drops some line of “there where 6k people but I only had eyes for you”

A part that I think was really funny was when he pointed at F, because if you watched the live for this show you’ll remember he pointed once, talked to Charlie and probably realized the video wasn’t good than pointed again to make sure it was filmed (very organic)

Not once does Freddie call him dad, but “his” sign says “go dad”

They did record Freddie singing Two of Us and he kept checking the camera during it

5. The grandfather

Louis grandpa talks about how they are “literal copies of each other”

This part was professionally filmed and during the same day they talk about Jay and how hard her loss impacted louis

During the sections that seem to be home videos, Freddie isn’t really mentioned

6. My general thoughts

They once more reinforced the “carbon copy” narrative, which is really funny when knowing how much like Bret the kid looks

I realized that, while they tried to make it clear that while Louis does see the kid, he doesn’t have any type of custody (talking about F going home and the apartment not looking very child-inhabited)

Do I think that Freddie knows louis or spends more time with him than we know of? Not actually, he seemed to know who Louis is, obviously, but didn’t have any greater familiarity like you’d expect, and seemed to lean away from Louis at times

Not once were Louis and Freddie alone (even just them and the cameras), so Oli is as much a father to him as Louis

The bbg parts really do feel like an attempt at gaslighting the fandom, so I wasn’t happy about them, but let me know what you all thought of it please (also please forgive any mistakes, I’m still a bit sleepy LOL)

I’m finishing up a timeline regarding louis bs of spending “3 weeks or a month” with the kid, since he would have had to mastered the ability to be in two places at once (you don’t really get to lie about where you have been when not only your location but the child’s has been plastered all over the internet daily)

[masteroftime231]

It’s going to be a long post and I still have no idea how to partially hide it, so do apologize in advance that readers may need to scroll through it.

With that out of the way… I decided to finally try and wrap up my thoughts on Rhaenyra. When I read the book, I was a team Black supporter 100% and I started watching the show with the same attitude. The first two episodes I diligently hated Alicent and stanned Rhaenyra, and the world was good. Yet, in episode 3 I questioned my fave for the first time. This post is not going to compare Blacks vs. Greens, but to express my thoughts on Rhaenyra only because she is supposed to be a strong woman, and her portrait is important as a message what strong women suppose to be.

Spoiler: I do not see Rhaenyra as a strong woman or a potentially capable ruler. I do understand her as a person and an average woman, yet, that does not translate into supporting her as a leader. And here is why.

In episode 3 we see her after 3 years gap and this is the first time I question her skills. It is apparent that she spent 3 years disliking Alicent, her farther and Aegon. Ok, I can understand Alicent and Viserys; however, I do not understand hating Aegon by proxy. To think of it, he is Rhaenyra’s closest family after her father (because to see that in Daemon, who comes and goes as he wants, is a bit strange and naive). Supposedly, it would make sense to keep and develop that relationship, especially, when Aegon is a blank sheet of paper. We may be sure that Alicent would not intervene, hoping to restore their old friendship. Rhaenyra does nothing like that. Yet, this is partially Viserys’ mistake, as it would be a correct move to explain basic things to his daughter: your brothers and sisters are your only family when I am gone, or something similar.

In the same episode we see the other two moments that show how Rhaenyra lacks any sense of diplomacy or strategic planning. I mean, it was very girlboss to quarrel with her farther in front of everyone and after that to offend ladies (or before that, whatever). Yet, the first thing showed people that Rhaenyra had no self-control, and the second one meant that she created people who could hold a grudge against her instead of winning allies. When we consider Rhaenyra’s relationships with her family and the court separately, it’s one thing. Combined they create a massive combo that means she, the future ruler of the realm, is completely isolated because of her own choices. And on that thought I finished watching episode 3.

Then there was episode 4 and things became truly unbearable. To please her father, Rhaenyra sits to select a future husband; however, she manages to offend her potential suitors and leave a bad aftertaste in others’ mouths. She mocks the first lord, dismisses the second one, and does not care even a bit about the fight that happens. Again, she shows no hint of diplomacy and adds more people to the cohort that may dislike her. Very monarch-y. The worst thing is that this happens in the first place. This farce could be avoided if Rhaenyra’s main interest had been to choose a man with enough resources to back the crown and (this is extremely important) ability to give her healthy children, future legitimate heirs to the throne (this is where Laenor does not count due to his preferences). Consequently, the marriage could be organized behind closed doors without a cheap show that could fuel potential negative gossips.

And then ta-da, Daemon arrives and things go south. They sneak out and watch that cheap theater in the streets, and Rhaenyra’s reaction is what makes me think that she would not be a good queen. “Who cares what they think”. The problem with this statement is tremendous because peace in society is based on a social contract between a ruler and the masses. For those purposes rulers, at least, pretend to play according to the traditions of society, otherwise, it may result in unrest and civil wars. Of course, you may do as you please and disrespect the masses; then to keep your throne in place you need to install terror against the population (however, I do recall that even Stalin cared about his public image and never did anything drastic image-wise). In both cases (neglect & unrest vs. constant terror) we are talking about many, many people dying because one person cannot control their basic urges. Therefore, that line said by Rhaenyra and, later, by Jace is quite disturbing and rather indicates potential tyrants than good rulers.

Further, better. I will not discuss Rhaenyra’s choices of sex partners. I do believe that even in those times people could choose who to fuck, but what matters here is discretion and precautions (moon tea, i.e. contraception exists even in Westeros). To fuck Daemon behind closed doors in the Red Keep is one thing, but to allow him to take you to a dirty brothel, to display your identity there and then to return home through the main door (so everyone could see) is completely different.

In fact, I would say that any close association with Daemon was not very politically smart and would inevitably result in the loss of reputation. However, considering Rhaenyra’s isolation, that association was a given (and here we come back to the stuff I mentioned in the context of episode 3). People may argue that he is dangerous and a great potential ally, but, honestly, he is nothing because he only has one dragon. No money (other than from his brother), no lands, no serious armies, no serious claim to the throne; he can be easily removed from the game (sent to the Wall because of his crimes or simply poisoned) and no one will mourn him. Yet, Rhaenyra follows him everywhere and finds herself in even worse situation.

After that, out of spite, she makes two serious mistakes. First, she makes Viserys dismiss Otto and irredeemably damages her relationship with Alicent, who still tries to stand by Rhaenyra. Second, she, knowing Laenor’s preferences, agrees to marry him and condemns herself to the need for paramour that would eventually result in illegitimate children. The problem with Otto was not that he was dismissed, but the fact that his dismissal was tied to Rhaenyra and that caused even a deeper rift between her and Alicent. I mean, when you have almost no allies, it would be wise not to aggravate the remaining ones, even if you believe that they may betray you. The problem with Laenor is clear.

I will skip episodes 5-7 as they hold almost no value in the context of politics, but rather they prove the above-mentioned stuff. However, episode 8 is once again interesting. We see that Rhaenyra had been away from the court for 6 years. That’s a lot. She has no own court, and it seems that her attention is focused on her husband and her children. Rhaenyra is as far away from political life as possible, does not develop any alliances, and has a problem with supporting even existing one with Rhaenys. It’s a mere allegation, but I think she has no idea what is happening in the minds of other lords and def does not burden herself with taxes, prices, etc. The crown funds her nice life and she seems happy with that.

Additionally, she does a good job raising spoilt kids, but a poor job raising capable rulers. The legitimacy of her sons is constantly questioned, yet, she does not prepare them for potential hardships on their way. They supposedly are not good at fighting. Jace has issues with Valyrian language, and I strongly suspect that Luce cannot differ one end of a ship from another, despite the fact that he should rule over the biggest fleet in Westeros. The big problem is that Jace, the potential king of Westeros, has the same attitude towards his future subjects as his mother (take a look at the field where I grow my fucks, it’s barren).

Once the family gets to King’s Landing, we again see that Rhaenyra has no allies and has to ask her dying father to protect her. The most interesting part here is the trial. We see how people look at Velaryon boys and, clearly, they do not believe them to be true-born Velaryons. Yet, to keep the Iron Throne, Rhaenyra pushes Luce to get Driftmark, and during the trial Vaemond is executed from behind his back. That social contract I mentioned before applies also to the ruler and elites; in this case elites get some power, riches and influence and in their turn they support the ruler. Here, we see the break of contract because the potential ruler executes one of elite to get what she wants (we can spare ourselves from details that it was Daemon because these things are going to be linked with Rhaenyra anyway). The message is extremely clear to the rest of the elites: “I respect no deal between us, once I want something, I will get it even if I need to kill all of you”. Such thing does not inspire trust or support among nobility. So here goes another politically wrong choice. Because again, you do what you want and either rule with terror, or expect a civil war.

Finally, during the supper we see Rhaenyra’s attempt to mend the broken bonds, yet, she again demonstrates her lack of political & emotional understanding of other people. She tries to restore relationship with Alicent, but the problem is not with Alicent anymore. Alicent is no longer a single person that forms the Green faction. It’s a group of people who either were wronged by Rhaenyra and her teammates, or simply disliked her choices. Alicent is just a banner, and any banner can always be replaced. Indeed, Alicent agrees to peace, but we get Aegon and Aemond looking wolves at the team Black and starting fight when they see a chance. We have Otto. And somewhere in the court there are many others who think of Rhaenyra as of the incapable woman.

Inability to understand, predict and prevent all of this makes Rhaenyra a bad queen that lacks for many important qualities. Especially, because once upon a time she could do small things to prevent future bloodshed; yet because of her real and imaginary slights she decided against it. And this makes her a weak person.

Sorry for a rant and possible mistakes.

[crazy4frozen]

Frozen; A movie worth melting for

As I celebrate my ultimate favorite movie turning 10 years old. let me tell you why I think the movie is "Worth melting for

Frozen is so magical and it has helped me through difficult times in my life such as adapting to group home life as an only child. and learning how to be patient and live with people. In many ways, I can relate to my favorite character Elsa. She had to hide her magic Ice powers from the world and more importantly her sister Anna for many years making her feel so isolated and alone. And that's how I felt especially in that first year and a half that I lived in a group home (I moved in 2010

However, just like Elsa I was able to 'Let It Go' and move into my own supported apartment 6 years later but then I felt isolated again 'until I learned how to schedule my own activities. And I feel the sisterly love between Elsa and Anna is so magical and one must not forget the songs are so powerful!

I am such a HUGE fan of Frozen now that I can't believe that for the first 7 months I hated it! However, three of my group home house mates whom I was living with were so obsessed with the movie from the very start and they were willing to try anything to get me to love their favorite movie. And man were they persistent at it too! In fact, I remember them dragging me to to the theater 3 times to see the movie a nd to 'Frozen on Ice" where I fell asleep. However, in June 2014, I 'fell in love' with the song 'Let it Go' when I really listened to the lyrics of the song. On the 15th, my Best Buddy through the Carroll College friendship program for people with disabilities invited me to see her favorite movie. When I found out that it was Frozen I immediate started to protest. I told her that I already seen it three times and I flat out didn't want to watch it again and also that I was so annoyed with it! However being the crazy, obsessed superfan that she was, refused to let me give up! She kept pointing out to me that the song that I had gotten 'hooked' on was in the movie and that if I watched it again I would love it just like she did! And boy was she ever right! It had taken 4 times but I finally was 'Hooked'. Which was great for those super fans of Greenway whom I knew for a fact were probably going to disown me if I hadn't started liking their movie! Soon after that day I become a fan,I joined the gang in watching it very day the movie and those fans became increasingly excited with my growing passion!

I began going to all these Frozen theme events many times such as 'Breakfast With Elsa,

'Frozen on Ice" three more times and numerous meet and greets with Elsa and Anna! Also, in April of this year I went to Frozen: The Broadway Musical in Milwaukee at the PAC and had the GREATEST TIME EVER! and I look forward to going to many more Frozen events in the future and oh, how I can forget one of my latest day program Goodwill throwing me an epic Frozen theme birthday party August 27th 2018!

Now, in 2023 I can't get enough Frozen! I watched the movie 604 times and counting, have a ever growing collection of stuff. I can say that that at 9 years and 5 months Frozen has captured my interest longer than any other movie. I have seen it' more times than any other movie and I don't think I have gotten more stuff than any other movie! And I'm sure I will have Frozen FEVER for many more years, as Disney is making a Frozen 3 & 4! And I owe it all to those super fans of Greenway group home and my ex best buddy for their persistent efforts to make a fan out of me!

I would like to also point out that i was 43 years old when I fell madly 'in love' with Frozen and many people teased me for being way to old to be so 'into' a Disney movie that many believe, including my parents that is just for kids under the age of 12. Also that for me going to events such as 'Breakfast with Elsa' or 'Frozen On Ice' aren't age appropriate nor that I should be interested in going to them!

I hope that by reading this fan experience post people would see that a love, even an obsessive love for a Disney movie has no age limits!

Happy 10th Anniversary Frozen! I love you so much

This is a picture of me from the 2022 special needs prom!

[stargazing-imagines]

A&A rewrite — S1EP10 — world wreckers and work wreckers

Description: Ally decides to hire Dallas at sonic boom to take over your shift while you are away at theater practice, meanwhile Austin and Dez try to break a world record

Warnings:

Fandom: Austin and ally

AUSTIN AND ALLY REWRITE MASTERLIST

Read Previous Episode here!

It was a normal day at Sonic Boom and Ally was working at the counter, she was writing in her book until she looked up.

"Am I dreaming or are you guys reading a book?" asked Ally as she closed her Songbook before walking over to the pair

"It's a world record book," said Austin "Hey Dez we should do a world record,"

"Yeah i'll be over here," said Ally as she walked back to the counter, when she did you came running over

"Guys! Don't I have some news for you," said Y/n as you smiled "With the show nearing its live show Mr. Donaldson has extended my Hours,"

"And how is that good news?" asked Austin as he was confused

"Because instead of being at the auditorium for 2 hours i'm there for 4 hours," you said "WOO!"

"Wait I'm happy for you but you can't leave the store," said Ally "I have all these boxes to put away and it's going to take hours to put them in the practice room,"

"So hire someone to take my spot, it's not like i'm going to be gone forever, there's only 3 months left until the show is live in miami and Mr Donaldson doesn't like people who slack on the job,"

"Yeah but you know dad is to cheap to hire more help,"

"Yeah what's the problem with that?" you asked following your sister over at the counter "I mean in order for a business to stay in business you have to hire more help,"

"Guys I know what I and Dez can do for a world record,"

"And that is?" asked Ally

"Who can spin the basketball the longest,"

______

"Ally just because Dallas sucks at his job doesn't mean you need to fire him," you said stuffing your face with a chicken salad sandwich that Ally has bought for rehearsal

"Yeah but Trish wants to fire him," said Ally

"Why don't you show him the basics?" you suggested "Besides Dad can't vote against it because I'm not able to work at the store now with my schedule," you said laughing

"My lovely actors it's time to get back to work," said Mr Donaldson as he clapped his hands "Ally would you like to stay till rehearsal?"

"I would love to but I have to show someone how to work the music store," smiled Ally as she waved before walking away

_______

"I'm sorry," said Dallas as he just dropped a box of instruments, Ally on the other hand was trying to not get mad

"It's fine." Said Ally, you walked in and humming that was when you stopped and looked at the mess

"What happened in here?" you asked looking at Dallas "We just ordered those yesterday!"

After you said that, Dez and Austin walked in with basketballs on their finger as it was spinning around

"No I'm going to be the first one to beat the world record and when I do it will be published all over the world,"

"Oh yeah well when I beat the world record I'm going to announce it to the whole world," said Austin

"Guys, why are you fighting? It's just a stupid world record," you said separating the boys

Austin and Dez looked at you before speaking

"Y/n's right... I won't let this stupid world record ruin our friendship," said Austin, and after he said that he stopped the basketball

"No I'm going to let you win," said Dez as he stopped his basketball

"Dez! Why did you do that?!" Said Austin "You could've won the world record,"

Dez looked at the basketball before frowning

"All man,"

"Come on let's celebrate with a hot dog," said Austin "you in Y/n?"

"Sure," you said "want to come ally?"

"Nah I'll stay here at sonic boom," smiled ally

______

"I can't believe Trish got a whole marching band to fire Dallas," you said laughing "why did she do that?"

"I have no clue but I feel terrible," said Ally as she placed her face in her hands, you looked at the door as you saw Dallas

"Uh Ally... you have a visitor," you said as she poked Ally

Ally looked up at Dallas before walking over to him

"I'm so sorry about the other day," said Ally "You aren't mad are you?"

"No I'm not mad," said Dallas as he smiled "I just wanted to come by and tell you that I can't work for you anymore,"

"Why? You were fired yesterday,"

"Yeah but I just wanted to tell you that I got a job at the liberry," smiled Dallas

"That's great," said Ally awkwardly, Dallas smiled before waving

"Bye girls,"

After Dallas left you walked over to the Ally before slinging your arm over ally's shoulder

"I think you did the right thing," said Y/n

"About what?"

"About not freaking out over the fact that he said liberry instead of library," you chuckled

[nutty1005]

Like a Dream, Enter the Dream (2022 Beijing Stop Repo)

Original article: https://weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404850673606066311#_0 Original author: 忽漫相逢是别筵 

3 days have passed since the winter solstice in 2022. When I wake up every night during these 3 days, I looked at the flickering lights outside the window, and I would still be thinking that I was sitting in Baoli Theater in a daze. There was no one else around, only the shining Patient No. 5 on the stage, and me in the corner of the stage watching him devotedly.

Yes, I met Xiao Zhan, the person I wanted to see with all my heart, and whom I cherished as a treasure and loved deeply for 3 years. No, to be precise, what I saw was 8 hours of Patient No. 5 and 3 minutes of Xiao Zhan. As I said before, why I still couldn’t see clearly when I saw him so close, besides the glow all over his body, it was also because that’s not Xiao Zhan, even though he had the same face and tall and thin figure, but he has completely entered the body of Patient No. 5, it was a patient with a long-term fever, with a pale face, a slightly sweaty forehead, and a slightly hunched back that was tortured by illness and impermanence. He had the sense of exhaustion that he had to stop for a rest after walking a few steps… It was such a man also brought me into the dream. During the 8 hours of watching the play, I followed him to experience all the joys and sorrows, as if I had exhausted all my strength. I still haven’t woken up from this dream…

Before entering the dream

Surreal was my biggest sensation. Starting from snatching tickets, I spent ten days in a trance even before entering the dream. Everyone knew the special nature of “A Dream Like A Dream” this time, on the day of ticket snatching, I was still running a fever, but I knew this would be my biggest chance, so I had to do it. I didn’t even pay attention to the date after the snatching, but I felt that it would be safer for me to recover my health if it were the later shows. I received a text message after payment, and I dropped my phone and went to sleep. During the ten days of recuperation, I lay in bed and thought a lot. I was prepared not to watch it if I didn’t test negative. As a Xiaofeixia, I have to be worthy of my idol and audience. I was also prepared for temporarily change actors in case I could not see Xiao Zhan. I thought, even if I couldn’t see him, I was still sitting in the theater where he had performed, and that was a great comfort to me.

Days past in a hurry and finally arrived on the 22nd, everything was fated to be the best arrangement, my ART had turned negative. After getting up in the morning, I dressed up, made an appointment with the hairdresser to have my hair done, and then carried my dreamy sea blue bag (at that time, I made an appointment with 4 other XiaoFeixia sisters to carry it together to watch ADLAD in Beijing, but none of them could come. I must maintain this sense of ritual for them). Went straight to the Baoli Theater, collected tickets, passed security checks, queued up for ticket inspection, and entered… until I sat in my seat, I still feel unreal, am I really going to see Xiao Zhan? Will Patient No. 5 not be him after the opening? It was funny in my recollection, this was the uneasiness and nervousness that I never had in the past, how much do I love this boy? “Welcome to Yanghua’s performance of ‘A Dream Like a Dream’. Today’s performance is about 8 hours long…” Xiao Zhan’s clear and soft voice seemed to have the magic power of calming people’s hearts. The whole theater became quiet, and my heart also slowly calmed down, I thought, I am really going to enter the dream.

Like a dream, entering the dream

ADLAD’s opening, “Traveler Music” sounded, the performers walked onto the stage from all directions, and walked around the lotus pond. They seemed to have come to a strange place at the beginning, and the walking speed was very slow. More and more people joined, one or two of them began to rush, and then everyone seemed to be in a hurry, the whole team became more and more anxious, some people started running, I only saw Xiao Zhan in the running crowd, I was really stupid come to think of it. I always thought that he should be wearing the caramel-colored jacket of the curtain call at the beginning, therefore I didn’t pick up the binoculars, because I thought he was not in the crowd at the beginning. But when he ran, I saw his long legs at a glance, and I locked on the target almost instantly. This perfect body proportion, he was wearing the most ordinary clothes, but he was still handsome and stylish. He seemed to be thinner again, he was obviously very buffed during the live broadcast previously. This was the self-cultivation of a professional actor, and he adjusted to the most suitable state for the role in the shortest time. Wasn’t this what we are most proud of because he respects the audience and loves the stage? Everyone stopped, and he stood facing the audiences. From my binoculars, I could clearly see his facial features. The face that stirs my soul, was more pronounced and smaller than the one on the screen. The skin was delicate and firm, flawless, the bridge of the nose is straight like that of a sculpture, the eyes are full of stories, the end of the eyes is slightly red, maybe he was already very involved during the rehearsal…

Ding ding… A string of bell rings from the elderly Gu Xianglan pulled me back to the stage. I felt ashamed for a moment. I came to see theater actor Xiao Zhan. I should appreciate his performance with the most pious heart, why was I addicted to his appearance? I gathered my thoughts and returned to the plot, and the performers began to introduce Zhuang Rumeng’s story. “It is said that in the state of Qi at the end of the Warring States period, there was a poet named Zhuang Heng. It was a chaotic world full of violence, and Qin, which was located in the west, swallowed up neighboring countries step by step…” At this time, Xiao Zhan’s voice is different from the opening announcements, and while it was also an articulate introduction, this voice was telling the story. He has finished telling his lines among all the performers, and naturally integrated himself into the play. In this stage. I didn’t know much about the relationship between Zhuang Rumeng’s story and this play before, but after watching the play, I understood that this story led to the theme of this play – life is like a dream, perhaps life may be a dream that is difficult to wake up from, you could not judge whether the environment you are in is reality or a dream, perhaps real life is far more absurd than a dream. This feeling between dreams and reality runs throughout the whole play, and also runs throughout the past and present lives of Patient No. 5 and Gu Xianglan.

The second scene where Patient No. 5B (Xiao Zhan) appeared was against the background of Patient No. 5A telling the story about a shepherd, which is very similar to Patient No. 5’s own story, but the difference is that, to the shepherd, the tragedy of the separation of his wife and children was a dream, but to Patient No. 5, it was an unavoidable reality. Perhaps in Patient No. 5’s heart, he hoped that his fate will be the same as that of the shepherd, that all the experiences were just a dream, and after waking up from the dream, he would still have a happy and stable life. In this narration, Patient No. 5B and his wife walked around the stage across the lotus pond. His expression was calm and normal, just like his normal life track at that time.

After Patient No. 5A finally told his story, Patient No. 5B walked next to his wife. He had met his wife, and he was finally pushed by fate to change his life… In this scene, Xiao Zhan’s performance is fully relaxed and fluid with ease. The most impressive points: 1st, the sense of faith without physical props, he would slow down when holding sushi with chopsticks for fear of dropping, the expression of rushing to swallow down after being choked by wasabi, and even added the action of pounding his thigh to help ease the choking sensation. The clumsy and cuteness pretending to be a father holding a baby doll, these movements were so harmonious and natural, that while you know he was acting without physical props, he managed to make you believe that those things were in front of you. 2nd is that I saw through Patient No. 5’s personality with his performance. He was gentle, elegant, humorous, and this was probably why his wife chose him after her previous relationship ended. But at the same time, he was also kind, restrained, forbearing and helpless, such as when his child was incurably ill and his wife broke down yelling at the doctor, he endured his anxiety while comforting his wife and begged the doctor. The moment he knelt in front of the doctor, I saw a man’s deep sense of helplessness. After the child passed away, he also started to fall sick and had a fever. He became a burden to his wife and they became strangers with nothing to say to each other. Then he often received strange phone calls in the middle of the night. He knew it was for his wife, but the most ruthless thing he ever said on the phone was, “The phone bill is yours. I have a lot of time, so I will fight with you!” Everyone is very familiar with the “Pick up!” To me, it was not an emotional outburst, it was just that his eyes are shaded and his voice was higher than usual, but he is still trying his best to control and maintain his demeanor. Including the sentence “She bought grilled corn over there just now!” It is also slightly different from what I saw in the previously recorded versions. It was less cry of breaking down, and more confusion and sorrow. This may be what he meant when he said his time gap had widened, and he could make some adjustments that were more in line with the character’s personality in a deeper performance. 3rd was the control of the voice. Patient No. 5 is from Taipei, and he could easily bring people into the plot with his Mandarin with a Taiwanese accent, especially when he was speaking a lot of lines, the ending sound always made me feel that this was a gentle and elegant Taiwanese man. Even this time he had a slightly nasal voice, which is more suitable for the sick Patient No. 5. I could not describe his eyebrows and eyes now, but his voice will always echo clearly in my mind, the voice of the limited edition Patient No. 5.

After seeking medical treatment to in vain, Patient No. 5 chose to travel. He planned to experience the world in his limited life, so he came to Paris, met Jiang Hong, and had a relationship with her and had a period of sweet and happy times, my mood was also joyful and relaxed. If I could always be seated in the theater and in the dream then I hope my Patient No. 5 could continue to be happy like this. The presentation of this part of his acting skill was more intuitive with the audience’s reaction. For example, he finally understood the word “coffee” in French, and happily gestured with his hands. For example, he deliberately changed the Chinese intonation, thinking that it would turn into French to be understood. For example, when he cupped his cheeks obediently in a kawaii movement, he absolutely melted out hearts, waves of laughter came from the audience, and when he exclaimed as he and Jiang Hong hugged each other on the bed, it made me believe that the theater is an art form that resonates strongly with the audience, where every audience is also a participant, their applause, laughter, breath, heartbeat gave the actors affirmation and appreciation. I think, Zhan must love this kind of stage very much, as a performer, with timely feedback to him, with audiences who understood him, this kind of happiness cannot be experienced by other forms of performance.

In order to find the cause of the illness, Jiang Hong took Patient No. 5 to meet a gypsy. The gypsy told him that the mystery in his life must be solved using other mysteries, pointing to the lake where he can “see himself”, and Castle Duchamp. He and Jiang Hong came to Normandy, stayed in the castle, and were mistaken as Japanese. This performance made me feel Xiao Zhan’s language talent even further. He had a lot of lines mixed with Japanese and Chinese, but he spoke so fluently and funnily, almost every scene the audience would laugh along with him. I thought to myself, would he say every of his lines exactly the same every performance? There was no Japanese pronunciation in the script, so will such a natural and funny performance also include improvisation on the premise of memorizing the lines? A good theater actor, as he himself said, must be a tightly screwed screw, but he would naturally incorporate some characteristics into this tight link, so this was Xiao Zhan’s unique Patient No. 5.

There are two details in this story that I remember deeply. One was that on the journey to the castle, they met a beggar. The street was full of people in a hurry, and only Patient No. 5 stopped to give the beggar some cash. He was a terminally ill man who has lost his wife and children, but the kindness in his heart still allowed him to help the weak. I watched him put down the cash, and my eyes quickly filled with tears. The second was the question about the injustice of fate, “everything changed since a disease I didn’t know came to me one day. I had no choice! Did I know this germ? Why did it come to me? Me? I don’t know. But it’s here!” At that moment, I felt sorry for Patient No. 5, but at the same time I was also glad that he was just the Patient No. 5 in my dream.

In the lake where he could see himself, he saw his previous reincarnation—the Baron, and an oil painting in the castle. In the painting, there was a French man and a Chinese woman. This man was the Baron. The steward of the castle told him that the woman in the painting is still in Shanghai, so Patient No. 5 broke up with Jiang Hong and went to Shanghai alone to find the mystery in his life. After searching several times, he found the person in the painting, the old Gu Xianglan. The next story revolves around Gu Xianglan’s life.

Regarding the lower half, it was also a wonderful performance, which was worth everyone sitting in the lotus pond to enjoy. Xu Qing was so charming, her skin was pure like snow, and her acting skills were exquisite. She shed tears in a second, especially when she bid farewell to Tianxian Court and in preparation to go to France. Under the huge light and shadow of rose petals, she walked towards a new life step by step, her figure was so breathtakingly beautiful. There were also Kong Wei and Hu Huizhong, being able to act with these veteran actors on the same stage and yet be not inferior at all, my Xiao Zhan really makes me very proud!

In the lower half, I sat in a better position in the lotus pond, less than 3 meters away from the hospital bed of Patient No. 5. When I entered, he was already lying there, covered with a blanket, curled in a small ball, and I sat quietly watching him for a few minutes. I can’t hear the breathing sound from the meditation that Doctor Xiaomei gave him. The noise and people coming and going around me had nothing to do with me. I only had him in my eyes. That was the happiest time I have ever had.

The Patient No. 5B at the beginning of the lower half was the narrator. After he woke up from his sleep, he began to tell Doctor Xiaomei the story of looking for Gu Xianglan. This narration is carried out alternately with Patient No. 5A on the other side of the stage and the elderly Gu Xianglan’s performance. I really couldn’t give up this opportunity to watch Xiao Zhan up close, so I stared at his face the whole time, and it was precisely because I kept watching Xiao Zhan, that I saw his rigor and reverence for the performance, even if the light is not on his side, he did not slack off at all, and still cooperated with the performances of the other two actors by adding changes in his eyes and subtle expressions. He was portraying a person’s reaction in memory, as well as the respect for the performers on the other side of the stage.

After Gu Xianglan’s life was over, Patient No. 5 was about to usher in the end of his life. He continued on his journey and came to Jiang Hong’s small apartment, where he found the letter Jiang Hong left for him, “Hi, man with a fever”, he knelt there, his knuckles twisted and was slightly whitish because he wanted to hold the letter tighter, my vision was blurred by tears, but I still felt his sadness in my blurred vision, the end of his eyes were red, tears gradually filled his eyes, the thick sadness submersed  around him, and he was keeping it in while performing, this way of acting was even more touching.

The celebration for the new millennium had begun, and the crowd was cheering to throw away the diseases, wars, and misfortunes of the old century, the bell for the future rang, and Patient No. 5 looked at the end of his life alone, the blessings for the new millennium did not belong to him, there were resistance, doubt, enlightenment, and finally relief in his eyes… Xiao Zhan accurately depicted that sense of loneliness, which was in stark contrast to the celebrating crowd around him. At the last moment of his life, Patient No. 5 was still the kind person in his soul, “I only now know that this world, our bodies, were built brick by brick by ourselves, we are our own architects, we build ourselves house.” With his last strength, he inhaled in the pain of Doctor Xiaomei and exhaled the few joys in his life…

Has anyone been to this place? Has anyone seen my face? I think I remember, I think I forgot, you used to wander in my dreams; I think I remember, I think I forget, I was, in your dreams, singing; I think I remember, I think I forgot…

The ethereal singing reminded me that this dream was coming to an end. I looked at him greedily, wanting to engrave his appearance and voice in my mind forever. We will meet again in the future, but maybe it won’t be Patient No. 5, so let me watch for one more second, listen for one more minute, let me remember this memory deeper and longer…

Awakening from the dream

At the curtain call, in order to keep this 3-minute video, I didn’t give my No. 5 the warmest applause, which would be my regret. When I walked out of the theater, there were many fans around the actor’s exit. They were waiting to send their idols off work. I stopped and looked at it, then turned and walked out of the crowd. Dear Xiao Zhan, thank you for taking me to have the most beautiful dream. The distance between actors and audience is the distance between us. Let me look forward to meeting you next time in the most suitable place and on the most public occasion.

Side notes for this performance

The 10th anniversary performance of “A Dream Like A Dream” is destined to be recorded in history. In the past few days, I have seen many reports about the revival of the arts at the end of the year, and almost every article mentioned ADLAD. In such a year with major pandemic, while people were fighting against the virus, the resumption of work and production in the cultural industry had also given people a boost.

To be honest, the sound of coughing in the theater will be one of my unforgettable memories. But when I saw some actors still had a nasal voice after recovering from illness, and even coughed without relying on acting, I was full of respect and admiration for them from the bottom of my heart, and of course this included my favorite Xiao Zhan. Perhaps those performing on stage were also or had been sick, but they brought the confidence and strength to overcome the pain to this group of sick or recovering people in the audience.

From the first day of the curtain call, Xiao Zhan’s smile and satisfaction were written on his face, last night he even gave himself a shout of applause. Seeing his wholehearted performance on the stage he loves, I was very glad that I went to grab tickets, to enjoy his performance, to cheer for his dream. After the curtain call tonight, the 10th anniversary performance of “A Dream Like a Dream” will also come to a successful conclusion. Once again, I would like to pay tribute to the crew and tell actor Xiao Zhan that he’s great!

[hmsharmony]

Tagged by @hondagirll to list my top 9 books. Caveat that many other books could have made it on here, and choosing came down to which books caught my eye while scrolling through my five-star reads. The only ones that are permanent fixtures are probably 1., 2., and 5.

1. Dancing Shoes by Noel Streatfeild. My ultimate comfort book. When I was 10 or 11 my mom gifted me Ballet Shoes, Theater Shoes (aka Curtains Up), and Dancing Shoes (Wintle’s Wonders). I don’t remember when I first read them, but what I do recall is sixth grade outdoor education, when I was desperately homesick (and actually sick with a bad cold) and would curl up at night in my bunk with Dancing Shoes. Maybe it was because that book was a comfort when I was dealing with my separation anxiety, but as much as I loved the other two books, Dancing Shoes is the one that captured my heart. Rachel Lennox is one of my favorite characters of all time. A ten-year-old girl trying to step up after her mother’s untimely death, convinced she must be the responsible one and keep her sister on track. Sacrificing and sacrificing when no one has asked for it, when no one really wants it, all because she’s convinced herself this is how she does right by her mother. I have read or listened to this story at least 100 times, and it never fails to bring me comfort.

2. Emma by Jane Austen. A self-involved but well-intentioned protagonist! Long time friends turned more! “I cannot make speeches, Emma. If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.” All things I love, but the reason this book has stuck with me is probably because it was the subject of a literary criticism paper I wrote in 11th grade. I lived and breathed Emma (both the book and the contemporary criticism of it) for a good two months, and it left an indelible print on my heart.

3. Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta. The love and care Marchetta gives to her characters. I was a blubbering mess reading this book. It’s one of my favorite coming of age stories, with a focus on Francesca’s relationship with her mother (the latter of whom is suffering from depression) and the friendships Francesca builds at her new school. This is reminding me I need a reread.

4. Under a Cruel Star: A Life in Prague, 1941-1968 by Heda Margolius Kovaly. I haven’t read this book since my sophomore modern European history class in college, but I remember how much it meant to see a story about antisemitism in Europe that doesn’t end in 1945. So few people talk about it—the DP camps, the pogroms, the Soviet persecution. Around this same time we watched Life is Beautiful for my Holocaust and Post-Holocaust reflections class, and I remember how angry, how frustrated I was that the ending made it seem like liberation was the end of the suffering. This is one of the books I routinely encourage people to read if their Holocaust education only went through 1945.

5. Night by Elie Wiesel. This is a favorite for a slightly odd reason: this is the book that helped me find my “voice” in academic writing. It was one of the last books we read in 11th grade AP Lang, and my teacher had spent the year pushing us to find our voice, and I had struggled to understand because “I wrote the essay how could it not be in my voice!” Looking back, given my personal connection to the Holocaust, it makes sense that Night would be the book that broke through in that particular way (that said, I wouldn’t realize the extent of the effect of my Holocaust trauma until a year and a half later, when my pop pop died, so at the time I WAS surprised this book turned out to be the key). The struggle to hold onto religion, to believe in a higher power, in the face of genocide is one that I have struggled with almost my entire life, albeit often at an unconscious level. Wiesel’s struggle with the same was the subject of my essay, and I put myself into every word of that paper.

6. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. From my 2015 Goodreads review: “There are those books that, when I reach the end, I smile. Those are the really good ones. And then there are the ones where I'm in tears -- not because of emotional manipulation or because the story was sad, but because the writing is so beautiful, the story so moving, that I'm reduced to tears.“ The deftness with which Morgenstern threaded together the time periods, the second and third person POVs, the seemingly disparate narratives still haunts me.

7. We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter. Another personal one for me. So much of studying the Holocaust is, understandably, sadness and horror. And when you’re a survivor descendent? It’s knowing your existence comes at the expense of 6 million Jews. It’s looking at your family tree and seeing every branch but one cut off. So to know that there was one family where the branches survived? Against all the odds, in the face of indescribable evil? Again, from my Goodreads review: “I'm not sure there are words for how much this book means to me. To know that an entire Jewish family made it out alive... it's overwhelming to be honest.”

8. In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan. I don’t know what to say other than this book is a goddamn fucking delight. The trope subversions in this book are perfection, and I grin every time I think of the chaotic, messy trio.

9. Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers. God, no one does found family like Chambers. Every single book in this series reduced me to tears, but this one resonated with me in particular, perhaps because this installment is entirely character driven, with a focus on the every day. It’s like a fictional popular history take on the future.

Tagging @reasontoshine, @lissomelle, @malinaa, @jamietaylr, @therabbitcatcher and anyone else who wants to do this because it’s nearly 1 am and my brain is blanking

[look-at-the-soul]

WIP FILENAMES TAG

Thank you so much for the tag @there-goes-thefighter 🥰

Rules: reveal the titles of the documents in your wip folder and tag as many people as there are documents. Let others ask questions about the ones that interest them and post snippets or explain the contents as you see fit!

Here is my WIP:

✨ Lenny Miller series “The Runway” (Part 6) request by @l1-l4

Y/N and Lenny go away for a couple of days after rumors are leaked in the press. He just knows the perfect place to hide and provide Y/N with some privacy. Things will soon escalate for them in the intimate department.

✨ “Daydreamer” Robert Fischer (One shot) for my Adele challenge song request by @raincoffeeandfandoms

After reading this song is about Adele daydreaming about her former boyfriend who was bi and she was trying to imagine him being “the perfect man”, I got the idea to Y/N being “daydreaming” about how her life would be perfect if only Robert was actually there for her.

✨ “When we were young” Cillian Murphy Special part for my Adele challenge for my in going series “The Photoshoot” request by @zablife

Cillian and Yael go back in time down to the highway f memories, no spoilers will be posted, don’t worry.

✨ “All I ask” Tommy Shelby x reader (one shot) for my Adele challenge song request by @runnning-outof-time

Still figuring out the plot for this

✨ “Love you in the dark” Tommy Shelby x reader (angst request) and I decided to base this on an Adele song as well request by @l1-l4

As Tommy got Grace pregnant, Y/N decides to move on, but Tommy keeps trying to win her back, there’s a battle between what they feel and what she needs to do.

✨ Cillian x reader “Dance” prompt tagged by @notyour-valentine 🥰

He decided to take it slow with the tequila that night, there would be plenty opportunities to get drunk but he got to celebrate ten years of marriage once.

Spotting the beautiful bride among the people around her, he smiled pleased.

“Mrs. Murphy?” He chuckled at her surprise. “May I have a word with the bride?”

And my on going series:

✨Look at the soul- Part 10

“Is this one of those stories they love to portray in movies right?”

Cillian looked at him confused.

“I’ve known you since you were a noisy teen, don’t try to fool me.” Enda adjusted the glasses on his nose. “You have fallen deep for her and I don’t blame you to be honest… I mean, who wouldn’t?”

Cillian’s eyes moved around the theater without locking eye contact with Enda. He remained quiet.

“It’s alright to move on, it’s been a while.

✨“The Photoshoot” - Part 47

“I just found out I got pregnant, this wasn’t planned but… it feels wrong in some way because I know the hard path you guys have been through.”

At first the news shocked him, but he couldn’t help but feel genuinely happy for his sister so he gave her a reassuring hug.

“Everything will be alright.” He added with a smile.

“I didn’t know how to tell you because I don’t want to hurt yours or Yael’s feelings.”

But he interrupted Orla immediately. “You don’t have to feel guilty about anything… let me deal with this.”

Deep down he knew he was trapped between two walls; feeling happy for his sister and guilty of telling his wife while they were trying to adopt.

“Congratulations.” His hand came to rest on his sister’s head in a tender touch.

Bonus: I’m working on a new Tommy Shelby series, but I want to have at least 4-5 parts before posting.

Oops I got carried away, but lately I’ve had so many ideas and I don’t want to have my drafts piled up…

Tagging no pressure: @notyour-valentine @everythingelseisextra @zablife @theshelbyclan @raincoffeeandfandoms

[ick25]

Let’s talk about the Live Action little mermaid.

I confess I was one of the many people who were against the changes they made to The little mermaid, but now that I actually watched it in theaters, it was surprisingly good. It is not a great movie, and there were changes I’m not a fan of, but the movie was entertaining. It could’ve been one of the not so bad Disney Live action remakes, (because, let’s be honest, there is no such thing as a good Disney Live action remake) but some of the changes actually work or don’t impact the story too much. Sometimes they work and sometimes they just go too far. I thought I was gonna throw a fit during the entire movie, but the only part where I almost did was at the end.

So I just want to point out some of the flaws I found in this movie. This is just my opinion, and I want to know if other people feel the same way.

Halle Bailey.

When I heard about the actress who was gonna be playing Ariel, I admit I was not happy that they didn’t cast a girl that actually looked like the iconic mermaid, which is something a lot of people expect to see in a live action version of a cartoon. However, I was hoping she was gonna give a good performance. Here is the thing, after Watching the movie, I now think she is the second best actress from the movie, first one being Melissa McCarthy as Úrsula. The only thing I didn’t like from her performance was that I rarely felt any emotion from her, I was waiting for the exact moment in the movie we’re she sees Erick and starts to smile and slowly be infatuated by him like in the original movie, but no, the movie just continues and we are now supposed to believe she is in love with Eric, which brings me to the next point.

2. Where is the love?

It looks like Disney’s idea of women empowerment is that we can’t be obsessed with a man or even show any strong loving feelings towards one. Because throughout the movie I didn’t really feel any loving emotion from Ariel towards Eric, hello? The story of the little mermaid is a cautionary tale about first loves, true, love at first sight is a fantasy, but Ariel never felt anything for any guy before seeing Eric so it made sense that she thinks she is in love. She basically bet against Úrsula that she and prince Eric were made for each other.

That would’ve been a good point to explore in the remake without telling little girls that love at first sight was real. Let Ariel feel infatuation for Eric just because of how caring and cute he seemed to her, but after getting her legs she starts to know Eric in a deeper level and realizes that she didn’t really know anything about him or the human world until then. But no, we can’t have a strong female character naively swooning over a man and then learning a lesson about giving up everything you have in your life to chase a fantasy, just like Eric was probably gonna do for the mysterious girl who saved him from drowning.

And it’s not just the love between her and Eric, but with her father as well, I didn’t feel any loving father\daughter relationship between them, and she doesn’t really interact with her sisters. If they explored their family dynamic more, it would’ve been more challenging for Ariel to accept Ursula’s deal.

3. Where are we?

Not only is Eric adopted in this movie, but the whole kingdom seems to be in an island in the Caribbean. In the animated movie it looked like they were in a European country, some even say it was in Italy. I thought one of the reasons the producers had for casting Halle Bailey was because there is diversity in Denmark, which is were the book takes place, but it didn’t seemed like Denmark to me. Also, they didn’t even include elements from the book for the live action movie so why would they even set the movie in Denmark? Okay, they changed the setting of the movie which is a clever change, but why though?

4. Why? The movie raised a lot of questions for me, why is Eric adopted? What’s the point of Úrsula being king Triton’s sister? Why did they change the name of Ariel’s sisters? Why is flounder a sickly looking fish? Why does the ocean feel so dull and empty? And more importantly, why did they give scuttle a song, after establishing that she couldn’t sing at all?

Conclusion.

The little mermaid live action movie has its flaws, there were a lot of necessary and unnecessary changes, but I actually enjoyed the movie. I love the original movie and even though Halle Bailey did a good job, I still can’t see her as the Ariel I grew up with, and it’s not her fault, it’s just that people like me expect to see someone who looks like the animated character, I mean, couldn’t they dye her hair bright red at least? Because Ariel’s hair color is iconic.

The special effects under the sea could’ve been better, it could’ve used more color, more creative locations, and would it kill them to brightened up the scenes?! It really was dark!

Aside from the ending, I think the movie was well done. It’s not great, but it was a nice and fun watch. It’s kinda sad how this movie has so many haters, but the woke changes are what enrages a lot of people. And the people who actually love the movie, might just like it for the wrong reasons which makes the current situation worse.

Would I recommend this movie? Yes.

Give it a chance, it’s no masterpiece, no live action remake is, but it does have it’s moments.

[noahsteensonfilms]

Battle Of The Bands!- A "When Only We're Around" short story

TW: Profanity, Suicide mention

----------------------------------------------------------

"But what if I screw it up, Em? This is like 10 times more people than I've ever played for!" Elliot mutters, standing backstage, shirtless and wearing ripped jeans.

"C'mon babe, this is where you shine! Play your guitar, sing with that amazing voice of yours, and flex those muscles to get thier attention." Emiliano assures him, thier hand resting against Elliot's left cheek.

"Could you two stop being so lovey dovey? I got away from Vince and Caleb so I didn't have to see this shit!" Cassie, Elliot's Foster sister of the same age, calls out from across the room. She not even looking in thier direction. Instead looking at her phone.

"What are you even doing? Leave if you aren't going to help. This is going to be Elliot's big break. You'll see." Emiliano snaps, drawing little other than an eyeroll from Cassie.

"Excuse me, I am injured? Practically disabled right now. I am here for moral support for my big brother. My big unrelated brother." Cassie gestures to her foot, which has been placed in a moon boot.

"Well then maybe you shouldn't hike in the rain!" Emiliano shouts, moving towards Cassie.

"It was to memorialize a dead friend, you cunt!" Cassie shouts back. Her and Emiliano now a foot away from each other.

"Isn't today supposed to be about me?" Elliot mumbles, fidgeting with the guitar pick in his hand. Emiliano, backs from Cassie, returning to hug Elliot.

"Of course this day is about you. You will be a star. We won't stop until the entire theater is cheering your name!" Emiliano assures Elliot, then rubs some oil onto his abs. "For the extra eye candy." Emiliano adds, giving a sly wink.

A man can be heard in the theatre room, announcing the name of the next band. "Next up, Seaview Getaway!"

"I think that's for us. Just manifest my win, okay?" Elliot asks.

"Manifesting isn't a thing." Emiliano groans. "If you guys win, it's due to raw talent. Now go." They shove Elliot out the door with his guitar.

"Wow, that was soooo corny." Cassie chuckles.

"Fuck off"

~~~~~~2 ½ hours later~~~~~~~~

"And the winners are.... Seaview Getaway!" The announcer shouts. Elliot and the other 4 band members run on stage. Elliot grasping the trophy, hugging it into a deathlock. The announcer passes the mic to the band.

"Seaview Getaway would like to thank all our loved ones for being here today. To support us while we risk our futures in this rollercoaster of an industry. I personally would like to thank my Girlfriend/Boyfriend/Non gender specific partner, Emiliano Ortiz. Because without them, I would most likely not be alive right now." Elliot continues his speech, getting more emotional with every sentence, before passing it off to the next member of the band.

They end it with a group bow before exiting the stage.

"Did you mean all that? Why you said in your speech?" Emiliano asks Elliot, thier eyes tearing up.

"Of course I did, babe. You saved me. You know that."

[hawkstincan]

Tagged by @starstruckpurpledragon for the 15 Mutuals, 15 Questions meme

1. Are you named after anyone? 

Nope. I don’t think anyone in my family was. 

2. When was the last time you cried? 

If weeping counts... Yesterday? Big cryings were all at the end of last year. When Loch passed away I was crying a lot. Can’t remember how many days though. 

3. Do you have kids? 

Nope. My step sister has a son. I’m avoiding them for now. Crying babies isn’t a thing I can handle with grace. 

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot? 

It depends? I use it a lot with my close friends. And family. Not at work. They just don’t get it. So it’s easier to keep my mouth shut. 

5. What sports do you play/have you played? 

I’m not a sports person. I love playing badminton and I think I was not bad at it. I sadly didn’t play for ages. Too little time, too many things to do. And I’m not sure my back and knees can handle playing any active game. 

6. What’s the first thing you notice about people? 

Tone of the voice. This is about irl meetings, right? 

7. What’s your eye color? 

Blue-ish grey or grey-ish blue.

8. Scary movies or happy endings? 

Happy endings. (I spent a bit too much time writing and deleting here xD) 

9. Any special talents? 

Hmmmm, I can miss whatever everyone and their pets knows about? If something isn’t in my zone of interest… It’s safe to assume I know nothing about it. On the other hand my zone of interest is wide and strange af xD

10. Where were you born? 

In moscow. I was once told which hospital but I never cared enough to remember. 

11. What are your hobbies? 

Hmmm, I knit scarfs. Yep. Scarves only. I do it to relax and trying to work with schematics is not relaxing for me. So scarves. I draw when I feel inspired or have the IDEA. The ‘you can’t get this shit out of your head until you try to do something with it’ idea. Eating your mind and all your ability to focus idea. I wrote down some of the brain eating ideas I had too. I collect stuff. Like I have a collection of cinema (train, theater etc) tickets. And yes, in-app tickets are useful and amazing and all that… but I miss my paper tickets so much 😭 You can think of my book-buying as collecting too I guess. It’s hard for me to read books on a reader or smartphone. I do prefer to buy paper books. And comics. And manga.     

12. Do you have pets? 

I have two cats. Lenny is an adorable two years old. Loves playing fetch xD Meloch' is loud, annoying, 10+ yo and I love her dearly. 

13. How tall are you? 

165 cm (it’s 5'5" I think?)

14. Favorite subject in school? 

History and computer science. 

15. Dream job? 

When I was a kid I dreamed about being a veterinarian. And after I got my first job… I’ll be honest here. My dream job now is to sit on my butt reading stuff (watching stuff, playing stuff) and to have no need to work. I have zero inner need to participate in social life of my county. Talking to strangers makes me anxious. I stress a lot in a new company. I can’t speak on job interviews. I’m terrible at communication. Jeez, I dropped out of college cause I was too stressed about the exams. (And well teacher as a career was the worse choice I've made. Do not let your parents bully you into 'just get your diploma there and do whatever later' kids) I just couldn’t handle them. And my current job… My mom got me there temporarily. And I was around since I was a teen and people knew me and I had known them… So I’m quite happy to be left alone or with my friends. But I need money to buy food and pay bills so seating at home isn’t a possibility until retirement (the road is so far).   Tagging @luna-shimizu, @simpledontmeanpeachy, @eaion, @mommalosthermind, @thefancydragonqueen, @kateera, @thing2dani, @hardwiredweird, @hautecoldture, @holycafe, @lotusvalkyrie, @ruti2, @artsyape, @superalondrauniverse, @ptatas77